Younger German speakers say “please” less often, but are not seen as ruder

Researchers at the Free University of Berlin and Bielefeld University found that younger German speakers use “please” less often than older people.

People around 30 use the word in only one in four requests, while people around 70 use it nearly twice as often.

The researchers say this does not mean younger people are ruder; they may instead use words such as “perhaps” or “possibly” to make requests sound considerate.

Younger people also use the informal form of address, “du,” more often, while the formal “Sie” is becoming less common.

The study used online questionnaires to examine how age and region shape the way people make requests.

Politeness varies across German-speaking regions, but researchers say there is no convincing evidence that people in Germany speak less politely than those in Austria or Switzerland.

A discussion about everyday politeness and the stereotype of Berliners’ blunt speech was scheduled at the Free University of Berlin on 4 November.