E-mails are less formal than letters, we know that all too well. nevertheless, it is necessary to draft your e-mails professionally. And that you follow well-defined rules. Even in French! Here we give you a crash course in e-mailing in French.
The subject line of your e-mail should preferably be concise and clear. This makes it easier to attract the attention of your recipient. In French, you use a noun style for this: a sentence without a conjugated verb or article (un/une/des/le/la/les). Some examples of subject lines are:
«Confirmation de votre commande N°23589»
«Invitation aux Portes Ouvertes du 20 avril»
«Absence à la session du 18/04»
A short and concise subject line often determines whether or not the recipient opens your e-mail.
E-mail communication from a good colleague is obviously very different from that with a customer or with a manager. So be wary of this and therefore effectively adapt your tone to your correspondent, starting with the opening sentence of your e-mail.
|
Madame la Directrice, |
retake the title of your correspondent if you know it |
|
Madame, Monsieur, |
use this if you do not know to whom your e-mail is addressed |
|
Chère cliente, Cher client, Bonjour (Madame/Monsieur), |
use this if you do not know to whom your e-mail is addressed |
Be sure not to forget capital letters and commas when addressing them. If you do not know whether your contact is a man or a woman, mention both addresses starting with the feminine form: Honneur aux dames :).
Don't beat around the bush and make sure your e-mails are short and to the point, so use concise and simple sentences. Also use prefixes or linking words such as cependant, c'est pourquoi, malgré, par conséquent, en raison de, ... They help you express your message and text better and get it across clearly. French also has a wide range of conjunctions and insertions. It would be a shame not to use them, wouldn't it?
Always remain polite and don't be too direct. In French, formality is crucial. Often more so than in other languages! Great importance is attached to politeness and kindness, especially when writing. For example, when making a request, be careful not to sound too gruff. Preferably use the conditionnel:
Pourriez-vous…?
Serait-il possible de…?
Je voudrais …
Consistent with courtesy and politeness, you also use 'vous' more in French than in Spanish or Dutch. Using vous is not so much a sign of distance as of respect. So don't forget to use vous because your correspondent might feel offended if you write tu.
Don't forget to show your willingness by mentioning the following in your e-mail, for example: En cas de doute, n'hésitez pas à me contacter. And as for addressing, always end your emails with the appropriate form of politeness. Here are some examples, from most to least formal:
Salutations distinguées,
Sincères salutations,
Cordialement,
Bien à vous,
Bonne journée,
Avoid abbreviations such as cdlt, bàv, slt; these are often too familiar and best used when writing to someone you already know well.
Nowadays, there are many free and effective translation apps on the Internet. Like DeepL, for example. Nevertheless, it is better to write your e-mails yourself. That way you will make progress in French and give your e-mails a personal touch!
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