Guten Tag
German politeness is based on different rules compared to English speaking countries. We usually don’t even ask the obligatory How are you? question.
Many things that would be rude in Australia are totally normal and expected in Germany. The How are you? question can even be confusing for Germans. Let us help you understand how the German way of saying G’Day works and learn more about the DOs and DON’Ts in your German course.
Sie vs. Du
Ever wondered why people say Germans can come across reserved or even cold? It’s because we play this little game no one else knows about when meeting new people. It’s all based on formalities and it’s very important to Germans to do everything according to the protocol.
Addressing someone using the informal “Du” instead of the formal “Sie” will lead to big misunderstandings and confusion. Since it is as important as asking How are you? question, it is crucial to understand the system that German kids get introduced to at an early stage in their life.
We will help you transfer your way of politeness into German.
German manners
Do you remember what your grandparents told you about good manners, like what to do when sitting down to eat? Like the Sie vs. Du question, those manners are still very important to Germans.
If you are going to meet a German family or just German friends, it’s a great idea to brush up on those social skills. At least, you should have heard about it before.
We will tell you what manners are expected and what you should avoid. We will tell you how you can impress your German partner when going out. We will tell you all about the German manners in your German course.
German business culture
Germans work one of the shortest work weeks in the world and can still be quite productive. In our German course you will talk about the work environment within a German company.
We will tell you about how to obey the strict hierarchy, about the DO’s and DON’Ts when you meet your new boss (to be), how to introduce yourself to your boss (to be) and to your work colleagues.
Is it appropriate to say “Du”? Or will it be better to always go for the formal “Sie”? In our German courses you will learn about what German work places are like.
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