Business English Podcast · Negotiations · Episode 28

Negotiating Across Cultures When "Direct" Sounds Rude

A German manager says "That is not possible" — and the British side escalates. Why German clarity sounds harsh in English, and how to keep both substance and relationship.

C1 · Dialogue · 5 Min. · free

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Editorially reviewed by James Simmonds – English teacher since 2004Published 21 August 2026

When German Directness Sounds Rude

SceneAfter a call with the Manchester client goes wrong, key account manager Stefan debriefs with British communication coach Emma: why did his clarity land as rudeness — and how does he repair it?

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Tip: listen to the episode twice before you start the test. · Worksheet (PDF)

✓ To the comprehension test

Stefan — Key account manager, mechanical engineeringEmma — Intercultural communication coach, British

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Transcript

The full transcript opens after the comprehension test — so you train real listening instead of reading along.

German support

EmmaCome in, Stefan. You said the call with the Manchester team didn't go well?

StefanThat's putting it mildly. I thought I was being efficient. They went quiet, and this morning their director emailed my boss about my 'tone'.„That's putting it mildly" = das ist noch untertrieben.

EmmaTell me exactly what you said when they asked for the earlier delivery date.

StefanI said: 'That is not possible. The plan is wrong.' Which is true — the plan doesn't work with our production schedule.

EmmaAnd in Hamburg, that's clarity — a colleague would thank you for it. In Manchester, it lands like a door slamming. British negotiators wrap disagreement in soft language: 'I'm not sure that would work for us' can be a hard no. You said a hard no in words they reserve for a crisis.Britische Verhandler verpacken Widerspruch weich: „I'm not sure that would work for us" kann ein klares Nein sein.

StefanSo they say less than they mean, I say exactly what I mean — and both sides walk away convinced the other one was being difficult.

EmmaPrecisely. So here is your repair kit. Replace 'that is not possible' with: 'I see a real problem with that timeline — may I walk you through it?' You keep the substance and lose the slap. The facts stay identical; the framing changes.Sie behalten die Substanz und verlieren die Ohrfeige – die Fakten bleiben identisch, der Rahmen ändert sich.

StefanAnd when I genuinely disagree with their whole approach? I refuse to hide that.

EmmaYou don't hide it — you stage it. Signal disagreement in steps: 'I have some concerns' first, then 'to be honest, I see it quite differently.' And read their signals the same way: if a British partner calls your proposal 'quite interesting', be careful — it often isn't praise.Widerspruch in Stufen: erst „I have some concerns", dann „to be honest, I see it quite differently".

StefanNoted. One more thing — at the end of my follow-up email I wrote, 'We see us next week in Leeds.' My colleague laughed at me and wouldn't say why.

EmmaAh, the classic. 'Wir sehen uns' doesn't translate word for word — 'we see us' sounds like you're describing a mirror. Say 'see you next week' or 'we'll see each other in Leeds.'„Wir sehen uns" wird nie „we see us" – richtig ist „see you next week" oder „we'll see each other".

StefanSo: soften the entrance, keep the substance, stage the disagreement — and never let 'we see us' into an email again.

EmmaYou've got it. And send Manchester a bridge today: 'I may have come across more directly than intended — here is the problem I was trying to flag.' Directness is a style, not a sin. But the frame has to fit the culture you're selling into.

Key phrases

that's putting it mildly

the reality is even stronger than that description

'Difficult meeting?' — 'That's putting it mildly.'

to walk someone through something

to explain something step by step

Let me walk you through the revised timeline.

I have some concerns

polite first stage of expressing disagreement

I have some concerns about the payment terms.

to see it quite differently

to disagree clearly but politely

To be honest, I see it quite differently.

a hard no

a firm, final refusal

Their polite reply was, in substance, a hard no.

to flag a problem

to draw attention to an issue early

I want to flag a problem with the delivery schedule.

to come across

to be perceived in a certain way

I may have come across more directly than intended.

see you next week

the correct farewell — German "wir sehen uns" is never "we see us"

Thanks for the productive call — see you next week in Leeds.

Language notes

In this episode a British communication coach analyses why the direct German negotiation style sounds rude in English: "That is not possible" lands like a slamming door. You learn the C1 technique of staged disagreement ("I have some concerns" → "I see it quite differently"), how to decode British soft signals — and why "Wir sehen uns" is never "we see us".

Keep the substance, lose the slap

Emma's repair formula changes no facts, only the frame: 'That is not possible. The plan is wrong.' becomes 'I see a real problem with that timeline — may I walk you through it?' The second sentence contains the same rejection but turns it into an invitation to talk. At C1 level, that is exactly the exercise: identical substance in a frame that leaves the relationship intact.

Cultural note: the British understatement system

German and British business cultures encode disagreement in mirror image. In German, clarity is respect: wrapping objections softly reads as evasive. In British English, disagreement runs on understatement: 'I'm not sure that would work for us' can be a hard no, and 'quite interesting' is often not a compliment. Translate only the words and not the encoding, and you hear agreement where refusal is meant — and transmit aggression where clarity was meant.

Staged disagreement and the "we see us" trap

The escalation ladder for disagreement has three rungs: 'I have some concerns' (registering doubts), 'to be honest, I see it quite differently' (clear disagreement) and only then an open no. Add the classic of literal translation: 'Wir sehen uns' does not become 'we see us' — the reflexive 'uns' does not transfer to English here. Correct forms are 'see you next week' or 'we'll see each other in Leeds'. Small mistake, big laugh — and easy to avoid.

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Frequently asked questions

What language level is this episode for?

Level C1 (CEFR). The dialogue covers intercultural negotiation language with fine nuances; the vocabulary list explains all eight key phrases bilingually.

How do I disagree in English without sounding rude?

In stages: first "I have some concerns", then "to be honest, I see it quite differently". Instead of "that is not possible", say "I see a real problem with that — may I walk you through it?" — same substance, softer frame.

Does "Wir sehen uns" translate as "we see us"?

No — "we see us" is the classic literal mistranslation and sounds like describing a mirror. Correct: "See you next week" or "We'll see each other in Leeds".

Is there a transcript to read along?

Yes, the full transcript with German support notes is on this page — listen first, then take the test, then read along.

Where can I practise intercultural negotiation language live?

In the online business English courses from Simmonds Language Services (englisch-lehrer.com/online): live lessons on Zoom with native-speaker teachers who know exactly these cultural differences from practice. Start with a free consultation.

Want to practise these phrases in a real conversation?

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