Germany: language and translation guide
Keep formal address consistent and preserve German postal codes, decimal commas, and legal names.
Practical guides for translating files, emails and reviewing results
Languages spoken
German is the main language of public life. Turkish and many other community languages are also used; do not assume every reader prefers German.
Translation use cases
Translation can help you understand travel information, prepare a message to a host, compare product descriptions or draft workplace correspondence involving Germany. Keep the intended audience and purpose with the text. Machine translation is useful for a first reading; it does not replace a certified translation for an official submission.
Local language information
Keep formal address consistent and preserve German postal codes, decimal commas, and legal names. Keep addresses in their original format where delivery matters, and write month names when a numeric date could be ambiguous. Verify specialist terminology with the receiving organization.
A practical check for correspondence with Germany
Imagine translating an appointment request for an organization in Germany. Keep its full name, the appointment reference and the actual date visible in the source. Separate the request from background information so the reader can tell which response you need. Review whether the German draft addresses the recipient consistently; do not assume that a company name alone tells you whether Sie or du is appropriate.
When replying to an existing message, retain its reference line and check any quoted deadline against the original. Translate explanatory prose separately from a postal address or identifier, then compare the fixed details before sending. For a document that must be submitted to an authority, ask that receiving authority about its translation requirements rather than treating a machine-generated draft as an accepted official document.
Further reading: Goethe-Institut: Sie oder du? teaching activity
Useful language pairs
Language guides
StarTranslate is an online language tool and does not claim a local office in Germany.