I am going to Germany... What should i know before i go?

Question

I will be living with some german people for two weeks. What should i do thats different from the united states.

Answer 1

AT LEAST U SHOULD BE ENGLISH SPEAKING

Answer 2

The people that live in former West Germany were taught English as their second language.

The people that live in former East Germany were taught Russian as their second language.

Therefore you are more likely to find an English speaking German in West Germany.  Say, in German,"Sprechen Sie Englisch".  This is roughly translated to "speak English".

"Ja" means yes. "Nein" (pronounced like 9) means no.

Hello in German is "Guten Tag" (pronounced tahk).  In the Bavaria province (Munich, etc.) and Austria, hello is "Gruss Gott".

Hope this helped.

Answer 3

nothing...i live in germany (i am american/german)

hallo = hello or hi

guten morgen = good morning

guten abend = good evening

auf wiedersehen = goodbye

...bitte = please

danke = thank you

ja/yes, nein/no

alcohol (18years) try a bitburger ;)

cigarettes (16 years)

shopping stores open from (mo-sa) 9.00 - 20.00, go to H&M ;)

Answer 4

pretty much what others said before, just know basic german phrases, and Sprechen Sie englisch?-do you speak english? .. most will be fine as long as you know some german and will talk to you in their best enligsh since they know you tried. like most countries they want to know you atleast know alittle of their language and not just a tourist who know nothing.=]

have fun and just be yourself

Answer 5

das sit doof

Answer 6

go to Mc Donalds that really different when I was in in England I noticed that Mc Donald there is much different than that here in Germany ..

You should visit Berlin look everything there its really nice there and go to a pub and enjoy a nice German beer^^

I dont know where you will go but if you are in the near from Osnabrück come over to Ibbenbüren and go for a walk in the Teuteburger Forest. Im from Ibbenbüren, Germany and its really nice to see the Teuteburger Forest and in the Forest is the cowering  dame and the rock where the  the statue of liberty is standing on is from there too.

Answer 7

If you have any detailed questions I´d like to answer them for you.

just mail me :-)

Answer 8

I think the answer above brings it to the point. For further questions contact me...

Answer 9

Drinking: Beer and wine are part of a normal dinner and alcoholic drinks are usually offered to guests. Not drinking, however, is completely accepted. Do not insist on alcoholic drinks if a person has rejected your initial offer and don’t order them for them. A German who rejects a drink is not just being shy or polite but does not want to drink. For some cultures it is uncommon to see teenagers order a beer at restaurants and pubs. Remember that the legal drinking age in Germany is 16 for beer and wine and 18 for spirits.



Shaking hands: Germans are great hand-shakers, and they like to do so both when arriving and when departing. It is common for a person who is joining a group to shake hands with every single individual.



Punctuality: Don’t turn up late for an appointment or when meeting people. Germans are extremely punctual, and even a few minutes’ delay can offend. Be five to 10 minutes early for important appointments and be sure to call the people you are meeting if you really cannot make it in time.



Du and Sie: In private, the older person suggests using the informal "du" to the younger person. In the business world, the higher ranking person – regardless of age and s*x – would always be the one to suggest switching to "du." A nice intermediate step is to address a person by their first name but then use the formal "Sie." Always ask, however, before you decide to take this step. If you’re not on a first-name basis in German, you can still switch when speaking English. But don’t forget to switch back.



Titles: Titles of nobility belong to an individual’s name – such as Fürstin von Metternich. When in doubt, it is advisable to ask. Academic titles also belong to the name, such as Herr Doktor Müller or Frau Professor Weise.



Flowers: Bring flowers if you’re invited to a German home for some social occasion. If the flowers are wrapped in paper, remember to take off the wrapping just before you enter the home.



Garbage: Germans are extremely environmentally conscious and separate their garbage to facilitate recycling. If your neighbors spot you throwing recyclable glass or paper into the regular garbage, your relationship could be strained for good.





Kissing: When close friends greet each other, it is common to kiss both the left and right cheeks. However, this is considered inappropriate in a business setting.



Silverware language: Crossing the knife and fork on your plate is an indication that you are not yet finished with your meal. Placing knife and fork on the right side of the plate in parallel is a signal to the waiter that you have finished and that the plate can be cleared away.



Knocking: When entering an office, it is common to knock first and then enter the room immediately.



Names: It is polite to address everyone by their family name and "Sie." Do not leave off double-barreled names, such as Frau Müller-Weber. Names are inserted into conversation after every few sentences

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Answer 10

I live in the Kaiserslautern area.  If you have any questions you can contact me.  I have found that most people here speak english.