Formal German Correspondence
Like Duolingo, but for Formal German Correspondence. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Assembling the Message and Polish, Form, and Etiquette. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Formal German Correspondence
- 'Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren' is the standard formal default when you do not know the recipient's name or gender
- Personalized formal greetings require a specific named person
- Informal greetings like 'Hallo' or 'Liebe' are inappropriate for first-time formal inquiries
- Male formal salutations require an extra 'r' on the adjective ('Sehr geehrter Herr')
- Female formal salutations end in 'e' ('Sehr geehrte Frau')
- The plural collective greeting uses 'Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren'
- In German, a salutation ends with a comma, treating the next line as a continuation of the sentence
- The opening word on the line below starts with a lowercase letter unless it is a noun or a formal pronoun
- Formal direct address pronouns ('Sie', 'Ihnen', 'Ihr') must always be capitalized in formal letters
- Failing to capitalize 'ihnen' changes the meaning to 'them' rather than formal 'you'
- A German subject line directly states the transaction or purpose (e.g., invoice number, account ID, or role applied for)
- Friendly introductory fluff and small talk belong neither in the subject line nor replacing the purpose in the opening
- Reference codes and concise topic tags let the recipient route and solve the request immediately
- Starting with 'Senden Sie mir...' sounds like a harsh order in formal German
- Phrasing the request with 'Könnten Sie...' or 'Würden Sie...' softens the instruction into a courteous request
- Formal register expects subjunctive framing instead of raw imperative commands
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Formal German Correspondence the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
When can you use a personalized greeting like 'Sehr geehrte Frau Weber'?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
Where Formal German Correspondence takes you
Master the precise etiquette, grammar traps, and polite conventions required for writing professional German emails and letters. Learn how to address recipients, frame requests respectfully, and close with confidence.
- 1
Assembling the Message
- Greetings and the First Sentence
- Polite Requests and Inquiries
- 2
Polish, Form, and Etiquette
- Sign-Offs and Attachments
- Titles and Situational Tone
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Formal German Correspondence is taught in the The Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Formal German Correspondence today.
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