MaphaldaJan 5, 2023
Jens Clasen

The German interjection "hä?" can mean lots of things:

- What?
- Not really!
- I couldn't hear you.
- I don't understand.
- Wait... I thought it was exactly the other way round?
- What are YOU doing here?
- How the f... is this supposed to work?
- ARE YOU F...ING KIDDING ME?!

Yeah, I know:

Makes you wanna go "HÄ?!"

Enjoy our language!

#TheGermanWord

Jan 5, 2023 at 1:27pmWeb
Show threadGina B FlaJan 5, 2023
@jensclasen
I use it every day! 😂
Also, I use 'gau?' generously, I think it's the equivalent to German 'neh?' for nicht war?
Show threadChristian Pietsch (old acct.)Jan 5, 2023

@Ginafla @jensclasen

I never head anyone say "gau" in German. It must be a dialect I never came across. In my original dialect (Thuringian), we append “ge” to sentences to get the effect you describe. In adjacent dialects I heard it's “gell”. In other German dialects, it's “ne”, “nich”, “nech” or similar. In written German, it's “nicht wahr?”.

Show threadTobias WeibelJan 6, 2023
@chpietsch @Ginafla @jensclasen "gäu" is the same in Swiss German.
Show thread🐬🐠🤿ScubaGirl🐋🐟🐳Jan 5, 2023
@jensclasen I love your posts!
Show threadMaija TervolaJan 5, 2023

@jensclasen

HÄ!? This is the exact form and meanings in Finnish, too. Had no idea that this is German.

Show threadHenkka LaukkaJan 5, 2023

@majjatervola Seems it is! I had no idea either!

@jensclasen

Show threadOtto RaskJan 5, 2023
@majjatervola @jensclasen
Show threadSarathaiJan 5, 2023
@jensclasen Ist das wirklich landesweit im Einsatz? Ich dachte wir Hessen wären mit diesem vorzüglichen Wort als einzige privilegiert?
Show threadJens ClasenJan 5, 2023
@sarathai Hä? Nee. 😁
Show threadStefanOffenbach 🏳️‍🌈 🛋️ 📚Jan 5, 2023
@jensclasen großartig 🙋‍♂️ Danke
Show threadLaura Sykes #GreeneraliaJan 5, 2023

@jensclasen
Now, sorry to bother you again, I am wondering about the umlaut.
How do you pronounce HÄ?

Not 'Har' presumably?
More like 'Her'?
Or 'Hair'?
(without the 'r' I realise)

Show threadValentin SawadskiJan 5, 2023
@greeneralia @jensclasen The latter. Like “Hair” without the “r”
Show threadLaura Sykes #GreeneraliaJan 5, 2023
@vsaw @jensclasen
Thank-you very much! 
Show threadTobias van ArkJan 5, 2023
@greeneralia @jensclasen I think like hair is quiet right!
In this list let and men are given as examples
https://de.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Englisch:_Lautschrift
It's also in German but you can find it in the first table for the vocals.
Englisch: Lautschrift – Wikibooks, Sammlung freier Lehr-, Sach- und Fachbücher

Show threadLaura Sykes #GreeneraliaJan 5, 2023
@TobivArk
Thank-you!
Show threadTobias WeibelJan 6, 2023
@greeneralia @jensclasen More like "hand" (without "nd" ending)
Show threadLaura Sykes #GreeneraliaJan 6, 2023
@weibelt
Thank-you, Tobias!
Show threadDergoranJan 5, 2023
@jensclasen
Da kennt jemand das Geheimnis des "Hä!" nicht.
https://www.blick.ch/life/wissen/menschen/sprachforschung-wie-bitte-der-frageruf-hae-ist-ueberall-auf-der-welt-gleich-id2530531.html
Sprachforschung: Wie bitte? Der Frageruf «Hä?» ist überall auf der Welt gleich

Blick
Show threadDaniel ProbstJan 5, 2023
@jensclasen Hold my bernese beer: "äuä"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEcvE1TtTOs
ÄUÄ!!!

YouTube
Show threadVelteropⓐⓊ🪂🇪🇺🇳🇱🇬🇧🇩🇪Jan 5, 2023
@jensclasen Hè?
Show threadAchtes Hula-WirkJan 5, 2023
@jensclasen
When you like "hä", come to Vienna and try "eh".
Show threadzeitverschreib [calckey]Jan 5, 2023
@jensclasen The German expression "Bitte?", meaning "Beg you pardon?", is spelled W-A-S-? and pronounced "Hä?"
Show threadchristian crumlishJan 5, 2023
@jensclasen hwæt?
Show threaddaïglaJan 5, 2023
@jensclasen oh, and mostly it's usage is considered rude. #justsaying
Show threadChristian Pietsch (old acct.)Jan 5, 2023
@jensclasen My English intuition may be faulty but does not “hä” cover pretty much the same ground as “Beg your pardon?” in British English? Granted, the register is somewhat lower.
Show threadCarla MartinJan 6, 2023
@jensclasen 😂
Show threadFrau Hase - R. I. P. natenomJan 6, 2023

@jensclasen
There is also:

Hä? Ach so!

How does this work?/What's that? Ah, I see!

Credits go to @egonforever

Show threadChristian HendrichJan 6, 2023
@jensclasen You should also mention the different variants in spelling 🙈:
Hä?
Hää?
Häää?
Hääää?
(....)
Show threadHannes SchulzJan 6, 2023

@jensclasen

Meanwhile in Vienna: https://youtu.be/iuXR53ex4iI

#oida

🇦🇹 ❤️ HOW TO SPEAK VIENNESE USING ONLY ONE WORD. Video Tutorial

YouTube