Understanding the German Communication Style
Four points that shock people in week one. Tap a card to read more.
Direct is not rude
Germans say the point. Direct criticism is usually about the task, not you.
What it is: Many Vietnamese newcomers hear Germans as blunt, even rude. That is culture, not a bad attitude. Here, saying the point is respect for the other person’s time. A long detour can sound like you are hiding something.
How to do it: Direct criticism from a trainer or colleague is usually about the task, not you. Answer short: what you understood, what you will change. If you are lost, ask one concrete question. After an important talk, send a few lines by email. That is normal here.
Watch out: ⚠️ Going quiet and staying angry. Smiling yes when you mean no. A long story before the point. In a meeting, saying nothing and then doing it wrong is worse than “I have not understood yet”.
Tip: 💡 Direct is not an insult. If a sentence hurts, ask a German you trust whether that is normal. Before a sharp reply, ask your community or paste the line into ChatGPT. Do not send the message while you are angry.
Read more: 🔗 Handbook Germany — communication, Make it in Germany. The workplace culture often matters more than the national stereotype.
Sie and du
Sie with strangers and bosses. Du only after it is offered. If unsure, stay with Sie.
What it is: Sie is the formal address: strangers, customers, supervisors, offices. Du is informal: friends, familiar colleagues, many start-ups. Study in Germany is blunt: start with Sie unless the firm already says “we use du here”.
How to do it: Listen in week one. Who uses Sie with whom? Wait until the more senior person offers du. You may stay with Sie. A polite line: “Thank you, I prefer Sie at work.” Once you use du with someone, keep it consistent in front of others.
Watch out: ⚠️ Du to the boss because you are young. Du to a customer who still uses Sie. First-name plus du in an official email. In many offices and banks, uninvited du is rude and someone may correct you.
Tip: 💡 If unsure, use Sie. Ask a colleague: “Do we du the boss here?” Before you switch with a customer, ask your trainer. ChatGPT can draft a polite yes or no to a du offer.
Read more: 🔗 Study in Germany — Sie or du at work. Labour law does not fix the pronoun. Company culture does.
Punctuality
8:00 means 8:00. Late? Say so at once. Silence is worse than the delay.
What it is: In Germany, being on time is respect. An 8:00 appointment means 8:00, better 7:55. Late without a message is rude; at work it often gets noted. Guides such as Make it in Germany repeat this for a reason.
How to do it: Set the alarm 15–20 minutes early in case the train slips. Doctor, Bürgeramt, vocational school: arrive early with papers ready. If you are late, text or call at once and say when you will arrive. One line is enough: “Sorry, delayed train, I will be there around 8:20.”
Watch out: ⚠️ “Only ten minutes” and nobody knows. Snoozing the alarm. Walking into a meeting that already started. At a doctor or office, lateness can cost the slot.
Tip: 💡 A message beats silence. Save your trainer’s number and the school number. Before day one, ask a colleague how early you should be. If the train fails, keep a screenshot of the delay.
Read more: 🔗 Make it in Germany, Handbook Germany. House rules at work can be stricter than any guidebook. Ask, do not guess.
Email and writing things down
Lock important talks in a short email. That is professional, not mistrust.
What it is: Germans like to lock important things in writing. The Goethe-Institut says work emails should be clear, polite, and have a subject line. A spoken deal that nobody writes down is how mix-ups start. A short mail after a talk is professional, not mistrust.
How to do it: First mail to a stranger: “Sehr geehrte Frau … / Sehr geehrter Herr …”, close with “Mit freundlichen Grüßen” and your full name. The subject names the topic, not just “Question”. Reply within about one working day, or say when you will. Put a phone number under your name.
Watch out: ⚠️ Emoji only. Sending while angry. Cc the whole firm over a small mistake. Spoken promises about money, leave, or hours with no email are hard to prove later.
Tip: 💡 After an important talk, send four or five lines: what was agreed, who does what, by when. Ask a German to read your first mail to the boss. Unsure of the tone? Paste the draft into ChatGPT and say “keep Sie, make it shorter”.
Read more: 🔗 Goethe-Institut — work emails. Ready-made phrases beat a word-for-word translation from Vietnamese.