È davvero necessario parlare tedesco per vivere a Berlino?

Tutti conoscono Berlino per il suo carattere internazionale. La città conta circa 3,8 milioni di abitanti e potrebbe benissimo essere considerata la capitale d’Europa, vista l’enorme varietà di persone che la popolano. Infatti, il 21,2% degli abitanti di Berlino non è di nazionalità tedesca. La città ospita turchi, polacchi, ucraini, siriani, italiani e l’elenco potrebbe continuare…

In una città così internazionale, quasi tutti parlano correntemente l'inglese e non hanno certamente alcuna difficoltà a capirlo.

Che tu sia al supermercato, in uno Späti (un tipico minimarket berlinese) o in qualsiasi altro negozio, non c'è davvero bisogno di fare domande; tuttavia, se non riesci a trovare quello che cerchi, puoi sempre chiedere in inglese: c'è sempre qualcuno pronto ad aiutarti a farti capire.

When you are eating out in a restaurant, cafe or bar, you can place your order entirely in English or just by pointing out what you want from the menu.

Many people who have been living in Berlin for years are able to get away with English and very few German words such as: hallo (hello), tschüss (bye), Entschuldigung (sorry), not to mention the well-known mit Karte, bitte (by card, please). It sounds unbelievable, but this is Berlin’s reality and in our opinion it really is amazing.

There aren’t many other non-English-speaking cities in Europe where you can live without knowing the official local language. For example, Rome, the capital of Italy, with its almost 2.9 million inhabitants where not everyone can speak English or even understand it. Therefore, if you are ever eating out in Rome, make sure you have a translator to at least understand what the menu offers.

Back to Berlin life: why should you learn & speak German?

By now, you might think that learning German is just a waste of time and that if you plan to come to Berlin, it is better to focus on improving your English, which is a great idea. However, what you may not know is that, even in such an international city, knowing the official local language is very useful and we will tell you why.

Germany is known all over the world for its efficiency. This implies having to deal with a lot of documents of different kinds. It sometimes occurs that you will need to go to some Büros to ask for information or to receive support in a situation you do not know how to handle yet. The great issue here is that in these offices almost no one can speak English and you will experience the frustration of not understanding each other properly, even with the aid of a translator. Personally, we do not endorse these kinds of situations because they can be quite stressful (because some public servers might not be patient enough or are just having a usual toilsome day) and it may seem like they have worsened the problems you already had.

Nevertheless, when you are able to keep a conversation up in German you will have a refreshing sense of freedom. It has also come to our attention that when you speak German, people are nicer and more polite to you.

The German language also comes in quite handy also when you want to go clubbing. Berlin is undoubtedly famous for its night clubs and for Berlin’s techno, which was added to the UNESCO cultural heritage list in March 2024.

Going to nightclubs in this city is a mystical experience from the very beginning. While you queue, you should follow some uncharted rules to have better chances to get in, such as not being loud or consuming alcohol. Upon arriving at the entrance, the staff will pose you some questions and we have noticed that if you are able to reply in German and show enough confidence in yourself and your speaking skills, it will be much easier for you to be admitted into the nightclub.

In conclusion, speaking German is not an essential skill if you plan to spend some days or weeks in Berlin, but it is already a great advantage and will definitely give you a head start if you plan to live the Berlin experience to its fullest. Deciding to learn German in Berlin will reveal sides of the city that stay hidden from those who only speak English and as a bonus effect you will feel more connected to the city and its culture. You’ll get more from local jokes, news, and conversations, feeling not just like a random visitor but a real part of the community.

If you want to enrichen your experience and feel like a real Berliner, check out our schedules on our website and start learning German with us now! What are you waiting for?