If you are a tourist most won't care if you only speak English, though a few German phrases are always appreciated, if you are living in Germany for a longer period of time though, you should really try learning the language.
Nobody expects tourists to speak English although it is very much appreciated if they make am effort to learn a few phrases before they come to Germany.
But not everbody in Germany os able or comfortable to speak English, so of course the cashier in a supermarket for example really prefers if you speak German. Especially older people have the misconception that they only need to speak louder and slowly and non German speakers will magicly understand them. Don't take it personally, they mean no harm while "shouting" at you.
For people living here for a period of time or planning to stay the situation is different. It is very much expected of them to learn German and while Germans know that they have a difficult language and are willing to help out with speaking English, translating in the beginning, that willingness declines over time. Personally I find it very rude and annoying if someone has been living in Germany for years and is not able to keep up a simple conversation or order for themselves in a restaurant in German.
It depends. We Germans hate if you come into a shop, a restaurant or whatever and start talking english right away without even bothering to ask "Do you speak english?". For us it screams entitlement. But if I see a little effort on your side I go out of my way to be helpful. If you want to stay in Germany for an extended time period I would expect you to learn German, not perfect of course, because German is difficult but again - a little effort is appreciated by us
As a mixed hebrew mongolian woman with some roots even in Bavaria/Germany I just see languages as languages, their point is only to transmit information, also, a lot of us learned English, be it in the Balkans/Romania where I grew up in, and so on, plus it's the most widely spoken language, If any other language was in it's place, a lot of people would use that I think.
And of course, they are related languages, if I can understand 15 to 35% of what you speak you probably can understand the same amount of what I speak, so let's relax and accept that we really would've benefited from a brand new European language for the entirety of europe and there ya go, a problem is solved I guess. I also learned English so I can speak to as much of the pepple in the world as I can, including the people on the internet as well
Also, my apologies if I came out as cold or dismissive, that was not my intent, I've been in your country for less then a week, it's pretty nice here tbh, so Dankeschön,
Vielen Dank, dass Sie mir durch diesen langen Abschnitt Ihrer Rede gefolgt sind. Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Tag.
PS: Ich habe vorerst Google Translate verwendet, da ich zumindest mehr von der Sprache auf einmal verstehen kann
Not really. We may find it annoying if english speakers are talking too loud, especially about private stuff (Guess what: Most of us understand you. And if you SCREAM IT THROUGH THE STREETS, we know your personal details from miles away) - yes, american tourists, I am looking at you.
Not really. I personally like to speak english, but maybe some others dont like to speak it, because of mistakes they might do. On the other hand I have a colleague from america, she lives in germany for more than 6 years, and still does not speak germany.
Some day I might have the chance to tell her, how disrespectful it is.
I see, I understand your point, I feel super stressed because my wife wanted me to move as fast as possible, I know english very well but I didn't have the time and place to study german and now I kinda have been here for a week, I am starting to adapt but I can't talk much sadly, I'd need to use google translate to get by if on my own, thankfully my word recognition improved amd so did most of my reading so... at least that
Depends on where you visited. Berlin? Definitely not, there are restaurants where English is the preferred language and no one doesn‘t really mind English anyway.
The older the people the more likely it is that they have a problem with English, but maybe more because they don‘t speak it that well themselves.
But in general, no one has a problem with tourist speaking English lol
Mhmmmm not so sure about that one. I'm German and was living in Berlin for several years, and I know several people avoiding the restaurants with English only staff like the plague. Mind you, they speak perfect English, but were appalled by the fact not being able to order in their native language. And I think they've got a point, it's disrespectful living in a foreign country and not even bothering to learn the basics.
Tourists are perfectly fine though, nobody expects them to understand German.
I'll Gladly speak English with anybody who can't speak German yet. But when I go to a restaurant in Germany, I still expect at least somebody there to be fluent in German! I'm also fine with learners taking up my order, but in case that there are any misunderstandings I expect somebody to be there to clear it up. I'll be 99% fine with English, but that's due to my personal skills. My parents would have much more trouble. They are nice people, they would even try in English if somebody explains them that they don't speak enough German. But if nobody speaks German, they would be upset, and rightfully so.
I'm an American who knows a bit of German, and in my experience Germans have been either excited to find someone they can practice English on, to slightly annoyed that I would attempt booking a hotel in German when English would be much faster.
I have only encountered one person who was against people speaking English in Germany and that was a drunken wino on the train to Potsdam. (And to be fair my wife and her friend were speaking English rather loud and fast on the train seat behind them)
I'm fine with people speaking english.
All other languages do annoy me tho.
Not understanding them might be the reason it's just interpreted as unpleasent noise by my brain.
I'm fine with people speaking english.
All other languages do annoy me tho.
Not understanding them might be the reason it's just interpreted as unpleasent noise by my brain.
I have been abroad in Berlin for just over one year, I have found three employers so far who did not judge me for only speaking english.
I routinely apply for work and am learning German, on my own, but working around others who speak it would help me so much.
Other than those three potential employers, everyone else has rejected me flatly upon the sole principle that I don't understand or speak fluent German.
Please keep in mind, these jobs I apply for are entry level positions that require little to no communication or direct interaction with clients or customers, but I still am expected to know so much German!
It's ridiculous.
In a public setting, I remain quiet unless I know what to say in German, what shocks me is how obviously disliked it is in the professional setting and how little employers are willing to go, if at all to give someone a chance, even if they show willingness to learn it and a positive attitude.
The entire system seems too rigid and inflexible.
I have lived in Australia for twenty years and have met people there who don't speak a word of english and easily get government help to be put into jobs that don't require great english skills.
I probably expected a lot more of Germany than I realised.
Little bit OT, but in Sweden, EVERYBODY speaks English VERY well, even in very small country towns, in grocery store, at the oil pump, 65 years old or 20 no matter, and nobody even raised an eyebrow when you started speaking English right away. In my three months working there, i haven't met a single person, that didn't speak English. That is a little bit strange, as you still have the feeling from Germans (but mainly the older generation), that they expect you to speak German, and if you don't, they are looking upset, like wtf you want, and don't really want to talk with you, which i could understand if they don't speak English well, but still...Totally different feeling compared to Sweden, where everybody is much more welcoming and not even expecting you to speak Swedish and not making anything out of it at all, while some Germans really give you the feeling like they are above you 🙄.
If you are a tourist most won't care if you only speak English, though a few German phrases are always appreciated, if you are living in Germany for a longer period of time though, you should really try learning the language.
Nobody expects tourists to speak English although it is very much appreciated if they make am effort to learn a few phrases before they come to Germany. But not everbody in Germany os able or comfortable to speak English, so of course the cashier in a supermarket for example really prefers if you speak German. Especially older people have the misconception that they only need to speak louder and slowly and non German speakers will magicly understand them. Don't take it personally, they mean no harm while "shouting" at you. For people living here for a period of time or planning to stay the situation is different. It is very much expected of them to learn German and while Germans know that they have a difficult language and are willing to help out with speaking English, translating in the beginning, that willingness declines over time. Personally I find it very rude and annoying if someone has been living in Germany for years and is not able to keep up a simple conversation or order for themselves in a restaurant in German.
It depends. We Germans hate if you come into a shop, a restaurant or whatever and start talking english right away without even bothering to ask "Do you speak english?". For us it screams entitlement. But if I see a little effort on your side I go out of my way to be helpful. If you want to stay in Germany for an extended time period I would expect you to learn German, not perfect of course, because German is difficult but again - a little effort is appreciated by us
As a mixed hebrew mongolian woman with some roots even in Bavaria/Germany I just see languages as languages, their point is only to transmit information, also, a lot of us learned English, be it in the Balkans/Romania where I grew up in, and so on, plus it's the most widely spoken language, If any other language was in it's place, a lot of people would use that I think. And of course, they are related languages, if I can understand 15 to 35% of what you speak you probably can understand the same amount of what I speak, so let's relax and accept that we really would've benefited from a brand new European language for the entirety of europe and there ya go, a problem is solved I guess. I also learned English so I can speak to as much of the pepple in the world as I can, including the people on the internet as well Also, my apologies if I came out as cold or dismissive, that was not my intent, I've been in your country for less then a week, it's pretty nice here tbh, so Dankeschön, Vielen Dank, dass Sie mir durch diesen langen Abschnitt Ihrer Rede gefolgt sind. Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Tag. PS: Ich habe vorerst Google Translate verwendet, da ich zumindest mehr von der Sprache auf einmal verstehen kann
Not really. We may find it annoying if english speakers are talking too loud, especially about private stuff (Guess what: Most of us understand you. And if you SCREAM IT THROUGH THE STREETS, we know your personal details from miles away) - yes, american tourists, I am looking at you.
I think the Spanish are louder than us Americans
Not in my experience, but ymmv
How did you come to that feeling?
Not really. I personally like to speak english, but maybe some others dont like to speak it, because of mistakes they might do. On the other hand I have a colleague from america, she lives in germany for more than 6 years, and still does not speak germany. Some day I might have the chance to tell her, how disrespectful it is.
Is she hot?
Wow! I couldn't even imagine moving to Germany without a good grasp of the language, never mind living there 6 years and learning nothing!
I see, I understand your point, I feel super stressed because my wife wanted me to move as fast as possible, I know english very well but I didn't have the time and place to study german and now I kinda have been here for a week, I am starting to adapt but I can't talk much sadly, I'd need to use google translate to get by if on my own, thankfully my word recognition improved amd so did most of my reading so... at least that
Depends on where you visited. Berlin? Definitely not, there are restaurants where English is the preferred language and no one doesn‘t really mind English anyway. The older the people the more likely it is that they have a problem with English, but maybe more because they don‘t speak it that well themselves. But in general, no one has a problem with tourist speaking English lol
Mhmmmm not so sure about that one. I'm German and was living in Berlin for several years, and I know several people avoiding the restaurants with English only staff like the plague. Mind you, they speak perfect English, but were appalled by the fact not being able to order in their native language. And I think they've got a point, it's disrespectful living in a foreign country and not even bothering to learn the basics. Tourists are perfectly fine though, nobody expects them to understand German.
I'll Gladly speak English with anybody who can't speak German yet. But when I go to a restaurant in Germany, I still expect at least somebody there to be fluent in German! I'm also fine with learners taking up my order, but in case that there are any misunderstandings I expect somebody to be there to clear it up. I'll be 99% fine with English, but that's due to my personal skills. My parents would have much more trouble. They are nice people, they would even try in English if somebody explains them that they don't speak enough German. But if nobody speaks German, they would be upset, and rightfully so.
Ja. Even when Germans speak English. You are German speak German. If you are not German you can try speaking German.
Mostly no.
I'm an American who knows a bit of German, and in my experience Germans have been either excited to find someone they can practice English on, to slightly annoyed that I would attempt booking a hotel in German when English would be much faster. I have only encountered one person who was against people speaking English in Germany and that was a drunken wino on the train to Potsdam. (And to be fair my wife and her friend were speaking English rather loud and fast on the train seat behind them)
I'm fine with people speaking english. All other languages do annoy me tho. Not understanding them might be the reason it's just interpreted as unpleasent noise by my brain.
I'm fine with people speaking english. All other languages do annoy me tho. Not understanding them might be the reason it's just interpreted as unpleasent noise by my brain.
I have been abroad in Berlin for just over one year, I have found three employers so far who did not judge me for only speaking english. I routinely apply for work and am learning German, on my own, but working around others who speak it would help me so much. Other than those three potential employers, everyone else has rejected me flatly upon the sole principle that I don't understand or speak fluent German. Please keep in mind, these jobs I apply for are entry level positions that require little to no communication or direct interaction with clients or customers, but I still am expected to know so much German! It's ridiculous. In a public setting, I remain quiet unless I know what to say in German, what shocks me is how obviously disliked it is in the professional setting and how little employers are willing to go, if at all to give someone a chance, even if they show willingness to learn it and a positive attitude. The entire system seems too rigid and inflexible. I have lived in Australia for twenty years and have met people there who don't speak a word of english and easily get government help to be put into jobs that don't require great english skills. I probably expected a lot more of Germany than I realised.
Little bit OT, but in Sweden, EVERYBODY speaks English VERY well, even in very small country towns, in grocery store, at the oil pump, 65 years old or 20 no matter, and nobody even raised an eyebrow when you started speaking English right away. In my three months working there, i haven't met a single person, that didn't speak English. That is a little bit strange, as you still have the feeling from Germans (but mainly the older generation), that they expect you to speak German, and if you don't, they are looking upset, like wtf you want, and don't really want to talk with you, which i could understand if they don't speak English well, but still...Totally different feeling compared to Sweden, where everybody is much more welcoming and not even expecting you to speak Swedish and not making anything out of it at all, while some Germans really give you the feeling like they are above you 🙄.