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How to Say ‘Dude / man’ in German

Alter

AHL-ter

[AHL-ter]

💬 Usage Tip: Literally Alter means "old man", but in slang it's just a filler like 'man'. On its own, Alter! can also express shock, like 'Dude!'.

🇩🇪 In Germany: Mostly used by teens and younger men among friends. Using it with strangers or older people comes across as rude.

Phrase Breakdown

Alter

[AHL-ter]

man / dude

Used as an exclamation to express surprise.

Example

Alter, was machst du da?

Man, what are you doing?

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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