It’s usually a greeting of some sort, such as:
- Bonjour (= Hello)
- Bonsoir (= Good evening)
- Salut (= Hi!, informal, with friends)
- Coucou (= Hi!, informal and a bit more intimate)
Full Answer
What can I write in an informal French letter?
For example, you can write an informal French letter to invite French friends to your birthday party, your baby shower and even your wedding. You can also write an informal email to congratulate a friend or ask for their help.
How do you start an informal email in French?
When emailing someone you are in informal terms with, you can simply start your email with "Salut + the name" followed by some pleasantries. For example: Salut, Marianne ! J'espère que tu vas bien (Hello, Marianne! I hope you're doing well.) Be mindful of the correct usage of tu and vous. Did you know?
How do you start a letter to someone in French?
If you are writing to someone you know, you met, or if you are answering to someone who wrote you first, then you can start with “Cher Monsieur X,” or “Chère Madame X,” or even “Chère Mademoiselle X”. Use this French salutation you feel like being a bit more friendly, not if you are writing to complain!
How do you address a letter to a director in French?
If you know the job title of the person you're writing to, you can include it in your salutation. For example, Monsieur le Directeur (Mr. Director) or Madame la Directrice (Madam Director). When emailing someone you are in informal terms with, you can simply start your email with "Salut +...
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How to address a letter in French?
To address a letter in French, The first line will be the recipient’s full name. Do not forget to add Monsieur, Madame or Mademoiselle before the name.
What is the closing expression for a French letter?
Works like "Best wishes" but literally means "sending my friendly thoughts to you".
What is the correct word for "vous"?
In writing formal letters, always use “vous” and never “tu”.
How to start an email with "salut"?
When emailing someone you are in informal terms with, you can simply start your email with "Salut + the name" followed by some pleasantries. For example: Salut, Marianne ! J'espère que tu vas bien (Hello, Marianne! I hope you're doing well.)
When to say Bonjour monsieur?
You can say, "Bonjour monsieur /madame" when emailing someone you're not yet acquainted with.
Where to write return address?
Write the return address at the top left of the page. Start with your name followed by your organization (for business letters) and then your address.
Is it necessary to write letters in French?
Letter-writing is still a necessary skill despite the many new forms of communication available today. I hope this short guide will help solve your woes on how to write letters in French. Hopefully, you learned something about writing emails in French, too!
How to start a business letter?
start with the name (if it’s the business letter, then maybe the salutation, department, certainly the name of the company),
How to start a letter with the name Madame X?
If you know the name of the person, start your letter by “Monsieur X, or Madame X,”. Note that for a business letter, Mademoiselle is no longer used in writing.
What does "cher" mean in French?
In the context of a salutation to start a French letter, “cher” means dear.
How to address a letter to a responsible person?
If you are addressing your letter to “le Responsable des livraisons” but you still don’t know his/her name, start your letter with “Monsieur,” ( even if you don’t know whether the person is a man or a woman).
When sending a letter internationally, do I always write "from"?
So, as a precaution, when sending a letter internationally, I always write “from” and then cross the return address, just in case (as shown on the picture of the envelope featured above)
Where do you write address on envelope?
You’ll write the address in the front of the envelop, pretty much the same way you’d do anywhere in the US or Europe.
Is it common to write thank you notes in France?
Since I lived both in France and in the US, I can tell you that writing thank you notes is less frequent in France than it is in the US.
