Ich bekomme eine schriftliche Bestätigung per E‑Mail.

I receive a written confirmation by e‑mail.

Breakdown of Ich bekomme eine schriftliche Bestätigung per E‑Mail.

• ich: I
• per: by
• die E‑Mail: the e‑mail
• die Bestätigung: the confirmation
• bekommen: to receive
• schriftlich: written

Questions & Answers about Ich bekomme eine schriftliche Bestätigung per E‑Mail.

Why is it bekomme and not something like werde (as in “I will get”)? Is this present tense or future?

Bekomme is the present tense of bekommen (“to get / to receive”).

In German, the simple present is very often used where English uses the future:

• Ich bekomme eine schriftliche Bestätigung per E‑Mail.
  = I’ll get / I’m going to get a written confirmation by email.

You only have to use a future construction (ich werde … bekommen) if you really want to emphasize the future or make a prediction:

• Ich werde morgen eine schriftliche Bestätigung per E‑Mail bekommen.
  = I will (definitely / tomorrow) receive a written confirmation by email.

So your sentence in the present is perfectly normal and usually the most natural choice.

Does bekommen mean “to become” like in English?

No. This is a very common false friend.

• bekommen = to get, to receive

  • Ich bekomme eine E‑Mail. = I get / receive an email.

• to become in German is werden

  • Ich werde müde. = I’m becoming tired.

So Ich bekomme eine schriftliche Bestätigung = I get / receive a written confirmation, not I become a written confirmation.

Why is it eine schriftliche Bestätigung and not ein schriftliche Bestätigung?

Bestätigung is a feminine noun in German: die Bestätigung.

In your sentence, it’s the direct object (what you are getting), so it’s in the accusative case.

For feminine nouns in the accusative:

• the indefinite article is eine (same as nominative feminine)
• the adjective (attributive, before the noun) takes the ending ‑e here.

So you get:

• eine (feminine accusative)
• schriftlich (adjective stem)
• ‑e (ending in this context)
• Bestätigung (feminine noun)

→ eine schriftliche Bestätigung

Why does schriftlich become schriftliche? What’s that -e at the end?

The -e is the adjective ending.

In German, adjectives placed directly before a noun change their ending depending on:

• the gender (masculine / feminine / neuter)
• the number (singular / plural)
• the case (nominative / accusative / dative / genitive)
• whether there’s a definite / indefinite article or no article.

Here we have:

• gender: feminine (die Bestätigung)
• case: accusative (it’s the direct object of bekommen)
• article: eine (indefinite, feminine)

In this combination, the adjective ending is -e, so:

• schriftlich → schriftliche

If the grammar context changed, the ending could change, e.g.:

• Die schriftliche Bestätigung (nominative, feminine, definite article)
• mit schriftlicher Bestätigung (dative: with written confirmation)

What’s the difference between schriftlich and schriftliche as separate words?

They’re the same adjective; you’re just seeing it in different uses:

1. Predicative (after a verb like sein, no ending)

   • Die Bestätigung ist schriftlich.
     The confirmation is in writing / written.

   Here, schriftlich stands alone → no ending.

2. Attributive (directly before a noun, with ending)

   • eine schriftliche Bestätigung
     a written confirmation

   Here, schriftlich comes before a noun with an article → it must take an ending: schriftliche.

So the base form is schriftlich, but German forces an ending when the adjective sits right in front of a noun.

What does schriftlich actually mean: “written” or “in writing”? Is “written confirmation” a good translation?

Schriftlich means “in written form” or “in writing”, so “written confirmation” is a very natural translation.

• schriftliche Bestätigung
  = confirmation in writing / written confirmation

Other examples:

• schriftliche Prüfung = written exam (as opposed to oral)
• schriftliche Zusage = written promise / written acceptance

What does per E‑Mail mean? Is per the same as English “per”?

In this context, per means “by” / “via” / “through” as in “by email”:

• per E‑Mail = by email / via email

It’s not the per like in English “three times per week” (per week = pro Woche in German usually).

Common similar phrases:

• per Post = by post / by mail
• per Telefon = by phone
• per Überweisung = by bank transfer

Why is E‑Mail capitalized, and what gender is it?

In German:

• All nouns are capitalized, so E‑Mail must start with a capital letter.

As for gender:

• die E‑Mail is usually feminine.

Examples:

• Ich schreibe eine E‑Mail.
• Ich habe die E‑Mail bekommen.

In your sentence, per E‑Mail uses a Latin preposition per, which doesn’t force visible case changes, so you just see E‑Mail unchanged.

Why is per E‑Mail at the end of the sentence? Could it go somewhere else?

Yes, per E‑Mail can move, but the ending position is very natural. German tends to put many details towards the end of a main clause.

Your sentence:

• Ich bekomme eine schriftliche Bestätigung per E‑Mail.

This follows the normal pattern:

• subject (Ich)
• verb (bekomme)
• object (eine schriftliche Bestätigung)
• additional information / manner (per E‑Mail) at the end.

You could also say:

• Ich bekomme per E‑Mail eine schriftliche Bestätigung.

This is grammatically fine, but the most neutral version is usually the one you have: … Bestätigung per E‑Mail.

Is there a difference between Ich bekomme and Ich erhalte here?

Both are possible, but they differ in style:

• Ich bekomme eine schriftliche Bestätigung per E‑Mail.

  • bekommen = very common, everyday word
  • neutral and widely used in spoken and written German

• Ich erhalte eine schriftliche Bestätigung per E‑Mail.

  • erhalten = more formal / official
  • common in business, legal, and official contexts

In an email from a company, you might see erhalten more often. In casual speech, bekommen is more natural.

Why is Bestätigung written with ä and not just a? Is the pronunciation important?

Bestätigung comes from the verb bestätigen (to confirm), which is spelled with ä. The ä is important because it reflects the correct vowel sound.

Pronunciation:

• Bestätigung → be‑SHTÄ‑ti‑gung (roughly)

Using a instead (e.g., Bestatigung) would be incorrect spelling and also suggest a different vowel sound. The umlaut ä often changes both meaning and pronunciation in German, so it’s worth paying attention to.