What you should know about Germany – The big questions about Germany

From the autobahn to tuition fees – here we answer questions often asked on Google about Germany.

Why are German words so long?

Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz – even native speakers have trouble with this word. In German, single words can be joined together to form new, longer words. In this way many contents can be expressed more concisely – as long as we don’t overdo it. Most compound words in German consist of just two or three words.

Why is there no speed limit in Germany?

There is no general speed limit on the German autobahn. This is true, and is mainly due to the powerful car industry lobbies. But at the same time, the recommended speed limit is 130 kilometres per hour. Apart from this, between 40 and 50 per cent of the total kilometres on the autobahn are subject to speed limits.
 

Why is German so hard?

Der, die or das? Word gender assignment is one of the main reasons why the German language is considered so difficult to learn. Why is ‘die Frau’ feminine, but ‘das Mädchen’ neutral? There are no fixed rules.

Is it true that German universities have no tuition fees?

Yes. In 2014 all 16 federal states abolished tuition fees at all German universities. Only a small fee is charged per semester. In general this is no more than 300 euros.

Why do German toilets have two push buttons?

Many toilets in Germany have a dual-flush system. The user has the choice between a larger and a smaller amount of water. Such toilets save thousands of litres of water each year.