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?