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15
votes
6answers
1k views
In what context do we write “Guten Tag” rather than “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren”?
Formal letters almost always used to start with "Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren," or "Sehr geehrter Herr Maier" if the person is known. However more and more we see formal correspondence that addresses ...
26
votes
8answers
1k views
Is it still good form to use a capital D for Du or Dir in a letter?
I was taught (several decades ago) to write a capital D for all pronouns such as Du, Dir, Deine, when writing to my German penpals.
I am afraid it would look antiquated or very formal these days. Is ...
9
votes
3answers
197 views
What caused “ss” to gain popularity over “ß” in the 19th century?
From Google Books' Ngram Viewer:
Notice that the "hasst" form gained popularity towards the end of the 19th century, only to drop again in favor of "haßt" later on. I noticed the same pattern on ...
