German grammar
Österreichisch: Servus!, schau!, hast …? / magst …? — das du fällt weg
Recognise everyday Austrian (and Bavarian) German: Servus, schau!, and questions without du.
From the scene Servus! Magst einen Churro? (Hi! Fancy a churro?)
In short
Austrian German says Servus and schau, and often drops du in questions: magst einen Churro?
Your turn
Which one goes with you don't have a car??
Options: Servus! · magst einen Churro? · hast kein Auto?
Show answer
you don't have a car? → hast kein Auto?
How it works
The cousins speak Austrian German, the big southern variety of German (Bavarian sounds similar).
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Nein: „bist“, „hast“, „(blank)“. Das „du“ lässt man weg.
Clue: du-form of mögen
Options: mag · mögt · magst
Show answer
Nein: „bist“, „hast“, „magst“. Das „du“ lässt man weg.
No: "bist", "hast", "magst". You drop the "du".
Good to know
Servus means hi and bye between friends.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
(blank), Nuria, jetzt bring ich dir mehr bei.
Clue: a command to one person: look
Options: Schaut · Geschaut · Schau
Show answer
Schau, Nuria, jetzt bring ich dir mehr bei.
Look, Nuria, I'll teach you more now.
Good to know
Schau! means look!; and in questions the du is often dropped: hast kein Auto?, magst einen Churro? (magst du = would you like, from mögen).
Good to know
Understand it and enjoy it — in standard German you still say hast du and magst du.
hi! (and bye!) among friends Servus!
you don't have a car? hast kein Auto?
Javi
Hast kein Auto? Dann komm halt mit der Metro.
You don't have a car? Come on the metro, then.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank)? Dann komm halt mit der Metro.
Options: Magst einen Churro · Hast kein Auto · Servus
Show answer
Javi
Hast kein Auto? Dann komm halt mit der Metro.
You don't have a car? Come on the metro, then.
do you want a churro? magst einen Churro?
Elena
Also mir gefällt's. Javi, schau her. Magst einen Churro?
Well, I like it. Javi, look here. Want a churro?
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Also mir gefällt's. Javi, schau her. (blank)?
Options: Magst einen Churro · Servus · Hast kein Auto
Show answer
Elena
Also mir gefällt's. Javi, schau her. Magst einen Churro?
Well, I like it. Javi, look here. Want a churro?
look! · come here! schau! · komm her!
Your turn
What goes with schau! · komm her!?
Options: look! · come here! · hi! (and bye!) among friends · you don't have a car?
Show answer
schau! · komm her! → look! · come here!
where are you, then? wo bist denn?
Common mistake
Not Hat or Habt here. Javi to his cousin (du, dropped).
Hast kein Auto? Dann komm halt mit der Metro.
You don't have a car? Come on the metro, then.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| hi! (and bye!) among friends | Servus! |
|---|---|
| you don't have a car? | hast kein Auto? |
| do you want a churro? | magst einen Churro? |
| look! · come here! | schau! · komm her! |
| where are you, then? | wo bist denn? |
More lines from the story
- JaviNein: „bist“, „hast“, „magst“. Das „du“ lässt man weg.No: "bist", "hast", "magst". You drop the "du".
- JaviSchau, Nuria, jetzt bring ich dir mehr bei.Look, Nuria, I'll teach you more now.
- JaviNein, er ist Paisa, aus Medellín. Hier, unter Freunden, redet man so.No, he's paisa, from Medellín. Here, among friends, people talk like that.
- JaviSorry, das färbt ab. Ich bin erst einen Tag zu Hause.Sorry, it's catching. I've only been home a day.