Breakdown of Bitte melden Sie sich schriftlich an.
bitte
please
sich anmelden
to sign up
schriftlich
written, in writing
Questions & Answers about Bitte melden Sie sich schriftlich an.
Why is an at the very end of the sentence?
The verb here is anmelden (to register or sign up), which is a separable verb. In a main clause or a command like this one, the prefix an detaches and goes to the very end of the sentence.
Why do we need the reflexive pronoun sich here?
The verb anmelden requires an object because you have to register someone or something. When you are registering yourself, you use the reflexive pronoun. For the formal Sie, the reflexive pronoun is always sich.
How does the word schriftlich mean 'in writing'?
The base word is die Schrift, which means the script or writing. Adding the suffix -lich turns it into an adjective or adverb, similar to '-ly' in English. German adjectives can be used directly as adverbs without changing their form, so schriftlich means 'in a written way' or 'in writing'.
Could I put bitte somewhere else in the sentence?
Yes, you could also say Melden Sie sich bitte schriftlich an. Putting bitte at the very beginning is very common and sets a polite tone right away, but moving it after the pronoun is also perfectly natural.
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