Definitions by germangang
Pfandfrage
A question that comes with an unspoken expectation that it must be returned to the person who asked it — like a conversational deposit. The term comes from the German word “Pfand”, which refers to the bottle deposit system in Germany. When you buy drinks in bottles or cans, you pay a small deposit (Pfand) that you get back only when you return the empty container.
A Pfandfrage works the same way: when someone asks it, they are socially expecting the question to be “returned” to them.
A Pfandfrage works the same way: when someone asks it, they are socially expecting the question to be “returned” to them.
Person A: “How are you?”
Person B: “Good, thanks — how are you?”
If Person B doesn’t return the Pfandfrage, they’ve basically kept the deposit.
Person B: “Good, thanks — how are you?”
If Person B doesn’t return the Pfandfrage, they’ve basically kept the deposit.
Pfandfrage by germangang February 19, 2026