B2.2 · 32 of 38
Schreiben: Beschwerde mit Zugeständnis
Lesson · 3 rules · about 5 min
Complain in German the way it works: concede a little, then hold firm.
- 1Three ways to concede, one meaning
- 2Facts complain better than adjectives
- 3A deadline with a consequence
Why this matters
A complaint that only complains gets a form letter back. One that concedes a point first and then presses is harder to brush off, and that concessive turn is what this exercise is for. Write 600 to 1300 characters. The strongest version is unemotional: dates, amounts and what you want, with the Konjunktiv II doing the politeness so the content can stay hard. Set a deadline, and say what you will do if it passes.
Rule · 1 of 3
Three ways to concede, one meaning
obwohl takes a clause with the verb at the end. zwar … aber keeps two main clauses. trotz takes a noun in the genitive. Pick by what you have to hand: a clause, a pair of statements, or a noun.
- Obwohl der Techniker pünktlich kam, wurde der Schaden nicht behoben. Although the technician came on time, the fault was not repaired.
- Trotz mehrfacher Zusagen ist bislang nichts geschehen. Despite repeated assurances nothing has happened so far.
trotz governs the genitive in writing: trotz mehrfacher Zusagen, not trotz mehrfachen Zusagen.
Quick check
der Zusage wurde der Termin nicht eingehalten.
Rule · 2 of 3
Facts complain better than adjectives
Unacceptable and terrible can be waved away; a date and an amount cannot. Give the order number, the dates, the sums, and what was promised against what happened. Let the reader draw the conclusion you have made unavoidable.
- Die Lieferung war für den 3. Mai zugesagt und erfolgte erst am 28. Mai. Delivery was promised for 3 May and only happened on 28 May.
- Von den bestellten zwölf Stühlen waren vier beschädigt. Of the twelve chairs ordered, four were damaged.
Quick check
Which belongs in a complaint?
Memory trick · 3 of 3
A deadline with a consequence
A request with no date is a wish. Name a date, say what you expect by it, and say what follows if it passes. The Konjunktiv II keeps the tone civil while the content stays firm.
- Ich bitte Sie, den Mangel bis spätestens 15. Juni zu beheben. I ask you to remedy the fault by 15 June at the latest.
- Andernfalls würde ich den Rechnungsbetrag um 30 Prozent mindern. Otherwise I would reduce the invoice amount by 30 per cent.
Quick check
Which closes a complaint most effectively?
Listen
Play it, then pick what you heard.
Spot the mistake
Which one is right?
Spot the mistake
Which one is right?
Spot the mistake
Which one is right?
Spot the mistake
Which one is right?
Cheat sheet
What to take with you
- Three ways to concede, one meaning
- Facts complain better than adjectives
- A deadline with a consequence
How to remember it
- obwohl plus clause, zwar … aber plus two main clauses, trotz plus genitive noun.
- Dates and figures, not adjectives.
- Konjunktiv II for the tone, hard content underneath.
- A deadline, and what happens after it.
A written complaint is one of the B2 writing tasks, and in Germany it is the letter that actually gets things fixed.
Write a letter of complaint about a service that went wrong: a delivery, a repair or a holiday booking. Concede what the other side did reasonably, then press your point, say exactly what you want and by when.
- a formal frame with a subject line
- concede one point properly with obwohl, zwar … aber or trotz plus a noun
- state the facts with dates and figures, not with adjectives
- press the request with a Konjunktiv II that stays firm
- set a deadline and say what happens after it
0 of 600 characters — keep going 0 words
2 Copy the correction request
This carries your own text. Paste it into your AI assistant and it will correct what you wrote, then give you a score and a short list of fixes.
3 Open your assistant
Copy the request first (one step back), then paste it into your assistant.
4 Bring the correction back
Paste the whole report. The SCORE= line is read
automatically, and the fixes are saved as your next things to work on.
Report a problem
Exercise
Schreiben: Beschwerde mit Zugeständnis · B2.2
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