Register is more than du and Sie
Choosing du or Sie is only the visible half of register. The rest of the sentence moves with the pronoun: the words, the grammar, the little particles. English does this mostly through vocabulary (get becomes receive, put off becomes postpone). German swaps words too, and then changes the shape of the whole sentence as well.
So think in levels, not in two boxes. Neutral Standarddeutsch in the middle works almost everywhere and never sounds wrong; that is the level to speak and write. The levels above and below it are mainly for recognising.
One message, four levels
Ich hab die Mail gekriegt, passt.
Got the mail, all good.
Umgangssprache: friends, family, chat. hab without the -e, kriegen.
Ich habe die E-Mail bekommen, danke.
I've got the email, thanks.
neutral: works with anyone
Vielen Dank, ich habe Ihre E-Mail erhalten.
Many thanks, I have received your email.
formal: business email, applications
Der Eingang Ihres Schreibens wird hiermit bestätigt.
Receipt of your letter is hereby confirmed.
Amtsdeutsch (authorities, contracts): no person is left in the sentence
The same meaning, different words
As in English, the formal word is often the more elaborate one. In German that can be a longer or more bureaucratic word (Inanspruchnahme, Kenntnisnahme), not just a Latin-looking one. Use the middle column yourself; the outer two are for hearing and reading.
A working vocabulary of register
| informal | neutral | formal | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| kriegen | bekommen | erhalten | to get |
| sich holen | kaufen | erwerben | to buy |
| quatschen | reden, sprechen | erörtern | to talk, to discuss |
| loslegen | anfangen | beginnen | to start |
| drum | deshalb, deswegen | daher, infolgedessen | therefore |
| aber | aber | jedoch, allerdings | but, however |
| jetzt | jetzt | derzeit | now |
kriegen is the quickest test: warm and common in speech, impossible in a formal letter.
Same request, moving up the scale
Kannst du mir mal kurz helfen?
Can you give me a quick hand?
informal: mal and kurz do the softening
Könnten Sie mir bitte kurz helfen?
Could you help me for a moment, please?
formal: Konjunktiv II plus bitte
Sag mir Bescheid, wenn du's weißt.
Let me know when you know.
Teilen Sie mir bitte mit, sobald Sie es wissen.
Please let me know as soon as you know.
Writing it down
German emails follow fixed conventions, and people notice deviations. The greeting line ends in a comma, and the next sentence starts with a small letter because it continues the same sentence. Only nouns and the formal pronouns Sie and Ihr keep their capital: Sehr geehrte Frau Weber, vielen Dank für Ihre Nachricht.
The same request, two emails
Formal: to a company or an office
Sehr geehrte plus title and surname. Full sentences, Konjunktiv II for the request, no particles, no abbreviations.
Greeting
Sehr geehrte Frau Weber, / Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
Opening line
ich wende mich an Sie mit der Bitte um Auskunft.
Request
Könnten Sie mir bitte den Termin bestätigen?
Sign-off
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Informal: to a friend or a close colleague
Hallo or Liebe plus the first name. Short sentences, particles, contractions, exclamation marks.
Greeting
Hallo Anna, / Liebe Anna, / Hi Anna,
Opening line
kurze Frage zum Donnerstag.
Request
Passt der Termin bei dir?
Sign-off
Liebe Grüße / Viele Grüße / LG
Between the two sits a middle ground that is common in German offices: Hallo Frau Weber with Sie, signed Viele Grüße. It is friendly without being familiar, and a good choice when you are unsure. Sehr geehrte to a colleague you email every week reads as cold.
Lines you can lift straight into an email
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, ich schreibe Ihnen bezüglich meiner Bewerbung.
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to you regarding my application.
Für Rückfragen stehe ich Ihnen gerne zur Verfügung.
I am happy to answer any further questions.
the standard closing line of a formal email
Hallo Frau Weber, hätten Sie am Dienstag kurz Zeit?
Hello Ms Weber, would you have a moment on Tuesday?
the office middle ground
