Small Talk & Friendliness
Americans are incredibly friendly — and they (mostly) mean it. Strangers are smiled at, the cashier in the supermarket asks, "How are you today?", the Uber driver tells you their life story, and a neighbor you've never seen before invites you to a barbecue. For Europeans accustomed to a certain reserve, this can seem overwhelming — or superficial.
Important rules of American small talk:
- Always respond to "How are you?" with "Good, thanks! How are you?" — no matter how you actually feel. It's not a real question, but a greeting.
- Acceptable topics: weather, sports, travel, work, food, movies, pets, children.
- Taboo topics (with strangers): politics, religion, money (never ask how much someone earns!), weight/diet, and anything about race — unless the other person brings it up themselves.
- German directness is perceived as rude in the USA. "That's an interesting perspective" actually means "I completely disagree" in American. Learn to read between the lines!
- Americans say "Awesome!" and "Amazing!" about things that are at best "quite nice." It's not an exaggeration, but the normal communication style.
💡 Tipp
When an American says, "We should totally hang out sometime!", it doesn't necessarily mean they really want to meet you — it's often a friendly phrase. However, if they ask for your phone number and suggest a specific time, then they mean it seriously.
