You speak German? Great!

You arrive in Austria, walk into a bakery in the morning and confidently say:

“Ein Brötchen, bitte.”

The shop assistant smiles and asks:

“Eine Semmel?”

You look at her, slightly confused.

“Umm… yes. Exactly.” 😅

Welcome to Austria!

Don’t worry – you didn’t say anything wrong. You’ve just discovered one of the many little differences in Austrian German.

Because although Germany and Austria share the same language, everyday German can sometimes sound a little different.

And when it comes to food and drinks, there are quite a few words that might make you realize:

German isn’t always just German!

🥐 Brötchen or Semmel?

Let’s start with a classic.

In Germany, you go to a bakery and buy a:

Brötchen

In Austria, you will most likely hear:

Semmel

So:

🇩🇪 ein Brötchen
🇦🇹 eine Semmel

Both words mean the same thing – a small bread roll that you might have for breakfast, dinner, or simply as a snack.

🇩🇪 “Ich hole schnell Brötchen zum Frühstück.”
🇦🇹 “Ich hole schnell Semmeln zum Frühstück.”

And just like that, you’ve learned your first Austrian word. 😉

🍑 Aprikose or Marille?

Let’s move on to fruit.

You’re at a market and spot some delicious-looking orange fruits.

In Germany, you might ask:

“Wie viel kosten die Aprikosen?”

In Austria, you’re more likely to hear:

“Wie viel kosten die Marillen?”

Marille = Aprikose

🍑 Same fruit.
🇩🇪 Different word.
🇦🇹 Another different word.

And in Austria, the Marille is more than just a fruit. It also plays an important role in Austrian cuisine – for example, in Marillenknödel or jam.

🍅 Tomate or Paradeiser?

Now things get interesting.

A tomato is a tomato… right?

Not quite! 😄

In Germany:

die Tomate

In Austria:

der Paradeiser

So if you’re at a market in Austria and hear someone say:

“Die Paradeiser sind heute besonders gut.”

You’ll now know exactly what they mean:

🍅 Paradeiser = Tomaten

The word might sound strange at first, but after a few days in Austria, you’ll probably start recognizing it more and more quickly.

🥛 Quark or Topfen?

Time for something dairy-related.

In Germany, people know:

Quark

In Austria:

Topfen

For example:

🇩🇪 “Ich brauche Quark für den Kuchen.”
🇦🇹 “Ich brauche Topfen für den Kuchen.”

And if you’re reading an Austrian menu, you might come across Topfen quite often – especially in desserts and sweet dishes.

🍦 Sahne or Schlagobers?

And now comes a word that surprises many German learners:

Schlagobers.

In Germany, people usually say:

Sahne

In Austria:

Schlagobers

So:

🇩🇪 Sahne
🇦🇹 Schlagobers

If you order a dessert with Schlagobers at an Austrian café, you now know exactly what you’re getting. 😉

🍟 Pommes or…?

This one is a little easier.

Pommes works in both countries.

But even with everyday foods and ingredients, you can find more differences.

For example:

🇩🇪 Kartoffel
🇦🇹 Erdapfel

But there’s a little catch: Erdapfel isn’t used equally often everywhere in Austria. There are regional differences – and that’s part of what makes the language so fascinating.

🤔 But why are there so many differences?

Now comes the interesting question:

Why do Germans say “Brötchen” while Austrians say “Semmel”?

Germany and Austria share a language, but their varieties of German have developed over centuries in different regions and under different cultural influences.

That’s why there are many words that are completely normal in Austria but may sound unusual – or even unfamiliar – to someone from Germany.

And it’s not just about food.

You’ll find differences in shopping, public transport, school, work, and even everyday expressions.

But isn’t that exactly what makes language so interesting? 🇩🇪❤️🇦🇹

Your little Austrian German dictionary

🇩🇪 Germany ⇒ 🇦🇹 Austria

• das Brötchen ⇒ die Semmel

• die Aprikose ⇒ die Marille

• die Tomate ⇒ der Paradeiser

• der Quark ⇒der Topfen

• die Sahne ⇒ das Schlagobers

• die Kartoffel ⇒ der Erdapfel

But remember: Not every Austrian word is used exclusively in Austria. Some terms are also used in certain regions of Germany, and there are regional differences within Austria itself.

So the goal isn’t to memorize a long list of words.

The goal is to make sure that when you visit Austria, you’re not surprised when German suddenly sounds a little different. 😉

And this is only the beginning…

Now you can tell the difference between Semmel and Brötchen, Marille and Aprikose, and Topfen and Quark.

But imagine this:

You arrive in Austria, walk into a supermarket and want a bag.

You say:

“Eine Tüte, bitte.”

The cashier looks at you and asks:

“Brauchen Sie ein Sackerl?”

Sackerl?! 🤔

What does that mean?

And why might a German know immediately that they’re shopping in Austria? 👀

🛍️ Find out in the next part of:

“Deutsch ist nicht gleich Deutsch!”

Part 2: Shopping – Tüte or Sackerl?

Until then:

Semmel or Brötchen – as long as it’s fresh and delicious! 😄🇩🇪🇦🇹