Help me stop thinking like an American!
August 29, 2010 4:05 PM Subscribe
What should I know about German customs/behavior/social norms before going there for 10 weeks?
I'm going to be spending 10 weeks in Freiburg for an intensive German language program. (Yay!) In my last German class, we learned a few useful ways in which German conventions differ from those in the U.S.-- for example, at a restaurant, the waiter will not bring you your bill unless you flag him down and ask for it, because it's considered rude to bring it unasked, whereas in the U.S. it's standard for the waiter to bring the check to the table when your meal looks like it's winding to a close. Or that if you ask to use the Badezimmer, it's possible you'll be shown to a room with a bathtub but no toilet, and that it's not impolite to ask to use the Toilette.
What other such useful advice do you have about successfully navigating German culture?
(Suggestions for things to do in and around Freiburg are also appreciated, as are any particularly useful or fun German idioms...)
posted by coppermoss to society & culture (19 answers total) 19 users marked this as a favorite
The bill thing is a good one. I once spent an unfortunate amount of time in a café bar trying to remember the word for "bill" and plaintively watching my waiter walk on by. Finally, I was all, "The bill, bitte?" And he smirked at me and I died a little inside. But I finally escaped the bar. Lesson learned: always carry a pocket dictionary.
Be sure not to "ride black" on the trains. Carry a passport with you at all times, if possible. When officers saw my super English-y name on my commuter pass, they often asked for my ID. Also, I got carded while buying some liquor--the passport was good to have.
Internalize the words "drücken" and "ziehen." Don't be the Austauschstudent running into doors all the time. Learn from my woe.
Carry small change around for bathroom visits. The ones in train stations are usually coin-operated, and the ones in department stores like Karstadt are manned by staff. It's expected to tip. On the bright side, the restrooms are generally very clean!
You'll hear "Schönen Tag noch!" from all the store clerks. It's like "Have a nice day!"
When ordering a Döner from a food stand, sometimes they'll ask if you want it "gleich," sometimes they'll ask if you want it "mitnehmen." They both mean "to go," far as I could tell. If you like it spicy, ask for the Döner "mit scharf."
"Jein" is an awesome word that means "yes and no." The word "eine" will often be contracted to "'ne" in fast, casual speech--at least it was in the NRW. "Etwas" sometimes becomes simply "was."
German modal particles will add flavor and zest to your speech. I wouldn't try to overload yourself on them in the beginning. They'll come naturally over time. Just be aware of them, 'cause you'll hear them everywhere in eavesdropped conversations.
Another amusing occurrence is the habit of attaching "oder" to the end of sentences to seek affirmation. We do it in English too, you know?
Be ready to fling your groceries into a bag at the local Lidl. There aren't any baggers, and those cashiers are mighty fast!
Garbage sorting is a tricky beast, but just keep at it.
Pretty much every plastic soda/juice/water bottle as a Pfand added to it. It's a small amount of change added to the price at the register. If you return the bottles to the store (generally via a machine), you'll get the money back. Keep tabs of your bottles, because the Pfand money adds up. Some stores only take certain brands of drinks back. Be aware of this so you don't lug a sack full of empty Apfelschörle bottles to the Aldi downtown.
Have fun! Germany's awesome.
posted by ElectricBlue at 4:48 PM on August 29, 2010 [5 favorites]