Read the story of China asking the German for directions, and you will know what the German character is.

As a German nation with a population of more than 80 million, its character is also impossible to be consistent. Some Germans are deep, introverted and steady, while others are cheerful, generous and funny ... But over the years, they have been constantly influenced and shaped by German culture, which has made them develop some similar characteristics: practical, diligent, punctual, frugal and orderly.

(1) Pay attention to state order.

The German nation is a nation that pays attention to order. People who have been in contact with Germans or have visited Germany are deeply impressed. In Germany, everything from space, land and architecture to housewives going out shopping is arranged in advance. Signs to maintain order and prohibition boards can be seen everywhere. Everything has clear rules and requires people to strictly abide by them, and so on. For example, the business hours of shops are strictly regulated. Generally, shop assistants go to work at around 7: 00 a.m., clean doors and windows, sort out goods, open at 8: 00 a.m., close at 6: 00 p.m. and have no rest at noon. From 2 pm on Saturday, the shops are closed and closed on Sundays. This business hour must be strictly observed by all shops, and it is not allowed to operate beyond the time limit.

Germany has strict traffic laws and regulations, and various road signs are clear and eye-catching. The blue road sign next to expressway can be seen from a distance under the reflection of street lamps at night. The big blue letter U(U-Bahn) that marks the subway is hanging high in the air, and you can see it at a glance from 100 meters away. It is no exaggeration to say that for a foreigner, as long as he knows all kinds of traffic signs, he can travel all over Germany without speaking a word of German. These signs have become an important means of maintaining traffic order in Germany.

German public transport is famous for its punctuality. Not only airplanes but also trains are famous for their safety and punctuality. Even buses have their own running schedules, so they must run by the hour. Residents only need to check the timetable at home and get on the bus at the station on time, without waiting at the station in advance. Even if the bus arrives early, wait until the punctual start. German car drivers can be regarded as a model of punctuality. As a passenger, you must also buy tickets according to the regulations, and you will be severely punished if you violate them. German cars are driverless, and passengers have to buy tickets at the ticket vending machine according to the fare indicated on the traffic map. When you buy a ticket, you must determine the bus fare, otherwise, if you don't pay attention, you will miss a ticket hole in the automatic ticket checking machine. Once found, you will have to pay a fine of tens of marks. Germans are uncompromising in the implementation of laws and regulations, and they have the strongest principles and cannot tolerate any pity.

Germans always carry one thing with them, and that is a notepad. The Germans keep everything in their notebooks. One of their habitual actions is to reach for the notebook. An idiom is: Please wait a moment, let me look at my notebook. Everyone from company managers to middle school students and housewives has a notebook. In Germany, you must make an appointment in advance to make a trip. Germans must make plans first, even housewives should make a shopping list first. If a couple is planning to travel abroad, they may have made a travel plan as early as a year ago. They will call the tourism bureau first to ask about the quotation, service items, travel schedule and so on, and then compare them. After choosing the entrusted travel agency, you should go to the travel agency in person to discuss it in detail until everything is accurate and enter the travel plan into the computer. Next, we need to know the human geography and language of the country we are going to. Such a travel plan, which was put into practice a year later, has long been arranged in perfect order. This shows the planning and rigorous attitude of the Germans.

(B) serious and calm, not grandiose

When I first met the Germans, they often gave people the impression of being silent, unsmiling and dull. Contact for a long time, you will feel that although Germans treat people seriously and formally, they are also sincere and frank. If you ask a strange German for directions in the street, he will show you the way enthusiastically and tirelessly. If he doesn't know, he will ask someone else for you, or take pains to accompany you for a while until you understand. In public social occasions, Germans are very stiff and not good at humor. They are methodical, sit tight, do things seriously and follow the rules and regulations. However, in private social circles, Germans will also get together freely with friends. They can abandon the status of managers and officials, call their friends by nicknames, and talk frankly with their friends about their troubles in life. Germans love happy scenes very much and take every opportunity to hold entertainment activities, but at this time it still gives people a heavy feeling and lacks real relaxation. Germans are conscientious and have a strong sense of responsibility, and they can't be a little perfunctory about their work. Once there is negligence and dereliction of duty, you can only find another job. There is a saying in Germany that "business is business, and shochu belongs to shochu". Friends who don't care about alcohol and tobacco in private have a clear business, but they don't talk about anything ambiguous. Germans are meticulous and selfless, just like a machine, strict and cold. Germans have a strong sense of "seeking truth from facts", paying attention to reality and not exaggerating. German living room is unpretentious, neat and generous. All kinds of daily necessities, such as doors, locks, switches, clothes hangers, glasses, lampshades, etc. They are all down-to-earth and would rather lose weight than become superficial. For a building, a piece of furniture and a set of equipment, it seems that they all pay attention to long-term planning and internal quality, just like Germans do things, they pay attention to being down-to-earth and never talk.

(3) industrious and tidy Germans.

Germans have diligent and tidy living habits. Most people sweep the courtyard at dawn, and the living room is orderly and spotless. German housewives are obsessed with cleanliness. After seeing her husband and children off in the morning, they put on their work clothes and started the most meaningful work of the day: cleaning the house. They will kneel on the ground and scrub every corner. Even if cleaners and gardeners are asked for help, housewives often work with their classes until the windows are spotless. Creating a warm, comfortable, beautiful and clean home is the greatest wish of every virtuous housewife. The German nation is a hardworking nation. Walking in villages and towns in Germany, beautiful garden villas can be seen everywhere.