If you have lived in Germany or Austria for any length of time, you will have noticed that locals tend to skip over the social niceties you may expect from a conversation. Austrians are so disillusioned with the idea of small talk that they don’t even normally use a German word to describe it – the English loan word der Smalltalk is used instead. 

You will probably be familiar with the idea of German efficiency – though if you have ever had to deal with Austrian bureaucracy, you will know this is a myth. It is clear this time-saving trait even extends to the art of conversation. What is the point of wasting precious seconds discussing trivialities when you could jump straight to discussing the big issues?

A new word – der Smalltalker – has emerged in recent years to describe someone who prattles on about trivial matters, never moving beyond the tedious stage of getting to know someone. Try to steer clear of being labelled a Smalltalker, or you might not be the most welcome party guest.  

Austrians are not shy about discussing politics and global issues with friends, and at first, you might be surprised how quickly a conversation can shift to these daunting topics. Sometimes a bit of polite conversation can help ease you into a discussion and get a read on whoever you are talking to, meaning it can be fairly intimidating to be plunged straight in at the deep end. 

Perhaps the Austrians are just too serious to engage in lighthearted small talk. In English, and especially American English, asking someone ‘how are you?’ is really just a greeting, and we don’t tend to expect more than a polite ‘okay’ in response. Ask a German or an Austrian this question, though, and they might mistake your lightheartedness for genuine concern – don’t be surprised if they launch straight into the various ailments and calamities that have been plaguing them recently. 

Examples: 

Während der Pandemie haben viele Mitarbeiter vergessen, wie man mit anderen Smalltalk macht. 

During the pandemic, lots of employees have forgotten how to make small talk with each other.

Der übliche Smalltalk auf Partys war ihm zuwider und er wollte tiefere Diskussionen führen. 

He hated the usual small talk at parties and wanted to have deeper conversations.