Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren: formal German emails from the first line to the sign-off

A lot of things in Germany are still sorted out by email and letter: reporting a fault to your landlord, sending documents to an office, asking your insurance a question. Unlike a message to a friend, these follow a fixed pattern. Just getting the greeting in the first line and the sign-off at the end right makes you look far more reliable. And formal German emails like to be short and clear: rather than a long friendly opening, they get straight to the point.

Addressing the reader (Anrede)

• Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, — Dear Sir or Madam, The standard greeting when you don't know the recipient's name. Use it when you first write to an office or a company.
• Sehr geehrte Frau Schulz, / Sehr geehrter Herr Wagner, — Dear Ms Schulz, / Dear Mr Wagner, If you know the name, always use it. The ending changes: geehrte for a woman, geehrter for a man.
• Guten Tag Frau Schulz, — Hello Ms Schulz, A little less stiff. Very common once you've exchanged a few emails.
• Liebe Frau Schulz, / Lieber Herr Wagner, — Dear Ms Schulz, / Dear Mr Wagner, Warm, but still for people you call Sie. In a first formal email it can seem too familiar.

Put a comma after the greeting and start the text on the next line with a lower-case letter: Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, ich schreibe Ihnen, weil … (unlike in English, where you'd start with a capital).

Saying why you're writing

• ich schreibe Ihnen, weil meine Heizung nicht funktioniert. — I'm writing to you because my heating isn't working. The easiest first sentence: give the reason straight away.
• ich möchte mich nach dem Stand meines Antrags erkundigen. — I would like to ask about the status of my application. For checking on progress with an office or your insurance.
• vielen Dank für Ihre E-Mail. — Thank you for your email. A good first sentence when you reply.

Attachments and requests

• Anbei sende ich Ihnen die Kopie meines Mietvertrags. — Please find attached a copy of my tenancy agreement. Anbei (enclosed, attached) comes up all the time in formal emails.
• Im Anhang finden Sie meine Unterlagen. — You'll find my documents attached. Der Anhang is "the attachment".
• Könnten Sie mir bitte mitteilen, wann der Techniker kommt? — Could you please let me know when the technician is coming? Könnten Sie …? is the basic polite way to ask for something.
• Ich bitte Sie um eine kurze Rückmeldung. — I would be grateful for a short reply. Use it near the end when you want an answer.

Closing and signing off (Grußformel)

• Für Rückfragen stehe ich Ihnen gern zur Verfügung. — Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. A common closing line in work emails and applications.
• Mit freundlichen Grüßen — Kind regards / Yours sincerely (formal sign-off) The standard choice. No comma after it; your name goes on the next line.
• Viele Grüße / Beste Grüße — Best wishes A bit lighter. Fine for a contact you already know.

Short example email

Betreff: Defekte Heizung in der Wohnung 3. OG links — Subject: Broken heating in the flat on the 3rd floor, left

Sehr geehrter Herr Wagner, — Dear Mr Wagner,

ich schreibe Ihnen, weil die Heizung in meinem Wohnzimmer seit Montag nicht funktioniert. — I'm writing to you because the heating in my living room hasn't been working since Monday.

Anbei sende ich Ihnen ein Foto vom Heizkörper. — I'm attaching a photo of the radiator.

Könnten Sie mir bitte mitteilen, wann ein Techniker kommen kann? — Could you please let me know when a technician can come?

Mit freundlichen Grüßen — Kind regards

Alex Smith

Watch out

• geehrte / geehrter — writing Sehr geehrter Frau … to a woman is a very common mistake. It's geehrte for a woman and geehrter for a man.
• Sie, Ihnen, Ihr with a capital letter — in a formal email, Sie meaning "you" is always capitalised. Lower-case ihnen means "to them", which is something else entirely.
• Avoid Hallo in formal emails — it's fine for friends and colleagues, but to an office or a company you're contacting for the first time, Hallo sounds too casual.
• Don't abbreviate to MfG — shortening Mit freundlichen Grüßen to MfG looks careless.

Quick check

1. You're writing to someone at an office and don't know their name. What's your first line?

Answer

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, — the standard greeting when you don't know the name.

1. „Sehr geehrte___ Herr Becker," — which ending goes in the gap?

Answer

-r → Sehr geehrter Herr Becker, — before a man's name it's geehrter.

1. Which one word tells the reader you've attached documents?

Answer

anbei — Anbei sende ich Ihnen … (or Im Anhang finden Sie …)