From terminology to spelling rules, you should, when corresponding in German with native speakers of German, know how to open and close a letter, and familiarize yourself with spellings and language tools relevant to written communication in German.
Letter Salutations in German
There are several ways to begin a letter or email in German, depending on the formality of what you are writing.
- When you don't know the name of the addressee: Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren is the greeting you should use. This is equivalent to "To Whom it May Concern" or "Dear Sir or Madam" in English.
- When you know the name of the person, but don't know him or her well: Sehr geehrte Frau (LAST NAME) is appropriate for women, and Sehr geehrter Herr (LAST NAME) is what you should write to a man.
- When you know the person well, it's okay to start the letter with Liebe (NAME)! or Hallo (NAME)! In informal letters, it is standard to punctuate greetings with an exclamation point.
Letter Closings in German
Greetings aren't the only component of letters and emails that vary. Closings range from formal to informal as well:
- With formal correspondence, Mit freundlichen Gruessen is the standard closing (similar to "Sincerely" in English). Your contact may sign with MfG, which is the shortened version. Let them be the first one to abbreviate and stick with the long version.
- Liebe Gruesse is the appropriate closing among friends, often abbreviated LG. Since you know the person, it would be okay to use LG right away (and your friend will be impressed that you know the "Abkürzung," or "shortened version").
Other Important Language Usage Notes
With English language computers, it's possible to install German onto your computer so that when you type an email, or a letter in a word processing document, the keyboard becomes a German-language keyboard. The trick with this is learning where the new keys are, as some are switched around ("y" and "z" for instance, are switched on the German keyboard).
Microsoft Word has an "insert symbol" feature if you don't feel like installing the language. See your computer system's website or use the help feature on your computer to figure out how to set the language on your own system. Here are the German letter symbols different from English:
- the letter combination "ae" is spelled "ä"
- "oe" becomes "ö"
- "ue" is "ü"
- and the double "s" is sometimes spelled "ß." Several years ago, Germany instituted new, official language rules, which included reduced usage of the "ß." So if you're not sure, use the double "s."
So, following German spelling, the word "Gruesse" as in "Mit freundlichen Gruessen" or "Liebe Gruesse" is actually "Grüße."
If all of these terms and spelling rules sound a bit overwhelming to memorize, you can always type out the greetings and closings into a word processing document, save it, and copy and paste as needed. Eventually they'll stick in your mind, and you'll be able to correspond in German with ease. By learning a few communication guidelines, you can make your letters and emails appropriate to general German language standards.
Suzanne Swartz - During college, Suzanne spent a semester in southwest Germany. After receiving her B.A. in History and German Studies, she went back to ...
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