Over 12 million people live in Bavaria. They all speak German and, thanks to an excellent education system, usually one or two additional languages. However, there are numerous dialects in German and many of them are native to Bavaria. We explain how to find your way around the Bavarian language landscape.

Is Bavarian different than German?

Bavarian differs sufficiently from Standard German to make it difficult for native speakers to adopt standard pronunciation. All educated Bavarians and Austrians, however, can read, write and understand Standard German, but they may have very little opportunity to speak it, especially in rural areas.

Does Bavarian mean German?

A German dialect spoken in Bavaria (a state of southern West Germany) and Austria, which varies considerably across different regions.