Das ist hier üblich.

That is common here.

Breakdown of Das ist hier üblich.

• sein: to be
• hier: here
• das: that
• üblich: usual

Questions & Answers about Das ist hier üblich.

What nuance does üblich have, compared with words like normal, typisch, or gewöhnlich?

Üblich means customary / usual / the normal custom in this place or group.

• üblich: Focuses on what is customary according to local habits, rules, or social norms.
  
  • Das ist hier üblich. – This is the usual/customary thing to do here.
• normal: More general “normal”, often in a broader sense, not only tied to local custom.
  
  • Das ist hier normal. – This is normal here (not strange).
• typisch: Means “typical, characteristic”, often describing something representative of a place/person.
  
  • Das ist typisch für Berlin. – That’s typical of Berlin.
• gewöhnlich: Very close to “ordinary, usual”; can have a slightly more neutral or even bland feel.
  
  • Das ist ganz gewöhnlich. – That’s completely ordinary.

In Das ist hier üblich, the idea is: “This is what people around here generally do; this is the accepted custom.”

Why is it Das and not Es at the beginning? Could I say Es ist hier üblich?

Both Das ist hier üblich and Es ist hier üblich are grammatically possible, but they don’t feel exactly the same.

• Das ist hier üblich

  • Refers to a specific thing you’ve just mentioned or are pointing at (an action, procedure, behavior, etc.).
  • Very common when reacting to something someone has just done or noticed:
    • Warum musst du deine Schuhe ausziehen?
      – Das ist hier üblich. (That’s customary here.)

• Es ist hier üblich

  • More like saying “It is customary here (in general)” without strongly pointing to one specific act.
  • Often used in more general statements or explanations:
    • Es ist hier üblich, die Schuhe auszuziehen.
      – It is customary here to take off your shoes.

In most everyday contexts, especially as a short reaction, Das ist hier üblich is more natural because you’re referring to the specific thing in question.

Why is hier placed in the middle (Das ist hier üblich) and not at the end (Das ist üblich hier)?

Das ist hier üblich is the normal, neutral word order.

• Das ist hier üblich.
  – Standard, neutral: “That is customary here.”

• Das ist üblich hier.
  – Grammatically possible, but sounds slightly marked or stressed, as if you’re emphasizing hier: – “That’s usual, here (as opposed to elsewhere).”

In German, adverbs of place like hier, da, dort commonly appear in the “middle field” (between the conjugated verb and the non-verb parts):

• Das ist *hier sehr teuer.*
• Das ist *dort verboten.*

So Das ist hier üblich follows the most typical pattern.

Could I also say Hier ist das üblich? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, Hier ist das üblich is correct and natural. The meaning is basically the same, but the focus shifts:

• Das ist hier üblich.
  – Slightly stronger focus on das (this particular thing) being the customary thing here.

• Hier ist das üblich.
  – Slightly stronger focus on hier (in this place) as the location where that is customary.

Both are fine in everyday speech. If you’re directly answering “Ist das normal?”, you’d more often say Das ist hier üblich.

Is üblich an adjective or an adverb here? How is it used in other sentences?

In Das ist hier üblich, üblich is an adjective used predicatively (after the verb “to be”).

As an adjective, üblich can appear in two main ways:

1. Predicative (after “sein/werden/bleiben”) – unchanged form:

   • Das ist üblich. – That is usual/customary.
   • Ist das bei euch üblich? – Is that customary with you?

2. Attributive (before a noun, with endings):

   • die übliche Frage – the usual question
   • zu den üblichen Zeiten – at the usual times
   • die üblichen Verdächtigen – the usual suspects

There is also the related adverb üblicherweise (“usually/as is customary”):

• Üblicherweise machen wir das so. – Usually we do it like this.

How would I say this with a noun, like “That is the usual custom here”?

You could use the noun die übliche Praxis or der übliche Brauch:

• Das ist hier die übliche Praxis.
  – That is the usual practice here.

• Das ist hier der übliche Brauch.
  – That is the usual custom/tradition here.

Das ist hier üblich is shorter and more conversational; the noun phrases sound slightly more formal or explanatory.

How do I pronounce üblich, especially the ü and -ch?

üblich is pronounced roughly like “UEB-liH” (with a soft German ch at the end):

• ü: Rounded front vowel.
  
  • Start with ee (as in “see”) but round your lips like for “oo” in “too”.
  • If you can’t produce ü, you can approximate it by saying “ue” with rounded lips.
• b: Just like English b.
• lich:
  • li: like “lee”.
  • ch here is the soft ich‑sound, like in ich, nicht.
    • Put your tongue close to the hard palate behind your teeth and blow air gently; it’s not “k” or “sh”.

Very rough phonetic approximation (English-based): [ˈyːplɪç].

Can I use üblich about a person, like “He is usual / customary”?

Not really. Üblich describes practices, behaviors, rules, routines, patterns, not people themselves.

Natural uses:

• Dieses Verfahren ist hier üblich. – This procedure is customary here.
• Es ist üblich, Trinkgeld zu geben. – It is customary to give a tip.

Not natural:

• ✗ Er ist üblich. – This doesn’t make sense in German.

If you want to say someone is “ordinary/typical”, you’d use other words:

• Er ist ganz gewöhnlich. – He is completely ordinary.
• Er ist ein typischer Berliner. – He is a typical Berliner.

What’s the difference between hier and bei uns in sentences like this?

Both can be used, but they have slightly different focuses:

• hier – focuses on place/location (“here in this country/region/house/company”).

  • Das ist hier üblich. – This is usual here (in this place).

• bei uns – focuses on the group (“with us / in our culture / in our family / in our company”).

  • Das ist bei uns üblich. – This is usual with us / in our group.

Often they overlap and both could be used:

• In a restaurant: Bei uns ist es üblich, Trinkgeld zu geben.
• In your home: Hier ist es üblich, die Schuhe auszuziehen.
  (You could also say Bei uns ist es üblich … to stress your family’s habit.)

I often see “Das ist hier so üblich.” What does the so do?

So here adds a nuance like “that’s just how it is / that’s the way things are”. It makes the sentence a bit more colloquial and conversational:

• Das ist hier üblich.
  – That is customary here. (neutral)

• Das ist hier so üblich.
  – That’s just the way it’s done here / That’s how things are done here. (more conversational, slightly emphatic)

The meaning is essentially the same; so just softens it and gives it a more “spoken” feel.

Is Das ist hier üblich formal or informal? Can I use it with strangers or in professional situations?

Das ist hier üblich is neutral in register and fine in almost all contexts:

• With friends and family – perfectly natural.
• With strangers (e.g. tourists) – polite and normal.
• At work, even in semi-formal contexts – still fine:
  • Das ist bei uns so üblich. – That’s our usual practice here.

If you want it a bit more formal, you might expand it:

• Es ist hier üblich, dass … – It is customary here that …
• Bei uns ist es üblich, Folgendes zu tun … – In our company it is customary to do the following …

Is there a difference between Das ist hier üblich and “That’s normal here” in English?

They overlap, but üblich is more about custom/practice, while English “normal” is also about what is considered not strange.

• Das ist hier üblich.
  – Most precise translation: “That’s customary here” / “That’s the usual thing here.” – It implies: this is the established habit or rule.

• That’s normal here.
  – Could mean “not strange here” in a broader sense; might or might not be an actual established custom.

In many everyday contexts you can translate Das ist hier üblich as “That’s normal here”, but if you want to keep the nuance of custom or rule, “That’s customary here” is closer.