Below you will find helpful guidelines, an example, and an English-German phrasebook for writing personal letters, email, and greeting cards in German.
PERSONAL LETTER WRITINGAUF DEUTSCH |
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| English | Deutsch |
THE ENVELOPE • DER UMSCHLAG |
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Titles
|
Titel
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| Mr – Mrs/Ms – Miss These titles are usually not abbreviated in German. German uses Frau for both Mrs and Ms (any woman 18 or older). |
Herrn – Frau – Fräulein Note the ‘n’ ending on Herrn, reflecting the understood phrase: an Herrn XYZ (to Mr. XYZ) |
| Address (female) | Die Anschrift (weiblich) |
| Mrs (Ms) Maria Schmidt Schillerstrasse 19 (19 Schiller St.) postal code & city (D=Germany, A=Austria, CH=Switz.) |
Frau Maria Schmidt (Fräulein if under 18) Schillerstraße 18 D-23451 Kleindorf Germany (if writing from outside the country) |
| Address (male) | Die Anschrift (männlich) |
| Mr Karl Braun Mozartstrasse 35 (35 Mozart St.) postal code & city (A=Austria, D=Germany, CH=Switz.) |
Herrn Karl Braun (Note the n!) Mozartstraße 35 A-3451 Schöndorf Austria (if writing from outside the country) |
| Note: Straße is often abbreviated Str. Other types of streets: Allee (avenue, boulevard), Gasse (lane), Weg (way, drive). | |
| Return Address | Der Absender |
| Sarah Brown 253 Fall Lane Cactus City, NV 89101 USA (if mailed from abroad) |
A German return address (preceded by the abbreviation Abs.) usually goes on the back of the envelope. |
ON THE ENVELOPE • AUF DEM UMSCHLAG |
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| Air Mail | Luftpost (Germany) – Flugpost(Austria) |
| c/o – in care of “John Smith c/o the Meiers” |
bei or c/o “John Smith bei Meier” More often: “John Smith c/o Meier” |
| P.O. Box 12345 | Postfach 12345 |
| Registered Mail | Eingeschrieben |
| (postage) stamp | die Briefmarke |
PERSONAL LETTER PHRASESNOTE: These phrases are only appropriate for personal correspondence, not in formal or business situations!
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| English | Deutsch |
| Salutations • Anreden | |
| Dear Maria, | Liebe Maria, (female, e-ending) |
| Dear Hans, | Lieber Hans, (male, er-ending) |
| Dear Maria and Hans, | Liebe Maria, lieber Hans, |
| Dear Dad / Dear Mom, | Lieber Vati, / Liebe Mutti, |
| Dear Friends, | Liebe Freunde, |
| My Dearest Karl, | Mein liebster Karl, |
| My Dearest Maria, | Meine liebste Maria, |
| English | Deutsch |
GENERAL PHRASESThese phrases are only appropriate for personal correspondence, not in formal or business situations!
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| Thank you for your letter | Vielen Dank für deinen Brief |
| It was good to hear from you again | Ich habe mich gefreut, wieder von dir zu hören |
| I’m sorry that I haven’t written for so long | Tut mir Leid, dass ich so lange nicht geschrieben habe |
| Please don’t be mad at me for… | Sei mir bitte nicht böse, dass ich… |
| Closing Remarks | |
| Give my regards/love to Maria and Hans | Ganz liebe Grüße an Maria und Hans |
| Tell them how much I miss them | Sag ihnen, wie sehr sie mir fehlen |
| Tell her/him how much I miss her/him | Sag ihr/ihm, wie sehr sie/er mir fehlt |
| Please write again soon! | Schreib mal wieder! |
| Let us hear from you now and then | Lasst ab und zu wieder von dir hören |