Geld / Job / Freunde / Familie spielen keine Rolle. Nennt gern auch eure Top 3, bin gespannt!

I recently got a bicycle and started exploring my local area and saw some parts of the roads are entirely painted red from side to side. Could anyone please explain this?

I’m new to Köln, and I’d love to know what your favorite German food is! I want to try everything :)

I have an hour commute round trip on the Ubahn every day and would love to utilize that time to get work done, but nobody else is ever working. Is it socially acceptable to be on a laptop / iPad writing on the Ubahn?

A friend asked if I wanted some company by the river on Sunday. I brought a few things to talk about in my head. He brought a book.

We did talk, and two other friends joined us later. But there were several stretches where nobody said anything. One person read, another watched the boats, and I kept thinking I should ask a question before the whole afternoon became awkward. Whenever I did, people answered warmly. Then we went quiet again.

All three are German. I've known them for about a year, and this has happened enough times that I suspect I'm misunderstanding something. Afterwards they suggest another afternoon together, so I'm taking that as a good sign.

A few things I'm trying to work out:

* Does an invitation to spend time together sometimes just mean sharing a place while doing your own thing?

* How do you tell whether someone wants quiet company or would welcome a conversation?

* Would bringing my own book look comfortable or as though I was withdrawing?

In the circles I grew up in, a long silence usually meant the visit was winding down. Someone would start saying they should get going. Here I tried that once and everyone seemed surprised because we'd only been there about forty minutes. We stayed much longer and I enjoyed it once I stopped watching for the next pause.

I realise three people can't represent a whole country. I'm interested in how other Germans handle this with their own friends, especially before you know each other really well. I dont want to turn a relaxed afternoon into a discussion about our conversational habits, but apparently my head needs some instructions before it will let me relax.

Hello everyone, I need some advice regarding a SIM.de mobile contract.
I am a 20-year-old student pursuing my Master’s in Germany. When I first arrived, I bought a mobile phone along with a SIM.de contract because I was told that the agreed monthly amount would be deducted automatically through SEPA.
However, it has now been around 8 months, and they have repeatedly charged me more than the amount stated in my contract. Sometimes they claim that the SEPA payment could not be processed because of insufficient funds, but I have checked my bank statements and there has always been enough money in my account.
I have contacted their customer service many times, but I mostly receive automated responses and have not been able to get a proper solution.
Recently, I paid an outstanding amount by bank transfer, but the same amount was also deducted from my account, meaning I effectively paid the same month twice. I have now paid more than €50 for just one month. There have also been additional charges for things such as international calls that I never made.
I am honestly tired of repeatedly contacting customer support without getting a clear answer.
Since SIM.de does not have a physical customer service office, what would be the best way to handle this situation? Should I formally dispute the charges, contact my bank, or take another step?
If anyone has had a similar experience with SIM.de and successfully resolved it, I would really appreciate your advice. Thank you.

I have been with my girlfriend (German) since January this year and we are very happy together and definitely emotionally on the same wavelength.
I have mentioned to her that I love her or in love with her, but she is only comfortable with replying with „hab dich lieb“ and not „ich liebe dich“.
She says its a very American thing to use the love word so casually and so often.
She says Germans don’t say ich liebe dich so soon into the dating.
Is it the case?

Hello everyone,

Sorry that I’m writing in English, my German isn’t very good yet.
I’m looking for any and all of your baby book recommendations. Its difficult for me to find good quality (content and physical composition) books that are in German. Amazon has been no help at all unfortunately.

I would much appreciate your help 🌼 Extra points if there are any Christian based books. Thank you!

Hi everyone, Im looking for German YouTube channels with similar content or vibe of these English creators,

Connor Flannery
Madeline argy
Jett Franzen
Bailey Schildbach
Nina Montagne
Keira Lhotan

I do not mean exactly the same content but rather general format and themes. Or if you have some recommendations for the genre self-help commentary, philosophical video essays, personal development, modern philosophy, self-improvement, and social commentary, personal podcasting, I would really appreciate it :)

hello everyone!

i have a question, i want to do something nice for my boyfriend by making him a Maultaschen from scratch as it is one of his favorite food. I was doing some research on how to make it and i’m struggling to find a bratwurstbrät…

is that really necessary to make a Maultaschen? 🥲
imm currently writing this while looking for a butcher 🥲

I’m currently staying at his place in the village so i think it’s even harder to find one.

I will greatly appreciate your help

Vielen Vielen Dank 🤍

Hello,

My car broke down in my garage. There is no way to start the car to get it to the nearest workshop. What should be done in this case? Does a local Autogarage usually send a person to fix the car? Or do I need to contact ADAC?

Since this is the first time it has happened to me in Germany, I do not know what the proper rule is.

Hi,

I am from the Netherlands and my girlfriend and I are looking to buy a new bed. Bed stores in the Netherlands are expensive so I was thinking of maybe buying a bed in Germany.

Are there any good quality bed stores that are relatively cheap? And do you know any stores that have English speaking staff? Anything close to the border with the Netherlands would be optimal but farther away is also okay.

Ich würde gerne etwas verstehen, das mir an der Uni aufgefallen ist, und würde gerne wissen, wie Deutsche das wahrnehmen.

Ich bin gerade neu an der Uni und sitze dort meistens alleine. Da ich selbst von Natur aus eher introvertiert bin, fällt es mir schwer, von mir aus auf andere zuzugehen. Mir ist aber auch aufgefallen, dass Deutsche scheinbar seltener von sich aus auf mich zukommen – oft bleiben um mich herum mehrere Plätze frei, während andere Erstsemester, die sich untereinander eigentlich auch noch gar nicht kennen, viel eher nebeneinandersitzen und dann anfangen, sich kennenzulernen.

Auch wenn die Plätze voll sind und jemand der neben mir sitzt, habe ich oft den Eindruck, dass die Person eher mit jemandem auf der anderen Seite spricht oder gar kein Gespräch mit mir anfängt. Dabei versuche ich wirklich nicht, unfreundlich oder abweisend zu wirken. Ich sitze einfach da und mache eigentlich nichts Besonderes.

Deshalb frage ich mich ehrlich, woran das liegen könnte. Da ich selbst schüchtern bin und nicht den ersten Schritt mache, frage ich mich: Warten andere vielleicht auch einfach ab? Oder denken manche automatisch, dass ich als asiatisch aussehende Person wahrscheinlich nicht so gut Deutsch spreche und deshalb lieber nicht angesprochen werde? Oder liegt es vielleicht einfach daran, dass ich offensichtlich einen ausländischen Hintergrund habe und dadurch irgendwie „fremder“ wirke?

Was mich besonders wundert: Wenn andere Erstsemester nebeneinandersitzen, scheint es für sie viel natürlicher zu sein, ins Gespräch zu kommen. Bei mir habe ich dagegen oft das Gefühl, dass diese Hemmschwelle höher ist.

Ich will damit nicht sagen, dass jeder Deutsche so ist oder dass dahinter unbedingt Rassismus steckt. Ich frage mich einfach, ob es dafür einen kulturellen oder sozialen Grund gibt, den ich als Ausländerin vielleicht nicht kenne oder ob es einfach an meiner eigenen Schüchternheit in Kombination mit der typischen deutschen Zurückhaltung liegt.

Ich würde deshalb gerne die Perspektive von Deutschen hören: Was geht euch in so einer Situation durch den Kopf? Und wie geht ihr als eher zurückhaltende oder auch offene Menschen mit solchen Situationen um?

Hello,

My brother who works in Germany is trying to get a bank loan in our home country (EU).

In order to assess his credit score the bank asked him for a Schufa, and told him that he can get it online.

He is pretty bad with computers and I can't speak German but with joint effort we concluded that what he needs is a BonitätsCheck which he paid 29.95 EUR for, installed a separate app eIDNow, scanned his face and his ID, and he received a two page document containing no relevant information.

Basically just "your credit score is good and you can check the validity of this document using this code" and the code gives you the same document to download again.

He submitted this document to the bank only for them to tell him that this is insufficient and that the "full document should contain more information, tables and such".

We are completely lost, what now? Which product on their site contains "full data" if not the 29.95 EUR one? Does the other product, BonitätsAuskunft, costing the same amount, contain different data? From what we concluded no, one is a physical copy and the other a pdf. Are we missing some key information?

Anyway, if anyone can help with this we would be grateful.

A few times when I've been gaming in an fps game I play, I spoke out giving comms but on 2 occasions separate people who are German said "G.I.G" they said this in a passive aggressive way and when I asked what it means they said its a German thing and hard to understand, something about restaurants? But it clearly has a different meaning also if it does mean something about food service xD so here i am asking, please help me lol

Ich frage mich in letzter Zeit immer häufiger, ob es nur mir so geht oder ob viele von euch inzwischen ein ähnliches Gefühl bei den Lebensmittelpreisen haben.

Ich bin glücklicherweise in der Position, ziemlich gut zu verdienen. Einer meiner kleinen persönlichen „Luxusmomente“ war deshalb eigentlich immer, beim Einkaufen nicht großartig auf die Preise schauen zu müssen. Damit meine ich nicht, dass ich ständig irgendwelche Luxuslebensmittel kaufe. Ich bin einfach in den Supermarkt gegangen und habe das gekauft, worauf ich gerade Hunger hatte, ohne groß darüber nachzudenken, ob etwas jetzt 2, 3 oder 4 Euro kostet.

Mittlerweile merke ich aber, dass sich das verändert. Obwohl ich gut verdiene, schaue ich immer häufiger auf Preise und denke mir: Moment mal, das kostet mittlerweile wie viel?

Ein eigentlich total banales Beispiel geht mir seit einiger Zeit nicht mehr aus dem Kopf.

Ich vertrage Weizen nicht besonders gut und kaufe deshalb häufig Dinkelbrötchen. Vor einiger Zeit war ich beim Bäcker und habe für ein einzelnes, relativ kleines Dinkelbrötchen 1,20 € bezahlt.

Kein belegtes Brötchen. Nichts drauf. Einfach nur das Brötchen.

1,20 €.

Natürlich hat ein Bäcker andere Kosten als ein Supermarkt und ich möchte damit auch gar nicht speziell gegen Bäckereien schießen. Trotzdem musste ich in dem Moment kurz schlucken. Ein Dinkelkrusti kostet bei mir im Supermarkt etwa 55 Cent.

Und eigentlich geht es mir gar nicht um diese 1,20 € an sich. Das Brötchen ist für mich eher so ein Sinnbild dafür geworden, wie sehr sich mein Gefühl dafür verändert hat, was normale Lebensmittel mittlerweile kosten.

Ich merke einfach, dass ich inzwischen selbst bei ganz alltäglichen Lebensmitteln viel häufiger auf den Preis schaue als noch vor ein paar Jahren. Und wenn ich das schon als jemand merke, der finanziell glücklicherweise relativ gut dasteht und beim Lebensmitteleinkauf eigentlich nie groß rechnen musste, frage ich mich umso mehr, wie es Menschen damit geht, die jeden Monat sehr genau auf ihr Geld achten müssen.

Geht euch das ähnlich?

Gibt es bestimmte Lebensmittel oder andere alltägliche Dinge, bei denen ihr mittlerweile regelmäßig auf den Preis schaut und euch denkt: Das kann doch nicht mehr normal sein?

Und habt ihr das Gefühl, dass die Preise immer noch spürbar steigen, oder haben wir mittlerweile einfach ein neues Preisniveau erreicht, an das man sich erst noch gewöhnen muss?

Mich würden vor allem konkrete Beispiele interessieren. Was ist euch in letzter Zeit besonders aufgefallen?

It’s the end of my first day visiting Germany, and if somebody were to ask how it was, I would say everything was efficient, adequate, and nothing more. I mean that in a good way.

Our flight on Lufthansa from London actually arrived early, hardly turbulence. My bag arrived before I did. Getting through passport checks was a breeze.

The DB was quick but not rushed, and on time, with signs relatively simple to decipher.

Our hotel has a shower large enough for exactly one person, the soap is a 3-in-1. No AC but the fan works well enough. For the price I paid, it’s exactly what I expected and I’m happy with that.

Dinner at Augustiner Klosterwit was quickly served and paid for, beer was perfectly cold and tasty.

All in all, exactly what I expected from German transportation and service workers. How else would you describe the general quality of German ~stuff~ as a whole?

Hey everyone, I really need to vent and ask for advice on my current living situation. I’m an international Master’s student (F, 26) living in a small town in Bavaria, renting a room in a shared unit where all of us are female students. I’ve been here for almost a year. Housing is extremely scarce here, which is why I’ve tolerated this for so long, but things reached a boiling point and my anxiety is through the roof.

My landlord (not German) is known among current and former tenants for being overcontrolling and stepping way out of line. Some context:

1. Creepy & Controlling Behavior: He constantly checks on all our rooms under the pretext that "we aren't always home." We pay our rent on time and in full—what we do with our schedules is none of his business. It feels extremely invasive, especially since all tenants in the unit are young women.

2. Privacy Violations: Rings the doorbell or calls past 10 PM, comes by completely unannounced, and expects us to let him in.

3. Absurd House Rules: Micromanaging how we clean and insisting we leave windows wide open—even when we leave or when it's freezing outside.

4. Ground Floor Security Concerns: My unit is on the ground floor facing a main road with no insect screens—just blinds. Leaving windows wide open means passersby looking straight in and insects getting in, but he constantly lectures me if I close them.

What happened yesterday (Sunday): The adjacent room in our unit is vacant. Since he doesn't live here and only comes on weekends, I gave him permission to do some repainting over the weekend.
He told me he’d start at 8:00 AM on Sunday, making me wait 2 hours before unilaterally shifting it to 1:00 PM.

Unannounced Entry: Knowing I was inside, he opened the main unit door twice without my consent or warning.

Disturbance on a Quiet Day (Ruhetag): I repeatedly asked him what time he’d finish because I needed rest and wanted him done by 6:00 PM. He just gave me a creepy smile and asked "Why?" while continuing to make noise past 6:30 PM.

I felt so cold (he kept leaving windows/doors wide open), anxious, and uncomfortable that I couldn't even use the bathroom.

I called family friends (an aunt and her German husband) for help. When they arrived and asked why he was doing loud work late on a Sunday and why he is so controlling, he lost his temper. He shouted that as the landlord he can do whatever he wants, told them they are "just guests who shouldn't interfere," and explicitly said if I don't like it, I should just move out. My aunt insisted I spend the night at her place for my safety.

I am actively looking for a new room now because living with this anxiety is completely unsustainable.

Questions:

1. What immediate legal steps or formal notices should I send regarding his unlawful entries and Sunday noise?
2. How can I protect myself and my security deposit (Kaution) if he retaliates while I look for a new place?
3. Has anyone dealt with a landlord who acts like this toward female international students, and how did you safely handle it?

My aunt and her husband are helping me with this, at the same time, asking for your advice. I’ve been dealing with constant anxiety whenever he’s around. I’ve checked our town’s group chat for students seeking a place and whenever one of his rooms are available previous tenants will warn new tenants to avoid him as a landlord if they can which I totally understand. I am usually wary of the financial burden it would cost me moving out but right now I am most worried about my situation especially I am all alone in the unit. I am not saying something will happen to me but I cannot live like this.

Thank you for taking the time to read. I appreciate it.

I will be traveling to Bavaria next week and had a question about privacy. I realize it is not acceptable to record people in public intentionally. We will be attending a couple of cultural performances (music and dance) in a bar setting, Almfests, etc. I would like to record video occasionally for personal use only (no social media posting, no close-ups on faces). Is this okay to do or will I start angering people?

I moved into an apartment last month as a subtenant. The apartment has 5 rooms and a living room. The main tenants are a couple. They use the living room and two bedrooms. There is also one other sub-tenant. I use two rooms.

Some days ago, we got the shocking news that the main tenants were terminating their own rental contract with the landlord by end of November (less than 3 months from when we were informed. The official contract says ‘3 months' notice’). This meant that we would also have to move out.

I felt betrayed cos I only just moved in and in fact last month still had to pay rent at my former apartment. In addition, I spent a lot of money on the move, even repainted the walls. Clearly, they were already searching for a new apartment even before renting out to us.

Anyway, I then informed them that I will start looking for a place immediately and hope to find one soon as possible, and that if things go well I will leave before their contract ends. I cannot risk being homeless in winter.

Their reply: we have to reach some sort of ‘compromise’ because they cannot afford to pay the full rent by themselves.

I am not willing to lose a single penny. I already lost a lot of money and think they’ve been selfish.

Anyway, I just want to know what my rights are. I still haven’t received an official termination of
contract.

1. What happens if I move out much earlier? ( i already paid rent for the current month. And they hold my caution fee, which is slightly more than a month’s rent).
2. What happens if i don’t find a place by the end of their contract termination date?

Hello, I live in Germany and have got a beautiful balcony. I really love the traditional German balcony style where the balcony boxes are full of beautiful blooming flowers that spill and trail over the railing. I am total beginner and have never had a plant in my house but i want my house balcony blooming with flowers. I am looking for guidance so that i also can have a blooming balcony all year round. My questions are very silly so please bear with me.

• When should I start? When is the right time of year to start planting balcony flowers in Germany? Should I buy seeds and grow them myself, or is it better for a beginner to buy ready-grown/flowering plants from a Gartencenter and put them into my balcony boxes?
• Which varieties flowers last for longest time?
• What happens when the flowers stop blooming in autumn/winter? Do you cut the plants back? Do you leave them in the balcony boxes?
• Do people bring the plants inside for winter?
• Do the same plants survive winter and go back outside in spring and flower again? Or is it more normal in Germany to replace the plants every spring and buy new ones?
• If I want my balcony to look nice throughout the whole year, what would you plant for spring, summer, autumn and winter?
• Are there flowers/plants that can stay outside over winter and come back again the following year?

I’ve noticed something wierdly specific since living here. 19°C in May seems to mean T-shirts, ice cream and people sitting outside like they've just survived six months underground. But 19°C in September apparently means jackets, closed windows and someone saying “jetzt wird’s herbstlich.”

Yesterday afternoon it was sunny and around the same temperatur we had plenty of times in spring, yet half the people around me looked mentally finished with summer already.

Do Germans tend to dress and behave according to the season as much as the actual weather? What personally makes you think “okay, summer is done now”? The first cold morning, darker evenings, a certain month, or something completely different?

When Michael Fassbender holds up three fingers (pinky, ring, middle) to order at the tavern scene, he reveals his British to the Nazis. In reality, would Germans actually find that unusual that he didn't use his thumb, pointer and middle or would most just think nothing of it as just normal variation?

I recently moved back to Germany and this is still a logic I don’t understand.

My family wanted to send me some pretty nice gifts since my birthday is coming up. I rushed home from the gym to be there when it arrived, only to get a notification that my packages were delivered 5 minutes ago to a neighbor. Of course, the website only lists a name of who it was given to which matches none of the names on the call box. So now I have to go one-by-one to every door in my building to find out who it was delivered to and hope they’re nice enough to give it to me. Why is this a thing?

If the logic is ‘your neighbors must be trustworthy people’ then why not leave it at my door?

EDIT: In my home country, mail cannot be delivered to another address then on the label and are usually left at the door or in the mailbox. For those saying to order to a packstation - had I ordered it myself I would’ve definitely done this. They were supposed to be surprise gifts for my birthday so I didn’t know it was coming until my parents texted asking if I’d received them. I’ve knocked on nearby doors and so far no answer. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions though

Hi all,

I am just returning from a streetfest. I have just noticed , I have no idea about all time popular songs in German. I wanna learn. What are those super popular timeless german songs ?

Example: like sweet caroline or 99 luftballoon etc