German words expats should know: Alter

“Was geht, Alter?” If you want to sound like a local, and down with the kids at the same time, then look no further than this German word, which can be used as a greeting, an interjection, or an expression of surprise - in the right context, of course. Let’s take a look. 

What does Alter mean in English?

A great piece of “Jugendsprache” (teenage slang), Alter is a term that’s commonly used in Germany in conversations between people of a certain age. Although, as your German lessons may be telling you, it literally means “older”, it’s found life in more recent times as an informal word that can be used in many different contexts, roughly in the same way we might say “man”, “mate” or “dude” in English. 

It’s not clear exactly how or why this started, but one theory is that it comes from the phrase “Alter Schwede” - literally, an old Swedish man - which in itself can be used as an expression of surprise in German. This idiom supposedly dates back to the Thirty Years’ War, when a prince-elector from Brandenburg recruited some experienced Swedish soldiers into his army. They were so well-respected they earned a nickname that later trickled down into everyday speech.

Since language is inherently lazy, over the years the term has gradually shortened down to the Alter in common use today (although you will still hear people of a certain age say “Alter Schwede”) - and still even further to “Alta” or “Alda”. 

How to use Alter in German

So, how do you use Alter in everyday speech? The most common way is probably as a greeting, in the same way as you might say “Hey mate” in English, but bear in mind that it is super informal so probably only really appropriate for your close friends, and certainly not a word to use at work!

It is also commonly used - like its Alter Schwede uncle - as an expression of surprise or disbelief. “Alter! Ist das wirklich dein Auto?” You can also say Alter to add emphasis to what you’re saying, particularly if someone is testing your patience. For instance, if someone is telling you a tall story, you might say, “Alter! Hör auf mit dem Quatsch!”

Los geht’s, Alter

Time to get out there and start greeting all your buddies like a real German youth. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop saying “Alter” at least three times in each sentence. Los geht’s!