1.Purpose of this reference page
This page brings together common German conventions for names, titles, dates, times, postal addresses, telephone numbers, and numerical formats.
It distinguishes three levels:
official / technical requirement
→ established business and writing convention
→ everyday acceptable variant
Not every widespread spelling is the best choice for formal communication.
2.Germany as the main reference frame
The examples primarily follow standard conventions used in Germany.
Some details can differ in Austria and Switzerland, especially in:
forms of address
postal addresses
telephone formats
number and currency presentation
official forms
In DACH contexts, the local institution should therefore always be considered.
3.Standards and actual usage
Several systems overlap in this area:
orthography
DIN conventions
postal requirements
telecommunications standards
everyday usage
Therefore, several forms may be valid while one is preferred in business communication.
4.Personal name: basic form
In ordinary prose, the usual order is first name + family name: Anna Keller. Lists may use Keller, Anna. The order is a formatting choice, not part of the name itself.
5.First name and family name
Forms often distinguish Vorname and Nachname/Familienname. With multiple given names, reproduce the form actually used and do not shorten names on your own.
6.Double surnames
Hyphens in names are retained: Müller-Lüdenscheidt. Proper names should generally be reproduced in the form used by the person or institution.
7.Name particles and additions
Particles such as von, van, zu, and other additions belong to the name; their spelling follows the person’s official usage. Alphabetical sorting rules can vary.
8.Herr and Frau
Herr and Frau remain central formal forms of address: Sehr geehrter Herr Keller, Sehr geehrte Frau Keller. Social appropriateness depends on context and the person’s preference.
9.Herrn in a postal address
Traditional address blocks may use the accusative Herrn: Herrn Max Keller. Many modern address blocks simply use the name. The key is a consistent, machine-readable postal address.
10.Academic degrees
Academic degrees such as Dr. may appear with a name: Dr. Anna Keller. Whether and where a degree is used depends on document type, institutional practice, and preference.
11.Professor / professor
Professional and official titles such as Professor / Professorin are not automatically the same as academic degrees. In addresses and salutations, use the title actually held.
12.Multiple titles
With multiple titles, follow institutional conventions and avoid unnecessary duplication. In everyday communication, a reduced and clear form is usually more natural than a maximal title string.
13.Initials
Initials take full stops: A. Keller, H. M. Schmidt. Spacing between multiple initials depends on style; consistency within a document matters.
14.Names in lists
For alphabetical lists, family name, first name is practical: Keller, Anna. The comma marks reordered presentation, not a form of address.
15.Names in email signatures
A professional email signature often contains first name family name, role, organisation, and contact details. Include titles when relevant or institutionally customary.
16.Date with month written out
A very clear form is 3. Oktober 2026. The day is an ordinal number and therefore takes a full stop. This form is highly readable in prose and less ambiguous internationally.
17.Numeric date
In German contexts, 03.10.2026 and, depending on style, 3.10.2026 are common. In forms, follow the requested pattern exactly.
18.International ISO date
For technically unambiguous international representation, use year-month-day: 2026-10-03. It is especially useful in data, filenames, systems, and international communication.
19.Day as an ordinal number
In dates, the day number takes a full stop: am 3. Oktober, der 15. April. The full stop marks the ordinal number.
20.Month names
Month names are nouns and therefore capitalised: Januar, Februar, März, Oktober. Writing them out is often the most readable form in prose.
21.Weekday plus date
When weekday and calendar date are combined, the date can function as an addition set off by commas: Montag, 5. April, .... Forms such as am Montag, dem 5. April, ... are also possible.
22.Place and date in a letterhead
In traditional letter formatting, a comma may separate place and date: Mannheim, 31.10.2026. Modern business letters may show only the date depending on layout.
23.Date of birth
Forms often expect a compact numeric date such as 03.10.1990. The field specification is decisive; an international online form may instead require YYYY-MM-DD.
24.Years
Years are not grouped into thousands: 2026, not 2 026. In prose, use im Jahr 2026 or simply 2026.
25.Decades
Common forms include die 1990er-Jahre, die 90er-Jahre, or written out die Neunzigerjahre. Choice depends on style.
26.Date range
Ranges can be written as vom 3. bis 5. Oktober 2026. Tables may use compact range notation; use one form consistently within a document.
27.Time in DIN-style notation
For formal presentation, 19:30 Uhr is a clear pattern. Hours and minutes can be given with two digits and separated by a colon.
28.Full hour
For a full hour, um 7 Uhr is sufficient in prose. 07:00 Uhr is useful in tables or systematic schedules.
29.Clock time vs duration
19:30 Uhr denotes clock time. Expressions such as 19 h 30 min denote duration. Do not mix the two systems.
30.from ... to ...
A time span can be written von 9:00 bis 17:00 Uhr. With clear structure, Uhr need not be repeated after both times.
31.24-hour clock
The 24-hour clock is very common in timetables, schedules, business appointments, and digital systems: 08:15, 16:45, 23:10.
32.Spoken time expressions
Spoken German allows expressions such as halb acht, Viertel nach sieben, and regional variants. For written communication across regions, numeric time is usually clearer.
33.German domestic address: core structure
For domestic mail, the core structure is: name → street house number → postal code city. No blank line separates street and city lines in the address block.
34.Example of a private address
A typical pattern:
Anna Keller
Musterstraße 12
60311 Frankfurt am Main
The five-digit postal code remains ungrouped.
35.Street and house number
In Germany, the house number normally follows the street name: Musterstraße 12. Additions such as 12a stay attached to the number.
36.Postal code and city
The city line typically consists of postal code + city, e.g. 60311 Frankfurt am Main. Postal codes are not divided into digit groups.
37.District or locality
When a district or locality is postal-relevant, it can appear between the recipient name and street line. Whether it is necessary depends on the address.
38.Company address
Company addresses may include additional recipient lines such as department and contact person. Structure: company → department / person → street house number → postal code city.
39.PO box
For a PO box address, Postfach + number replaces the street line. The PO-box postal code may differ from the street postal code.
40.No blank line in the address block
For machine-readable business mail, Deutsche Post recommends a closed, left-aligned address block without blank lines.
41.Sender and recipient on the envelope
On a conventional envelope, the sender is placed top left, the recipient address lower right, and postage top right.
42.International postal address
For international mail, the destination country appears on its own final line. Deutsche Post recommends writing the country name in capitals in German, English, or French.
43.No country code before the postal code
Under current Deutsche Post guidance, international mail should not use old country prefixes such as D-, F-, or NL- before the postal code and city.
44.Destination country on the last line
The destination country belongs below the city line. Example:
Anna Keller
Example Street 8
SW1A 1AA LONDON
UNITED KINGDOM
45.Address additions
Apartment, building section, or delivery notes should be placed so that the core address remains clearly readable. Machine-processed business mail may have more specific postal rules.
46.Telephone number: national basic form
A clear business format separates area code and subscriber number with one space: 030 1234567. The number is not arbitrarily split into pairs.
47.Mobile number
Mobile numbers can be grouped similarly: 0171 1234567. Exact lengths depend on the numbering block; do not infer a universal length from examples.
48.Extension number
An extension is commonly attached with a hyphen in business writing: 030 123456-42. The hyphen functionally separates base number and extension.
49.International form with +49
Germany’s country code is 49. Internationally, it is typically written with a plus sign: +49 30 1234567.
50.Drop the national trunk zero internationally
When converting 030 ... to +49 ..., the leading national 0 is dropped: 030 1234567 → +49 30 1234567.
51.+49 (0) is not a clean standard form
The widespread hybrid +49 (0)30 ... tries to show national and international dialing at once, but is poor for standardised machine-readable presentation. Prefer a clearly national or international form.
52.00 instead of +
When actually dialing, an international access prefix such as 00 may be used instead of +, depending on the network. For written international contact details, +49 ... is generally more universal.
53.Technical E.164 format
In technical systems, a number often appears without visual separators: +49301234567. This is a machine format, not the same presentation task as a reader-friendly letterhead.
54.Telephone numbers are not ordinary large numbers
Telephone numbers are identifiers. They do not take thousands separators and are not formatted like ordinary large numbers.
55.Decimal separator
In German, the comma is the usual decimal separator: 2,5, 19,99, 0,75. A full stop may represent a different convention in international technical systems.
56.Large integers
Large integers can be grouped from the right in blocks of three using spaces: 34 500, 600 000, 3 134 512.
57.Four-digit numbers
Four-digit numbers often remain ungrouped in prose: 2500. In tables, grouping may help alignment. Years normally remain ungrouped.
58.Postal codes are not quantities
A postal code such as 60311 is not grouped as 60 311. Identifiers follow different formatting principles from quantities.
59.Percent sign
A space is used typographically between number and percent sign: 5 %, 23,4 %. In prose, 5 Prozent is also possible.
60.Euro amounts
Typical forms are 19,99 € or, in formal data communication, 19,99 EUR. Decimals use a comma; a space separates the number from the currency sign or code.
61.Euro and cents written out
An amount may be written out as 742 Euro 85 Cent. In figures, that corresponds to 742,85 €.
62.Negative numbers
Negative values are marked with a minus sign: −5 °C, −2,3 %. The minus sign belongs to the numerical value.
63.Units of measurement
A space separates number and unit: 12 km, 5 kg, 20 °C. Unit symbols do not take plural endings.
64.Degrees Celsius
With °C, the numerical value is separated from the unit: 18 °C. The degree sign and C together form the unit.
65.Ordinal numbers in figures
Ordinal numbers written in figures take a full stop: 1., 2., 15.. In context: der 3. Versuch, am 5. April.
66.Numbers written as words
Numbers below one million are written as one word when fully spelled out: zweitausendsechsundzwanzig. From Million upward, separate word groups appear: zwei Millionen.
67.Short numbers in prose
There is no rigid modern rule that “one to twelve must always be words.” In general prose, short readable numbers are often written out; dates, measurements, identifiers, and tables often favour figures.
68.Identifiers and reference numbers
Customer numbers, invoice numbers, file references, and similar identifiers should be reproduced exactly. They are not ordinary numbers and should not be reformatted freely.
69.IBAN
For human readers, an IBAN is often displayed in groups of four separated by spaces: DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00. Electronic fields may require an ungrouped version.
70.BIC and other codes
Codes such as BIC, ISBN, and case numbers each follow their own format. Do not automatically group them like quantities or telephone numbers.
71.Do not treat postal codes, phone numbers, and years alike
60311, 030 1234567, and 2026 all contain digits but serve different functions. Formatting follows function, not just the character sequence.
72.Spaces as grouping marks
In German formatting, spaces often act as neutral grouping marks: in large numbers, units, percentages, IBANs, and certain telephone formats.
73.The full stop is not always a thousands separator
In many digital and international contexts, 1.234 can be ambiguous. For standards-oriented German presentation of large integers, grouping with spaces is especially clear.
74.Do not confuse decimal comma with punctuation comma
In 3,5 kg, the comma belongs to the number. It is not punctuation and has no syntactic function.
75.Read form fields exactly
Fields such as TT.MM.JJJJ, YYYY-MM-DD, PLZ, Vorwahl, Rufnummer, or Hausnr. already encode the expected format. In forms, field instructions override general style preferences.
76.Machine readability
Addresses, telephone numbers, and identifiers are not only about aesthetics. Standardised presentation supports automated processing and reduces misinterpretation.
77.Local display vs stored value
A system may store 2026-10-03 or +49301234567 internally while displaying 03.10.2026 or +49 30 1234567 to German users. Display format and data format are different layers.
78.International email signature
For international signatures, unambiguous formats are useful: written-out month or ISO date, telephone number with +49, and a complete country name in the postal address.
79.Data privacy with contact details
Correct formatting does not mean every detail should be published. Private addresses, mobile numbers, and dates of birth belong only where communicatively or legally necessary.
80.Saying telephone numbers aloud
When dictating, telephone numbers are often spoken in functional or easy-to-hear groups. The key is not one rigid pattern but unambiguous grouping and, when needed, repetition of critical parts.
81.Numbers in conversation
Prices, dates, and phone numbers are easy to mishear. Good practice is to include the relevant unit or label: 19,90 Euro, am 13. Mai, die Vorwahl 030.
82.Leading zero
A leading 0 may be functional in telephone numbers. Postal codes and other identifiers may also contain meaningful leading zeros. Such values must not be treated as ordinary integers.
83.Leading zero in date fields
In compact numeric date formats, 03.10.2026 is common. In prose with a written-out month, 3. Oktober 2026 is natural, not 03. Oktober 2026.
84.Do not mix German and other locale conventions
In a German document, do not switch without reason between 1,5, 1.5, 1 500, 1,500, and other locale patterns. Localisation requires consistency.
85.Quick map: names
prose → Anna Keller
list → Keller, Anna
formal salutation → Sehr geehrte Frau Keller / Sehr geehrter Herr Keller
degree if relevant → Dr. Anna Keller
86.Quick map: dates
prose → 3. Oktober 2026
German numeric → 03.10.2026
international technical → 2026-10-03
year → 2026
87.Quick map: time
formal / appointment → 09:30 Uhr
full hour → 9 Uhr
range → von 9:00 bis 17:00 Uhr
duration → 2 h 30 min
88.Quick map: domestic address
Anna Keller
Musterstraße 12
60311 Frankfurt am Main
No blank line inside the address block.
89.Quick map: international address
Name
street / local delivery line
postal code CITY
DESTINATION COUNTRY
For Deutsche Post: destination country on the last line, preferably in capitals; no old country prefix before the postal code.
90.Quick map: telephone number
national → 030 1234567
with extension → 030 123456-42
international → +49 30 1234567
technical E.164 → +49301234567
91.Quick map: numbers
decimal → 2,5
large number → 3 134 512
percent → 5 %
money → 19,99 € / 19,99 EUR
measurement → 12 km
temperature → 18 °C
92.Common mistake: country prefix before postal code
A form such as D-60311 Frankfurt is outdated / not intended for current Deutsche Post international addressing. Put the country on its own final line instead.
93.Common mistake: +49 (0)
+49 (0)30 ... mixes national and international logic. For clean contact data, use either 030 ... or +49 30 ....
94.Common mistake: decimal point
In a German-localised text, 2.5 is normally not the standard display for two and a half. Use 2,5.
95.Common mistake: grouping postal codes
60311 is a postal code, not the quantity sixty thousand three hundred eleven. Therefore do not group it as 60 311.
96.Common mistake: grouping a year
Years such as 2026 remain ungrouped. 2 026 would be wrong or misleading as a normal year notation.
97.Common mistake: mixing time and duration
09:30 Uhr denotes a point in time; 9 h 30 min denotes a duration. Units h and min do not simply replace Uhr.
98.Common mistake: importing another country’s format
A date such as 10/03/2026 can be interpreted differently across countries. For cross-border communication, 3. Oktober 2026 or 2026-10-03 is clearer.
99.Common mistake: treating an identifier as a number
In customer numbers, postal codes, phone numbers, IBANs, or file references, every position may matter. Leading zeros and fixed groups must not be removed automatically.
100.Decision algorithm
1. What kind of information is it?
2. Domestic or international?
3. Prose, form, table, or system field?
4. Is there an institutional specification?
5. Does machine readability matter?
6. Which locale convention does the reader expect?
7. Choose one form and stay consistent.
101.The core idea
The key insight is: a sequence of digits is not automatically a number. A name, date, postal code, telephone number, IBAN, and monetary amount have different functions and therefore different formatting rules.
102.Summary
Key reference points:
1. Reproduce names as used by the person or institution.
2. In prose, 3. Oktober 2026 is especially clear.
3. German numeric: 03.10.2026; technical international: 2026-10-03.
4. Business time: 19:30 Uhr.
5. Domestic address: name → street house number → postal code city.
6. International mail: destination country on its own final line.
7. National phone: 030 1234567; international: +49 30 1234567.
8. International format drops the national trunk zero.
9. The decimal separator is a comma: 2,5.
10. Large numbers can be grouped with spaces: 3 134 512.
11. Postal codes, years, and many identifiers are not formatted like large quantities.
12. Field instructions and institutional standards override personal style preferences.
103.A1: what to master first
At A1, prioritise reliable patterns for Vorname/Nachname, address, date, time, price, and telephone number. These formats recur constantly in forms and everyday situations.
104.A2: forms and appointments
At A2, it becomes important to combine several details correctly in one message: name, date, time, place, telephone number, and possibly price.
105.B1: professional contact details
B1 learners should distinguish private, business, and international presentation, for example in signatures, appointment confirmations, and simple business letters.
106.B2: consistency and layout
At B2, focus increasingly shifts to consistent document design: one date format, one telephone logic, one number convention, and one clear address-block style throughout.
107.C1: locale and context control
At C1, learners should be able to switch deliberately among German, international, and technical formats without mixing conventions accidentally.
108.Business letter vs database
A business letter optimises readability; a database optimises unambiguous processing. The same information may therefore look different: 03.10.2026 in a letter, 2026-10-03 in a dataset.
109.Localised user interface
A German-localised interface should display dates, decimals, currency, and address fields in forms expected by German-speaking users, even if other formats are stored internally.
110.Filenames
For sortable filenames, 2026-10-03_Bericht.pdf is often more practical than 03.10.2026_Bericht.pdf because ISO order sorts chronologically.
111.Tables
Table columns should use one format consistently. Mixing 3.10.26, 03. Oktober 2026, and 2026-10-03 in one date column makes sorting and comparison harder.
112.Invoices
Invoices contain many formatted identifiers: invoice number, date, amounts, tax values, IBAN, and address. Each category should follow its own convention.
113.Meeting invitation
An unambiguous meeting invitation combines at least date, time, and place or link. Example: Dienstag, 6. Oktober 2026, 09:30 Uhr, Raum 3.12.
114.Numbers with high information density
In technical, economic, or statistical texts, figures are often preferable to spelled-out number words because comparability matters more than literary flow.
115.Consistency beats decorative variation
A professional document should not switch among € 19,99, 19.99 EUR, 19,99 €, and 19 Euro 99 without a functional reason.