meine Herren
The English phrase "gentlemen" translates to German as meine Herren.
meine Herren is used as a formal way to address a group of men.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "my gentlemen" or "my lords".
Which one should you use?
While meine Herren addresses only men, the standard formal greeting for a mixed-gender audience is meine Damen und Herren.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
meine Herren is a highly formal way to address a group of men and can sound somewhat old-fashioned or stiff in modern casual conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word Herren is the plural form of Herr, which is the standard word for "gentleman" or "sir" in a formal context.
Did you know?
- In modern Germany, you will often see Herren on restroom signs, but you might also see WC Herren, where WC is the standard abbreviation for 'water closet'.
- In German grammar, Herr is a 'weak noun', meaning it requires an extra 'n' in almost every case except the nominative singular.
- While meine Herren is grammatically plural, if you were to address a single man formally, you would simply say mein Herr. However, in modern German, addressing a stranger as mein Herr is extremely rare and can even feel slightly sarcastic or patronizing.
Examples in context
- Hier entlang, meine Herren!This way, gentlemen!This sentence is useful for showing how to direct a group of men.Tatoeba #2393812 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2253923 by _undertoad
- Hier entlang, meine Herren.This way, gentlemen.Tatoeba #8993671 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8991678 by CK
- Gibt es hier ein Problem, meine Herren?Is there a problem here, gentlemen?This sentence is useful for asking a question to a group of men.Tatoeba #7255092 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6458066 by Hybrid
- Sehr geehrte HerrenDear gentlemen
- Die Entscheidung der HerrnThe decision of the gentlemen
- Sehr geehrte Herren, ich möchte Ihnen das neue Projekt vorstellen.Dear gentlemen, I would like to present the new project to you.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia welcomes a group of male business partners to the office.
- MaximilianGuten Tag, meine Herren.Good day, gentlemen.
- JuliaGuten Tag, Frau Julia.Good day, Ms. Julia.
- MaximilianBitte folgen Sie mir, meine Herren.Please follow me, gentlemen.
- JuliaVielen Dank.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
