Hello, Servus, Gru
Austria declared 2006 as the year of Mozart. The famous composer/Austrian official mascot would be 250 years old if he were still alive today. The traditional New Year’s Concert last Sunday included several Mozart pieces.The conductor was more slack than last year’s. He was livelier as he opted for more audience participation like including the happy “Radetzky March.” I heard that the concert was broadcasted to more than 60 or so countries. My mother-in-law has been lining up to secure tickets for years but apparently one should order them like five years or more before the event takes place.
So much for an expat’s view right there.
On the other note, I don’t know if this is necessary. But I am happy to say that I am part of this city/team. So hello there!
Which reminds me of something. Can you offend others just by saying “Gru
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Yes, you can offend some people by saying ‘Gr
When I was a teenager, my agnosticism was so important to me that the simple word “Gott” offended me - but then, back then, mostly everything that wasn’t related to computers, sex or drugs offended me. Nowadays, I don’t really care about it anymore - after all, 90% of the people who say “Gr
hi there nex and philipp, thanks a lot for your comments. it is very much appreciated.
in connection with hello and Guten Tag, i believe it is a matter of being polite. it is a matter of recognising someone’s existence. the world is becoming smaller each day and politeness/having good manners is slowly missing.
it is probably nothing to you but using the right words to greet someone you don’t know, or you haven’t met for the first time, is important.
having learned german language from several institutes, my teachers emphasised the difference between formal and informal way of addressing people. in english, you can strike it out. the “you” is always the same. in my other mother tongue, Tagalog, it is the same like in German.
the first time i heard “hallo” uttered by someone i didn’t know was in the former Virgin Megastore. a young comely female salesperson address me with hello. and it was just nothing. whatever happened to my teachers’ advices?
i notice that this practice is very common in hip clubs, shops for young people and trendy coffee shops. i wasn’t shocked just amused.
‘du’ vs. ’sie’ is a more complicated topic (’sie’ can express both respect and disrespect; and by the way, an equivalent distinction is indeed possible in english as well), but also a different one; ‘hallo’ does not imply you’re on a first-name basis.
as far as ‘hallo’ is concerned, you are right, there are situations (e.g. job interview, traffic check) where it is inappropriate. but generally i find it more important to be friendly than to be formal, and you can’t have both.
Gruess Gott Melancolia! I love being in Vienna twice a year and on hearing the G G welcome, it puts me in the mood for a great holiday. As an Austrophile, I love it, whether you hear it in the shops, walking across a mountain path, at the bar or even in a Sauna at an Austrian spa. How can it offend anyone? I get more ratty about the use of, “have a nice day,” which is as insincere as you can get.
Ciao, from Kazmac, Manchester, England.