It's then crucial to delete any fluff and edit your sentences like a hawk. Believe it or not, there's a structure to follow in how to write a formal letter in French that very few people dare to deviate from. It's like the unspoken golden rule. When I was studying to get my degree in French letters, this was a module. That's how important this structure is. Here at Speechling , we take pride in helping you practice as we believe that doing is the best way of learning.
We're going to use sentences and words that one often uses when writing a formal letter so you can re-use them. You can also download the final product at the end of this article. For the sake of continuity with my example in the very beginning, let's do a school application letter. For example, one you'll need to write if you want to be an exchange student at a university in France.
For the purpose of example, let's say that we don't know who's responsible for the student exchange program. So, you can write something like this:. The smartest way to do this it to avoid the fluff 'My name is Serina, and I'm writing to you because As a 3rd-year student in French Letters at the University of Sydney, I would very much like to follow an academic semester in your faculty via the exchange program.
Yes, that's one sentence that's also a paragraph. It already packs a bit of who you are and why you're writing this particular letter. Let's continue our letter with the 'meat of our sandwich', aka the most important part of your letter. To prepare myself better for the professional world after my studies, living in France would be a real springboard.
As a curious and motivated person, I'll be able to take advantage personally and professionally of this program in France. I also see this exchange in a French university as an essential step in my studies and a major asset as I'm building toward my professional project.
But if there's a minor additional detail you wish to say and or don't like the cramped look, it's better to have a two 'faux-paragraphs' in this section. I'm at your disposition if you need any additional information and I wish that you would, Madame, Monsieur, accept my respectful salutations. I thank you for the attention you gave to this letter, and please accept, Madame, Monsieur, the assurances of my highest considerations. To download this example of a formal French letter, click here.
Also, important note: If you know the name of the person, change all 'Madame, Monsieur' into the person you're writing to. The rest is up to you! Literally means knock, knock Bonjour, X! Friends and family say it, too! Je vous embrasse — I hug you all meant for more than one person. In the electronic age, you may very well not only write a formal letter; you may also write a formal email. Colleges, businesses, jobs--they all often communicate by email.
That means that you need to be able to project a positive image of yourself across a keyboard. And that's also why it's just as important to know how to write an email in French. The good news? For the most part, most of the rules stay the same. A formal letter in French can be found on paper or in an inbox. The French simply prefer more formal means of communication. To start writing a letter in French, you need the proper salutation and the correct title of the person you are writing to.
For personal correspondence where you do not know the person you are writing to, you can choose from the following:. You may use the following salutations:.
Take note of proper spacing when writing punctuations in French. When writing a sentence with a question mark or an exclamation point, there should be a space before and after it. For example: Bonjour! The same applies to writing colons and semi-colons, as well as quotation marks. Just like the salutations, you will also need to use the correct closing at the end of your letter.
For personal letters to acquaintances or friends that still require a level of formality, you may end it using the following French email closings:. Please note that the translations are not exactly the same, but they more or less express the same thought. For informal letters to close friends and family, you may be very liberal in showing your fondness to the person by using the following informal closing:.
Take note that the above closing expressions are similar to saying "hugs and kisses" or "XOXO" in English. You simply cannot use it to close a letter to, let's say, your boss or the hiring manager in the job you're eyeing. See also: French text slang and instant messaging shortcuts. Again, please take note that the above translations are more or less the equivalent expressions in English.
The first one is a personal letter and the second is a business letter. The urge suddenly takes me to tell you of one of my many adventures …. Of course, starting and ending a letter written in French is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are more tips in writing letters in French. See also: The ultimate guide to using tu vs. Let's face it, writing an email in French is another hurdle you must surpass.
Whether you're writing an email to your boss, a colleague, or someone you barely know, you gotta make sure everything's in place before you hit the send button. Like in English, there are also a set of email phrases and expressions commonly used when signing off in formal emails.
Aside from the usual "merci" or "merci beaucoup", here are some ways on how to sign off an email in French:. Want to save a copy of this article on your device? Simply sign up to the Talk in French newsletter by clicking the download button below.
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!
For the complete lesson on French letters including audio guides and exercises, grab your copy of My French Routine, a complete learning series that you could use to learn French independently from beginner level to advanced. This particular lesson is part of the course Complete Advanced French Course. Check it out now on the Talk in French Store! Bisous — Kisses. Do not forget to add Monsieur, Madame or Mademoiselle before the name.
Start with your name or a company name and include your address, with the country name in French under the postal code. Addressee Second is the addressee information. This is where you will write the name and address of the recipient. Remember to write place names with capital letters. This is where you indicate the purpose of the letter. Place and date After the subject in the upper right corner of the letter, write down the place and date and separate them with a comma. The name of the month is written with lowercase letters.
Salutation French letter salutations do not mention the name of the addressee. Another obvious point. FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks.
Click here to check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app. Every video is supercharged with personalized learning tools, from clickable subtitles to flashcards and quizzes. The complexity of formal French letters is a symptom of something much bigger: love and pride for the language. Much like the rules that regulate the use of franglais , French letters represent and protect the French language. The best description of a French letter will never replace actually seeing or better yet, writing one.
French Today offers a wonderfully detailed summary of French letter writing. I particularly liked how French Today explains the importance of tu vs. Just as its name says, french-linguistics shines in the nitty-gritty world of French grammar and syntax.
With respect to formal letters, they provide a great explanation on formules de politesse , the complex sentences that end French letters more on this below.
This YouTube video offers great descriptions and examples of real-life scenarios for formal letters. It shows you examples of formal French letters and breaks them down with explanations of the elements and important grammar structures.
This may sound obvious, but before you can write a formal letter in French, you have to understand, well, its different parts.
Put the contact information in the upper lefthand corner of the page. Notice how the last name is capitalized in French.
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