Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
formal
A German email usually opens with Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren when you do not know the reader. For a named person use Guten Tag, Frau Müller or Hallo Anna for a colleague or friend.
Meaning: email greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| German | Note |
|---|---|
| Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, | formal |
| Guten Tag, Frau Müller, | neutral |
| Hallo Anna, | casual |
With a known contact, formal emails use Sehr geehrter Herr Schmidt or Sehr geehrte Frau Müller. Close with Mit freundlichen Grüßen.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Liebe Anna or Lieber Max is warmer than Hallo. Between close colleagues Hallo is now very common.
How does it change in a sentence?
After the greeting a comma follows, and the first word of the next line is written in lowercase unless it is a noun or a name.
Did you know?
- German formal letters close with Mit freundlichen Grüßen, literally "with friendly greetings".
Examples in context
- Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, ich schreibe wegen Ihrer Anzeige.Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing about your ad.
- Hallo Anna, vielen Dank für deine Nachricht.Hello Anna, thank you for your message.
- Liebe Julia, ich hoffe, es geht dir gut.Dear Julia, I hope you are well.
Example conversation
Lukas writes to a company and then to a colleague.
- LukasSehr geehrte Damen und Herren,Dear Sir or Madam,
- Lukasich bewerbe mich um die Stelle.I am applying for the position.
- LukasMit freundlichen Grüßen, Lukas WeberKind regards, Lukas Weber
