Which one should you use?
The choice of pronouns determines the level of familiarity. Use Ihnen when addressing someone formally and dir when writing to a friend or someone you address with the informal du. For example, Ich freue mich darauf, von Ihnen zu hören is formal, while Ich freue mich darauf, von dir zu hören is informal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to express this depending on the setting. For formal correspondence, you can use Ich freue mich darauf, von Ihnen zu hören or the more elaborate Es würde mich freuen, bald von Ihnen zu hören or Über eine baldige Rückmeldung Ihrerseits würde ich mich sehr freuen to emphasize the importance of the response. For informal settings, you might use Ich freue mich darauf, von dir zu hören, Es wäre schön, bald von dir zu hören or even Ich bin gespannt auf deine Antwort to show enthusiasm. Avoid using Ich erwarte Ihre Antwort in polite correspondence, as this is a direct and demanding way to say "I await your reply" compared to the friendly ich freue mich…
How does it change in a sentence?
The presence or absence of darauf can change the nuance of your message. Without darauf, the phrase ich freue mich von Ihnen zu hören can sometimes be interpreted as "I am happy to hear from you" in the present tense, rather than expressing a future expectation of "I look forward to hearing from you".
Did you know?
- While you might expect a word like 'anticipate', the phrase uses freuen, which literally means 'to rejoice' or 'to be happy'.
- In traditional German business culture, the level of formality in a closing phrase can signal a power dynamic between the writer and the recipient.
- In German, the word zu is actually a merger of two different ancient words, ze and zuo, which were originally used for different purposes.
Examples in context
- Sehr geehrter Herr Müller, ich freue mich darauf, bald von Ihnen zu hören. Mit freundlichen Grüßen, [Your Name]Dear Mr. Müller, I look forward to hearing from you soon. Kind regards, [Your Name]
- Hallo Lisa, ich bin gespannt auf deine Antwort. Viele Grüße, [Dein Name]Hi Lisa, I look forward to your reply. Best regards, [Your Name]
Example conversation
Laura sends a formal business email to Lukas regarding a project.
- LauraHier ist mein Angebot für das Projekt.Here is my offer for the project.
- LukasVielen Dank, ich schaue es mir an.Thank you, I will take a look at it.
- LauraGut, ich freue mich von Ihnen zu hören.Good, I look forward to hearing from you.
- LukasIch schreibe Ihnen morgen.I will write to you tomorrow.
