E-mail in French

Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 08:40 AM
  #1  
Ann
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E-mail in French

Can anyone tell me if the French are less formal in signing off e-mails, or should I use the "Je vous prie d'agreer ..." format? Any suggestions as to what I should use?
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 09:04 AM
  #2  
Tom
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Maybe it depends on what you expect from the recipient.

A l'attente de votre réponse,

or

Je me patiente de votre réponse,

peut-etre?
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 09:04 AM
  #3  
Sue
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Le Grand Vefour replied with the formal closing when I emailed for reservations. All I know.
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 09:08 AM
  #4  
Myriam
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My experience is that the French are more formal, even with e-mail.
I wouldn't hesitate to use the "Je vous prie d'agréer" format.
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 09:24 AM
  #5  
Eye Spy
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One never writes: Je me patiente de votre réponse. This is not correct at all.

It depends on if you are a man or a woman. The French tend to be more formal in correspondence -- or what is perceived as more formal to us is second nature to them.

If you are a male, you can use the following "formules de politesse" in this general situation, although there are others but too numerous to list:

Je vous prie d'agréer, Monsieur, l'expresion de mes sentiments distingués; or
Veuillez agréer, Monsieur, l'expression de mes sentiments distingués.

If you are a female:

Veuillez croire, Monsieur, à ma considération distinguée; or
Veuillez croire, Monsieur, à ma parfaite considération (too formal in this case).

Remember: une femme n'envoie jamais de sentiments à un homme (sauf à un prélat), mais ses souvenirs les meilleurs ou amicaux ou encore l'expression de sa vive admiration, de sa considération distinguée ou très distinguée, ou de sa parfaite considération.
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 09:34 AM
  #6  
Christina
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It depends whom you are e-mailing. Emails I get from French friends don't end that way and aren't formal at all. If it's a business email, you should end it the same way you would if it were a regular paper letter, I'd say--I don't think it makes any difference that it is an email vs. paper letter or FAX, that is just the method of transmission, it doesn't affect the content.

The emails I get from French hotels where I have a relationship aren't that formal, but some others have been if I've never stayed there. Emails I get from French hotels, even formal ones, have not used that phrase in ending, however. Here is an exact quote from one of them, a hotel where I'd never stayed before, in a letter where we were confirming a reservation (which was written to them in French):
<<Dans l'attente de votre réponse, et espérant avoir le plaisir de vous accueillir prochainement, nous vous adressons, Madame, nos meilleures salutations.>>

I usually am more formal in my first email to a hotel, but I may use this as an ending in a second correspondence or a place I know (and I've received this type of closing from hotels where I've stayed before from a reservation clerk I had previous contact with, also):
<<Avec mes salutations sincères,>>

If it's someone I know, an acquaintance or friend, I would end differently, of course--maybe just amicalement.
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 09:43 AM
  #7  
elle
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We have received e-mails from a wide range of people--friends, hotels, business acquaintances of my husband's that are simply signed "Amicalement,"
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 09:44 AM
  #8  
jules
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Slowly but steadily the ending "Cordialement" is popping up in e-mails in France as well.
You can use it perfectly well when dealing with hotels etc.. Save yourself the trouble.

Among friends, the favorite is: A+ ( = à plus, = à plus tard, roughly "see you later" ).
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 09:45 AM
  #9  
the uncle
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Est-ce que vous etes Papillon Rose, eye spy?
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 10:06 AM
  #10  
Ann
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Thanks all. Since it's to our notaire I'll go for a formal ending, but I'm putting "Cordiallement" into the memory banks!
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 10:37 AM
  #11  
Eye Spy
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Cordialement is the correct spelling.
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 11:50 AM
  #12  
martine
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The French are indeed more formal in commercial and other letters, but in e-mails they are not anymore.

Meilleures salutations will do fine. I also already read "meil sal"

But for a notaire, "Cordialement" is a correct way to sign off.
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 02:24 PM
  #13  
John
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Just recv'd an email from a hotel we stayed at in Bayeux. They ended with "happy halloween"
 
Old Nov 3rd, 2002, 04:11 PM
  #14  
StCirq
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I get a fair number of e-mails inFrench from various sources, and have also noticed that "cordialement" is becoming popular. The other one I see a lot is simply "sentiments les meilleurs." I've rarely gotten the full "je vous prie d'agréer, Madame...." treatment in an e-mail, but of course it does depend to some extent with whom you're corresponding. Hotels that know me well will often just use, "amicalement."
 
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