Greeting Norms

• Hallo - Hello

• Guten Morgen - Good Morning

• Guten Tag - Good Day

• Guten Abend - Good Evening

• Auf Wiedersehen - Goodbye (formal)

• Cio - Goodbye (borrowed from Italian, popular with younger Germans)

• Bis Morgen - See you tomorrow

• Wie ist ihr - What is your name?

Communication Styles

Straightforward and direct speech is appreciated by the German culture, they are polite and the culture follows a formal communication style. Honesty is of extreme importance. They are diligent about thinking before speaking. 

Small talk is not a part of the German culture, the German approach of being direct reduces the risk that people will not comprehend what was said.

Personal space and touching

Personal boundaries are very important, individuals from non-contact culture stand further apart. Hugs are reserved for family and friends, within the German community arms length distance is sufficient. Unless they are close friends, touching someone on the shoulder or arm to illustrate a point is usually appropriate, but can otherwise be seen as a sexual advancement. People prefer not to touch each other during conversation. It's courteous to apologize if you inadvertently knock into someone and say “Entschuldigung” (excuse me).

Eye contact and gestures

Germans, particularly during face-to-face conversations, respect eye contact, seeing it as a sign of sincerity and participation in the discussion. An individual is considered to be untrustworthy and of poor character who does not look you in the eye. With discretion, smiles are used, normally reserved only for close friends and relatives. As is popular in the United States, Germans do not usually smile to demonstrate politeness.