Honorifics are words that connote esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. In the German language, honorifics distinguish people by age, sex, profession, academic achievement, and rank. In the past, a distinction was also made between married and unmarried women.
The Domestic Protocol Office of the Federal Government of Germany has published a guide Ratgeber für Anschriften und Anreden (Guide to addresses and forms of address)Ratgeber für Anschriften und Anreden (in German) which summarizes how the Federal Government of Germany handles the addressing of persons when conducting government business domestically. While the guide is not binding outside of the government conducting business it is nevertheless a good source when it comes to contemporary polite and formal forms of addressing persons.
Honorific pronouns Like many languages, German has pronouns for both familiar (used with family members, intimate friends, and children) and polite forms of address. The polite equivalent of "you" is "Sie." Grammatically speaking, this is the 3rd-person-plural form, and, as a subject of a sentence, it always takes the 3rd-person-plural forms of verbs and possessive adjective/ pronouns, even when talking to only one person. (Familiar pronouns have singular and plural forms.) Honorific pronouns are always capitalized except for the polite reflexive pronoun "sich." In letters, e-mails, and other texts in which the reader is directly addressed, familiar pronouns may be capitalized or not. In schoolbooks, the pronouns usually remain lowercased.
Declension of the polite personal pronoun "Sie":
Nominative case: Sie
Accusative case: Sie
Genitive case: Ihrer
Dative case: Ihnen
Declension of polite possessive adjectives:
Singular Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter All three genders Nominative case Ihr Ihre Ihr Ihre Genitive case Ihres Ihrer Ihres Ihrer Dative case Ihrem Ihrer Ihrem Ihren Accusative case Ihren Ihre Ihr Ihre
Obsolete forms of honorific addresses: Many different honorific pronouns have been used in German over the centuries, most of which have disappeared from the standard language. The polite form Ihr (2nd person plural) emerged in the High Middle Ages. Titles such as “Majesty” are used with a declined form of “Ihr”. In modern times, the third person singular (German: Er (male)/Sie (female)) was added as a further option; this form was even considered more polite than Ihr at times. The Sie developed at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, when the original Er/Sie (3rd person singular) was made plural to express an even higher degree of respect. Until the French Revolution, Sie increasingly took the place of Ihr and Er/Sie until it finally became established in almost all social classes in the course of the 19th century.
For more details about German grammar, see the entries about the German language.
Sex and age Herr (Hr.; pl., Herren) for men (equivalent to Mr. and Sir in English). Note that this word also includes the meanings "gentleman", "master" and "owner". It is also the form of address for a nobleman or God (English equivalent: Lord). In correspondence, the correct form of address is Sehr geehrter Herr, followed by the surname. When referring to an unknown male person, der Herr ("the gentleman") is sometimes used, although unlike in other languages this is not common. However, a group of several men is often addressed as meine Herren ("gentlemen"). Using "Herr" for very young men, certainly those below the age of 16, is rather awkward and often avoided (except in letters from the state's bureaucracy) by using the first name, or first name and last name. Historically female persons working in professions like kindergarten teacher or elementary school teacher or Frau (Fr.; pl., Frauen) for women (equivalent to Ms., Mrs. and Madam in English). Note that this word also means "woman" and "wife." Unlike the English Mrs., it is never used with a husband's first name. If the last name of the woman is not used or known, the correct form is gnädige Frau ("gracious lady") or its abbreviation gnä' Frau, but this is somewhat old-fashioned except in Austria. In correspondence, the correct form of address is Sehr geehrte Frau, followed by the surname. Fräulein (Frl.; pl., Fräulein) for unmarried women (like Miss in English). Fräulein (diminutive of "Frau", literally "lady-ling"). The form of address was removed from official government communication in 1972 in West Germany. It no longer plays a role in contemporary forms of address. Independent of age, marital status or profession, addressing a female person above the age of maturity as Fräulein is only to be done if the person asks for it - otherwise it can be considered an insult. Also, it can be considered condescending or obsolete to refer to girls below the age of maturity as Fräulein depending on the circumstances. Addressing a girl as Fräulein! or Junge Dame! can sometimes be part of some parent's stern talking. Similar to "Young Lady!" in English. Dame (pl., Damen) This is not to be confused with British "Dame", which is a title of nobility (which, in German, Frau originally was but Dame never was). It is used as a direct equivalent of the English word Lady if not intended to mean "daughter of an earl upwards or wife of a peer, baronet or knight"; thus, sich wie eine Dame benehmen to comport oneself like a lady, meine [in letters: sehr geehrte] Damen und Herren "Ladies and gentlemen", and so forth. The euphemistic use is included: Dame vom horizontalen Gewerbe "lady of the night" (literally, "of the horizontal profession"). Also, "Dame" is a technical term for "female dance-partner". Die Dame is also used to address an unknown woman.
There used to be a direct equivalent to Fräulein, viz., Junker (formed “jung Herr”, lit. “young lord”, and equivalent to Master in English), but this word is now only used in describing a specific class (which properly speaking did not consist of "junkers" in this sense at all, but of "Herren") and in the term Fahnenjunker ("officer candidate 3rd class"), reflecting the tradition that only officers are Herren (though now used together with "Herr", see below under military). Also, it never lost the touch of describing exclusively those of higher class, which was originally true of all the four mentioned above but has been lost by all of them.
In the spoken language, the plural form Herrschaften ("ladies and gentlemen") is also used to address a mixed-gender group. This term is also often used when referring to group members in the third person.
In old texts, Herrin („mistress, lady“) is sometimes used to address higher-ranking women. This title no longer plays a role in contemporary forms of address.
Note that almost all other honorifics will be combined with a Herr or Frau respectively (and almost never with a Fräulein); the contrary shall be noted as exceptions in the following.
Clergy
All clergy and ministers are usually called Herr (or Protestants also: Frau) plus the title of their office, e. g., Herr Pfarrer, Frau Pastorin. Adjectival predicates are only used for Roman Catholic clergy, and then in the following order:
Seine Heiligkeit or Heiliger Vater/der Heilige Vater for the Pope ("His Holiness", "(the) Holy Father") Seine Seligkeit for Patriarchs ("His Beatitude"), Seine Eminenz for Cardinals, Seine Exzellenz for bishops not Cardinals, Seine Gnaden for bishops not Cardinals, and for abbots ("His Grace") - now generally considered outdated, hochwürdigst for all prelates whosoever (with the usual exception of the Pope) ("the Most Reverend", literally “the High Worthiest”; e. g. der hochwürdigste Herr Generalvikar - "the Right Reverend Father Vicar-General") hochwürdig for all priests who are not prelates, and for abbesses ("the Reverend", literally "the High Worthy") - never used for seminarians, hochehrwürdig for deacons ("the Reverend", literally "the High Honourable"), wohlehrwürdig for subdeacons ("the Reverend", literally "the Well Honourable"), ehrwürdig for (ex-)minor clergy below the rank of subdeacon, male religious not clerics, seminarians and female religious not abbesses ("the Reverend", literally "the Honour Worthy").
Whether Monsignors of the first degree (that is, Chaplains of His Holiness) are hochwürdigst or hochwürdig is a borderline case. The predicate hochwürdigst is sometimes also extended to other priests of certain high positions (say, cathedral capitulars), but never for parish priests or for deans.
All these predicates are in increasingly sparing use (except for the first, and except for "Excellency" as applied to the nuncio), but especially Seine Gnaden (which dates from a time when not all bishops were accorded the style "Excellency" then considered higher) and hochehrwürdig and wohlehrwürdig (which tend to be replaced by a simple ehrwürdig), followed by "Excellency" at least as far as auxiliary bishops are concerned. It is good style, though, to use them at least in all places where layfolk would be addressed as sehr geehrte (which they replace), such as at the beginning of letters, speeches and so forth. The oft-seen abbreviation "H. H." (e. g. in obituaries) means "hochwürdigster Herr".
It is incorrect to address an auxiliary bishop as "Herr Weihbischof"; he must be called Herr Bischof. Cardinals are always Herr Kardinal (or more formally Seine/Euer Eminenz), never, for instance, Herr Erzbischof even if they are diocesan archbishops and are addressed as such.
The literal translation of "Monsignor" is Monsignore (using the Italian form), but it is only usually used for Monsignors of the first degree (Chaplains of His Holiness), not for prelates as in English, or for bishops as in Italian. If used, protocol demands to leave away the usual Herr (to avoid the meaning "Lord My Lord"), but this is uncommon in German and the incorrect phrase "Herr Monsignore" can often be heard.
Higher prelates are addressed Herr Prälat (not, usually, "Herr Protonotar"), or possibly with their office (if it is not that of a Cathedral capitular without further distinction, in which case the title of prelate is preferred.)
Abbots are addressed Herr Abt or Vater Abt ("Father Abbot"), abbesses Frau Äbtissin or Mutter Äbtissin ("Mother Abbess"). (The "Father" and "Mother" versions are one of the few cases where Herr or Frau falls away.) Other male religious are called Pater ("Father", but in Latin) if priests and Frater ("Brother", but also in Latin) if not, sometimes together with the surname, sometimes also with the first name (though Canons Regular are called Herr rather than Pater or Frater). Female religious are called Schwester ("Sister", but this time in German). This is not used together with both Herr/Frau and their name, though in the address, it is quite common to address a religious priest who does pastoral work in a parish orally as Herr Pater ("Mr. Father").
(Note generally that the translation of "Father" into German is only used for the Pope and for abbots, and into Latin only for religious clergy.)