Ways to say it
| German |
|---|
| mit freundlichen Grüßen |
| mit herzlichen Grüßen |
These phrases are used as polite closings at the end of letters or emails. mit freundlichen Grüßen translates to "With friendly greetings" and is a common formal way to say "Best regards".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase mit freundlichen Grüßen literally translates to "with friendly greetings".
Which one should you use?
While mit freundlichen Grüßen is the standard form, mit herzlichen Grüßen translates to "with heartfelt greetings" and is warmer and more personal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
mit freundlichen Grüßen is the standard formal closing for business correspondence. For more informal settings, you can use Liebe Grüße (Warm greetings) or Viele Grüße (Many greetings). Mit besten Grüßen means "With best regards".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase mit freundlichen Grüßen, the adjective freundlich takes the -en ending because it follows the preposition mit, which requires the dative case.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add a comma after the closing phrase, but in German, no comma is used after mit freundlichen Grüßen.
Did you know?
- In German business culture, using mit freundlichen Grüßen in a very casual email to a close colleague can be perceived as cold or passive-aggressive.
- While mit freundlichen Grüßen is the standard, some Germans use an abbreviation like MfG in very fast-paced internal business emails.
- The German word mit is a cognate of the Middle English word 'mid', which was once used to mean 'with'.
Examples in context
- Mit freundlichen Grüßen, SiljaBest regards, Silja.This example shows how to sign a name after the closing mit freundlichen Grüßen.Tatoeba #3381606 by freddy1, translation #2662176 by tsp_2
- Mit freundlichen Grüßen.Best regards.This example shows the closing mit freundlichen Grüßen used on its own.Tatoeba #4299343 by Globetrotter, translation #4299336 by Globetrotter
Example conversation
Julia and Julian are discussing how to write a formal email.
- JuliaWie soll ich den Brief beenden?How should I end the letter?
- JulianSchreib einfach mit freundlichen Grüßen.Just write best regards.
- JuliaIst das höflich genug für den Chef?Is that polite enough for the boss?
- JulianJa, das ist im Büro ganz normal.Yes, that is quite normal in the office.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “best regards” translations and entries mit freundlichen Grüßen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grüßen, mit, mit freundlichen Grüßen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
