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LEARNING GERMAN

German phrase of the day: Das ist mir egal

Today's phrase of the day doesn't matter...

shrugging blonde woman in a pink dress

Well, of course “Das ist mir egal” matters. But its meaning is literally: “It doesn’t matter” or “I don’t care.”

The easiest way to start off the explanation is with an example:

A parent is having an argument with his or her child, about, let’s say, eating vegetables. The child doesn’t want to eat broccoli, so the mum or dad eventually starts listing the advantages of the vegetable. “It is healthy,” the  parent might say. “You’ll grow to be tall and strong if you eat it.”

The child, however, doesn’t like the idea of eating something green, so his or her answer is always the same: “Das ist mir egal!” The child is saying: “I don’t care!”

“Das ist mir” means something like: “That is to me.”

READ ALSO: The complete A-Z guide to German prefixes and what they mean

An important German word

Egal, I would claim to be one of the most important German words to learn. It means “irrelevant,” basically. And you can use it in almost any situation. If you’re telling a story and then realize that your counterpart didn’t listen at all, but asks you to repeat the story, you can just say: “Egal.”

In this case, egal means “It doesn’t matter.” If you’ve got a point of view that you won’t reconsider, but someone urges you to, you can simply say “Egal was du jetzt sagst, du kannst mich nicht umstimmen.” You are telling them: “It doesn’t matter what you say next, you cant change my mind.”

Now that we have established the meaning, let’s get into the history of the word egal. The expression actually comes from the French word égal, which in turn, goes back to the Latin word aequalis. Both of these words mean “equal” or “even.” Up to the 19th century, egal used to mean “equal” or “the same” in German as well. But since then, its meaning changed from “equal” to “indifferent.”

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Why is Austria called Austria?

It hasn’t lost its original meaning completely, though. If you look at synonyms for: “Das ist mir egal”, you will find “Das ist mir gleich” (“It’s all the same to me.”) However, you’ll probably find more people using the word egal than gleich – it has established itself firmly in the German language.

Egal has a superlative too, by the way, and I am not talking about egal, egaler, or am egalsten (which is grammatically correct.) I am talking about scheißegal, a nod to the German language’s tendency to stray into vulgar territory.

Use that if you want to tell people that you really, really don’t care.

Examples

Das ist mir scheißegal.

I really don’t care/I don’t give a f***.

READ ALSO: 8 Austrian TV series to watch to improve your (Austrian) German

Egal was wir machen, ich bin dabei.

I’m in, no matter what we’re going to do.

Es ist mir so was von egal.

It really doesn’t matter at all.

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AUSTRIAN HABITS

Do Austrians still use the formal ‘Sie’ in German?

In Austria, addressing people with "Sie" has been a tradition for quite some time. However, has this tradition become more relaxed in recent years? And if so, how?

Do Austrians still use the formal 'Sie' in German?

In Austria, people have been using “Sie” as a formal way of addressing each other for decades, if not centuries.

Using “Sie” is deeply integrated with Austrian culture and has been passed down through generations as a sign of respect and politeness.

But even if “Sie” is still commonly used in Austria today, younger generations tend to use it less frequently than older ones, and the more informal “Du” is increasing in popularity, Vienna’s IKI language academy told The Local.

The ‘du’ form has gained popularity

In general, using “du” is accepted in less formal settings or when you know someone well.

Over time, the use of “Sie” has decreased in informal and semi-official contexts in Austria, according to the IKI language academy.

The informal “du” form has gained popularity, especially among younger people and in digital communication. In social media, informal meetings, and among friends, the “du” form is more commonly used.

Heike Ziehr, Head of the German Language Department at Sprachenzentrum in Vienna, also agreed that “du” is gaining popularity but added that he does not think it’s appropriate in certain situations.

“‘Du’ is spreading, in social media, leisure time, or at workshops. In the mountains, people always use “du” above 2,000 meters. Occasionally, students address me informally at the university, then I point out to them that it is not appropriate. Sometimes there is a high level of familiarity between teachers and students, and then “du” is often used. I do not recommend it in a professional context”, he said.

READ NEXT: How to explore the Austrian mountains in the summer like a local

Formal and official situations

How “Sie” is used among the different generations depends on the situation and who is involved in it.

“Sie” is mainly used in formal and official situations in Austria. You use “Sie” in conversations with strangers, in professional contexts, during official appointments, in stores, and generally in scenarios where respect and distance are expected to be maintained.

It is also common to address older people or those in higher positions with “Sie”, as a sign of respect and acknowledgement.

Some examples of situations where you are expected to use “Sie” include when you have a doctors appointment, in formal business settings such as meetings with customers, or in daily life situations where you engage with strangers, such as in restaurants or other service establishments, especially when speaking to staff members.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Austria wants to define its fundamental culture but what is it?

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