Find good conversations

Let’s start with the good themes. Luckily there are a lot of topics to talk about without a thought. Germans are very open and therefore, here is a list of examples, to talk about. Of course, the list is not complete but gives you a good introduction to start the conversation.

1. Sports: Sportevents are always well suited because they are neutral. Everyone can say something about it, many Germans themselves are members of a club. Sports topics (football, tennis, motorsport are popullar here) are therefore very suitable. Perhaps you practice a sport by yourself, then that is all the better.

2. Weather: the weather is not necessarily exciting but it is a good topic because it affects everyone. Talking about the constant rain or the great summer weather is always a good topic to start a conversation with Germans.

3. Locations: talk about the place where you meet. If it’s a bar, talk about the decor, the music, the atmosphere there. When you meet in the city („Have you found this place quickly?“), talk about buildings, architecture, parts of the city. The location is a common ground, concerns both of you and really everyone can say something about it.

4. Travel plans: it does not have to be a trip around the world. Even the trip to the next city or the wellness weekend at a nice place is quite good. The reason is simple: most German people travel with pleasure and look forward to tips. Perhaps your conversation partner was already at the destination – then an exciting conversation is guaranteed. Be careful with travel travelogue, it might cause envy. We also recommend the article Holidays with friends in Barcelona.

5. Local news: when a new public pool has just opened or a festival is taking place near you, a town founding or street festival – then be happy, cause you have great stuff to talk about. Local topics are best suited for conversation because they concern everyone, are interesting and provide your counterpart with news. Inform yourself regularly about what is happening in your environment.

Bad topics for a conversation

A friendly conversation can quickly become a hot discussion when the wrong topics are addressed. To protect yourself from danger, here is a list of critical topics that you should not talk about:

1. Family: the family is actually a good topic. If the person has no family, is very lonely, or family members have died, then do not address the family. In this case, the evening can be very negative.

2. Finance: Americans like to talk about money, but Germans do not. It is an absolute taboo to talk about salary, income or expenses. Only really good friends talk about that and it might take years till they talk about money.

3. Diseases: Diseases are a very intimate subject. While you can still laugh together (positive) about a runny nose, a cancer or other suffering is more than negative. So do not talk about diseases.

4. Your job: of course, your work can be quite interesting. Nevertheless, you should reduce the professional to a minimum. It does not interest anyone what colleague A to colleague B said yesterday. Even the details of your professional content can get bored very quickly.

5. Sex: even if you are so interested, do not talk about sex. It is a very intimate topic and you should wait with all questions until the relationship is solidified. Even in a very good friendship, the subject can still be taboo. So be very careful and reserved.

6. Problems: a wide-ranging topic is problems of all kinds. For an initial conversation, do not talk about your problems, do not talk about what is bothering you. Depression, pain, negative experiences are bad topics for the first learning, because negative topics draw the entire conversation down.

7. Politics: it is generally difficult to discuss politics, because the opinions here can go very far apart. You should therefore avoid political issues or only address them if you are really 100% sure that the other person shares your views. This is the case, for example, when you meet at a political event.

When should I change the subject?

Each topic is more or less interesting. In addition to the selection of topics, it is also important to change the topic at the right time. Here are a few tips: Pay close attention to your counterpart: if you are interested in listening and asking questions, everything seems to be fine. If someone is loosing contact to your eys all the time, it migt be uninteresting. In this case, you shold change the subject.