Getting around
U-Bahn
Zurückbleiben, bitte.
Stand back, please.
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
Hamburg
Germany
Hamburg is a port city-state on the Elbe, with canals running through the old warehouse quarter.
How the language is used
German is official, public life uses standard German, and Low German is a local heritage more than the language of offices.
In this city
- Language
- German
- Also heard
- Mostly German
- A local word
- Moin — Hi.
- Writing
- the Latin alphabet
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
Food
Fischbude
Ein Fischbrötchen, bitte.
A fish roll, please.
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The counter
Café
Ein Stück Kuchen, bitte.
A piece of cake, please.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
The street
Hafen
Moin.
Hi.
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The language through the day
German is the language of the ride, the shop, and the street.
Low German is local heritage more than the language of the office. Public life stays in standard German.
Around Speicherstadt, St. Pauli, Altona, this is the ordinary sound of the day.
A first day in Hamburg can run on four lines: “Zurückbleiben, bitte.”, “Ein Fischbrötchen, bitte.”, “Ein Stück Kuchen, bitte.”, and “Moin.”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in the Latin alphabet.
- With friends you hear du. With strangers and in offices, Sie is still normal.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Hamburg, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Moin. It means Hi..
Places you can see
- Elbphilharmonie — A glass concert hall set on top of an old brick warehouse at the harbour.
- Speicherstadt — A district of red-brick warehouses on islands in the harbour canals.
- Planten un Blomen — A city park whose Low German name means plants and flowers, with lawns and water gardens.
Food
Fish rolls and labskaus belong to the port, and cafés line the Alster lakes.
Getting around
U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and harbour ferries cross the Elbe and circle the Alster.
Daily life
You walk from the brick warehouses to a lake in the park without leaving the city.
A few everyday phrases
German
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hallo | Hello |
| Danke | Thank you |
| Guten Morgen | Good morning |
| Ich heiße… | My name is… |
