[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]We were sitting at the breakfast table, the sun shining through the windows as the children played with the dog under the table. I poured our guest another cup of coffee while he talked about the dress code in his office. “Naja, business casual ist schon erlaubt aber nicht so abgef*ckte jeans”. I cringed and suggested that the kids go play outside.<\/p>\n
What did our German guest do wrong?<\/p>\n
A lot of Germans are surprised to find out that Brits and Americans can be rather prudish when it comes to using swear words<\/strong>. After all, in TV and movies, they hear the F word all the time so they don’t realise that in everyday life in the UK and the USA, swearwords can be quite controversial.<\/p>\n When I first came to Germany, I was astonished how many people swore, even in business situations and in front of children. Even children in Kindergarten were told so say, “Armeisenschei\u00dfe!” instead of saying, “Cheese!”, when getting their photograph taken.<\/p>\n British radio stations still bleep out the explicit version of songs, such as Pink’s You’re F*cking Perfect. It was a shock to me to hear these words sung on the radio when we moved here. I recall going to an event at my nephew’s school, where a classmate gave a presentation using rap music as background music. The lyrics were absolutely filthy and my preteen kids sat with eyes like saucers*.<\/p>\n That was considered a no-no in the UK. Radio and TV stations still abide by what is called the ‘watershed<\/em>‘, a specific time of the day before which all content should be suitable for children. This includes swearing and violent or disturbing scenes. \u00a0If someone swears on a live show before 9pm, the BBC will get a lot of complaints from viewers!<\/p>\n How you behave in your private life is one thing. But what about in a business setting?<\/p>\n Well, that really depends on the people you are dealing with. There are some companies that have a more relaxed approach to swearing<\/strong>. This is becoming more common, particularly in more youthful companies<\/p>\n Other organisations still frown upon the use of cursing in the workplace. In particular, you should be cautious when in conservative areas of the USA<\/strong>.<\/p>\n You might even come across situations where women swearing, or the swearing in front of women is considered impolite. Or where using words such as “Jesus” as a swearwords is “taking the Lord’s name in vain”.<\/p>\n Even out of the office, hold back and wait to see how your business partners talk to each other<\/strong>. If you are invited to a private gathering, don’t use bad language in front of your host’s family.<\/p>\n If in doubt – think about the literal translation of the word. Imagine saying that word in German in a presentation to your CEO and the board members. And now imagine saying it to your Oma at the dinner table on Heiligeabend. Would you still use the word?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are wondering … I’m not at all upset by swearing (though I prefer not to do so in front of young children) and I censored the swearwords in this post simply to avoid it my blog being blocked by the obscenity filters that some companies use.<\/p>\n * If I use a word or a phrase that some of my non-English speaking readers might not understand, I \u00a0provide a quick translation or explanation. I’d rather do this than just use an alternative word. Think of it as a free English lesson!<\/p>\n eyes like saucers = large eyes, the size of eine Untertasse<\/em>. [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]We were sitting at the breakfast table, the sun shining through the windows as the children played with the dog under the table. I poured our guest another cup of coffee while he talked about the dress code in his office. “Naja, business casual ist schon erlaubt aber nicht so abgef*ckte jeans”. I cringed and suggested that the kids go play outside. What did our German guest do wrong? Using the F Word A lot of Germans are surprised to find out that Brits and Americans can be rather prudish when it comes to using swear words. After all, in TV and movies, they hear the F word all the time so they don’t realise that in everyday life in the UK and the USA, swearwords can be quite controversial. When I first came to Germany, I was astonished how many people swore, even in business situations and in front of children. Even children in Kindergarten were told so say, “Armeisenschei\u00dfe!” instead of saying, “Cheese!”, when getting their photograph taken. British radio stations still bleep out the explicit version of songs, such as Pink’s You’re F*cking Perfect. It was a shock to me to hear these words sung on the radio when we moved here. I recall going to an event at my nephew’s school, where a classmate gave a presentation using rap music as background music. The lyrics were absolutely filthy and my preteen kids sat with eyes like saucers*. That was considered a no-no in the UK. Radio and TV stations still abide by what is called the ‘watershed‘, a specific time of the day before which all content should be suitable for children. This includes swearing and violent or disturbing scenes. \u00a0If someone swears on a live show before 9pm, the BBC will get a lot of complaints from viewers! The F Word in Business English How you behave in your private life is one thing. But what about in a business setting? Well, that really depends on the people you are dealing with. There are some companies that have a more relaxed approach to swearing. This is becoming more common, particularly in more youthful companies Other organisations still frown upon the use of cursing in the workplace. In particular, you should be cautious when in conservative areas of the USA. You might even come across situations where women swearing, or the swearing in front of women is considered impolite. Or where using words such as “Jesus” as a swearwords is “taking the Lord’s name in vain”. Even out of the office, hold back and wait to see how your business partners talk to each other. If you are invited to a private gathering, don’t use bad language in front of your host’s family. If in doubt – think about the literal translation of the word. Imagine saying that word in German in a presentation to your CEO and the board members. And now imagine saying it to your Oma at the dinner table on Heiligeabend. Would you still use the word?\u00a0 If you are wondering … I’m not at all upset by swearing (though I prefer not to do so in front of young children) and I censored the swearwords in this post simply to avoid it my blog being blocked by the obscenity filters that some companies use. * If I use a word or a phrase that some of my non-English speaking readers might not understand, I \u00a0provide a quick translation or explanation. I’d rather do this than just use an alternative word. Think of it as a free English lesson! eyes like saucers = large eyes, the size of eine Untertasse. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12915,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-englische-texte-fuer-unternehmen-erstellen-lassen"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/swearing-in-english.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17412,"url":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/you-can-say-you-to-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":12913,"position":0},"title":"‘Du or Sie?’ \u2013 Finding my voice in German business communication","author":"Lynn","date":"March 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cDu or Sie?\u201d \u2013 The eternal question in German business communication. Here\u2019s why I decided to switch to \u201cdu\u201d \u2013 and what it says about tone and culture.","rel":"","context":"In "Business English & Communication"","block_context":{"text":"Business English & Communication","link":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/category\/business-english-communication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/sie-oder-du-kommunikation.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/sie-oder-du-kommunikation.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/sie-oder-du-kommunikation.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/sie-oder-du-kommunikation.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/sie-oder-du-kommunikation.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20104,"url":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/digitization-vs-digitalization\/","url_meta":{"origin":12913,"position":1},"title":"Digitization vs digitalization: Why the German word \u201cDigitalisierung\u201d is often mistranslated","author":"Lynn","date":"October 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The German word \u201cDigitalisierung\u201d is often mistranslated \u2013 is digitization or digitalization the right word? Learn the difference between these two words, and how they relate to digital transformation.","rel":"","context":"In "Business English & Communication"","block_context":{"text":"Business English & Communication","link":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/category\/business-english-communication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Line art drawing of a robot hovering above a tablet, symbolizing the difference between digitization and digitalization","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/digitization-digitalization-digital-transformation.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/digitization-digitalization-digital-transformation.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/digitization-digitalization-digital-transformation.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/digitization-digitalization-digital-transformation.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/digitization-digitalization-digital-transformation.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/digitization-digitalization-digital-transformation.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20009,"url":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/english-copywriter-germany-denglish\/","url_meta":{"origin":12913,"position":2},"title":"Denglish in business communication – why ‘almost right’ in English often sounds all wrong","author":"Lynn","date":"October 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Denglish might sound fine to German ears, but it can confuse native English speakers. 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Why the English content on your website might not be as English as you think it is.","author":"Lynn","date":"July 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\u2018Home Office\u2019 sounds English, but it\u2019s Denglish. Find out why a lot of Germans get this wrong, and what you should be using instead.","rel":"","context":"In "Business English & Communication"","block_context":{"text":"Business English & Communication","link":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/category\/business-english-communication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Line art drawing of a woman working on a laptop with a dog sleeping beside her \u2013 symbol for the Denglisch term \u201cHome Office\u201d, an English-sounding expression that means something very different in Germany.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/home-office-denglisch-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/home-office-denglisch-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/home-office-denglisch-scaled.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/home-office-denglisch-scaled.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/home-office-denglisch-scaled.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/home-office-denglisch-scaled.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19903,"url":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/business-inquiry-email-in-english\/","url_meta":{"origin":12913,"position":4},"title":"How to Write a Business Inquiry Email in English (with Examples)","author":"Lynn","date":"October 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Need to write a business inquiry email in English? 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Hier findest du Tipps, Vorlagen und Muster-E-Mails f\u00fcr deine business Kommunikation \u2013 klar, h\u00f6flich und professionell.","rel":"","context":"In "Business English & Kommunikation"","block_context":{"text":"Business English & Kommunikation","link":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/category\/business-english-verbessern\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Minimalistische Einlinienzeichnung eines Laptops mit fliegenden Briefumschl\u00e4gen","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/anfrage-englisch.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/anfrage-englisch.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/anfrage-englisch.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/anfrage-englisch.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/englishtextservices.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/anfrage-englisch.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12913"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15627,"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12913\/revisions\/15627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishtextservices.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The F Word in Business English<\/h1>\n
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