What does it mean?

A Jause is used by speakers of Austrian German to describe a little something they’ll have to eat in between meals — sometimes mid-morning but often mid-afternoon. That’s right, a Jause is wonderful Austrian German word for “snack.”

How do you use it or where might you see it?

Using Jause can give you a little more informal Austria street cred, since it’s specifically an Austrian word that even native German speakers who are not from Austria might not recognize. It can help you show that you’re down with Austrian lingo and willing to go a little further than someone who simply relies on standard German all the time.

Unlike certain Austrian German words, like Baba for “hello,” you’re not restricted to using Jause just in informal situations, as with many other words in Austrian German or other German dialects.

Jause is also versatile and can describe any kind of snack – both sweet and savoury, so you’ll need to be specific about what kind of Jause you want. You can also use it as the verb “to snack,” by saying jausen. You can also engage in some fun wordplay when going on a “snack break” – or Jausepause.

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