A guide to making small talk in Germany | Meet the Germans

It's often said that the Germans don't really 'do' small talk. But, as Rachel Stewart finds out in this week's episode of Meet the Germans, there are still a few tricks you can use to break the ice here in Germany.
Rachel Stewart is on a mission to investigate the quirks and idiosyncrasies of daily life in Germany. Every two weeks she explores a new topic - from beer to nudity to complicated grammar - and heads out to get some tips from the Germans themselves.
Rachel moved from the UK to Germany in 2016. As a relative newcomer she casts a fresh eye over German clichés and shares her experiences of settling into German life. You'll find more from Meet the Germans on KZbin or at dw.com/MeettheGermans.
And don’t forget to comment with your own experiences!
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#MeetTheGermans #SmallTalk #Germany

[@Krawurxus]

Guide to making small talk in Germany: Don't.

[@cheydinal5401]

Dammit, I thought I was being original when I write exactly the same thing a few minutes ago 😬

[@dunmill9632]

I think so too

[@dunmill9632]

Ich denke, das ist der Grund, warum 5,4 Millionen Deutsche an Depressionen leiden.

[@dunmill9632]

nichts damit zu tun? Waren Sie schon einmal auf einem anderen Kontinent und haben mit ihnen rumgehangen? Sie werden feststellen, wie traurig die Deutschen bisher waren

[@paraklasdespoite3858]

Erstens, sie? Bitte nimm du. Und deutsche sind nicht trauriger als andere, wir tun es nur in eine anderen Weise. Deutsche bleiben lieber loyal bei ihrer Gruppe und gehen nicht so viel aus, gelten eher als schüchtern und außerdem kann es auch einfach an den individuellen Leuten die du getroffen hast liegen. Das muss nicht unbedingt damit zusammenhängen aus welchem Land sie kommen. Da sind ziemlich sicher genauso viele depressive in Deutschland wie in zb Spanien.

[@rotoast8113]

"Und?" "Muss." "Top." "Bei dir?" "Läuft." "Schick." "Man sieht sich." "Tschö."

[@Knallteute]

Oder auch: Und? Muss ja.

[@baer0083]

Ne wenn mir so einer kommt, geht ganich

[@BigBen_81]

Perfekt

[@holo6883]

Angriff!

[@alle_namen_schon_vergeben708]

Schnacker! :D

[@eltfell]

How to open a really long conversation in Germany? Like this: "When I travelled with DB last time..."

[@Pokerstarsvevo]

Like the Americans

[@obiwanfisher537]

Im in the UK nowadays and they have this bus company here, arriva. Theyre never on time, sometimes skip busses for no reason and without announcement, especially early in the day, their timetables arent up to date, not even the online ones, I know many people who cant pay for their tickets by card and they now obviously dont accept cash, and if they do they dont give change. The tickets here are outrageous as well; You pay per bus ride, not per minute. Lets say you have to change two times on a 20 minute ride (which can happen) and then you have to buy a full day ticket (5,60) or three single tickets (2,70 each). Now, well, I mention all of this because theyre owned by DB and Im not one bit surprised. I lost 3 jobs because of it. "Youre late" "I know, the bus didnt come and then I missed my train" "Take a bus earlier" "Thats the earliest bus of the day, and sometimes it just doesnt come". Do this 1-2 times every week and they will get upset and think youre lying. Especially since the train station is an hour walk from here so thats not an option.

[@blanana_m]

...I arrived 5 hours late at the wrong stop

[@Tri-Technology]

@@obiwanfisher537 In Germany you can get a document /little note that the train was late. 😂

[@obiwanfisher537]

@@Tri-Technology I am german. I never, in my life, have heard such a thing. You might get a refund, if you argue for 5 minutes.

[@MrCagatorio]

when I moved to England from Germany and was searching for an apartment, I found it very annoying that almost no landlord or agency could tell me the exact measurements of their properties.

[@obiwanfisher537]

Wow. Strange. You should know how big your apartment is.

[@domnik9062]

The less you know the more you pay ;)

[@noctilucera7585]

seriously, how can anyone not know, this baffles me

[@humpelknuff]

@@noctilucera7585 Becaue you rent by the number of bedrooms. single or double bed. and if ensuite. That gives you an idea about the size. You dont compare by cost per square meter.

[@noctilucera7585]

@@humpelknuff I'm sorry but the rooms could be HUUGEEEE or teenie tiny, that doesn't tell me ANYTHING about the size :I

[@steffen1472]

German here… its all true. Benzin kostet grad 1,27, meine Wohnung ist 87qm groß / 12€ pro qm warm, meine Stadt hat 199000 Einwohner und ich liebe Stoßlüften. Wetter ist wie immer scheiße.

[@lordaaa9945]

160m^2, 1.34€, 2500 und Scheiße.

[@lordaaa9945]

Ach und Immer auf Kipp

[@ZebraMetal]

Wetter ist immer scheiße

[@derultnerlp9319]

zum glück ist der benzin billig , abers wetter is schon scheiße

[@Chrissy666]

Dankt Merkel fürs Wetter

[@Reskamo314]

3:31 wait. Other countries don't have windows you can put "auf kipp"? How do they survive?

[@hariboi8840]

By knowing some phsyics. Hopper windows are useless. You'll get more air more easily into your room by practising pulse ventilation (Stoßlüften). Saves energy, saves money, and goes well along with having a break here and there to assure your working process will keep its efficiency.

[@ric66521]

You either open wide your windows and welcome all sorts of insects, or don't open at all - from Asia :)

[@face5226]

@@hariboi8840 Blödsinn, ich feier das unnormal beim pennen auf kipp zu haben. Bissl kalte frische Luft, ganz auf wäre zu viel

[@MrSuupar]

@@hariboi8840 useless for what purpose? At some temperatures it's too cold to have the window open fully all the time but having the window constantly open like this is fine. Of Course you get more air in other ways but thats not the purpose

[@listigt]

We have ventilation built in.

[@obiwanfisher537]

Germany: 4 degrees celsius outside. Open all the windows every half an hour for "fresh air".

[@motanelustelistu]

I'm like that too :D I don't mind the cold,i like ti,untill it's too cold. Also,i don't open it so frequently,but let it open for half hour to an hour. I'm "weird" like that.Go out with short sleeve and moisty (as after beeing in a weightlifting gim) down to 14 or even 12 degrees Celsius. I went with my scooter to liceum at -6 degrees with only a short sleeve,thick jacked and NOTHING but thin bluejeans. Also,i don't like to air the room,and then heat the air,as it destroys all that freshness and mountaneous like characteristic :D . Plus,i prefer to be cold (and thus little bit more humidity) in the room and cover with a thicker blanket then warm and thin or no blanket. Also,I DESPISE how it dries the interior of my nose and i can't breathe even if it's only warm (as when i sleep i can't drink water) and it wakes me up.

[@param888]

I assume that guy want to fart in office 😂

[@Enzoxvx]

This actually became law in german schools due to the corona pandemic. The windows have to be opened every 20 minutes for 5 minutes straight.

[@mel816]

Sounds like heat/energy recovery ventilation systems would be big business in Germany😉

[@obiwanfisher537]

@@mel816 Unfortunately no. Because german associate cold air with healthy air. So if it gets warm they need to "open the window".

[@CFilmer]

Every start of a German conversation: "Na?" "Na?"

[@light_from_beyond]

das ist so behämmert ne

[@flossenking]

😂😂 stimmt

[@CG-nh9kj]

Alter ich hasse das, weiß nie was ich da antworten soll lol

[@xkathygee]

Memer Na?

[@air8orne734]

"Na? Alles fit im Schritt?"

[@hellagreen2734]

I had the shock of my life when I first discovered the 'kippen' option with a window here in Germany. I thought the window was falling in on me...I'm sure my neighbours heard me scream in fright.

[@BoniBee]

You're not the only one!

[@mrdictator7030]

You can also get it into a weird position where the window is tilted but can be opened fully. (don't worry you don't break it if that happens but I don't recommend it)

[@kateemma22]

Every traveller, new resident, anyone not German has done this. I suspect it is a right of passage.

[@blub2121]

​If you first open it to the side and then vertical there is a slim chance the window will be left hanging in only one corner. That's masterrace window manufacturing and it requires a bit of effort to get it back inside and work normally. But I never had it fall on me.

[@jamoinmoin]

Same, thought I had broken the window. Now I love it though.

[@TubersAndPotatoes]

Wow, German small talk is my kind of small talk. You're actually exchanging some useful information, instead of automated superficial niceties.

[@spaceowl5957]

Yah but we’re still talking about stuff no one cares about it’s just more technical...

[@serge8085]

@@spaceowl5957 it feels like time wasting for me... a bit annoyingly

[@spaceowl5957]

უფალო შემიწყალე there might be something to that lmao

[@serge8085]

oh yeah, "talk words" is much less mindless

[@spaceowl5957]

@@serge8085 I personally feel like other countries' smalltalk is just as mindless, but at least its more pleasant. They also do it more though so the German way is probably more pleasant if you're anti-social

[@Lumiyearsagoedited]

German weather/ seasons in a nutshell: Diese verdammte Kälte Diese verdammten Pollen Diese verdammte Hitze Dieser verdammte Regen

[@Lumiyearsagoedited]

SmilePlease Truee 😂

[@GBlockbreaker]

@@Jakokokoroko wenn denn mal Schnee kommt, hier im Süden BWs ist das dann meistens März oder April

[@GaladorLP]

Ha! Ein Allergiker

[@Lumiyearsagoedited]

Galador Ich bin kein Allergiker, aber bei uns in der Schule und eigentlich in der ganzen Stadt behauptet jeder zweite Allergiker zu sein und alle beschweren sich über die Pollen.

[@flyaway7598]

"Der April macht auch was er will." "Das Wetter wieder. Wer hat das denn bestellt?"

[@qwerttzizzi]

0:35 Rachel: "They want facts, they want stastics" Me:"I want your number"

[@MarkRuslinzski]

Lol, you n me lol

[@Juma2000]

When I first moved to Germany and was introduced to friend of a friend I made a faux-pas, one of many I would make in the learning phase. We were saying our goodbyes outside of a restaurant and as we left, she going one way, I the other, I said "see you later". In Canada its common to use this phrase. She stopped dead in her tracks and started to walk towards me. She thought she'd missed something because she was sure we hadn't made plans for later that night.

[@RachelStewart04]

Juma i made this mistake a lot too 😅

[@user-bl4oq7fd8d]

You could say: bis bald, bis dann, wir sehen uns... But if you mention a specific time (later, tomorrow, next week etc.) you better be precise with that lol

[@FactoryofRedstone]

If you don't know, when you see the other person again, you should just say "bye" or something like that, that isn't time related.

[@anneneville6255]

yeah its like see you soon @@user-bl4oq7fd8d

[@weichmacher3973]

I say "bis später" also sometimes, which means almost the same, not meaning to see the person later. See you later is a common phrase i know and ive never been in a english speaking country.

[@dmora5076]

Norddeutschland's longest conversation... -Moin! Moin! -Tschüss! Tschüss!

[@dinmagol9874]

Hm? Hm!

[@arvedludwig3584]

And one of my most favourite comics are three bikers meeting at a beautiful scenery in the Alps. One is already sitting there and then comes the second saying "Moin" the other replies with "Moin". Then the third person comes and says "Moin moin" and then they sit quietly and watch the landscape. Then the third left saying "Tschüss denn" the others reply with "Tschüss....................Sabbelkopp".

[@kash0r]

Wenn du wirklich norddeutsch wärst, wüsstest du, dass Moin sogar als "Ersatz" für Tschüss verwendet werden kann. Das reduziert unnötige Konversation und macht diese noch effektiver. Moin.

[@y-ly3784]

Na ja klar Tschüss ^^

[@dinmagol9874]

kash jo.

[@fabrilax]

When you want to end a long conversation where you are sitting down, you‘ll have to smash your hands on your thighs and say: „SO“. Very common thing 😂

[@EDMGmbH]

For me it's to "clap" with my hands on the legs and saying "Ahhlso"

[@85thorstens]

Of course you can have some Smalltalk with us. But then be just honest. Don't ask us "how is it going?" when you're actually don't wanna here it. That's it.

[@mariya5480]

+++

[@davidj9319]

there is literally a war between students if the window should be opened :D

[@leDespicable]

We usually had a war going on with our teachers :P

[@s7umpf]

yes

[@lordaaa9945]

Yeah war we're experts at that

[@creasyfisher8267]

Oh god THIS. I’m an exchange here and they’ll open they’ll open the window in the middle of winter while it’s snowing and like -5 degrees out. I always make a point to look at them sternly while closing it or saying something along the lines of “was machst du da! Bitte schließ mal dem Fenster”

[@BabaSikander]

​@@creasyfisher8267 Particularly in the winter, it could make sense that you put on your jacket for a little while and let others improve the air quality and lower the germ concentration. Perhaps, you could even weigh between your own feeling of coziness and the health effect an air exchange has on everyone in the room, including yourself.

[@caioronnau5226]

Had I not been to Germany I would have thought this was a comedy piece. But I have been there and know, in fact, that this is 100% factual

[@timweber4318]

Do you really consider us that weird that our behaviour sounds comedic?

[@admirallarin]

@@timweber4318 I think the behavior in Germany is normal while in the USA the smalltalk is quite comedic.

[@BabaSikander]

More likely, it's 89.346% factual.

[@johannesr.h.131]

yes but still I don't know the gas prices on the Azores 🤨

[@falafeldurum2095]

I don't care about the gas prices, I don't know how many m^2 I live on and I've never heard the word "Wetterfühligkeit" ever before in my life. I like rain.

[@parak00pa]

"Drop the niceties." Yep, you nailed our biggest small talk issue.

[@timon2889]

3:16 "Kurz l*u*ften Keine Schwäche zeigen.

[@checkcommentsfirst3335]

luften more like lupfen

[@kayz3947]

I remember as I was checking in at JFK first time to Frankfurt I wanted to start a small talk with the agent at Lufthansa air and asked how is the weather in Frankfurt? I expected she would say good or rainy etc, she looked at me with straight face and said “ you want the weather forecast, one minute please” she printed out the weather forecast for me for the entire week 😂

[@d33p]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@AhmedSaid-hm4dr]

😂😂😂

[@MickeyKnox]

Never understood the american/english kind to ask "How is it going?" and to don't expect a real answer to it - doesn't make sense. I mean, I neither ask a store clerk "How much is this?" and don't expect him to give me the price of the item. Don't ask if you don't want an answer.

[@clastagehtdichnixan3426]

I once tried something like this on a friend and it turned out like this: Friend: so, how's it going? Me: and you? ... Friend: so... how's it going?! So yeah, germans do Expect answers. Btw i'm german too so maybe my english is not the best

[@JG-lv1wq]

What if the price of item is not written? Then also you don’t ask the price!

[@obiwanfisher537]

Even if its superficial you should wait for the answer to come atleast. Thats really strange

[@user-pf3hd3db6l]

Wow you sound like fun

[@leonkullig5852]

Yo this is a german thing too, it is "Was geht"

[@nzkpp]

It's late spring or early autumn and you say to a German you went swimming in a lake. They'll ALWAYS ask what the water temperature was (expecting an answer in degrees!) and question you on the water quality (clarity, odour, if there was algae present and if so, what types!)

[@LoLorelando]

"The hinge technology must be really strong to cope with the constant opening and closing" That got me good :D

[@linko85]

- Hey, it's cold isn't it? - Yeah it's now 8 degrees , this morning wow 4 degrees with 30% humidity. ok bye

[@SeniorAdrian]

ahahahahahahhaha

[@taubevictor8989]

Two world wars, I guess they never learned the idea of small talk... Lol..."

[@arvedludwig3584]

@@taubevictor8989 we're efficient not funny or stuff.

[@taubevictor8989]

Your history shows it...

[@arvedludwig3584]

@@taubevictor8989 indeed. The war strategy was about speed in every major conflict. No time for long fights, got some wörk to do.

[@nordinator89]

House size/Town population 200m²/720 160m²/12000 73.6m²/342000 70m²/500000

[@76driver]

nice statistics, danke! fortunately there are exceptions, happily I can enjoy 140m²/3,6 Mio PS: it was 73,6m² which was the best answer! :-)

[@llawliet1376]

As a German, I hoped to find this in the comments!

[@TheManWhoDoubts]

@@76driver Then you're an outlier, you must be rich.

[@76driver]

@@TheManWhoDoubts , I have a very old lease - which also makes a great topic of conversation in Germany...

[@muEkkE69]

@@76driver Uh, tell me more about it 😁

[@neilnelson7603]

Me in Kenya: small talk means politics in Germany: small talk means giving details of your house, compound and its environment.

[@anthia1156]

I am a Greek that lives in London and it is very fascinating how much German small talk resembles Greek small talk! From the weather, to the knowing your numbers, to the airing position of windows!! On the other hand i just realised that my small talk habits have become British! :D

[@TL-cl1xv]

I‘m from Germany and can tell you this is pretty accurate, except of the supposed „favorite question“ of how much it costs to fill up the tank. I never heard that question after a journey. Yeah sometimes you talk about gas prices but not in that context.

[@_x_y_z_.]

Da geht es eher um den Preisunterschied. Wenn man in München war beschwert man sich zuhause wie teuer der Sprit war. Sowas ist ja auffällig. In dem Video kommt dieser Zusammenhang nicht gut rüber, da scheint es so, als würde man ohne Grund drüber reden.

[@st0ox]

Also ich werd auch immer gefragt wie teuer die zugfahrt war. Kommt vielleicht auf die Leute an mit denen man sich unterhält ob sie gerne mal günstig Urlaub machen wollen z. B. studenten.

[@_x_y_z_.]

Probably yes 😅 I would argue that numbers and money are even more important for them

[@Kater9277]

Aber die Leute unterhalten sich schon viel darüber, ob man "jetzt" oder "später" tanken soll und ob man gerade bei der billigsten Tanke ist.

[@_x_y_z_.]

@David My greatgrandparents to be precise...

[@alexandrabuckins1815]

I'n CRYING THIS O IS SO ACCURATE. I DIDN'T EVEN REALISE THAT ALL WE DO IS ASK FOR FACTS. But it's true.

[@dwuznet]

Yes as an American speaking German I'm often caught out not having even a vague notion of how many square meters my house is. And having strong opinion about drafts is indispensable

[@paimonproductions]

My sister always runs into my room, says something about the sticky air, opens my window and goes back to her room without me saying anything, it's pretty weird actually 😂💁 (I'm from Germany)

[@obiwanfisher537]

Thats german to you.

[@wurstsalatplays523]

North german smalltalk: "Moin" "Moin" "und?" "jo" "jo" "bis denn" "jo"

[@Flitzer696M]

nope. Es heißt nur Moin. Moin Moin ist schon Geschnacke!

[@GreedyOrange]

@@arvedludwig3584 das sin 2 zu viel für die meisten die moin sagen,soweit meine erfahrung,das beste moin ist das unausgesprochene

[@malte1984]

@@Flitzer696M Das ist eine ziemlich Hamburgische Einstellung. Ich komme aus Friesland und da sagt man "Moin Moin"

[@BopsRusher]

When you talked about "Lüften" my coworker just walked into my office and said "Hier ist es stickig" and opened the Windows. I guess you are right then.

[@Mohammed8778]

Was ist dann denn für eine Arbeitsmoral. KZbin während der Arbeitszeit? * schließt pfeifend den Browser und vergewissert sich, dass die Bürotür geschlossen ist *

[@g.koch.]

Or maybe you farted 😂💁🏼‍♂️

[@hanneloreotto2988]

I had a colleague working nearby me... For airing in deepest winter he opened his window and then left the room... letting me sit in the cold... lol

[@trycoldman2358]

I present you an often used german phrase when entering a room *MACHT MAL FENSTER AUF, HIER IST DENKLUFT*

[@nachnamevorname_the_original]

Oder „Boa, dit stinkt ja hier wie im männerpuff“

[@nameless568]

Ich hab Denkluft noch nie gehört Aber immer wenn ein neuer Lehrer in den Raum kommt reist der erst mal alle Fenster auf 😂

[@MrPeachapple]

Eher im Nördlichen raum oder? Als Österreicher höre ich das zum ersten mal

[@TheCooocy]

"Das riecht hier ja wie im Pumakäfig!"

[@Nettleroot]

@@TheCooocy Das ist auf meiner Top 10 ''Hits von der Muddi'' Bravo CD von 2000

[@MrGwandrin]

Common Smalltalk in my area: "Hey, alles klar?" "Jo bei dir?" "passt" The End.

[@crzyful8448]

Bei alten Menschen vielleicht noch "Wie geht's dir?" "Schlechten Menschen gehts immer gut, du weißt ja wie es ist"

[@D0MiN0ChAn]

Aber die älteren Herrschaften sind doch meist die, die einen mit Smalltalk im Treppenhaus aufhalten wollen. Vielleicht ist Smalltalk auch das falsche Wort, wiel sie tatsächlich *alles* wissen wollen. Habe gestern beim Müllrunterbringen meine Nachbarin ausm Erdgeschoss getroffen und war erst ne halbe Stunde später wieder in meiner Wohnung. Aus solchen Gesprächen kann ich mich auch irgendwie nie losreißen, weil man will ja auch nicht unhöflich zu den Nachbarn sein. Ein sehr zweischneidiges Schwert 😂

[@crzyful8448]

@@D0MiN0ChAn wahrere Worte wurden noch nie gesprochen. Meine etwas älteren Nachbarn wissen gut möglich mehr über mich als meine Geschwister :D

[@RobertSeviour1]

@@crzyful8448 Ich sagte immer, 'die Nachbarn wissen was ich zum Fruehstueck gehabt habe'.

[@freethinker8966]

Man kann in anderen ländern keine fenster kippen? Wie überleben die??😂

[@blub2121]

Ist echt so. Hab länger in GB und in der Türkei gelebt, in Großbritannien gibst auch noch schön die Wasserhähne mit Kalt- und Warmwasser getrennt. Das ist echt Vorkriegsfeeling.

[@dustinmajo9897]

@@blub2121 wir hatten diese Trennung noch lange an unserer Badewanne... Das war immer ein Akt bis da endlich die richtige Wassertemperatur gefunden wurde! 😂

[@tami.41]

Klimaanlagen

[@Mariana-mk2po]

Ich war auch überrascht, dass es nicht normal ist. Hier in Portugal haben wir ebenfalls diese Fenster.

[@esseker1981]

In Kroatien gibt es diese option am wenigstens seit mitte 1980er: "prozor na Kip" = "fenster auf Kipp" :)

[@sisterstina3700]

This was actually pretty accurate. And I'm the kind of person who needs fresh air in every room all the time. Other countries need to step up their window game.

[@obiwanfisher537]

Frische Luft ist nicht dasselbe wie kühle Luft.

[@numivis7807]

Man kann die Fenster in den meisten Ländern auch „auf Kipp“ machen nur ist eben das System anders. Also in Neuseeland und Australien schiebt man es zb ein Stück nach oben

[@TheMVCoho]

Come to visit and you can step up your sweat game with those open windows!

[@krisfrederick5001]

As an American, it is such a pet peeve when people say "Hey how are you?" in passing knowing they really don't care. If I ask, I genuinely want to know if you're alright. Crazy I know

[@Strahotski]

Great, now I need to measure my apartment before I can visit Germany :)

[@Notbskkkk]

And check what fuel cost!

[@ntt2210]

and? how many square meters?

[@hansmarshall3634]

I think this video is very accurate haha. But please don't just start a conversation with: Hey how big is your apartment ? Also Germans will look at you funny. But it's a good thing to know, if it comes up.. However, the thing with drafts is 100% true

[@muellerhans]

Starting with "hey, how big is your apartment".. :D I think especially in times of extreme gentrification people will immediately find you rude and just won't chat with you. Better scream "damn gentrification" and maybe somebody will pick up that topic and start chit-chatting with you.

[@alobosk]

Drafts... It is NOW when I finally understood my grandfather and his fixations on opening/closing windows. Wow....

[@MsElinorh]

It’s spelled “draught”. A draft is a preliminary version of something.

[@Rosi_in_space]

3:19 The art of "Stosslüften".

[@All3me1]

*Stoßlüften

[@Rosi_in_space]

Schweizer Tastatur, ich habe kein Eszet.

[@All3me1]

@@Rosi_in_space aber ihr kennt das stoßlüften? 😂

[@Rosi_in_space]

Auch wir haben Fenster ;)

[@All3me1]

@@Rosi_in_space sehr nice

[@Aprilpie13]

As an American I would love to visit Germany. I hate small talk in a casual way, I too love facts & details.

[@flycrack7686]

well then you on the right place, better be careful asking people: "how are you" because here we are honest and some person even might tell you their life story :D

[@fr3ud_4137]

Did you do it? 3 Years passed.. :)

[@masbaiy4858]

Third video of this series i watched in the last 30 minutes. Definitely gonna binge. So much fun.

[@onlyonekate7128]

I'm German, and this is all true. Well, 90 percent true. Or more precisely, 88 percent. We like numbers, so what? :-)

[@sumitraizada7270]

Why do they not like to tell the salary numbers then?

[@wenigmehl]

@@sumitraizada7270 You don't want to boast or induce jealousy, income is just a sensitive issue (for some). Maybe it's also a social equity thing? I couldn't give u a more exact reason either... We've just been taught that it's rude to ask someones income at some point.. xD *edit: I actually think people who earn little are more willing to share that. Feel free to correct me if anyone has different experience with this.

[@marclp2612]

Marco Neubauer Hansestadt Hamburg?

[@joececcacci4879]

Hi Katharina----even numbers. You like numbers that are even. Odd numbers are too technical for "small talk".

[@egodeosum]

Oh, I see. German is a mild form of autism. Klar.

[@SirThyrm]

My tips about germans and small talk is simple. Don't !. If you have to say something, use a polite conversation starter that dose not end in a question ment to be awnserd. Then come straight to the point. Say what is to be said and say exactly what you want from them. You will perceived as polite, and professional. Scoring high on those two qualities is most important. If you turn out to be reliable, you just scored 100% of the social points. Business or family dose not matter, you will be respected and liked.

[@MGDragonfree]

SirThyrm absolutely true!

[@sambenmoser1240]

"sag mal..."

[@Rohnon]

How to small talk in Germany: You don't. Seriously. You don't.

[@svenaj199]

I didn't realize that we're that specific in smalltalk 😂😂

[@dwnews]

What are your experiences about small talk with Germans?

[@the_engineer2345]

I try to avoid it. It Needs to much time to be stressed with efficiency. I really need some holyday.

[@thamgiang7975]

About WW II movies :)

[@Neil-Aspinall]

I lived in a place for 2 years and every time I went to the local shop the staff always acted like it was the 1st time I'd been there, no hello's, wink or casual banter. The Germans do not like to take liberties and love to stay private. Casual flirting can be seen as a marriage proposal, they do not understand the harmless process. Most Germans are hard workers and do not complain as long as they get there normal pay packet.

[@HypermarketCommodity]

@@Neil-Aspinall from my experience as german complaining casual about anything is pretty normal... like its to hot... to cold... to rainy... to sunny to windy to cloudy the weather my friend is the enemie in general. Hahahahhahahahahahhahahah i didn't see the last part of the video xD 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Even complaining about complaining is german... This video is spot on.

[@miriamwiener9103]

I AM German and the video is eerily correct. Please do not think that these are our desired topics of conversation, though: it it just a safe guideline in social situations. Another fact I would like to point out is that air circulation is a serious topic for one German profession in particular. I am a teacher. If I didn''t regularly open and close windows, I would probably die of puberty-induced odors or sweaty colleagues *coughing*.

[@mrpessimist3313]

Its kinda impressiv when she´s speaking german. She doesnt sound british at all .Its like she´s a real german person.

[@taynaforlife7464]

Mr Pessimist except the „luften“ (not like „lüften“)

[@vanessas2454]

She´s fluent and speaks German very well, but native speakers can tell she´s not from here.

[@obiwanfisher537]

Are you serious? She has a strong english accent.

[@taynaforlife7464]

obiwanfisher537 omg absolutely noot

[@taynaforlife7464]

obiwanfisher537 and I ammore or less german, at least living here since I was born

[@namenlosesoose855]

As a German this hits too close to home. I'm gonna binge watch your channel now. Thanks...

[@dlavian5400]

I just like this series. Rachel has captured the german soul perfectly 😁

[@schale8051]

As a German, I can confirm most of this. Very good representation of German small talk =D

[@antje8303]

You should explain the term "Stoßlüften" - can it get any more German than that? ;)

[@christianrupprechter3645]

You open the window for a short period of time until - and that's imperative - there's no mist to be seen on the glass anymore.

[@martinrocket1436]

Anna Bella, Stoßlüften means “someone a screwed up Intervalllüften and we have a Lüften-Emergency now”.

[@Muenni]

@@martinrocket1436 Stop trying to push your weird definition, mate! You can stoßlüften without the air being stuffy, there's not requirement for an "emergency".

[@martinrocket1436]

Muenni, doch.

[@lordaaa9945]

Blitzlüften!

[@oscwavcommentaccount]

3:35 I'm Lithuanian and I thought all windows had this airing position.

[@alessbritish228]

First time ever I see that type of window.

[@obserwator8515]

Same thing in Poland

[@kiwiluma9104]

I'm in Ireland right now and I just can't handle the 'how's it going' and people run away. What should I answer? One or two times I actually answer about how I'm feeling right now and then people give you strange looks ...

[@T0198]

Comparing prices of cellphone plans is also is a great small talk subject!

[@stillx1211]

T 500MB für 4,99 und das im Eplus Netz ist aber auch echt Wucher

[@sambenmoser1240]

@@stillx1211 für 4,99 bekommt man im Angebot LTE mit einigen GB All net ist dann aber nicht noch drinnen

[@GingerGingie]

I like this series. It's not an easy place to adjust to, Germany, but understanding the culture is absolutely key to softening the culture shock. Thanks for making another great video!

[@NyloElLobo]

@@lunasee7007 that sounds really sad.

[@NoctLightCloud]

I'd say if you wanna live there, you should adjust and adapt the local culture and make effort.

[@janeymers7154]

@@lunasee7007 Hang in there. Trust me, when u finally reached one of us it will turn out to be a strong and deep connection based on trust, respect and reliability.

[@franziskakre8309]

@@lunasee7007 I would become very depressing in New Zealand.

[@ynnuswatchingyou]

The way the says "in square meters" it soulds like it is something strange to know. In fact I don't know a single German who can not tell you how big or small their flat or house is. Every apartment viewing comes with exact square meters, always. I think it's also required to have it written down in the rental contract. So of course you know it. And if you're going to move people ask about it.

[@m.m.2341]

She mentions square METERS in particular becaus if anything Brits and Americans would know it in square foot or some other weird unit.

[@reclusefaerie017]

INTROVERT ME: I would like to live in Germany.

[@tristans159]

This is so accurate 😂 -Grüße aus Deutschland

[@incyphe]

I was hoping this was a joke!

[@larrymoonlight2786]

@@incyphe why

[@Henrikko123]

Grüß Gott!

[@sweiland75]

Her accent seems to be a mix of German and English.

[@viennaburgerreview6075]

sweiland75 her German has an English accent

[@RandomGuy-nm6bm]

Denglisch

[@Akalynn]

German-english accent is so bad that it physically hurts. Her accent was bearable..

[@familyus8835]

her accent is british..

[@dl8cy]

@@familyus8835 she is a Brit and worked for Daily Telegraph und BBC Radio before.

[@nataliemunoz8600]

German is my spirit animal I guess, due I do most of those things (even open the window during winter). A had a german boss who said "you are more german than the germans". Never knew if it was an insult or compliment 🤔 Greetings from Chile 🇨🇱

[@ntt2210]

It means that you are accurate, hart working and a bit boring with no sense of humor or a very dry humor.

[@RR4kindness]

OMG😂 This is so good! And so accurate!! As an Australian living in Germany I so relate. You have captured it perfectly!

[@shanghai_city]

Why wasn't there any mention of football in small talk? I am pretty sure Germans are more crazy about their love for football than English people, and would love to have an opinion on the club they support. I love this series DW, and would love to see more videos on this in future. Thanks.

[@Minecraftrok999]

Yes they do love it, but they usually won't bring it up unless they know the person they're talking with has an interest in football.

[@arvedludwig3584]

Meet somebody that us into cars or other technical stuff. My friends and me are like that and man we can talk hours about possible projects for the future, newest technology or acquired skills, as well as new tools. It starts with a small topic with a bit of technical stuff in it and at the end we talked 2 hours about other things and we even do theoretical troubleshooting.

[@swanpride]

It's a potentially dangerous topic. You might discover that the guy you felt was quite sensible is actually cheering for Bayern Munich.

[@Leo-co3vp]

Football becomes only a topic when there are some football events around, or you already know that person likes football

[@david199086]

Many Germans like it, many others don't care. I'm for myself are only watching the world championship. And it's soccer, to differentiate between soccer and (American) football.

[@admagnificat]

I find this series to be absolutely delightful! Many thanks to all of you at DW for your hard work in producing it!

[@alxb2474]

I love that how they won’t let you get away with it and how they expect numbers and facts it’s really remarkable and that’s why I love it ! Good people !!!!

[@ukelorenz269]

You forgot the most important topic, discussing personal medical problems. Wie geht’s is usually taken as an invitation to discuss personal health in great detail.

[@stalin1909]

Now i’m convinced i was German in my previous life .

[@fabioribeiro4627]

How ironic that your username has stalin written it and your avatar has a red star.

[@MarkEmperor]

Give me some examples then. Authentic examples.

[@tonipwneroni9846]

Sounds like heaven to me. I hate hot weather, I don't cope in the heat at all. If it gets above 33 degrees I will feel like dying and only be able to think about the weather forecast for the week.

[@0luc83]

"und ?" "joa" "bei dir" "muss ja"

[@annahollander111]

That is very small small talk. Weltrekord würde ich sagen

[@Knorkrax]

Exaktlich. This hits the nail on the head!

[@psychologicalboss]

Germans are like real life Vulcans from star trek.

[@rosetoren3881]

I wish. And I'm german. ;)

[@GlowiesFearMe]

Lmao

[@tiberg6446]

Sidharth Ojha you’re took kind

[@awax2585]

An intellectually superior race that can incapacite you with a single touch ?

[@lenn939]

Awax Exactly.

[@JBMPPS]

as a Brit who lived in Bonn, Germany for nine years, I can relate to literally all of this

[@ggpz8975]

I feel like this is my actual hometown 🤧 love from China

[@franzdeassi13]

There is a third opening position on German windows that many people don’t know about it. If the window is neither tilted nor opened but the handle is set in a 45 ° position, there is a ventilation function. See - now you know it.

[@NonSequitur404]

Funny and insightful. I'm really enjoying these 'Meet the Germans' videos with Rachel Stewart. When an English language DW video is not presented by a German it is usually presented by an American, so it's nice to get a British perspective for a change.

[@mariellche3144]

"drop the niceties" was hilarious! As a German I deeply enjoyed it! 98% accurate (or 97,8) HAHAHA

[@johannesh7610]

😂👌

[@nikhilkudililtom3980]

Im an indian student and living in germany. The most awesome fact is that they take more than five minuits for wishes, lol.. Like danke schoen...Bitte.. tschuuuuuuuss(still im not perfect in it)..but im in love with this,becoz it shows the attachments between people...And they are really helpful too....I think if you have a good sprache, then you will find germany, the perfect destination for international student... ❤

[@FAL87]

yeah we are quite obsessed with "Höflichkeit" - politeness. For example: someone has to sneeze. We wish them "Gesundheit!" - health, the equvalent of bless you. There is a Trend that its more polite to beg pardon for a sneeze. I dont like it :P

[@Enzoxvx]

Even the "Gesundheit" (health) after sneezing got controversial in Germany because some germans think that saying "Gesundheit" after a sneeze implies that the person sneezing must be sick. It's not polite to remind someone of being sick. So there are now 2 types of german people. The "Gesundheit" ones and the ones who think it's more polite to just say nothing after someone sneezing lol

[@hiilol9254]

I mean those are basic questions... who doesn‘t know how big their apartment is🤷🏼‍♀️

[@reaseq7620]

wait your windows don't have special airing positions

[@navandeepsingh9137]

I love this channel

[@drafeirha]

her pronunciation in both english and german is so good i couldnt even guess which one her native language is until she said she was british

[@ahmedmahay]

What a brilliant series

[@keill35]

Loved it👍

[@Neyjina]

I visited Ireland for the first time a few months ago. It was really stressing me out that the Irish don't expect an answer to "How are you?", or at least not an honest one. If you ask "Wie geht es dir?" in Germany, it can happen, that your conversation partner answers with "Oh, I'm not so good at the moment. I might be getting sick. Damn weather." :D

[@angelsfall4456]

Wenn du in Deutschland jemanden ansprichst musst du auch bereit sein, das Gespräch zu führen. Wenn du angesprochen wirst, ist "ich habe gerade keine Zeit" und "ich habe gleich noch einen Termin" immer ein guter Retter.

[@nathansharma87]

I'll be honest, if a German asked me the following; - How many people in your household? - How much fuel did you fill up, give me numbers? - Tell me the route taken and any roadworks or obstacles on the route? You can bet I'd be evacuating the country within the hour.

[@kokonana4086]

Imagine an American engaging in a trivial chat with a German yet has to carry a calculator to convert those imperial units to the metric ones on the one hand and a GPS on the other hand. Life's never been easier ^^

[@timweber4318]

Well, stop using imperial units... Also, at least miles arent that complicated to convert. Just multiple by 1.5 and you roughly get Kilometers. (i know that 1,608 would be more accurate)

[@Mohammed8778]

@@timweber4318 da wollt ich doch schon direkt schreiben dass das 1,6 sind :D Maybe Americans should use the measuring system pretty much the whole world uses. It also makes sense, which is nice. Its like the metric system was made in and for the decimal world we live in while the imperial system consists of completely random made up numbers (like pound, ounce, mile, foot, yard, inch etc.) that are in really weird relations to each other. Also whats up with Fahrenheit?!

[@timweber4318]

@@Mohammed8778 naja x1, 5 ist einfacher Und ich find die imperialistischen Einheiten nicht wirklich schlimm und die Leute sind es sich vor allem so gewöhnt, aber dann kann man halt auch auf schilder oder so schreiben nächster ort in x meilen/y Kilometern. Ich so könnt man halt beides da lassen und die Leute würden sich auch langsam umgewöhnen. Fahrenheit finde ich persönlich aber auch wirklich nicht sinnvoll xD

[@Mich4elCorleone]

I have been watching Rachel for a while and I guess I came to a conclusion why Germans are so good industrial-wise. Their society revolves around numbers and seriousness. Smart guys no matter what nationality they hold, must be equipped with numbers most of the time. In addition, i'm working in a project that involves public transportation buses manufactured by M.A.N. I have been receiving blueprints for the buses which are called by Germans "Datasheets". While it is not a datasheet but rather a blueprint, it gave me an insight into how Germans work in general. Along with that, these buses are equipped with electronics from the japanese NEC Company. NEC sent me real "Datasheets" not blueprints called datasheets. I came to a conclusion that Germans are top in mechanics, suffer in electronics while Japanese are the opposite. One reason Germans might be less good in electronics even though they are top in electrical equipment is their conservativness when it comes to digital solutions, cash over CC and so on. Anyway, I really like this. Keep going Rachel.

[@Chwepaepae]

Living in Germany for 2 months now and yes!! Airing the room and weather talk is spot on! XD

[@drafeirha]

this was filmed and edited very nicely

[@fbahr]

Saved under "Favorites".

[@nameless568]

My class (and often also the teacher ) fights about the draft literally everyday lmao

[@lajoyalobos2009]

"superficial conversation" that actually sounds spot on

[@lordaaa9945]

I can't belive how accurate that is.

[@camembertfanpage]

I'm German and I love this. Everything's so accurate! 😂😂❤

[@RoccosVideos]

I’m American. People complain about the weather everywhere.

[@fbahr]

Nah... we do it "better".

[@HypermarketCommodity]

@@fbahr wir können das am besten 🤣🤣🤣

[@lemagnifique1573]

White American people mostly came from Germany, look at the ancestry map

[@ernstmayer3868]

13.26% of US Americans are of German descent. Those must be the people starting to complain in your country.

[@Adbhut369]

You're just amazing. Keep making videos like this.

[@FrogeniusW.G.]

Intro was fitting quite well too: How are the kids, how was or where will be the last/next holidays, we have to meet st.. 😂