Learn Hardcore German: Kannst du mir die Hausnummer per E‑Mail senden? - Can you send me the house number by e‑mail?

Because the verb expects an indirect object (the recipient) in the dative and a direct object (the thing) in the accusative: jemandem (DAT) etwas (ACC) senden. So you say Kannst du mir die Hausnummer … senden?, not Kannst du mich … senden?

What case is die Hausnummer here?

Accusative singular (direct object). It’s feminine, and the article die looks the same in nominative and accusative. Compare a masculine object, which changes: Kannst du mir den Code senden?

Why is senden at the very end?

This is a yes/no question with a modal verb. In yes/no questions, the finite verb comes first (Kannst), the subject follows (du), other elements fill the middle field, and the non-finite verb (senden) goes to the end: Kannst du mir die Hausnummer per E‑Mail senden?

Could I say Sendest du mir die Hausnummer per E‑Mail? What’s the difference?

Yes: Sendest du mir die Hausnummer per E‑Mail? is grammatically fine but a bit more direct. Kannst du …? (or even better Könntest du …?) is the more common polite request formula.

How do I make this more formal or polite?

Informal polite: Könntest du mir bitte die Hausnummer per E‑Mail senden?
Formal: Können Sie mir bitte die Hausnummer per E‑Mail senden?
Very polite/formal: Könnten Sie mir bitte die Hausnummer per E‑Mail zusenden? or Bitte senden Sie mir die Hausnummer per E‑Mail.

senden vs schicken — which should I use?

Both work. senden sounds a bit more formal/technical; schicken is more everyday. You’ll also hear:

zusenden/zuschicken (slightly more formal than plain schicken)
mailen (informal: Kannst du mir die Hausnummer mailen?)
zukommen lassen (formal: … mir die Hausnummer zukommen lassen)

Is per E‑Mail the best choice? What about via or über?

per E‑Mail is idiomatic. via E‑Mail is also common, especially in business. Avoid über E‑Mail and mit E‑Mail in this meaning. You can also say per Mail or per E‑Mail.

Does per take a particular case?

Yes, per governs the accusative, though in set phrases it typically appears without an article: per E‑Mail, per Post, per Kurier. You rarely see it with an article.

Why is there no article before E‑Mail?

Because this is a fixed, article-less medium expression: per E‑Mail (like per Post, per SMS). You normally don’t say per die E‑Mail.

Is E‑Mail the correct spelling? What about Email?

Standard spelling is E‑Mail (with a hyphen; the hyphen can be a normal hyphen or a non‑breaking hyphen). Email in German usually means enamel (the substance), so avoid it in formal writing.

Should du be capitalized?

In general, du is lowercase. In personal letters and emails, capitalizing Du/Dir/Dein is optionally accepted as a courtesy. Sie/Ihnen/Ihr (the formal “you”) is always capitalized.

Where can I put bitte?

Flexible spots are fine:

Kannst du mir bitte die Hausnummer per E‑Mail senden?
Bitte, kannst du mir die Hausnummer per E‑Mail senden?
Kannst du mir die Hausnummer per E‑Mail senden, bitte? Putting bitte right after the subject or before the object is most common.

mir vs an mich — what’s the difference?

Both are possible:

mir = dative indirect object (short and idiomatic): Kannst du mir die Hausnummer … senden?
an mich = prepositional object emphasizing the direction/recipient: Kannst du die Hausnummer an mich per E‑Mail senden?
Use an when you specify an address: … an meine E‑Mail‑Adresse.

Is the order mir die Hausnummer fixed? Could I say die Hausnummer mir?

Keep the dative pronoun before the noun object: mir die Hausnummer is the default. die Hausnummer mir is unusual unless for special emphasis. If both objects are pronouns, the accusative pronoun often comes first: Kannst du sie mir senden?

How would I say “as an attachment”?

Use als Anhang or im Anhang:

Kannst du mir die Hausnummer per E‑Mail als Anhang senden?
Kannst du mir per E‑Mail die Hausnummer im Anhang schicken?

What are the past forms of senden?

Both sets are correct:

Preterite: sendete or sandte
Participle: gesendet or gesandt
A common tendency: gesendet/sendete for technical transmissions, gesandt/sandte for mail — but in everyday use people mix them.

Can I drop per E‑Mail?

Yes. Kannst du mir die Hausnummer senden? just asks to send it (no channel specified). Add per E‑Mail to specify the medium.

Any pitfalls with pronouns and formality?

Don’t mix informal and formal sets. Use either entirely informal: du, dir, dein or entirely formal: Sie, Ihnen, Ihr. For example, avoid Kannst du mir Ihre Hausnummer …?; say Kannst du mir deine …? or Können Sie mir Ihre …? only.