Etiquette in Germany: greetings, meals and everyday manners

Germany looks familiar to many Americans at first: big cities, cars, supermarkets, offices. The differences show up in small daily moments, such as how people greet each other, what happens on a Sunday, or what you do with an empty bottle. I lived and worked in Germany, and these customs became routine over time, but in the first weeks they were easy to get wrong.

This guide gathers the customs Americans run into most. Some of them rest on law, and for those I give the legal source. Others are social habits, which vary by region, city and generation, so treat them as general observations rather than rules.

Greetings and forms of address

### Sie and du

German has two words for "you". "Sie" is formal and is the default with adults you do not know, with officials, with shop staff and in most workplaces. "Du" is informal and used with friends, family, children and, increasingly, among colleagues in younger or international companies.

Common practice:

• Start with "Sie" and a surname with "Herr" or "Frau".
• Wait for the other person, usually the older or more senior one, to offer "du".
• Once you switch to "du", switching back would be odd.

### Handshakes and greetings

A handshake is a common greeting at business meetings and when meeting someone for the first time. In shops, bakeries and doctors' waiting rooms, people often greet everyone with a short "Guten Tag" or a regional greeting, and say "Auf Wiedersehen" when they leave. Regional greetings differ; in Bavaria and Austria you will hear "Grüß Gott", in the north "Moin".

Titles matter in formal settings. Academic titles such as "Dr." are often used in address, in letters and on doorbells.

Punctuality and planning

Arriving on time is expected for work meetings, appointments with authorities, doctors and private invitations with a set time. If you will be late, people expect a message. Many Germans plan social life further ahead than Americans are used to, and spontaneous visits without notice are less common.

Appointments are central to daily life. Many offices, including the residence registration office and the immigration office, work by appointment, and online booking systems are common.

Sundays and public holidays

Sunday has a legal status in Germany. The Basic Law incorporates article 139 of the Weimar Constitution, which states that Sundays and state-recognised public holidays remain legally protected as days of rest from work and of spiritual elevation.

In practice, this shapes the week:

• Most shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
• Loud work at home, such as drilling or mowing the lawn, is frowned upon on Sundays, and many local rules restrict it.
• Bakeries, petrol stations, railway station shops and restaurants are often open, under special rules.

Public holidays are partly set by each state, so the list differs between, for example, Bavaria and Berlin. Check your state's list when planning; the city of Berlin publishes its own.

Shop opening hours

Shop hours are regulated. The federal Shop Closing Act (Ladenschlussgesetz) requires shops to be closed on Sundays and public holidays, and on weekdays before 6:00 and after 20:00, with earlier closing on Christmas Eve. Shop hours are now largely set by state laws, and the federal act applies where a state has no law of its own. Many states allow longer weekday hours, but Sunday closing remains the norm across the country.

The practical lesson for newcomers: do your shopping on Saturday, and do not plan to buy groceries on a Sunday.

Bottle deposits (Pfand)

Germany has a deposit system for drink containers. Under section 46 of the Packaging Implementation Act (VerpackDG), producers must charge a deposit of at least 0.25 euros per single-use drink container, and every seller passes it on to the end customer. Retailers must take back empty single-use drink containers free of charge and refund the deposit. Smaller stores under 200 square metres only need to take back the brands they sell.

Reusable bottles, for example many beer and glass water bottles, carry their own deposit. Most supermarkets have return machines that print a voucher you redeem at the checkout. Leaving empty deposit bottles next to a public bin, rather than in it, is a common gesture so others can collect them.

Recycling and waste sorting

Waste sorting is part of daily life, and building rules expect it. The German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) explains the basic streams for packaging:

• Paper and cardboard go into the paper collection, such as the blue bin or a container.
• Glass goes into glass collection containers.
• Other packaging, such as plastic and metal, goes into the yellow bag or yellow bin (Gelber Sack, Gelbe Tonne), or a recyclables bin where one exists.

The agency also asks people to remove advertising brochures from plastic wrapping and dispose of paper and plastic separately, because sorting plants cannot separate them. Organic waste and residual waste have their own bins, and the exact system depends on your municipality. Your landlord or building manager can tell you which bins belong to your building and when they are collected.

At the table and in restaurants

Some observations Americans often note:

• Say "Guten Appetit" before eating, and wait until everyone has been served.
• Tap water is not always offered automatically in restaurants; people often order bottled water.
• Splitting the bill is common. The server may ask "zusammen oder getrennt?", together or separate.
• Tipping is customary but smaller than in the US. People often round up or add a modest amount and say the total when paying, rather than leaving cash on the table.
• Cash is still used more than in the US, although card payments have spread. Ask before you sit down if you only carry a card.

When invited to a home, bringing a small gift such as flowers or a bottle of wine is common. Kaffee und Kuchen, coffee and cake in the afternoon, is a weekend tradition in many families.

Quiet and neighbours

Many apartment buildings have house rules (Hausordnung) that set quiet periods, often in the early afternoon in some buildings and at night. Read the house rules that come with your lease. Neighbours tend to address noise directly, and a polite note or a conversation is the normal way to resolve it.

Directness

Germans tend to give direct feedback, both at work and in private. A clear "no" or a plain criticism is not meant as rudeness. Small talk with strangers is shorter than in the US, but conversations with colleagues and neighbours can become warm once people know you.

Common questions

Are shops open on Sundays in Germany? Most are not. Sunday and public holiday closing is required by the federal Shop Closing Act and by state laws, with exceptions for places such as bakeries, petrol stations and station shops.

How much is the bottle deposit? At least 0.25 euros per single-use drink container under section 46 of the Packaging Implementation Act. Retailers must refund it when you return the empty container.

Should I use Sie or du? Start with Sie and a surname with adults you do not know, at work and with officials. Wait for the other person to offer du.

Do people tip in Germany? Yes, but usually less than in the US. Rounding up or adding a modest amount, stated to the server when you pay, is common.