There is a specific way that German business emails sound when they're written by someone whose first instinct is to reach for a translation tool: slightly too informal, or slightly too stiff, or correct in individual words but wrong in register. German colleagues will understand. But they will also notice.
German professional email has a distinct culture. It is more formal than Anglo-American business email, uses specific opening and closing formulas that have no direct English equivalent, and treats the Sie/du distinction as a significant social signal. Getting this right is the difference between sounding like a professional who works in German and sounding like a foreigner who manages in German.
Here is what you actually write.
Salutations
Sehr geehrte/r [Titel + Nachname] — Dear [Title + Surname]. The formal standard for emails to people you don't know well or to senior contacts. Sehr geehrte Frau Müller (to a woman), Sehr geehrter Herr Bauer (to a man). Never use first names here.
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren — Dear Sir or Madam / To whom it may concern. Used when you don't know the specific recipient's name.
Guten Morgen / Guten Tag, [Herr/Frau Nachname] — A semi-formal opener, slightly warmer than Sehr geehrte/r, appropriate for regular professional contacts. Common in many German offices.
Liebe/r [Vorname] — Dear [First name]. Used with colleagues you address with du. Never use this with someone you haven't explicitly switched to du with.
Hallo [Vorname] — Hello [First name]. Informal, du-territory. Used in many modern, relaxed workplaces between peers.
Avoid: "Hey,", "Hi," — too informal for German professional contexts unless the company culture is explicitly very casual.
Opening Lines
After the salutation, German emails typically open with a brief, contextual line before getting to the point.
Ich wende mich an Sie bezüglich... — I am writing to you regarding...
Vielen Dank für Ihre E-Mail vom [Datum]. — Thank you for your email of [date].
Bezugnehmend auf unser Telefonat vom [Datum]... — With reference to our phone call on [date]...
Im Anhang finden Sie... — Please find attached...
Anbei sende ich Ihnen... — I am enclosing herewith... (more formal)
Wie besprochen... — As discussed...
Wie vereinbart... — As agreed...
Making Requests
Ich bitte Sie, ... — I would ask you to...
Könnten Sie mir bitte ... zukommen lassen? — Could you please send me...?
Ich würde mich freuen, wenn Sie... — I would be pleased if you could...
Für Rückfragen stehe ich Ihnen gerne zur Verfügung. — Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. (Literally: I am happy to be available for follow-up questions.)
Bitte teilen Sie mir mit, ob... — Please let me know whether...
Ich bitte um kurze Rückmeldung bis [Datum]. — I would appreciate a brief reply by [date].
Common Phrases
Mit freundlichen Grüßen (MfG) — Yours sincerely / Kind regards. The standard closing for formal emails. After Sehr geehrte/r, this is almost always how you close.
Mit freundlichem Gruß — similar to above, slightly less common.
Viele Grüße (VG) — Best regards. Semi-formal; used with people you know reasonably well.
Liebe Grüße — Warm regards. Informal; du-territory.
Beste Grüße — Best regards. A slightly more neutral option, increasingly common.
Bis dann / Bis bald — Until then / Talk soon. Very informal; only in genuinely casual professional relationships.
Useful Professional Phrases
Ich bestätige den Erhalt Ihrer E-Mail. — I confirm receipt of your email.
Ich nehme Bezug auf... — I refer to...
In Ergänzung zu meiner gestrigen Nachricht... — Following up on my message from yesterday...
Anbei erhalten Sie wie besprochen... — As discussed, please find attached...
Bitte entschuldigen Sie die verspätete Antwort. — Please excuse my delayed response.
Leider muss ich Ihnen mitteilen, dass... — Unfortunately, I must inform you that...
Es freut mich, Ihnen mitteilen zu können, dass... — I am pleased to be able to inform you that...
Vielen Dank für Ihr Verständnis. — Thank you for your understanding.
Ich stehe für weitere Fragen gerne zur Verfügung. — I remain available for any further questions.
The Sie/Du Rule
This is the most culturally important decision in any German email: are you using Sie (formal, third-person-plural address) or du (informal, second-person-singular)?
Sie is the default with anyone you don't know, anyone more senior, and anyone in a formal external relationship (client, supplier, authority).
Du is only used after someone has explicitly invited you to switch ("Wir können gerne du sagen.") — or if the company culture is explicitly du throughout.
Switching to du without being invited is a social mistake in many German professional contexts. It presumes an informality that wasn't granted.
Written German in a professional context is a specific register that rewards being learned properly rather than improvised. It takes a few hours to master the conventions above. The return — emails that sound like they were written by a professional rather than translated by a machine — is immediate and lasting.
Professional German is a specific skill — and Vokabulo is built for exactly this. Add the phrases you need for your working context and review them before the next important email. Available on iPhone and iPad.
