Bavarian (in German: Bayerisch pronounced Buyerish) belongs to the Upper German languages spoken in Bavaria the south of Germany. Several German dialects are spoken in Bavaria. In the administrative regions to the north the Franconian dialect is prevalent, in Swabia the local dialect is Swabian, a thread of the Alemannic dialect family. In the Upper Palatinate people speak the Northern Bavarian dialect that can vary regionally. In Upper and Lower Bavaria (Middle) Bavarian is the predominant dialect.
There are three main dialect groups of Bavarian:
- Northern Bavarian, also spoken in the Upper Franconian district of Wunsiedel;
- Central Bavarian (along the rivers Isar and Danube, spoken in Munich (by 20% of the people), Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria, southern Upper Palatinate, the Swabian district of Aichach-Friedberg, the northern parts of the State of Salzburg, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Vienna and the Northern Burgenland)
- Southern Bavarian (in Tyrol, South Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, and the southern parts of Salzburg and Burgenland).
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Brush up on your Bavarian
We want to introduce you to some of the most popular and most commonly used Bavarian phrases or words:"Sapperlot"
It is used to express surprise or enthusiasm in the same sort of way as more modern terms such as "Alle Achtung!" and "Respekt!" but it is also used in the same way as swear words to express frustration or outrage. Other similar words are "Verdammt! or "Verflixt!".
Examples of when "sapperlot!" is used:
Sapperlot, - that’s fantastic! (Sapperlot, das ist grossartig!)Sapperlot, wash your ears out! I’ve already told to stop doing that! (Sapperlot, hast du was an den Ohren? Du sollst sofort damit aufhören, habe ich gesagt!!)
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"Servus"
Whilst "Grüss Gott" is our most usual form of greeting, "Servus" is also a very traditional, common and flexible word that can be used either as "hi" or as "goodbye". German has two words for "you": "Sie" is used when speaking to people you don't know well whereas to members of your family or friends we would use the more informal "Du". „Servus“ is most often used between people who know each other well enough to say "Du" to each other. But these are not the only uses for this very versatile word.
In Bavaria "Servus" is also used in the following phrases:
[1] seinen Servus daruntersetzen - this means to draw a line under something.[2] na servus! – is the equivalent of „Na so was“ in German and is used to express indignation, annoyance or disappointment. E.g. "na Servus", you've forgotten the milk again!
Click here to hear the pronunciation of "Servus“
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"Griaß God"
This truly Bavarian expressian is an abridged optative (form of greeting, salutation) May God Greet (and bless you) and comes from a long back-ranging popular piety.
Today, it is also a mundane greeting when entering a shop or an office, like the salutation “hello”.
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"Ozapft is ‘s" The barrel ‘s tapped!
This Bavarian exclamation is referring to the first barrel of beer ceremoniously opened at a beer festival.
At the broaching of Lenten beer or of especially strong “May bock” and, of course, at the Munich Octoberfest (beer festival in Munich - Oktoberfest), the lord mayor draws the first litre of beer at the stroke of twelve noon.
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"Seidla"
A "Seidla" is the Franconian word for a half litre beer mug or glass. The word actually comes from the Latin "situla", "situlus" meaning a container for scooping water.
Tip: The "5-Seidla-Steig" - brewery walk The “Fünf-Seidla-Steig” is a fun and tasty hiking trail in the Franconian Switzerland. The trail goes through breathtaking scenery and takes you straight to your favorite beer. Located in the towns of Gräfenberg and Weissenohe, there are five private breweries along the way. Each brewery is a great place to stop and sample a “Seidla” of fresh Franconian beer.
"Auszogene"
Brown doughnut whit a thin yellow-white “hub-cap”.
Short for “ausgezogene Nudel”, also known as “Kirtanudel”, “Schmalznudel” or “Knieküchel”, in Lower Bavaria "Rottnudel", in Swabia "Fenschterkiachle".
Tiny slabs of sweetened yeast pastry (at one time, and sometimes still) gently pulled out over the housewife’s knees to leave the centre very thin but the rim a bugly ring, then fired in lard and dipped in sugar. It is one of the famous Bavarian special sweet dishes (recipe) .
Click here to hear the pronunciation of Auszogne
"Allmechd"
Allmechd ("Allmächd"), or if you want to be even more forceful about it "Allmächd na!" is a Franconian expression used to express surprise, shock or regret. The phrase, that is a shortened form of "Allmächtiger Gott!" and "Allmächtiger Gott, nein!" (Almighty Goad) is seen as being almost a catch phrase of being Franconian.
Examples, sayings: "Allmächd naa!", "Allmächd, is des schee!" and "Allmächdis Leem!"
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"Oachkazlschwoaf "(Squirrel’s tail)
"Oachkatzl"(Eichhörnchen=squirrel) and "Schwoaf" (Schweif=tail) are words that are used to test whether you qualify as a native speaker of Bavarian/Austrian dialect. They were a hugely popular way of testing and teasing the US occupation forces after the Second World War.
In Bavaria anyone failing the test, regardless of where they actually come from, is classified somewhat pityingly as a "Preiß" (Prussian).
Other catch phrases include: "Du múasst an bám gíassn sunst dadirdada” which means “you have to water a tree or it will wither away”.
Or even better: "Mit dem Bam då iss total wuascht wost’hn histeyst. Dådadirdada, dådadirdadaraa und dådadaraadadian" (It doesn’t matter where you plant your tree: It’ll wither here, it’ll wither there, wherever you plant it, it will still wither away).
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"Schuàbladdla" (Schuhplattler)
This dance is thought to be a courting dance that was based on the "Balztanz des Auerhahnes" and is probably one of the most well known artistic forms of Bavarian culture. Played in waltz time like a "Ländler", the dance involves the man hopping and dancing in time to the music whilst slapping (in Bavarian – "plattelt") his thighs, knees and the soles of his shoes, clapping and stamping his feet. The dance concludes with the man gathering up his "Dirndl" and waltzing her around the room. Never a dance for the high society the "Schuhplattler" was originally a dance for farmers, hunters and wood cutters.
There are 150 or more different "Schuhplattler" dances that are currently danced by folklore groups right across the state. Competitions and tournaments are held throughout Bavaria that showcase both the intricacies of the dances and the beauty of Bavaria’s festive folklore costumes.
