Can Low German speakers understand High German?

They both sound Germanic but speakers of one can hardly understand the other. The adjectives “High” and “Low” have nothing to do with upper class or lower class and do not infer social status. The adjectives literally refer to the southern highlands or mountains around Munich, Switzerland, Austria, and Northern Italy.

Do people speak High German?

Modern standard High German is descended from the Middle High German dialects and is spoken in the central and southern highlands of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is used as the language of administration, higher education, literature, and the mass media in the Low German speech area as well.

Is Berlin High or Low German?

Berlin German, or Berlin dialect (High German: Berliner Dialekt, Berliner Mundart, Berlinerisch or Berlinisch), is the dialect spoken in the city of Berlin as well as its surrounding metropolitan area.

Do native German speakers understand High German?

All “native” German-Speakers comprehend High German, and most of them speak in a way that you will comprehend what they say. Most of those you’d not understand (and the regular speaker of German doesn’t understand either) are able to make you understand if they try to suppress their local accent or switch from their local dialect.

Where do most German speakers live in Europe?

Europe is, as you might expected, home to the greatest numbers of German speakers live. Germany has the most, with 79 million people who speak German in total. In Austria, where German is the only official language, basically the entire population of 8.9 million people speak the language, which is the Bavarian or Austro-Bavarian dialect of German.

What is the High German dialect?

If you’re learning German, it’s more than likely that you’re learning the High German dialect. Nearly all German speakers are capable of understanding High German. High German is referred to as such because of its geography: it’s spoken in the highlands of Germany. In contrast, the Low German dialect is spoken on lower, flatter lands.

How many people speak German in Austria?

In Austria, where German is the only official language, basically the entire population of 8.9 million people speak the language, which is the Bavarian or Austro-Bavarian dialect of German. A huge part of Switzerland also speaks the language, with 5.2 million speakers of Swiss German, and an additional 292,000 speakers of standard German.