German · People & Family

"Mr." in German: Herr

Herr

Say it: HAIRnoun/hɛʁ/

Mr. in German is Herr. Say Herr Schmidt or Guten Tag, Herr Keller. It stays Herr before the last name — no period like English Mr.

Reception desk

Herr Braun wartet schon im Büro.
Mr. Braun is already waiting in the office.
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How to pronounce Herr

Say it

HAIR

/hɛʁ/

HAIR. Soft e like English hair without strong r glide.

"Mr." in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
HerrMr.

Before surnames.

Herr …Mr. …

Formal address.

Sehr geehrter Herr …Dear Mr. …

Letter opening.

die Herrengentlemen / the men (formal)

Plural / formal rooms.

How to use Herr in real life

  1. 1Reception desk

    Herr Braun wartet schon im Büro.

    Mr. Braun is already waiting in the office.

    Herr + name.

  2. 2Email greeting

    Sehr geehrter Herr Lange, vielen Dank.

    Dear Mr. Lange, thank you very much.

    Sehr geehrter Herr.

  3. 3Calling a teacher

    Herr Lehrer, darf ich kurz raus?

    Mr. Teacher, may I step out briefly?

    Herr Lehrer (school).

Mistakes English speakers make with Herr

Incorrect: Mr. Müller

Correct: Herr Müller

Use Herr, not Mr.

Incorrect: Herrer Schmidt

Correct: Herr Schmidt

No plural-looking ending before a name.

Good to know

Use Herr + last name until invited to du and first names. In letters, Sehr geehrter Herr … is still standard formal.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Finding a guest at a conference

  1. ChatPal

    Suchst du Herrn Meier oder Frau Meier?

    Are you looking for Mr. Meier or Mrs. Meier?

  2. You

    Herrn Meier. Er trägt eine blaue Jacke.

    Mr. Meier. He's wearing a blue jacket.

  3. ChatPal

    Da vorne Herr Meier spricht mit dem Host.

    Up front — Mr. Meier is talking with the host.

  4. You

    Danke. Ich begrüße Herrn Meier gleich.

    Thanks. I'll greet Mr. Meier now.

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"Mr." in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Mr." in German

How do you say Mr.?

Herr.

Mr. Schmidt?

Herr Schmidt.

Letter greeting?

Sehr geehrter Herr …

Is there a period?

No — write Herr without a period.

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