Checking an Email's Tone Before Sending | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: Before sending a professional follow-up email, one coworker checks the tone, next step, context, and recipient list with another..

EN → DE / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Checking an Email's Tone Before Sending to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Könntest du den Ton dieser E-Mail prüfen, bevor ich sie abschicke?

KURNT-ust doo dayn TOHN DEE-zur ee-MAIL PROO-fun, beh-FOHR ikh zee AHN-shik-uh? Could you check the tone of this email before I send it?
B

Sie ist professionell, aber der Anfang wirkt ein wenig schroff.

zee ist proh-fess-ee-oh-NELL, AH-ber dair AHN-fahng wirkt ayn VAY-nik shrohf. It is professional, but the opening feels a little sharp.
A

Ich möchte sie an die Anfrage erinnern, ohne ungeduldig zu klingen.

ikh MURKH-tuh zee ahn dee AHN-frah-guh air-IN-nern, OHN-uh OON-guh-DOOL-dikh tsoo KLIN-gen. I want to remind them about the request without sounding impatient.
B

Versuch es mit einem freundlicheren Anfang, in dem du sagst, dass du nachfasst.

fair-ZOOKH ess mit EYE-nem FROYNT-likh-uh-ren AHN-fahng, in daym doo zahkst, dahss doo NAKH-fahst. Try a softer opening that says you are following up.
A

Das klingt besser. Ist meine Anfrage deutlich genug?

dahs klinkt BESS-er. ist MY-nuh AHN-frah-guh DOYT-likh guh-NOOK? That sounds better. Is my request clear enough?
B

Erkläre den nächsten Schritt im selben Absatz.

air-KLARE-uh dayn NAYKH-stun shrit im ZELL-bun AHP-tsahts. Explain the next step in the same paragraph.
A

Ich habe gegen Ende auch zusätzlichen Kontext hinzugefügt.

ikh HAH-buh GAY-gen EN-duh owkh TSOO-zets-likh-un KOHN-tekst HIN-tsoo-guh-FYOOKHT. I also added extra context near the end.
B

Der Kontext ist hilfreich. Überprüfe die Empfängerliste, bevor du sie abschickst.

dair KOHN-tekst ist HILF-rikh. oo-ber-PROO-fuh dee em-FENG-er-lis-tuh, beh-FOHR doo zee AHN-shikst. The context is helpful. Check the recipient list before you send it.
A

Das konnte man leicht übersehen. Die falsche Person wurde versehentlich aufgenommen.

dahs KOHN-tuh mahn lykht oo-ber-ZAY-un. dee FAL-shuh pair-ZOHN VUR-duh fair-ZAY-unt-likh OWF-guh-NOH-mun. That was easy to miss. The wrong person was included by mistake.
B

Entferne diese Person aus der Liste.

ent-FAIR-nuh DEE-zuh pair-ZOHN ows dair LIS-tuh. Remove that person from the list.
B

Dann ist die E-Mail bereit zum Abschicken.

dahn ist dee ee-MAIL beh-RYTE tsoom AHN-shik-un. Then the email is ready to send.

Word by Word

Könntest In „Könntest du den Ton ... prüfen?“ this means “could you” and makes the request polite and less direct. It is a form of können used with du. A reusable pattern is „Könntest du ...?“ for a polite request.
du In „Könntest du ...?“ this means “you” when speaking informally to one person. It is the subject of the request. Use it with a familiar coworker, friend, or another person you address informally.
den In „den Ton“ this is the definite article “the” before the thing being checked. It belongs to the noun phrase „den Ton“ and marks that phrase as the object of prüfen. A useful pattern is „etwas prüfen“ with the object after the verb.
Ton In „den Ton dieser E-Mail“ this means the tone or manner of the email. The word is used here for how the message sounds to its recipient. A reusable expression is „den Ton einer E-Mail prüfen“ when reviewing professional writing.
dieser In „dieser E-Mail“ this means “this” and identifies the particular email being discussed. Together with „E-Mail“, the phrase means “of this email.” Use „dieser“ in a phrase that points to a specific item.
E-Mail In „dieser E-Mail“ this means “email,” the written message whose tone is being checked. The word is used for a professional message in this dialogue. A common pattern is „eine E-Mail schicken“ or „eine E-Mail prüfen“.
prüfen In „den Ton ... prüfen“ this means “to check” or “to review” something carefully. It appears in the infinitive after „Könntest du“. A reusable pattern is „etwas prüfen“, such as an email, a list, or a request.
bevor In „bevor ich sie abschicke“ this means “before” and introduces an action that must happen first. It introduces a subordinate clause, where the finite verb appears at the end. A useful pattern is „bevor ich ...“ for describing a task before another action.
ich In „bevor ich sie abschicke“ this means “I” and identifies the person who will send the email. It is the subject of the subordinate clause. Use „ich“ before a verb when describing your own action.
sie In „bevor ich sie abschicke“ this means “it” and refers to the email being sent. The same exact form also appears in „sie an die Anfrage erinnern“, where it means “them,” so the context determines the reference. A reusable pattern is „ich schicke sie ab“ when „sie“ refers to a feminine noun such as „die E-Mail“.
abschicke In „ich sie abschicke“ this means “send off” and describes sending the email. It is the form of the separable verb „abschicken“ used with ich; in this subordinate clause, the whole form appears together at the end. A useful pattern is „bevor ich etwas abschicke“.
ist In „Sie ist professionell“ this means “is” and describes the email. The same form appears in „Ist meine Anfrage deutlich genug?“ as the verb in a question. Use it to connect a singular subject with a description or condition.
professionell In „Sie ist professionell“ this means “professional” and describes the overall quality of the email. It is an evaluation of the email’s style. A reusable pattern is „etwas ist professionell“ when assessing workplace communication.
aber In „professionell, aber der Anfang ...“ this means “but” and introduces a limitation or contrasting point. It connects the positive evaluation with the criticism of the opening. Use „aber“ to add a contrasting statement.
der In „der Anfang“ and „Der Kontext“ this is the definite article “the.” It introduces a masculine noun in each phrase, while capitalization in „Der Kontext“ reflects the start of a sentence. A useful pattern is „der Anfang“ for the beginning of a text or message.
Anfang In „der Anfang“ this means the opening or beginning of the email. Here it refers specifically to the first part of the message, which sounds a little sharp. A reusable phrase is „der Anfang einer E-Mail“.
wirkt In „der Anfang wirkt ...“ this means “seems” or “comes across as” and describes the impression the opening gives. It is a form of wirken used with the singular subject „der Anfang“. A common pattern is „etwas wirkt + adjective“, such as „wirkt freundlich“.
ein In „ein wenig schroff“ this contributes to the phrase “a little brusque.” Here it is part of the fixed quantity expression „ein wenig“, which softens the criticism. Use „ein wenig“ before an adjective to express a small degree.
wenig In „ein wenig schroff“ this means “a little” and limits the degree of the criticism. Together with „ein“, it makes the description less strong than simply calling the opening brusque. A reusable pattern is „ein wenig + adjective“.
schroff In „wirkt ein wenig schroff“ this means “brusque” or “sharp” in tone. It describes how the opening may sound to the reader, not the physical appearance of the text. Use it when a person’s wording seems too direct or unfriendly.
möchte In „Ich möchte sie ... erinnern“ this expresses a wish or intention: “I want to” or “I would like to.” It introduces the action the speaker wants to take while keeping the statement relatively polite. A reusable pattern is „Ich möchte ...“ followed by an infinitive.
an In „sie an die Anfrage erinnern“ this is part of the pattern for reminding someone about something. It links the verb „erinnern“ to the thing being remembered, „die Anfrage“. A reusable pattern is „jemanden an etwas erinnern“.
die In „die Anfrage“ and „die falsche Person“ this is the definite article “the.” It introduces the specific request and the specific person mentioned in the dialogue. A useful pattern is to keep „die“ with the feminine noun it determines, such as „die Anfrage“.
Anfrage In „die Anfrage“ this means “request,” referring to the earlier request that the speaker wants to remind the recipients about. It is the object connected to „erinnern“ by „an“. A reusable phrase is „jemanden an die Anfrage erinnern“.
erinnern In „sie an die Anfrage erinnern“ this means “remind” someone about the request. The complete reusable construction is „jemanden an etwas erinnern“, with a person and then the matter being remembered. Here the person is „sie“ and the matter is „die Anfrage“.
ohne In „ohne ungeduldig zu klingen“ this means “without” and introduces an action that should not happen. The complete construction means reminding them without sounding impatient. A reusable pattern is „ohne ... zu + infinitive“.
ungeduldig In „ungeduldig zu klingen“ this means “impatient” and describes the impression the speaker wants to avoid giving. It describes how the reminder might sound to the recipients. A useful pattern is „ungeduldig klingen“ when evaluating the tone of spoken or written words.
zu In „ohne ungeduldig zu klingen“ this marks the infinitive „klingen“ inside the construction „ohne ... zu“. It helps express an action that is not intended to happen. A reusable pattern is „ohne + adjective + zu + infinitive“.
klingen In „ungeduldig zu klingen“ this means “to sound” and refers to the impression created by the wording. The same verb appears in „Das klingt besser“ with a different form. A useful pattern is „+ adjective klingen“, such as „freundlich klingen“.
Versuch In „Versuch es mit einem freundlicheren Anfang“ this is an informal singular imperative meaning “try.” It gives the coworker a direct suggestion. A reusable pattern is „Versuch es mit ...“ when recommending a different method or option.
es In „Versuch es mit einem freundlicheren Anfang“ this means “it” and refers generally to trying the suggested approach. It is used with the imperative „Versuch“ before the phrase introduced by „mit“. A useful pattern is „Versuch es mit ...“.
mit In „mit einem freundlicheren Anfang“ this means “with” and introduces the suggested alternative being tried. The complete phrase means to try using a friendlier opening. A reusable pattern is „es mit etwas versuchen“.
einem In „mit einem freundlicheren Anfang“ this is the form of the indefinite article meaning “a” after „mit“. It introduces the suggested alternative, „einem freundlicheren Anfang“. A useful pattern is „mit einem/einer ...“ after „mit“.
freundlicheren In „einem freundlicheren Anfang“ this means “friendlier” and compares the suggested opening with the sharper original opening. It modifies „Anfang“ inside the phrase introduced by „mit“. A reusable pattern is „ein freundlicherer Anfang“ when proposing a softer opening.
in In „in dem du sagst“ this means “in” and forms part of the phrase “in which you say.” It refers to what the friendlier opening contains. A useful pattern is „in dem ...“ when describing the content of a masculine noun such as „der Anfang“.
dem In „in dem du sagst“ this is the relative pronoun referring back to „einem freundlicheren Anfang“. Together with „in“, it means “in which.” Use the construction „in dem ...“ to add information about something already mentioned.
sagst In „in dem du sagst“ this means “say” and identifies the words included in the opening. It is the form of sagen used with du. A reusable pattern is „du sagst, dass ...“ for reporting what someone says.
dass In „dass du nachfasst“ this means “that” and introduces the content of what is being said. It begins a subordinate clause, with „nachfasst“ at the end. A useful pattern is „sagen, dass ...“.
nachfasst In „dass du nachfasst“ this means “follow up” on an earlier request or message. It is the form of „nachfassen“ used with du; in the subordinate clause it remains together at the end. A reusable pattern is „bei jemandem nachfassen“ when requesting an update.
Das In „Das klingt besser“ this means “that” and refers to the revised opening or wording just suggested. It is the subject of the evaluation. A useful pattern is „Das klingt ...“ when giving an opinion about how something sounds.
klingt In „Das klingt besser“ this means “sounds” and evaluates the impression made by the revised wording. It is the form of klingen used with the singular subject „Das“. A reusable pattern is „Das klingt + adjective“ for commenting on a proposal or sentence.
besser In „Das klingt besser“ this means “better” and shows that the revised opening has a more suitable tone. It compares the new version with the earlier version. Use „klingt besser“ when a wording or suggestion sounds improved.
meine In „meine Anfrage“ this means “my” and shows that the request belongs to the speaker. It identifies the particular request whose clarity is being checked. A useful pattern is „meine Anfrage“ when referring to a request you made.
deutlich In „Ist meine Anfrage deutlich genug?“ this means “clear” or “explicit” and describes whether the request can be understood without difficulty. It modifies the request’s communication quality. A reusable pattern is „etwas deutlich formulieren“ for making a message clear.
genug In „deutlich genug“ this means “enough” and asks whether the request is sufficiently clear. It comes after the adjective in this expression. A useful pattern is „Adjektiv + genug“, such as „klar genug“ or „deutlich genug“.
Erkläre In „Erkläre den nächsten Schritt“ this is an informal singular imperative meaning “explain.” It gives a direct instruction about what the email should contain. A reusable pattern is „Erkläre jemandem etwas“ when asking for an explanation.
nächsten In „den nächsten Schritt“ this means “next” and identifies the step that should follow the request. It modifies „Schritt“ in the instruction. A useful pattern is „den nächsten Schritt erklären“ when describing what happens afterward.
Schritt In „den nächsten Schritt“ this means “step,” referring to the next action in the process. The email should explain this action in the same paragraph. A common pattern is „der nächste Schritt“.
im In „im selben Absatz“ this is the contraction of „in dem“ and means “in the.” It locates the next step inside the same paragraph. A reusable pattern is „im Absatz“ when referring to where information appears in a text.
selben In „im selben Absatz“ this means “same” and shows that the next step should remain in the paragraph already being discussed. It modifies „Absatz“. A useful pattern is „im selben ...“ when keeping information in the same place or context.
Absatz In „im selben Absatz“ this means “paragraph,” a block of text in the email. The instruction is to put the explanation of the next step there. A reusable phrase is „in einem Absatz erklären“.
habe In „Ich habe ... hinzugefügt“ this means “have” and helps form the statement that the speaker added context. It is used with the participle „hinzugefügt“ to describe a completed action. A useful pattern is „Ich habe etwas hinzugefügt“.
gegen In „gegen Ende“ this means “toward” or “near” and locates the added context close to the end of the email. Here it is part of a time or position expression. A reusable pattern is „gegen Ende“ when something happens near the end of a text, meeting, or period.
Ende In „gegen Ende“ this means “end,” referring to the final part of the email. The phrase places the added context near that point. A useful pattern is „am Ende“ or „gegen Ende“ when describing position in a text.
auch In „auch zusätzlichen Kontext hinzugefügt“ this means “also” and adds another detail about what was put into the email. It signals that the context was added in addition to the earlier content. A reusable pattern is „auch etwas hinzufügen“.
zusätzlichen In „zusätzlichen Kontext“ this means “additional” or “extra” and describes context added beyond the information already present. It modifies „Kontext“. A useful pattern is „zusätzliche Informationen“ or „zusätzlichen Kontext hinzufügen“.
Kontext In „zusätzlichen Kontext“ this means “context,” meaning background information that helps the reader understand the request. The dialogue says this context is helpful. A reusable phrase is „zusätzlichen Kontext hinzufügen“.
hinzugefügt In „Ich habe ... hinzugefügt“ this means “added” and describes putting extra context into the email. It is the participle of „hinzufügen“ used with „habe“. A useful pattern is „etwas zu einer E-Mail hinzufügen“.
hilfreich In „Der Kontext ist hilfreich“ this means “helpful” and evaluates the added background information positively. It says that the context supports the reader’s understanding. A reusable pattern is „etwas ist hilfreich“ when assessing information or advice.
Überprüfe In „Überprüfe die Empfängerliste“ this is an informal singular imperative meaning “check” or “verify.” It gives a direct instruction to review the list before sending. A useful pattern is „Überprüfe etwas, bevor du ...“.
Empfängerliste In „die Empfängerliste“ this means “recipient list,” the list of people who will receive the email. The dialogue focuses on checking it for an incorrectly included person. A reusable phrase is „die Empfängerliste überprüfen“.
abschickst In „bevor du sie abschickst“ this means “send off” and describes sending the email. It is the form of „abschicken“ used with du; in the subordinate clause it appears as one word at the end. A useful pattern is „bevor du etwas abschickst“.
konnte In „Das konnte man leicht übersehen“ this means “could” and expresses that overlooking the problem was easy or understandable. It is used with the impersonal subject „man“. A reusable pattern is „Das konnte man leicht übersehen“ when explaining how an error was missed.
man In „konnte man leicht übersehen“ this is an impersonal pronoun meaning “one” or “people in general.” It avoids naming a particular person who might have missed the issue. A useful pattern is „Das kann man leicht ...“ for a general possibility.
leicht In „leicht übersehen“ this means “easily” and describes how simple it was to miss the wrong person in the list. It modifies the action „übersehen“. A reusable pattern is „etwas leicht übersehen“.
übersehen In „konnte man leicht übersehen“ this means “overlook” or “miss” something that is present but not noticed. Here the overlooked issue is the wrong person in the recipient list. A useful pattern is „etwas leicht übersehen“ when discussing an unnoticed detail.
falsche In „Die falsche Person“ this means “wrong” and identifies the person who should not have been included. It modifies „Person“ in the specific noun phrase. A reusable pattern is „die falsche Person“ when correcting an incorrect recipient or choice.
Person In „Die falsche Person wurde versehentlich aufgenommen“ this means “person,” referring to one recipient in the list. The dialogue says this person was included by mistake. A useful phrase is „eine Person aus der Liste entfernen“.
wurde In „wurde ... aufgenommen“ this means “was” as part of a passive statement: the person was included. It is used with „aufgenommen“ to focus on what happened to the person rather than who performed the action. A reusable pattern is „wurde versehentlich ...“ when describing an accidental result.
versehentlich In „wurde versehentlich aufgenommen“ this means “by mistake” or “accidentally.” It explains that the wrong person was included unintentionally. A useful pattern is „etwas versehentlich aufnehmen“ when describing an accidental addition.
aufgenommen In „wurde ... aufgenommen“ this means “included” or “added” to the recipient list. It is the participle used with „wurde“ in the passive construction. A reusable pattern is „in eine Liste aufgenommen werden“.
Entferne In „Entferne diese Person aus der Liste“ this is an informal singular imperative meaning “remove.” It instructs the listener to delete the person from the recipient list. A useful pattern is „Entferne etwas aus der Liste“.
diese In „diese Person“ this means “this” and points to the specific person just identified as incorrect. It makes the instruction refer to that person rather than someone else. A reusable pattern is „diese Person“ when pointing to a particular individual.
aus In „aus der Liste“ this means “from” or “out of” and shows the source from which the person should be removed. It completes the removal expression with „Entferne“. A useful pattern is „etwas aus einer Liste entfernen“.
Liste In „aus der Liste“ this means “list,” specifically the recipient list for the email. The person is to be removed from this list. A reusable phrase is „etwas aus der Liste entfernen“.
Dann In „Dann ist die E-Mail bereit ...“ this means “then” and marks the result after the incorrect recipient has been removed. It connects the correction with the final readiness of the email. A useful pattern is „Dann ist ... bereit“.
bereit In „Die E-Mail ist bereit zum Abschicken“ this means “ready” and says that the email can now be sent. It describes the email’s state after the final check. A reusable pattern is „bereit zum ...“ when something is prepared for an action.
zum In „zum Abschicken“ this is the contraction of „zu dem“ and means “for the” before the nominalized action „Abschicken“. It expresses what the email is ready for. A useful pattern is „bereit zum + nominalized infinitive“.
Abschicken In „bereit zum Abschicken“ this is the capitalized noun form of the verb „abschicken“ and means “sending off.” It names the action for which the email is ready. A reusable pattern is „bereit zum Abschicken“ for a message that is ready to send.

Grammar Points

Trennbare Verben: abschicken → ich schicke ... ab

Ich schicke die E-Mail ab.

ikh SHIK-uh dee ee-MAIL ahp.

I send the email.

In a main clause, the prefix of a separable verb moves to the end: abschicken → schicke ... ab.

Komparativ: freundlicheren

einen freundlicheren Ton

EYE-nun FROYNT-likh-uh-ren TOHN

a friendlier tone

freundlicheren is the comparative form of freundlich; its ending agrees with the noun phrase.

German Vocabulary

abschicken verb
AHN-shik-un to send abschicke

bevor ich sie abschicke

Anfang noun
AHN-fahng beginning; opening

der Anfang wirkt ein wenig schroff

Anfrage noun
AHN-frah-guh request; inquiry

an die Anfrage

E-Mail noun
ee-MAIL email

dieser E-Mail

erinnern verb
air-IN-nern to remind

sie an die Anfrage erinnern

freundlich adj
FROYNT-likh friendly freundlicheren
nachfassen verb
NAKH-fah-sun to follow up nachfasst

dass du nachfasst

professionell adj
proh-fess-ee-oh-NELL professional
prüfen verb
PROO-fun to check

den Ton dieser E-Mail prüfen

schroff adj
shrohf sharp; brusque
Ton noun
TOHN tone

den Ton dieser E-Mail

ungeduldig adj
OON-guh-DOOL-dikh impatient

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Remove that person from the list.

Show AnswerEntferne diese Person aus der Liste.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

beginning; opening

Show AnswerAnfang

sharp; brusque

Show Answerschroff

to remind

Show Answererinnern

request; inquiry

Show AnswerAnfrage