Translate English to German that reads like a German wrote it
Hiring in Berlin or selling to customers in Austria? German readers notice right away when text was translated word by word: the wrong Sie or du, English word order, job titles without (m/w/d). Your todo.is agent writes natural German for the market you name and explains its choices.
The prompt
- Translate [ATTACH THE FILE OR PASTE THE TEXT] from English into German for readers in [GERMANY, AUSTRIA OR SWITZERLAND]. It is a [TYPE OF TEXT]. Use [SIE OR DU] everywhere. For people and job titles use [INCLUSIVE STYLE, E.G. (M/W/D) OR NEUTRAL WORDS]. Write natural German sentences, not English word order, and keep English tech terms only where German speakers really use them. Keep the formatting and links. Deliver a Word file, plus a list of any sentence you rewrote freely and why.
What to change
- [ATTACH THE FILE OR PASTE THE TEXT]: A Word file, PDF, web page text or email.
- [GERMANY, AUSTRIA OR SWITZERLAND]: Your market. Swiss German text uses ss instead of ß.
- [TYPE OF TEXT]: E.g. "job ad", "product page", "customer newsletter" or "terms for a workshop booking".
- [SIE OR DU]: "Sie" is formal and safe; "du" suits startups, sports and young brands.
- [INCLUSIVE STYLE, E.G. (M/W/D) OR NEUTRAL WORDS]: E.g. "(m/w/d) after job titles", "neutral words like Mitarbeitende" or "no special style".
Example result
- Translation: job ad, Backend Engineer
- English → German (Germany) · du · startup tone
- English
- Backend Engineer (Python), Berlin or remote
- You'll build the APIs that power our delivery app. We ship every week, work in small teams and care about clean code. You have 3+ years with Python and PostgreSQL. Bonus: experience with Kubernetes.
- German
- Backend Engineer (m/w/d), Python, Berlin oder remote
- Du entwickelst die APIs, auf denen unsere Liefer-App läuft. Wir veröffentlichen jede Woche neue Versionen, arbeiten in kleinen Teams und legen Wert auf sauberen Code. Du hast mindestens 3 Jahre Erfahrung mit Python und PostgreSQL. Pluspunkt: Erfahrung mit Kubernetes.
- Choices
- • (m/w/d) after the title is standard in German job ads; it stands for male, female, diverse.
- • The job title stays in English. Most German tech companies post it that way, and candidates search for it.
- • du fits a startup. A bank, law firm or public employer would use Sie.
- • "We ship every week" became "Wir veröffentlichen jede Woche neue Versionen". "Shippen" exists in tech slang but looks careless in an ad.
- • "3+ years" became "mindestens 3 Jahre" (at least 3 years), which is how German ads say it.
- Other German details
- • German text is often 20–35% longer, so headlines may need a shorter version.
- • Nouns are capitalized (der Code, die Erfahrung), and compounds are one word: Kundendienst, not Kunden Dienst.
- • Dates are written 15.03.2025 and amounts 1.500,00 €.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in the country, Sie or du, and how you want job titles written.
- Paste the text or attach the file, then send it from the Today screen in todo.is or via Slack or Telegram.
- Check the notes on the sentences your agent rewrote, then copy the German where you need it.
- Ask for an Austrian or Swiss version, or a shorter headline, in the same chat.
Tips for a better result
- Choose Sie or du at the start. Switching later changes verbs, pronouns and possessives in every sentence.
- Swiss German texts use ss instead of ß (Strasse, not Straße). Tell your agent if your readers are in Switzerland.
- German readers distrust vague marketing. Concrete facts, numbers and clear benefits carry over better than superlatives.
- Keep a list of English terms to keep (App, Feature, Dashboard) and ones to translate, and ask your agent to remember it.
translate English to German: FAQ
- Should I use Sie or du in German? Sie is the safe, polite default for business, older readers and official contexts. Du is common for startups, sports, fashion and anything aimed at young people.
- What does (m/w/d) mean in German job ads? It stands for männlich, weiblich, divers (male, female, diverse). German job ads add it so the title clearly includes every gender.
- Is German text longer than English? Usually yes, often by 20 to 35%, because of longer words and grammar. Plan extra space for buttons and headlines.
- Is German the same in Germany, Austria and Switzerland? The written standard is very close, but some words differ (Jänner for January in Austria) and Switzerland does not use ß. Name your market for the best fit.
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