Bonjour !
Do you know how to write emails in French? And at the end what you should you say? Should you say “Bisous” (kisses) to your mother in law? Or is “Cordialement” (kind regards)
a good idea for friends?
You can always copy expressions used in the emails you are answering to, a great strategy. (I do that!) But when you have to write one on your own… Ouch!
We are going to see which expression to use and to whom. Let’s go!
Click to watch « How to end an email in French »:
What about you?
How do you write your emails in French?
Do you pick one greeting randomly? Do you copy what the sender uses? Do you skip them?
Tell me in the comments how it went. Share your story so we can discuss in the comment area below the video.
A bientôt !
Géraldine
Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board
and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot.
I hope to give something back and help others like you aided me.
I for all time emailed this weblog post page to all my friends, for the reason that if like to read it after that my contacts wkll too.
Geraldine, I have a very close, personal, female “friend.” For over two years, we have said good night. Almost every…, night. Only missing three nights in those two years. We simply will, not, go, to bed; without saying good night.
Is there a better way to close my “good night” to her than saying “beaucoup bisous”?
She is very literate in French; having (lived in Paris and…,) taught English as a second language to French speaking children, adults, etc.
Please advise me how to end my “good night” to her (romantically & very…, tenderly), without asking to have sexual intercourse with her. Merci…!
Bob
Bonjour. One of the most helpful videos I have ever seen. We will be hosting a French student and I am emailing his mother. Trying my best to do it in French, although it has been about 40 years since I was in France and using the language. Thanks for making me feel less foolish in my reply to her.
You’re welcome, Maura!
I was wondering about the name you sign with. For example I am writing an email to the Mairie (I met the ladies in the office the other day). Do I sign Mme…. or just use my first name or write Mme and then my first and last name…confused.com!
Thanks,
Anne
Hi Anne,
Use “Anne Mackenzie-Hunt” to sign your email, this will be perfect.
Hello, Is it true that although these do mean something similar to “see you later” it is incorrect to write it if you’re not actually going to physically see them? Is that correct?
I email friends in France that I have never met and won’t see after I email them. Would this be incorrect to respond with “see you later” is there nothing else like “I can’t wait for your response” ?
Than you.
Hi Tim,
You can say “A bientôt” even if you’ll never meet them in real life. 🙂
Salut! Tu pourrais aussi écrire: “J’attends de tes nouvelles.”
What about an email to the syndic who refuse to repair a leak that is their responsibility and it’s been slowly trashing your apartment for the last 6 months? Not feeling very “cordialement” for sure.
Ahah, yes Lisa. 🙂 You might not feel very “Cordialement”, but it’s always best to remain super polite, especially in written form.
Salut, Geraldine! Do straight men use bise or bisous at all (men, female friends, wife, lovers)? Merci!
Bonjour James!
Yes absolutely. Men kiss women (friends) and close male friends (sometimes).
Merci a tous et grand merci a Géraldine- it’s so useful to hear what other folk are doing. One little suggestion for future topic – how do you get to key in accents , cidillas etc when using a UK keyboard. The only one I can produce is an é accute using the Alt Gr at same time as ‘e’. Using the symbols menu is laborious as you have to compose first then copy and paste… life’ is too short !
Bonne journée
Hi Susi,
Great idea. 🙂 i’ll add your suggestion to the topic list.
Bonjour Geraldine! Thank you for the very helpful video. A quick question – how about correspondence between 2 close male friends? What would these friends use and does it change things like Bises, gross bisous etc? Maybe this question just reveals my more reserved North American tendencies, but I wanted to clarify before sending 🙂 Merci beaucoup!!
Hi John,
Thanks for your excellent question.
I’ve just asked a (male) friend about this for you. 🙂
He says he writes “A+” (which means A plus tard) or “Bonne journée” or “A bientôt” (See you soon, if appropriate).
Geraldine! I love your site and weekly info. I live in the United States but my daughter just moved to France. Je suis une Francophile. Merci!
Super !
Bonjour,,, Hi I’m from Mexico and I like your website, I could learn english and frenche at the same time!!!!
Hi Jimena,
That’s perfect, then!
When is it appropriate to use Bien amicalement?
PS your videos are very much enjoyed by my high school French students.
Hi Elizabeth,
Bien amicalement is very elegant.
Use it with acquaintances: a neighbour, a person you just met, somebody you don’t have a very clear relation with (not a colleague, not yet a close friend…).
Thank you for the email tips. My granddaughter in France has just got an ipad where I hope to keep in touch by email. Will employ the gross bisous term as she is just a young girl and very sweet. GS
Hi Grace,
Bisous and “Gros bisous” are a perfect fit for family emails.
Good choice!
Coucou Geraldine.
Is it ok to end an email with “J”embrasse tres fort” to a male friend?
Merci!
Hi Christina,
“Je t’embrasse très fort” has a non-sexual, very affectionate sense. So why not.
My family use it for one person to the other for example.
Some might say it’s a bit old-fashioned. Does your friend use this greeting for you? If so, use it too!
“Bises” for friends (my friends use it) is a secure option, in case you’re not sure. 🙂
Bonjour Geraldine,
Very helpful video! When can “Ciao” be used to end an email with?
Bing translator (which is sometimes surprisingly good although I would never use an automatic translator like Bing or Google without a disclaimer) proposed starting a communication with “salut”. My friend said “salut” is a verbal but not a written greeting. Are there other greetings that are interchangeable with “Bonjour”?
Amitiés 🙂
Julie
Greetings!
This is a subject that has always interested me. Good choice!
For Julie, I use “Coucou” to start a mail–with friends, “Salut xyz” and sometimes “Hello xyz” (which I have received from French writers.)I was also told to avoid last names in the opening of letters. For example, Chère Madame, or just Madame, and not Chère Madame Pignon. For friends, sometimes I will vary it depending on my reader. “Salut les parisiens!” or “Salut la France. Ici, l’Amérique.”
For the closings–here in the US we tend to be more cryptic (that may be too much of a generalization, but I think it’s true.) Often, we sign our mail with just our names (especially with people we know). When I first started emailing my friends in France about 12 years ago, I was criticized for this and was told my style was “un peu froid” haha!!! Since then, I have used all of the salutations you proposed. I’ve also seen sincèrement and très sincèrement. I’ve used affectueusement with a few people older than me–not close, close friends, but not strangers either. Along with “bonne journée,” I’ve used variations, such as “bonne fin de journée/soirée” and “bon weekend/bon WE” or “passe un excéllent weekend.”
I had one funny exchange with a French friend. I signed in English, “warm regards,” which he then translated as “regards chaleureux.” He thought that was very funny, and that’s how he started signing his emails to me in French. Always with a 🙂 afterwards, however!
I am so used to French closings now that if ever I receive a French email without one, I think “brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!” And, “uh-oh, am I in trouble?”
Anyway, I now find any email that does not have a closing to be “cold” whether in French OR in English!!
Bonne journée à tous,
JB
P.S. Sorry… in re-reading my post for affectueusement, I would say I use this with close friends, but where there is still just a bit of distance, if that makes sense? For example, an older woman (early 70s) that I write to frequently, but whom I’ve never met in person (!!)
JB
yes, you can use “affectueusement” for somebody you have a close relation to, even if you’ve never met. It’s perfect for this case.
Hi Janet,
Your French is EXCELLENT!
Thanks so much for sharing all these great examples.
Indeed, the bonne journée/soirée/semaine… are very used as well.
Géraldine
Hi Julie!
I’ve never seen Ciao used in a French email…
Ahah. Salut is the ONLY greeting I use with friends and family.
“Coucou” works as well with friends & family.
Bonjour is for formal emails.
You can also use the traditional “Cher” and “Chère” and “Chers” for very (very) formal emails.
Hope it helps!