Is there anything you shouldnt do in germany? like a taboo?

Answer 1

Definitely never do the Hitler greeting: Right arm stretched out in a 45° degree ankle in front of you...
And loud shouting, or violence are not very welcome here.
Otherwise enjoy Germany!!!

Answer 2

Ok, the person answering in length is right, when you come here for business purposes. But in another question you say, that you will be with a German family for two weeks.

Germans are stiff (I'm German) but not t h a t stiff. The lady of the house will not mind if you bring flowers the first time you see them (there's no must) but soon after this they will ask for your first name and you will be accepted in the family. Using "Sie" then will not be expected from you. If you're unsure, ask.

The kids in the family usually are quite relaxed. After all, they listen to American music. Either rap, soul, rock, heavy metal, R&B... the tastes are different, but you will know this from home.

A real taboo is anything from the Nazi time, Germans are very tight about this. After all, this is two to three generations ago, the old Nazis are dead. Some foolish youngsters "play" to be Nazis, but not very many, and they know that the symbols are forbidden and use will cause punishment by law. Germans can not hear it anymore, if someone asks whether they are Nazis. You might then will be asked if you have your own slave at home or keep your native indian in your back-yard.

Now you know the taboos, there is nothing else which could really cause problems. If you are not used to alcohol, take it slow, don't try to drink as fast as German young people. They are used to it.

Enjoy your time here and have a lot of fun. Two weeks is much too short! For further questions you can mail me.

Answer 3

I agree with answer one except the advice about "Sie" und "du" is only appropriate if you speak German and that opens up a truckload of rules once you start a conversation. Also, Tanya is right that Germans aren't big on chit-chat until you get to know them. If you were to see a dog being wlaked on the street and starting oohing and ahhing over the dog, the owner would most likely look at you as if you were from a different planet. As well, I always address any acquaintance as "Herr" or "Frau" until I am invited to call them by there first name. Also, before a meal, failing to toast or offering a "Bon Appétit" or "en gute" (Swiss German), may be considered in poor taste. Europeans in general enjoy their meal times and don't just shove it down like Americans do. Good advice above about the autobahn. Wtach out for the "elephant races" - that is semi-trucks that slow down the flow of traffic. It is dangerous. It is very bad to going slow in the left lane. I agree, the war is a touchy subject. Most Germans will tell you that Hitler was Austrian, not German.

Answer 4

well I am German and woooahhhh I am from the "obviously ugly, racist and "no big cities here" east

I think Germany (also the east) is a very beautiful country,
some of the suggestions (being on time, being nice and polite) are good, but all in all we are quite normal people more close and like the US citizens then many people might be aware of, I have been living in the US for a year and it was sometimes almost "scary" on how similar our cultures are
I know our reputation is not the best due to WW2 and other mistakes that happened but do not worry to much, just come here make up your mind yourself and be open, most of us will get back to you in the very same way, of course we have our problems (and racism for sure is one of them) but the chance of being killed by one of these stupid "nazis" are not as big as it might seem sometimes

and just to mention a few of the very small villages in the countryside east: Berlin (by the way our capital), Potsdam (not that big but awesome) Dresden and Leipzig

please come and feel very welcome to this great country
although I am not a soccer fan, I really hope that our image has changed at least a bit, we are nice if you are nice and if you met someone you get friends with, you can also talk about the war ;)

enjoy your time

Anne

feel free to contact me for more info, and if you should come to Dresden I will guide you personally and show you all the good stuff ;), of course I need to be here and not working lol

Answer 5

Wow some great answers about day to day stuff.
There are some different customs here like taking well behaved dogs into resturants. Smoking allowed almost everywhere and if forbidden (airports, trainstations etc..) there is usually a smoking area not far away.

If you drive a vehicle on the Autobahn. Travel is in the right lane. Move left only to pass then back right afterwards. Before moving left ALWAYS look in mirror for traffic, wait a few seconds and look again before moving left. That car you saw as a pin dot in your mirror may be going well over 100MPH. The second look lets you judge how fast they are gaining up on you.
Never pass on the right !!!!!!!!!!!!
Road Rage, even as slight as giving the middle finger is not tolerated.

Enjoy your trip. What a wonderful place to vist and some of us even live here.

Answer 6

I agree with the first answerer in all points but one. He said, when you want to enter a room, knock and then enter immediateley. NEVER do so! Always wait for a "Come in" -Herein or a Ja.

You can also enter eastern germany, in the big (well, ok, they are not big...) cities it´s ok with the racism. But, the east isn´t beautiful.

Well, that´s all. Hope this helped. If there are more questions, i will answer them, when you write an IM.

Answer 7

Nothing’s as easy as sticking your foot in it when you’re abroad. But don’t worry. Most Germans will forgivingly turn a blind eye on foreigners’ mishaps. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t read up on some do's and don’ts to make a good impression right from the start.



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 sex – 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.


http://www.young-germany.de/german_etiquette.html

Answer 8

there have been good answers already...another thing Germans don't really like is the small talk you American's are so good at...your way of saying hello, how are you? for example is commonly misunderstood as serious question...so if you ask someone how he or she is be prepared of an lenghty answer...and if you then don't show enough interest you'll be seen as superficial...convestation to strangers is normally restricted to exchange of information not more or less...that's our way of respecting other peoples privacy...

Answer 9

You shouldn't eat bavarian Weißwurst with ketchup.

Answer 10

Don't be good at making love. Most women aren't used to it and would complain!