Many German men sit down to pee
Sitzpinkler
In Germany, many men sit on the toilet even just to pee. There is even a word for it: Sitzpinkler.
In a 2023 YouGov survey in 13 countries, German men were the most likely to say they sit down every time they pee: about 4 in 10 always do, and about 6 in 10 do it always or most of the time.
The reason is simple: it keeps the bathroom clean. Standing splashes the floor and the toilet, and in a shared flat (WG) or a family home, someone has to clean it. Some flats even have a small sign on the toilet lid: „Bitte im Sitzen!“
It was once a joke word: a Sitzpinkler meant a soft man. Today most people just see it as polite. A Düsseldorf court even had to decide in 2015 whether a tenant who peed standing up must pay for a damaged marble floor. The judge said no: standing is still normal, even if more and more men sit.
As a guest in a German home, sitting down is the safe choice. Nobody will ask, but a clean bathroom will be noticed.
You may hear
Bitte im Sitzen pinkeln.Please sit down to pee.
India and Germany
In India, nobody talks about this, and most men stand. In Germany it is a well-known topic, and in many homes sitting is simply expected.
German words for this
- die Toilette / das Klo · toilet
- im Sitzen / im Stehen · sitting / standing
- sauber · clean
- die Brille · toilet seat (also: glasses)
Sources
- YouGov (2023): where men are most likely to sit down to pee
- LTO: Düsseldorf court, 42 C 10583/14 (2015)
Last checked: 9 November 2026.
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