Brief
/ˈbʁiːf/masculine
The English word letter is translated into German as Brief.
Brief refers to a written message or missive. You can use the verb schicken when talking about sending a letter. Related terms include Liebesbrief for a love letter and Geschäftsbrief for a business letter. A mailbox is called a Briefkasten and a postage stamp is a Briefmarke.
Meaning: written message (noun)
Which one should you use?
Do not confuse Brief (a written message) with Buchstabe (a character or letter of the alphabet).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Brief is Briefe. When using the masculine noun in the genitive case, it takes the ending -es, resulting in des Briefes.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈbʁiːf/.
When do people say it?
In formal correspondence, you may address someone using Sehr geehrte(r) followed by their title and last name. In informal letters, you can use Liebe(r) followed by their first name. For informal letters or emails, you can close with Viele Grüße (Best regards) or Alles Liebe (All the best).
Did you know?
- The German word Brief is a direct relative of the English word 'brief'. Both come from the Latin word breve, meaning 'short'.
- The German word Brief originally referred to a 'short' legal document or a summary, which eventually became the general term for any written correspondence.
- A German Briefmarke (postage stamp) literally translates to 'letter mark', reflecting the way the language builds complex ideas by stacking nouns.
Examples in context
- Gib mir den Brief!Hand me the letter.Tatoeba #2322365 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2265989 by _undertoad
- Tom las den Brief.Tom read the letter.Tatoeba #6864310 by benbika, translation #6863383 by CK
- Ist dies ein Brief?Is this a letter?Tatoeba #12293959 by mayabe, translation #1759935 by CK
- Ich schicke dir einen BriefI am sending you a letter
- Ich habe Ihnen einen Brief geschickt, um auf Ihre Anfrage zu antworten.I have sent you a letter in response to your inquiry.
- Hey, ich habe dir einen Brief geschrieben. Hoffe, er erreicht dich bald!Hey, I wrote you a letter. Hope it reaches you soon!
- Hoi, ich ha dir es Brüfli gschickt.Hi, I sent you a little letter.
- 1353 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian is checking the mailbox in front of their house.
- JulianIch habe einen Brief für dich gefunden.I found a letter for you.
- LauraIst der Brief von meiner Mutter?Is the letter from my mother?
- JulianJa, der Brief sieht sehr wichtig aus.Yes, the letter looks very important.
- LauraDanke, Julian, ich lese ihn gleich.Thanks, Julian, I will read it immediately.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “letter” translations and entries Brief, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Brief, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
