Learn what topics you should avoid during small talk in German
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Intro |
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| Michael: What are some taboo topics in German? |
| Igor: And some things I should avoid doing? |
| Michael: At GermanPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Karen Lee and Anja Alberts are having a good conversation while drinking coffee. Everything changes when Karen asks the forbidden question: |
| "How much do you earn?" |
| Karen Lee: Wieviel verdienst du? |
| Dialogue |
| Karen Lee: Wieviel verdienst du? |
| Beathe Bauer: Es geht dich nichts an… |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Karen Lee: Wieviel verdienst du? |
| Michael: "How much do you earn?" |
| Beathe Bauer: Es geht dich nichts an… |
| Michael: "It's not your business..." |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: You might have heard that people in Germany are usually very open and talkative. Even asking the question |
| Igor: Wie geht’s? |
| Michael: meaning “how are you?” might result in learning everything about someone’s life. Especially outside of business situations, Germans seem to not have any |
| Igor: Tabuthemen |
| Michael: or “taboo topics.” But what are taboo topics? Well, these are topics that are commonly avoided in public discussions, or something that shouldn’t be mentioned while talking to strangers or acquaintances. |
| But, do Germans have taboo topics? |
| Michael: To answer the question, let’s take a closer look at the dialogue. |
| Do you remember how Karen asks "How much do you earn?" |
| Igor: Wieviel verdienst du? |
| Michael: And do you remember how Anja answers "It's not your business…?" |
| Igor: Es geht dich nichts an… |
| Michael: You can already hear from Anja’s reaction that she isn’t happy about Karen’s question. Even though Germans usually chat about all kinds of topics, there are still some topics that make people feel uncomfortable in general. One of those topics is someone’s |
| Igor: Gehalt |
| Michael: or “salary.” In Germany it’s seen as very private information and, unless someone starts to talk freely about their salaries, you shouldn’t ask for it. Also, be careful with talking about your own salary, since some people might think that you are trying to brag about your earnings. |
| Igor: In general, it’s better to not mention it at all. |
| Michael: Actually, finances are something Germans usually don’t like to talk about. Let’s say if you offer someone to go to a restaurant, |
| Igor: Möchtest du heute mit mir italienisch Essen gehen? |
| Michael: meaning “Would you like to go and eat Italian with me?” And the person denies politely without giving any reason, |
| Igor: Nein danke, heute nicht. |
| Michael: meaning “No thank you, not today,” you shouldn’t try to convince the person to go. It might be that the person can’t afford to go out at the moment but would never talk openly about this. You also shouldn’t ask about another person’s financial situation. Just try to read in between the lines and answer, |
| Igor: Gut, dann vielleicht nächstes mal! |
| Michael: meaning “Alright, maybe next time!” |
| Another two very sensitive topics are |
| Igor: politische Meinung |
| Michael: meaning “political views,” and |
| Igor: Religion |
| Michael: or “religion.” Of course, these are not taboo topics per se—Germany is a democratic country where everyone is free to have their own political and religious opinions. Still, those topics might start a fierce discussion since your conversation partner might have a different opinion than yours. That’s why Germans usually don’t start talking about politics and religion unless they are talking with friends about it. |
| You might even hear some people saying, |
| Igor: Eine politische Meinung ist wie Unterwäsche: jeder sollte eine haben, trotzdem muss man sie nicht jedem zeigen, |
| Michael: meaning “Political views are like underwear: everyone should own some, but it’s not necessary to show it to everyone.” |
| Michael: In this lesson, you learned about some topics that it’s better to avoid when talking to people in Germany. It’s only a selection of sensitive topics, but, as a rule of thumb, you can remember not to ask about things you don’t want to be asked yourself. |
| Expansion |
| Michael: Since we’re speaking about taboo and sensitive topics, we cannot forget to mention the elephant in the room. In many pop culture media outlets, Germans are portrayed as though they would feel uncomfortable to talk about the |
| Igor: Drittes Reich |
| Michael: or “Third Reich.” However, this isn’t a taboo topic per se—Germans are fine talking about the past, as long as someone shows enough respect to the victims of the Nazi “reign of terror” or |
| Igor: Terrorherrschaft |
| Michael: This means that jokes about that time in history aren’t appreciated, and people might get offended by them—although, if someone is interested in the point of view of a German person about the events around the |
| Igor: Zweiter Weltkrieg |
| Michael: or “World War II,” and asks politely without the intention of pushing a German person into an uncomfortable situation, many Germans would be happy to discuss their past and explain their view on it from today’s perspective. |
| So, even though this topic seems to be taboo for people outside of Germany, it’s totally fine to talk about in Germany. The most important thing is to remember to choose the right words to not hurt anyone. |
| Cultural Insight |
| Michael: Now,we want to leave you with a final survival tip for Germany. As you might already know, two things are sacred for Germans: their |
| Igor: Bier |
| Michael: or “beer,” and German |
| Igor: Fußball, |
| Michael: meaning “soccer.” If you travel in Germany, and you plan to visit bars and talk to locals you should never criticise German beer or the |
| Igor: Fußballmannschaft, |
| Micheal: meaning “soccer team,” of the city you are currently in. Many Germans would take it as an attack on their honor and would try to prove to you that you’re wrong for the rest of the night. |
| Almost every city in Germany has its own soccer team, and, usually, soccer fans are very proud of their teams. |
| Nobody will harm you for liking a different team, but if you mention soccer, or beer, you might become part of an endless discussion that won’t stop until you agree with your conversation partner. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We’re here to answer them! |
| Igor: Tschüsschen! |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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