Professionelle Korrespondenz
Chapter Overview and Objectives
Chapter 2 builds directly on the accuracy and register audit of Chapter 1. Tobias's revised note went out to the coordination group, and it worked: colleagues in Vienna and Zurich responded well to its steady, professional tone. Now Frau Lindqvist asks him to take on a fuller correspondence workload of his own — requesting information, confirming arrangements, following up when someone has not replied, and occasionally declining a request as diplomatically as possible. This chapter teaches the language of professional email correspondence: refined formal address, nominal style, polite subjunctive requests, and the prepositional verbs that make correspondence sound natural rather than translated.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Write a formal or semi-formal email that opens, develops, and closes in one consistent register.
- Make requests, confirm arrangements, and follow up on unanswered messages using appropriate phrasing.
- Decline a request politely without causing offense.
- Use Konjunktiv II forms to soften requests and suggestions.
- Use common prepositional verbs and nominal constructions typical of professional correspondence.
- Edit a professional email chain for tone, accuracy, and completeness.
Opening Scenario
A week after his revised note went out, Tobias receives a reply from a colleague in Zurich, Frau Baumgartner, asking for additional details about a shared budget line before she can confirm her team's participation in an upcoming project phase. At the same time, a colleague in Vienna, Herr Wibmer, has not answered an earlier request at all, and the coordination timeline is starting to tighten. Frau Lindqvist suggests that Tobias handle both situations himself: answer Frau Baumgartner's questions clearly, send a polite follow-up to Herr Wibmer, and — since a separate, unrelated request has come in from another department that the project genuinely cannot accommodate — draft a courteous decline. Managing all three at once will test whether Tobias can hold a consistent, professional register not just in a single message, but across an entire correspondence thread.
- Review the vocabulary for requests, confirmations, follow-ups, and declines.
- Study the model dialogue, in which Frau Lindqvist and Tobias plan his responses together.
- Complete the Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing components in order.
- Finish by producing your own short professional email sequence.
Vocabulary: Correspondence and Requests
This chapter activates vocabulary for the core moves of professional correspondence: asking, confirming, following up, and declining, along with the nouns needed to talk about the correspondence itself.
Die Korrespondenz
- die Anfrage, die Anfragen — inquiry, request
- die Bestätigung, die Bestätigungen — confirmation
- die Erinnerung, die Erinnerungen — reminder
- die Absage, die Absagen — decline, cancellation
Bitten und Vorschlagen
- bitten um (+ Akkusativ) — to ask for something
- vorschlagen — to suggest, propose
- der Vorschlag, die Vorschläge — proposal, suggestion
- sich erkundigen nach (+ Dativ) — to inquire about
Bestätigen und Ablehnen
- bestätigen — to confirm
- ablehnen — to decline, reject
- leider — unfortunately
- das Verständnis — understanding
Termine und Fristen
- der Termin, die Termine — appointment, deadline
- die Frist, die Fristen — deadline, time limit
- verschieben — to postpone, move
- rechtzeitig — in time, punctually
All active nouns appear with article and plural, and each verb is shown with its case or preposition frame where one is required.
Grammar Focus: Höflichkeit und Nominalstil
Professional correspondence relies on three things you already control at a basic level and now must refine: formal address with correct capitalization, Konjunktiv II forms that soften a request or suggestion, and a more nominal style that reads as measured rather than blunt.
You have used formal Sie since Volume I. In professional correspondence, remember that Sie, Ihnen, and Ihr/Ihre are always capitalized, in every position in the sentence, including mid-sentence and inside subordinate clauses.
Ich schreibe Ihnen, um mich nach dem aktuellen Stand Ihres Projekts zu erkundigen. — I am writing to you to ask about the current status of your project.
Ich würde Sie bitten, mir die fehlenden Zahlen bis Freitag zu schicken.
I would ask you to send me the missing figures by Friday.
Könnten Sie mir kurz mitteilen, ob der Termin für Sie passt?
Could you let me know briefly whether the appointment works for you?
Wäre es möglich, das Treffen auf nächste Woche zu verschieben?
Would it be possible to postpone the meeting to next week?
- Ich bitte Sie um eine kurze Rückmeldung bis Donnerstag. I ask you for a brief reply by Thursday. bitten um + Akkusativ
- Nach Rücksprache mit meiner Kollegin muss ich Ihre Anfrage leider ablehnen. After consulting with my colleague, I unfortunately have to decline your request. nominal opening (Nach Rücksprache mit ...) softens a direct refusal
- Da ich bisher noch keine Antwort erhalten habe, erlaube ich mir, freundlich nachzufragen. Since I have not yet received a reply, I am taking the liberty of following up politely. da-clause + infinitive clause with zu, typical follow-up formula
Professional German often opens a sentence with a noun phrase rather than a full clause, especially to introduce context before a request or decision: Nach Rücksprache mit ..., Aufgrund der aktuellen Terminlage ..., Im Hinblick auf unser letztes Gespräch .... This nominal opening lets the writer state the reasoning before the request, which softens the message overall.
Error: *Schicken Sie mir die Zahlen bis Freitag. as an opening request with no softening (grammatically correct, but abrupt for a first request in a professional context)
Correction: Ich würde Sie bitten, mir die Zahlen bis Freitag zu schicken. or Könnten Sie mir die Zahlen bis Freitag schicken? — an imperative is not wrong, but Konjunktiv II or a question form is usually more appropriate for an initial professional request.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Frau Lindqvist's office. Context: she and Tobias plan how to answer Frau Baumgartner, follow up with Herr Wibmer, and draft a decline for the unrelated request.
Guided Practice
Rewrite each blunt request or decline using Konjunktiv II, a nominal opening, or another softening strategy from this chapter.
- Schicken Sie mir bitte die Unterlagen. (soften with Konjunktiv II)
- Wir können Ihre Anfrage nicht erfüllen. (soften with a nominal opening)
- Antworten Sie mir schnell. (soften as a polite follow-up)
Model answers appear in the Answer Key.
Listening Component
Ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the following short passage aloud. Listen once for overall content, then again to notice each softening strategy.
Drei E-Mails, ein Nachmittag — Listening Script
Tobias setzte sich an seinen Schreibtisch und begann mit der Antwort an Frau Baumgartner. Er schickte ihr die fehlenden Zahlen und bat sie, bis Freitag zu bestätigen, ob ihr Team an der nächsten Projektphase teilnehmen könne. Danach schrieb er an Herrn Wibmer, der auf seine erste Anfrage noch nicht geantwortet hatte. Da er bisher keine Rückmeldung erhalten habe, erlaube er sich, freundlich nachzufragen, schrieb Tobias, und er bat um eine kurze Antwort bis Ende der Woche. Zuletzt musste er die Anfrage einer anderen Abteilung ablehnen. Nach Rücksprache mit Frau Lindqvist erklärte er, dass sein Team die zusätzliche Aufgabe leider nicht übernehmen könne, schlug aber einen anderen Ansprechpartner vor.
Verständnisfragen
1. Worum bittet Tobias Frau Baumgartner, und bis wann?
2. Warum schreibt Tobias an Herrn Wibmer?
3. Identify one Konjunktiv II form and one nominal opening in the passage, and explain what each accomplishes.
Speaking Component
Aufgabe: Eine Anfrage stellen und ablehnen
Work with a partner. One of you plays a colleague making a request; the other plays a colleague who can only partly help and must decline part of the request politely, following the model dialogue above.
Rolle: Anfragende Person
- Make a polite request using Konjunktiv II or a question form.
- Give a deadline or timeframe for the response.
- Respond appropriately if part of the request is declined.
Rolle: Antwortende Person
- Confirm what you can do, and explain what you cannot.
- Use a nominal opening to introduce your reasoning before declining.
- Suggest an alternative if possible.
Bewertungshinweise — Speaking Criteria
- At least one Konjunktiv II request and one nominal opening, clearly used.
- A polite, complete decline that includes a reason.
- Consistent formal register throughout the exchange.
- Comprehensible, natural pronunciation and pacing.
Solo alternative: Record both sides of the exchange yourself, pausing between turns to plan your response.
Reading Component
Sehr geehrter Herr Wibmer,
ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut. Vor zwei Wochen hatte ich Ihnen eine Anfrage zur Terminplanung für die nächste Projektphase geschickt. Da ich bisher noch keine Rückmeldung erhalten habe, erlaube ich mir, freundlich nachzufragen.
Falls sich seitdem etwas an Ihrer Terminlage geändert hat, teilen Sie es mir bitte kurz mit. Ansonsten würde ich mich über eine Bestätigung bis Ende dieser Woche sehr freuen, damit wir rechtzeitig planen können.
Vielen Dank für Ihr Verständnis.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Tobias König
Verständnisfragen
1. Worum geht es in der ursprünglichen Anfrage, auf die sich Tobias hier bezieht?
2. Bis wann bittet Tobias um eine Antwort, und warum?
3. Identify the phrase Tobias uses to introduce his follow-up, and explain why it is softer than a direct reminder such as Antworten Sie mir bitte schneller.
Writing Component
Write a short professional email chain of two messages: (1) a polite reply to Frau Baumgartner's request for information, including a request for her confirmation by a stated deadline, and (2) a courteous decline of the unrelated request from the other department, including a nominal opening and, if possible, an alternative suggestion.
Kontext für Nachricht 1
Frau Baumgartner (Zürich) hat nach den genauen Zahlen für die Budgetlinie gefragt, bevor sie die Teilnahme ihres Teams bestätigen kann.
Kontext für Nachricht 2
Eine andere Abteilung hat um zusätzliche Unterstützung gebeten, die das Projektteam derzeit nicht leisten kann.
- Decide on one consistent, formal register for both messages.
- Draft Message 1: provide the requested information and make a clear, polite request for confirmation with a deadline.
- Draft Message 2: open with a nominal phrase, state the decline clearly but kindly, and offer an alternative if you can.
- Check that formal Sie, Ihnen, and Ihr/Ihre are capitalized throughout both messages.
- Read both messages aloud to check that the tone does not drift toward either bluntness or excessive apology.
- Review your text against the checklist below.
Revision checklist:
- Does each message use a clear opening, development, and closing appropriate to a professional email?
- Is at least one request softened with Konjunktiv II or a polite question form?
- Does the decline use a nominal opening before stating the refusal?
- Is formal address capitalized correctly throughout?
Culture and Communication
Email openings and closings in German-speaking professional contexts depend on the relationship and institution, not on a single fixed formula. Sehr geehrte/r ... suits a first contact or a more distant professional relationship, while Liebe/r ... is common once colleagues know each other, even in a formal register. Closings such as Mit freundlichen Grüßen are broadly safe defaults; shorter closings may be appropriate once correspondence becomes routine within a team.
Learners sometimes assume that more formal language is always safer, but consistently over-formal correspondence with close colleagues can come across as distant or even suspicious of a good working relationship. Institutional norms, sector, and individual workplace culture in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland all shape how much formality a given exchange expects; a careful writer adjusts to the actual relationship rather than defaulting to maximum formality in every message.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *Schicken Sie mir die Unterlagen sofort. as an opening line to a colleague with no prior context.
Correction: Ich würde Sie bitten, mir die Unterlagen bei Gelegenheit zu schicken. — soften an initial request with Konjunktiv II or a polite question form.
Error: *Wir können das nicht machen. as a complete decline, with no context or alternative offered.
Correction: Nach Rücksprache mit meinem Team muss ich die Anfrage leider ablehnen. Gerne kann ich Ihnen jedoch eine andere Ansprechperson nennen. — give a brief reason and, where possible, a next step.
Error: *Ich schreibe ihnen, um sie an unseren Termin zu erinnern. (lowercase ihnen and sie read as third-person plural, not formal address)
Correction: Ich schreibe Ihnen, um Sie an unseren Termin zu erinnern. — capitalize every form of formal Sie regardless of position in the sentence.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 2 extended the register awareness built in Chapter 1 into the specific work of professional correspondence: requesting, confirming, following up, and declining. Konjunktiv II softened requests and suggestions, nominal openings introduced reasoning before a refusal, and refined attention to capitalized formal address kept every message clearly and consistently professional. Tobias's afternoon of three emails to Zurich, Vienna, and another department provided the context for practicing each of these moves in turn.
Chapter Review
Before moving to Chapter 3, confirm that you can:
- write a formal or semi-formal email with a consistent register from opening to closing;
- soften a request or suggestion using Konjunktiv II;
- use a nominal opening to introduce reasoning before a decline;
- write a polite follow-up to an unanswered message; and
- capitalize formal address correctly in every sentence position.
Practical Performance Task
Kapitel 2 — Praktische Aufgabe
Eine E-Mail-Sequenz verfassen — Producing a Professional Email Sequence
Complete a short sequence of tasks that draws together reading, writing, and speaking practice with correspondence.
1. Nachfrage lesen
Read the Reading Component email and identify its softening strategies.
2. E-Mails schreiben
Complete the Writing Component two-message sequence, using the checklist provided.
3. Gespräch führen
Complete the Speaking Component role-play with a partner or solo recording.
4. Sequenz überprüfen
Read your two messages together and confirm that the register is consistent across both.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Request and confirmation language | Requests are softened appropriately and confirmations are clearly stated |
| Polite decline | The decline includes reasoning and, where possible, an alternative |
| Formal address accuracy | Sie, Ihnen, and Ihr/Ihre are capitalized correctly throughout |
| Register consistency | Both messages hold one appropriate professional register from opening to closing |
Answer Key
Guided Practice — Model Answers
- Ich würde Sie bitten, mir die Unterlagen zu schicken. (Konjunktiv II softens the imperative)
- Nach Rücksprache mit meinem Team müssen wir Ihre Anfrage leider ablehnen. (nominal opening introduces the decline)
- Da ich bisher noch keine Antwort erhalten habe, erlaube ich mir, freundlich nachzufragen. (da-clause plus polite follow-up formula)
Listening Component — Comprehension Questions
- Er bittet sie, bis Freitag zu bestätigen, ob ihr Team an der nächsten Projektphase teilnehmen kann.
- Weil Herr Wibmer auf eine frühere Anfrage noch nicht geantwortet hat.
- Konjunktiv II: er erlaube sich, freundlich nachzufragen (softens the follow-up); nominal opening: Nach Rücksprache mit Frau Lindqvist (introduces the reasoning before the decline).
Reading Component — Comprehension Questions
- Es geht um die Terminplanung für die nächste Projektphase.
- Bis Ende der Woche, damit rechtzeitig geplant werden kann.
- Da ich bisher noch keine Rückmeldung erhalten habe, erlaube ich mir, freundlich nachzufragen — this frames the follow-up as Tobias's own polite initiative rather than as a criticism of Herr Wibmer, which is softer than a direct demand for a faster reply.
Writing and Speaking Components
Open production. Evaluate using the performance task criteria table above, with particular attention to softened requests, a well-reasoned decline, and consistent formal address.
Practical Performance Task
Open production. Evaluate holistically using the performance task criteria table: request and confirmation language, polite decline, formal address accuracy, and register consistency.
Looking Ahead
Was Sie nach Kapitel 2 können — What you can do after Chapter 2
You can now write a professional email sequence that requests, confirms, follows up, and declines, using Konjunktiv II and nominal openings to keep the tone appropriately soft and consistent. This prepares you for Chapter 3, where you will bring these same register instincts into live, spoken professional contexts.