Why Making German Friends Is So Hard (And What Finally Worked) 🇩🇪

Moving to Germany was exciting... but nobody warned me how difficult making friends would be. When I first arrived in Munich, I expected friendships to happen naturally. Instead, I found myself feeling lonely, struggling with the language, and wondering if I was doing something wrong. Over the years, I learned that making German friends isn't impossible—but it does require patience, cultural understanding, and realistic expectations. In this video, I share my honest experience of building a social life in Germany, the mistakes I made, the challenges I faced, and what finally helped me create meaningful connections. Whether you're an expat living in Germany, planning to move here, or you're German and curious about how foreigners experience friendship in your country, I hope you'll find something relatable in this video. 📍 Living in Munich, Germany since 2020 ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00-1:06 Intro 01:07-1:43 Moving to Germany & lockdown loneliness 1:44-3:16 Why my fiancé's friends weren't really "my" friends 3:17-4:17 Why making German friends felt so difficult 4:18-6:10 Other Expat Experiences 6:11-6:42 Learning German changed everything 6:43-7:56 What finally worked 7:57-8:20 My first close German friends 8:21-8:45 Temporary Friendships 8:46-9:49 Advice for expats (and Germans!) 9:50-10:12 Closing Thoughts 💬 I'd love to hear from you: Was making friends in Germany easier or harder than you expected?