How to Write a Formal Email in German
Learn the structure, phrases, punctuation, and level of formality used in a good German formal email. This guide is for A2-B1 learners, including people preparing for Goethe writing tasks.
A printable formal email template with the annotated example, reusable phrases, and common mistakes.
A full example, annotated
Sophie is cancelling an appointment. Hover, tap or tab to a marked spot to see what it does.
Absage meines Beratungstermins am 12. Juni
muss ich mitteilen, dass ich unseren Beratungstermin am Mittwoch, den 12. Juni, um 14 Uhr nicht .
ich an diesem Tag beruflich verreisen muss. Mein Arbeitgeber hat die Reise erst gestern angesetzt.
Für die kurzfristige Absage möchte ich mich aufrichtig entschuldigen. , den Termin auf die folgende Woche zu verlegen?
Für Ihr Verständnis danke ich Ihnen im Voraus.
Sophie Schaller
The eleven things to notice
Each numbered mark in the example above corresponds to one of these.
Subject line
Keep the subject line short and specific. State the reason or action, not a full sentence.
Formal greeting
For a formal email, use "Sehr geehrte Frau/Herr + surname,". The comma is part of the greeting.
Lowercase continuation
When the greeting ends with a comma, the next word starts lowercase unless it is a noun or another word normally capitalised.
Formal pronouns
Use Sie for formal address, and capitalise Sie, Ihnen, Ihr, and Ihre every time.
Verb position
In a clause with "dass", the conjugated verb goes to the end. With a verb pair, the two verbs appear together at the end, as in "wahrnehmen kann".
Give a reason
Give one clear reason, then stop. "Der Grund dafür ist, dass ..." is a useful formal pattern.
Polite request
Use Konjunktiv II, a German verb form for polite or hypothetical language, to soften requests. "Wäre es möglich ..." is a useful pattern.
Concrete alternative
Give a concrete alternative, such as a day or time range. This makes the request easier to answer.
Polite ending
Close the message with a polite expectation or request for a reply. "Über eine kurze Rückmeldung würde ich mich freuen" works well.
Formal closing
Use a standard formal closing such as "Mit freundlichen Grüßen". Put your name on the next line.
No comma
Do not add a comma after "Mit freundlichen Grüßen". Put the name directly below it.
Common mistakes
Formal German email mistakes are often small, but they can make the message look less natural or less formal. Check the greeting, capitalisation, punctuation, tone, and subject line before you send.
Wrong vs. right
Sehr geehrte Frau Vogt, Leider muss ich ...
Sehr geehrte Frau Vogt, leider muss ich ...
After a greeting ending with a comma, the next word normally begins lowercase.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
A formal German closing does not take a comma before the name.
Hallo Frau Vogt, wie geht es Ihnen?
Sehr geehrte Frau Vogt,
A formal email normally starts with a formal greeting and skips personal small talk.
Ich kann nicht kommen.
Leider kann ich den Termin nicht wahrnehmen.
The corrected version is more polite and tells the reader exactly what you cannot attend.
Betreff: Ich möchte meinen Termin absagen, weil ich verreise.
Betreff: Absage meines Beratungstermins am 12. Juni
A subject line should be concise and informative rather than a complete sentence.
Practise a formal email
You have seen the structure. Now use it in a real writing task and compare your answer with a model response.
Reschedule an appointment
Practise cancelling an appointment politely, giving a reason and suggesting alternatives.
Complain about a damaged online order
Practise a polite complaint that explains a problem and asks for a concrete solution.
Decline an invitation politely
Practise declining a formal invitation while explaining the reason and keeping the relationship positive.
Sie or du?
Use Sie when writing to a company, authority, school, teacher you do not know personally, or any stranger. For a Goethe exam formal email, use Sie throughout. The related forms Sie, Ihnen, Ihr, and Ihre are always capitalised when they refer to the person you are addressing. This capitalisation is part of formal written German.
Use du with friends, family, and colleagues who have already offered it. In German-speaking workplaces, some people switch to du quickly, while others keep Sie for longer. Do not decide to switch on your own in a formal exchange. Wait until the other person offers du, then follow their lead.