Email etiquette ...

[NameChangeArnoldLayne]

Just found myself sending an email to a German company. Quite obvious as their email address is ".de" and their FB page in German (although their website has an English version).

Despite being more sure that someone will be able to speak English on receiving it, than I would be an English company having a German speaker on hand, I can't help escape the feeling it's a tad arrogant and extremely English to just write in English and expect them to get on with it.

Problem is my German is probably worse than my ancient Hebrew.

I can use Google Translate, but if it's as good with English->German as it is with French, maybe not.

Just curious what the group thinks ?

(I guess there's also a reverse. What would someone think of receiving an email in another language, despite it being obvious you are an English outfit ?)

Get someone to write the email for you in German. Somebody who actually speaks/writes both German and English.

If somebody wrote to my work email in anything other than English and expected me to respond, they'd be waiting a VERY long time for a response.

It does come across, I think, as a bit arrogant and overly 'English' (not in a good way) to write to a German company based in Germany and not correspond in German.

I occasionally get emails from some of our German suppliers and the body of the email is invariably in English; one of them uses both.

I think it's ok to write in English in a business context. It's the main business language so it's likely they will speak it.

I usually write in English and also paste in the Google translate version to make an effort.

Could you call the company and, assuming they understand you (!), ask if emailing in English would be acceptable?

The work around for Google translate is to translate more than once to check.

So write message in English. Then convert to German. Then convert that German back into English.

I then keep changing original English until last English sounds about right

Oh and I put both the English and German in the email. English first (if the assumption is they'll know it) then German next.

Otherwise, I'd start with German first.

It's also worth googling common work greetings for that language.

Thanks for the thoughts. In the end I've gone with an English/German subject, then apologies and English and Google Translate German.

If I don't hear back, I'll know I upset someone

Most Germans will speak English fairly well. I think many would probably find it odd that you wrote to them (badly) in German when you could just write (hopefully very well) in English. Even when dh worked for a German company (not in the UK or in Germany), everyone spoke English in the office and in all email correspondence. Realistically, German is spoken by a very tiny minority of people in the world, so I don't think you have anything to feel awkward about.

Most Germans will speak English fairly well

One my one business trip - a few years back - my contact in the company I visited spoke good English. However he warned me that some of the senior management were "very shy" about speaking English. It seems bad manners to just launch into a foreign tongue in another country (which the email domain is by proxy ). Especially when you can't switch to the native language if it's not appreciated.

I know I'm probably massively overthinking all this But manners maketh the person, surely ?