Plattdüütsch

Low German

Germanic

FamilyGermanic Speakers~5M ScriptLatin CountriesGermany (north), Netherlands (eastern) Official inGermany (recognized as regional language) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3nds

Low German (Plattdüütsch / Plattdeutsch) is a West Germanic language with ~5M speakers — northern Germany (Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and eastern Netherlands (Lower Saxon dialects). Sister to Dutch and English (West Germanic outside High German), descended from Old Saxon. Recognized as regional language under European Charter (Germany 1999). Mennonite-Plautdietsch diaspora globally.

Where it is spoken

20 core words in Low German

Water

Water

/vɑːtɐ/

Fire

Füer

/fyːɐ/

Sun

Sünn

/zʏn/

Moon

Maand

/mɑːnt/

Mother

Moder

/moːdɐ/

Father

Vader

/fɑːdɐ/

Eat

eten

/eːtn̩/

Drink

drinken

/drɪŋkn̩/

Love

Leev

/leːf/

Heart

Hart

/haɐt/

Tree

Boom

/boːm/

House

Huus

/huːs/

Dog

Hund

/hʊnt/

Cat

Katt

/kat/

Hand

Hand

/hant/

Eye

Oog

/oːx/

Hello

Moin

/mɔɪn/

Thank you

Dankschöön

/daŋkʃøːn/

One

een

/eːn/

Good

good

/ɡoːt/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Germanic languages

Meaning Low GermanAfrikaansKölschPlautdietschGerman (Austrian)Saterland FrisianPennsylvania German
Water Water /vɑːtɐ/ water /vɑːtər/ Wasser /vasɐ/ Wota /vɔta/ Wasser /vasɐ/ Woater /ˈvɔːtɐ/ Wasser /vasər/
Fire Füer /fyːɐ/ vuur /fyːr/ Füer /fyːɐ/ Fia /fia/ Feuer /fɔɪɐ/ Fjuur /fjuːɐ/ Feier /faɪər/
Sun Sünn /zʏn/ son /sɔn/ Sonn /zɔn/ Sonn /zɔn/ Sonne /sɔnə/ Sunne /ˈzʊnə/ Sunn /sʊn/
Moon Maand /mɑːnt/ maan /mɑːn/ Mond /moːnt/ Mond /mɔnt/ Mond /moːnt/ Moune /ˈmoːnə/ Mund /mʊnt/
Mother Moder /moːdɐ/ moeder /muːdər/ Moder /moːdɐ/ Mama /mama/ Mutter /mʊtɐ/ Mäme /ˈmɛːmə/ Mudder /mʊdər/
Father Vader /fɑːdɐ/ vader /fɑːdər/ Vatter /fatɐ/ Papa /papa/ Vater /fɑːtɐ/ Babe /ˈbaːbə/ Daadi /daːdi/
Eat eten /eːtn̩/ eet /eːt/ esse /ɛsə/ äten /ɛːtən/ essen /ɛsn̩/ ete /ˈeːtə/ esse /ɛsə/
Drink drinken /drɪŋkn̩/ drink /drɪŋk/ drinke /dʁɪŋkə/ drinken /dɾɪŋkən/ trinken /tʁɪŋkŋ/ drinke /ˈdrɪŋkə/ drinke /dɾɪŋkə/
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Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
Low German
Ik will en Antog anproberen den ik in en Laden gegenöber von Hotel sehn heff
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 看到的 那套西装
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Compare with closely-related languages

Ek wil 'n pak aanpas wat ek gesien het ‌in 'n winkel oorkant die hotel
Jeg vil prøve et jakkesæt som jeg i en butik overfor hotellet
Ik wil een pak passen dat ik zag ‌in een winkel tegenover het hotel
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Low German
Ik will en Antog anproberen den ik in en Laden gegenöber von Hotel sehn heff

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