Formal Letters and E-mails

Level 5

Open with Léif Madame X, or Léiwen Här X, and close with Mat beschte Gréiss or Mat frëndleche Gréiss. Write the polite pronouns with a capital: Dir, Der, Iech, Är.

How It Works

1. Openings

  • Léif Madame Weber, (Dear Mrs Weber,)
  • Léiwen Här Muller, (Dear Mr Muller,)
  • Léif Dammen an Hären, (Dear Sir or Madam,)
  • Här Muller, or Madame Weber, alone is more neutral.

Even very formal and official letters use léif, which also means esteemed: Léif Dammen an Hären Deputéiert, (Dear Members of Parliament,) The adjective agrees with the noun, like the masculine -en ending: léiwen Här, but léiwe Paul because of the n-rule. Female first names are neuter, so friends write Léift Anne (see Hatt).

2. After the opening
Put a comma after the opening. The next line starts with a small letter unless it begins with a noun: Léiwen Här Muller, / mir soen Iech Merci fir Är Ufro.

3. Polite pronouns
When you write to someone you address with Dir, the pronouns are always capitalized: Dir, Der, Iech, Är, and words built from them like Ärersäits: Kéint Dir Ärersäits kontrolléieren, ob se Iech et geschéckt hunn? The informal du, dech, dir, iech stay small.

4. Useful phrases
Mir waarden op Är Äntwert. (We look forward to your reply.) Mir wiere frou, wann Dir ... (We would be glad if you ...) Requests are softened with kéint: Kéint Dir mir wannechgelift ... schécken?

5. Closings
Mat beschte Gréiss and Mat frëndleche Gréiss are the usual formal closings. Bescht Gréiss is shorter. A closing has no full stop. A longer formula is Ech verbleiwe mat beschte Gréiss (Yours sincerely).

Examples (6)

  1. Léiwen Här Muller,

    Dear Mr Muller,

    After the comma, the letter continues on a new line with a small letter.

  2. Léif Madame Weber,

    Dear Mrs Weber,

    Léif is used with Madame; léiwen is used with Här.

  3. Kéint Dir Ärersäits kontrolléieren, ob se Iech et geschéckt hunn?

    Could you check on your side whether they have sent it to you?

    Dir, Ärersäits and Iech are capitalized because they are polite forms.

  4. Mir wiere frou, wann Dir Ärersäits och bereet wiert, Kompromësser anzegoen.

    We would be glad if you, for your part, were also willing to make compromises.

  5. Ech soen Iech Merci, waarden op Är Äntwert a verbleiwe mat beschte Gréiss.

    Thank you. I look forward to your reply and remain, with best regards.

    A complete formal closing sentence.

  6. Mat frëndleche Gréiss

    Kind regards

    A closing takes no full stop.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the polite pronoun with a small letter (intended meaning: polite you, to one person).

    Kéint dir mir d'Dokumenter schécken?
    Kéint Dir mir d'Dokumenter schécken?

    The polite pronouns Dir, Der, Iech and Är are always capitalized. Small dir is the informal plural.

  • Starting the line after the opening with a capital letter.

    Léiwen Här Muller, Mir soen Iech Merci fir Är Ufro.
    Léiwen Här Muller, mir soen Iech Merci fir Är Ufro.

    The opening ends with a comma, so the text goes on with a small letter. Only nouns and polite pronouns are capitalized.

  • Using the feminine form léif with Här.

    Léif Här Muller,
    Léiwen Här Muller,

    Här is masculine, so the adjective takes -en: léiwen Här. Léif goes with Madame.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Formal Letters and E-mailsLevel 5

Learn This First

Before Formal Letters and E-mails, learn Your (Plural and Polite): Ären, Är and Äert and Polite Conditional: Ech hätt eng Fro.

Words in This Pattern

HärléifGroussbeschtfrëndlechIechÄrMadammDerÄrersäits