Cactus Language Blog

German Language Guide (2): German Culture

Posted by Sarah under Cactus Languages Abroad, German, Learning a language

Germans have a reputation for being well organised, formal, punctual and somewhat lacking in humour. Is there any truth behind these stereotypes?

It is true that planning and organisation are seen as important by the Germans. Making careful plans in their business and private lives provides them with a sense of security, while rules and regulations help them to know what to expect, and when they find an efficient way to do something, they tend to stick to it. Punctuality is also important.

Work and personal life are clearly divided in Germany, and at the end of the business day, everyone is expected to leave work. Having to stay later is thought to be an indication of lack of proper planning. Personal relationships are not very important when doing business with Germans, but academic qualifications and company status are.

Germans tend to be very house-proud and keep their homes, as well as common areas such as pavements and steps, clean and tidy. For many Germans, home is a place to relax and be informal, and usually only relatives and close friends are invited in.

When Germans greet one another they usually shake hands and call each other Herr/Frau/Fraulein plus any titles and surnames, e.g. Herr Doktor Professor Schmidt - the more titles you have the more impressed they’ll be. You only use first names and informal language when you know someone really well and they invite you to do so.

Germans certainly do have a sense of humour; it’s just different from the British one. They don’t usually use humour at work and in other formal situations, and are not impressed by those who try to make everything into a joke. When work colleagues go out together in the evenings however, they are probably as likely to crack jokes, relax and be informal as their British counterparts. Language-based humour tends to be very difficult to translate and a joke that’s hilarious in English might not even raise a smile in German, and vice versa. Slapstick comedy is very popular in Germany, which explains the popularity of Mr Bean there.

Popular leisure activities in Germany include reading, watching TV, swimming, cycling, hiking and other sports. Going to cinemas, plays and concerts is also very popular, and Germans are very keen travellers.

About the author
Simon Ager studied German and French at school in the UK, and has spent time in Germany and Austria. He currently runs a company that provides information and advice about languages, mainly via the website www.omniglot.com, and also writes about languages on a freelance basis.

Tags:culture, German