Master essential German words and phrases for your trip to Austria with our categorized guide. From greetings to dining, and navigating emergencies, communicate with ease and confidence.
The official language of Austria is German.
The version of German spoken in Austria is referred to as Austrian German. It is similar to the German used in Germany but with its own unique vocabulary, pronunciations, and expressions. Austrian German is used in education, media, literature, and official documents.
In addition to standard German, various dialects are spoken across the country, particularly in rural areas. These dialects can vary significantly from region to region and are part of the Bavarian and Alemannic dialect groups. Despite the prevalence of dialects, standard German is understood and used by virtually everyone in the country for official and formal purposes.
Here's a list of essential German words and phrases for travelers to Austria, broken down into the specified categories:
Greetings
Hallo - Hello [HAH-loh]
Guten Morgen - Good morning [GOO-ten MOR-gen]
Guten Tag - Good afternoon [GOO-ten Tahk]
Guten Abend - Good evening [GOO-ten AH-bent]
Tschüss / Auf Wiedersehen - Goodbye [CHUSS / owf VEE-der-zay-en]
Danke - Thank you [DAHN-keh]
Bitte - Please / You're welcome [BIH-tuh]
Entschuldigung - Excuse me / Sorry [ent-SHOOL-dee-goong]
Ja - Yes [yah]
Nein - No [nine]
Basic Conversational Phrases and Pronouns
Wie geht es Ihnen? - How are you? (formal) [vee gayt es EE-nen]
Wie geht's? - How are you? (informal) [vee gayts]
Mir geht es gut, danke. - I'm fine, thank you. [meer gayt es goot, DAHN-keh]
Ich heiße... - My name is... [ikh HYE-suh]
Ich verstehe nicht. - I don't understand. [ikh fer-SHTAY-uh nikht]
Sprechen Sie Englisch? - Do you speak English? [SHPREH-khen zee ENG-lish]
Ich - I [ikh]
Du / Sie (formal) - You [doo / zee]
Wir - We [veer]
Sie - They [zee]
Accommodations
Das Hotel - The hotel [das ho-TEL]
Ein Zimmer reservieren - To reserve a room [ine TSIM-mer reh-zer-VEE-ren]
Die Reservierung - The reservation [dee reh-zer-VEE-roong]
Der Schlüssel - The key [der SHLOO-sel]
Die Rezeption - The reception [dee reh-tsep-TSEE-ohn]
Die Nacht - The night [dee nakht]
Vollpension - Full board [fohl-pen-SEE-ohn]
Halbpension - Half board [hahlp-pen-SEE-ohn]
Die Rechnung - The bill [dee REKH-noong]
Der Aufzug - The elevator [der OWF-tsook]
Directions
Wo ist...? - Where is...? [voh ist]
Links - Left [links]
Rechts - Right [rekhts]
Geradeaus - Straight ahead [ge-RAH-deh-ows]
Die Straße - The street [dee SHTRAH-suh]
Der Platz - The square [der plahts]
Die Karte - The map [dee KAR-teh]
Der Weg - The way [der vayg]
Die Ecke - The corner [dee EK-keh]
Der Kreisverkehr - The roundabout [der KRYSS-fair-kehr]
Transportation
Der Bahnhof - The train station [der BAHN-hof]
Die Haltestelle - The stop [dee HALT-eh-stell-eh]
Das Ticket - The ticket [das TICK-et]
Der Zug - The train [der tsook]
Die U-Bahn - The subway [dee OO-bahn]
Der Bus - The bus [der boos]
Einzelfahrschein - Single ticket [EIN-tsel-fahr-shein]
Hin- und Rückfahrkarte - Round trip ticket [hin oont ROOK-fahr-kar-teh]
Der Fahrplan - The timetable [der FAHR-plan]
Die Abfahrt / Die Ankunft - Departure / Arrival [dee AB-fahrt / dee AN-koonft]
Health and Wellness
Die Apotheke - The pharmacy [dee ah-po-TEH-keh]
Der Arzt / Die Ärztin - The doctor [der ahrtst / dee ERTS-tin]
Ich fühle mich nicht gut. - I don't feel well. [ikh FOO-leh mikh nikht goot]
Das Krankenhaus - The hospital [das KRAN-ken-hows]
Die Versicherung - The insurance [dee fer-ZI-cher-oong]
Der Schmerz - The pain [der shMERTS]
Fieber - Fever [FEE-ber]
Die Allergie - The allergy [dee al-ler-GEE]
Medikamente - Medication [med-i-KA-men-teh]
Restaurant and Food / Dietary Restrictions
Das Menü - The menu [das meh-NOO]
Die Rechnung, bitte. - The bill, please. [dee REKH-noong, BIT-tuh]
Ich bin allergisch gegen... - I am allergic to... [ikh bin al-LER-gish GAY-gen]
Vegetarisch - Vegetarian [veh-ge-TAHR-ish]
Vegan - Vegan [VAY-gahn]
Glutenfrei - Gluten-free [GLOO-ten-fry]
Das Wasser - The water [das VASS-er]
Ein Tisch für zwei, bitte. - A table for two, please. [ine TISH foor tsvy, BIT-tuh]
Ohne Fleisch - Without meat [OH-neh FLYSH]
Die Speisekarte - The menu (detailed) [dee SHPY-zeh-kar-teh]
Shopping and Money
Wie viel kostet das? - How much is this? [vee feel KOS-tet das]
Ich möchte das kaufen. - I'd like to buy this. [ikh MURKH-teh das KOW-fen]
Der Laden - The shop [der LAH-den]
Die Öffnungszeiten - Opening hours [dee UR-nungs-zy-ten]
Geschlossen / Offen - Closed / Open [ge-SCHLOS-sen / OH-fen]
Die Kreditkarte - The credit card [dee KREH-dit-kar-teh]
Das Bargeld - The cash [das BAR-gelt]
Der Markt - The market [der MARKT]
Das Sonderangebot - The special offer [das ZON-der-ahn-ge-bot]
Der Umtausch - The exchange [der OOM-towsh]
Emergency
Hilfe! - Help! [HIL-fuh]
Polizei - Police [po-LEE-tsay]
Feuerwehr - Fire brigade [FOY-er-vehr]
Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen! - Call an ambulance! [ROO-fen zee EIN-en KRAN-ken-vah-gen]
Ich habe meinen Pass verloren. - I lost my passport. [ikh HAH-beh MY-nen pahss fer-LOHR-en]
Wo ist die nächste Polizeistation? - Where is the nearest police station? [voh ist dee NEKH-steh po-LEE-tsay-stah-tee-ohn]
Es ist ein Notfall. - It's an emergency. [es ist ine NOHT-fahl]
Vorsicht! - Caution! [FOR-zisht]
Stop! - Stop! [shtop]
Ich brauche Hilfe. - I need help. [ikh BROW-kheh HIL-fuh]
Days of the Week and Numbers 1-10
Montag - Monday [MOHN-tahk]
Dienstag - Tuesday [DEENS-tahk]
Mittwoch - Wednesday [MIT-vohk]
Donnerstag - Thursday [DON-ers-tahk]
Freitag - Friday [FRY-tahk]
Samstag - Saturday [ZAHMS-tahk]
Sonntag - Sunday [ZONN-tahk]
Eins - One [eyns]
Zwei - Two [tsvy]
Drei - Three [dry]
Vier - Four [feer]
Fünf - Five [fuenf]
Sechs - Six [zex]
Sieben - Seven [ZEE-ben]
Acht - Eight [ahkht]
Neun - Nine [noyn]
Zehn - Ten [tsehn]
Learning these basic words and phrases can significantly enhance your travel experience in Austria, making it easier to navigate, interact with locals, and immerse yourself in Austrian culture.
