Table of Contents
Formal and informal emails in German
In German you write very differently to a friend than to an office, a company, or a teacher. At A2 level you should recognize the basic structure and typical phrases for both informal and formal emails.
In an informal email you usually start directly with the person’s first name. In a formal email you use a title and last name, or a neutral greeting if the name is unknown. You also close differently, with short friendly phrases to friends and fixed polite formulas in formal contexts.
Always match greeting and closing:
informal greeting + informal closing,
formal greeting + formal closing.
A typical German email has this order:
- Subject line
- Greeting
- Short introduction or reference to the previous contact
- Main information or request, in clear short paragraphs
- Closing sentence
- Farewell formula and your name
In more formal situations you also add your contact details under your name.
Subject lines in German emails
The subject line in German is very important. It should be short, clear, and without a full sentence. Native speakers often write only key words, with or without articles.
Some typical patterns are:
| English idea | German subject example |
|---|---|
| Question about an appointment | Frage zum Termin am 15.06. |
| Application for a job | Bewerbung als Verkäuferin |
| Information / request | Anfrage wegen Sprachkurs |
| Complaint | Beschwerde über die Lieferung |
| Change or cancellation | Änderung der Reservierung |
| Private plan | Plan fürs Wochenende |
You start the subject with a capital letter, and you do not add a period at the end. Avoid long sentences like: Ich möchte einen Termin machen, weil…. Instead, reduce it to keywords.
Subject lines are written without a period and should be short keyword phrases, not full sentences.
Greetings and salutations in emails
The greeting is different in informal and formal emails, and it also changes with the level of familiarity.
For informal emails to friends, classmates, or close colleagues you can use:
| Situation | German greeting example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| To a good friend | Hallo Anna, | Very common and neutral |
| To a close friend | Liebe Anna, | Warmer, literally “dear Anna” |
| To a close male friend | Lieber Tom, | Masculine form “Lieber” |
| Very relaxed among friends | Hi Max, | Very informal, similar to English “Hi” |
You do not use Herr or Frau in informal emails. The comma after the name is obligatory, and the next line begins with a lower case letter, unless it is a noun.
For formal emails you must show respect and distance. Typical formulas are:
| Situation | German greeting example |
|---|---|
| You know the person’s name, male | Sehr geehrter Herr Müller, |
| You know the person’s name, female | Sehr geehrte Frau Schmidt, |
| You do not know the name | Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, |
| Less formal but still polite (known person) | Guten Tag Frau Keller, |
In formal greetings, adjectives agree with the gender: geehrter for Herr, geehrte for Frau. In plural, for a group, you write Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,.
In formal emails always use “Sie” for “you” and greetings with “Sehr geehrter / Sehr geehrte …” or “Guten Tag …”.
Main body: structure and useful phrases
In A2 emails you should keep your sentences short and simple. Use one idea per sentence and separate information into small paragraphs.
You normally start with a reference to the situation, then explain your problem or request, and finally ask for confirmation or answer.
Common opening phrases for informal emails:
| English | German |
|---|---|
| How are you? | Wie geht es dir? |
| I hope you are doing well. | Ich hoffe, es geht dir gut. |
| Thanks for your email. | Danke für deine E-Mail. |
| Sorry that I write so late. | Entschuldige, dass ich so spät schreibe. |
Common opening phrases for formal emails:
| English | German |
|---|---|
| Thank you for your email. | Vielen Dank für Ihre E-Mail. |
| Thank you for your message. | Vielen Dank für Ihre Nachricht. |
| I am interested in your language course. | Ich interessiere mich für Ihren Sprachkurs. |
| I would like to get information about … | Ich möchte Informationen über … erhalten. |
| I am writing to ask about … | Ich schreibe Ihnen, weil ich mich nach … erkundigen möchte. |
In the middle part you give your information or ask concrete questions. Use simple patterns like:
| Function | German example sentence |
|---|---|
| Asking for information | Können Sie mir bitte sagen, wann der Kurs beginnt? |
| Asking for details | Wie viel kostet der Kurs pro Monat? |
| Making a request | Ich möchte einen Termin am 5. Mai vereinbaren. |
| Explaining a problem | Leider habe ich noch keine Bestätigung bekommen. |
| Referring to an attachment | Im Anhang finden Sie meinen Lebenslauf. |
| Proposing a time | Passt Ihnen der 10. Juni um 15 Uhr? |
In informal emails, similar functions sound more relaxed:
| Function | German example sentence |
|---|---|
| Asking for information | Kannst du mir sagen, wann du Zeit hast? |
| Making a suggestion | Wollen wir uns am Samstag treffen? |
| Explaining a problem | Ich habe leider meine Hausaufgaben vergessen. |
| Proposing a time | Vielleicht am Freitag um 18 Uhr? |
Use “du” forms only in informal emails and “Sie” forms only in formal emails. Do not mix “du” and “Sie” in the same email.
Closing sentences and farewell formulas
The last lines of your email prepare the end and show politeness. In German you normally add a short closing sentence before the final formula.
Typical closing sentences in informal emails are very simple:
| English | German |
|---|---|
| Write back soon. | Schreib mir bald. |
| I am looking forward to your answer. | Ich freue mich auf deine Antwort. |
| See you soon. | Bis bald. |
| Many greetings to your family. | Viele Grüße an deine Familie. |
In formal emails you use more polite and fixed closing sentences:
| English | German |
|---|---|
| I am looking forward to your reply. | Ich freue mich auf Ihre Antwort. |
| I am looking forward to your confirmation. | Ich freue mich auf Ihre Bestätigung. |
| Thank you in advance for your help. | Vielen Dank im Voraus für Ihre Hilfe. |
| Please let me know if that is possible. | Bitte teilen Sie mir mit, ob das möglich ist. |
After the closing sentence you add the farewell formula. This is different for informal and formal situations.
Informal farewell formulas:
| German | Comment |
|---|---|
| Viele Grüße | Very common and neutral |
| Liebe Grüße | Warmer, for friends and family |
| Bis bald | “See you soon”, often without your name if very informal |
| Dein / Deine Anna | Shows closeness, “your Anna” |
Formal farewell formulas:
| German | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Mit freundlichen Grüßen | Standard in all formal emails |
| Freundliche Grüße | Slightly shorter, still formal |
| Mit besten Grüßen | Polite, a bit more personal |
Then you write your full name under the farewell formula, usually first name and last name in semi-formal contexts, and only last name if the context is very official and you sign after the printed name.
In formal emails the standard closing is “Mit freundlichen Grüßen” followed by your full name.
Example: informal email
Below is an example of a short informal email to a friend. Focus on the clear structure with subject, greeting, body, and closing.
Subject: Plan fürs Wochenende
Hallo Lisa,
wie geht es dir? Ich hoffe, es geht dir gut. Danke für deine E-Mail.
Hast du am Samstag Zeit? Ich möchte ins Kino gehen und einen neuen Film sehen. Vielleicht können wir um 19 Uhr vor dem Kino treffen. Was meinst du?
Ich freue mich auf deine Antwort.
Liebe Grüße
Anna
You can adapt this pattern for other topics, for example invitations, private questions, or simple news.
Example: formal email
Now an example of a formal email to a language school. Again look at the structure and the polite phrases.
Subject: Anfrage wegen Deutschkurs A2
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
ich interessiere mich für Ihren Deutschkurs A2. Ich habe Ihre Anzeige im Internet gelesen und habe einige Fragen.
Können Sie mir bitte sagen, wann der Kurs beginnt und wie lange er dauert? Wie viel kostet der Kurs pro Monat? Gibt es auch Abendkurse?
Vielen Dank im Voraus für Ihre Hilfe. Ich freue mich auf Ihre Antwort.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Maria Schneider
At A2 level you do not need complex grammar inside emails. Clear, short sentences and correct polite forms are more important than advanced structures.
Common email phrases for everyday situations
In daily life you often write simple emails about appointments, information, or changes. The following typical phrases are useful in many contexts.
For making or changing appointments:
| English | German |
|---|---|
| I would like to make an appointment. | Ich möchte einen Termin vereinbaren. |
| I cannot come on Monday. | Ich kann am Montag leider nicht kommen. |
| Can we move the appointment to … ? | Können wir den Termin auf … verschieben? |
| The new appointment is fine for me. | Der neue Termin ist für mich in Ordnung. |
For asking and answering:
| English | German |
|---|---|
| Could you please send me … ? | Könnten Sie mir bitte … schicken? |
| Thank you for the information. | Vielen Dank für die Informationen. |
| I have one more question. | Ich habe noch eine Frage. |
| If you have questions, write to me. | Wenn du Fragen hast, schreib mir. |
For small apologies in emails:
| English | German |
|---|---|
| I am sorry for the late reply. | Entschuldigung für die späte Antwort. |
| I am sorry, that was a mistake. | Es tut mir leid, das war ein Fehler. |
| I had no internet. | Ich hatte kein Internet. |
Such fixed expressions make your emails more natural and polite without complicated grammar.
Punctuation and layout in German emails
German email layout is similar to English but with some special points you should remember.
After the greeting there is a comma, and the next line begins with a lower case letter, except if the first word is a noun. For example:
Sehr geehrte Frau Kaiser,
vielen Dank für Ihre E-Mail.
In informal emails many people write each sentence on a new line. In formal emails you normally write full paragraphs with one empty line between sections.
You do not put a comma after the farewell formula. You write the farewell on one line and your name on the next line:
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Thomas Weber
In German emails, nouns are always capitalized, including polite “Sie” and “Ihr” when you write to someone formally. This is especially important in formal emails, where wrong capitalization can look impolite.
After the greeting you use a comma and start the next line with lower case. After the closing formula you do not use a comma.
Vocabulary list
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die E-Mail | |
| die Nachricht | message |
| der Betreff | subject (of an email) |
| die Anrede | greeting, salutation |
| die Grußformel | closing formula (farewell phrase) |
| der Anhang | attachment |
| informieren | to inform |
| die Information, die Informationen | information |
| die Anfrage | inquiry, request |
| die Bestätigung | confirmation |
| der Termin | appointment |
| vereinbaren | to arrange, to agree on |
| verschieben | to move, to postpone |
| sich interessieren für | to be interested in |
| sich erkundigen nach | to ask about, to inquire about |
| der Sprachkurs | language course |
| die Bewerbung | application |
| sich bewerben (um / als) | to apply (for / as) |
| die Hilfe | help |
| Vielen Dank im Voraus | thank you in advance |
| Mit freundlichen Grüßen | kind regards (formal) |
| Freundliche Grüße | kind regards (slightly shorter, formal) |
| Viele Grüße | many greetings (informal) |
| Liebe Grüße | kind / dear greetings (informal) |
| Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, | Dear Sir or Madam, |
| Sehr geehrter Herr …, | Dear Mr …, |
| Sehr geehrte Frau …, | Dear Ms / Mrs …, |
| Guten Tag Herr / Frau …, | Good day Mr / Ms …, (less formal) |
| Ich freue mich auf Ihre Antwort. | I am looking forward to your reply. |
| Ich freue mich auf deine Antwort. | I am looking forward to your answer. |
| Entschuldigung für die späte Antwort. | sorry for the late reply. |
| im Anhang | in the attachment |
| bestätigen | to confirm |
| die Frage | question |
| die Antwort | answer |
| der Fehler | mistake |
| wegen (+ Genitiv) | because of, regarding |
| die Beschwerde | complaint |
| schreiben | to write |
| senden / schicken | to send |
| erhalten | to receive |
| der Empfänger | recipient |
| der Absender | sender |