Learn Hardcore German: Im Motivationsschreiben nenne ich auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung. - In the letter of motivation I also state my salary expectation.

in + accusative = movement into something
- Ich gehe in die Schule. – I’m going (into) the school.
in + dative = location in something (no movement)
- Ich bin in der Schule. – I’m in (at) school.

In your sentence, we’re talking about where the salary expectation appears (its location): in the motivation letter, not moving into it.

So we need dative: in dem Motivationsschreiben → im Motivationsschreiben.

What exactly is a Motivationsschreiben, and how is it different from Anschreiben or Bewerbungsschreiben?

Motivationsschreiben is a compound noun:

Motivation = motivation
Schreiben = written document / letter

So it’s literally a “motivation letter”: a text where you explain why you want a position, program, scholarship, etc., and what motivates you.

Typical distinctions:

Motivationsschreiben
- Often used for university applications, scholarships, volunteering, internships, etc.
- Focus on personal motivation, goals, suitability, values.
Anschreiben or Bewerbungsschreiben
- Common in job applications.
- More formal cover letter that accompanies your CV.
- Focus on qualifications, experience, and fit for the job; motivation is included but it’s more business-like.

In everyday job-application language, a German speaker might rather say:

Im Anschreiben nenne ich auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung.
Im Bewerbungsschreiben nenne ich auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung.

But Motivationsschreiben is correct and commonly used in academic or scholarship contexts.

Why are Motivationsschreiben and Gehaltsvorstellung capitalized?

In German, all nouns are capitalized, including:

simple nouns:
- Haus, Gehalt, Motivation
compound nouns:
- Motivationsschreiben (Motivation + Schreiben)
- Gehaltsvorstellung (Gehalt + Vorstellung)

So both Motivationsschreiben and Gehaltsvorstellung must start with a capital letter. This is a strict rule and not optional like in English.

What does Gehaltsvorstellung literally mean?

Gehaltsvorstellung is another compound noun:

Gehalt = salary
Vorstellung = idea, conception, also “imagining” or “presentation”

So literally, Gehaltsvorstellung is your “idea of a salary” – i.e., the salary you have in mind, your salary expectation.

Related words:

Gehaltswunsch = salary wish
Lohnvorstellung = wage expectation (sometimes used for hourly-paid jobs)

Why is it meine Gehaltsvorstellung and not meiner Gehaltsvorstellung?

Here, meine Gehaltsvorstellung is the direct object of the verb nennen (“to name / state”).

Ich = subject (nominative)
nenne = verb
meine Gehaltsvorstellung = direct object (accusative)

Feminine noun die Gehaltsvorstellung declines like this:

Nominative: die Gehaltsvorstellung, meine Gehaltsvorstellung
Accusative: die Gehaltsvorstellung, meine Gehaltsvorstellung
Dative: der Gehaltsvorstellung, meiner Gehaltsvorstellung
Genitive: der Gehaltsvorstellung, meiner Gehaltsvorstellung

Accusative singular feminine looks the same as nominative (meine), so:

Ich nenne meine Gehaltsvorstellung. (accusative – correct)
mit meiner Gehaltsvorstellung (dative – different ending -er)

So meiner Gehaltsvorstellung would be dative and would require a dative preposition (e.g. mit, von, zu), which you don’t have here.

Why is it Gehaltsvorstellung in the singular and not Gehaltsvorstellungen in the plural?

Both are possible in German, but there is a nuance:

meine Gehaltsvorstellung (singular)
- Focuses on one target figure or one overall expectation (even if it’s a range).
meine Gehaltsvorstellungen (plural)
- Suggests several possible ideas, scenarios, or expectations.

In practice, native speakers quite often use the plural in this context, especially in job ads and applications:

Ich nenne auch meine Gehaltsvorstellungen.
- “I also state my salary expectations.”

Your sentence with singular is grammatically correct and fully understandable, but in a real application letter, many Germans would naturally choose the plural form.

What does the verb nennen express here, and how is it different from sagen, schreiben, or angeben?

In this sentence, nennen means “to state / to mention / to specify”:

Ich nenne meine Gehaltsvorstellung.
= I state my salary expectation.

Comparison:

sagen = to say
- More about speaking in general: Ich sage dir mein Gehalt.
schreiben = to write
- Focused only on the act of writing: Ich schreibe meine Gehaltsvorstellung in den Brief.
angeben = to indicate / specify / declare
- Very common in forms and applications:
  - Ich gebe meine Gehaltsvorstellung an.

For applications, these are very typical:

Ich nenne auch meine Gehaltsvorstellungen.
Ich gebe auch meine Gehaltsvorstellungen an.

Both sound professional and idiomatic.

Why does the sentence start with Im Motivationsschreiben and not with Ich? Is Ich nenne im Motivationsschreiben auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung also correct?

German main clauses follow the verb-second rule (V2):

Something in position 1 (subject, time, place, etc.)
The conjugated verb in position 2

In both versions, the verb nenne is in second position, so both are grammatical:

Im Motivationsschreiben nenne ich auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung.
- Position 1: Im Motivationsschreiben (prepositional phrase)
- Position 2: nenne (verb)
Ich nenne im Motivationsschreiben auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung.
- Position 1: Ich (subject)
- Position 2: nenne (verb)

The difference is emphasis:

Version 1 (your sentence): emphasizes where you state it (in the motivation letter).
Version 2: more neutral, subject-focused: I state my salary expectation in the motivation letter.

Both are correct; the fronting of Im Motivationsschreiben is a stylistic choice.

Where should auch go in this sentence, and does moving it change the meaning?

Auch is a focus particle, usually placed close to what it modifies.
Common and natural placements:

Im Motivationsschreiben nenne ich auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung.
→ “In the motivation letter I also state my salary expectation.”
(You state other things there as well, not only your salary.)
Im Motivationsschreiben nenne ich meine Gehaltsvorstellung auch.
→ Possible, but sounds a bit marked; the stress in speech would decide what gets the emphasis.

If you move auch to different places, the nuance changes:

Auch im Motivationsschreiben nenne ich meine Gehaltsvorstellung.
→ You state your salary expectation in other places and also in the motivation letter.

In written form for applications, your original placement (… nenne ich auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung) is very natural.

Is this sentence appropriate and natural in a German job application? Would a native speaker phrase it differently?

The sentence is correct and understandable, but in a real job application, a native speaker might phrase it a bit differently for style and typical phrasing.

Common, very idiomatic versions:

In meinem Anschreiben gebe ich auch meine Gehaltsvorstellungen an.
Im Anschreiben nenne ich zudem meine Gehaltsvorstellungen.
Gerne nenne ich Ihnen im Anschreiben auch meine Gehaltsvorstellungen.

Possible tweaks:

Anschreiben instead of Motivationsschreiben (more typical for job applications).
gebe … an or nenne – both are standard; gebe … an is very common in formal contexts.
Gehaltsvorstellungen in the plural is very frequent in practice.

So your sentence is fine as a learner example; for a polished application, you might adapt it to one of the above variants depending on context.

Could I also say Auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung nenne ich im Motivationsschreiben? Does that sound odd?

Yes, that sentence is grammatically correct:

Auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung nenne ich im Motivationsschreiben.

Here the structure is:

Position 1: Auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung
Position 2: nenne
Then ich im Motivationsschreiben

This word order puts strong emphasis on meine Gehaltsvorstellung:

Roughly: “My salary expectation too is something I state in the motivation letter.”

It sounds a bit more rhetorical or emphatic. In a very formal cover letter, most people would choose the more neutral word order:

Im Motivationsschreiben nenne ich auch meine Gehaltsvorstellung.

How do you pronounce Motivationsschreiben and Gehaltsvorstellung?

Approximate pronunciation (IPA + rough English-like guidance):

Motivationsschreiben
- IPA: /motiˈvaːtsioːnsˌʃʁaɪ̯bən/
- Syllables: Mo-ti-va-tions-schrei-ben
- Stress: main stress on -tions-, secondary on schrei-
- Tips:
  - ti in Moti is [ti], not “sh” like English “motion”.
  - -tions- is pronounced like tsjōns.
  - schrei- like English “shry” with a rolling/uvular German r.
Gehaltsvorstellung
- IPA: /ɡəˈhaltsˌfoːɐ̯ˌʃtɛlʊŋ/
- Syllables: Ge-halts-vor-stel-lung
- Stress: main stress on -halts-, secondary on vor-
- Tips:
  - The first e in Ge- is a very short, weak sound [ɡə].
  - Ge-halt like “guh-HALT”.
  - vor roughly like English “for” but with a slightly rounded “o” and often a soft or barely pronounced r.
  - stellung like “SHTEL-loong” (short e, u like in “put”).