https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Austria in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed With Eurovision approaching in Vienna, you’ll be hearing plenty about who has the best song, the strongest voice and the most memorable Auftritt. But this is also a useful everyday German word far beyond the stage. https://www.thelocal.at/20260506/german-word-of-the-day-der-auftritt Wed, 06 May 2026 16:22:49 +0200 german-word-of-the-day-der-auftritt Some Austrian expressions sound confusing even if you understand every word individually. Was liegt, das pickt is one of them. https://www.thelocal.at/20260505/german-expression-of-the-day-was-liegt-das-pickt Tue, 05 May 2026 16:01:00 +0200 german-expression-of-the-day-was-liegt-das-pickt A not-so-common phrase that you might hear often in Austria, with a similar (but not a direct translation) expression in English. https://www.thelocal.at/20260504/german-expression-of-the-day-auch-ein-blindes-huhn-findet-mal-ein-korn Mon, 04 May 2026 16:36:42 +0200 german-expression-of-the-day-auch-ein-blindes-huhn-findet-mal-ein-korn As April turns to May, one traditional event dominates public life in Austria: the Maiaufmarsch. Colourful, political, and packed with history, it’s much more than just a parade. https://www.thelocal.at/20250429/german-word-of-the-day-der-maiaufmarsch Tue, 29 Apr 2025 17:24:27 +0200 german-word-of-the-day-der-maiaufmarsch This is one of the most useful adjectives to know in German-speaking life. Whether it is a doctor’s appointment, a train, a school pickup or a work meeting, pünktlich comes up constantly. https://www.thelocal.at/20260417/german-word-of-the-day-punktlich Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:58:00 +0200 german-word-of-the-day-punktlich There are few German words that tell you as much about daily rhythm as Feierabend. You will hear it in offices, shops and messages between colleagues when the workday is winding down. https://www.thelocal.at/20260416/german-word-of-the-day-der-feierabend Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:36:31 +0200 german-word-of-the-day-der-feierabend By mid-April, when the days are longer and the windows finally stay open for more than five minutes, it’s time for the Frühlingsputz. It is the standard German term for the big seasonal clean that comes with spring. https://www.thelocal.at/20260415/german-word-of-the-day-der-fruhlingsputz Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:39:40 +0200 german-word-of-the-day-der-fruhlingsputz In Vienna, this is one of those words you hear quickly and then keep hearing everywhere. It is especially useful because even public-facing transport pages in Vienna use the term Öffis, not just locals chatting on the tram. https://www.thelocal.at/20260414/german-word-of-the-day-die-offis Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:25:37 +0200 german-word-of-the-day-die-offis This is one of those German words you start seeing everywhere once you live in Austria. It can appear on websites, forms, course pages, event invitations and official paperwork, so it is worth learning early. https://www.thelocal.at/20260413/german-word-of-the-day-die-anmeldung Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:11:38 +0200 german-word-of-the-day-die-anmeldung If a friend or family member is doing something brave like performing on stage, you will need this German expression. https://www.thelocal.at/20260316/german-expression-of-the-day-toi-toi-toi Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:30:25 +0100 german-expression-of-the-day-toi-toi-toi Sometimes in a conversation in German, someone will suddenly say da liegt der Hund begraben. It sounds dramatic, but they are usually not talking about anything quite so literal. https://www.thelocal.at/20260310/german-expression-of-the-day-da-liegt-der-hund-begraben Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:03:45 +0100 german-expression-of-the-day-da-liegt-der-hund-begraben If you live in Austria, you will hear das geht sich aus surprisingly often. It might come up when someone is checking if there is enough time to catch a train, enough space to fit one more chair at a table, or enough money to cover a bill. https://www.thelocal.at/20260305/german-expression-of-the-day-das-geht-sich-aus Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:11:18 +0100 german-expression-of-the-day-das-geht-sich-aus As news coverage focuses on the war involving Iran and the wider regional fallout, one German word you will keep seeing in headlines is Waffenruhe. https://www.thelocal.at/20260304/german-word-of-the-day-die-waffenruhe Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:50:20 +0100 german-word-of-the-day-die-waffenruhe At some point, every German learner runs into a sentence where no one seems to be doing anything. You read it, understand all the words, and still wonder who exactly is responsible. Very often, the answer is man. https://www.thelocal.at/20260224/german-grammar-tips-why-man-is-everywhere-in-official-german Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:39:35 +0100 german-grammar-tips-why-man-is-everywhere-in-official-german Perhaps you know a sportsperson at the top of their game, or you have a friend who's just really, really good at something. Here's the German word to describe them. https://www.thelocal.at/20260223/german-word-of-the-day-profi-2 Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:41:01 +0100 german-word-of-the-day-profi-2 When temperatures suddenly drop across Austria and headlines warn of frost and snow, the word you’ll see everywhere is Kältewelle. https://www.thelocal.at/20251017/german-word-of-the-day-die-kaltewelle Fri, 17 Oct 2025 15:30:27 +0200 german-word-of-the-day-die-kaltewelle You will often hear this phrase in Austria when something goes wrong, plans change, or a small problem feels bigger than it really is. https://www.thelocal.at/20260211/german-expression-of-the-day-alles-halb-so-wild Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:27:13 +0100 german-expression-of-the-day-alles-halb-so-wild You are most likely to hear this word in Austria when food is being discussed, especially in canteens, restaurants or home kitchens. https://www.thelocal.at/20260210/german-word-of-the-day-beissfest Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:02:43 +0100 german-word-of-the-day-beissfest Last weekend in Vienna, Buhrufe made headlines after a premiere at the Staatsoper that split the room. https://www.thelocal.at/20260209/german-word-of-the-day-die-buhrufe Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:42:12 +0100 german-word-of-the-day-die-buhrufe In February in Austria, invitations, posters and small talk suddenly start revolving around dresses, suits and events that run late into the night. https://www.thelocal.at/20260205/german-word-of-the-day-der-maskenball Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:08:17 +0100 german-word-of-the-day-der-maskenball