Everyday culture: Sie and du, punctuality, Sunday rest and recycling
Choose between Sie and du, be on time the German way, know what is open and allowed on a Sunday, and use the small everyday phrases that make you sound at home.
Living in Germany · Start from zero · 20 min · 20 exercises · Start from zero, Living in Germany, High school
You can know every word and still feel lost in Germany if you do not know the small rules: when to say Sie and when du, why five minutes early counts as on time, why Sunday is so quiet, and what to say when someone sneezes. This lesson collects the everyday reflexes that make you feel at home.
Everyday phrases
- Mahlzeit!Enjoy your lunch! (greeting around noon at work)
- Guten Appetit!Enjoy your meal!said before eating, even in the Mensa
- Gesundheit!Bless you! (after a sneeze)literally: health
- Schönen Feierabend!Have a nice evening after work!
- Schönes Wochenende!Have a nice weekend!from Friday noon on
- Wir können uns duzen.We can use du with each other.the older or senior person offers it
- Danke für die Einladung!Thank you for the invitation!
- Kommen Sie rein! / Komm rein!Come in! (formal / informal)
- Soll ich die Schuhe ausziehen?Should I take off my shoes?
- Ja, gern.Yes, gladly. / Yes, please.
- Übrigens ...By the way ...
- Alles Gute!All the best!birthdays, goodbyes, good luck
Inside the platform every word is read aloud by a German voice.
Kaffee und Kuchen next door
Kemal visits his new neighbor Frau Vogel for coffee and cake. Watch the switch from Sie to du.
Sie or du?
Use Sie (always with a capital S) with adults you do not know: at the Bürgeramt, in shops, with teachers, doctors and new colleagues. Use du with friends, family, children and fellow students, and in sports clubs. The switch is offered by the older or senior person: Wir können uns duzen. Ich bin Anke. Answer Gern! Ich bin Kemal. With Sie you use Herr or Frau plus the last name; with du, the first name. Sie takes the same verb form as sie (they): Sie kommen.
Who gets Sie, who gets du?
| Person | Sie or du | Example |
|---|---|---|
| der Beamte / die Beamtin | Sie | Können Sie mir helfen? |
| die Verkäuferin | Sie | Haben Sie Brötchen? |
| der Lehrer / die Lehrerin | Sie (from the students) | Guten Morgen, Frau Weber! |
| neue Kollegen | Sie at first, du when offered | Wir können uns duzen. |
| Mitbewohner in der WG | du | Hast du heute Zeit? |
| Kinder und Freunde | du | Kommst du mit? |
Everyday words
- der Feierabendend of the workday, the evening after work
- pünktlichon time, punctualfive minutes early is pünktlich
- die Pünktlichkeitpunctuality
- die Hausschuheslippers (plural)offered to guests at the door
- der Schuhdie Schuheshoe
- der Kuchendie Kuchencake
- die Einladungdie Einladungeninvitation
- der Nachbar, die Nachbarinneighbor
- der Kollege, die Kollegincolleague, coworker
- das Bargeldcash
- das Pfandbottle deposit25 cents on most plastic bottles and cans
- die Mülltrennungtrash sorting
Inside the platform every word is read aloud by a German voice.
Punctuality and the quiet Sunday
Pünktlichkeit is taken seriously: for an appointment, a class or a visit, arrive five minutes early. If you are late, send a message: Ich komme fünf Minuten später. Sunday (der Sonntag) is a day of rest. Supermarkets and most shops are closed, but a Bäckerei may open for a few hours in the morning, and station shops stay open. The whole day is Ruhezeit: no drilling (bohren), no lawn mowing, no bottles in the glass container. People go for a walk (spazieren gehen) or meet for Kaffee und Kuchen.
Pfand, Mülltrennung and cash
Most plastic bottles and cans carry a Pfand of 25 cents; reusable glass bottles 8 or 15 cents. Bring them back to the Pfandautomat in any supermarket, press the green button and take the Pfandbon to the checkout. At home, sort your trash: Restmüll, Biomüll, Papier, Gelber Sack and Glas by color. Finally, keep some Bargeld: bakeries, kiosks, markets and many small cafés still take cash only, even if cards are accepted in more places every year.
Germans shake hands when they meet and when they say goodbye, look you in the eye and say their name. They are also direct: Nein means no, not maybe, and a short answer is not rude. Before entering a home, ask Soll ich die Schuhe ausziehen? Most hosts say yes and hand you Hausschuhe.
Never switch to du on your own with an official, a salesperson or an older colleague: Kannst du mir helfen? sounds rude at the Bürgeramt. Wait for Wir können uns duzen. Also, do not mix: Frau Vogel goes with Sie, Anke goes with du. And Mahlzeit! is for lunchtime at work or school, not a greeting at 8 in the morning.
The exercises of this lesson
20 corrected exercises in two sessions (discovery, practice), including listening items read aloud by a German voice: multiple choice (4), fill in the gap (5), matching (3), sorting (2), word order (1), translation (3), find the mistake (1), gap text (1). Every answer is corrected immediately, with the rule that applies.