So, you’ve probably figured out by now that the Hoch Deutsch differs in many aspects from the Österreichische Deutsch you hear once you step foot in the streets of Vienna. The accent, the word shortenings, the words replacements, they are all part of making the Viennese dialect so fun to learn and hear. I have heard that the spoken Austrian is closer to or identical with the Bavarian and Alemannic dialects.

For me it seems more melodic and jollier than Hoch Deutsch, I can just see the faces of the locals light up as they initiate a conversation with you. With that in mind, I thought it’d be fun to present to you some differences between German and Austrian day to day words, and maybe if you know more, you can post them in the comment section below.

Kasten (wardrobe) instead of Schrank

Sessel (chair) instead of Stuhl.

Vorzimmer (hallway) instead of Diele.

Ofen (oven) instead of Kamin.

Polster (pillow) instead of Kissen.

Topfen (quark) instead of Quark.

Marille (apricots) instead of Aprikosen.

Sackerl (bag / shopping bag) instead of Tüte.

Grüß Gott versus Guten Tag

Semmel versus Brötchen

Erdapfel versus Kartoffeln

Paradeiser versus Tomate

Klo versus Toilette

Mahlzeit versus Guten Appetit

a bisserl versus ein bisschen