Also known as: Saxon, Upper Saxon
An East Central German dialect spoken in Saxony around Dresden and Leipzig, characterised by softened plosives and a distinctive intonation.
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Sächsisch is a dialect of the German language.
Sächsisch is primarily spoken in Germany.
Sächsisch is part of the Europe region on DialectAtlas.
Yes — Sächsisch is also referred to as Saxon, Upper Saxon.
German also includes Hochdeutsch, Bairisch, Schwäbisch, Berlinerisch, Plattdüütsch, Hessisch, Kölsch, Wienerisch, Schwyzerdütsch, Namibian German, Hunsrik, Pennsylvania Dutch, Texas German. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.
Standard German · Standard High German · Schriftdeutsch
The codified standard variety of German used in education, media, and administration across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Based on the High German consonant shift and a written norm dating to Luther; the spoken standard is conventionally associated with the Hanover region of Lower Saxony.
Bavarian · Bavarian-Austrian
A large Upper German dialect group spoken across Bavaria and most of Austria, with distinctive vowel shifts and vocabulary far removed from Standard German.
Swabian
An Alemannic dialect spoken across Baden-Württemberg and parts of Bavaria. Recognisable for its diminutive "-le" suffix and softened consonants.
Berlin German · Berlinisch
The urban dialect of Berlin and surrounding Brandenburg. Mixes Low German substrate with Standard German, famous for its dry humour and clipped delivery.
Low German · Niederdeutsch · Plattdeutsch
The Low German varieties of northern Germany and the eastern Netherlands. Linguistically closer to Dutch and English than to Standard German in several core features.
Hessian
A Central German dialect group covering Hesse around Frankfurt. The Frankfurt variety is widely recognisable from German television and theatre.
Cologne German · Ripuarian
A Ripuarian Central Franconian dialect spoken in Cologne and the surrounding Rhineland. Distinctive for its melodic intonation and rich local vocabulary.
Viennese
The urban Bavarian dialect of Vienna, layered with Yiddish, Czech, and Italian loanwords from the city's long Habsburg history.
Swiss German · Schweizerdeutsch
A cluster of High Alemannic varieties spoken across German-speaking Switzerland. Mutually unintelligible with Standard German for most non-Swiss listeners.
Namdeutsch · Namibisches Deutsch · Namibia-Deutsch
The German variety of Namibia, maintained by a long-standing German-speaking minority and shaped by contact with Afrikaans, English, and Namibian languages such as Oshiwambo, Otjiherero, and Khoekhoegowab. It remains visible in schools, churches, media, tourism, and everyday community life, especially around Windhoek and the coast.
Brazilian German · Riograndenser Hunsrückisch · Hunsrückisch
A German-derived minority variety spoken by descendants of nineteenth-century settlers in southern Brazil, especially Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná. It descends mainly from Hunsrück Franconian and has developed under long contact with Brazilian Portuguese.
Pennsylvania German · Deitsch
A West Central German minority language maintained especially by Amish and Old Order Mennonite communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Ontario, and related settlements. Despite its name, it is Germanic rather than Dutch.
Texasdeutsch
An endangered German enclave variety spoken by descendants of nineteenth-century German settlers in central Texas, especially around New Braunfels, Fredericksburg, and the Hill Country. It preserves older German features while reflecting long contact with American English.
50 km away
A West Slavic language spoken by the Sorb minority of Upper Lusatia in Saxony, centred on Bautzen (Budyšin). Around 13,000 speakers; carries a continuous literary tradition since the 16th century.
89 km away
A West Slavic language spoken by the Sorb minority of Lower Lusatia in Brandenburg, centred on Cottbus (Chóśebuz). Critically endangered, with revitalisation efforts in bilingual schools and the Witaj programme.
119 km away
The Prague-based literary and broadcast standard of Czech. The official language of Czechia and a West Slavic counterpart to Slovak with which it is highly mutually intelligible.
165 km away
The urban dialect of Berlin and surrounding Brandenburg. Mixes Low German substrate with Standard German, famous for its dry humour and clipped delivery.
290 km away
The Czech varieties of Moravia. Internally diverse; eastern Moravian dialects sit close to Slovak in several features.
313 km away
The codified standard variety of German used in education, media, and administration across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Based on the High German consonant shift and a written norm dating to Luther; the spoken standard is conventionally associated with the Hanover region of Lower Saxony.