What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ich freue mich darauf, Sie kennenzulernen translates to "I rejoice myself upon it, you to get to know".
Which one should you use?
The choice of verb changes the nuance of the meeting: kennenzulernen implies the process of getting to know someone, whereas Sie zu treffen is a more literal way to say meeting someone, such as during a specific appointment or encounter. Additionally, Ich bin gespannt darauf, Sie zu treffen is a formal way to express being excited to meet someone and Es wird mich freuen, Sie persönlich kennenzulernen translates to "It will bring me joy to personally get to know you."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For professional correspondence or when meeting someone of higher social status for the first time, use the formal Sie in phrases like ich freue mich darauf, Sie kennenzulernen. In informal situations, such as when speaking to a friend or someone you are on casual terms with, you should use dich kennenzulernen instead. If you are looking forward to meeting a group of people you know informally, use euch kennenzulernen. For a very enthusiastic and informal tone, you can say Ich kann es kaum erwarten, dich zu treffen! which means "I can't wait to meet you!"
How does it change in a sentence?
To adjust the phrase for different levels of familiarity, replace the object and pronoun. If speaking to a friend, use dich kennenzulernen for the informal singular. If speaking to a group of friends or people you know informally, use euch kennenzulernen for the informal plural.
Did you know?
- While kennenzulernen is used for first meetings, Germans use different verbs for subsequent encounters because the act of 'getting to know' someone can only happen once.
- The pronoun 'Sie' used for politeness likely evolved from an ancient demonstrative 'that one' or 'this one', similar to how 'dieser' is used today.
Examples in context
- Sehr geehrter Herr Schmidt, ich freue mich darauf, Sie kennenzulernen und über unser zukünftiges Projekt zu sprechen.Dear Mr. Schmidt, I am looking forward to meeting you and discussing our future project.
- Hallo Anna! Ich freue mich, dich kennenzulernen. Lass uns bald auf einen Kaffee treffen.Hi Anna! I am looking forward to getting to know you. Let's meet for coffee soon.
- Sehr geehrte Frau Müller, ich freue mich darauf, Sie kennenzulernen.Dear Ms. Müller, I am looking forward to meeting you.
Example conversation
Maximilian and Laura are exchanging formal emails before a business meeting.
- MaximilianGuten Tag, Frau Schmidt, ich freue mich darauf, Sie kennenzulernen.Good day, Ms. Schmidt, I am looking forward to meeting you.
- LauraVielen Dank, Herr Weber, ich freue mich auch sehr.Thank you very much, Mr. Weber, I am also looking forward to it.
- MaximilianBis morgen um zehn Uhr.See you tomorrow at ten o'clock.
- LauraBis morgen.See you tomorrow.
