German Business Phrases: 100 Expressions for Emails, Meetings, and Professional Conversations

Learning German for work requires a specific vocabulary register that general German courses barely cover. German business language (Geschäftsdeutsch) is more formal, more precise, and uses entirely different vocabulary from the German you'd use with friends. If you're working in Germany or with German companies, or taking a German B2 business exam, mastering Geschäftsdeutsch is non-negotiable. This guide covers 100 essential German business phrases for the most common professional situations.

German email phrases: opening and closing

Opening formulas: Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren — Dear Sir/Madam (to unknown recipient). Sehr geehrter Herr [Name] — Dear Mr [Name]. Sehr geehrte Frau [Name] — Dear Ms [Name]. Guten Morgen/Tag, Herr/Frau [Name] — Good morning/day (slightly less formal). Mit freundlichen Grüßen — Kind regards (standard close). Mit freundlichem Gruß — Kind regards (slightly less formal). Hochachtungsvoll — Yours faithfully (very formal, increasingly rare). Viele Grüße — Best regards (informal professional). In Bezug auf Ihre Anfrage vom... — With reference to your enquiry of [date]. In der Anlage finden Sie... — Please find attached... Ich beziehe mich auf unser Gespräch vom... — I refer to our conversation of...

German meeting and presentation phrases

Ich würde gerne das Wort ergreifen — I'd like to speak. Können wir kurz bei diesem Punkt bleiben? — Can we stay on this point briefly? Ich verstehe Ihren Standpunkt, aber... — I understand your position, but... Haben Sie Einwände? — Do you have objections? Ich möchte kurz zusammenfassen — I'd like to briefly summarise. Sind wir uns einig? — Are we agreed? Lassen Sie mich das klarstellen — Let me clarify that. Ich schlage vor, dass wir... — I suggest that we... Darf ich kurz unterbrechen? — May I briefly interrupt? Ich komme jetzt zum nächsten Punkt — I'll now move on to the next point. Gibt es Fragen dazu? — Are there any questions about this?

German negotiation and business decision phrases

Das kommt für uns leider nicht infrage — Unfortunately that's not possible for us. Wir können Ihnen folgendes Angebot machen — We can make you the following offer. Das entspricht nicht unseren Erwartungen — That doesn't meet our expectations. Wir sind bereit, einen Kompromiss zu finden — We're willing to find a compromise. Unter diesen Bedingungen können wir zustimmen — Under these conditions we can agree. Wir behalten uns das Recht vor — We reserve the right. Das müssen wir intern abstimmen — We need to coordinate that internally. Ich werde das prüfen lassen — I'll have that checked. Das liegt außerhalb meiner Entscheidungsbefugnis — That's outside my decision-making authority. Wir würden das gerne schriftlich bestätigen — We'd like to confirm that in writing.

German professional language in the real workplace

The gap between textbook German and real German workplace language is significant. Real German office conversation mixes formal Geschäftsdeutsch with colloquial expressions — meetings begin formally and relax into casualness, emails to close colleagues use du and informal closings, and the phone combines formal opening phrases with efficient directness. The best way to absorb German professional language is immersion in German professional contexts: German business YouTube (talks, interviews, corporate communications), German news (business sections), and German professional podcasts. Learners who use Butterfluent to watch German business content — interviews with German CEOs, German startup pitches, German business documentary content — build professional German vocabulary through real professional speech rather than textbook exercises.