Homesick at the language exchange table
A real situation from the OGIMA community · Expat Life
The scene
Everyone is chatting about their week, someone asks if you miss home, and suddenly the answer is more honest than you planned.
Why this moment is tricky in Germany
Homesickness (Heimweh) is a deeply German concept — the word itself is German in origin and carries real emotional weight. At language exchange meetups (Sprachaustausch), the topic surfaces naturally because participants are predominantly expats and international students navigating life abroad. Key phrases: 'Ich vermisse meine Familie' (I miss my family), 'Manchmal ist es schwer, so weit weg zu sein' (sometimes it's hard being so far away), 'Mir fehlt das Essen von zu Hause' (I miss the food from home). German has a complementary word — 'Fernweh' (longing for distant places) — the opposite of Heimweh, and both frequently come up in expat conversations. The social norm at language exchanges is surprisingly open for Germany: the structured vulnerability of language learning lowers the usual German reserve, making these spaces one of the few places where strangers share personal feelings early. The response 'Das kann ich gut verstehen' (I can understand that well) or 'Das geht mir auch so' (I feel the same way) is the German way of validating without overstepping.
Rehearse it before it happens
This situation is practised out loud in OGIMA: you speak, an AI conversation partner answers back, and you rerun it until the real thing feels routine.
Prefer to read first? Our guide covers this territory: How to Practice Speaking German