20+ Useful German Email Examples - Business Emails
Over 20 useful examples of German emails for real business scenarios, and at different formalities level, are provided. They give insights into the German working culture and serve as a good starting point for drafting your next emails.
Most of the email examples here are written by Ms. R. Köhler whom I am greatly thankful for.
Requesting someone to carry out a task (reviewing a document)
You were working on a document and need to send it to your colleagues for feedback, before presenting it to …
Follow up on your request when there were no replies
It is now one week since you have sent your request to your colleagues (see this related post), and …
Salutation and closing in a German business letter
Most textbooks simply tell you that in formal occasions, use the salutations “Sehr geehrte/Sehr geehrter”, and in informal context, “Liebe/Lieber”. …
Missing Attachments
Everyone has done it — forgetting attachments. How do you resolve this politely? We will look at different scenarios where …
Requesting help from your IT department
You recently joined your company and are setting up your new email client for remote work. You tried to follow …
Arranging an appointment
Arranging a meeting often involves a few back-and-forths to find a timeslot that suits everyone. Here we will see how …
Asking a supervisor for further instructions
You recently joined a company as a junior staff and were asked assigned a task by your supervisor (to conduct …
Extending deadline 1 – Asking for a more reasonable deadline initially
Your boss asked you to prepare a very detailed presentation yesterday. You want to take on the task, but he …
Sick-leave email examples
In Germany, you are expected to inform your employer (ideally your direct manager) that you are sick on the morning …
Requesting holidays via email
It is time to plan for your holidays! You should inform your employer early enough about your plans to help …
Extending deadline 2 – Negotiating for a deadline extension midway
You have already agreed last week to prepare a status report for your manager by this Friday. Now it is …
Extending deadline 3 – Informing your boss you will not make the original deadline
You have already agreed to carry out a task last week. Now the deadline on Friday is near, but you …
Asking your manager to deal with a problematic colleague
You are working in a laboratory and there is a colleague (Herr Ulf Übel) who is often not following the …
Asking for a discount from a supplier
Who doesn't like a discount? In many cases, you can get 5-10% off if you ask your supplier nicely enough. …