Welcome to our penultimate lesson of this module! In our last session, you honed your skills in reading and understanding simple German emails, breaking down their structure and learning to extract key information about plans and arrangements. You learned how to navigate greetings, closings, and the important grammatical quirks like the lowercase first word after the salutation.
Today, we transition from understanding to creating. You will learn to write a formal or informal reply to a simple email. This is a crucial skill that brings together much of what you've learned about sentence structure, verb conjugations, cases, and vocabulary. It's not only a key part of the Goethe A1 exam's writing section but also an essential tool for your future academic and social life in Germany or Austria.
Let's get started on turning you into a confident German email correspondent.
Formal or Informal? The First and Most Important Decision
Before you type a single word, you must decide on the correct level of formality. As you'll remember from our last lesson, this choice affects your greeting, pronouns (du vs. Sie), vocabulary, and closing. Making the right choice is crucial for polite and effective communication.
The following video provides an excellent guide on how to identify whether a situation calls for a formal or informal email.
German A1 Exam Schreiben | Writing a Letter/Email | 3 Practice Emails with Solutions | Goethe & Telc
This video from the "Five Minute German" channel is specifically designed for the A1 exam. It clearly explains the cues in an exam prompt that tell you which level of formality to use.
Please watch the section from "how to identify" whether you need to write a formal or informal email. The presenter gives clear indicators, such as the presence of "Herr" or "Frau" for formal emails, or a first name for informal ones.
To summarize the key points:
- Formal (
Sie): Use when writing to an office (like a university's Studierendensekretariat), an unknown person, or anyone addressed with a title like Herr (Mr.) or Frau (Ms./Mrs.). - Informal (
du): Use when writing to friends, family, or people you know well and call by their first name.
The image below gives a handy side-by-side comparison of common phrases you'll use. It's a great quick-reference guide.
Writing an Informal Reply
Let's begin with the informal style, which you'll use with friends and peers. The structure is generally more relaxed, but the core grammatical rules still apply.
The video below walks through a complete example of writing an informal email, from the greeting to the sign-off.
German A1 Exam Schreiben | Writing a Letter/Email | 3 Practice Emails with Solutions | Goethe & Telc
We'll return to the "Five Minute German" video to see how to construct an informal email based on a typical A1 exam prompt.
First, watch the section explaining the informal greetings and closings. Note the use of Lieber (for males) and Liebe (for females), and the simple closing Viele Grüße. Next, watch the walkthrough of the informal email example, where the writer invites his friend Thomas to a birthday party. Pay attention to how he: Starts with a friendly question (Wie geht es dir?). Uses the du form throughout. Addresses the required points from the prompt (reason, time/place, question). Ends with a friendly closing phrase.
Here is a visual breakdown of a simple informal email. Notice the labeled parts, which follow the structure we've been discussing.
Writing a Formal Reply
Now, let's tackle the formal reply. This is what you would use when communicating with a university, a landlord, or for any official business. Precision and adherence to convention are key.
German A1 Exam Schreiben | Writing a Letter/Email | 3 Practice Emails with Solutions | Goethe & Telc
Let's go back to the same "Five Minute German" video one last time to analyze the formal structure.
Begin by watching the overview of formal greetings, closings, and pronouns. The key takeaway is the consistent use of Sehr geehrte/r... and the formal pronoun Sie. Then, follow the detailed example of a formal email to a tourist office. Observe how the writer introduces themself, clearly states their requests using the Sie form, and uses a formal closing.
The core structure of a reply remains the same: greeting, body, closing. However, the language is elevated and more respectful. Common opening lines in a formal reply include:
- Vielen Dank für Ihre E-Mail. (Thank you for your email.)
- Ich schreibe Ihnen bezüglich... (I am writing to you regarding...)
Aiming for a Perfect Score: The Goethe A1 Task
For the Goethe A1 exam, the writing task is very specific. You are given a scenario and 3-4 bullet points that you must include in your ~30-word email. The key is not creativity, but clear, correct communication that fulfills the prompt.
The following resource provides perfect model answers and explains exactly what examiners look for.
Model Answers for Goethe A1: Sample Responses and Scoring
This article from Deutale is an excellent resource for exam preparation. It cuts straight to the point of what makes a successful A1 email.
Read the section "SECTION 1 - SCHREIBEN (Writing) Model Answers." Study the three model answers. Notice how short and direct they are, yet they successfully cover all the bullet points from the prompt. Next, carefully read "How Writing Is Scored at A1." Pay close attention to the five criteria: Task Completion, Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling, and Coherence. Understanding these will help you focus your efforts.
Let's Practice!
Now it's your turn to apply what you've learned. I've created two scenarios for you. The first is formal and relates to your goal of studying in Germany, and the second is informal and ties into your interest in video games.
Practice 1: Formal Reply (University Information Session)
Scenario: You have applied for a pre-study German course at a university. You receive the following email from the student services office (Studierendensekretariat).
Incoming Email:
Sehr geehrte/r Studierende/r,
wir möchten Sie zu einer obligatorischen Online-Informationsveranstaltung für den Deutsch-Vorkurs einladen. Die Veranstaltung findet am Mittwoch um 10:00 Uhr statt.
Können Sie teilnehmen? Bitte antworten Sie uns.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Ihr Studierendensekretariat
Your Task: Write a formal reply of about 30 words. You must:
- Thank them for the invitation.
- Confirm that you will attend.
- Ask where you can find the link for the meeting.
Try writing your reply now. Remember the rules for formal emails!
Click here to see a model answer.
Here is one possible correct answer. Your wording might be slightly different, but the structure and grammar should be similar.
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
vielen Dank für die Einladung. Ich nehme gerne an der Informationsveranstaltung teil.
Können Sie mir bitte den Link für das Treffen schicken?
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
[Your Full Name]
Practice 2: Informal Reply (Gaming Session)
Scenario: You receive an email from a new German friend, Leo, who you know from an online gaming community.
Incoming Email:
Hallo [Your Name],
wie geht's? Ich habe am Samstagabend Zeit. Wollen wir zusammen ein Videospiel spielen? Vielleicht so um 20 Uhr?
Gib mir Bescheid!
LG,
Leo
Your Task: Write an informal reply. You should:
- Say that you are doing well.
- Accept the invitation.
- Confirm that the time (20:00) works for you.
Give it a try!
Click here to see a model answer.
Here is a good example of an informal reply.
Hallo Leo,
danke für deine E-Mail! Mir geht es gut. Ja, ich spiele sehr gerne am Samstag mit dir.
20 Uhr passt perfekt für mich.
Viele Grüße,
[Your First Name]
Conclusion
Fantastic work today! You have made the important leap from reading to writing, a major milestone in your German learning journey. By learning to craft both formal and informal replies, you've equipped yourself with a versatile and essential communication skill.
Key Takeaways:
- Formality is Key: Always determine if the context is formal (Sie) or informal (du) before writing.
- Structure is Constant: Every email needs a greeting, a body, and a closing. The specific phrases change with formality, but the structure does not.
- Follow the Rules: Remember to start the body of the email with a lowercase letter and to omit the comma after the closing phrase.
- Fulfill the Prompt: For exam tasks, ensure you address every required point clearly and concisely.
In our final lesson of this module, we will bring all your skills together—speaking about the past, present, and future—as you prepare to participate in a short, introductory conversation. The ability to write clearly, which you practiced today, is a solid foundation for building clear and coherent spoken German.