When writing to a group of people, some male and some female (the context is a thankyou/goodbye card), is it correct to write:
"Liebe a, b, c, d, e und f,
Vielen Dank..."
Is there a particular order for the addressees - in English I'd write the parents first and then the children, but maybe in German it should be female followed by male?
Thanks for any help!
Full Version: Help from a German speaker please!
You could do this a number of ways:
Liebe( r ) to cover the gender issues in matching your "dear" to males and females, is the most obvious one to me. I'd then rank them as you would wish to see them ordered, though an alternative would be to do liebe to cover all the femailes, then lieber to cover the males (or vice versa) - thus, "liebe a, b c, lieber d, e f.
The normal collective form of address in a speech or suchlike would be "meine Damen und Herren" - so ladies first (unlike in French where it seems Messieurs et mesdames is more correct) - and as such I don't think there's a problem with putting the ladies first in your collective address.
Liebe( r ) to cover the gender issues in matching your "dear" to males and females, is the most obvious one to me. I'd then rank them as you would wish to see them ordered, though an alternative would be to do liebe to cover all the femailes, then lieber to cover the males (or vice versa) - thus, "liebe a, b c, lieber d, e f.
The normal collective form of address in a speech or suchlike would be "meine Damen und Herren" - so ladies first (unlike in French where it seems Messieurs et mesdames is more correct) - and as such I don't think there's a problem with putting the ladies first in your collective address.
It depends on whether you are writing to a family or to a business.
I think if you are writing to a family you should put the wife first or address it to the wife "und Familie".
If you are writing to an organisation, then you have to address it in the order of the working hierarchy so boss first followed by deputy etc. If they are all equal then women first and then in alphabetical order.
I think if you are writing to a family you should put the wife first or address it to the wife "und Familie".
If you are writing to an organisation, then you have to address it in the order of the working hierarchy so boss first followed by deputy etc. If they are all equal then women first and then in alphabetical order.
In Germany it is a question of manner to first mention females and males in more or less official writings and speeches. If you are friends or family with the people it might be more a matter of sympathy or relation. Like writing to my brother and his wife, I would normaly mention my brother first, because he is a bit closer to me.
If you know the persons really good you might use "Ihr Lieben" wich would anounce them all together. But that is only for family and very good friends.
If they are sort of friends it's up to you in wich order you mention them.
You can - for example - write:
Liebe Rosie, Anne und Christina,
lieber Harald, Egon und Otto,
Hope it helps a bit.
If you know the persons really good you might use "Ihr Lieben" wich would anounce them all together. But that is only for family and very good friends.
If they are sort of friends it's up to you in wich order you mention them.
You can - for example - write:
Liebe Rosie, Anne und Christina,
lieber Harald, Egon und Otto,
Hope it helps a bit.
Thankyou for your help everyone! The card has been given and it went down well, although mistakes I made in the message keep occurring to me! 
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