A German client, an Italian partner, a prospect who writes in French: as soon as a business works across borders, part of the inbox switches language. These emails take longer to handle, and a clumsy phrase can cost more than a late reply. Here are 5 tips to answer them quickly and without missteps.
Reply in the other person’s language
The basic rule is simple: reply in the language you were written to in. It is a sign of respect, and it spares the other person from translating your message, with the risk of misunderstanding that comes with it. If you do not speak the language at all, English remains an acceptable compromise in a business setting, as long as you say so politely in the first sentence rather than switching language without warning.
Write short sentences without idioms
A long sentence full of clauses translates badly and reads badly. Aim for one idea per sentence. Avoid idioms, which often have no equivalent (“ballpark figure”, “touch base”, “keep me in the loop”) and produce odd translations. Writing simply is not writing poorly: it is the best guarantee of being understood, whether the reader is a native speaker or not.
Match greetings and sign-offs to the culture
Content is not enough, tone matters just as much. A German business email is generally more formal and direct than a Spanish one, which leaves more room for the relationship. In French, an overly casual “Hi” can feel abrupt to a new contact, where “Bonjour” followed by a formal sign-off is expected. Watch the phrases your contact uses and match their level of formality, especially for formal and informal “you” in languages that make the distinction.
Check machine translations before sending
Gmail can translate a received message right in the reading pane, and Outlook has a built-in translator too. These tools are excellent for understanding an email, but a machine-translated reply always deserves a review. Check numbers first, then dates (the format changes from country to country), proper names and your industry’s technical terms. One effective trick: translate your reply back into English to spot sentences whose meaning has drifted.
Build a glossary of your business terms
Every business has its own vocabulary: product names, commercial terms, legal or technical words. Generic translators often render them loosely. Keep a simple two-column glossary of the twenty or thirty terms you use most, with an approved translation in each of your clients’ languages. Shared with the team, it keeps answers consistent whoever is replying.
Scribarius supports 11 languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish and Danish. It automatically detects the language of each incoming email and adapts its reply drafts, written from your FAQs and documents. You review, adjust if needed and send. To write better in every language, read how to write professional emails faster with AI.
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