Understanding Bavarian dialects: a guide for newcomers

Dialects in Bavaria: Bavarian, Franconian and Swabian at a glance

Bavaria has three major dialect groups: Bavarian (Bairisch) in Upper and Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate, Franconian, mainly East Franconian, in Middle, Upper and Lower Franconia, and Swabian-Alemannic in the Swabia region and the Allgäu. Bairisch with an i is the dialect, Bayerisch with a y the state. For work, standard German remains the foundation.

Many newcomers are surprised: people in Bavaria don’t simply speak “Bavarian”. Linguists distinguish three large dialect groups within the Free State:

• Bavarian (Bairisch, spelt with an i) in Upper and Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate,
• Franconian, mainly East Franconian, in Middle, Upper and Lower Franconia,
• Swabian-Alemannic in the administrative region of Swabia and in the Allgäu.

The spelling is no accident. Bayerisch with a y refers to the federal state, Bairisch with an i to the dialect. According to the Bavarian Dictionary project of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the larger part of the Bavarian-speaking area is not in Bavaria at all but in Austria, plus South Tyrol and remnants in the Bohemian Forest. By area and number of speakers, Bavarian is the most widespread German dialect: the dictionary project puts it at around five million speakers in Bavaria and six million in Austria.

There are big differences within each group. Bavarian divides into Central Bavarian (large parts of Upper and Lower Bavaria along the Danube, Isar and Inn) and Northern Bavarian (the Upper Palatinate and neighbouring parts of Franconia). According to Planet Wissen (in German), Bavaria has more than 60 distinct dialect landscapes in total.

For learners of German, this means that what you hear in Munich sounds different in Nuremberg or Augsburg. Your foundation, however, is always standard German (Hochdeutsch), which you learn in our online German courses. Understanding dialect is an extra, not a replacement.

Which dialect is spoken where? Munich, Nuremberg, Ansbach and Augsburg

Munich and Upper and Lower Bavaria speak Central Bavarian; Regensburg and the Upper Palatinate speak Northern Bavarian. Nuremberg, Fürth and Erlangen sit in a transition zone between East Franconian and Northern Bavarian, while Ansbach and western Middle Franconia speak East Franconian. Augsburg and Bavarian Swabia speak Swabian, the Allgäu Alemannic. The river Lech is roughly the dividing line.

A well-known example of a dialect boundary is the Lech: according to Planet Wissen, people speak Swabian to the west of the river and Bavarian to the east. The Bavarian Dictionary describes the Nuremberg area as a transition zone between Bavarian and Franconian. One thing newcomers should know: many Franconians are keen not to be counted as “Bavarians” in the linguistic sense. If you talk about the “Bavarian dialect” in Nuremberg or Ansbach, you will be corrected, politely but firmly.

City and countryside

In big cities such as Munich or Nuremberg, many people at work speak a regionally coloured colloquial German: standard German with a dialect accent and the odd regional word. In rural areas, in skilled trades, in production and among older people you will hear genuine dialect more often.

Grüß Gott, Servus, Pfiat di: saying hello and goodbye in Bavaria

In Bavaria you greet people in any formal situation, whether at an office, the doctor’s or a shop, with Grüß Gott. Servus means both hello and goodbye and is informal, as are Griaß di and Pfiat di. In Franconia and Swabia you often hear Ade when people leave, and around lunchtime at work you hear Mahlzeit everywhere.

Our tip: Grüß Gott is always right in formal situations in Bavaria, including at the local citizens’ office (Bürgerbüro). Use Servus once someone offers you the informal du or once colleagues use it themselves. If you prefer to say Guten Tag and Tschüss, that is perfectly fine too. To feel confident at appointments with the authorities, read our article on understanding official German.

Bavarian and Franconian words in daily life: the key expressions for newcomers

Key expressions for newcomers include Semmel (bread roll), Brotzeit (snack), Schmarrn (nonsense), heuer (this year), grantig (grumpy) and the little words fei, gell and passt scho. In Franconia you will also hear Weggla, Seidla and Kerwa, and in Swabia schaffen means to work.

You hear these words especially often at the bakery, in the canteen, in the beer garden and at the office. You don’t need to use most of them yourself, but you should understand them.

Small words, big effect: fei, gell and passt scho

Three words deserve special attention because they change the mood of a sentence:

• fei adds emphasis, often as a friendly warning: Des is fei hoaß. (Careful, that’s really hot.)
• gell asks for agreement: Morgen ist Besprechung um neun, gell? (The meeting is at nine tomorrow, right?)
• passt scho means “that’s fine” and, in Franconia and Bavaria, counts as praise. If you hear passt scho after a presentation, you can be pleased.

Understanding pronunciation: how Bavarian and Franconian sound

You can recognise Bavarian because a often sounds like o (Wossa), ei becomes oa (hoaß, zwoa) and endings disappear (ham, gsagt). Franconian is marked by soft consonants, where p, t and k sound like b, d and g, a rolled r and diminutives in -la such as Weggla.

The biggest obstacle is usually not vocabulary but pronunciation. Once you know a few patterns, you will start to recognise familiar words.

Typical features of Bavarian

• a becomes o: Wasser → Wossa, Garten → Goartn
• ei often becomes oa: heiß → hoaß, zwei → zwoa, kein → koa
• Endings disappear: gehen → geh, haben → ham, gesagt → gsagt
• Short pronouns: i (I), mia (we), ned (not), nix (nothing)
• Diminutives in -l or -erl: Hendl (chicken), Stüberl (small room), a bissl

Example: I hob koa Zeit ned, mia ham heit an Termin. = Ich habe keine Zeit, wir haben heute einen Termin. (I haven’t got time, we’ve got an appointment today.)

Typical features of Franconian

• Soft consonants: p, t and k often sound like b, d and g: Tante → Dande, Paket → Bagget. Franconians themselves joke that they have no “hard” T.
• Rolled r: clearly pronounced with the tip of the tongue.
• Diminutive and plural in -la: Weggla (bread roll), Seidla, Schäufala.
• Distinctive vowels: Bäckerei → Beggerei (bakery), nein → naa (no).

An example from Middle Franconia: Magst a Weggla? = Möchtest du ein Brötchen? (Would you like a roll?)

A trick for listening

Focus on the stressed syllables. Dialects mainly change unstressed endings and vowels. The stressed word stems usually remain recognisable: gsagt contains sag (say), and Goartn contains Gart (garden).

Grammar in dialect and everyday southern German: what is different

In the south, the perfect tense of sitzen, stehen and liegen is formed with sein. Ich bin gesessen is standard southern German and correct in exams. Articles before first names and wie instead of als in comparisons are colloquial; double negatives and avoiding the simple past are dialect. Avoid regional articles such as der Butter in writing.

Alongside pronunciation there are grammatical differences. Some belong to standard southern German and are correct; others are purely dialect or colloquial.

For your own German, the rule is simple: stick to the standard. You are welcome to adopt standard southern forms such as ich bin gesessen; they are also correct in exams. Find out more in our list of irregular German verbs. Regional articles such as der Butter, on the other hand, are best avoided in writing; the standard rules are in our article Der, die or das?

Dialect at work: tips for international professionals and teams

At work, nobody expects you to understand dialect straight away. Ask politely, for example Könnten Sie das bitte auf Hochdeutsch sagen? (Could you say that in standard German, please?), and many colleagues will switch automatically. Teams help by speaking standard German in meetings, summarising safety instructions in writing and explaining regional expressions instead of avoiding them.

For professionals: ask politely

Nobody expects you to understand dialect immediately. Asking is completely normal and is usually received warmly. These sentences help:

• Entschuldigung, könnten Sie das bitte auf Hochdeutsch sagen? (Sorry, could you say that in standard German, please?)
• Das Wort kenne ich noch nicht. Was bedeutet das? (I don’t know that word yet. What does it mean?)
• Ich lerne noch Deutsch. Könnten Sie bitte etwas langsamer sprechen? (I’m still learning German. Could you speak a little more slowly, please?)
• Habe ich richtig verstanden, dass …? (Have I understood correctly that …?)

Many colleagues will then switch to standard German without being asked twice. Some are even delighted to explain a dialect word. Asking about regional words is a good conversation starter in the coffee break.

For teams and managers

• In meetings with international colleagues, make a conscious effort to speak standard German.
• Summarise important information, such as safety instructions, in writing as well.
• Explain regional expressions rather than avoiding them. That is integration in practice.
• Encourage new colleagues to ask questions, and respond patiently.

Being considerate about language is part of working well together in mixed teams. Read more in our article on intercultural communication at work. Companies that want to support new international staff with language training will find suitable formats under language courses for companies. Which level professionals need for their role is explained in What level of German do you need for your job?

Do I need to learn Bavarian? Strategies for understanding dialects better

The short answer: you don’t have to speak dialect, but over time you should understand it. A dialect you haven’t mastered can easily sound put on. But if you understand regional words and use the odd expression such as Servus or passt scho naturally, you show that you have arrived. These five strategies help you get there step by step.

How to train your listening

1. Solid standard German first: the more secure your Hochdeutsch, the easier it is to recognise words in dialect. From around B1, targeted dialect listening practice is worthwhile.
2. Use regional media: regional radio and TV programmes, local news and Bavarian cabaret show you how people in your area actually speak.
3. Keep a word list: note down every new dialect word with its standard German meaning and the situation in which you heard it.
4. Talk to locals: clubs (Vereine), festivals such as the Kirchweih and the regulars’ table (Stammtisch) are ideal places to learn.
5. Look things up: if you are curious, the Bavarian Dictionary and the Franconian Dictionary of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities offer well-researched information on words and their origins.

Dialect in your German course

choices® is based in Sachsen bei Ansbach, right in Middle Franconia, so we know how German sounds in everyday life between Nuremberg and Ansbach. In one-to-one lessons you can go through regional listening examples with your teacher, such as expressions you have heard at work. The foundation remains the standard German you need for your job and for exams. Find out more about our German lessons for adults; individuals can also look at language courses for individuals. For more learning strategies for working people, see learning German as a skilled worker.

Sources

1. bwb.badw.de: bavarian dialects
2. planet-wissen.de: bairisch dialekt 100

Frequently asked questions