6 American Cultural Norms Considered RUDE In Germany 🇩🇪 | Germany vs USA

[@PassportTwo]

Welcome back to another video, guys! Happy to have you all here for another one 😊 As always, I hope you enjoyed this one and if you did, consider subscribing. Otherwise, have a great weekend and I'll catch ya in the next one 😃

[@floberlin5]

Endlich wird mir mal wieder ein Video von euch angezeigt. Seit Monaten musste ich immer selbst auf eurem Kanal nachschauen, obwohl ich ihn abonniert habe.

[@andreaspitsch9004]

@@floberlin5krass. Stimmt. Ich dachte das wäre eine Pause gewesen…

[@unwetterisso3369]

Hi, what’s up? Nice to meet you!

[@sarahbentague1466]

Themen to keep shoes on or off. Keeping your shoes on in my family is a nice way of saying "yes you are welcome in but dont stay too long (like staying for 4 hours)" Essentially come in, drink a Coffee, quick talk and leave (around a hour is usually optimal)

[@Eiszahn]

Shoes in germany are a tricky thing, its probably 70/30 where the 70 percent dont like shoes around the house while the other 30% either dont care or have shit lying around and dont want you to hurt yourself or get yourself dirty. In most cases wait and see what your host does, if your host is without shoes, take of the damn shoes. If your host is wearing shoes i would highly recommend keeping yours on too. All that beeing said, i can see someone throwing you out if you do put your shoes onto a sofa, bed or the like. EDIT: Professional video gaming is a sport just like other sports, its better to be i good shape to perform decently, you have to practice A LOT and its just as stressfull.

[@Slippy6582]

"Shoes on or off" is different in every household... I simply ask in new homes: "Soll ich die Schuhe ausziehen?" Problem solved, there is no general rule to handle it...

[@PassportTwo]

That helps clear that up a bit! Thanks!

[@Liora-layena]

I personally would say the difference lies between if it is a house or an apartment. Because of you go into a house with big rooms and only stay at the ground level, maybe you don't even plan to spend a lot of time there, then there is no need to take the shoes off. They most of the time have their living room there which has a wide floor that is very easy to clean. In apartments on the other hand everything is very narrow and they often even have carpet everywhere, which is very hard to clean. Also it's a very weird thought to walk over a carpet with shoes you walked with outside while others may plan on sitting on that very same carpet. But in the end of the day asking is still the right way to go.

[@CriticalPoliteness]

Absolutely. And sometimes it is even depending on the event, e.g. shoes (only) allowed during big parties in order to avoid that somebody hurts you stepping on your toe.

[@daemonazazel]

Same here. I ask and people ask me. For my apartment it depends. Are you just coming in for 5 minutes? Leave them on. Are you going to be there the whole evening? Better take them off. It also depends on the kind of floor. On carpet I would almost always take them off. On a cold stone floor without guest slippers? Most people would tell me to leave them on. And lately even the fact that I got a cleaning robot that can mop now, too makes me tell people to leave them on even more frequently, because.... hey.... ain't going to be me cleaning that up later. And lastly it kind of feels different to me as a host. Don't know why, but when you come to my place and you keep your shoes on it feels like you are in my house, while when you take them off, you come into my home. So close friends almost always take them off. The guy who comes once a year to read my water meter, doesn't.

[@olliewins3427]

i take the shoes off at the location of the homeowners shoes. even if they say i can leave it on i do it. cause i personally dont like streetshoes in my rooms. also competitive videogames are "e-sports"

[@johnsmith1926]

When a foreigner tries to speak German, I generally consider this as polite, no matter whether 'Du' or 'Sie'. English speakers get a bonus on top of it, because they could as well just speak English in Germany. The formal and informal way of addressing people is just the cherry on top of an already complicated language, so do not bother too much.

[@Mimimo02]

Plus in some parts (tbh I'm Norddeutsch, it's schwapping over from DK here) the siezen is getting less

[@cantinadudes]

​@@Mimimo02here in western germany its the same thing, whenever i go into the store to buy some stuff i get called "du" by everyone, even by workers that look younger than me. I personally like it since it feels more personal and sincere

[@maxii2975]

also in younger generations the Sie is slowly dieing...

[@anna-elisabethbender3123]

No "Du" with unknown or older people!!!

[@sarahsander785]

There is also another in-between way in some parts of Western Germany, where you could use "Ihr" in a service situation, referring not to the cashier or wait stuff, but to the business by using the second person plural. Using "Sie" in that context can come off as contrived and overly formal, almost condescending. Using "Du" is actually less rude. This applies mainly to rural areas, though. And yes, if foreigners speak German and get the formal and informal forms mixed up that's not usually a problem.

[@K__a__M__I]

I once was told by Americans, with a mix of wonder and excited admiration in their voice, "You're so _genuine!"_ And all I could think was "...so you're saying, you are _not?"_

[@ctlspl]

That’s their polite way of saying you’re rude.

[@andreaseufinger4422]

@@ctlspl I'm afraid that this is true. Consequence: Those people are fake ;) If a german would say that, it would be something nice.

[@ctlspl]

@@andreaseufinger4422 It’s so annoying to always have to read between the lines as a foreigner. Even Austria sometimes tends to be the American way with beating around the bush.

[@MiaMerkur]

​@@ctlspl I agree, I do not like people wasting my time by lying, faking or being indirectly. The video maker pointed this out correctly.

[@MiaMerkur]

​@@ctlspl for me saying thanks, you're welcome, good morning, have a nice afternoon, how do you do AND MEANING IT is POLITELESS, not tactically lying and diplomatically faking.

[@Kivas_Fajo]

How to confuse a freshly arrived never experienced German culture American 101: When being asked "How are are you?" ...you ask back whether they want to hear how you are doing for real or if this was a simple meaningless hello? The confusiuon on their face is priceless.

[@quietschbaer]

Or You answer him with a complete status of your health, family and finances. He won't 'howareyou' You twice ;-D

[@florianopolis6299]

I am aware of the cultural differences and I tend to asks if they wish the American or the German answer. That way they might understand why the do get full health reports sometimes and everybody wins.

[@ErnaPachulke]

I usually pretend to be totally unaware of cultural differences putting on my heaviest German accent while enthusiastically pointing out how much I appreciate someone being genuinely interested in my wellbeing by asking such a personal question.

[@carrstone01]

The better response to "How are you?" is "How are you?" - in English, anyway.

[@umbrosia5202]

I would explain the thing with the shoes like this: When you are just there to grab something to drink/eat or to chat a little, then you can probably keep your shoes on. But if you are there for a more comfortable setting, like sitting on the couch playing video games or hanging around a friends room, you take the shoes off. Sometimes the house is divided in areas there you can and cannot wear shoes. In my houshold, you can walk around with shoes in the basement and ground floor, but don't you dare to walk the stairs up where we sleep! It may seem random for an outsider, but every household has it's own rules and I guess we Germans just accept it without asking. Rule of thumb: If there is a carpet, no shoes allowed.

[@Die_Oile]

The blessings of owning a house. :-) But as far as I know that’s the rule in almost every single family house I know, because it’s just logical.

[@umbrosia5202]

@@Die_Oile Well to be fair, it is my parents house. I just live here for 2 more years and then I probably move out

[@Maximillian693]

If there is a carpet, no shoes allowed. Einverstanden. Agreed.

[@nriamond8010]

Not really. My parents have carpet everyone, shoes absolutely allowed. And in my experience, it does not make any difference how long you are staying but it CAN make a difference who the person is; people will most likely only ask private guests to put off their shoes, not people who are there for work like craftspeople or someone from an insurance company.

[@iAmVonexX]

@@nriamond8010 craftspeople often arent even allowed to take their shoes of for insurance reasons. if something happens, even if its like a cut in the hand and you dont wear safety shoes the insurance can be nit-picky and not pay. doesnt really makes sense on first glance but to be fair, you didnt wear your PPE so an injury is more likely to happen

[@NickNelsons_bigsis]

When I was a teenager and first got adressed with "Sie" in public I felt so grown up. Like, "wow they're using the formal version they must think I'm older than I am".

[@bartolo498]

Most of our teachers switched to "Sie" in 11th grade but this didn't feel grown up (because they were not more respectful except for the address!). When a younger kid uses "Sie" , one begins feeling really grown up. And the first time I felt old (not yet 40 then and feeling I should be looking younger) was, when a parent asked his kid on the the sidewalk to let me pass: "Lass doch mal den Onkel vorbei!"

[@reinhard8053]

@@bartolo498 Our teachers asked if they should use "Sie" which we didn't want. There is also the other way around. It was strange to me at hobbies, sports and clubs to use "du" to somebody 3times my age whom I didn't know at that time. With farther relatives and acquaintances of my parents if was sometimes difficult to choose. I learned to use indirect forms without directly addressing somebody. In my company everbody uses "du" except for the highest boss. In a project with 4 other companies it gets a bit mixed. We use "du" with one company and mainly with another. "Sie" with the rest. But still some people know each other for years and switched to "du" across companies. So you can hear all combinations even in one sentence in larger meetings depending on who talks to whom.

[@philippbock3399]

I had a very funny experience. When I grew older and was in a higher class our teachers called us "Sie". But when I changed school I became member of a new class where the teachers still used "Du" (maybe they asked my formerly classmates if they wished to be called "Sie" - I do not know). But so I was "Geduzt" again ... It did not disturb me but it was very funny, though 🙂

[@bartolo498]

@@reinhard8053 I think the loss of distinctions one used to have here and a fairly high threshold of using the familiar address is a real loss but there is little one can do about such changes. Another age might see a return of elaborate etiquette.

[@thomasstroh-uu2mj]

I really like this video because it explains many issues. But the best advice for foreigners in Germany is, when you are not sure about a cultural thing, just ask. The most Germans are glad to explain it to you. And when you ask a neighbor or Co worker maybe you make a new friend because care about each other it's a common trait in Germany and someone who is interested in our way to do things can't be that bad 😜

[@dansattah]

For directness, I usually refer to honesty as "the highest form of politeness". At least, that's my perception after growing up in a North German family.

[@SeiraTempest93]

I've been growing up half-half. Dad = north german, mom = east german Dad was always the "brutally honest" type which was actually his way of being polite. Mom was always the one being like "you don't say something like that, that's not nice". I was one confused child. Always questioning "am i supposed to be honest-honest or just pretend-honest?"

[@svgarpaws]

I also find it's the most respectful thing to do. Yes, the truth is maybe not always what you wanna hear, but I feel like not being honest with someone is just disrespectful as hell.

[@HolyPire]

Normaly shoes off, but when its a big party in the house its getting dirty anyway and you dont have enough slippers for all... so keep them on.

[@m1grain3s]

Hi, I'm German, and i just wanted to say: Number 6. It's different House to House if you take your shoes off or leave them on. But besides that, finally someone talks about that! Thanks!!!

[@halbeliebe]

I have just turned 38 and I find myself being so old and typical German - so there are these hip new restaurants and companies on the internet and what not who just refer to me as "du" and it makes me furious. "I don't know you, I might not like you, I did not give you permission to call me "du!", and I am not planning on giving you my first name (talking to you, Starbucks!)" I know that it is ridiculous and nobody tries to be impolite, but who came up with sending every customer of Lieferando (German grub hub) an email asking for a rating and addressing them as do? And not giving the option to not get those emails. Damn I am old. And I want other people to recognize this by addressing me the right way.

[@NeverKilledHillock]

An sich gibt es keinen Grund Sie wegen Ihres Alters zu siezen. Wäre natürlich dem alten Anstatt nach angebracht, doch so wie Ihre Jugend ist dies längst Geschichte. So, jetzt mal ohne Kopf im Arsch. Ich verstehe was du meinst, doch das förmliche Ansprechen im Alltag wird einfach anders gehandhabt in unserer Zeit. Zum Beispiel war das schnelle Duzen für mich als Berliner normal, weil das halt in Berlin schon seit Generationen lockerer ist. Nicht weil Berlin ein Drecksloch ist, auch wenn es das ist, sondern weil man sich mit dem "Du" auf die gleiche Augenhöhe begibt. Was Ihnen vielleicht eher fehlt, als das "Sie", ist der Mangel an einem respektvollen Umgang. Da ist aber das "Du" und "Sie" das geringste Problem.

[@eisikater1584]

Interesting. I'm over 50 and still don't like the "Sie". I got used to it and know when to use it of course, but I come from a small village, and I have worked in or for companies all my life where the "du" mostly was common. Also, I'm not sure if you really show respect just by using the formal address. Oh, and: "not giving the option to not get those emails", that doesn't bother me very much. That's what manual filter lists are for. You can choose between "move to trash" and "delete", the latter meaning "delete from server on arrival", so I won't even see it. I'm using that quite often.

[@defycgn]

I‘m close to reaching my 50. birthday (🫣) and I still really don‘t like being adressed as ‚Sie‘. I feel like it creates an unnecessary barrier between two people. In my experience it makes things more uncomfortable and ‚gestelzt‘.

[@halbeliebe]

@@eisikater1584 I always wanted to implement these filters... but who has the time, when they can instead get angry again and again about those mails :-D I know... Sometimes I make my life more difficult on purpose.

[@ann-charlotteholman7843]

I completely agree.

[@vrenak]

Danish but here's the unspoken shoe rules for the most part: If you're helping moving things in or out, whether it be groceries or furniture, shoes stay on, avoid carpets. If I'm coming to pick you up for example if we're going out for a movie, and I just quickly need the bathroom, they stay on if the weather is dry and i wiped them good. If it is wet outside, or I am staying for more than a few minutes, the shoes go off.

[@olli1068]

"How are you?" still tricks me even after having heard it 1000 times and knowing that it doesn't mean "how are you feeling today?" I guess it's the fact that it's a question and I feel the urge to give an answers instead of replying with "how are you" myself.

[@MiaMerkur]

Yes, it sounds silly or rude to answer a question with a question. However a lot of germans have the attitude, too, asking "Wie geht's?" and not being interested in your health or feelings and any answers. With 5% being Asperger'ler and 10% being ADHS'ler who do not like irony, or sarcatic, or fake, or sentences of no or opposite meaning you just should say HELLO, if you mean 'hello'.

[@glenn6583]

Please don’t ask me how I am feeling!

[@olli1068]

@@MiaMerkur You're totally right, if a German asks you "Wie geht's?" it can be very superficial as well. Answering this question honestly can lead to very awkward situations, when the person who asks doesn't expect an answer other than "gut!"

[@beumler1406]

@@olli1068 Thats why you always reply "Soweit so gut" which is sometimes followed by "und bei dir?" to which the appropiate answer is "auch gut" or "läuft" and the polite smalltalk is over

[@karinbauer3504]

If you don’t answer: gut, you may answer something that gives a hint that you are not feeling too well. Eg. „I‘ve had better times.“ Or: „Thanks, well again.“ By doing so, you would give the other person the chance to ask for further details. You may also answer: „Oh my, fairly ok - but I will tell you another time.“ By doing so you are signalling, I don‘t mind having some closer talk some time later (when there is a better fit). If you always answer: „gut“, while the other person shares details, it is perceived as you would prefer not to get overly close. Hence it is a wonderful way of establishing relationship step by step, without offending or being misunderstood.

[@Funnysterste]

I am German and I hate when KZbinrs yell at me.

[@quietschbaer]

SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!! 😜

[@Funnysterste]

@@quietschbaer ok

[@SeiraTempest93]

Same

[@oida6599]

I usually take my shoes off when I get home, just because I think that slippers are way more comfortable. When I have guests, however, I don‘t insist on them taking their own shoes off. After all, not everybody likes to run around in socks. When I‘m a guest at somebody else‘s place, I just ask, and they will tell me 😊

[@juwen7908]

Yes, I don't like to run around on socks. Sometimes, when I go to good friends or family, I bring my house shoes with me😉🤓

[@reinhard8053]

@@juwen7908 Me, too. At home I have an assortment of more or less house shoes. The shoes for inside. The shoes for dry outside. The shoes for wet and garden.

[@kimgardner1615]

Yes! My recent trip to the US after living in Germany for over 4 years was such a culture shock. Everyone talks so loud!

[@MichaelBurggraf-gm8vl]

That "How are you" thing is a bit weird to me. I remember being told by several English teachers in Germany to take "How are you" as a greeting phrase and nothing but that. However, arriving in England for the first time I could hardly get myself to strictly apply that rule. I felt like something is stopping me answering "Good" or "Fine" casually. But I didn't know what to say instead ending up saying nothing. I must have appeared quite strange. But I wouldn't go as far as saying that you're always supposed to answer by presenting all aspects of your life if you're asked "Wie geht's?" in Germany. I'd recommend making it dependent on several conditions: You can and possibly should answer more realistically if you know the person asking very well or at least a bit by meeting/seeing her or him from time to time at least. If you don't know a person at all and you're seeing her/him for the first time I think it's ok to respond to "Wie geht's?" more superficially. It's an opening to a conversation and very probably not an invitation to present all aspects of the situation in your life. That question is actually used to probe if someone is open to a conversation at all sometimes. "Wie geht's?" is actually used as a phrase for greeting like in english speaking countries. But the difference is in the persons addressed that way. You wouldn't greet strangers that way, only people you know a little bit at least. And the answer is just the way you'd expect in English: "Gut", "Gut, danke! Und selbst?", "Prima", "Geht so", "Wie immer.", "Könnte besser sein" Mind you can give a hint if your mood isn't absolutely the best which isn't expected in English. And since that standard response is boring some people like to put a little twist on it: "Mittelscheußlich, wie immer - also gut!" (average level of terrible like always - that is good) "(Es) Könnte schlimmer sein." ((It) Could be worse; ie. meaning good) "(Es) War schon schlimmer." ((It) Has been worse; ie. meaning good) "Fast gut." (Almost good; ie. meaning good, poking fun at our tendency of complaining always) "(Das) Geht dich nix an!" ((That) Is none of your business; meaning good, quite cheeky - you should know that person really well an vice versa)

[@rudelwolf1591]

exactly. It's not about talking about your life in detail, just a short honest answer that shows your general mood right now. It ties in with respecting peoples time and being honest with them. If i start talking to someone and ask how are you, and they reply with something like "naja, muss halt" (well, has to (be fine)" , then i know they aren't in the best mood, probably stressed and maybe i shouldn't start gushing about how great my last night was.

[@okatjerute]

And don't forget one of the northern German classics: "Wie geht's?" "Muss ja..." 😎 Full conversation. 🙂

[@TLowGrrreen]

As an American, I'm in agreement with the Germans on the things we actually do. There is no need be any louder than necessary to be heard by those you are addressing. Follow. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don't ask a question if you don't want to listen to the answer, even if you consider it an off handed greeting. Nice video.

[@Surtr174]

Asking "how are you" is quite literally a german greeting too (was geht?) and unless youre a close friend and something is actually going on you will NOT get an indepth answer. Like pretty much everything he said is flat out wrong. Be it mowing the lawn that AT BEST an old guy in his 80s complains if done on a sunday, the car washing quite literally nobody gives a flying f about. The Sie part is also wrong. Most peeps don't care about it outside of a boss/employee or dealing with officials. The Sie and Du get circumvented a lot. Point 4 is also wrong. Sure most people will be reluctant but still be up to it somewhat and unless its something the person REALLY cba with for whatever reason you will most likely not get a no if youre a friend. Point 5: Also wrong. Germans say the same. Just instead of coffee its usually referring to alcohol ("müssen ma wieder einen saufen" etc) which is used in the exact same context. Point 6: 50/50. Some really believe that hollywood stuff while the other half has a functioning brain and is capable of fact checking. Shoe part also most don't care about unless your shoes are dirty given I will have to clean the mess your sorry butt created. If your shoes are clean most don't care and most will even say "just keep them on". This guy is wrong on all points but 1.5.

[@CynderNeko]

The thing with the shoes depends on the day actually. I've got two dogs that drag a lot of dirt into my house. If I know I haven't mopped the floor for a while I ask my guests to leave their shoes on, so their socks won't get dirty.

[@Speireata4]

About the shoes on or off: There are different social norms and settings complicating the situation. For example: - how long is your stay going to be? The longer the stay, the more likely to not wear shoes. - are you there for a job, like a repair-person or similar stuff? Then, even if your stay might be longer, you don't take off your shoes - what is the planned activity? The more casual or relaxed the activity, the more likely that you take off your shoes. For example: my family visited me for Kaffee und Kuchen and Dinner in the evening. Neither my parents nor my sister took off their shoes. Not, because it was a very formal affair, but it was not casual or at home enough to do so. - are your shoes dirty? Is there carpet or soft wood floor that could be harmed by high heels? Then you take them off, unless other things override that rule, like urgency.

[@nriamond8010]

It is quite impractical that the "shoes in the house" thing is handled so differently everywhere in Germany - you always have to ask (it's different from house to house, not only from region to region). I'm very comfortable with shoes in the house, even on carpets, bedroom and bathroom (of course, I wear slippers at home but would never ask my guests to take their shoes off except when they are extremely dirty, but then they will offer it themselves in 100% of the cases 😄). I don't like having to walk in socks on cold floors or wear (slightly disgusting) guest slippers so I usually bring my own slippers when I visit friends who don't like street shoes in their house.

[@ATOM-vv3xu]

When I am going to someone else's home I generally take the shoes off but some people, depending on what materials their floor uses allow/encourage shoes in their homes. In general: if the floor is made of carpets, shoes are taboo, if they are made of wood or plastic, they are often taboo but sometimes okay and if it is made of some kind of stone, you can keep your shoes on because your feet might get cold elseway an exception is, if slippers are provided. Then it is best to change to them (or if you don't like them to go in socks) no matter of the floor.

[@lynnm6413]

How are you? Is a real thing of culture shock… I still remember getting of a 22 hour flight in Melbourne from Düsseldorf, and having to get a new charger cable at the airport…I had thrown up during turbulences, had a sore stomach, hadn‘t been able to sleep and had yet to get an Australian card and I was just ready for bed….so at the time I bought that cable there was no one else in the shop, and the nerd behind the counter asked me the … How are you? And my tired ass started spilling all out of my misery, just to stop myself, fake smile at him and say.. in my most Michigan accent ‚I‘m fine!‘ 😬 He was more disturbed by my ‚American Mode‘ Setting in belatedly, than my tmi at a late hour 😅

[@Cassiusisback]

"my tired ass started spilling all out of my misery" you, sir, are a true poet.

[@lynnm6413]

@@Cassiusisback spilling all of my misery -out- sorry for mangling the English language…🤣

[@Mamaki1987]

Yes, I was so glad to know beforehand that "How are you" is a greeting. Knowing that made things so much easier when I visited the US

[@PassportTwo]

I can only imagine how confusing it could be if you weren’t aware of that beforehand 😅

[@Stephan4711]

@@PassportTwo here people also often how you are. But when you then start telling the truth they are very confused 😁

[@Mamaki1987]

@@PassportTwo Yeah 😅 And while I am more of an introvert, I did enjoy it, how easy you can talk to most Americans as a tourist. Or other American tourists in the US.

[@halbeliebe]

I was not told before coming to the US when I was 16. It was quite aggravating.

[@MiaMerkur]

​@@Stephan4711 ... and I never spoke to them again because they were rude and not at all interested in me as a person. That was coming from north germany in beginning to study in midfle germany. It took me a lot of months and a book 'Smalltalk' to learn the new 'rules'.

[@bb57piano]

Thank you for this interesting video, it helps a lot to understand the different habits. As regards the shoe topic, when I was a child in Germany about fifty five years ago, I cannot remember that adult visitors would have taken off their shoes in our home. Never would we (or rather my parents) have asked guests to do so, nor would we all have worn slippers or stockings in front of guests in our home. It seems to be a more recent development and also one for closer aquaintances and not for formal visits. Keep going with your wonderful videos, I very much enjoy listening to you😀👍🏻

[@johannweber5185]

I think you can ask "Wie gehts?" if a) you are confortable with a possible negative answer (and really interested) b) you think the other person is confirtable with giving an honest answer. So depending on situation "Wie gehts?" can be comforting or making people uncomfortable. There is no easy social norm to distingish the cases it is rather a personal thing.

[@andreasmorcinek5873]

I like you way to explane the cultural differences between us. It helps to understand and forgif/ignore the "rudnes". By the way as a german I sometimes use a formal You if I am writing to people that are not close to me instate of an informal you (small written). AND i would say the social norm is shoes of, but it is often broken as an offer for visitors.

[@thecactusman989]

15:00 Normaly when we tell you to leave your shoes on, it's not only for Americans, but for other germans too. I don't really know why we do allow people to wear shoes sometimes, but I personly only saw it when we have some sort of gatherings or parties.

[@frankdieter9907]

we personally take our shoes off but let some family keep their shoes on, since they are a little old and it wouldn't be good for their backs to take them off and put them on again (German here btw)

[@stefanyeah]

When I'm a guest somewhere, shoes go off right after the door, unless the host insists I can leave them on. (I still might take them off). We've got dogs and especially when it's Schietwetter, the floors are always somewhat dirty. We also don't have guest slippers, so we tell people to leave the shoes on. (Quite a few guests will still take off their shoes.)

[@joeaverage3444]

The "Du" usage has become a bit more relaxed in recent years. For example, it used to be that strangers over about age 30 would pretty much never use the "Du" with each other unsolicited. But I think that has changed. That age threshold seems to have moved up. What's still a golden rule that you can't go wrong observing as a foreigner is that in formal settings, like at work, it's most often on a "Sie" basis at first. Unless it's with a coworker of equal rank and age range, it is then the privilege of the more senior person or the person that is above you in hierarchy to offer the "Du". If they feel like it. As a native German, I've worked years under relatively youthful bosses who never once offered a Du. Just assuming that you get to call them Du first is in any case still a massive no-no. Especially, but not exclusively in more conservative industries it could be seen as you disrespecting their authority. In your work setting, it's also best not to introduce yourself with "Mein Name ist Bob" at first. Go with "Ich bin Herr Miller". If people then offer you a first name basis or the "Du", then you're in.

[@MiaMerkur]

But if you say 'I am Bob Miller', you give the 'higher' person ( boss, elder, woman) to pick what they like.

[@lumina9995]

Ich habe mich noch nie mit "ich bin Frau..." vorgestellt, nur mit Vor- und Nachnamen.

[@1vader]

"Du" is definitely also getting more common in workplaces though. To be fair, my experience is limited to software engineering, which generally seems to be more relaxed than most industries in that regard, but at my company, we always use "Du" and first names with everybody, no matter the rank or age. For the most part, this even extends to customers we work together with, although there are exceptions. I also had a similar experience when interviewing at other companies. Most of them proposed using "Du" on first contact, greeting me with my first name. In fact, I specifically recall a single company that addressed me as just "Herr ..." which really jumped out to me because nobody else did that and it honestly felt rather off-putting and old-fashioned. While some other companies also initially used "Sie" on written contact, they at least used first name + last name.

[@musicofnote1]

@@1vader - Naturalised Swiss guy here.rbThere are also drawbacks to "Du" am Abeitsplatz. There are inevitably tensions that arise between boss and employee. When you've broken the familiarity barrier, it's difficult to "lower the boom" as a boss on an underling, with whom you're "per Du". Your job as boss doesn't permit you to temper yourself when dealing with someone who's not doing his/her job properly, and the social connotations of speaking "per du" can get in the way. Several people in administrative positions have explained this one to me. So they do not offer the option of "duzen" with employees and do not socialise with them, more than water-cooler small talk. I had one boss who waas a real dick and despised how the former boss had "ruled", so he did his best to clean-up what he felt were people who he didn't like. I was one of those and we were never per Du while I was there. After I'd left the job and he retired, we ran into each other in a store and he tried to address me "per du" and I politely simply answered him "per Sie" thinking at the moment "Du @Rsch".

[@anna-elisabethbender3123]

​@@musicofnote1 You hit the point. At work, you are colleagues and not friends. You are there to work and not to make friends. When you are "per Du" and on first name basis, the necessary professional distance is not given. In short, it is always easier to say "Du A....loch", als Sie A....loch".

[@angillusions]

10:42 Well this depends on the person you're talking to. Not everyone you ask "Do you want to drink a coffee sometime?" thinks that you want to do this right now.

[@gubsak55]

In Denmark, we also used to have two forms of addressing people. In the first 10 years in school 1962 to 69), we addressed the teachers with the polite form (De/Sie) and the second name while they addressed us, the pupils, with our first name. Until the 7th grade, we also had to rise from the seats whenever another teacher entered the classroom (but not when the plumber came to fix something). In 8th to 10th grade, the getting up from our seats was cancelled. Then I left to go to a secondary school and at this school we called our teachers by their first names and so did they. At the university, we called some teachers and professors by their first name and some by their second name (family name), and so did they - and all our fellow students were addressed by thir first name. At work in Denmark, only the top boss was addressed by his family name. Then (2005) I moved to a German company in Luxembourg, and here the managers were called by their family names and the rest of the staff including middle managers by their first name, and "du". After maybe 5 years living in Germany, I got used to using the polite form (Sie), and only our closest neighbours we (after mutual understanding) addressed with "du" and first name, unless it is in informal meetings or at parties. Meanwhile, in Denmark, the polite forms have almost vanished. In the radio, journalists are addressing politicians with their first name only. This now sounds so weird to me after 19 years here. And I recognise politicians only by their full name, so it annoys me quite a lot 😢. Maybe I am becoming a grumpy old man 😂

[@julchensweet2538]

My workplace here in Germany implemented the informal du as a rule and I hate it. It feels patronizing being called du, especially by higher ups, it takes away the acknowledgment that, no matter which position, adults on equal footing are talking to each other.

[@worldhello1234]

@4:15 Exactly, that lethargic American cashier with a fake smile could be more efficient not standing all the time.

[@Henrikzilla]

15:11 Es ist Unterschiedlich. Generell zieht man die Schuhe aus wenn man ein Haus betritt. Im zweifel fragt man nach. Sollte es ein Haushalt sein wo man die Schuhe anlässt dann wird einem normalerweise das auch mitgeteilt.

[@hansmeiser32]

15:00 "So Germans, what do you do when you are a guest in someone's home?" thought about it a little and came up with this rule: If I'm per Du (informal, first-name basis) with someone I would take my shoes off when visiting them, if I'm per Sie (formal, last-name basis) with someone I would either ask or keep shoes on. For guests visiting us it's "do whatever you want" which in the end has the same result as my rule.

[@andreamck4521]

15:00 I ask, if I should put my shoes off..... 😄 Most people, I visit, say "No". But I also know the slippers or thick socks "offerer"! For me, it's a weird idea, to take the dirt from the street into my flat and on the floor. But my guests can also leave their shoes on - except guests, who stay several hours and more. ☺️

[@Rumtreiberfan]

"Shoes off in the house" is (in my families houshold) the rule fore family and friends that intend to stay a little longer and might traverse through the house. If we got bigger gatherings (like extended family coming for a birthday party) most people tend to keep their shoes on, especially when we expect to go outside in the garden in between. We also tend to say "just keep your shoes on", when we don't expect to stay too long and might just grab something, walk through or wait for someone. So close family and friends when we plan on staying in for some time - shoes off, extended families/bigger party/people just coming through - shoes on

[@GregorWSky]

A theory: People who usually get from their house or apartment into the car and then from the car to their destination don't really walk on sideways etc. and they rarely see or step into dog shit. So they don't perceive outside shoes as "dirty" in general.

[@Pilsvergiftung]

Thanks for the interesting video. In a way, I've always been happy that I live in a city that is very beautiful but not overrun with tourists. I also like the clear announcements as to whether someone is coming to have a beer with me or not. On the subject of shoes. I have a laminate floor that is very easy to care for, but of course it also depends on the weather whether the shoes stay in the hallway. Most of the time I walk around the apartment barefoot or in light slippers. Small stones and sand can ruin not only carpets but also parquet in the long run.

[@Herzschreiber]

Maybe it is because I am 62, boomer generation :) But I never asked a guest to take off shoes. When I grew up it was normal to keep your shoes on as a guest, though the home owners were all wearing house shoes. And I still don't do it. When I am a guest at someone's place and they ask me to take my shoes of, I will do so. But only because I like to be polite. I feel bad when I have to take my shoes off, because I know: No matter how warm or cold the house is - I will be suffering from cold feet or at least toes quickly. So yes, I follow their rules and take my shoes off but I won't feel comfortable and for sure won't stay there longer than half an hour! :)

[@Herzschreiber]

@j.b.5422 well, maybe it is also a regional thing, I grew up in Rheinland Pfalz in the 60ies and it wasn't common there. Then I lived in Baden Württemberg from the mid 80ies until the early 2000s and I realized that it started there around the end of the 90ies. So, If you are born around the Millenium it might be an "old" thing for you :D

[@selbendersiinge69]

Yo what is Bernd das Brot doing at the Stammtisch? 🤨

[@omikrondraconis5708]

When I tell a guest to leave on their shoes, it is only because I didn't yet get around to cleaning that week and it doesn't make a difference. Usually, the only ones wearing street shoes inside are people having to work there: tradespeople like plumbers, or emergency services etc.

[@martinschmeling]

My Guest often ask is they should take off their shoes and because I have no flippers for guests, I let them choose to wear their shoes or not. When I am guest somewhere else, it depends from home to home. Some hosts want me to get off my shoes, even if they have no flippers or home-socks for my large feet (51). These homes are often very clean and well designed. Some hosts would accept that I wear my shoes even when they switch themselves. And the third option is to enter a very chaotic household, that hasn't been cleaned for a while where nobody would expect me to get off my shoes, because it doesn't matter if i take in some more dirt😉

[@klausm5460]

Concering the "Du" vs. "Sie" distinction I find the extra layers to the rules interesting. For example if I were talking to someone with whom I´m on a family name basis, adressing them with "Sie" and we were mentioning someone with whom we both (!) are ona first name basis, because we are saying "Sie" between the two of us we should refer to the other person by their family name, although we both would say "Du" when talking to the other person directly.

[@amelie5287]

Normally, we ask our guests to take their shoes off. We don't in the summer when we switch between inside and outside the house a lot or when its a get-together with a lot of people cause afterwards we need to clean anyways and if there ain't dirt or smth on their shoes, it's just easier.

[@robert48719]

At home I always keep my shoes on. When I lived with my family back as a kud, we all did. On the other hand, both of my former girlfriends couldnt stand that

[@lukassimontm3546]

The "Let's get a coffee sometime" blew my mind! I never understood it (how this could NOT be a sugestion to actually do that)! But you explained it perfectly. Just a signal of "I enjoy your company". Thank you so much! It sometimes really bothered my german and autistic brain!

[@herbie1975]

I take off my shoes when I'm somewhere else. At my place, usually friends take off their shoes automatically or even have their own adiletten here😅 If we have a party or something guest can decide. Sometimes, if we haven't cleaned the floor yet, we say keep the shoes on, unless you want dirty socks😂 (we have a dog, so if someone drops by unexpected, there might be hair and stuff from the dog).

[@juwen7908]

That's a pretty good video. For me I can tell, I always take my street shoes off when I'm at home, cause it's just more comfortable and easier to slip out when I put my feets on the couch or bed. But I do tell guests, not only foreigners, that they can enter my home with their shoes to make it easier for them. Probably the visit doesn't take for long and mostly as a guest you don't put your shoes on the furniture, right? (But germans mostly just took their shoes of without asking 😉) Exception is, when I've already cleaned the apartment or when the guests stay for longer. Then I'll offer slippers to make them as comfortable as at their own home. 😉😎 Greetings from Randberlin 🤗

[@fynn2350]

Thing 2 has fucked with my head for so long. And then when I got the hang of it, I was even more confused by the occasional follow up of "so how are you doing?" Thank you for clearing this up. I really never figured out until now why after asking how I am and not really caring about the answer some people then asked again.

[@musicofnote1]

Swiss guy here....when visiting others' houses, we ALWAYS bring slippers with us. Some folks will say, that we can leave the shoes on, but I personally feel more comfortable in slippers inside anyway. So, thanks, I'll just wear my slippers.

[@MiaMerkur]

Hei, me too. If I intend to visit and stay.

[@3VILTW1N]

Very nice trait, must be the famous Swiss politeness that we Germans lack 😉

[@stefanyeah]

That is such a handy habit! One-size-fits-all guest slippers aren't exactly comfortable. Bringing your own slippers would solve that problem perfectly. (I have travel slippers, though, they live in my suitcase so I never forget them when going away for a few days. :D )

[@karinbauer3504]

I‘d say it is actually different case by case. At bad weather conditions (were shoes are soaked and dirty) I‘d prefer guests to take their shoes off. In summer time, when we walk a lot in and out (to the garden/terrace) and we have not just done some major cleaning or if we have a party with many guests, it is ok to keep them on (as we would do some cleaning thereafter anyway). In any case, if you are not sure, don‘t be afraid of asking: „Would you prefer me taking off my shoes?“

[@surferalex7876]

Not to say what you want is one of the biggest issue. Why can’t you simplify say yes or no, if someone invites you? Why do you say things you don’t mean so? This is one of the most important things we teach our children: be honest, always say what you want and more important: always say what you don’t want. Say it in a absolute clearly understandable way, so the other one cannot misunderstand you.

[@SmockingSpaaceWizzard]

to the shoe thing: on parties its ussually okay to wear shoes inside, because you need to clean the next day anyway. but when a single ghuest comes its rather rude unless people specifically tell you to let them on. but this also can depend on your shoes, for example when you where in the woods with your dog, they are muddy that would be very rude. to the noisy thing: i have an example for american beeing unaware, i was hiking in Ireland, on the peak of a hill/mountain was a place to rest and enjoy the view. there were multible groups everyone in aww and silence. until... 200meters away came a loud group, you could hear them the whole way, and when they came to the other groups, they more or less shouted how silent the area is... yeah... it was. 😂 haha, and yes they were americans.

[@Erunest]

To the shoe stuff: It depends on different factors: First of all, some families do livee a "shoes in the first/ground floor" rule. Thats for example if you have dogs that are constantly coming in and out. Or if you have chiuldren that do so. Or if you leave your house frequently and go into it. So the groundfloor is dirty, and if you take off your shoes your socks get dirty anyways. But most families i know of that kind take off their shoes as soon as they go upstairs. The same applies if you have a party. For example, grill party. Asking everyone of your guests to take off their shoes everytime they go in and out when the grill is outside is just silly. And they have to clean the ground floor ANYWAYS. So keeping the shoes on makes no difference at all. But almost ALL households i know take off their shoes as soon as they enter the house. Exceptions are the ones above or when they carry something and cannot take of their shoes properly.

[@LythaWausW]

Our farm sitter came over the other day and went to take off her mud boots. I could see they were not actually muddy, just dirty with dry mud. Also, our roomba was circling her. I said, "No worries, he's taking care of it. Come right in." She was horrified, her face, it was, "Noooooo" and I was like, "Seriously, he'll get it." So funny. Thanks for explaining the shoes on the couch/bed thing.

[@mimib3217]

14:49 From my perception the "you can leave your shoes on" is mainly a polite offer because you'd rather scrub the floors all over again when the guests leave than cause an inconvenience for your guests by having them take their shoes off. I personally always respond with something like "oh thats not a problem" and still take them off because i want to be polite and dont make anything dirty, but it's also ok to leave them on. Of course this can vary between households but i think the safest way is to look if the hosts are wearing shoes and just do the same.

[@Tharian78]

The shoe thing is diffrent from home to home and from shoe to shoe. A friend of mine often wears high heals. when she asks me weather she should keep her shoes on or off, I reply: U can take off as much as you wish, but the shoes. Computer Gaming is an e-sport, if u do it in a professional way. There are leagues with high prices. And there are a lot of people earning money with it. So, yeah, if chess is a sport comuter gaming definativ is as well.

[@zinvanepsilon9106]

At home I walk around in my socks. This is still the case for small (~12 Persons) gatherings. But if the gathering is bigger or partly outside in a garden, we say to leave the shoes on. We do this because otherwise the socks will become significantly more dirty, and we clean the floor after the event anyway. We also say to leave the shoes on, if it is a very short visit.

[@kaunas888]

The old upper class used to use the phrase "How do you do?" as a way to be introduced to someone. In this context no reply to the question was expected or given. What it means is something like "Nice to meet you.".

[@martinmuller183]

Actually, the respone would have been" How do you do?". So both persons would have said the same phrase

[@AnnetteLudke-je5ll]

That is exactly what I am asking when I am visiting someone I haven't visited before . At our home it is not necessary to put off the shoes. We have tiles,wood or dark carpets that can be cleaned easily.

[@LythaWausW]

thank you for explaining the difference between the greeting "how are you" and the actual "how are you doing" or the same phrase used with a slightly different tone which means we really want to know what is up with that person. back in america recently i was a little surprised, though to hear a couple of people say, "how are you" and the answer was "how are you" and NEITHER person said anything in reply, simply the "how are you" was the reply! So indeed, "hallo" was the interpretation. also are germans gonna admit we are not the only culture that uses that phrase as a greeting? cava?

[@philippkuhlmeyer9760]

14:12 min. When i see This in my house they’re get a classic German TRITT IN DEN ARSCH

[@V100-e5q]

I have never encountered other people asking me to take the street shoes off. And I don't do it either at my home. But sometimes it gets annoying when contractors come in with their dirty work shoes.

[@ThamiorSilberdrache]

Taking shoes off or not is houshold specific. Most times it has to do with in which rooms the expect you to go and how easily cleanable the floors in these rooms are or how vulnerable the floors are to damage. Generally in houses with easy cleanable stone floors or laminate you are more likely to be told to keep your shoes on while in houses with carpet floors that are hard to keep clean or with expansive wood floors like parquet floor you are more likely to be asked to take your shoes off.

[@julzb.8568]

Depends on the Household; in my flat there are guest slippers and shoes off, but i have floor heating; at my parents its shoes can be on except the living room because there are rugs layed out

[@yaminakamybu1961]

Hey I‘m german. So I would also say the shoe thing depends on the household. When we didn‘t clean the floors recently, then you can leave them on. Or when you are sitting on the balcony, because I smoke and most of my friends also smoke, they can normally leave their shoes on because we will be going on the balcony more often.

[@jackoneilsg1]

Leaving the shoes on is a house to house, but also situation to situation case. I generally ask my guests to take their shoes off. However, when I throw a party with a bunch of people and I roll the carpets up - just out of fear for spilled drinks - I tell my guests to keep the shoes on. Gotta clean afterwards anyway (chips and other crumbs, etc)

[@elfwyn8707]

If shoes are acceptable in a house is really down to family tradition. We for example do encourage guests to leave their shoes near the front door wardrobe. However if a guest forgets this or we forgot to mention it we will tolerate shoes as to not inconvenience the guest. Also some guests might be sensible to cold feet and since we don't have guest slippers we would tell them to keep their shoes on for comfort. If that is the case we would vacuum the floor after the guests left. Of course it might also depend on the type of flooring. In germany many houses have carpets on all but kitchen and bathrooms, so its harder to clean up after some dirty shoes.

[@zealousideal_code416]

Funny thing: Shoes off is not even a household thing, but sometimes a "what time of the week/year it is thing" -> e.g. me and wifey clean the house on Saturday. If you visit us on Friday we tell you can have slippers or just leave the shoes on. If you visit us in the summer, we usually also don't mind unless it rained outside, because most of the time we just run around everywhere with flipflops. Like now in Autmn, we expect everyone to take their shoes off... :D

[@Aci_yt]

Why would you ask someone how they're feeling if you dont want an answer 😂

[@anthophyllite]

Shoes: When one person comes over, I expect them to not wear shoes around the house (or when there's a lot of young people coming, like a children's birthday). When there's a get-together with a lot of older peopoe who can't really bend down that well and when the area in front of the door is crowded, they can keep their shoes on. They aren't allowed on any carpets in this case, though.

[@steff_en3020]

I am doing the „I like you = let’s hangout“ in German with many friends. And funny thing, it would me aware with that video haha

[@pictureart23]

To your question with the shoes: Yes, I also personally take my shoes off when I am home, but it's pretty common that guests keep their shoes on. And that's a thing I don't really understand either, but it's just how it is. In fact I don't care, but as you already thought, it's different from house to house.

[@jonathankolberg2706]

So the shoes situation depends, if I know the person well and am not at a special occation (birthday party or something along similar) I know what the rules are and take the shoes of or leave them on, depending on their preferences. If I come to party or person I've not been often I ask, what they'd like me to do. Also sometimes it's weather dependend, if it's wet and muddy outside, I'm more likely to ask a friend that comes over to take of their shoes. While if its dry and no sand or similar I do not really care and tell them, if you want to take them off, here are the slippers.

[@uncipaws7643]

Advantage of having formal "Sie": you can keep an emotional distance to an annoying person you actually don't want much to do with. Also when going to the doctor here in Austria, of course I say Herr Doktor to which he replies with Herr Diplomingenieur.

[@captcan78]

I can totally relate to most of the things. Shoes on or off, depends. I would say as a guest, it is usually a nice guesture to take them off. However, since i do not have a carpet but tiles in my living room, I sometimes tell my guest that they can leave it on. Especially if i want to clean it anyway in the near future.

[@ilfautcultivernotrejardin8670]

Thanks for the explanation. I would have needed this information like 30 years ago. Being a german teenager in the States, I very often thought Americans to be very superficial (asking but not caring and so on). After about nine months I finally began to understand - quite late. But my host parents were fantastic and very open-minded people. Still, this thing about forcing teenagers to let the door open, if the visitor is of the opposite sex … I hope that this has changed since then.

[@littlevoice6203]

It is especially important how the person keeps the house clean, with us it is often dirty so it is not bad to leave the shoes on, because we sometimes leave them on ourselves. In very muddy weather, I almost always take them off because it would just make it all dirty, or i would clean them on the doormat beforehand. If someone wants it, they often tell you right away. I would also be asked to do so because I made the floor too dirty the day before and I should take off my shoes the next day. I'm German and something like that happens to me too, so you don't have to worry about it.

[@kaiv6536]

In the north, on the country side, never take my shoes of. We have to living rooms, one specific for guest, and one for us :) In the guest one, no problem, in the living kitchen, no problem with shoes... The rest of the house, never! There are diffs in the reagons, there are diffs in contry side or city, old (big house) or new ones etc.

[@Ur4317ch]

When I tell people to leave their shoes on, it's generally because I haven't had the time to clean the floors yet and I'm planning to do that soon,

[@Shinberoy]

For the shoes... I always take them off, regardless of they tell me I could keep them on. I don't like wearing shoes indoors xD But the reason I get told that comes from one point: They have cold floors (mostly tiles) and don't want you to get cold/ill because of that so they tell you to keep them on to keep your feet warm. Or offer thick socks or home-shoes to prevent that

[@chessex260]

The Shoe Thing there is a general rule of Thumb: First you don't wear shoes in the house because they could be dirty or wet if it rained. In gerneral if you plan to stay for a while don't wear shoes. Also no shoes on carpets.

[@markussvoboda7220]

When I was a child in the seventeens or even when I was a teen in the eighties it was still common to keep ones street shoes on in the house, at least as a guest. But to my impression during the past decades it has become an almost general habit to take them off when entering a house or appartment. Though some don't insist on it to keep you comfortable because they don't have guest slippers so that you won't get cold feet in winter. Others just don't care or keep their street shoes on themeselves. But generally I think the majority nowadays prefers to take their shoes off.

[@hamamatsucho]

Shoes on or off is somewhat situational for me. If you're just dropping by for 15 or 30 minutes just leave them on but staying longer please take them off. If the floor is dirty or will be dirty in the end say due to a party and people are in and out the home into the garden all the time anyways just leave the shoes on.

[@chcucivtxzclccucifudohzfu6766]

Regarding the shoe thing: Generally you’re always expected to not wear street shoes in someone else’s home. Only if the people inviting you tell you it’s ok (because they want to comfort you or because the floor is cold in the winter) you should keep them on. Of course you should never wear street shoes if it’s rainy or snowy outside to not bring the dirt in.

[@Breakfast_of_Champions]

The shoes question also depends on the floor type. If it's easy to clean hard surface wood or stone, sure you can keep your street shoes on. Which leads to the grossest American thing of all, thick carpet floors in convention hotels and similar places😧

[@MichaelLechner-x8t]

Thank god i found your channel. I visit a friend in about 5 days and i am from germany, so watching this helps me to not tap into a Fettnäpfchen in america xD

[@Johnfredjohnson]

It's different in every household in germany. It depends often on the time you will be spending at the place and which rooms your visiting. Its always nice to ask as you enter a privat home.

[@martinbruhn5274]

The shoe thing is also a matter of what kind of floor your home has. Is it a floor, that is very susceptible to collecting dirt? Then you better be careful with your shoes. But it i also a matter of degree. If you sometimes wear shoes indoor, is they aren't particularly dirty at that point, in many households that's fine, to a degree. But then there is also a household to household difference. But as long as you keep the vast amount of dirtyness from outdoor within the entrance area of your house, you're going to be fine and not have a dirty home.

[@AnnieUnicorn1994]

The shoe thing also depends on the situation. I ever put off my shoes at my grannies apartment and also in her house and she ever tells me to let them on. But mostly, I also go to the living room to say hello to my grandpa before I go back to the kitchen and sit down there with mom and granny. When I visit someone with young kids like toddlers or with an infant, I always put out my shoes off, no matter what they say and I've my own indoor shoes with me almost every time I plan to visit someone with children. I always told my guests to let their shoes on when I had a male Persian cat, but now I give them indoor shoes since I've no cat anymore for 4 years and I'm getting a baby around June 28th this year. I cleane my floors twice a day and when my son starts crawling around I wouldn't like to let him get in touch with street dirt.

[@CanadisX]

German here: Generally you take your shoes off. But a small number of households are "shoes on", most times in a specific area (often corresponding with the type of flooring and how easy it is to clean: tiles may be shoes on, a carpet is usually shoes off). If one just slips in and out, maybe for grabbing something, it might be allowed to leave the shoes on. Usually the home owner will tell you in a generous or inviting tone to "just leave the shoes on" (considering that taking them off and on would be an unnecessary hustle for your ahort stay). As a courtesy to the house you will (!) check your soles in a obvious manner for dirt (if you find dirt you have to state that offer to takw them off, expecting the home owner to decide if they prefer bothering you or cleaning up after you. The chances are around 70/30 i guess). The most easy way to determine the situation is to just ask if you should put your shoes "there" (with "there" meaning the most obvious place for shoes you can spot. Like a shoe rack or some doormat to the side of the door etc.). After that they will confirm or give additional information 😉

[@MrDevilsThumb]

I think taking off shoes is very different from household to household when it comes to guests. I myself often hear that I can leave my shoes on as a guest. But I don't know anyone who walks around their own house wearing shoes. It's mainly about being friendly so that the guest doesn't have to go to the trouble of taking their shoes off, especially if the floor is cold (stone tiles) and there are no slippers. But I almost always ignore this, unless I'm only in the house for a few seconds. I always take my shoes off. I guess the more people are around and the messier the shoe pile would get, the more likely it is for everyone to leave their shoes on (for parties definetly).

[@claudianagel7402]

ref.ice cream: never say "Folgen Sie mir." That's in fact rude! The correct answer is "Folgen Sie mir bitte." BITTE is a very important word in Germany! Btw: I'm a native German speaker.

[@Winona493]

This was very interesting. As a German I never thought this way. Thank you very much.

[@jonasasgg5027]

im a plumber in germany we cant take off our shoes in houses because of safety reasons so we have like special socks for the shoes that we put over them with out puting them of

[@MichaEl-rh1kv]

"Shoes off" is imho a rather recent development in most German regions. There were always some households and some regions where they did take the shoes off, but those were for a long time a minority considered by the majority as a bit peculiar - but to be polite, you followed suit in their homes. It was however afaik always part of Turkish culture, and in West Germany German kids visiting friends with parents of Turkish origin learned to take their shoes off in the house. In East German regions however the custom existed even longer. (By the way: same goes for Arabian countries, Scandinavia, Russia, partly Greece, Iran, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan...). Germany is still a bit split about the custom - some expect every visitor to take off the shoes (except short time visitors only entering the hall), some consider it something only relatives and close friends do, some are indifferent, some are irritated if someone does it but did not bring house shoes with them and therefore walks then in socks. (And as a stranger walking barefoot in someone else's home could be at least awkward.)

[@ddess2030]

Ok, so I know the „just leave your Shoes on“ scenario in cases, where you are just coming in for a moment and will be leaving anyways, or when they just don’t really care (that doesn’t mean, they wear their shoes in the house though).

[@Chrisho92]

15:10 honestly, I always walk in after the others and look If they take their shoes Off.😅

[@bettina_w]

Me and my family don't wear shoes in the house, but no guest is ever asked to remove their shoes in my house. I also won't automatically remove my shoes when entering another person's home, unless they ask me to.