Ich bekomme heute eine Absage per E‑Mail.

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Breakdown of Ich bekomme heute eine Absage per E‑Mail.

• heute: today
• bekommen: to get
• per: by
• die E‑Mail: the e‑mail
• die Absage: the cancellation

Questions & Answers about Ich bekomme heute eine Absage per E‑Mail.

Does German bekommen mean English “become”?

No. bekommen means “to get/receive.” English “become” is German werden.

• Example: Ich werde müde. = I’m becoming tired.
• Example: Ich bekomme heute eine Absage. = I’m getting a rejection today.

Why is it eine Absage and not einen Absage?

Because Absage is feminine (die Absage). In the accusative singular, the feminine article is eine (same as nominative), not einen, which is masculine accusative.

What case is eine Absage here, and why?

Accusative. bekommen takes a direct object in the accusative (what is received):

• Subject: Ich
• Verb: bekomme
• Direct object (accusative): eine Absage

Where can I put heute in the sentence?

Common, neutral options:

• Ich bekomme heute eine Absage per E‑Mail.
• Heute bekomme ich eine Absage per E‑Mail. (fronts the time for emphasis)
  Both obey the V2 rule (the finite verb is in second position).

Where should per E‑Mail go?

Both are fine:

• Ich bekomme heute eine Absage per E‑Mail. (very natural)
• Ich bekomme heute per E‑Mail eine Absage. (also possible; slightly different emphasis)
  German typically orders adverbials as Temporal–Modal–Local (TeKaMoLo), so heute (time) before per E‑Mail (method).

Why use per E‑Mail instead of mit/über/durch?

• per marks the transmission method/channel (by means of): per E‑Mail, per Post, per Telefon.
• mit suggests accompaniment (“with”), not a medium.
• durch means “through/by means of” in a causal sense, but not idiomatic for communication channels.
• über can mean “via/over,” but per E‑Mail is the standard idiom.

Does per govern a specific case?

Yes, per governs the accusative. In per E‑Mail, you don’t see case marking because there’s no article, but with an article you’d have accusative: per die Post (rare; normally no article).

Do I need an article before E‑Mail?

No. The fixed expression is per E‑Mail without an article. You could say per Mail as a short form. Using an article here is unusual.

Is the spelling E‑Mail important? Can I write Email?

Standard German uses E‑Mail (with hyphen; many also just type a normal hyphen). Writing Email without a hyphen is discouraged because Email means “enamel” in German.

Is present tense bekomme heute expressing the future?

Yes. German often uses the present to talk about scheduled/near-future events, especially with a time adverb like heute. You can say Ich werde heute eine Absage per E‑Mail bekommen, but the present is more natural unless you need emphasis or clarity.

What if the rejection already arrived earlier today?

Use the present perfect (Perfekt): Ich habe heute eine Absage per E‑Mail bekommen.

Could I say this with the verb absagen instead of the noun Absage?

Yes. absagen means “to cancel/decline” and takes a dative person: jemandem absagen.

• Active: Man sagt mir heute per E‑Mail ab.
• Impersonal passive: Mir wird heute per E‑Mail abgesagt.
  The version with the noun (eine Absage bekommen) is very idiomatic.

Is Ich werde heute per E‑Mail abgesagt correct?

Not with ich as nominative subject. With absagen, the person affected is dative, so the correct passive is impersonal: Mir wird heute per E‑Mail abgesagt.

Is Absage the best word here? How about Ablehnung?

• Absage is the standard idiom for a rejection or cancellation sent to you (job application, invitation, appointment).
• Ablehnung is “rejection/denial” in a more formal or abstract sense (e.g., an authority’s decision).
  Both can fit, but eine Absage bekommen is the most idiomatic everyday phrasing.

Is eine Absage bekommen idiomatic?

Yes, very. So is the positive counterpart eine Zusage bekommen (“to get an acceptance/confirmation”).

Can I drop the article and say: Ich bekomme heute Absage per E‑Mail?

No. Absage is a countable singular noun and needs an article: eine Absage.
You can drop the article in the plural: Ich bekomme heute Absagen per E‑Mail.

What are good synonyms for bekommen here?

• erhalten (more formal): Ich erhalte heute eine Absage per E‑Mail.
• kriegen (colloquial): Ich kriege heute eine Absage per E‑Mail.
  All three are common; choose based on register.

What are the genders of Absage and E‑Mail?

Both are feminine: die Absage, die E‑Mail. That’s why you’d say eine Absage, eine E‑Mail in the nominative/accusative singular.

Could I say Ich bekomme heute via E‑Mail eine Absage?

Yes, via is understood and used, but per E‑Mail is the most standard/neutral choice in German.

Is it okay to say Ich bekomme heute eine Antwort per E‑Mail if I don’t know whether it’s positive or negative?

Yes. Antwort or Bescheid are neutral:

• Ich bekomme heute eine Antwort/Bescheid per E‑Mail.
  Using Absage presupposes you already know it’s a rejection.