Despite recently complaining every single day about the disastrous spring weather in Hamburg, one thing is for certain:

I love living in Germany.

Who knows how long I’ll live in Hamburg. I used to think I would live in New York City until I died, and well, here we are. So while I’m not sure how long my infatuation with this charming, grey city will last, I have committed to diving into German life as much as possible, from learning the language to biking everywhere, rain or shine. But there are a few “Germanisms,” as I like to call them, that I’m still getting used to, even after 1.5 years in Germany. Things that are just so strange to the average American, that no matter how many times I run into them, they make me chuckle, bristle, or just stand there asking “WHY?!”

So without further ado, let’s get into my 5 favorite Germanisms!

(Notey McNote Face: I have only lived in three countries in my life, thus far: The United States, Portugal, and Germany. Maybe some of these things aren’t just Germanisms, but non-American-isms. Should you have strong thoughts on the topic, please chime in with a comment at the end of the page.)

1. Bed Talk

There are two very strange things to me about German beds. First of all, should you want a size up from a double bed in Germany, you will most likely be greeted with the weirdest invention ever (in my personal opinion): Two twin beds smashed together with a divot the size of the Grand Canyon in between. Slap a king-sized fitted sheet on top and call it romance!

I’m not kidding. It’s a common thing in hotel rooms and private bedrooms and I just don’t understand it. How have the dimensions of a king-sized mattress not made it across the ocean from the US? Perhaps it’s German practicality at its finest: Why produce an additional mattress size when you can just smash two smaller ones together?

I think the reason I have such strong feelings about this Mattressgate is because I’m a cuddler; Before eventually falling asleep, I want to get all cozy in someone else’s arms, and slowly drift off, before turning over to my own pillow. Well that bliss comes to a crashing halt when you have to parkour your way over the river and through the woods to get to said pillow, on the other side of a deep crevice. (I’m being dramatic. But give me a double bed any day to avoid this two-mattress nonsense.)

The second weird thing about German beds? Ok, growing up, when I made the bed, there was the fitted sheet, the top sheet, and then the comforter/duvet/quilt on the very top. Am I the only one? Because here in ol’ Europa that top sheet is nonexistent. There’s just a fitted sheet and then a duvet (and some weird, square pillows). No layer in between. When I first arrived in Hamburg, I remember looking through the linen closet in my Airbnb, trying to find the missing sheet. In all honesty, I don’t know if the sheet is even necessary, but between that and the double mattress debacle, it’s safe to say Germans do things in bed a bit differently.

(Pun intended.)

2. Germans Like to Luft!

What the heck am I talking about? In German, “luft” literally means air. And by gosh by golly, do Germans love to air things out. Never in my life have I opened the windows so many times in the winter. Seriously, it’s common practice in Germany to “Lüften” (the verb form of luft) on the daily, opening all of the windows in an apartment or home, no matter the temperature, to get air circulating. In fact, it’s even written in most rental contracts in Germany that you will routinely “luft” the spirits of your home. In the height of the pandoozy, Lüften was actually a part of the German measurements put in place to try and improve the situation. In my German class, every 15 minutes it was required that we open all of the windows for 5 minutes… even when it was 5 degrees outside. We were certainly awake!

But this is a Germanism that I have grown very fond of. Even in the dead of winter, opening up the windows and moving the stale air out of a room, and letting the chilly, crisp air in, feels weirdly refreshing. So I’m team luft!

3. Paying for Water

This is more a European thing than a German thing, but regardless, here’s where I become the obnoxious American: Why do I have to pay for water?

Sit down at any restaurant in Germany, and 9 times out of 10, water will not be waiting for you. As a person who consumes a ridiculous amount of water, I have accepted that I will always order it, because I’d rather be hydrated than rich (what a sad choice). But I would be over the freaking moon if Germans could adopt some New York City hospitality and plop down a bottle of tap water on the tables, without charging me $5 (the average price for ordering a large bottle of water in Germany).

4. Sundays

Yes, Sundays exist here. (Shocking, I know.) But Sundays are quiet days in Germany, where shops shut their doors and you’re meant to enjoy the time with people instead of running errands. And I kind of love it. No grocery shopping on Sundays. No retail therapy on Sundays (unless it’s online). And no hassle on Sundays. Seriously, strolling through Hamburg’s city center on Sundays is so relaxing. Everyone is slowly milling about with coffee or meeting friends in cafes, without the frantic energy of having to be somewhere else or cross things off their to-do list. Sunday seems to be a super popular day to eat out, as restaurants and bars are basically the only things open, and now that it’s allowed again, I will happily be contributing to the German economy on Sundays!

5. Zu Verschenken

Allow me to butcher this in an effort to help you say this phrase: Tsu Fair-SHANK-ehn

This literally translates to “for free” or “to give away” and if you stroll along any residential street in Hamburg, you’re guaranteed to see small baskets with a scrap piece of paper labeled with “Zu Verschenken.” In those baskets, you will find the MOST random assortment of things that people have decided they no longer want or need, but might add value to someone else’s life. Everything from books to juice glasses to small, random appliances. And these baskets of free things are everywhere! The idea of it is stupidly simple: Want to get rid of something in your flat? Put it outside with a sign telling people they can take it. From what I’ve perused, 90% of the time it’s really not great stuff, but the idea of it is so sweet. Like a DIY Goodwill on your doorstep.

+1 Bonus: Pfand

Ah yes, the bottle deposit system in Germany. In addition to having a complex trash sorting system, Germans take bottle deposits (Pfand) very seriously. Weirdly enough, I remember seeing people collecting bottles to return in New York, but it was mainly a thing that I observed homeless people doing, for the spare change. And now that I think of it, I don’t know why it isn’t a more common thing in the US.

Basically, in Germany whenever you purchase beer, soda, or anything in a standard glass bottle, you pay slightly more than the actual cost, and are then expected to bring the empty bottles back to the store, where a fancy machine will eat them and give you a small slip of paper which can be redeemed in the store for the value of the glass (or plastic). It’s a pretty cool system, in my opinion, and also very easy to figure out. Every grocery store has a bottle eating machine, and I strangely get a kick out of watching it sort and value each bottle. (The past few months have been thrilling, let me tell you…)

Oh! But in addition to this applying to bottles in the supermarket, oftentimes at Christmas markets or other outdoor markets, you’ll pay a Pfand when you order your first round of drinks, and when you return the glass or cute, Christmas-y mug, you’ll be refunded the deposit fee.

(Or you can ditch the Pfand and keep the mug to add to your collection of Gluhwein holders...)

One of my favorite parts of living abroad, and traveling in general, is being exposed to new things. Changing the perspective of “oh, that’s weird” to “I wonder why this is different, let me investigate.” I’ve learned so many things from the different people and places I’ve been in the world, and 90% of the time it leads to positive and purposeful changes (like airing out my flat every damn day!). So no matter how long I live in Germany, I will try my darndest to get used to the cracks in the middle of the bed and dutifully return my bottles to the robot machine at the back of the grocery store. Because I love my life in Hamburg, and all of the quirks that come along with it. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s Sunday, so I need to go contribute to the local economy and enjoy a nice coffee on a terrace... and yes, I will be paying for a stupid bottle of water.

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Now that I’m looking at the list above, I’m really curious as to what “Americanisms” Germans would note about the United States, so if you have any ideas, let me know!

The Express Guide to Living in Germany: 5 Things That Are Uniquely German