How to Write an Informal Email in German
Learn the greetings, tone, and punctuation used in a friendly German email to someone you know well. This guide is for A2-B1 learners, including people preparing for Goethe writing tasks.
A printable informal email template with the annotated example, useful phrases, and common mistakes.
A full example, annotated
Mira is writing to a friend about the weekend. Hover, tap or tab to a marked spot to see what it does.
Bist du am Samstag da?
, es geht gut! Bei mir ist gerade ziemlich viel los, aber ich wollte dir unbedingt schreiben.
Ich komme am Samstag für ein Konzert in die Stadt und dachte, wir könnten uns endlich mal wiedersehen. , danach noch einen Kaffee zu trinken? Ach, und eine Bitte hätte ich auch: Könntest du mich am Bahnhof abholen? Mein Zug kommt schon um neun an, und ein Taxi ist mir viel zu teuer.
ich habe super Neuigkeiten: Ich habe endlich die Wohnung in der Innenstadt bekommen! Ich kaum glauben.
Mira
The ten things to notice
Each numbered mark in the example above corresponds to one of these.
Subject line
Keep an informal subject line short and casual. It can even be a question, unlike a formal statement of purpose.
Informal greeting
Write "Lieber" to a man or "Liebe" to a woman, then the first name and a comma. The comma is part of the greeting, just as in a formal one.
Lowercase continuation
The word right after the greeting comma stays lowercase, because the greeting and what follows count as one sentence. English speakers often capitalise it out of habit.
Informal pronouns
Du, dich, dir, and dein are the informal "you" forms. Unlike formal Sie, they are normally lowercase in a modern email, though capitalising them is still allowed.
Casual suggestion
Use Konjunktiv II, a German verb form for polite or hypothetical language, even informally. "Hättest du Lust ..." floats a plan without pressure.
Conversational filler
Words such as "übrigens" or "ach" introduce a new thought the way spoken conversation does. They read as casual, not formal.
Contractions
Informal writing allows spoken contractions such as "kann's" for "kann es". Avoid these in a formal email.
Casual sign-off request
Ask for a reply briefly and directly, such as "Schreib mir kurz ...". A formal email uses a longer, more elaborate phrase instead.
Informal closing
Close with "Liebe Grüße", "Viele Grüße", or "Bis bald", then put your name on the next line.
No comma
Do not add a comma after "Liebe Grüße". Just like the formal closing, the name goes directly on the next line.
Common mistakes
Informal German emails still follow rules, even though they feel relaxed. Check the pronouns, capitalisation, tone, and punctuation before you send, especially habits carried over from formal writing or from English.
Wrong vs. right
Ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut, lieber Jonas!
Ich hoffe, es geht dir gut, lieber Jonas!
Sie belongs in a formal email; switch to du and dir once you are writing to a friend.
Wie geht es Dir? Hast Du Lust auf Samstag?
Wie geht es dir? Hast du Lust auf Samstag?
Unlike Sie, the informal du-forms are normally lowercase in modern German, even mid-sentence.
Ich würde mich sehr freuen, bald von dir zu hören.
Schreib mir doch mal!
Elaborate, formal-sounding sentences feel stiff between friends; keep informal requests short and direct.
Ich freue mich total mega!!! Bis bald!!!
Ich freue mich total! Bis bald!
One exclamation mark shows enthusiasm; a row of them reads as try-hard rather than genuinely friendly.
Hey, kommst du am Samstag zum Konzert mit?
Lieber Jonas, kommst du am Samstag zum Konzert mit?
Even a short, casual email usually opens with "Lieber/Liebe + name," rather than starting straight in.
Practise an informal email
Try the format yourself with a real-life prompt, then compare your version with one possible model response.
Explain why you cannot attend an event
Practise declining an invitation politely while keeping the relationship friendly.
Invite friends to a birthday dinner
Practise an informal invitation with practical details and a friendly tone.
Tell a friend about an important decision
Practise explaining a personal decision, giving reasons and asking someone for their opinion.
When informal is the wrong choice
Write an informal email only to people who already know you that way: friends, family, and classmates on du terms with you. Work is trickier. Some German colleagues move to du quickly, but a boss, teacher, or anyone more senior should offer it first. Using du before they do can read as overly familiar, so wait for their lead, and default to Sie when in doubt.
Informal does not mean careless. A friendly email still needs a clear point, a greeting, and a closing; it just uses warmer words to get there. Skipping the greeting or piling on exclamation marks does not make an email more casual; it just makes it harder to read. Keep the structure, relax the tone.