[caption id="attachment_328" align="aligncenter" width="390" caption="In bars and restaurants it's best to use the formal Sie"]
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When speaking in class about addressing another person in German one big question always arises; when do we use the formal Sie (also called Siezen) and when the informal Du (also called Duzen).
As a general rule it is always safer to stick to the formal  Sie. Especially in a professional environment the formal Sie is most commonly used. Working all their professional live together doesn't mean necessarily that work colleagues are on first name basis, above all not in offices. Exceptions can be  found in the advertising, media and art industry.
But again, as a newcomer the formal Sie is the right one to use. If the majority of work collegues is older then 30 it's more likely to be the used form. And please remember; the offer to change to the more familiar sounding Du should always come from the older person or the higher ranking in the work hierarchy placed colleague.
The days when children addressed their parents, aunts and uncles formally are gone a long time ago but a lot of people in their forties or fifties are addressing their parents  friends with Herr... and Frau...
On a social note the general consent is the younger the clientele and the more laid back the venue the lesser the need to be formal. Youth hostels, sport clubs, student and high school venues are all "Du" zones.
After all it should be remembered that with the right form of addressing we show respect or familiarity, closeness or distance, appreciation or contempt.
