20 Questions & Answers in German Smalltalk

Hello. Hello, Anna. Do you know that? You meet an acquaintance, neighbor, or coworker and just don't know how to start the conversation. No problem. I'll help you. Here are 20 Smalltalk questions and answers. Let's get started. So that the small talk also flows smoothly, Is it important that you ask open questions? also known as W-questions. These are questions that begin with a W. When, how, where, why, how often, and so on. For example, what did you do on the weekend? This question is phrased in such a way that the other person At the very least, respond in one sentence. That ensures that even a genuine conversation comes about. On the other hand, if you ask yes-or-no questions, It might be a bit difficult with communication. Often, a simple yes or no is sufficient then. As a reply, and then the conversation is over. For example, did you go on vacation? No, boom, the conversation is over. Of course, one usually replies out of politeness, Something more detailed or also poses a counter-question. But for good small talk, open questions are naturally ideal. We also begin with the first and probably most well-known question. and a few response options regarding Smalltalk in Germany. How are you? If we ask informally, we say "How are you?" And if we ask formally, How are you? Or how are you? Also just casually with good friends and acquaintances Everything good with you? Or how's it going? Or everything's fine? Or just simply yeah? The response options are then "Thank you, I'm fine, and you?" Or so far, so good. How are you? I can't complain. And how about you? All good with me. How's it going with you? You're all set, you can just say, Of course. All's well. And you? Respond. And on Na, you can just say yes, everything's great. And you? Of course, those were just positive responses. If you're ever not feeling well, you can also say this. That's how it is. I've felt better before. It wasn't going so well. No, nothing is going well. Or typically German: Yes, it must. Yes, it must. It means, I'm not doing well, but I'm continuing anyway. Very authentic, if you say so. The next Smalltalk topic or question. What does the family do? What are the children doing? We ask this question when we already know the person a little better. Of course, we wouldn't ask a stranger something like that. Answer options. My family is doing well, my children are fine. Of course, you can always keep the conversation going with a counter-question. For example. And how are your family and your children? If you say that my family or my children are doing well, Do you also still have the possibility to briefly tell me what she is currently doing? For example, the children are just at kindergarten. or currently attending a swimming course and so on. The next Smalltalk question. How was your weekend? Or formally. How was your weekend? The answer option. Thank you for asking. I had a relaxed weekend at home. Or very beautiful. We were at the zoo with the children. Also possible. Great. I was at a concert or a birthday party. And if it wasn't good, you have these options. A bit boring. The weather was bad. Or. I'm afraid I had to work. How was your weekend? Of course, one doesn't have to tell everything in detail, just enough so that one feels comfortable and a conversation flows naturally. If one does not wish to talk so much about oneself, However, if you want to continue the conversation, you can use the trick of asking a counter-question. Then just let the other person tell it. Onward we go. How was your vacation? Or formally: How was your vacation? Answer options. Perfect. We were able to rest very well. Or. Very nice. We had plenty of sunshine and delicious food. Or. Dreamy. I would have liked to stay longer. If the vacation wasn't as good as expected, you can say this here. Unfortunately not so beautiful. The weather didn't cooperate. The weather didn't cooperate. The weather was not as nice as we had actually hoped. Or. We had imagined it a bit differently. The hotel was bad. Or the standard response, which of course is not negative, but rather should be understood positively. Nice, but unfortunately far too short. How was your day or your week? Answer options. So far, very good. Or. Good, thanks for asking. And how was your day, your week? If you didn't have a good day and a good week, Then you can answer this small talk question like this. Very stressful. I had a lot to do. Or. Exhausting. I had many appointments. Smalltalk question number six. What have you planned for the weekend? We can therefore not only talk about whether the weekend, the week, or the day was but what the future plans are for those respective days. Also we ask, what the person will be doing in the future planned for a specific period of time. Answer options. I am going on a trip. Or. I'm going to a concert. Or. I'm visiting my family. Also possible. I have been invited to a wedding. And of course you don't have to have any plans for the weekend. If that's the case, just say so. I have not made any plans. Or. I don't have any weekend plans. I don't have any weekend plans. Next question. What do you do for a living? Answer. I am a dot, dot, dot by profession. For example. I am a dentist by profession. Or. I am a pilot by profession. Or. I am a lawyer by profession and so on. We can also phrase it differently. For example. I work as a. I work as a pilot. I work as a lawyer. I work as a dentist and so on. An important note. In German, do you say professions or talk about one's own profession? without mentioning the article. Also I'm not saying. I am the doctor, rather I am a doctor. I'm not saying that either. I am a doctor, nothing more. I am a doctor. I am a teacher. I am an engineer. I am a mathematician and so on and right away. You must remember this. Next Smalltalk question. Have you studied or completed an apprenticeship? Answer options. Yes, I studied Dot, Dot, Dot. For example, I studied medicine. Or. Yes, I completed training as a bank clerk. Or if you are a male person. I completed an apprenticeship as a banking clerk. Here, you can optionally add where you studied. Yes, for example, I studied linguistics in Bonn. Or I studied media and communication sciences in Cologne. Smalltalk Question Number Nine. Where are you from? Moreover, this does not always necessarily refer to the country, but perhaps also to the city, town, or region one comes from. So it means that Germans ask this question of each other Sometimes even when they are just getting to know each other. Therefore, don't take it personally and don't think they mean it maliciously. It's just a small talk topic and shouldn't be overvalued. Where are you from? Answer I come from. If it is a country. I come from Spain or I come from France. If it is a city. I am from Cologne or I am from Berlin. And if it is a region or a federal state. I am from Baden-Württemberg or I am from the Saarland. If you would like to respond in greater detail, you can also say I come from France, from a small town near Paris. Also from the country, from the place, near. I come from France, from a small town near Paris. Here is a small note. There are some countries, as you surely know, that have an article. also Switzerland, Ukraine, Turkey, and so on. Don't forget to take the article. I am from Switzerland. I am from Turkey. I am from Ukraine. We have now arrived in the middle. Smalltalk question number ten. How long have you been learning German? When you meet new people, you'll naturally have to tell them something about yourself. And surely you will also mention that you are currently learning German. Many then become interested in how long you've been learning. Of course, you can also ask this question to someone else, especially since you just met them in a German course. How long have you been learning German? Answer options. I have been learning German for ... days, weeks, months, years. For example. I have been learning German for one month. You can also shorten the sentence by using "since" from the start. For two months, for two years. Period. If you wish, you can also add further information. For example. For two months now, and I would like to take the B2 exam soon. Smalltalk question eleven. How many languages do you speak? Answer options. I speak five languages. My native language is Italian. Moreover, I speak English, Spanish, French, and a little German. or even a bit more German. I speak five languages. My native language is Italian. Moreover, I speak English, Spanish, French, and German. Question twelve. When was the last time you were in your homeland? Answer options. Some ... weeks, months, years ago. For example. Two weeks ago, three months ago, a year ago. Or the longer version. I was in my home country two months ago. Also possible. I haven't been there for a long time. You can also add, for example. But I plan to fly there again next summer. Or, honestly, I don't know when I'll be flying there next. Honestly, I don't know when I'll be flying there again. Onward we go, and now let's move away from the topic of languages, homeland, and origin. This is about a topic that Germans absolutely love bringing up in small talk. Until next time. Are you more of a dog person or a cat person? Oh man, I'm just imagining a person there in a cat costume or a dog costume right now. That can really be misunderstood. Something like a mix of cat and human or dog and human. It just occurred to me right now. Well, whatever. Also, are you more of a dog person or a cat person? It's just a simple question about whether one prefers dogs or cats. Also, possible answers are. I'm more of a dog person. Or I'm more of a cat person. Or I like both. That is certainly the more diplomatic response. And if you like neither dogs nor cats, you can simply say, I am neither a dog person nor a cat person. I have no pets. Question 14. What specialties does your country or region have? By specialties here, food is meant. And just like all people around the world, Germans naturally love talking about food and are also very curious. when it comes to specialties from other countries. After all, if you've been living in Germany for a while, you've surely noticed that we are great fans of international cuisine. Of course, you could also ask a German person the other way around. After all, Germany also has regional specialties. In addition, each of the different federal states in Germany typically has one or more special dishes that are frequently eaten there. For example, in Bavaria, the white sausage and the pretzel. And so on. Depending on which country you're from, you can then respond. In my hometown, there's point and point, and then briefly explain what the dish looks like or what it consists of. After all, we have the internet and a mobile phone these days, so you can show a photo of it and briefly explain what the ingredients are. For example, if you're from Japan, you could say, "In Japan, there are gyoza." These are dumplings filled with meat and vegetables, similar to German Maultaschen. That is just an example. The next question is about astrology, namely, what is your zodiac sign? What's your zodiac sign? You can respond, for example, Taurus, Leo, Pisces, and so on for zodiac signs. I am Punkt Punkt Punkt from the zodiac sign. You don't know how the zodiac signs are called in German? No problem. Here is a list. Aries, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The next question. Possible answer. For example, the discounters. A very funny series. And then you can explain what the series is like. Funny, witty, exciting, sad, interesting, and so on. Or my favorite series is and then the name. My favorite series is the Discounters. By the way, I genuinely recommend this series to you, as it's very funny and an excellent way to become proficient in German. Above all, colloquial and casual German, that is, slang. Since we're already talking about series, we might as well talk about music too. What music do you listen to? Possible answers. I like listening to pop, rock, hip hop, classical music, and so on and right away. Or I listen to different music genres. I listen to different music genres. From the series about music to the book. Question 18. Possible answers. I'm currently reading the winning formula. It is about that. I am reading right now or I am currently reading. Title of the book and then a brief explanation. It is about that. Or a book that has particularly shaped me is a book that has particularly shaped me is. When something or someone shapes you, it means that a particular thing or person had a lasting influence on you. She also did something to you that changed you or caused a shift in your thinking. The penultimate question is from the cat-and-dog person to the city or country person. Are you more of a city person or a country person? Does it mean, do you prefer the city or the countryside? The city is clear, for example large cities such as Berlin or London and so on and so forth. Land, in this case, actually refers to a settlement, meaning a place with plenty of nature, little traffic, and no tall buildings. City or country, city or village, so to speak. Possible answers are then. I am more of a city person, because—and here you can argue. Why do you prefer the city? For example, because there are many shops here, because there are many cafés, because there are public transportation options, and because a car is not needed. Or else I'd rather live in the countryside, because I prefer living in the countryside, for example, because I like nature or because it's so quiet. And the last question is, after you've probably already been talking to someone for quite some time and have told them about your background, they might just be curious to know how you actually like it in Germany. In turn, you can ask the other person whether they have ever been to your hometown, and if they would like to go there, for example, which places you would recommend they visit. Also that means you'll probably be asked the question: How do you like it in Germany? And here's my tip: always stay nice and positive. Of course nothing here is perfect, and the Germans know that too. It's not advisable to introduce heavy negativity into a casual topic like this. It's better, for example, to say: I really like it here, but I still need to get used to the bureaucracy. You see, you started the sentence positively and nicely wrapped up what might not have pleased you so much in a diplomatic way. And every German can empathize with you. I promise you. You don't have to get annoyed, or you don't have to complain and grumble. That is quite enough to tell them yes, bureaucracy is truly effective. And please, please don't make the mistake of starting right away and saying, "It's terrible here." The Germans are so distant. Bureaucracy is a catastrophe, because it actually creates even more distance. After all, you're currently in a situation where you're talking to a German person, and you're trying to establish a connection right now. If you start with negative things now, you'll create distance between you. And that is precisely what you want to avoid. Also be positive and diplomatic. That is the motto. Well then. I really hope you enjoyed this video and, of course, found it helpful. If yes, please like it, subscribe to my channel, and turn on notifications so you don't miss any of my future videos. See you next time.