The truth about living in Germany | An American honest opinions

The truth about living in Germany as an American. American reacts to life in Germany.
A U.S. foreigner's view on living in Germany (German food, culture, lifestyle, first impressions, transportation etc.) Living in Germany vs living in the USA.
Comment below things you love about life in Germany (Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Essen, Dortmund, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Bremen, etc.)!
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[@kathom67]

Remember, we have "Rollladen" in Germany and "Rouladen". Never confuse them. ^^

[@1001pierre]

would be kind of silly to have rouladen on your windows...

[@tyrnei6877]

We also have "umfahren" and "umfahren".

[@DevranUenal]

And Remoulade(nsauce) :D

[@MakeHawkTuahGreatAgain]

Döner was invented 1972 in Berlin (Germany) by a turkish man. so technically its german. :P

[@Rick2010100]

Not invented, they just changed the meat from pork to beef, as the Greek Gyros Pita still existet.

[@Telendil]

@@Rick2010100 Its not the same. The meat for a Döner isn`t Gyros. The bread, the sauce and the vegetables are different etc. but yeah its meat within bread.

[@hobitoerner]

Oh dude come on don't call putting the stuff INSIDE the bread instead of leaving it apart an huge Invention. We invented other stuff that should be enough

[@DSP16569]

@@hobitoerner So gesehen sind Maultaschen und Spätzle auch italienisch, sind ja nur etwas anders gefüllte Ravioli bzw. zerhackte Spagetti mit einem etwas anderen Teig.

[@hobitoerner]

@@DSP16569 am Ende waren es die Russen als sie Pelemeni erfunden haben😉 alles Teig mit Fleisch drin nur anders

[@eliass6200]

Hi Guys I'm German i follow a lot of americans from the US . And i herad the argument with the aircondition so often . But you have to see it from the german prospective. The avarege temperature of Germany is 10 degree. Yes , summers can get very hot, but only for a view weeks. Thats the reaason why aircondition don´t pay of in Germany and dousn´t make sense here. :)

[@thorstent2542]

And we have very comfortable heating systems here

[@niklasrucker]

There is another reason why. Our buildings are mainly build of Brick which, if you do it right, will cool your house in the summer because it safes the cold from the winter. Vice versa. But still; a lot of new buildings get Airconditioning build in. It would be a pain to install it afterwards because we would have to drill big long holes thru those thick brick walls. Sorry for my bad english.

[@Schwachsinnn]

@@niklasrucker Actually wooden houses have far better temperature isolation. Just sayin.

[@louismart]

@@Schwachsinnn real wood - yes, but not cardboard!

[@Schwachsinnn]

@@louismart agreed

[@MegaZombie112]

Wie ihm einfach das Wasser im Mund zusammenläuft als er vom Essen spricht XD

[@diegomaradona8076]

Ohne Scheiss😂

[@carlowagner6752]

Can't hear it any more. Americans complaining about no air con in Germany. Did you realize that the north of Germany is nearly on the same latitude like the south of Alaska. How many air cons you find there? What we need and have are good heating systems.

[@leporello7]

Oh, indeed you are right! Germany and Alaska even overlap a tiny bit at around 55 degrees north.

[@vomm]

Nevertheless, it can get very hot in Germany in the summer. But it is not worth it for Germans to install air conditioning because of about 2-3 months of heat which are also usually interrupted by cooler days.

[@cH4iN123]

2,50€ fürn Döner? Da muss er ja vor 20 Jahren hier gewesen sein :D

[@sryinx7320]

Genau mein Gedanke. Mittlerweile kostet ein "normaler" Döner bei mir 4,50€

[@flo4927]

Döner bei mir ohne Extras 5€ stabil

[@thomasrichter7767]

@@flo4927 jap.. 5 euro ist normal geworden. Ich kann mich garnicht daran erinnern einen döner für 2.50 gegessen zu haben 3.50 vielleicht vir 15 jahren aber das wars dann

[@Bunkerknacker_Retro-Nostalgie]

Vor 20 Jahren? Da haben die Teile 2,50DM gekostet. ;)

[@thomasrichter7767]

@@Bunkerknacker_Retro-Nostalgie naja 2001 kam der euro ist also debattierbar ^^

[@iampuco445]

As a German I can say: one of the most genuine and straightforward description of German life I’ve seen on KZbin. Though I don’t drink beer, don’t eat meat and don’t like soccer 😂

[@tommylanger7686]

Cocktails are better anyway

[@usbxg3474]

thank you so much for uploading these videos! I really do think that they help a lot with clearing up the prejudices and conceptions americans might have about germany.

[@NoName-xw2mg]

I always thought it was so strange to ask people how they're doing without being actually interested in their wellbeing. It's so superficial. Why don't you just say hey when you're not interested?!

[@saba6502]

I totally agree!

[@derradfahrer5029]

American "How're you?" is not actully a question per se from a language point of view but just a greating. We don't have that in Germany - the closet thing is a "Grüß Gott!" where you don't actually expect people to start praying (or even dying) to go and "greet god".

[@arndliebenberg1924]

Well, in England, the only proper reply to the question:"How do you do?" is "How do you do!"

[@NoName-xw2mg]

@@derradfahrer5029 from a linguistic point of view - which is my point of view - the phrase starts with an adverb in the first position which implies a question.

[@markrobby7136]

passing on the right? i see why there are so much accidents in the US. The person you want to pass might not see you if you try to pass on the right because his driving seat is on the left....I missed the German breads though.

[@DaveGrohlsprincess]

Omg I have a fear of driving in America 😆 that’s why I can’t drive yet.

[@rolandk.5720]

More than half of the Autobahn-system is unregulated in speed. You can drive as fast as you want or as the traffic allows. Be aware, that if you drive dangerous (not keeping proper distance to the car in front of you, braking without reason (brake-checking) or driving reckless, not checking mirrors before change of the lane), you will be fined, your drivers license will be suspended and maybe the car you have driven will be impounded. In Germany you'll find less A/C because the electricity is far more expensive. Most of the lately built homes uses heat pump systems and a ventilation-system in the house to distribute the heat. With that system you can cool too, if you want, it is more effective than an A/C, but not as direct and fast.

[@c.norbertneumann4986]

Limitless speeding on the highways is our second amendment.

[@SkandalRadar]

"Ohh - its so good" - I am German. Now I want to eat all of the food he mentioned. :-D

[@NoName-xw2mg]

I hear the saying about germans being your friend for life from every single American. Ever considered that part of the reason for that is that they actually care about hearing your answer if they ask you how you're doing? Call it rough or call it real. It's an attitude.

[@paulludwig4634]

Hey bro first time I have seen one of your videos. You nailed it about Germany. Tschüss

[@Rubax52]

I wouldn't call us rough, be we are direct in a way which is often misunderstood. No long chitchat, but you are expected to come to the point immediately.

[@OkabexKurisu]

Just recently like 1month ago I visitited my german friend in my 'vilage' where I grew up. Instantly connected and talked like we never missed. Saw him like 5 years ago.

[@sundevit8221]

as I know German Umlaut is hard to learn for English speakers I really appreciate you pronouncing 'Knödel' and 'Döner' just perfect to the German ear, Well done!

[@Drehzahlorgel]

Hey! I am a german and it depends on your definition and your understanding of "rough". In general, I wouldnt say we are "rough". We are maybe a little bit reserved to people we dont know. It is actually a good thing, that we do not blindly trusting someone that just crossed our path. Some might call us "rough", when you refer to our way of saying things/opinions directly and in an honest way. What is the whole point of asking for an opinion when you cant deal with the truth? Even when we say our opinion in the nicest possbible way, people still think we are "rough" because of that. I must say, I like our way of saying/meanings things way more than faking the interest by asking "How are you doing?"

[@LakayFTW]

how you doing? It walks it walks. Or how you doing? Must!

[@peterbohren3637]

haha offenbar wird so viel gestreikt, dass dies selbst als „normal“ gesehen wird :-)

[@asmamohammadi3860]

Oh my goodness, I love the way you said soooooo good! I have plan to move to Germany, I am going to miss Costco Hotdog 🌭

[@EinChris75]

In general employees of train and bus companies go on strike every 1 to 2 years, when the unions are negotiating a new contract. In the time between, strikes are not allowed by law. (Did he mix that up with France?)

[@Chris_M74]

Perhaps he had bad luck when visiting Germany regarding this matter. It's human easy start to generalize when you visit a place rarely and recognize same issues. I know it from myself. It's worth to leave this personal insights as they are and keep statistics or reports about these things to get a more realistic overview.

[@852paddy]

Automatic cars don't feel the same. We want to feel the gear transmission kicking in when we decide it to.

[@steponi80]

The autobahn has only speedlimit in cityzone( near the city, where you got the highway exits to get to the differend sections of the city)

[@Rick2010100]

Loyalty is thousends years old virtue in Gemany. Even the ancient roman imperators used mostly a German body guard, as they feared to be murdered from their own guys. For similar reasons, the Pope is also since over 500 years protected by a Swiss guard.

[@louismart]

You are putting German, Germanic and Swiss in the same basket.

[@positroll7870]

@@louismart Rightly so, as it is one developmental line going back even further than that to Nordic roots. The Sigfried Saga (Ring der Nibelungen) is mostly about loyalty and covers events of the migration era. Germanic tribes then coming together under Otto I beating the Magyars on the Lechfeld is generally considered the point in time where the Kingdom of the Eastern Francs became the Kingdom of the Germans. Otto I then went on to re-found the Roman Empire (later HRE) by adding the crown of Italy. But the Kingdom of the Germans existed from the 10th century until the time of Napoleon, and the Swiss were officially part of both, Kingdom and Empire, until 1648. When the Papal Guard was originally founded, it was provided by the Old Swiss Confederacy, all German speaking, and known as Liga vetus et magna Alamaniae superioris or Alter grosser Bund oberdeutscher Lande in German.

[@Rick2010100]

@@louismart "For similar reasons" read carefully.

[@Rick2010100]

AC´s a rare in Germany because of the energy prices. A Kilowatt hours (kw/h) cost ca. 40 cents - so a AC costs you min. 1$ per hour. ($24 per day are $720 in a month.) Same with the automatic cars - you need a larger engine for a automatic car, but they consume much more fuel - with fuel prices up 4 times the US price, many people choose a car with a small engine + manual and low fuel consumption.

[@charlies.5777]

That makes sense, as kWh are about $.10 by me.

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

Truth about Germany: ..Talks about food ..'So good !'

[@janheinbokel3969]

So many compliments - seems I live in an alternate Germany

[@andibuletten6206]

Germans ask you how you are doing, only in case they are really interested in.

[@Cosmopolit257]

Wit American and Millennial Culture blending we gettin to the same point of How You Doin.- "Was geht." :)

[@siempresonrie5924]

I never care if the other guys are fine or not but I always ask to let them think I'm very kind

[@nicolettarope6030]

I.m German and germans dont like automatic cars

[@qworx1.snadel694]

That is not entirely true. Automatic cars are becoming more and more popular in Germany, also because of industrialization.

[@chaltu0815]

+ Ich mag Automatik. Audi Q7 ...ich vermisse Dich!

[@nicolettarope6030]

And BMW 👍🤗

[@thorstent2542]

I drived my boss car. I can roll cigarettes in a trafic jam. I'ts amazing

[@naseimwind1]

Automatic shifts become more popular, especially since the double shift system was introduced. So you no longer have that “mushy” shifting experience of a classic automatic in between gears. Especially in slow going or jammed traffic shifting with an automatic has its benefits. On mountain roads, slippery tracks or with trailers standard shifts offer you more control and flexibility if you can use it. If not you will stroke your engine all the time :-)

[@Stephanthesearcher]

ofc we do have ac!! not to install it is a concious decission. mostly due to the immense cost for energy.running a ac through the year can cost the price of the unit in energy cost EVERY year

[@robertczwartek4709]

You are truly American. The most exciting thing is the food ;)

[@TheHornoxx]

... ... to summarise it appropriately: Knödel! 😂😂

[@c.norbertneumann4986]

If you don't want to listen to people telling you details about how they're doing, just don't ask them about it.

[@eagle1de227]

bakeries! you forgot the bakeries!

[@susa3672]

Hi, I wonder in which Bundesland you are living?, cause there‘s a big difference if it is north / south ? Have a good time, bless you!🙋🥰

[@alexanderosswald]

Dont forget East and West

[@naseimwind1]

Raclette is adopted from Switzerland and is popular in Germany, e.g. very often for New Years. Instead of having a cheese on a rotisserie (like in the original) you have small pans with heating coils from above. You can modify it with other stuff like different types of cheeses, veggies, meats, fruits, mushrooms, ... Also often easy with kids as they are sometimes food-picky and can then down select to what they like or try out new combinations if they are curious.

[@johnnyachillesjelinek6765]

That is why they don't go get killed as much by alcohol , like America , shifter is more longer living car

[@Peter_Cetera]

Nowadays about 50% of all new sold cars in Germany have automatic gears. 20 years ago it was only 20%

[@tommylanger7686]

Yep. The demand is rising, also due to the fact that more and more electric vehicles are being sold here.

[@blecherlukas1314]

Döner is from berlin not from turkey its just mostly turkish people who sell them

[@HenryAusLuebeck]

Was habt ihr Amerikaner nur mit euren Klimaanlagen? Ich bin gespannt wie ihr bei einem längeren Stromausfall überlebt. 😉 😂

[@spitefulwar]

Hint: gar nicht, jedes Jahr sterben hunderte US-Amerikaner bei Stromausfall oder dem Defekt ihrer Klimaanlage.

[@EinChris75]

Vergiss bitte nicht, dass der Nordrand der USA so weit südlich ist, wie Wien und der Südrand (Florida) hat die selbe Breite wie Ägypten...

[@Humpelstilzchen]

Ich frage mich immer wie ihre Vorfahren ohne Klimaanlage überlebten 😅

[@bluecat2741]

Ich geb's zu, sogar ich träume im Sommer heimlich von einer Klimaanlage 😂. Ich glaub, in den Südstaaten kann man es ohne kaum aushalten? 😬

[@seanrh4294]

Das hab ich in Californien miterlebt als ich dort wohnte. Da war plötzlich um die Mittagszeit im Sommer kein Strom mehr da eines tages für mehrere Städte. Im Haus wurde es dann schon nach 1 Stunde unerträglich heiss sodass wir uns in den Vorgarten gesetzt haben. Dann sahen wir das alle Nachbarn auf der Straße schon in ihren Vorgärten saßen und sich mit Wasser abkühlten. Die Kinder spielten alle. War irgendwie eine schönere Stimmung denn wenn die Klimaanlagen laufen sind im Sommer alle Leute in Californien nur in ihren Häusern. Ist dann teilweise wie eine Geisterstadt.

[@cimuc1]

Wie schön, daß alle US Amerikaner dort bleiben können und die Umwelt mit AC verschmutzen können. Bahnstreik 1 nal im Jahr ist natürlich furchtbar im Vergleich zu gar keiner Bahn in US.

[@MaiLie1962]

Nach dem Raclette lobt er bei 6.40 irgendetwas, das sich anhört wie " Rauers" oder so ähnlich. Ich verstehe nicht, was er meint und der nachfolgende Satz erschließt sich mir auch nicht. Kann mir jemand helfen?

[@zidanemaldurch1]

Glaube er sagt Bratwurst😅😂

[@1RogerStone]

@@zidanemaldurch1 Hmm, ja, überzeugt mich noch nicht ganz, könnte aber sein. Die anderen deutschen Wörter spricht er ja ziemlich richtig aus, wie Döner, Raclette, Currywurst, Autobahn... aber wenn das wirklich Bratwurst heißen soll, habe ich das nicht erkennen können. Danke aber jedenfalls für den Tipp, Zidane!

[@bywiweit]

@@1RogerStone Ja, er sagt Bratwurst, danach sagt er auch “of course, they’re german” weil Bratwurst halt typisch Deutsch ist

[@christophlischak2709]

Die automatischen Untertitel in Englisch erkennen sein Wort in der Tat als „Bratwurst“.

[@MaiLie1962]

@@christophlischak2709 Wieso hast du automatische Untertitel und ich nicht? ( neidisch guck) Danke jedenfalls für die Info,Christoph!

[@MhLiMz]

How does "first world country" and "air conditioning" correlate with each other? The same way we could argue that the US isn't a first world country because they still let every citizen walk around with a gun. That is so medieval.

[@bildfluss]

He made pretty clear the it was a joke, don’t you think.

[@noahgenzmer1086]

DÖNER!!!❤

[@Odrade100]

If you like food so much, visit Basque Country, your mind will explode!

[@saschab.5995]

You never try "Mettbrötchen"??

[@siempresonrie5924]

That's only a thing in east germany, I don't think that's even existing in the west 😂

[@xyz-xq6wo]

@@siempresonrie5924 Just for that comment I'm hoping that you are not German...

[@dorisfuchs4708]

I am disappointed, not one word about beer. And, i see, you have to stay much longer, only to try the meals we call "Süßspeisen" - sweat meals.

[@Avarua59]

I think you mean "sweet" meals or desserts. You don't want to be eating sweat.

[@skeletonwar4445]

Ah ja, die Schweißspeisen. Nur für echte Feinschmecker.

[@tommylanger7686]

2, 50€, Man inflation surely had its toll.

[@mrmd1699]

Ehrenmann 🇩🇪✌️

[@EinChris75]

50% of all new cars registered in Germany in 2019 are automatic shift.

[@landserkorps796]

Ich habe 23% gelesen.

[@Wolte84]

Aber nur wegen DSG/DKG, "echte" Automatik gibt es kaum noch.

[@swanpride]

Automatic makes sense of you have to drive long distances, hence company cars are usually automatic. But private cars which are mostly used for city traffic tend to have a stick.

[@EinChris75]

@@swanpride interesting. I have exactly the opposite impression. When I go on the Autobahn, I put in 6th or 7th gear, adaptive cruise control, and the car drives itself for dozens of kilometres. Certainly, only without traffic jams. On the other hand, in the city, i have stop and go, i have traffic lights, i have steep roads, and roundabouts. All places where I have to to multiple things at once. In manual I would need all my 4 limbs in a roundabout: right hand shifts, left hand steers and (!) sets the direction indicator, left leg manages clutch, right leg breaks and gas. see the problem: i need to switch hands in the roundabout if I need to stick-shift. not good. In my automatic car: right hand steers, left hand indicator once (then back to steering too), right leg gas/break. left leg rests. easy. company cars is in so far a mixed thing... i liked to have automatic cars for my company, because drivers could not ruin the gear box by miss-shifting. and I liked my employees less stressed on the road (see above). on the other hand, automatic makes cars a bit more expensive.

[@carlowagner6752]

Automatic is for people who can't drive. Stick shift is for skilled drivers

[@skeletonwar4445]

Sure Grandpa

[@toganium4175]

Someone told me that Germans are paid so well to the point where they can live off of unemployment. I want that life.

[@felixccaa]

Vote for a social security system. =) (But I understand ppl in the US already had hard times to get a social health care system. ) But I can tell, ppl on social security live shorter lifes. It's not something great. Still I am glad we have it.

[@EinChris75]

Arbeitslosengeld 1 for 1 year (if older than 50 and more, up to 2 years) of 60% or 67% of your previous income. Everyone pays 2.6% of his/her salary into a state run insurance fund for that. This system exists since 1927. Arbeitslosengeld 2 indefinitely, but only 432€ a month(!) per adult + rent for a small flat. You have to spend almost all your savings before getting that. And you have to prove that you try to find a new job. If someone in your family has a job, that income is deducted from the Arbeitslosengeld 2. It is a rather steep decline. It used to be way more generous 20 years ago. But politics of "Agenda 2010" made the economy more competitive (read - shifting the burden to the working class, by creating lots of low payed job, reducing costs for companies and their owners).

[@Pips-hw8nd]

Same with Austria but you get the money only for about half a year, I currently get paid by state and i get a bit less than 1k per month

[@TheTuscaloosa]

Thats why we are paying taxes like almost nobody else in the world.

[@felixccaa]

@@TheTuscaloosa not true - check out wikipedia "Staatsquote" 10th of the list of 19 countries - so exactly in the middle of those examined

[@klausklausi7484]

Funny, I have an air conditioner and Automatik car. You Need a Bit higher income to have all I guess.

[@maurice7017]

Wo sind die österreicher und deutsche

[@keilo0696]

Diese Kommentarsektion ist nun Eigentum der Bundesrepublik Deutschland!

[@ichbrauchmehrkaffee5785]

Ich wollt' grad anmerken, dass das erst der zweite deutsche Kommentar ist, den ich hier sehe, bis ich auf's Upload-datum geschaut habe..

[@moiseskelahiranzaitun1880]

Hello good night

[@sarahmichael270244]

automatic cars are driven by old ladies in germany1🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@grandmak.]

as an old lady I must contradict you - ageism alert !

[@balidobbster9010]

Stimmt, habe mir vor 2 Jahren einen Skoda RS 2.0 TS Combi zugelegt mit Automatik. Ich fand, mit 58 Jahren ist es einfach komfortabler, den Wohnwagen mit einem Automatikgetriebe zu ziehen, besonders auf Langstrecke. Tatsächlich machen Serpentinen aber mit einem Schaltgetriebe mehr Spaß! Liebe Grüße, die mittlerweile 60 Jahre alte Sabine

[@asmamohammadi3860]

Funny 😆 thank you for your kindness, please don’t say OLD ladies ( mature person) thank you. 🇨🇦.