Today, I arrived in Austria. Within about an hour, I realized that I couldn't understand any "German". Turns out they have a totally different dialect here to anything I was taught in school. I'm here till May. FML

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Rejected.'s life also sucks

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"ich liebe meine scheide"

just say that everywhere you go

Well youll learn it eventually

Or you could just speak English.

you'll get the hang of it by then ;D i can understand german, austrian german, bavarian, swavian, and even some swiss german

get the fuck over it, you'll get used to it in the next week or two. unless you're in Tirol, then maybe a wee bit longer!!

Well, you have a lot of time there, so you will definitely learn. Don't worry about it.

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it's exactly that fucking attitude that makes brits/americans look bad when they travel. you lazy fucking bastard

You'll pick up on the language. Trust me. I've lived overseas before. the first 6 - 8 weeks are the worst. but after that 8th week you'll be fine! Austria is GORGEOUS! Enjoy it, eat some delicious chocolate. The hills are alive with the sound of music, go visit the hills. =)

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Like most people who study the language in America, you probably just think you know German but really suck at it. Here's your opportunity to actually learn.

remember, the universal language for ordering at a restaraunt is point at the item listed.

You'll learn! That's the joy and pain of travel....

No no, it's not the dialect. It's the German you learned. In other words, it's not them, it's you. You'd have the same problem anywhere in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein. I've met people who had university degrees in German and I couldn't understand a single thing they tried to say.

/German native

Every Austrian understands "normal" German. It's just the dialect we use when we don't speak "officialy", but you can communicate with us in the German you learned. Glaube mir, niemand wird dich komisch anstarren und denken, du sprichst eine unbekannte Sprache. Viel Spaß und nicht vergessen: Oachkatzlschwoaf.

he's not lazy, he just got the language wrong a bit. at least he tried.

What you know is Hochdeutsch or high German. It is what most official documents are written in in Germany at least and everyone in a German speaking country should understand it. They sound a lot different variations of Osstereich (Austrian) Deutsch are common in southern germany as well, and if you pay attention aren't that different, but will have a strong accent. Its not as bad as Schyzerdutsch though many dialects vary a good deal. If your good at german you'll be fine.

Where in Austria are you? I'm going there soon and i have a feeling ill run into the same problem!

You should have done a bit of research before you went....
Go see Mozarts tomb :D

shout "GEEBICH VERRNADA!"

The good news is: most Austrians speak High German (what you learned in school) AND English. So, you should be able to ask your hosts how to adapt to Austrian German, and learn it over time. By May, you'll probably be MORE fluent in Austrain German than High German ... and may even have mostly forgotten English.

(I had a HS friend who did a study abroad program, in that area, and said that when he came home, the 1 or 2 day conference they do with all of the study abroad students was invaluable, because he needed that time in order to re-learn the habit of speaking English instead of German)

Good luck :-)

I knew a guy from New York who used to live in Austria, and after not even two months he understood everything that we spoke in our dialect. So don't worry, it's gonna be fine.

I thought it said Australia...but don't worry too much you'll pick it up eventually

Ja, österreichisches Deutsch ist sehr schwierig zu verstehen. Sie sprechen nicht so deutlich wie die Deutschen. Aber du hast jetzt eine gute Gelegenheit zu praktizieren! Toi toi toi!

It's not completely different to how they speak German in Germany.. I've been to Austria a few times to different places on holiday, and they understand what you say usually if you speak german. It's just like any country... say in the UK where I'm from, we all speak English but different areas have their own dialect and certain words and phrases different to other places. Austria probably works the same.. some areas speak more German, others I know speak more French, some even a bit Italian. You should be fine.

TBH you should probably check what language a country speaks before you commit to six months there. I dunno, just a thought.

YDI for relying on what you learned in school and not taking the time to learn about it at home. You're going to be spending 6 months there, why not learn a little about the dialect?

well if you learned hochdeutsch then you have absolutely no chance in OÖ ;)
no, don't worry, the upper austrians (and tho i'm from there i do mean it :P ) are lovely country folk - they'll try and help.

but still, kinda a ydi?! it's a different country -- could you understand the scots the first time you heard one of em speak?! some germans can't understand other germans if they're not from the same region. heck, there're some valleys in tyrol especially where, if you're not from there, you can listen all you want and still find it impossible to believe they're speaking german - and this is from a native german speaker.
YDI.

everyone who's spent a month at a language camp will spend the first week back home readjusting xD :)

Then you wouldn't be happy in Germany either because you know, people don't all talk in "high German" there either, they have dialects that would be impossible for you to understand as well. But the good thing is, that in both Germany and Austria, everyone understands your School-German and if you make it clear to them, then most people can speak it too. It's not hard to switch between that and dialect.
YDI for not researching and being ignorant.
I don't understand every American dialect either, I'm still going to America and doing fine.

Es ist nicht so anders. Viel Glueck :)

Oh and by the way, it takes a tad longer than an hour to adjust to communicating in a new language... Just keep trying and you'll be fine.

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So I guess you can't understand English when you travel between New York and Pittsburgh, either? And French in Djibouti is completely different from French in France?

Dialect isn't the same as language, retard. It's the same as the difference between saying "soda" and "pop". If you can't understand the dialect of German that they speak in Austria, then I'm guessing you were a straight D student in German.

Uh, duh?
They sure didn't teach you anything about world culture while teaching you languages, huh?

49 has all point.

SO get over yourself
and LEARN IT.
yu atleast understand a little.
sheeesh.
dumbasss.

chill!! it's not fun to arrive in a country and realise that you actually understand jack all, when you had planned on understanding most of it -- try it first.

To be honest, "School German" isn't entirely helpful.

OK, yes it may teach you enough German to pass an exam and get a grade, but had I gone to Germany afterwards, I could have said "Excuse me, where is the post-office" (and only under stood the answer if it was 1st / 2nd street left/right), and "My bum hurts".

....And of course all the German swear words.

You probably went to one of those shitty schools where no matter what language you sign up for, they just teach you igPay atinLay.

uckFay ourYay ifeLay

You will acclimate like I did. Just listen close all the time, like in restaurants, stores, anywhere Austrians are talking. It's kind of like the Universal Translator on Deep Space Nine. You will become accustomed to the speech patterns, and they begin to make sense. In the meantime, "Bitte," will get you a very long way >wg

You'll be fine. :) For a while, if you're having trouble understanding someone, ask them to speak Hochdeutsch and most people will gladly oblige - they'll be pleased that you're giving an attempt to speak their language in their country. Listen to the people around you and you'll pick up the dialect fairly quickly.

Did you really not thinkat all? Clearly Austria would have a fucking different dialect! It's not Germany! It's AUSTRIA!

Um you will learn? It may be a different dialect but you still have some base. You will learn quickly. If you're not comfortable talking to people then watch some Austrian TV and/or read books.

Ahhhh please, you'll do just fine.

I took Spanish, and I couldn't make heads or tails of anything when our class went to Mexico. They have some pretty messed-up slang there, so I could be saying "I would like a sausage and a glass of watermelon juice" and really be saying "I like dicks and a glass of watermelon juice".
But then I said "My first language is English, please help me understand", and they laughed and corrected me, teaching me the appropriate local words to use in place of what I had been taught formally.

If you make it clear that their local German is not your first language, the people you meet will be more than accommodating.
High German is used in most government documents and such in German-speaking countries, and as such, most people in Austria will catch on after a short conversation and make themselves understood in High German, and/or help you understand their vernacular. The more you talk to them, the easier it will be to understand the differences between what they speak, and the formal German you were taught in school.

You'll figure it out. :) There are different dialects all over the German-speaking world. Hey, I was in Saxony and I couldn't understand a thing! Especially in stores and such, they realize pretty quickly that you know only academic or "high" German, and will soon switch over to that and speak slower for you. I found that happened more often than not. Enjoy the experience! I'm SO jealous!

Of course its different, Germany and Austria are two different places.

hey, you live in a foreign country for a couple months and you learn the language. you'll be fine, you already know german. it won't take you very long to pick up the language.

If all else fails, just talk like Arnold Schwarzenegger haha. But I'm sure you'll do fine; Austrian German is still German so you're off to a good start.

If all else fails they aren't as lazy as amercans. Most of them speak English.

sherlock...

Fortunately you're in Europe, and a lot of people there do speak at least some English. Also, you might try the Austrian>English dictionary section in the bookstore. Then there is also sign language, or taking a vow of silence. Either way, this isn't really an FML.

Yeah, you get to live in a foreign country, experience a completely different culture, get to know people outside of your country, experience a completely different life style and most likely go through a life-changing experience and you're disappointed by the fact that you can't use your third-rate, piss-poor excuse for German? Yeah, eff your life big time. You should die, right now.

And you didn't know this prior to your departure? 'Tis a shame...

I have a feeling you'll be asking "Spreche Sie Englisch?" quite often. Have fun!

How the hell did you not know that Austrians speak a different dialect of German? That was cultural lesson number 1 for us: different regions of Germany, and different German speaking countries, have their own dialect and accents.

That said, welcome to the 2nd language learning pitfall from hell that affects pretty much every study abroad person known to man: you didn't learn to speak the conversational language in class. You learned to speak Hochdeutsch with grammatical finesse and probably by listening to whatever is considered the "standard" German accent and lexicon. My advice, hon? Get out there and stumble your way around Austria. It'll come to you.

I suggest you learn quick

And by the time you'll leave you'll be a pro.

You can get by using the German you /do/ know and hand gestures. You'll pick up a language quickly enough if you're immersed in it.

P.S. Austrians are capable of speaking and understanding German.

I taught myself Japanese for two years before moving to Japan. In the past year since I came, I've learned faaar more than those two years could ever have hoped to achieve. So just relax and push through it-- the first two months are the very hardest. After that, the real language-learning begins, because your listening skills start going through the roof and you are better able to separate words and search them and conjugate verbs on your own and everything. It's amazing, the transformation.

But seriously-- DON'T speak English while you're there. It'll only slow down your language learning. Totally immerse yourself, and request to speak in German. It's one thing to call/Skype your friends and family and speak in English, but when you're there, present and paying attention, be sure to speak in German.

*I meant de-conjugate verbs, so you can search them in the dictionary and all that...

I've heard of people having the same problem with French when they learn "metropolitan French" and then go to Québec - it's a completely different dialect. However, you'll get used to it. If you're going to be there till May you have plenty of time to learn it.

it's not that different. just open your mind and you'll figure it out. go around whining that you can't understand, and you'll get nothing out of it. And yeah, I learnt Hochdeutsch too, and lived in Berlin and Hannover. I get that Austrian is different, I don't understand it so easily, but stop complaining and spend some time listening.

YTDI for not researching some information on the place you intend to stay in...

YDI for not knowing that in the first place. i would expect that you should have done some reading up on a place you were going to be staying at for months at a time. that being said, take other people's advice, and speak the German you do know, and then get used to their dialect. you'll be fine.

fyl

Ugh, stop whining, you'll pick it up in less than two weeks.

This shouldn't be in a surprise. Any German teacher who is worth anything will inform you no less than twenty times a semester that each German-speaking country has it's own dialect.

1. You'll pick up the dialect without much difficulty if you have a decent command of hochdeutsch (the German they teach in schools).

2. Until then, most people in Austria speak English, so that's always something to fall back on.

you'll get used to the language. it's only natural.

Have fun!

idiot. you should know that. If you were smart you'd at least do some research on the place you're going to if you're there for 6 months or so.

good thing you will be able to pick up the dialect in 6 months. It might suck, but don't let people talk to you and you will learn a lot, you'll have to.

If you're there for so long, and you already know German, you'll pick it up in no time, you just need to spend time talking to people!

They speak German in Germany... good job.

Just learn how to say beer. everything else will take care of itself

Don't fuck your life,
you are just stupid.

You could have tried learning about the culture instead of just the language. This was one of the very first things we learned about Austria & Germany, that the language varies from region to region.

oh no I'm in a country where I don't know the language. it's called traveling.

Don't worry! I had the same problem when I went to Germany on exchange, and I was staying in Hannover, the home of Hochdeutsch. You hear a bit of slang or a funny pronunciation and instantly start doubting yourself. You'll find the same thing all over German speaking countries - just little differences or ones that are so dramatic you wonder if they're speaking Chinese or something. Austria is particularly difficult, as the locals are very proud of their dialect and are unlikely to switch to Hochdeutsch for you, but I promise that if you are attentive and patient you'll have picked up at least enough to get by on in no time. They will appreciate you taking time to learn the local language, as a lot of people just come in and start arrogantly speaking English. Be willing to learn and convinced of your abilities and you'll have the time of your life.

Don't worry, they will understand you and "lower" to your level. It's a dialect, not a language of it's own, so they're supposed to speak normal german too

Sprechen Sie Hochsdeutsch? But that would make sense, along with Langsam Bitte. Or Leider spreche ich nicht so gut Deutsch.

Only difference is they roll their R's. If its not the german you learned I'd consider having a word with your teacher

You will be fine, the dialects are different, but if you listen closely, it is mostly in the pronunciation. The dialects are still very similar, and the people are used to tourists, as it is a lovely country. Just be patient, and the people you encounter will be able to help you figure out what you want and need. Plus, if you are terribly frustrated, and really cannot understand a word (which I highly doubt if you actually have studied the German language) most European countries, also require English to be taught, as a second language. Try not to fall back on that if possible. You want to learn the language and culture fully.

Goodluck, have a blast, and relax! You are not the first person Austrian's have encountered with this issue.

Okay Oberösterreich is auch hart ^_^ oba waunst Hüfe brauchst sags ma, mein Vater is vo dort, des Konn i a ;)

This is something that you should have discovered in your initial planning stages. You really should be more careful. Good luck getting out of your jam; you're gonna need it.

1. Lies lies lies. YOU suck at german. Germans and Austrians understand each other perfectly well. (Austrians are germans, same people, but two countries. Some dude started a war trying to unite all german hmm what was his name, wish they told us this in histroy hmm.)

2. Austria and Australia are different countries. I know some of you are trolling, but some of you are not. fucking retards.

3. Austrians understand english perfectly well.

hehe come visit switzerland, good luck here with ur "german" ;)

ps: even in germany u have to be really lucky to find someone who does speak the "offical" german, but anyway, unlike germany in austria and switzerland at least everybody knows how to speak "high german" we just dont like it so much :P

Umm, there's several dialects of German. In school you learned High, or Standard, German. But in the southern, Bayen region, they speak Bayerische, which is completely different. (My brother lives there, told me not to bother going to school for German, as it would be useless to me in his area.

This is also often the dialect spoken in Austria.

Good luck, OP

http://german.about.com/library/weekly/aa051898.htm

You'll pick that up quickly! I lived in Germany some time and I couldn't much when I left home. So you'll be just fine, and learn the language fast.

Good luck ;)

im austrian and i think that you wont have any problems communicating since everybody speaks english anyways in austria.
but i have to agree that there are lots of dialects, ususally in the villages, that i dont even understand. at all. its like they speak another language, even to me. but i love it, its really great fun =D
where exactly in oberösterreich do you live?

Fuck Austria. It sucks.

We in Germany keep making fun of it. And dialects suck anyways. They're just dumb

You'll be fine.
1. Everyone speaks english so if you NEED to you can.
2. Everyone will understand the German you speak since it's Hochdeutsch and that's what's taught in the schools here.

Austria is AMAZING. Just give it a go.

I'm in Steirmark and there's a very strong dialect. I came to Austria knowing ZERO german and have been here 3 months and am completely fine. Understand everything.
You'll pick it up quickly if you just listen. It's like the differences between british and american english. Couple different words and a heavy accent.

so you didnt bother to even so much as wikipedia the country you were moving to for 6 months?

its not because they dont speak german, its because you dont speak german. i learned german and found austrian german to be way easier, because they pronounce things fairly clearly compared to germans (well ok, thats just in relation to languages i understand).

anyway, the two arent too far apart, real people just never talk like the books you read at school, and this applies for pretty much all languages.

Relax, i am from upper Austria and we are nice people. if you´ve got a problem send me a message i´ll help you out.

enjoy your stay.

talk about not counting your blessings, whining about something that almost everyone who studies abroad has to deal with, and not being able to work out how you'll deal with a situation. jayzus christ grow up.

Didn't they taught you in your German classes about the difference between Hochdeutsch and the Austria dialect?
Well don't worry about it too much, sure it will be a little tough but they understand you when you talk Hochdeutsch and even English if you really have to. After a few weeks you can understand them perfectly too. Exchange students in our country don't even speak our language when they come here! And some even refuse to learn the language and will have to communicate in English but most people don't mind it they just don't understand anything said in class! Good luck

You must be a Fulbright TA, just like me! I was in Salzburg last year, but I'm in Vienna this year - a whole new dialect to learn. You may not improve your German this year, but you sure as hell will improve your Austrian. Good luck, kiddo.

You'll pick it up, don't worry.

If you speak German, you should be able to pick Austrian up. And, as someone who's lived in foreign countries, it is possible to get around without the language. You can mime pretty much everything you want to say. It becomes a bit of a game.

If you speak German, you should be able to pick Austrian up. And, as someone who's lived in foreign countries, it is possible to get around without the language. You can mime pretty much everything you want to say. It becomes a bit of a game.

YDI for not doing research beforehand.

don't they speak mostly english in australia?

This isn't an FML. This is a "welcome to a foreign country." Dialects are everywhere, and the fact that you had no idea that Austria had a different dialect before you arrived is rather unbelievable. I lived in a part of Germany with a dialect, and I adjusted. It only takes a few weeks to work out the differences and then you're fine. It's not a big deal.

First of all, research the dialect before you go there. Second of all, you were probably taught hochdeutsch, which means you will do just fine. You deserved it, not that "it" is very bad in the first place.

I had four years of high school German and was an "A" student. When I finally got to go to Germany about 14 years later, I was excited about the possibility of using what I had learned. I was hiking with a friend through a forest and we stayed overnight at a hut. There were several German soldiers staying overnight there, too. They were all talking a language I absolutely could not understand. I was so upset and disappointed that the four years of German had been a waste of time. Suddenly, one of the soldiers said to my friend, "Verstehen Sie ihnen?" WOW ! I could understand that guy! My friend said, "Nein." I said the same thing. "Then he asked me in German where I'm from (Woher kommen Sie?) and I replied, "Minnesota." I asked him where he was from and he replied, "Ich komme aus Texas!" LOL And so my first legitimate, understandable conversation in Germany was with a fellow American! (BTW - I learned later that the dialect being spoken there was Schwaebisch - something that many Germans themselves cannot understand.) Bottom Line: You'll do fine. Enjoy the experience no matter how frustrating. You are building memories.

OP, relax, I live in Germany for already 5th year, and I speak no German :D And have no plans for learning it ))

YDI for not knowing such a basic fact about a country where you're going to spend half a year. Also, you will get used to it.

their "german" is a halskrankheit! FYL

You do realize Germany and Austria are two different countries? Might wanna check your facts on Europe next time :P

hey i'm here until july and i felt the exact same way as you my first few weeks here. but you'll pick up the language soon enough. i'm in vienna and we have an AWESOME dialect! i can say 'shut up' like 5 different ways. just look on the bright side, at least you're not in switzerland. THEY speak really fucked up german.

good luck!:)

hehe, I'm from Austria but from the very western part of Austria. Here, the dialect is even worse und less understandable.

Our dialects really really suck.

i'm german and even i don't understand any of these dialects.

always room to learn (:

haha ja ich weiss wie es geht
uberall in deutschland gibt es dialekte
der osterreichische ist aber ziemlich schwer
mach es dir nichts. du gewohnst dich bald dran

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