Depends on who you are, and how good they know you. Germany is a country that historically had a lot of low skilled poorly educated immigrants working in profes

Depends on who you are, and how good they know you. Germany is a country that historically had a lot of low skilled poorly educated immigrants working in professions that require almost no skills. Those people never really integrated (not always their fault). When unknown person approach a German with broken/half-broken/non-perfect German skills, that German has immidiate prejudice about your social status and education level. If your friend is from Brasil, I guess skin colour also plays a role here. Happened to me numerous times. You will get much better treatment speaking English, since that level the playing fields and then they consider you as an equal. Also happened to me numerous times. So yes, the only way to actually speak German in Germany and not be intimidated is to speak it with people that you already knows and you can consider friends.