Umgangssprache

German
Examples

Eva nahm das Auto des Nachbarn und fuhr eine ganze Stunde damit herum. (Standard German proper)
Die Eva hat das Auto vom Nachbar genommen und ist da ’ne ganze Stunde mit rumgefahrn. (Colloquial Standard German)
Eva took the neighbour’s car and drove around in it for a whole hour. (English)

Etymology

Umgang +‎ Sprache

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈʊmɡaŋsˌʃpʁaːxə/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Umgangssprache f (genitive Umgangssprache, plural Umgangssprachen)

  1. (linguistics) colloquial language, colloquialism
  2. (linguistics) vernacular, non-standard language

Usage notes
  • Though there are also relevant differences in pronunciation and vocabulary, German Umgangssprache is characterised especially by grammatical and syntactical features, such as:
    • the limited use of the preterite or even (in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland) its virtual absence;
    • the absence of the subjunctive of the present (Konjunktiv I) and the rarity of the genitive case;
    • the splitting of pronominal adverbs (especially in northern and central Germany) and the frequent elision of sentence-initial pronouns (both subject and object);
    • the use of the definite article with personal names (except in the very north).

Declension
Declension of Umgangssprache [feminine]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative eine die Umgangssprache die Umgangssprachen
genitive einer der Umgangssprache der Umgangssprachen
dative einer der Umgangssprache den Umgangssprachen
accusative eine die Umgangssprache die Umgangssprachen

Derived terms

See also

Further reading
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