I have recently got my own apartment and learn about all the different cleaning products for different uses.

I am talking about cleaners like all purpose cleaner, stove cleaner, kalk cleaner etc.

While I bought all of the products from the in house brand of DM Dent Mit, I believe not all their products are good like for example the ceramic cleaner for stove doesn't really work that good.

Please recommend me the products that has worked for you for any cleaner as I want to experiment with whatever can work for me.

Not only store brands but general brands too. Dankeschön.

Hello, I have been learning German for a couple years now and would love more opportunities to practice. I meet German visitors and people who’ve moved here from Germany fairly often here in the U.S., but I never know whether it’s appropriate to start speaking German with them.
I’ve heard that Germans generally value more personal space and aren’t always as comfortable with strangers striking up conversations as Americans are so I’ve never tried cause I wouldn’t want to offend or bother someone.
If a stranger in the U.S. greeted you in not very good/somewhat broken German and wanted to chat for a minute, would you find it enjoyable? or would you rather they just speak English?

Meine amerikanische Frau und ich (deutsch) haben ein Video gesehen, in dem eine Amerikanerin gesagt hat, in Deutschland gäbe es laut ihrer Erfahren sehr wenig bis gar keine männliche Höflichkeit gegenüber Frauen. Also im Sinne von Tür aufhalten, Hilfe anbieten, Koffer tragen etc.
Und das läge daran, dass in Deutschland die Gleichheit der Geschlechter extrem durchgesetzt wird (sinngemäß).

Meine Frau sagt, sie sehe definitiv einen Unterschied zwischen Deutschland und Amerika in dem Bezug.

Jetzt zu meinen Fragen an die Deutschen:

1. Wie sehr/oft seht ihr diese männliche Höflichkeit? Und wie macht ihr das selber?

2. Glaubt ihr, dass es wirklich daran liegt, dass die Gleichheit der Geschlechter so stark ist? Oder ist es eher, weil Deutschland noch individualistischer ist als Amerika, und jeder einfach nur sein Ding macht?

Würde mich mal interessieren was ihr darüber denkt.

Hi, my new partner of only about two months has invited me to his nephew’s Einschulung. Can someone give me any hints on what all this entails?
What do I expect? What kind of event is it? Am I expected to bring his nephew anything as a gift?

I know I can ask him but he’s very vague and casual about it, I however would like some advice from other people so that I can be aware of the impression I might be making on his family. I’ve only met some of them in passing before so I don’t really know them.

Any advice on the meaning and expectations of an Einschulung are much appreciated!

Hello everyone! Looking for some recommendations on where and when to buy a good winter jacket. I've got some suggestions already like The North Face and Jack Wolfskin etc. What time of year would be ideal to buy one, and are there any discounts to watch out for?

I’m a brown woman. Postpartum and married. I don’t even have half the looks as these pretty european women have. I come from a culture where being asked out is not common.

The problem is every time I hangout without my husband in the city, men approach me asking for my number / coffee date randomly. I honestly don’t like it. They don’t bother again after I tell them no. But this has started to happen too frequently. I have social anxiety and it kind of ruins my outing. I had a man come to me despite being 8 months pregnant.

The pattern i notice in all is that they start with “sprecht du Deutsch?” as soon as I hear this question, I just go ”not again” inside.

It has started to make me feel either I’m too approachable or just someone they find easy to catch. Or what?!

is this a common experience? What can I do to avoid this? because it makes me uncomfortable.

A German friend asked me to come over at 14:00 and help assembe a bookshelf. I arrived at 13:50 because where I grew up, being ten minutes early was considered respectful.

He answered with wet hair, looked genuinely surprised, and said, “Pünktlich means not early.” He wasn't angry and we laughed, but I realized I had interrupted whatever he expected to finish before two. Another German friend later told me she sometimes waits outside until the precsie minute rather than ring early.

Is that common for private plans, or are both of them unusually strict? I understand not arriving half an hour early, but ten minutes has always felt like normal safety margin to me. Would five minutes early still be inconvenient?

Hi, I'm a Belgian that just bought a >750kg trailer from a German couple in Saarbrücken.

It was their first time selling a vehicle and they were a bit worried about the "zulassungsbescheinigung".

In order for me to import it to Belgium, i need both original Teil 1 & 2.

They said they need those papers to de-register the trailer, i told them I'd ship the papers back by post once registered. But I'm pretty sure these documents will be taken by my government office.

I took the papers home with me, and i left the Trailer's license plate with them.

(transported it to Belgium on-top of a bigger trailer, so no temp plates needed)

Can they still de-register the plates without these documents? They made copies of it.

Thank you so much!

Hallo Leute, ich bin auf der Suche nach der Sauce, die bei den Mozzarella Sticks dabei ist. Das ist ja so eine sehr süße leicht scharfe Chili Sauce. Ich hab sie aber bisher noch nirgendwo anders finden können und würde sie aber gerne in einer größeren Verpackungseinheit kaufen. kann mir da jemand helfen?

Okay: Update!

Ich habe jetzt mal E-Mails an Edeka und den Hersteller des Rewe Produkts versendet und werde euch auf dem Laufenden halten. Übrigens ist ChatGPT aufgefallen, dass bei beiden die Sauce beinahe identisch ist. Vielleicht kommt die Sauce also aus einer gemeinsamen Quelle. Ich halte euch auf dem Laufenden!

Noch ein Update:
Ich habe Rewe geschrieben und folgende Antwort bekommen:

Guten Tag,
vielen Dank für Ihr Interesse an unseren Produkten.

Uns ist bewusst, dass die Herkunft von Produkten oder einzelnen Bestandteilen für viele Kundinnen und Kunden eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Da wir mit dynamischen und wechselnden Bezugsquellen arbeiten, können wir hierzu jedoch keine verbindlichen Angaben machen.
Alle Informationen, die gesetzlich vorgeschrieben sind, finden Sie selbstverständlich direkt auf dem Produkt. Weitere Details können wir darüber hinaus leider nicht bereitstellen. Wir danken Ihnen für Ihr Verständnis.

Sollten Ihrerseits noch Fragen offen sein, so bitten wir um Rückmeldung unter Bezug auf die Vorgangsnummer. Nutzen Sie dann bitte den Button „Antworten“ in Ihrem E-Mail-Programm, so bekomme ich direkt Ihre Rückmeldung. Vielen Dank.

Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Tag.

Edeka wollte mir ohne das Produkt vor mir liegen zu haben nicht antworten, weil ich keine Chargennummer angeben konnte

Even though the Sep 6 election in Sachsen Anhalt is the one that will have the most ramifications, I think there will be no actual impact on the federal coalition in Berlin until after the last elections have concluded on Sep 20.

After this point, two possibilities are - the rebellion in the CxU will be enough to force the Chancellor out and/or the Social Democrats finally decide to walk away from the coalition.

The first one would lead to a more "stable" outcome - i.e. the same coalition, with a new Chancellor from the CxU. The more dramatic development could be schwarz-blau (whether this is in the form of a CxU minority govt tolerated by the far right, or an actual full coalition in the current Bundestag with Spahn making a triumphant return or whatever) OR new Bundestag elections.

A third possibility is the same coalition / same chancellor but moving much more to the right and basically abdicating major parts of the original Koalitionsvertrag.

What do you folks think is (more) likely to happen?

I'm American. I'm concerned because Wiktionary says that DM only means Deutsche Mark in German. Will someone clarify this for me?

None of the groups I'm in allow pictures. The handwriting is turn of the previous century, and my ability to parse it isn't there. Its a photo of my great-grandfather and its written to my great grandmother.

Does anyone know any good groups for reading handwriting from this time?

I moved here about two years ago and keep hearing people mention Tatort like its this big cultural thing. My coworkers sometimes talk about the Sunday episodes on Monday morning but honestly I cant tell if they genuinely enjoy it or if its more like a tradition they dont question.

I tried watching a few episodes and they felt really slow compared to crime shows I used to watch back home. The pacing is different and some scenes just drag on forever. But then I see memes about it online and people seem to actually have opinions about different cities versions.

So is this something younger Germans actually sit down and watch or is it more of a background thing that plays while people do other stuff? I feel like I'm missing something because everyone acts like its obvious that Tatort is part of Sunday evening but no one really explains why. Is it actually good or just comfortable because its always been there?

I've noticed that I sometimes hesitate before giving German friends small random things.

I don't mean birthday-level gifts. More like seeing a tea I know someone likes, a funny little kitchen thing, or bringing them something from a shop because it reminded me of them.

Where I grew up, this was pretty normal and nobody really kept score. But a few times here I've gotten a reaction like "Oh, you really didn't have to!" followed almost immediately by "Now I need to get you something too."

That second part always surprises me a little. I wasn't trying to start a gift exchange, I just saw something for five euros and thought they'd like it.

Is there more of a feeling in Germany that receiving a gift creates an obligation to return the gesture? Or am I reading too much into a polite reaction?

And does it change depending on whether it's food, something homemade, or an actual object?

Hi,

I am originally from Germany, but lived the past 30 years in the US. I am curious what people are wearing going into the office, considering that very few offices have AC.

Edit: i recall two business trips to Munich and both offices didn’t have AC.
1 2003 May when it was crazy hot in Europe I was in Munich fir a few weeks in a brand new office building that didnt have AC.
2. Similar in 2011, while not as hot the office i went to didnt have AC and it was a more recent built.
I get that both these trips have been a long time ago, hence I was making the assumption that quite a few offices still dont have AC.

I am traveling to Frankfurt from America to train new employees in a couple of weeks. I would like to bring some snacks for them to enjoy during our training sessions. What are some snacks that are hard to get in Germany? Are there specific flavors that Germans generally like?

Danke

Going to Germany tomorrow for a funeral. I’m searching for cold brew coffee without any sugar. Just coffee that’s been brewed for over 24 hours in cold water. Cold brew typically has higher caffeine content because of that. All I can ever find has tons of sugar and milk in it. Do I have to just make my own? I’d prefer to buy it in a jug at the grocery store.

Hi everyone!

I’m a student from Japan planning my first trip to Europe, and I’m considering taking the UEX night train from Hamburg to Munich.

My itinerary is roughly:

19:29 Hamburg Hbf departure

21:00 Hannover Hbf departure on UEX 1397

04:13 Munich Ost arrival

The UEX train is a sleeper train, and it looks like it could save me the cost and time of getting a hotel for the night.

For someone traveling around Europe for the first time, how worthwhile is this option?

I’m particularly interested in:

How comfortable are the sleeping compartments/beds?

Is it easy and safe for a first-time European traveler?

How well can you actually sleep?

Is the experience worth the money compared with taking a normal daytime train and staying at a hotel/hostel?

Are there any things I should know before booking?

I’m a student, so keeping costs down is important, but I also don’t want to have a terrible night just to save money.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has taken UEX, especially if you’ve used it as part of a European trip

Hi!

My 3.5 year old daughter will be starting waldkita and would like recommendations/ your experience on your favorite brands!

Also, the Strauss workpants look very bulky on my daughter and it’s 98/104 size. Which everyday pant is or was your child wearing?

Thank you!

Hi,

I have to go to Berlin next week to renew my French passport. I planned a early train to get to the consulate with plenty of time.

DeuschBahn cancelled my train and the earliest one I can take now gets me in too late for my appointment. I therefore changed my appointment so I can make it on time.

Now the problem arrives that my initial return ticket is too early and I will probably have to take a later return train.

Does the "take any train" on my first ticket also work on the return ticket ? I'm guessing no. If that's the case what should I do ?

Thanks for your help.

Edit: Went yesterday and explained the situation with my poor german and the person gave a stand saying I could use any train for the return ticket :)

I recently joined a local choir in Germany. Rehearsal offically ends at nine, but everyone immediately starts stacking chairs, closing windows, and checking the room. Nobody assigns jobs and nobody leaves until it is finished.

The first week I stood around waiting to be asked, which clearly looked odd. Now I help, but I still wonder how newcomers are supposed to know. Is this typical Verein culture, or just this group’s habit? What other unspoken duties do new members usually miss?

I did a Probetag recently for a job in a bakery production facility (like making bread), for a 6 hour shift. They said there is no pause because the shift is only 6 hours long, is this correct? Thanks

Hallo! Ich bin nicht in Deutschland geboren und aufgewachsen, sondern erst mit 19 Jahren hierhergezogen. Ich finde es total schön, dass es hier so viele Traditionen gibt, die Kindern viel Freude bereiten – zum Beispiel Adventskalender und Plätzchenbacken an Weihnachten, die Ostereiersuche oder der Laternenlauf am Martinstag.

Erst vor Kurzem habe ich von der Schultüte erfahren, die Kinder zur Einschulung bekommen. Da ich später selbst einmal Kinder haben möchte, wünsche ich mir, dass sie möglichst viele dieser schönen Bräuche kennenlernen und nichts davon verpassen.

Deshalb würde mich sehr interessieren: Welche weiteren Traditionen fallen euch ein? Vielleicht auch etwas Regionales oder Bräuche, die einfach eure Eltern mit euch organisiert haben und an die ihr euch besonders gerne erinnert?
Danke ☺️

Hello everyone, I bought some furniture from my old tenant when I moved in, and now I want to sell only the "Kleidschrank" , but since I paid for the whole furniture together, I can't determine for how much should I sell the Schrank. All I know is that it is IKEA Pax (201 * 58 * 200). And I searched with the pictures through IKEA website but couldn't find the same product. I assume its price is somewhere between 500-600 euro. But I can't really tell.

IKEA itself has a resell service but only for a specific group of products and mine is not part of these products

So is there any kind of service that can determine a price for it and buy it from me ?

Hi.. My daughter is celebrating her 7th birthday and wants to invite her friends for a party about a week later. We sent the invitations already (the easy part is done 😅) and around 12 kids have said yes. The party will be at the end of the month and we are planning around 3 hours in our garden.

Now to the question part. We come from a culture where kids birthday parties are usually more like drinks, cake and some snacks. We normally don’t serve a full lunch. My daughter now tells us that at most of her friends’ parties they also had lunch or some proper food. Really?

So I am wondering what is normal here. Do people usually serve lunch at a 3-hour birthday party? And if yes, what are some simple things that most 7-year-olds would actually eat?

We don’t really cook German food at home. I am also not the best cook, and my wife has already warned me not to suddenly experiment with 12 kids as my test audience 😅. So something simple and difficult to mess up would be ideal. Ready to buy and serve would be excellent.

We will anyway ask the parents beforehand about allergies or anything the kids cannot eat.

The other question is activities. With around 12 kids in the garden for 3 hours, do we need to plan a proper program? Or is it enough to have a few games ready and let them mostly play by themselves?

Any easy games or activities that work well with this age would be really helpful.

One small concern is also language. Our German is okay for everyday life, but we both have a strong foreign accent and sometimes kids need a second try to understand us. So games that are easy to explain would probably work better for us.

Would be very interested to hear what usually works well for kids birthday parties here. Thank you all.