feilschen um

Literally, feilschen means 'to haggle' and um means 'around' or 'about'. So, it translates to 'to haggle around' or 'to haggle about' something. This perfectly captures the back-and-forth nature of negotiating a price.

Primarily, yes. The core meaning of feilschen um revolves around negotiating a price for goods or services. While you might sometimes hear it used loosely for other types of negotiation, its strongest association is with haggling over monetary value.

While its main use is for price, you might occasionally hear it used metaphorically for other negotiable aspects, though it's less common and can sound a bit informal. For instance, someone might jokingly say they are 'haggling over' the terms of a friendly bet, but for serious negotiations, verhandeln is better.

You'll find the most natural use of feilschen um at flea markets (Flohmärkte), on platforms like eBay Kleinanzeigen (now just Kleinanzeigen) for used items, and sometimes at smaller, independent shops or with street vendors. It's less common in mainstream retail.

You typically use it with the object you're negotiating over. For example: 'Ich möchte um den Preis des Autos feilschen' (I want to haggle over the price of the car). The preposition um connects the verb feilschen to the item or price being discussed.

It's definitely on the informal side. You wouldn't typically use feilschen um in a formal business meeting or contract negotiation. For those situations, verhandeln (to negotiate) is the more appropriate and professional term.

Think of feilschen um as a specific type of negotiation focused on haggling down a price, often in a more casual setting. Verhandeln is a broader term for negotiation, applicable to contracts, salaries, business deals, and more complex discussions where strategy is involved.

Yes, absolutely. Avoid using feilschen um in stores with fixed prices (supermarkets, department stores), for services with set rates (like most utilities or subscriptions), or in professional contexts like job interviews or formal business proposals. Doing so can seem rude or out of touch.

If you try to feilschen um in a place with fixed prices, the seller will likely look at you strangely or simply state that the price is non-negotiable. It can lead to awkwardness or make you seem uninformed about local customs.

Yes, sometimes people shorten it to just feilschen, especially in casual conversation. For example, 'Ich will feilschen!' means 'I want to haggle!' However, adding um clarifies what you are haggling over, making the sentence more complete.

A frequent error is using feilschen um for salary negotiations or business deals. Learners might translate 'negotiate salary' directly as Gehalt feilschen, which is incorrect. The proper term for that context is Gehalt verhandeln.

Research the typical price range for the item beforehand. Be polite and friendly – a smile can work wonders! Don't be afraid to walk away if the price isn't right. Practice makes perfect, so start with smaller items at a flea market.

Haggling culture varies. It's more ingrained in certain regions and contexts (like German flea markets) than others. In Switzerland, for example, haggling is generally less common than in Germany, especially in formal settings.

The vibe can range from playful and friendly to determined and serious. Often, it’s a bit of a game, especially in tourist areas. The goal is to reach a mutually agreeable price, but the process itself can be part of the fun.

It's generally not common to feilschen um the price of standardized services with set rates, like booking a hotel room online or getting a haircut. However, for custom services or freelance work, verhandeln (negotiate) is more appropriate than feilschen.

That means 'No, that's a fixed price!'. In this case, you can't feilschen um anymore. You have to decide whether to accept the stated price or look elsewhere. The negotiation attempt has ended unsuccessfully.

A close equivalent might be 'Lass uns einen guten Preis finden!' (Let's find a good price!) or 'Wir finden da schon eine Einigung.' (We'll reach an agreement.). While not a direct translation of 'Let's make a deal!', these phrases convey a similar collaborative intent before or during negotiation.

Generally, no. Online auctions like eBay are typically set up for bidding, not direct haggling. While some platforms might have a 'make an offer' feature, the term feilschen um isn't usually associated with that mechanism. Verhandeln might be closer if an offer system exists.