Today's words · 🤝 German etiquette
Doing it the German way: 10 words for etiquette
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The secret to an easier life in Germany might lie less in grammar and more in a handful of etiquette words.
It's your first day at work. Your manager says ‘Let's stick to Sie’, but the colleague next to you uses du from the start. And the dinner invitation says seven — should you ring the bell at seven sharp, or a bit later?
Today's ten words come up whenever people talk about German manners. With them you'll make far fewer slip-ups with greetings, forms of address and timing. 🤝
📋 The ten words at a glance
- pünktlich — punctual, on time
- Rücksicht nehmen — to show consideration (for)
- sich siezen — to address each other as Sie (formally)
- die Begrüßung — greeting, welcome
- begrüßen — to greet, welcome
- unhöflich — impolite, rude
- sich benehmen — to behave (oneself)
- die Manieren — manners
- der Respekt — respect
- die Sitte — custom, tradition
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
pünktlich
[PUENKT-likh]punctual, on time(pünktlicher – am pünktlichsten)
📌 Der Zug ist heute pünktlich.
→ The train is on time today.
💡 Punkt (point) + -lich = right on the point of the clock ⏱️
Bonus the noun: die Pünktlichkeit · the opposite: unpünktlich
Rücksicht nehmen
[RUECK-zikht NAY-men]to show consideration (for)(nimmt Rücksicht auf + acc. – hat Rücksicht genommen)
📌 Bitte nehmen Sie Rücksicht auf die anderen Fahrgäste.
→ Please be considerate of other passengers.
💡 Rück (back) + Sicht (sight) = looking back to see who else is there 👀
⚠ It takes auf + acc.: Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen
sich siezen
[zikh ZEE-tsen]to address each other as Sie (formally)(siezt sich – hat sich gesiezt)
📌 Wir siezen uns noch, obwohl wir Kollegen sind.
→ We still say Sie to each other, even though we're colleagues.
💡 Sie turned into a verb 🎩 The informal version is duzen.
Bonus To suggest switching to du: Wollen wir uns duzen?
die Begrüßung
[buh-GRUE-soong]greeting, welcome(Pl. die Begrüßungen)
📌 Zur Begrüßung gab es ein Glas Sekt.
→ There was a glass of sparkling wine as a welcome.
💡 grüßen (to greet) + -ung = a greeting 👋 -ung means die.
Bonus saying goodbye = die Verabschiedung
begrüßen
[buh-GRUE-sen]to greet, welcome(begrüßt – hat begrüßt)
📌 Der Chef begrüßte die neuen Kollegen.
→ The boss welcomed the new colleagues.
💡 be- + grüßen, a cousin of greet 🙌
Bonus A classic opening line: Ich begrüße Sie alle herzlich!
unhöflich
[OON-hurf-likh]impolite, rude📌 Es ist unhöflich, beim Essen aufs Handy zu schauen.
→ It's rude to look at your phone while eating.
💡 un- (not) + höflich (polite) = rude 🙅
Bonus Stronger: frech = cheeky, impudent
sich benehmen
[zikh buh-NAY-men]to behave (oneself)(benimmt sich – benahm sich – hat sich benommen)
📌 Benimm dich bitte, wir sind bei Oma!
→ Please behave, we're at Grandma's!
💡 Every German parent's favourite line: Benimm dich! = Behave yourself! 😤
⚠ Irregular and reflexive: er benimmt sich – hat sich benommen
die Manieren
[ma-NEE-ren]manners(pl. only)
📌 Der Junge hat keine Manieren.
→ The boy has no manners.
💡 Basically English manners in a German coat 🍽️
⚠ In this sense it's plural only: keine Manieren haben. Singular die Manier means ‘style, manner of doing’.
der Respekt
[reh-SPEKT]respect(Sg.)
📌 Wir sollten älteren Menschen mit Respekt begegnen.
→ We should treat older people with respect.
💡 A twin of respect — just say it the German way 🫡
Bonus Colloquial: Respekt! = Impressive! Well done!
die Sitte
[ZIT-uh]custom, tradition(Pl. die Sitten)
📌 Andere Länder, andere Sitten.
→ Other countries, other customs.
💡 Think of old habits that have ‘sat’ (sitzen) in a place for ages 🏘️
Bonus Andere Länder, andere Sitten. = Different countries, different customs.
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
Being on time really matters in Germany. For work meetings people usually arrive on time or a few minutes early, and if you're running late, it's polite to let people know. For a party at a friend's place, arriving a little late is often fine.
When you clink glasses, look the other person in the eye and say ‘Prost!’ or ‘Zum Wohl!’. Looking away can come across as a bit odd.
In many neighbourhoods and buildings, Sundays and nights are meant to be quiet, so lots of people avoid drilling or mowing the lawn on a Sunday. The exact rules vary by area and building. 🤫
✅ Quick quiz
Q. On your first day at work, you meet an older colleague, Ms Weber. What's the safest greeting?
- ① Guten Tag, Frau Weber!
- ② Hallo Anna, wie geht's dir?
- ③ Hey, was geht?
Show the answer
① Guten Tag, Frau Weber!
With adults you've just met, surname plus Sie is the default; switching to du is usually suggested by the other person.
Practise saying ‘Wollen wir uns duzen?’ out loud today. One day a German friend will say it to you first, and it'll feel great! 🥂
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: ⛪ Religion & churches