Holidays: Today, I arrived in Germany for a summer-long stay. The family...

By traveling - 09/07/2013 11:18

Today, I arrived in Germany for a summer-long stay. The family I'm supposed to stay with had said they spoke fluent English. They don't. I don't speak German. It's going to be a quiet two months. FML

I agree, your life sucks 47 980

You deserved it 6 415

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Same thing different taste

By nolinguist - 22/11/2009 17:39 - Austria

Today, I arrived in Austria. Within about an hour, I realized that I couldn't understand any "German". Turns out they have a totally different dialect here to anything I was taught in school. I'm here till May. FML

I agree, your life sucks 28 317

You deserved it 18 792

Back home

By Anonymous - 30/12/2012 19:21 - Germany - Neunkirchen

Today, I returned to Germany for a break from my studies abroad. I got lost while out for groceries, so I tried asking a guy for directions. I went totally blank and strained to think of the right words, prompting him to mutter about rude foreigners not bothering to learn the local language. FML

I agree, your life sucks 28 045

You deserved it 5 369

Moving on

By Awesome - 17/08/2011 00:05

Today, I found out that I was moving to Germany. I'm going to be put back a year in school because of the system change. I also don't speak a word of German. Why? Because my mother wants to brag about this experience to her friends. FML

I agree, your life sucks 34 980

You deserved it 2 802

Scheiße!

By Xerfox - 03/07/2016 18:05 - Germany - Löwenstein

Today, I found out the German I've been learning for nearly a month is a dialect only spoken by people in a small area of the country. This means I'll need to re-learn most of what I thought I knew. FML

I agree, your life sucks 13 505

You deserved it 1 986

By nullroute - 16/02/2016 11:34 - Switzerland

Today, I found out that while on foreign exchange for over six months now, I have been pronouncing the word for "night" in German wrong. Apparently, this whole time, the way that I have been pronouncing it in German means "naked". This explains a lot. FML

I agree, your life sucks 20 149

You deserved it 2 813

No comprendo

By Anonymous - 26/02/2023 16:00

Today, I got lost in a foreign city while on vacation and couldn't communicate with anyone, because I didn't speak the language and no one seemed to be able, or even wanted, to speak to me in mine. FML

I agree, your life sucks 333

You deserved it 994

By lostforwords - 06/08/2011 19:10 - Ireland

Today, I found out that my German wasn't as great as I thought it was. Trying to give directions to some German tourists, I tried to say, "I hope I don't get you lost." Turns out I actually said something closer to, "I hope I don't seduce you." FML

I agree, your life sucks 28 084

You deserved it 6 303

Kids will be kids

By monkey - 19/09/2013 10:30 - United States - Logan

Today, my daughter told me she is pregnant. The father is the foreign exchange student who just moved back to Germany. FML

I agree, your life sucks 57 144

You deserved it 5 498

By AdriftInTheSeaOfPaperwork - 24/09/2014 17:17 - Germany - Dachau

Today, after waiting well over a month for a work visa in Germany that should only have taken 3 weeks to come through, I finally received my long-awaited answer. Unfortunately, that answer was "We lost your paperwork." FML

I agree, your life sucks 37 721

You deserved it 2 629

By Blöde Gans - 25/11/2014 16:14 - United States - Ormond Beach

Today, my mom booked a family trip to Sweden. This would be great, if she hadn't asked me to tell our former German exchange student that we were coming to visit her in Germany. She was thrilled. Now I have to be the one to let her down. FML

I agree, your life sucks 31 697

You deserved it 2 714

BingleBop 18

Tuesday 9 July 2013 18:46

Well at least you should be pretty good at German by the end if your stay. You always learn faster when you're forced to!

CammyGal 26

Tuesday 9 July 2013 18:50

Why would you choose to go to Germany if you didn't know the language? You couldn't have expected the family to do everything for you. If you were forced to go, you still should have known beforehand and made an effort to learn.

Comments

anony1237 0

Tuesday 9 July 2013 21:46

55 I agree op is a total moron

izlone 11

Tuesday 9 July 2013 21:46

how could they have told u that they speak English if they don't speak English?

Steffi 26

Tuesday 9 July 2013 21:48

OP said they don't speak fluent English, which means they may speak enough to say that.

kt520 7

Tuesday 9 July 2013 22:10

It may also be because OP is in a program, and the family's information in the program was in correct

GregoryStalver_fml 6

Tuesday 9 July 2013 22:17

Why the **** did you go to Germany for all summer if you don't speak German ?

thew_fml 14

Tuesday 9 July 2013 22:21

many germans speak english, so not to worry. this is the best way to learn a language

picturescrazy 24

Tuesday 9 July 2013 23:10

You're going to be in Germany all summer long and you didn't bother to learn at least the basics of the language? How are you supposed to enjoy the culture?? YDI

davek 36

Tuesday 9 July 2013 23:14

Surely learning the language is one of the main reasons for going?

PenguinForDinner 16

Tuesday 9 July 2013 23:22

Aw, I'm sorry this happened to you. It happened to me once, with a french family. And they were so secluded too. It was a horrible stay! Hope you get to meet other people there, and get out a bit. And that you pick up on German fast!