sehr geehrte Damen und Herren
The German way to say 'to whom it may concern' is sehr geehrte Damen und Herren.
sehr geehrte Damen und Herren is a formal salutation equivalent to "Dear Sir or Madam". It is used when the recipient's name is unknown or when you are addressing a group. If you are specifically addressing the management of a company or institution in a formal letter or email, you can use An die Geschäftsleitung, which translates to "To the Management".
Meaning: phrase used to begin a formal letter to an unknown recipient (prep_phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase sehr geehrte Damen und Herren literally translates to 'very honored ladies and gentlemen'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
sehr geehrte Damen und Herren is the standard formal way to address a letter when the specific recipient is unknown. Similarly, An die Geschäftsleitung is a formal way to address a company's management.
How does it change in a sentence?
In German correspondence, a comma is used after the salutation sehr geehrte Damen und Herren. The first word of the following sentence begins with a lowercase letter unless it is a noun.
Did you know?
- The word sehr in this phrase is a distant relative of the English word 'sorely'. Both evolved from a root meaning 'injured' to describe an intense or acute feeling.
- While sehr geehrte Damen und Herren is the gold standard for formal letters, many modern German startups now avoid it entirely in favor of Hallo zusammen to signal a flat hierarchy.
- In German business culture, using sehr geehrte Damen und Herren is considered safer than trying to guess a recipient's gender or title, as using the wrong title can be seen as a sign of disrespect.
Examples in context
- Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, ich schreibe Ihnen bezüglich Ihrer Anzeige.To whom it may concern, I am writing to you regarding your advertisement.
- Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, hiermit reiche ich meine Bewerbung ein.To whom it may concern, I hereby submit my application.
Example conversation
Felix is asking Sarah for advice on writing a formal letter.
- FelixSarah, wie beginnt man diesen Brief?Sarah, how do I start this letter?
- SarahSchreib am besten: Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren.You should better write: To whom it may concern.
- FelixIst das sehr förmlich?Is that very formal?
- SarahJa, Felix, aber es ist für offizielle Schreiben perfekt.Yes, Felix, but it is perfect for official correspondence.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “to whom it may concern” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sehr, und, CC BY-SA 4.0.
