how to say application letter in french

How to write a letter in French - start to finish [formal + informal]

Elinor Zucchet

Some will say letters are old-fashioned. But there’s something special about taking the time to write a letter, mail it, and then wait for the recipient’s reaction.

Personally, I’ve always loved to send and receive snail mail, even more so since the arrival of the Internet! As a teen, when we got the Internet at home — yes, I’m a certain age — I used chat rooms… to find pen friends all over the world with whom to exchange traditional letters!

On a more practical note, letters are still widely used for formal matters in France, not only in a professional setting, but also for daily tasks such as canceling a bank account or claiming a refund from a utility provider.

This article will teach you how to write a letter in French , and before you argue that emails are faster and save some paper, remember: you can also send a letter digitally!

Why learn how to write a letter in French?

In general, French tends to be more formal than English. And writing a letter in French is no exception.

Each language has its own layout, formalities and tone when it comes to writing a letter, whatever the context.

It’s even more important to know how to draft a letter in French in a professional or formal setting, as it will help you to be taken seriously and make your point.

From the main vocabulary and greetings to formatting, keep reading to learn how to write the perfect formal or informal letter in French.

Key letter writing vocabulary to keep in mind

First things first: below are a few key terms related to letters in French.

Formatting a letter in French

When writing a formal letter in French, your goal should be to be as brief and clear as possible, while respecting the basic formalities.

Obviously, you have more freedom for formal letters, but maybe not 18 pages… front and back !

In a nutshell, here is how you should format a letter in French:

• Top left: First name, last name, address, phone number and email address.
• Top right: Name and contact details of the recipient.
• Below your contact details: “ Objet : ”, followed by a short summary of the reason why you are writing.
• Below the object, on the right: Place and date.

In a formal letter, you may also include elements like a reference/order number, a job ad number or a folio number, for example. This would go below the recipient and above the place and date.

Here is an example of a formal letter formatting in French.

How to write the date on a letter in French

In French, the date format is quite different from the American one.

Instead of MM-DD-YYYY, French people — and Europeans in general — use DD-MM-YYYY.

It seems simple, but it gets confusing for expiration dates on food, believe me!

Coming back to our topic, in the case of a formal letter, it’s best to actually write the date: “Lyon, le 3 juin 2023” .

Unlike in English, months and days in French are never capitalized, except when they start a sentence.

For example:

Lundi 11 mai.

Je viendrai ce lundi 11 mai.

Our article on “ Days of the week in French ” might be useful too!

How to write a formal or business letter in French

The rule of thumb when writing a formal or business letter in French is to stay formal. Use ready-made greetings —- called formules de politesse — and stay super polite, even if you’re writing a complaint.

Basically, write on eggshells!

Formal letter greetings

So, how to start a letter in French? No surprise there, you’ll need a salutation!

You’ll find a bunch in this article on French greetings , but we’ve summed up the main ones for a formal letter in the table below.

Important: Never use “ cher/chère ” (dear) in a formal letter in French.

How to start a formal letter in French

Remember the writing on eggshells concept? Here is a good example.

You should never get straight to the point in a French formal letter or email, but rather use something like “Je me permets”, “J’aurais souhaité”, or one of the start lines below.

Cover letters when applying for a job

Letter of enquiry, letter of complaint.

Note: French people are renown for complaining. It doesn’t mean they’re having a bad day or are in a bad mood. It’s just the national sport — or an art?

So, if you want to sound like a real Frenchie, learn how to complain like a French !

8 FRENCH IDIOMS TO USE WHEN YOU'RE ANGRY

Letter of apology

Note: For more ways to apologize in French, check out this article . It’s the hardest word , after all.

Letter of response

Letter of sales / promotion, how to sign off or end a formal letter in french.

Ah, my favorite: How to sign a letter in French.

These expressions sound completely outdated and pompous , but are still widely used nowadays!

Example of a formal letter in French

The example below is for a letter of application.

PJ : Curriculum Vitae Objet : Candidature au poste de fromager

Madame Reblochon, Actuellement en recherche d’emploi, je me permets de vous proposer ma candidature au poste de fromager.

En effet, mon profil correspond à l’offre d’emploi publiée sur le site Lesvaches.com. Ma formation en produits laitiers m'a permis d'acquérir de nombreuses compétences parmi celles que vous recherchez. Passionné de fromage depuis tout petit, je me distingue par ma motivation, ma rigueur et mes capacités de travail en équipe. Intégrer votre entreprise représente pour moi non seulement un objectif de carrière, mais le rêve de toute une vie.

Je me tiens à votre disposition pour toute information complémentaire, et je serais ravi de vous rencontrer pour un entretien si ma candidature retient votre attention.

Veuillez agréer, Madame, l’expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs. Signature

How to write an informal letter in French

I’m sure some of your relatives or friends don’t use the Internet to communicate. Come on, think about it. What about your grandma, or great grandpa? Ok, maybe they don’t speak French.

Embrace the vintage trend and send a letter, or even just a postcard, to your francophone friends. You’ll make their day!

On a more serious note, you may need to send a letter or an email to a colleague.

Keep reading to learn how to write a informal letter in French!

Informal letter greetings

You’re just a word away from a big faux pas . I’m kidding, it’s no big deal if you make a mistake in an informal letter!

However, I do recommend you to learn the greetings below to avoid any awkwardness . And, again, you’ll find more greetings in French in this article .

How to start an informal letter in French

If you wonder how to start an informal letter in French , below are a few ideas for inspiration, depending on the context.

How to sign off or end an informal letter in French

Below are the most typical ways to end an informal letter in French. You’ll find many more ways to say goodbye en français in this article .

Note: XOXO doesn’t mean anything in French. Try the very common “biz” — short for bisous — instead!

While emails and texts are undoubtedly convenient, written letters have a je ne sais quo i. In fact, they’ve inspired countless writers, musicians and other artists over the centuries. Check out this list of French songs about letters !

Old-fashioned, romantic, formal or not, letters are still used by many people nowadays. They can even save lives… when they arrive on time !

So, we hope this article will be useful to you at some point, hopefully not in such a drastic situation!

And remember, you’ll find plenty of vocab articles in our French blog to enhance your letters and make an impression.

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How to Write Letters and emails in French For Any Occasion

By: Author Calli Zarpas

Posted on Published: July 11, 2022  - Last updated: May 13, 2024

If you’re looking to learn how to write letters and emails in French, you’ll need to learn a few key components: a proper salutation, a polite introduction, and a formal closing sentence. Everything else in your letter will depend on the reason you’re writing it.

Guide to writing letters and emails in French

And if you’re wondering if the French are really writing letters anymore. They are! Even though you might be looking to learn cool slang words or how to order a delicious French meal as a new French learner, you’ll be surprised by how much learning how to write letters and emails in French will come in handy–especially if you plan to live here.  

Why to Learn How to Write Letters and Emails in French

For a quick example, I’m currently in the process of applying for a new visa here in France. When I was applying from the United States for past visas, the visa department had a phone helpline, an email address, and an easy online messaging system for questions and concerns. 

But here in France, things are a little bit more complicated. When I was applying last month, there was no phone number (or even email!) so I had to physically go into the office to ask a question and apply for my visa. When I got to the prefecture they told me I couldn’t turn in my application there, but I instead had to mail it to them.

I didn’t understand why I had to physically mail them my application when I could’ve quite literally reached my hand across the table and given it right to them at my appointment. But, I digress. 

But it’s not just the French government that loves letters. When canceling a French phone line, you have to mail a letter to the phone carrier. When you want to move out of your apartment, you have to mail a letter to your landlord. And when you close a bank account, you have to send your bank a letter in order to do so. 

In the United States, all of these things could be done with either a quick trip to the physical location or just with a phone call. Here in France, it’s letters only. Hopefully, now you’re convinced of the importance of learning letter (and occasionally email) writing in France so let’s dive into exactly how to do it. 

Writing a French Letterhead

If you’ve ever written a formal letter, it’s likely you’ve included a letterhead ( un en-tête in French) in the top left corner. A letterhead usually includes important details like where and when the letter was written. 

In French, there are a few different formatting options, but usually, you’ll write your name and address on the top left and then the name of your recipient underneath it on the right like this:

Your name Your address Your phone number/email

Recipient’s name Recipient’s address

For an email, you don’t have to worry about this since the time and destination are known automatically. 

Learning How to write letters and emails in French: A Proper Salutation

As you know, when writing any letter or email, it’s important to start off with who you’re addressing. In English, we almost exclusively say “dear” before the name of whoever we’re writing to, but in French you’ll usually only use “dear” or “very dear” for people you know.

• Cher (m.) / Chère (f.) = Dear
• Très cher (m.) / Très chère (f.) = Very dear

If you’re writing to somewhere you don’t know, you’ll usually just start off with their title like Madame (Mrs.), Monsieur (Mr.), Docteur (Dr.), etc. When I received a letter back from the French visa office saying I was missing a few papers for my application they simply addressed the letter, “ Madame .” 

Learning How to write letters and emails in French: A Polite Introduction

Now that you’ve chosen the right salutation, it’s time to start off with a polite introduction. You don’t want to dive into the letter without introducing the subject first, so here are a few ways to do so.

Je vous contacte pour = I’m contacting you to…

Le but de cette lettre est de = The goal of this letter is to…

Je vous informe par la présente que = I hereby let you know.. 

If you’re sending you letter after a specific event you can also start your letter with some context like this:

Suite à notre conversation téléphonique du = After our phone conversation…

À la suite de notre dernière rencontre … = After our last meeting…

Je vous remercie de votre courrier du … = Thank you for your letter…

Learning How to Write Letters and Emails in French: A Formal Conclusion 

Once you’ve added your en-tête , written your polite introduction, and explained why you’re writing your letter or email, it’s time to start writing. The content of this part of the letter/email will be totally dependent on your subject and there aren’t any specific rules to be aware of (besides using formal language if you’re writing to someone you don’t know). 

But, there are a few rules when it comes to the conclusion. The difficult thing about choosing a concluding sentence is that depending on where you fall in the hierarchy of the relationship and the customs of the organization/business, the conclusion might differ.

If I’m responding to a letter or email, I’ll usually just use the same conclusion they use since that’s usually the safest choice. But here I’ll list a few formal conclusions, which will always be the last sentence of your letter, from most formal to least formal. 

Very Formal:

Veuillez recevoir, Monsieur, l’assurance de ma considération distinguée. 

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my distinguished consideration. 

Je vous prie de croire, Madame, en l’assurance de mes sentiments les meilleurs.

Please believe, Madame, the guarantee of my best intentions. 

Veuillez recevoir, Madame/Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.

Please accept, Madame/Sir, the exprespression of my distinguished intentions. 

Veuillez agréer, Monsieur, l’assurance de mes sentiments respectueux.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my respectful intentions. 

Croyez, chère Madame, à mes sentiments les meilleurs.

Believe, dear madam, my best intentions. 

Least Formal:

Amicalement.

Bien amicalement.

Amitiés.

Bien à vous.

Sincères salutations.

Sincèrement.

Bien sincèrement.

Cordialement.

Bien cordialement.

These can all be used to replace “Yours,” “Best wishes,” “Kind regards,” “Regards,” and “Best,”. 

Now that your letter is complete you can sign your name. For really formal emails and letters, especially those used for administrative purposes, you can add the date and the place you wrote the letter/email underneath your name like this:

[Signature]

Fait le [date] à [location]

And that’s it! You’ve learned all of the basics of writing a French letter. Happy writing!

Become an expert in French letter writing! Our good friend, Camille, at Frenchtoday.com and the creator of the À Moi Paris audio course, does also excellent job teaching how to write letters in French. This post on her site offers is a wonderful compliment to this page !

More articles by Calli:

• Drinking Age In France
• C’est La Vie Meaning
• Voilà Meaning
• Oh là là Meaning
• Ways of saying “Yes” in French

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Calli Zarpas

Calli Zarpas, blogger, producer, and content creator, is a lover of all things travel, wellness, and French. Having begun traveling in her teens, Calli visited 30 countries before settling down in France post-college. When she's not writing French-language content for FrenchLearner or traveling the world, you can find Calli creating content for herself and others on  Instagram and her blog,  Wooish .

See all posts by Calli Zarpas

How to Write a Formal Letter in French

When you're studying French, there may be instances where you need to write a formal letter in French. For example, if you're applying for an exchange program in a campus in France. If you have zero clue in writing a letter in French, no worries. I've got you covered.

Serina Rajagukguk

When you're studying French, there may be instances where you need to write a formal letter in French. For example, if you're applying for an exchange program in a campus in France. If you have zero clues in writing a French letter, no worries. I've got you covered.

It may sound unbelievable, but in the world of texts, Snapchats, and Instagram stories, French people still hold writing skill very dearly .

It is no wonder then, for French people, eloquent formal letters are taken in high regard . A well-written formal letter often gets more attention than one that doesn't look as polished.

Also, some formal letters are considered legally binding in France, for example, letters that are used to inform your boss of your resignation.

The funny thing is: formal French letters tend to be more formal than formal English letters . For starter, in French, there's a strict structure to follow. It's advised to avoid all abbreviations as well.

To be completely honest, even the native French dread to write a formal letter in French.

However, there's no need to weep in a fetal position if you need to write one.

Follow the step-by-step in this article to write a great formal letter in French. I'll also include ready-to-use French letter phrases that you can copy and paste directly into your letter.

And because we're super nice people, you can download a French formal letter example at the end of this article!

Before You Start to Write a Fench Letter

Before anything else, you need to know a few things to "prime" your letter. Understanding these will help you be in the right state of mind right from the start.

1. Know Your Reader

The politest thing to do is address your letter directly to the person: 'Monsieur Dupont' or 'Madame Bijoux'.

• This will show you've done your research – thus impress the person reading it, and
• It helps you visualize the person you're writing to. This seems like a useless thing, but writing by keeping a particular person in your head helps a great deal in choosing the words.

What if, after a ton of research, you still don't know? In that case, try as best as you can to know the gender of the person to be able to say 'Monsieur' or 'Madame'.

If you still can't find that, use 'Madame/Monsieur'. Some people will tell you to use only 'Monsieur' or 'Messieurs' (Sir or Sirs), and some will even tell you that French still do this sexist practice. Not in 2018, mes amis!

To summarize, here’s a quick reference guide for an opening a formal letter opening: If you know the name of the person- Monsieur X / Madame X If you do not know the gender OR name of the person- Madame, Monsieur If you know the gender but do not know the name or title- Madame / Monsieur If you want to address it very generally (a bit old-fashioned)- Messieurs If you know the gender and title- Monsieur le Directeur / Madame la Directrice

2. Be 100% Formal

French letter writing is a form of art which asks you to be rigorous and creative at the same time. In practice, this means:

• It's always 'vous' and never 'tu' in a formal letter.
• Never use a slang word or phrase , EVER.
• Dot all the i's and cross all the t's. In French, this translates into not forgetting any accent , capital letter or apostrophe.
• Try to avoid grammar mistakes as much as you can. However, if the reader knows you're a learner, errors are very forgivable.

3. One Page Maximum

Write it well, write it efficiently. Unless you can't do otherwise, fit your words on one page.

This is even more important when it's a resume (Curriculum Vitae in French) or an application letter. It's then crucial to delete any fluff and edit your sentences like a hawk .

The Structure of a Formal French Letter

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.

• Your name and address
• The name and the address of the person you're writing to
• Place and date
• The purpose of your letter
• Opening paragraph – 1 paragraph
• The "meat" of your letter (why you're writing) - 2 to 3 paragraphs
• Closing paragraph – 1 paragraphs
• Your signature

To see how this structure pans out in real life, check out the example below!

Let's Write a Formal Letter in French!

Let's do a walk-the-talk part, shall we?

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.

You WILL need to change some if not many of the elements here, so use your best judgment.

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.

In French, this is called 'une lettre de motivation'.

This means that you're supposed to:

• detail your motivation to apply – emphasizing on why you're interested in their program.
• give the reasons why you think you deserve to be accepted.

1. The Letter Head

To make things simpler, let's follow the structure of the letter provided above.

The easy part: put your name and address in the top left corner of your letter .

After you've found out the exact person you're adressing to, put his/her name and address in the top right corner of your letter .

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:

Directeur du Programme d'échanges Université Panthéon-Sorbonne 1 17 rue de la Sorbonne 75005 Paris

If you feel that addressing it to the Head of Department is better, use this:

Directeur de la Faculté de Langues

(or whatever faculty it is you wish to enter).

• After, put a place and date of writing. You can put this under the name and address of the person you're writing to.

Sydney, le 3 mai 2018

• Don't forget to put the purpose of your letter.

Objet: Candidature pour un semestre académique à la Faculté de langues

Translation: Subject: Application to a semester of exchange at the Languages Faculty

2. Opening Your Letter

Now, the top of your letter is done. PHEEW!!

Let's write the "real" thing.

• As we said earlier, we don't know the gender of the person reading your letter. So, open your letter like this:

Madame, Monsieur,

However, if you know the name of the person, use his/her family name only:

Monsieur Dupont,

Avoid using 'Cher Monsieur' or 'Chère Madame' to open your letter (Dear Sir or Dear Madam). Remember that this is a 100% formal letter.

Keep the 'Dear Sir/Madam' if you know him/her personally only.

• Then, write your one opening paragraph. Keep this short!

The smartest way to do this it to avoid the fluff 'My name is Serina, and I'm writing to you because...'

Instead, write something like this:

Étudiant(e) en 3ème année en Lettres Françaises à l'Université de Sydney, je souhaite vivement intégrer votre formation afin de réaliser un semestre académique via le programme d'échanges.

(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.

3. The Content of Your Letter

Let's continue our letter with the 'meat of our sandwich', aka the most important part of your letter.

This is an example:

Pour me préparer au mieux au monde de travail après mon cursus universitaire, séjourner en France représente un réel tremplin. Grâce au programme d'échanges proposé à l’Université Panthéon-Sorbonne 1, je pourrai à la fois parfaire mes connaissances en Français et découvrir une culture à laquelle je m’intéresse depuis plusieurs années.

(To prepare myself better for the professional world after my studies, living in France would be a real springboard. Thanks to the exchange program offered by the University Panthéon-Sorbonne 1, I will be able to both practice French and discover the culture which I have been interested in for years.)

Aussi curieux(euse) que motivé(e), je saurai tirer profit personnellement mais aussi professionnellement de ce programme en France. Je vois également ce séjour dans une université française comme une étape incontournable de mes études supérieures et un atout majeur dans la construction de mon projet professionnel.

(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.)

In these two short paragraphs, you have managed to:

• Give pertinent details of who you are and why you're a great fit (you're interested in the culture, motivated and curious).
• Elaborate on the reasons you're applying (you're planning to use this opportunity to build personal character and jumpstart a career in the future).

4. French Letter Closing

Ideally, write your closing in one paragraph only.

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.

For example:

J'attache mon Curriculum Vitae à cette lettre pour que vous puissiez en prendre compte.

is better written as a small paragraph of its own.

Translation: I attach my resume to this letter so that you can take it into account.

Otherwise, you can use this as your closing paragraph:

Je me tiens à votre entière disposition pour tous renseignements complémentaires et vous prie, Madame, Monsieur, d'agréer l'expression de mes respectueuses salutations.

(I'm at your disposition if you need any additional information and I wish that you would, Madame, Monsieur, accept my respectful salutations.)

Another common French letter closing:

En vous remerciant de l'attention que vous portez à cette lettre, je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes sentiments distingués.

(I thank you for the attention you gave to this letter, and please accept, Madame, Monsieur, the assurances of my highest considerations.)

In the right bottom corner of your letter, write your name preceded by:

Respectueusement,

(Respectfully,)

To summarize, here are some great options for closing a formal letter: Je vous prie d’agréer, X, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées/ mes sentiments distingués- The literal translation doesn't sum up the meaning, but it's a way to close a very formal letter in French. Careful to spell “distingué” correctly! “Salutations” is feminine but sentiments is masculine, thus the difference! Je vous prie d’agréer, X, l’expression de mes salutations dévouées- similar to the above, but usually used in a letter from someone who is providing a service. Je vous prie d’agréer, X, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.- very formal, but a bit more personal Respectueusement, Cordialement- much less formal, but still polite

If you have a digital signature handy, you can use that too, to sign your letter.

And... you're done! High five!

5. Download and Use This Letter

To download this example of a formal French letter, click here . Do not forget, however, to edit it as your need/situation.

If you're a girl, use 'étudiante,' 'motivée' and 'curieuse.'

Change also the program/university/faculty name as your real need.

Also, important note: If you know the name of the person, change all 'Madame, Monsieur' into the person you're writing to.

En vous remerciant de l'attention que vous portez à cette lettre, je vous prie d’agréer, Madame Bijoux, l'expression de mes sentiments distingués.

Well, how can I write a letter in French to my friend?

Don’t worry—I got you covered with some suggestions on how to write a letter in French to a friend or family member, too!

Since you wouldn’t have to worry so much about a heading, you really only need to know how to open the letter (Dear….) and close it out (From…). The rest is up to you!

Suggestions on how to start your letter in French: Opening: Cher X (for a boy), chère X (for a girl) - translates as "dear" (if you’re going for plural, it’s chers/chères) Salut, X! - Hi! Coucou! - Hiya! Literally means knock, knock Bonjour, X! - Hello, X!

Closing: Bises, bisous-kisses (this isn’t just romantic! Friends and family say it, too!) Je t'embrasse – I hug you, or “hugs”! Je vous embrasse – I hug you all (meant for more than one person)

But what about how to write an email in French?

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.

However, just like an email in English, you’ll have a “subject” or, in French, “objet” which tells the recipient what the email is about. Choose a keyword that is professional, such as “appartement” or “poste de professeur.”

An email in French will probably be a bit shorter. For the rest of it, like the salutation and closing, you can stick to the reference guide above in very formal situations, such as applying for a job, writing a customer or asking a business for a service.

In fact, let’s also add to the list the very formal: "Dans l’attente de votre réponse, nous vous prions d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, nos salutations les meilleures."

Since emails are by nature more brief than a letter, you can also opt for "Cordialement" and "Mes Salutations." This is especially more appropriate when responding to an ad for a product someone is selling, for example.

You can find a sample email from someone wanting to rent an apartment. Just don’t forget to edit it as needed!

And voilà...that's it!

Final Words

There are many reasons to write a formal letter, and we've just covered one of them. However, the phrases we used above are very versatile, and you can recycle them to fit your purpose.

The most important thing to remember is this: do NOT panic.

Your letter doesn't have to be perfect. You can have it looked at by your French teacher, for example. But really, even if it's not 100% polished and in perfect grammar , everything's is going to be okay.

As I always say, "French people really appreciate the fact that you're learning their difficult language." Here's a standing ovation for your efforts!

Speechling is a nonprofit app and website that combines human coaching with technology to improve your foreign language speaking.

JobinBerlin .

How To Write a Cover Letter in French? Tips & Examples

The cover letter is one of the most difficult parts of an application. So, when it has to be in French... What formal and informal greetings should I use in my French cover letter? How to start and end it? What are the dos and don'ts in your application email to find an internship, a job or a position in France?

We will explain how to write a cover letter in French that will help you get a job. In addition to our tips and examples, you will find at the end of the article a sample cover letter in French in word and PDF to download for free.

🚀 12 French CV Examples & Templates to Download in Word

How to say cover letter in French?

The translation of cover letter in English is lettre de motivation .

The application is called la candidature and the applicant is called la candidate or le candidat.

Salutations and greetings in a French cover letter

The cover letter in French is formal and you must be careful to respect the words and phrases when you apply in an French-speaking country.

If you don't know the person's name, for example for an unsolicited application, write:

Madame, Monsieur,

Please note: The abbreviation for Monsieur (Mister) is M. and not Mr. (even French people make the mistake).

If you know the person's name, simply write:

Madame, (or Monsieur,)

but do not write his or her last name. This could be perceived as a lack of education.

Do now write either:

Chère Madame, cher Monsieur, (or Cher Alexandre)

This greeting is informal and should only be used if you know the person very well.

In your application email, you may be less formal and write:

Bonjour Madame, (or Bonjour Monsieur,)

If you are applying to a startup or a young and non-traditional company, you can start your email like that:

Bonjour Alexandre, (or simply: Bonjour,)

It's not difficult so make sure you get this right!

💡 Our advice: Start your email with "Bonjour Monsieur," and if your interviewer changes to "Bonjour Nicolas", then do the same.

How to start your cover letter in French?

The first paragraph serves as an introduction. You should explain what position you are applying for, where you saw the job offer and possibly why you are applying, what your main motivation is.

Here is an example of a strong opening paragraph:

Ayant 5 ans d’expérience en Marketing B2B et stratégies publicitaires de grands comptes (eBay, France Télécom) avec une spécialisation en optimisation de la conversion des publicités Google et Facebook, je souhaite postuler au poste de Responsable Marketing B2B chez Amazon France.

Another very good example:

Actuellement chef de projet marketing junior chez Job in Berlin et passionné par le SEO, l'A/B Testing et les techniques de growth hacking, je serais ravi de rejoindre votre équipe Marketing et contribuer à la croissance de votre site de ecommerce.

If you have seen an offer on Linkedin, you can write this for example:

Je suis tombé sur votre profil Linkedin et j'ai vu que vous recrutez des analystes marketing (cela fait 5 ans que je travaille en tant qu'analyste marketing chez Google où j'étais responsable de la veille marketing des outils d'emailing).

99% of the candidates write almost the same thing so make sure you write a strong, original introduction to stand out from the other candidates.

💡 Our advice: Put yourself in the recruiter's shoes and show what you can bring to the company, what your assets, your qualities and your fields of expertise are.

What to put in your cover letter for a job application in France?

The objective of the cover letter is to convince the recruiter that you are the right person for the job and that your skills are perfectly suited to what is required. You should explain why you are the ideal candidate (see our tips for writing a cover letter).

Do not repeat what you have already written in your resume but present the skills you have acquired or developed from your various experiences and how these could be useful to the company.

For example :

J'ai 4 ans d'expérience en tant qu'analyste marketing e-commerce chez Fashionista. Durant cette période, j'ai été responsable de la stratégie SEO de la boutique en ligne, augmentant l'acquisition de clients de 12% par mois en moyenne et optimisant le taux de conversion de 45%.

En tant que responsable marketing de la boutique en ligne Fashionista, j'ai acquis une connaissance approfondie des techniques d'optimisation de vente en ligne et j'ai appris à rédiger des textes simples et convaincants.

This second example is very good because the candidate does not insist on his professional experience, which has (surely) already been presented in his CV, but on the skills he has acquired and which he will be able to bring to the company he is applying for.

You can also list your key skills, i.e. those that interest the recruiter, in a list format.

Mes compétences clés sont : - Acquisition de clients en ligne (SEO, Content Marketing / Stratégie de contenu) - Techniques d'optimisation du taux de conversion - Rédaction de textes simples et convaincants - Présentation simple et visuelle de données complexes ou de statistiques

The recruiters quickly sees what interest them: it's clear, simple and effective.

💡 Our advice: Be concise and precise. Avoid length and repetition. Do not exceed one page. Many recruiters even prefer to receive cover letters of half a page (250 words).

How do you conclude a cover letter in French?

You can end your cover letter on a positive note, about what you could bring to the company:

Je serais heureux d'en savoir plus sur le poste et de vous parler plus en détail de la manière dont je pourrais contribuer à améliorer l'efficacité du processus de recrutement.

Or finish by emphasizing your value:

Je serais heureux d'en savoir plus sur cette opportunité et de vous expliquer pourquoi mon dernier employeur a dit que j'étais irremplaçable.

There are many end-of-letter greetings in French. If you want to be safe, use the most common one:

Je vous prie de croire, Madame, Monsieur, à l'expression de mes sentiments distingués.

In a professional email in French, the most common informal greeting is:

Cordialement,

Sample cover letter in French to download

Here is a sample cover letter in English in PDF and Word to download for free.

Lexicon and vocabulary to translate your English cover letter to French

See our tips for writing a CV in French .

Jerome Feys

Job in Berlin's Founder

As a recruitment expert and founder of Job in Berlin, I have corrected over 1,000 resumes. Since 2015, I've been sharing my expertise and delivering tips on resume and cover letter writing, as well as techniques for a successful job interview.

👋 Receive the latest job offers via email 1x per week

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French Cover Letter: Lettre De Motivation

If you’re applying for jobs in France as a student, immigrant, or ex-pat, you need a perfectly written French CV. But, that only will not get you a job in France. Most companies expect a cover letter written in French STYLE – a well-written French Cover Letter that complements your resume.

All cover letter examples in this guide

French Cover Letter Example

Jason Shah Assistant administratif [email protected] 01 34 75 83 51 Paris 20 juin 2022

Manon Lavigne Premier Contenx Paris, France

Lettre de motivation pour le poste d'assistant administratif

Monsieur Dupont,

Je suis une assistante administrative dévouée avec plus de 5 ans d'expérience dans l'administration générale et l'acquisition de talents - diplômée de l'Université de San Francisco avec une licence de première classe en RH et lisant pour le Master en Administration des Affaires en France.

Dans mon précédent poste d'assistante administrative pour Groupon à New York, je me suis occupée de l'acquisition de talents, de la formation et du développement, et de l'administration générale - j'ai travaillé pour le PDG en gérant son agenda, en programmant ses réunions et en l'aidant à gérer l'équipe.

J'ai toujours été passionnée par le fait de travailler pour une agence de marketing basée en France et j'ai été particulièrement amusée par le travail et la clientèle de Premier Contenx.

C'est avec plaisir que je discuterai de ce poste lors d'un entretien et j'espère pouvoir démontrer en quoi mes qualifications et mon expérience correspondent à vos exigences pour le plus grand succès de l'entreprise.

Salutations distinguées,

We’ve created this comprehensive guide to writing a French le modèle cover letter with plenty of examples tailored to different professions.

The article also includes:

• French cover letter styling guide to impress the native hiring managers.
• A step-by-step guide to writing each section of the cover letter.
• Pro tips to make your cover letter better than 95% of the other applications.

Here’s the good news. Our resume builder is capable of creating your French cover letter in less than 10 minutes – starting with a modern cover letter template that you could tailor to your requirement.

Meantime, let’s dive into writing the best version of your lettre de motivation.

How to Write a French Cover Letter

Writing a cover letter for a French hiring manager would have significant differences in the style and the content of the letter. French hiring managers always prefer well-structured formal letters.

As in any other region, a cover letter in France should demonstrate the applicant’s academic and professional background and their ability to meet the roles and responsibilities of the job.

Here’re some general guidelines for writing your cover letter:

• Keep your cover letter to a single page
• Avoid using too complicated words and long sentences
• Avoid being too salesy and self-promoting
• Keep your content to 3-4 short paragraphs
• Use conventional fonts such as Arial or Times

French cover letter structure

The content on a French cover letter is quite different from an American cover letter – especially the order in which the content is written.

Here’s the structure we recommend for a French-style cover letter:

• Opening greeting
• First Paragraph: Introduction
• Second Paragraph: key skills and experience
• Third Paragraph: why you’re interested in the job/ company
• Fourth Paragraph: Call to Action (CTA)
• Complimentary close

📌 Tip: A general French cover letter should sound polite, cautious, and formal. For example, when addressing someone, use “vous” instead of “tu” which is the formal version of the word “you”.

Now, let’s break down how to write your cover letter step by step.

Start with the Header

French recruiters consider your cover letter as a formal letter – therefore, start your header with the information of the sender (the applicant) and the receiver (the hiring manager) – the same way you start any formal letter.

Sender Information

Start with your name followed by the position you’re applying for. Put your contact information including your personal e-mail address, telephone number, and the physical address (only if applicable). Put the date on which you’re writing the letter.

Garry Smith

Directeur du magasin

[email protected]

01 56 67 82 45

12 août 2022

Receiver Information

Put the name of the hiring manager or the person who reads your application – their position – company name – and the address.

Juliette Zoe

Responsable du recrutement

Techno Care

Paris, France

You won’t find out details about the recruiters on some occasions – then, use the company name and the address.

However, if the company has posted the job advertisement on LinkedIn, you’ll probably be able to find the hiring manager’s information. Addressing the hiring manager by their name is a great way to show that you have done your research.

Put the Letter’s Subject

As in any formal letter, you should write the subject of your cover letter. In this case, the subject should be the job and the position you’re applying for.

Lettre de motivation pour le poste de responsable de l'ingénierie

Lettre de motivation pour le poste d'assistant administratif

Lettre de motivation pour le poste de comptable financier

Opening Greeting

We recommend using a formal French greeting in your letter. Address the reader with Madame or Monsieur without mentioning their name again. When you are unsure of the gender of the person you address, use both.

Madame/ Monsieur,

Refer to this article for more greeting styles and important French resume phrases.

Paragraph 01: Start by Introducing Yourself

In American-style cover letters, the first paragraph is often a sales pitch to the hiring manager explaining the key achievements and accomplishments of the candidate.

French recruitment practices are a little different – the job market is academic-focused, whereas your degree has more value than your achievements in a previous job. If your degree matches the job requirements set by the employer, you’ll have a great chance of getting an interview.

Therefore, highlight the relevant educational background in the first paragraph itself – give a brief introduction to your academic and professional experience – show that you have the basic qualifications listed on the job description.

See the following example first paragraph for a store manager position.

Nach meinem Bachelor-Abschluss in Marketing an der University of Massachusetts in Boston, den ich mit Auszeichnung bestanden habe, absolvierte ich einen Zertifikatskurs für fortgeschrittene Einzelhandelsoperationen an der Eastern Finland University, der es mir ermöglichte, bei Carrefour in Paris als Filialleiter zu arbeiten.

Ich habe 2015 meinen Bachelor-Abschluss in Marketing gemacht und 2019 meinen Master abgeschlossen. Danach habe ich bei der Supermarktkette Carrefour als Betriebsleiter in einer ihrer Filialen angefangen.

Be specific about your academic qualifications – state the name of the degree, the year you graduated, and the university or institution name.

If you possess a couple of key technical skills required to perform the job duties, you could mention them in the first paragraph.

Paragraph 02: Key Experience that Makes You the Best

Demonstrate your key experience and skills relevant to the job in the second paragraph. In this, you do not have to limit yourself to your most recent work experience – instead, pick the right information from your career and compose them into a couple of sentences.

Always focus on putting the most demanding skills for the job. Read the job posting and find out the objectives of the employer in making this hire – address those issues and show them how your expertise could help solve those problems.

Use this space to showcase one or two of your greatest and most relevant achievements – add numbers to demonstrate the impact of your decisions on key business metrics such as profit, sales, annual target, employee turnover, customer satisfaction, etc.

light your skills and expertise without overdoing it. French hiring managers hate to see job candidates trying to oversell them on their cover letters. In fact, they expect raw facts on the cover letter instead of boasting about the brilliance of the candidate.

Bei meiner früheren Tätigkeit bei Carrefour in Paris war ich an der Durchführung von Marketing- und Werbekampagnen in den einzelnen Filialen beteiligt, habe Kundenanfragen und Beschwerden bearbeitet und Strategien zur Steigerung der Produktivität der Mitarbeiter entwickelt. Meine Vorschläge zum bestehenden Ladenplan haben dem Geschäft geholfen, seinen Umsatz im Jahr 2021 um 6 % zu steigern.

Bei Carrefour habe ich vor allem Erfahrungen in der Kundenbetreuung und im Einzelhandel gesammelt. Ich war auch an der Planung von Marketingkampagnen für besondere Anlässe beteiligt.

Paragraph 03: Express Your Interest in Joining the Firm

Though you’re sending your CV to multiple employers, you can’t send your cover letter to two different vacancies – the cover letter addresses the particular employer, the job, and the industry.

One of the main objectives of your cover letter is to convey your interest in the firm and the position – this is especially important for the candidates who are applying for their first jobs and for those who are in career transitions.

Research about the industry, the company, and the job you’re applying for, and establish what makes you interested in applying for the position. Employers love to hire candidates who have a genuine passion for the job.

Talk about the company’s mission, vision, purpose, or the strategies they used and align them with your personal career objectives.

Als leidenschaftlicher Einzelhandelskaufmann und Logistiker möchte ich mein Interesse bekunden, das Carrefour-Team bei seiner Mission zu unterstützen, ein großartiges Kundenerlebnis zu schaffen.

Ich möchte mich dem Carrefour-Team anschließen, um meine Karriere im Einzelhandel in einer gut bezahlten Position als Leiter eines etablierten Geschäfts in Paris auszubauen.

Paragraph 04: Finish with a Call to Action (CTA)

In your last paragraph, you should tell the hiring manager what to do next – the Call to Action.

This does not mean that your hiring manager doesn't know what to do next – but, you should know what to expect. In most cases, there will be a couple of interviews in the hiring process. French recruiters often call the shortlisted candidates for formal interviews instead of informal chats or meetings.

By stating your CTA, you should manifest your interest and readiness to meet them and talk about the specifics.

Es wird mir ein Vergnügen sein, mit Ihnen über meine Rolle als Filialleiter in Ihrer neuen Filiale zu sprechen und Ihnen zu zeigen, wie meine bisherigen Erfahrungen problemlos in Ihr Projekt einfließen können, um einen größeren Erfolg zu erzielen.

Falsches Beispiel

Ich freue mich darauf, bald von Ihnen zu hören

The French Cover Letter Closing

End your cover letter with a salutation. Be respectful and use a standard closing statement as in a formal letter.

How to Finish Your Letter?

Consider using the following closing sentences based on the situation.

• Yours faithfully: Veuillez agréer mes l'expression de mes salutations distinguées
• Yours sincerely: Salutations distinguées
• Respectfully yours: Veuillez agréer l'expression de mes sentiments respectueux

All above salutations are used in formal conditions while “Yours Faithfully” is used when the recipient's name is not known.

🛑Vermeiden Sie informelle Anreden wie "Mit freundlichen Grüßen" oder "Beste Wünsche".

Tips to Improve Your Cover Letter in French

Take your French cover letter to the next level using these tips:

• Get your French cover letter proofread by a native French speaker.
• Find out who reads your cover letter so that you can personalize it with their name.
• Identify the most troubling questions your potential employer faces and address them in your cover letter.
• Keep the French cover letter formal all the time.
• Consider using a modern cover letter template to make your application stand out.
• For consistency, use the same or similar template for the CV and the cover letter.

Key Points: Writing a Perfect French Cover Letter

• Follow the time-tested cover letter structure we recommended.
• Avoid casual and informal language – maintain a formal and respectful tone throughout.
• Tailor your cover letter to the firm, job, and the industry you’re applying for.
• Use 3 to 4 short paragraphs with clear objectives.
• Include a CTA.
• Showcase your excitement for the job throughout the letter.

Complement Your Cover Letter with the Right Resume

A French resume is a one or two page comprehensive document highlighting the candidate’s education, previous experience, and skills.

The resume is a part of every job application. You can send your resume without a cover letter, but not the other way around.

The resume draws an overall picture of the candidate while the cover letter addresses a specific job or an employer.

Create a great resume and a cover letter that complement each other. Pick a matching template and start creating both your resume and the cover letter on our ready-to-fill resume builder . Apply to hundreds of jobs in France faster than ever.

Do cover letters necessary for jobs in France?

Most job advertisements in France require you to submit a cover letter along with your resume. Even if the job posting does not explicitly mention the requirement of a cover letter, it's always safe to send one.

A cover letter conveys your interest to the hiring manager in the job. There is a clear difference between sending a generic CV to 100 job postings and sending a tailored cover letter with each application.

Should I include a photo on my French cover letter?

Not necessary, but there’s no harm in doing so. Candidates often include a picture on French resumes. If you’re using the same template for your cover letter, you may include one.

Most companies established in France are fine with candidates’ pictures on resumes and cover letters. However, if you’re applying for a USA, UK, Australia, or Ireland company based in France, consider not including a photo.

Read our complete guide to including pictures on your resume .

Should I include personal qualities in my cover letter?

You’re not required to include your personal qualities in the cover letter. However, you can write them on your resume as an additional section. You should only focus your cover letter on the specific job you’re applying for – the qualifications, experience, and the skills required to perform the tasks on the job.

Tasuta allalaetav kaaskirja mall

Motivatsioonikiri, millele on enamikul juhtudel lisatud CV, on iga töötaotluse põhielement. Seda tüüpi kiri peab lühidalt kirjeldama oskusi, võimeid ja teadmisi, mis teil on ja mis on teatud huviga seoses otsitava ametikohaga. Selles mõttes peab kaaskiri lihtsalt sisaldama sellele ametikohale kandideerimise motivatsiooni ja põhjendusi. See peab äratama värbajas huvi ja panema ta pidama teid selle töö jaoks parimaks võimaluseks.

Kuidas koostada lihtsat kaaskirja

• 1 Valige oma valitud CV mall.
• 2 Austab ühtset struktuuri. Näiteks kasutage kaaskirja struktuuriga "Sina-Mina-Meie".
• 3 Lisage järgmised osad, apellatsioonivorm, lühitutvustus, kirja sisu ja järeldus
• 4 Ärge unustage viimast viisakusvalemit. Vaadake kaaskirja viisakusvalemite näiteid.
• 5 Isiklikuma ja formaalsema ilme lisamiseks lisage lehe allossa oma allkiri
• 6 Kui soovite saata selle meili teel, eksportige oma kaaskiri PDF-vormingus.

Teised kaaskirjade näidised

Kaaskirja struktureerimise nõuanded.

Kaaskirja kirjutamise hõlbustamiseks pidage meeles, et koguge eelnevalt kogu vajalik teave. Näidake toimetaja loovust, järgides samal ajal tüpograafiliste reeglite õiget kasutamist ja jälgides, et ei tekiks kirjavigu. Sest hea kaaskiri peegeldab teie kuvandit inimese ja professionaalina. Olge oma kirjutamisel loominguline ja originaalne, jäädes samas lihtsaks, kokkuvõtlikuks ja täpseks. ‍ Näidake läbitud punktide ohutust, enesekindlust ja meisterlikkust. Rõhutage, mida saate ettevõttesse tuua ja mainige oma erialast kogemust vastavas valdkonnas. Märkige ka kõik põhipunktid, mis panevad teid end uute ideedega täitva transformeeriva agendina ilmuma. Täpsustage oma võimet saavutada kavandatud eesmärgid ja kohaneda uute suundumustega.

Näita ennast positiivselt. Ärge langege sellesse viga, et kasutate sama kaaskirja mitme ettevõtte jaoks. Koostage kaaskiri iga taotletava töö kohta. Seda tüüpi kiri võimaldab tööandjal kujundada teie isiksuse kohta arvamust, sest see annab teile võimaluse täpsustada oma motivatsioone, mida lihtsas CV-s tegelikult ei kirjeldata.

Lihtsa ja tõhusa kaaskirja kirjutamise soovitused

• Laiendage Intro ‍ Pidage meeles, et pärast kõne valemit peate välja töötama sissejuhatuse, kus tutvustate end ametlikult ja isiklikult. Ärge unustage märkida peamist eesmärki, mis ajendas teid seda kirja kirjutama.
• Struktureerige oma kirja sisu Laske end juhinduda järgmistest küsimustest: – Miks?, Mis eesmärgil?, Kuidas?, Miks soovite selles ettevõttes töötada? → selles osas peate kirjeldama, mida saate ettevõttele tuua. – Rõhutage, kuidas teie teadmised võivad oluliselt mõjutada ettevõtte funktsioonide arengut ja majandussektorit, kus ta tegutseb. - Kuidas te seda teeksite tee seda? → lihtsalt rõhutab teie teadmisi ja võimeid professionaalina – Rõhutage oma õnnestumisi, varasemaid kogemusi, diplomeid, saadud tunnustusi või auhindu.
• Olge oma järeldustes otsekohene Andke teada, et olete vestluseks saadaval, esitades kontaktteabe, näiteks oma e-posti aadressi, telefoninumbri ja postiaadressi. Kui need kontaktandmed muutuvad, ärge unustage uuendada oma CV-d ja kaaskirja ning saata need uuesti ettevõtetele, kes on need juba saanud.
• Hoolitse paigutuse eest Teie kaaskiri peab olema kooskõlas teie CV-ga. Värbaja peab esmapilgul nägema, et need 2 dokumenti moodustavad ühe taotluse. Kasutage oma kaaskirjas samu värve, fonti, ikoone jne, mis oma CV-s. See väike näpunäide aitab teil luua tõhusa ja professionaalse rakenduse.

Create your resume with the best templates

Domande frequenti sulle lettere di accompagnamento

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What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Static and dynamic content editing

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

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Our free collection of expertly designed cover letter templates will help you stand out from the crowd and get one step closer to your dream job.

Sample letters to download

Cover Letter

Advice for getting a job, instructions.

How to Write Letters and Emails in French 📨

Today, I’m going to tell you about writing letters in French. Everything written in French tends to be more formal than in English; business letters, emails… and there are some quite archaic formulas that are still very much used nowadays.

In this “French letter guide”, I will focus on how to start and end your French letter: we use very precise salutations and closings in French letters, and some archaic expressions are still common for business letters.

French people will be forgiving if you make mistakes in the core of the text, but for example writing “ma chérie” to a friend could send the wrong message.

And choosing an inappropriate letter closing like “je vous embrasse” for a business partner would be a big faux-pas!

So let’s study how to write letters in French.

5 Common French Salutations in Letters

Before you even start writing your French letter, you need to select the correct French salutation or greeting.

When you don’t know who you are writing to

If you don’t know who you are writing to, start your letters by “Messieurs”.

Other French salutations

• 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).
• 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.
• 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!
• When writing to a friend, start with “Cher Pierre,” ” Chère Anne,” – it’s common, but still a bit formal.
• You can also drop the formal salutation altogether and just say hello in French : “salut Pierre”, “Coucou Anne”…

About “cher” in French

In the context of a salutation to start a French letter, “cher” means dear.

• cher + masculine singular noun = cher Pierre
• chère + feminine masculine noun = chère Anne
• chers + plural = chers Anne et Pierre
• chères + plural feminine only = chères Anne et Marie

“Cher” can be followed by “Monsieur/ Madame / Mademoiselle” Cher Monsieur, or with “Monsieur/ Madame / Mademoiselle ” + a last name Cher Monsieur Dupont

However, I suggest you don’t write “Cher Monsieur Pierre”. This would be frowned upon in higher social classes.

Be careful with “Chéri” ❤️

“Chéri(e)” (do say the final “i”), is a common French love nickname for sweetie.

So, if you write “Pierre chéri”, or “mon chéri”, Pierre is going to think you are in love with him.

It’s rare nowadays to use “chéri(e)” with friends, although it was common about 50 years ago. But it has changed.

How to Close Your French Letter

A typical way to close a french business letter is “dans l’attente de vous lire, je vous….” and then you add the French closing expression.

French Business Letters Closing Expressions

These common closings will work for French business letters or very formal letters.

• For a very formal letter “Je vous prie d’agréer, (repeat the salutation), l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.” Je vous prie d’agréer, chère Madame Dupont, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
• VERY formal, but you are the one providing the service or the good, write: “Je vous prie d’agréer, (repeat the salutation), l’expression de mes salutations dévouées.”
• A bit less formal: “Je vous prie d’agréer, (repeat the salutation), l’expression de mes meilleures salutations.”
• Still formal but you know the person – not a friend, but it’s a personal relationship, not business:  “Je vous prie d’agréer, (repeat the salutation), l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.”  For example, you are writing to the oncle of your friend, to thank him for giving you the name of a plumber. And they’re a very formal family: “Je vous prie d’agréer, Cher Monsieur Dupont (or even Cher Frank if you are on a first name basis), l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.”

Best regards in French?

To translate ‘best regards’ in French, write:

• “Meilleures salutations,”
• “Salutations distinguées,”

note these expressions end with a comma.

Warm regards in French?

To say warm regards in French, write “Cordialement”. I use this one all the time.

Yours truly in French?

Yours truly is “Bien à vous” or “bien à toi” if you are saying “tu” to the person.

Check out French Today’s audiobook about French greetings and politeness .

Master French politeness without hesitation and avoid embarrassing faux-pas.

More Details & Audio Samples

Personal Letters

When you are writing a pesonnal letter in French to acquaintances, or friends who are quite formal – or maybe older friends – write:  “Amicalement,” or “Je vous adresse toute mon amitié,” both closings meaning kind of like “warmest regards”.

What is Bisous at the end of a French letter ?

Many foreigners have been confused with a French friend ending a letter or email with bisous… Did you miss a romantic signal?

No you didn’t. Ending a French letter to a friend with “bisou” or “je t’embrasse” is very common, and not necessarily romantic!

With closer friends and family you may close your letter with:

• More formal : “Affectueusement”, “affectueuses pensées” kind of like “Fondly”, or “Je vous embrasse” which is “hug and kisses” but using the formal “vous”.
• Less formal: “Je t’embrasse (bien fort),” or “Gros bisous,” “Grosses bises,” or “Bisous,” , the equivalent of “hugs and kisses”in French
• Absolutely not formal: “Bizoux”, “bizoudou”… like 😘

Note that for all these expressions, the “vous” can also be used as a plural, and in this case may, or may not be as formal.

Don’t use XOXO in French

In American English, it’s very common to end a text with XOXO – meaning hugs and kisses.

The French don’t hug, and don’t know this symbol nor would they understand it.

How to Write the Name on the French Envelop?

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.

For the name, you have plenty of options: so let’s take my name for example.

• My first name is Camille.
• My maiden name is Chevalier.
• My married name is Chevalier-Karfis (hyphenated names are not common for French people: most wives would just take their husband’s last name).
• My husband’s first name is Olivier.
• His last name is Karfis.

So you could write:

• Camille Chevalier-Karfis – straight and to the point – that’s the one I would use for a business kind of letter
• Madame Camille Chevalier-Karfis – pretty common in standard automated business letters
• Madame Chevalier-Karfis – that’s the one I would use if I wrote a personal letter
• Madame Olivier Karfis – very very old-fashioned and a tad snob. Using my husband’s first name and last name to define me… That’s the one my Mom would use…

How to Label the Envelop to France?

Once you’ve taken care of the name on the envelop, write the info from the smallest to the biggest entity:

• start with the name (if it’s the business letter, then maybe the salutation, department, certainly the name of the company),
• Apartment number, po box,
• street number and address,
• town (sometimes followed by Cedex + a number in French).

Camille Chevalier-Karfis French Today 63 rue de Goas Plat 22500 Paimpol France

It’s my actual address: feel free to write me a letter, a postcard, or lavish me with gifts 🤣

Where to Write Your Return Address?

In France, the return address is written in the back of the letter, at the very top, across the width of the letter.

However that can be confusing for your home country.

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)

This “from” in French would be – “de: X”, or “de la part de: X”, – or “expéditeur: X”

💌 How to Write a French Love Letter

If you are writing to your loved one, you may start with a French love nickname . “Ma chérie” when writing to a woman, “mon chéri” for a man are the norm.

At the end, you’ll probably say I love you in French : “je t’aime”, “je t’aime de tout mon coeur”. Click on the link to see variations.

Then you’ll probably end with some kind of kiss: here again, there are many ways to send kisses in French . “Je t’embrasse amoureusement” is a safe one on the formal side. “Mille bisous d’amour” is a cuter way to send kisses to your loved one.

How to Write a Condoleance Letter in French

I hope you won’t have to write a condoleance letter in French.

To express your sympathy in French, the most used phrase would be:

Je vous adresse mes (sincères) condoléances Please receive my (sincere) condolences/my sympathy.

Here are other typical examples – I won’t translate them : the words don’t translate well literally but I’m sure you’ll get the idea.

Be careful to choose the appropriate politeness formula: choosing vous or tu, and conjugating the French verbs accordingly. To start and finish your letter, you’d use the regular French letter writing expressions.

• En ces moments difficiles, je suis désolé de ne pas pouvoir être avec toi, mais je tenais à te faire part de mes sincères condoléances.
• Prenant part à votre douleur, je vous présente mes sincères condoléances, à vous et à votre famille.
• C’est avec grande tristesse que nous avons appris le décès de… nous partageons votre peine et vous faisons part de nos sincères condoléances.
• Nous sommes profondément émus par ce deuil qui vous affecte. Dans cette difficile épreuve, nous vous assurons de notre amitié et vous envoyons toute notre affection.
• Nous vous offrons toute notre affection et notre soutien pendant ces moments difficiles. Nous pensons bien fort à vous et à votre famille et vous adressons nos condoléances les plus sincères.
• Je tiens à m’associer à votre peine et à vous apporter tout mon soutien en ces durs moments que la vie nous impose.

Expressing your sympathy in a little bit less formal way:

• C’est avec une immense tristesse que j’ai appris la mort de…. Je te présente mes condoléances les plus sincères et si tu as besoin de parler, je suis là. Tu peux toujours compter sur moi, n’hésite pas. Bien affectueusement.
• Un petit mot pour dire que nous pensons bien à toi et à toute ta famille dans ces moments difficiles. Je garderai un excellent souvenir de… et de sa gentillesse. Si tu veux te changer les idées et venir nous voir, ça serait avec plaisir. Gros bisous.

How to Write a Thank you Note in French

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.

We also have a much smaller market for greeting/special occasion cards and don’t send out these too often.

In very posh families, it’s not uncommon to have a special pad made out with your name at the top, and you use that to answer invitations or send thank you notes. But it’s disappearing nowadays.

The norm would be to start your thank you note with “merci pour”… or “j’écris pour te/vous remercier pour….”. More ways of saying Thank you in French .

⚠️ Punctuation When Typing a French Letter

Some rules of punctuation used when typing out a text are different in French than in English.

• Un point d’exclamation ! Un point d’interrogation ? Space BEFORE and after
• Les deux points : un point virgule ; space BEFORE and after
• Une virgule,  a comma – no space before, space after
• Un point. A period – no space before, space after
• Trois petits points (also called les points de suspension)… – no space before, space after
• ” les guillemets ”  ouvrez les guillemets – fermez les guillemets – space after/before
• (les parenthèses) no space

French Letter Vocabulary

Let me just list the common French letter vocabulary

• une enveloppe – envelop
• un timbre – stamp
• affranchir – to stamp
• l’expéditeur – expeditor
• le destinataire – recipient
• la poste – post office
• le courrier – mail
• la boîte aux lettres – letterbox

Voilà, I hope this article will help you next time you write a letter in French. 

I post new articles every week, so make sure you subscribe to the French Today newsletter – or follow me on  Facebook , Twitter  and  Pinterest .

Good luck with your French studies.

Camille Chevalier-Karfis

Born and raised in Paris, I have been teaching today's French to adults for 25+ years in the US and France. Based on my students' goals and needs, I've created unique downloadable French audiobooks focussing on French like it's spoken today, for all levels. Come to Paimpol and enjoy an exclusive French immersion homestay with me in Brittany .

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The French Compass

Your Roadmap to Fluency

How To Write A Formal Letter In French

Ok, let’s be honest here: who likes receiving formal letters – even in their native language?!

I certainly don’t and whenever I move to another country and receive one of those, even if I speak the language fluently, I’m usually like, “Huh?!” and need to read it slowly at least two or three times before I’m sure I really understand what it is they want from me.

(While living in Germany, I once got a letter that informed me that my visa had expired and I was staying in the country illegally and I’d better get my pretty face to the office soon or they’ll deport me – whoops! Better understand these letters, if you ask me!).

The thing is, administrative language is often different enough from the normal spoken language that it would almost deserve a course of its own! And writing a formal letter is often no easier than reading one.

SO! In this post, I will try to make formal letter writing in French a little more accessible to you.

Unfortunately, this post does not include the main body of the text, since I cannot provide a template that will match every situation. But just getting the frame right will be a good starter and hopefully give you some courage and confidence – so let’s get started!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHEAT SHEETS!

How to write the date

Paris, le 3 mars 2017

Remember to always write “le” at the beginning of the date and to always write the month in letters (lowercase!) and not in numbers.

How to write the subject of the letter

Objet: xxxxxxxxx

This section consists of a very short sentence describing what the letter is about.

Always start with a noun (without an article at the front!)

• Réclamation
• Demande d’extension de visa
• Inscription au cours de français

How to write “enclosed” for an attached file

Pièce jointe: xxxxxxxxx

Most official documents have a title, so look for the title to insert the appropriate name of the document here.

How to address the recipient of the letter

When you are unsure who will be reading your letter or whether the recipient is male or female, just start with “ Monsieur, Madame “, this is perfectly acceptable.

If you do know who will receive your letter, it is still custom not to add the surname after “ Monsieur ” or “ Madame “.

How to say you will gladly provide further information on request

Je reste à votre disposition pour tout renseignement complémentaire.

How to end your letter

There are various ways of ending a formal letter. It depends on the overall tone, what you said before and how you expect the recipient of the letter to take action.

Here are a few examples.

• Veuillez agréer, Monsieur, Madame, l’expression de ma considération distinguée.
• Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, Madame, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
• Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, Madame, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.
• En vous remerciant par avance , je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, Madame, l’expression de ma considération distinguée.
• En attendant votre réponse , je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, Madame, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
• Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, Madame, l’expression de mes sentiments les plus sincères.
• Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, Madame, l’expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs.
• Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, Madame, l’expression de mes meilleures salutations.

The first two sentences are those most commonly used to end a formal letter. It does not really matter whether you start with “ Veuillez agréer ” or “ Je vous prie d’agréer “. However, if you are writing a letter as a group, make sure to end your formal letter with “ Nous vous prions d’agréer ” and “ nos salutations “.

Again, in lieu of “ Monsieur, Madame ” you can use either or if you know to whom the letter is sent. Do not add the person’s surname.

Finally, be sure to always write “ Monsieur ” and “ Madame ” with a capital letter throughout the letter.

What about Emails?

So glad you asked!

Well, the same rules apply for emails with the exception of:

• the date: no need to write that in the body of the email
• objet: that obviously goes in the “subject” bar of your email and you don’t have to add “objet” before stating why you are writing
• pièce jointe: no need to write it (although you can mention your attached file in the body of the email if you wish), just attach your file like you normally would.

I hope that was helpful and if you have any other questions, let me know!

I have made a cheat sheet with ready-for-use phrases for your formal letter.

DOWNLOAD THE CHEAT SHEETS

Have a great day,

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July 22, 2021 at 6:34 am

I like reading French novels and I want to become a very good writer as the native French man.

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What You Really Need to Know About Writing French Letters and Emails

When I was learning French in school, writing letters was one of the most intimidating things we covered. There were so many formules de politesse (polite phrases and salutations) and all of them seemed absolutely required to be included in any formal or business correspondence.

Then, I came to France and found that letter (and now email) writing in French was actually a lot simpler than I’d been led to believe.  I just had to be familiar with some key phrases and remember the purpose of letters and emails in the first place: to communicate.

Let’s look at what you really need to know about writing letters and emails in French.

The two rules of writing letters and emails in French

I could describe what it was like to come to France and have to write and read letters and emails of all sorts, entirely in French. I could talk about the way emails began to influence letter-writing in several ways. But that would make this a veeeery long article. 

So, let’s break it down to two simple things you must remember:

1. Email and text messaging have influenced the rules of French business and formal correspondence

There will still be some situations where you will have to compose an old-fashioned, super-stuffy letter in French, maybe. But these situations are very rare.

Instead, over the past twenty years or so, I’ve seen an evolution of most French formal and business correspondence. While there will always be at least a few formules de politesse that French people will include (and expect) in professional and formal letters and emails, things have become a lot less formal in general.

Nowadays, for instance, that clunky ending formula Veuillez agr éer… à mes salutations distingu ées   has become somewhat of a rarity. Additionally, some companies have opted to eschew formal salutations like Madame, Monsieur, (To Whom It May Concern) for the much more relaxed Bonjour , to seem more approachable.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be polite – French people are notoriously polite. But you can do it in a more relaxed way. So don’t worry if you don’t include a ton of formules de politesse in your email or letter, and don’t expect to receive correspondence peppered with them. (Although in my experience, you should ALWAYS include Cordialement as a sign-off, even in only somewhat formal situations.)

Again, there are exceptions and it’s never a bad thing to veer on the side of caution. But overall, French correspondence is a bit more relaxed than you might expect.

2. Remember your intention

The main goal of a letter or email is to communicate. Whether that’s asking a question, sharing information, or requesting a service, the most important thing is to convey what you mean in a clear way. The formules de politesse won’t let you do this; they’re just there to show your respect and politeness.

So make sure, first and foremost, that your French letter or email is easy for your correspondent to understand. Then check to make sure of the politeness basics:

• Did you open with a polite greeting that matches the gender and number of the person or people you’re addressing?
• If necessary, did you thank them?
• Did you make your request politely?
• Did you sign off with a polite closing (usually Cordialement) ?

If you’ve done all these things, in most cases that’s all you need to worry about. Always focus on making sure your correspondent understands what you need to get across. A letter full of empty, polite phrases and no information is of no use to anyone.

Essential phrases for writing a formal or business French letter or email

There are many formules de politesse – and variations of them – that you might find if you look up “How to write a letter in French” online. But in my experience, the ones I’m including here are the ones you really need to know, either because you’ll use them a lot or because you’ll come across them often.

But first off, make sure you know how to write the date in French .  If you’re writing a formal or business letter (not email), don’t forget to include the date, on the top right of the page above the body of the letter.

One more thing: The exact way to say and spell “email” in French is incredibly varied. The strictly Francophone word is un courriel , but this is rarely used. You will also see the Anglophone-influenced un e-mail or sometimes un é-mail from time to time. But the two most frequent ways I see this word in most formal, professional, and informal correspondence is either un mail or un mél.

Okay, now onto the list….

Essential phrases to start a formal letter in French

Madame, Monsieur – To Whom It May Concern.

As in English, this is used if you don’t know the gender(s) or name(s) of the person or people you’re writing to.  Otherwise, use one of these:

• Madame [Last name]
• Monsieur [Last name]

These formal greetings are used in lieu of Madame, Monsieur if you are absolutely certain of the gender, number, and/or last name of the person or people you’re writing to.

For example, when I write an email or note to my son’s school principal, because I know her gender and last name, I would begin my message: Madame Dupont ,  

Other important phrases to include in a business letter

Je vous écris pour.

I’m writing to/I’m writing in order to

Example: Je vous écris pour résilier mon abonnement. (I’m writing to cancel my subscription.)

Suite à votre lettre/votre message/notre dernière conversation/votre courriel/votre mél

Following up on/Regarding your letter/message/our last conversation/your email

This could also be translated as “As per”, although to my knowledge it doesn’t have the subtly rude connotation that it’s sometimes given in English.

Example: Suite à votre lettre, je vous confirme la résiliation de votre abonnement.   (Following your letter, I confirm that your subscription has been cancelled.)

Je vous prie de…

I humbly request that you… 

Although you may write this phrase, it’s more commonly used by companies or anyone who would be making a demand or request. It’s often used with the phrase bien vouloir  to form the ultra-polite mega phrase Je vous prie de bien vouloir… , which roughly translates to “I humbly request that you kindly oblige by…”

Example: Je vous prie de lire le contrat ci-joint. (I humbly request that you read the enclosed contract.)

ci-joint(e)(s)

enclosed or attached. (Note that this must agree with the word it’s referring to.)

You may also see something like:

Veuillez trouver-ci-joint(e)(s)

Please find attached/enclosed…

Example: Veuillez trouver ci-jointe une photocopie de mon passeport. (Please find attached a photocopy of my passport.)

Merci de bien vouloir

Please have the kindness to…/Please be so kind as to…

This is another ultra-polite phrase, but there is a sense of authority behind it. There really isn’t a choice here; you have to do what’s asked.

Example: Merci de bien vouloir remplir les documents ci-joints. (Please be so kind as to fill out the enclosed documents.)

Je vous remercie de/Merci pour…

I thank you for/Thank you for…. 

These phrases, especially the first one, are formal to general register. You can write Merci pour in a message to a friend as well as in a somewhat formal email or letter.  Je vous remercie is a bit more formal.

Example : Je vous remercie de votre lettre. (I thank you for your letter.)

Merci de ta compréhension/Merci de votre compréhension

Thank you for understanding./I appreciate your understanding.

This can be used for personal matters, or in a more general way, a bit like “We apologize for the inconvenience.”

Example: Nous vous informons que notre bureau sera ferme la semaine prochaine. Merci de votre compréhension. (We kindly inform you that our office will be closed next week. We appreciate your understanding.)

donner suite à (dans les plus brefs délais)

to respond/to follow up on something (as quickly as possible)

Example: Merci pour votre message. Nous y donnerons suite dans les plus brefs délais. (Thank you for your message. We will reply to it as quickly as possible.)

N’hésitez pas à me contacter pour tout renseignement complémentaire

If you need additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

This is an extremely common statement to make towards the end of a formal or business letter or email (depending on the context, of course).

This is an extremely polite way to ask someone to do something and is commonly found in business correspondence or instructions.

Example: Veuillez trouver ci-joints les documents demand é s. (Please find attached the documents you requested.)

You’ll also see it tied to an extremely formal sign-off….

Veuillez agréer, ___, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées

Please accept my sincerest salutations.

This very formal closing statement or sign-off has many, many variations.

The phrase has to be completed with the title you used in the greeting of your letter. So for instance, if I addressed the person I was writing to as “Madame Dupont” at the start of the letter, I would write:

Veuillez agréer, Madame Dupont, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées

Most French letters and emails today won’t use this formula, opting to simply go to the all-purpose closing Cordialement instead.  But you will still find it or one of its variants from time to time, and you’ll need to write it if you’re being ultra-polite/groveling/applying for a job in French.

Merci par avance

Thanks in advance.

This is a bit of a loaded phrase because it implies certainty that whatever is being requested will get done.  Personally, I use it for things like routine procedures that the person I’m writing to would be expected to do.

Example: Veuillez trouver ci-joint la confirmation de ma demande de renouvellement d’abonnement. Merci par avance. (Please find attached the confirmation of my renewal request. Thanks in advance.)

How to end a formal French letter

Cordialement – Sincerely/Regards/Best Regards/Respectfully

This is the formal and business French letter or email sign-off par excellence. Even extremely formal correspondence may include it (after an extremely formal closing statement). And on the other hand, it’s often used in friendly yet somewhat formal correspondence between people in everyday life matters, as well.

For instance, if you’re contacting someone about something they’re selling online, you’ll use it and they’ll use it to close at least your initial messages. It’s also used in text messages of this kind, often abbreviated as Cdlmt or sometimes cdlt or cdt . It’s so common that there’s even some backlash against it .  

If you or your correspondent really want(s) to emphasize your good will, Bien can be added to the beginning: Bien Cordialement,

Three real-life examples of French formal letters and emails

Here are a few short formal or professional French letters and emails I’ve received recently (with specific names and references removed or replaced).

You’ll notice that none of them contain every single essential or word or phrase I’ve listed above. To me, this is the best way to show you not to panic. A letter or email in French is the same as it is in any other language; its primary goal is to communicate. It’s not just a patchwork of typical phrases, although you will still come across several of them in each example.

See which ones you find in these three messages:

I. An email regarding school registration

(Note: All names and other personal information have been removed/replaced):

Madame, Monsieur, Je vous envoie un message de la part de Mme Dupont concernant l’inscription pour le CP. Cordialement, Laure Martin

II. An email from my son’s school principal

Madame, Monsieur, Votre enfant ira au CP l’an prochain et vous avez reçu de la Mairie  le certificat d’inscription  pour les écoles de secteur. Je vous prie de bien vouloir remettre ce document à la maternelle 8, rue du Louvre où j’assurerai une  permanence lundi 20 avril et mercredi 22 avril de 10h à 11h.   Prenez soin de vous et vos proches. N DUPONT

III. A registered letter from our building management company

This is a letter sent to my husband by our building management company ( Syndic ), calling for an annual meeting of our building board (again, all names and personal information have been removed or replaced):

Monsieur Nous avons l’honneur de vous convoquer à l’Assemblée Générale de votre immeuble, qui se tiendra le :                                                                                 VENDREDI 2 OCTOBRE 2020 à 18H00 Nous vous prions d’agréer, Monsieur, l’expression de nos sincères salutations.                                                                                                            LE SYNDIC

Tips to write a formal French letter or email

I hope that this list of phrases and the idea that the most essential thing is to clearly communicate will make it easier for you to write a formal or business French letter or email.

If you still don’t feel confident, you may be able to find templates for certain letters by doing an online search for the phrase mod èle de , followed by the type of letter or email you have to write – for instance: mod èle de lettre de motivation (cover/job application letter template).

You can also ask Francophone friends or use online forums to see if your letter or email is written correctly. If you’re using a forum or talking to someone you don’t know well, of course be sure to leave out any specific personal information.

Keep in mind that in many cases — for instance if you’re sending a message to request information — the person on the other end just needs to understand you and understand that you’re being polite and respectful; if you make a few small errors, it’s not the end of the world. Don’t let your fear hold you back from asking for something important.

If it is holding you back, one thing I used to do was to start my letter or email with an explanation like:

Je m’excuse par avance pour d’éventuelles erreurs dans cette lettre/ce m é l, le français n’est pas ma langue maternelle.   (I apologize in advance for any possible errors in this letter/this email; French isn’t my native language.)

Informal French letter closings and openings

Writing a friendly email, card, or letter in French is a lot easier than writing a formal or professional one – after all, you’re communicating with people you know and probably are close to, so there’s less pressure and less formality required.  Still, there are a few common things you may want to know how to say, and a few that should probably be included in your message, as well.

Here are the essential words and phrases for opening and closing informal French letters:

Cher(s)/Chère(s) – Dear

Keep in mind that this should agree with the number and gender of the person/people you’re writing to. Although this is a standard way to start a friendly letter or email in French, I’ve personally found that it’s a bit old-fashioned. People of older generations use it in cards or letters, but younger people tend to use greetings like Bonjour , Salut , or Coucou .

Bonjour/Salut/Coucou – Hello, Hi, Hi there

These greetings are more commonly used by French people in informal or friendly correspondence, especially people of younger generations. Check out our article on French greetings to learn more about the specific uses and connotations of each one.

Je vous/te remercie de/pour OR Merci pour (I thank you for/Thank you for).  

As you might have guessed, Merci pour is the more informal, general way to thank someone, while Je te remercie de/pour is a bit more formal. I would use the latter, for instance, with a very old French acquaintance or relative.

Example: Merci pour ta carte. (Thanks for your card.) -I would write this to a friend. Or Je te remercie pour ta carte. (Thank you for your card.) – I would write this to an older French friend or acquaintance.

Passe le bonjour de ma part à – Say hi to ___ for me. 

You may also see this written as Passe le bonjour or Passe-lui le bonjour , where the de ma part is understood.

Example: Passe le bonjour à toute ta famille.

Amitiés – Warm Regards/Kind Regards

This is a friendly yet still somewhat formal way to sign off in non-professional correspondence. You can use it with acquaintances or a group of friends, for example.

Bien à vous – Sincerely yours/Best Wishes

The literal translation of this sign-off is “Good [things] to you.” You can also use it in some friendly business correspondence. Apparently, it’s even more common in Belgian French than in the French spoken in France. Still, I encounter it quite a lot here in letters and emails from people who are quite fond of me and/or my family, but who don’t know us extremely well.

Bisous (à tous) – Love (to you all)

As in English, this is a sign-off that’s used with people you’re very close to, like family and good friends.

Bises – Kisses

This is a bit less formal.

Je t’embrasse/Je vous embrasse/On t’embrasse/On vous embrasse/Nous t’embrassons/Nous vous embrassons – All our love/With love.

This phrase literally means “I/We kiss you”. It’s a bit more formal than the other closings on this list, but I sometimes find that even people close to us, or family members, use it. You’ll sometimes see bien fort added to the end, for instance: Je t’embrasse bien fort. This is the rough equivalent “Big kisses” or “Lots of Love”  and, to me, shows a bit more affection and familiarity.

If you want even more options, this article is a good source of additional openings, phrases, and closings for informal or friendly French letters and emails.

Three examples of informal or friendly French emails and letters

Here are three emails or letters that I’ve recently received from friends and family in France, as well as an example of an informal exchange about selling an item online.  

I. An email from a French friend

(Note: All personal information has been removed or replaced):

Bonjour Alysa, J’ai mis le temps, mais ça y est, j’ai enregistré nos photos de l’anniversaire d’Antoine dans un album Google. Et vous, comment ça va ? Avez-vous pris des vacances pour la Toussaint ? Antoine et moi sommes partis 4 jours au Portugal. Ça nous a fait un bien fou ! Nous vous faisons des bises et vous disons à bientôt, Carole & Antoine

II. A card from French relatives

Alysa, [my husband], [my son], Merci pour votre carte. Nous vous souhaitons de joyeuses fêtes de Noel. On vous embrasse très fort, Nadine et Charles

III. A reply from someone selling a bookshelf online

This is a reply to a message I left on famous French classifieds site Le Bon Coin, regarding some bookshelves I was interested in buying:

Bonjour, les bibliothèques ne sont plus disponibles. Merci pour votre message. Cdt

As you can see from the last message, informal correspondence, especially online, is often very influenced by French texting slang and abbreviations .

Still, the messages on these sites are almost always polite – French people typically take the time to at least end the first one with some form of Cordialement .

Essential French phrases for specific occasions

Here are a few French phrases you’ll commonly see or use for specific occasions and situations:

• Félicitations/Toutes mes félicitations – Congratulations/My heartfelt congratulations
• Joyeux anniversaire – Happy Birthday
• Bonne année – Happy New Year
• Bonnes fêtes/Joyeuses fêtes – Happy Holidays
• Meilleurs vœux – Best wishes/Season’s greetings

Meilleurs vœux shows goodwill for a specific event, for instance, if someone graduated school. But it’s also typically used during the winter holiday season to mean “Season’s greetings”.

• Sincères condoléances/Toutes mes condoléances – My condolences/My sincere/heartfelt condolences
• Merci/Mes remerciements  – Thank you/My sincere thanks
• Tu me manques/Vous me manquez – I miss you.
• Je t’aime – I love you. 

I’ll end this guide to writing a French letter with a short, somewhat formal note:

Chers lecteurs,

J’espère que vous avez trouvé cet article utile, et que vous ne serez pas (ou ne serez plus) intimid é s quand vous devez é crire une lettre ou un m é l en français.

 Bonne continuation et bon courage !

Cordialement,

• What are the best French learning apps in 2024?
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Alysa Salzberg

Alysa Salzberg is an American writer, worrier, teacher, and cookie enthusiast who has lived in Paris, France, for more than a decade. She has taught English and French for more than ten years, most notably as an assistante de langue vivante for L'Education Nationale. She recently published her first novel, Hearts at Dawn , a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling that takes place during the 1870 Siege of Paris. You can read about her adventures here , or feel free to stop by her website .

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French Letter Format: How to Write Them

Formal French letters are all about turning your flowery French writing skills up to 11.

You need the right letter structure and polite expressions to write a formal letter fluently.

In this article, I’ll give you the formula to do it right.

I’ll show you the five steps to craft a formal French letter that’ll impress any reader—with added tips for personal letters as well as emails.

How to Write Formal French Letters

1. write your name and contact information as the sender in the upper left-hand corner of the page, 2. below the sender’s header, write the recipient’s name and contact information on the right-hand side, 3. start your message with a salutation, 4. write the body similar to how you would in english, 5. close with a formule de politesse and signature, how are personal french letters different from formal ones, should you write french emails like letters, how can writing formal letters improve your french, you’ll find that, in french, sentences are works of art, you’ll build an epic professional vocabulary, you’ll practice grammatical structures you don’t use every day, you’ll gain key insights into french culture, where to see formal french letter examples and ideas, french today, french-linguistics, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

This may sound obvious, but before you can write a formal letter in French, you have to understand its different parts. Bear in mind that French letters are very different from those in English-speaking countries , so it’s important to follow the template below.

Start with your name as the sender. Write the abbreviated form of your title (“M.” for Monsieur and “Mme.” for Madame ), followed by your first name and last name in that order.

Note that Mademoiselle (Mlle.) isn’t often used in formal writing. In other words, if you’re a woman, it’s acceptable to use “Mme.” regardless of your actual marital status.

Remember to capitalize your last name.

Then, write your contact information (address, phone number, etc.) below your name. If you’re writing your address, write the street in one line followed by the postal code and city in another line below it. Of course, if you’re living in a country other than France, that country should be written in yet another line.

Your header will look like this:

Mme Marie DURAS

45 rue Gaston

12345 Toulouse

The recipient’s header follows the same format as the sender’s header, except you also need to write the sender’s title and the company they work for underneath their name.

For example:

M. Michel DUBOIS

Société de France

24 avenue du General de Gaulle

45678 Orléans

Unlike in English, you don’t put the French equivalent of “Dear Sir or Madam,” or “To Whom it May Concern.” It’s actually much simpler. 

First, put your current location and date on the right-hand side below the recipient’s header .

Paris, le 14 septembre 2023 (Paris, September 14, 2023)

Then, write how you’d formally address your recipient on the left-hand side below your current location and date. It can be any of the following:

There’s not really much to explain here. A standard formal French letter contains an introduction of yourself.

For example, if you’re applying for a computer-related job, you can start with:

Hautement entraîné dans l’informatique, je vous propose ma candidature pour… (“Highly trained in computer science, I propose to you my candidacy for…”)

Then, write the body of the letter as you’d write it in English.

One thing to keep in mind about French is the difference between the informal “you” ( tu)  and formal “you” ( vous ) . In personal letters,  tu is used, but in formal letters, you should stick with  vous . For example:

Vous avez réalisé … (You have executed/carried out …)

Tu as réalisé … (You have executed/carried out …)

They mean the same thing, but the first one is more formal than the second.

A key difference in formal French letter writing is the use of long and flowery closing salutations . Whereas in English we might just say “Sincerely,” in French you’d write something like:

Je vous prie d’accepter, Madame Delacroix, l’expression de mes sentiments distinguées. (I ask you to accept, Ms. Delacroix, the expression of my distinguished sentiments.)

Veuillez vous agréer, Monsieur le Directeur, l’expression de ma consideration distinguée. (Please accept/agree with, Mr. Director, the expression of my distinguished consideration.)

This may seem overly complicated and overwhelming, but in reality, the formula is simple. Check out some excellent formules de politesse  here .

Also, don’t forget to put your name and signature at the bottom right side of the letter , like this:

Marie DURAS

Responsable de ventes (Sales manager)

In letters to family and friends, you don’t have to worry about dates, signatures and contact information.

Your opening salutation may be something affectionate like Cher François  (Dear François) or  Ma soeur chérie (My dear sister). Instead of a formule de politesse , you can put Je vous embrasse  (I kiss you) or the more informal  Bisous  (Kisses).

The topic of informal vs. formal writing brings up an important point: your ability to write formal French letters can be improved when you know “authentic” French— that is, the natural way in which the language is spoken by real native speakers. 

For some reason, it’s easy for letters to become overly dry if you just rely on the technicalities. This is a problem for any letter, formal or otherwise. You want to sound as genuine as you are eloquent.

Being familiar with authentic French, and knowing the differences between informal and formal speech , can make the words and sentences you write flow more easily.

Therefore, you want to expose yourself to native French conversations . You can also study using authentic French media such as books , TV shows and podcasts . They can show you tidbits of French culture while also describing situations that call for certain levels of formality.

Keep in mind that emails took a longer time to adopt in France than in English-speaking countries. In fact, until recently, French business correspondence was conducted almost entirely using lettres manuscrites (written letters) despite the presence of computers.

With this in mind, I generally use the same format described above when sending formal French emails .

The complexity and artistry that go into formal letter writing will teach you the ins and outs of advanced French writing . I spent two semesters studying formal correspondence, and that was one of the best decisions I made while learning French. Here’s why I think so.

This may be subjective, but in my experience, French text tends to flow more smoothly and use a greater variety of vocabulary than English. Whereas in English we tend to get straight to the point, French adds a lot of dressing on top.

For example, check out this sentence I found on YouTube:  J’ai la plaisir de poser ma candidature pour le poste annoncé comme un professeur d’informatique. (I have the pleasure to pose my candidacy for the announced job opening as a computer science professor.)

That sentence reads well enough! In English, on the other hand, we’d say something like “I would like to apply for the computer science professor job opening.” As you can see, formal French letters can be more verbose and complex than English letters.

You may have already heard how any form of writing in French will improve your vocabulary knowledge—and it’s true! Letter writing requires you to learn words like the following.

Since they’re so often used in professional settings, formal French letters are a particularly great source of French business vocabulary . That’s because  they tend to be industry-specific .

For example, a formal letter or intra-company memo from the Quebec aircraft manufacturer Bombardier will use different technical words from the French fashion giant Chanel.

It’s worth mentioning that a quality formal letter will make use of all your grammatical knowledge . You’ll be crafting long sentences , using the subjunctive mood (for hypotheticals, possibilities, etc.) and writing modal verbs (to politely ask for things).

It’s impossible to master writing French letters without looking at French culture as a whole. The complexity of formal French letters showcases something much bigger: love and pride for the language.

The best description of a French letter will never replace actually seeing (or better yet, writing) one. Below, I’ve listed a few sites that are chock-full of information on French letter writing and samples.

French Today offers a wonderfully detailed summary of French letter writing. It’s a treasure trove of information on French and a great site for a general overview of French letters, including how to write the addresses, the different parts, etc.

I particularly like how French Today explains the importance of tu vs. vous and when to use them in letters, so it’s a great site for beginners .

If you’re looking for ideas on how to craft a strong formal French letter, check out french-linguistics. Just as its name says, french-linguistics shines a light on the nitty-gritty of French grammar and syntax.

With respect to formal letters, the site provides a great explanation on formules de politesse. Because of its highly technical content, I’d say french-linguistics is best for intermediate and advanced learners .

This YouTube video offers great descriptions and examples of real-life scenarios for formal French letters. It shows you sample letters and breaks them down with explanations of the elements and important grammar structures.

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. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

Try FluentU for FREE!

Whether you want to study in a French-speaking country , or even land a job speaking French , mastering the art of formal French letter writing is an indispensable skill. Although the 21st century has done away with a lot of formality, you’ll find that formal French letter writing is alive and well.

FluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native French videos with reach. With interactive captions, you can tap on any word to see an image, definition and useful examples.

For example, if you tap on the word "crois," you'll see this:

Practice and reinforce all the vocabulary you've learned in a given video with learn mode. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning, and play the mini-games found in our dynamic flashcards, like "fill in the blank."

All throughout, FluentU tracks the vocabulary that you’re learning and uses this information to give you a totally personalized experience. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Writing a Professional Email in French (Sample template included)

Updated: April 24, 2021 by Mylene in Guides and Tips Array  ▪ English Français  

Writing a formal email in French can be a challenge. Many people send multiple emails per day to recap an important meeting, to relay an important update, or simply to contact someone. If you’re looking for a job, you’ll also have to compose and send a cover letter.

Whether you want to make a good first impression or you want to write emails that get replies, you have to learn the basics. Sounding professional in French is not always easy. The key is to use the right formula for the right situation.

In France, the term “e-mail” is commonly used. 

In this article, I’ll give you the sentences you need to write a professional email in French:

• Use the proper greeting
• Introduce yourself
• Be 100% Formal
• How to write “enclosed” for an attached file
• Choose the right object
• Re-read your email
• Useful phrases
• Add your signature
• Infographic

Sample Email in French

How to write a formal email in french, 1. use the proper greeting.

Being polite is important. 

If you don’t know the name nor the gender of the recipient (le destinataire), use:

• Madame, Monsieur,
• Mesdames, Messieurs,

If you know the gender but not the name , then only Madame or Monsieur should be used.

Even if you know the recipient’s name , then Madame or Monsieur is still appropriate.

A formal relationship with someone whose title you know :

• Madame la directrice,
• Monsieur le Président,

A formal relationship with someone whose name you know :

• Monsieur Untel,
• Madame Dupont,

2. Introduce yourself

You have to explain the purpose of your email at first.

After the greetings, introduce your reason for writing. For instance, you can refer to an earlier in-person conversation with the recipient (le destinataire). For example:

• Suite à notre entretien du 14 juin: Following up on our interview on June 14th…
• The following phrases are good choices when your letter’s intent is to inquire about employment Je vous propose ma candidature pour le poste: I would like to submit my candidacy for the position
• Je me réfère à votre annonce parue dans: with reference to your post advertised in
• Votre annonce parue dans… a retenu toute mon attention: Your post advertised in… caught my attention
• Je me permets de poser ma candidature pour le poste de… / au poste de: I wish to apply for the post of…
• Je vous serais très reconnaissant/reconnaissante de : I would be very grateful if you could…

3. Be 100% Formal

When writing formal letters, always use “vous” and never “tu”.

When using you in the singular form, tu implies intimacy and informality, whereas vous is used in formal contexts.

Vous is always used when referring to a group.

4. How to write “enclosed” for an attached file

Most official documents have a title, so look for the title to insert the appropriate name of the document .

• Veuillez trouver le document demandé en pièce: Please find the requested document as asked
• Je vous joins mon CV: I enclose my resume
• Veuillez trouver ci-joint mon CV: Please find attached my resume

5. Choose the right objet

However, just like an email in English, you’ll have a subject or in French “objet” which tells the recipient what the email is about. Choose a keyword that is professional . For example:

• Candidature pour le poste de chef de projet: Application for the position of project manager
• Location appartement: Apartment rental
• Demande de renseignements: Information request

A French business email always ends with a formule de politesse, a closing formula .

Some typical formal ending formulas are:

• Je vous prie d’agréer, (repeat the title as you started your letter), l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.: Yours sincerely.
• Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
• Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame Intel, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.

Another formal sentence would be:

• Je vous prie d’agréer, (repeat the title as you started your letter), l’expression de mes salutations dévouées.
• Je vous prie d’agréer, (repeat the salutation), l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.

The following sentence adds an extra thank you at the beginning for some extra respect points.

• Avec mes remerciements, je vous prie de trouver ici, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués. 

If you’re waiting on a response from someone in a formal situation, you can add “waiting for your response” to the beginning of one of these expressions: 

• Dans l’attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.

7. Re-read your email

Re-read your email out loud to ensure it makes sense. By reading the whole email, it will save a lot of stress for you, your colleague, and the client. To avoid any complications and awkward situations you have to always read business-related emails very carefully. Keep in mind that he or she may be having a super busy day so you need to be concise and provide all the necessary information.

So proofread your e-mail before sending. Take your time ! Check the list of recipients, title, content, attachments.

8. Useful phrases

You can embellish an email with the following common phrases :

• J’ai une question concernant: I have a question about
• Je serai disponible le: I’m available on
• Je reste à votre entière disposition pour tout renseignement complémentaire: Please do not hesitate to contact me should you need any further information.
• Nous vous remercions de votre compréhension: Thank you for your understanding

9. Add your signature

The signature is a tool to maintain contact with an interlocutor.

It can be found at the very end of your email. This is to provide the recipient with more detailed information and contact details of the sender. There are compulsory information which must appear in the signature, and which are the following:

• First name and name
• Position in the company
• Legal status of the company
• Full company address
• Company Website
• Sender or company phone number and email address

Additionally, you can include links to social media or the company logo in the signature. However, some users have blocked image files in emails for security reasons, it should therefore be ensured that the signature is acceptable without the logo.

5 ways to improve Your Professional email in French

• Be 100% formal
• Use the proper closing

Objet : Candidature – Chef de projets

Madame Intel, Votre annonce pour un poste de chef de projets a retenu toute mon attention.

Mes précédentes expériences m’ont permis de développer des compétences que je souhaite aujourd’hui mettre au service de votre entreprise.

Participer à l’évolution de votre structure serait une très belle opportunité.

En m’appuyant sur mes connaissances, mon sens de l’adaptation et mes expériences dans divers secteurs d’activités je suis convaincue d’avoir les qualités requises pour ce poste.

Je vous laisse le soin de découvrir mon parcours à la lecture de mon CV et j’aurais le plaisir de discuter de ce poste avec vous.

Dans l’attente de vous faire part de mes motivations, veuillez agréer, Madame, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.

Mylène Bidule

Here how the French version translates to English:

Your job posting for a project manager position caught my attention.

My previous experiences have allowed me to develop skills that I now want to put at the service of your company.

Participating in the evolution of your structure would be a great opportunity.

Based on my knowledge, my adaptability and my experience in various business sectors, I am convinced that I have the qualities required for this position.

I leave it to you to discover my background by reading my resume and I would have the pleasure to discuss this position with you.

Yours sincerely, Mylène Bidule

Keep learning

This guide gives you the flexibility to tweak and the freedom to use any of the suggested sentences. In addition, the template is a good start for you to get inspired when writing a professional email in French. So, hope you’ll find it useful.

I have also published a number of how-to articles that you can check to learn how to think in French or also how to be successful when taking online courses .

How to learn French better: 5 keys for success

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Write a cover letter in French

• February 9, 2022
• , A2 , B1 , B2 , Tips

Table of contents

In today’s lesson, let’s take a look at what a cover letter in French looks like. This lesson can be useful for A2 to B2 students (but if you are still wondering at C1 and C2, please feel free to stick around).

How to write a cover letter in French – Écouter

La lettre de motivation en français – cover letter in french, la structure de la lettre de motivation en français.

Expéditeur : Le nom et l’adresse de la personne qui envoie la lettre / Name and address of the person sending the letter

Destinataire : Le nom et l’adresse de la personne qui reçoit la lettre / Name and address of the person receiving the letter

Par exemple, le nom de la personne et son poste:

Monsieur Dupont

Directeur des ressources humaines

[Nom de l’entreprise]

Si vous ne connaissez pas le destinataire, écrivez directement le poste: 

À l’attention du directeur des ressources humaines

Date : La date de rédaction / Date of writing

Objet : L’objet, le titre de la lettre / The subject, the title of the letter

Généralement, vous allez y écrire une phrase simple, sans verbes, comme : 

Candidature pour un poste de cuisinier

Candidature pour l’offre d’emploi ABC25X

Formule d’appel : Les salutations / Greetings.

Si vous connaissez le destinataire, écrivez directement: 

Madame (si c’est une femme)

Monsieur (si c’est un homme)

Si vous ne connaissez pas le destinataire, vous pouvez y écrire: 

Madame, Monsieur,

Contenu de la lettre : Le contenu de votre lettre de motivation / The content of your cover letter

Formule de politesse : Avant de signer, une formule pour prendre congé / Before signing, an expression to say goodbye

Signature : La signature de l’expéditeur / Sender’s signature

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Need help in learning french.

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Le plan de la lettre de motivation en français

Pour le contenu de votre lettre de motivation en français, il est généralement conseillé de l’écrire en trois parties: MOI, VOUS, NOUS . 

For the content of your cover letter in French, it is generally advised to write it in three parts: ME, YOU, US .

Moi : le candidat. Il doit se présenter d’une manière intéressante pour l’employeur (ou le recruteur). Il doit mettre en avant ses points forts : expérience professionnelle, cursus universitaire, études, formations… Il faut savoir se mettre en valeur (sans en faire trop !).

Moi : the candidate. They must present themselves in an interesting way for the employer (or recruiter). He/she must put forward his/her strong points: professional experience, academic background, studies, training… You have to know how to highlight yourself (without doing too much!).

Vous : L’entreprise. Il faut mettre en avant les aspects positifs de l’entreprise. Pourquoi répondez-vous à l’annonce de l’offre d’emploi ?  Ceci n’est pas “juste une candidature”. Vous visez  le poste que vous rêvez de décrocher ! Pour réussir cette partie, il est indispensable de d’abord faire quelques recherches sur l’entreprise et son secteur d’activité.

Vous : The company. You should highlight the positive aspects of the company. Why are you responding to the job posting? This is not “just an application”. You are aiming for the job you dream of getting! To succeed in this part, it is essential to first do some research on the company and its sector of activity.

Nous : La collaboration. Il faut synthétiser votre collaboration avec l’entreprise. Que pouvez-vous vous apporter mutuellement ? Soulignez la compatibilité de votre profil avec le poste recherché, le domaine d’activité. Le candidat mettra au service de l’entreprise toute son expérience. C’est l’idée qu’il faut appuyer afin d’encourager l’employeur à rencontrer le candidat.

Us : Collaboration. You need to synthesize your collaboration with the company. What can you bring to each other? Emphasize the compatibility of your profile with the position that they’re trying to fill in, the field of activity. The candidate will put all their experience at the service of the company. This is the idea that must be supported in order to encourage the employer to meet the candidate.

La formule de politesse

Saying goodbye  

Il existe énormément de formules de politesse pour terminer une lettre de motivation en français. N’oubliez pas de remercier le destinataire ! 

Je vous remercie de l’attention que vous avez porté à ma candidature.

Je vous remercie de l’attention que vous avez accordé à ma candidature.

(Vous pouvez aussi les écrire au futur simple)

Je vous remercie de l’attention que vous porterez à ma candidature.

Je vous remercie de l’attention que vous accorderez à ma candidature.

Pour prendre congé, celles que j’utilise le plus souvent sont: 

Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.

Je vous prie de croire, Madame, Monsieur, à ma considération distinguée.

Je vous prie de recevoir, Madame, Monsieur, mes salutations distinguées.

Dans l’attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes sincères salutations.

Let’s now take a look at an example of cover letter in French. 

An example of cover letter in French

Mme. Marie Dupont

35 avenue de la Liberté 

M. Jean Martin

Agence ML Communications

23 rue des Lilas 69004 Lyon

Le 5 décembre 2022

Objet : Candidature pour le poste d’assistante de direction

Je me permets de vous soumettre ma candidature pour un poste d’assistante de direction au sein de votre entreprise. Je suis actuellement titulaire d’un diplôme professionnel d’Assistante de Direction.

Grâce à mon expérience professionnelle de 5 ans, j’ai acquis et développé des compétences que je souhaite mettre à votre disposition, notamment en informatique et comptabilité.

Mes années d’expérience en tant qu’assistante de direction ont également contribué à renforcer mon sens de l’organisation mais aussi mon sens de l’anticipation et ma réactivité, des compétences que je juge indispensables dans ce domaine.

J’ai donc l’habitude de collaborer avec un grand nombre de services et de directions. J’ai entendu parler de votre agence spécialisée dans la communication et l’histoire de votre entreprise ainsi que votre façon de travailler m’ont fortement interpellée. Votre expertise et votre professionnalisme ont su former votre réputation.

C’est pour cette raison que je pense que mon profil pourrait convenir au poste d’assistante de direction. Je souhaiterais intégrer votre équipe afin de vous apporter mon expérience au profit de votre agence.

Je souhaite ainsi vous rencontrer afin de vous faire part plus longuement de mes motivations et de ce que je pourrais vous apporter dans le cadre de futures collaborations.

Je vous remercie de l’attention que vous porterez à ma candidature.  Dans cette attente, je vous prie de recevoir, Monsieur, mes salutations distinguées.

Marie Dupont

How to write a cover letter in French – Conclusion

I hope that you enjoyed today’s lesson on how to write a cover letter in French ! 

À bientôt ! 

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French informal and formal letter format.

You might wonder where to start if you’re new to French letter writing. Writing a letter in French might seem daunting initially, but it can be a rewarding experience with some guidance. 

In this beginner’s guide, we’ll take you through the basics of French letter writing, from the format to the language used.

Introduction To French Letter Writing

Before diving into the specifics of French letter writing format, it’s essential to understand a French letter.  A French letter is a form of written communication used to convey a message to someone, such as a friend, family member, or business associate. 

There are two main types of French letters: formal and informal . In this guide, we’ll focus on informal letters typically used in personal correspondence.  Informal letters allow for more flexibility in terms of format and language, making them a great place to start for beginners.

French Informal Letter Format

The format of a French letter is similar to that of an English letter, with a few key differences. Here’s a basic outline of a French informal letter:

Date (optional) : The date is typically written in the day-month-year format in French. 

For example: “Paris, le 3 Avril 2023” (Paris, April 3rd, 2023).

Salutation:  This is where you address the recipient. You can use “Cher/Chère” (Dear) followed by the recipient’s first name in informal letters.

Body:  This is where you write your message. In French, it’s essential to use the correct level of formality based on your relationship with the recipient. 

For example, you can use informal language if you’re writing to a friend. Still, if you’re writing to an elder or someone you don’t know well, you should use more formal language.

Closing:  In French, there are several ways to close a letter, such as “Amicalement” (Friendly), “Je t’embrasse” (I hug you), or “Cordialement” (Sincerely).

Signature:  This is where you sign your name.

Basic French Letter Writing Tips

Now that you understand the format of a French informal letter, here are some tips to help you write your own:

Start with a greeting:  In French, it’s customary to start a letter with a greeting, such as “Bonjour” (Hello) or “Salut” (Hi).

Keep it simple:  As a beginner, it’s best to keep your language straightforward. Avoid using complex sentence structures or vocabulary you need to familiarize yourself with.

Practise your grammar:  French grammar can be tricky, so practice your grammar skills before writing your letter.

Use online resources, grammar books, or language exchange partners to improve your skills.

End with a closing:  As mentioned earlier, there are several ways to close a French letter. Choose one that fits your personality and the tone of your message.

Here is a sample letter in French:

Paris, le 3 avril 2023

Chère Amélie,

Comment ça va? J’espère que tu vas bien. Je t’écris cette lettre pour te donner des nouvelles et te raconter ce qui se passe dans ma vie.

Je suis actuellement en train de préparer mes examens finaux à l’université. C’est très stressant, mais je suis confiant que je vais réussir. Et toi, comment se passent tes études?

Je pense souvent à notre dernier voyage ensemble en Italie. C’était tellement amusant! J’espère que nous pourrons bientôt planifier un autre voyage ensemble.

Prends soin de toi et écris-moi bientôt!

Amicalement,

English Translation:

Paris, April 3rd, 2023

Dear Amélie,

How are you? I hope you’re doing well. I’m writing this letter to give you some news and tell you what’s going on in my life.

I’m currently preparing for my final exams at university. It’s very stressful, but I’m confident that I’ll succeed. And how are your studies going? I often think about our last trip together to Italy. It was so much fun! I hope we can plan another trip together soon.

Take care of yourself and write to me soon!

Advanced Guide: How To Write A Formal Letter In French

Suppose you must write a formal letter in French, such as a letter of complaint, a job application, or a letter to a government agency. In that case, using the correct format and tone is essential. 

Here are some tips to help you write a professional and effective formal letter in French:

Use a Formal Salutation 

Address the recipient of the letter using their appropriate titles, such as Monsieur (Mr.), Madame (Mrs.), or Mademoiselle (Miss). If unsure of the recipient’s title, you can use the generic “Monsieur/Madame” or “Madame, Monsieur”.

Write a Clear and Concise Subject Line

The subject line should summarise the letter’s purpose in a formal letter. For example, “Demande de remboursement” (Request for a refund) or “Candidature pour le poste de chef de projet” (Application for the position of project manager).

Use Formal Language

You should use more formal language in a formal letter and avoid contractions and colloquial expressions. Use the “vous” form instead of “tu” when addressing the recipient.

Use an Appropriate Closing

End your letter with an appropriate closing, such as “Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées” (Yours faithfully), or “Veuillez agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l’expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs” (Yours sincerely).

Proofread Your Letter

Before sending your letter, proofread it carefully to avoid spelling or grammatical errors. Here is a sample formal letter in French:

Lyon, le 3 avril 2023

Monsieur/Madame,

Je vous écris pour vous exprimer mon intérêt à postuler pour le poste de chef de projet que vous avez récemment annoncé sur votre site web. Je suis convaincu que mes compétences et mon expérience peuvent être un atout précieux pour votre entreprise.

J’ai travaillé dans l’industrie des technologies pendant plus de 5 ans et j’ai acquis une solide expérience en gestion de projets. Je suis capable de coordonner efficacement les membres de l’équipe, de gérer les budgets et de garantir que les projets sont terminés à temps et dans les limites de coûts.

En outre, je suis à l’aise en communication écrite et orale en français et en anglais, ce qui me permet de travailler avec des équipes multilingues. J’ai également une grande capacité d’adaptation aux différents environnements de travail.

Je suis enthousiaste à l’idée de rejoindre votre entreprise et de travailler avec une équipe dynamique. Vous trouverez ci-joint mon CV ainsi que mes références professionnelles. Je suis disponible pour une entrevue à votre convenance.

Je vous remercie pour votre attention et j’attends avec impatience votre réponse.

Cordialement,

[signature]

Jean Dupont

Lyon, April 3rd, 2023

I am writing to express my interest in applying for the position of project manager that you recently announced on your website. I am convinced that my skills and experience can be a valuable asset to your company.

I have worked in the technology industry for over 5 years and have gained solid experience in project management. I am able to effectively coordinate team members, manage budgets, and ensure that projects are completed on time and within cost limits.

In addition, I am comfortable with written and spoken communication in French and English, which allows me to work with multilingual teams. I also have a great ability to adapt to different work environments.

I am excited about the opportunity to join your company and work with a dynamic team. Please find attached my CV and professional references. I am available for an interview at your convenience.

Thank you for your attention and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Pro Tips To Write An Impressive Business Letter In French

You may need to write business letters in French if you’re a professional or a business person. These letters can be used for various purposes, such as making business proposals, requesting information, or introducing yourself to a potential client. 

Here are some tips to help you write an impressive business letter in French:

Know Your Audience

Before you start writing your letter, it’s important to consider your audience. Who will be reading your letter? What is their position or role in the company? 

Tailor your language and tone to the person or group you are addressing.

You should use formal language in a business letter and avoid contractions and colloquial expressions. Use the “vous” form instead of “tu” when addressing the recipient.

Follow a Professional Format

Use a professional format for your letter, including your contact information, the recipient’s contact information, a subject line, a formal salutation, the body of the letter, and an appropriate closing.

Use Clear and Concise Language 

Use clear and concise language to convey your message. Avoid using complex sentences or technical jargon that may be difficult for the recipient to understand.

Before sending your letter, proofread it carefully to avoid any spelling or grammatical errors. You can also have someone else read it to ensure that it’s clear and effective.

Here is a sample business letter in French:

Monsieur le Directeur Général,

Je vous écris pour vous proposer mes services en tant que consultant en marketing pour votre entreprise. Je suis convaincu que mes compétences et mon expérience pourraient être bénéfiques pour votre entreprise.

Je possède plus de dix ans d’expérience dans le domaine du marketing et j’ai travaillé pour plusieurs entreprises françaises et internationales. Je suis spécialisé dans le développement de stratégies de marketing numérique et j’ai une solide expérience en matière de gestion de projets.

Je serais heureux de vous rencontrer pour discuter plus en détail de mes services et de la façon dont je pourrais vous aider à atteindre vos objectifs commerciaux. Veuillez trouver ci-joint mon CV et mes références professionnelles pour votre examen.

Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur le Directeur Général, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.

Dear Managing Director,

I am writing to offer my services as a marketing consultant for your company. I am convinced that my skills and experience could be beneficial for your business.

I have over ten years of experience in the marketing field and have worked for several French and international companies. I specialize in the development of digital marketing strategies and have a strong track record in project management.

I would be happy to meet with you to discuss in more detail my services and how I could help you achieve your business objectives. Please find attached my CV and professional references for your review.

Yours faithfully,

Final Takeaway

Writing a letter in French can be a challenging task, but it can also be a rewarding experience. Whether you’re writing a personal, formal, or business letter, it’s important to understand the proper format and language conventions. 

Following the tips and guidelines outlined in this article can improve your French letter-writing skills and effectively communicate your message to your recipient. 

Remember to tailor your language and tone to your audience, proofread your letter, and use clear and concise language to convey your message. With these tips, you can write impressive and effective letters in French.

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Writing a Business Letter in French

• Pronunciation & Conversation
• Resources For Teachers

Writing a job letter ( une lettre d'emploi)  in French can be a challenge. You need to be professional, but if you're still learning the language, this can be difficult to convey. At times, it is best to look at an example so you know where to begin.

When writing the letter, remember to be as polite as possible and follow the formula outlined in this sample. With a little attention to the details, like the salutation and opening of your letter, you will be constructing great correspondence in no time.

Sample Correspondance Commerciale

This sample business letter, or correspondance commerciale,  is to give you an outline for using  business letter formulas  in French. The various sections are notated using brackets and it is much easier if you construct the letter piece by piece.

You can use this sample as a template for your own letter. Simply replace the sentences as needed to fit your particular requirements. The formula works well for job applications as well as other types of formal business correspondence. 

New York, le 10 novembre 2012 Monsieur Georges UNTEL Entreprise fictive 46, rue Jenesaisquoi 12345 UNEVILLE Sonpays Monsieur Untel [salutation] , J'ai l'honneur de vous informer [open letter] que j'ai bien reçu votre lettre du 6 novembre 2000 [confirm receipt] . C'est avec plaisir [express pleasure] que j'accepte le poste de traductrice de votre site web que vous m'offrez [accept/refuse offer] . Je regrette vivement de ne pas pouvoir commencer immédiatement [express regret] . Je serais disponible à partir du 20 novembre [availability/contact info] . J'espère que vous voudrez bien me faire savoir si cette date vous conviendra [make request] . En vous remerciant de la confiance que vous me témoignez [pre-close] , je vous prie d'agréer, Monsieur Untel, l'assurance de ma considération distinguée. Laura K. Lawless mon adresse, mon numéro de téléphone et cetera

Salutations (Les saluts)

Just as it is in English, the salutation you use in the letter is extremely important. Your choice will leave an impression on the reader that may influence how they interpret the rest of the letter. Be sure to choose wisely and use the appropriate address.

It would be impossible to list every possible title, but this list should give you an idea of how to address your letter.

*In so-called "standard" French, the word  professeur  is always masculine. However in Québec and parts of Switzerland, there is a feminine version:  la professeure , so pay attention to the country of the person you are addressing.

Opening the Letter (Pour commencer la lettre)

As important as the salutation, your opening sentence sets the tone for the letter. Compose this carefully or the reader may not bother reading the entire thing. 

The following phrases are good choices when your letter's intent is to inquire about employment. They cover most job application situations, from responding to an advertisement to inquiring about open positions at a company.

• Elements of a Good French Business Letter
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• Does 'Il Est Important Que' Need the Subjunctive?
• Does 'Il Est Nécessaire' Need the Subjunctive in French?
• French Vocabulary Lesson: Banking and Money
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• An Introduction to French Articles

Toolkit: Writing a Letter or Email in French

Writing a letter or email in french.

Writing a formal letter or email in French may seem like a daunting prospect, especially as the language that you need to use has to follow certain patterns of etiquette that you would never hear in everyday speech. However, when you break down the letter down into the different set phrases employed within it, you will see that it is not that different from the type of document that you would write in English.

Opening Salutations

If you have never met the person that you are addressing before, and want to say the equivalent of ‘To whom it may concern’, you should write ‘ Madame, Monsieur ’ . However, if you know their name, you can write ‘Monsieur X’ or ‘ Madame X’ . The tone changes slightly if you have met them before, in which case you can be slightly less formal and say ‘Cher Monsieur X’ or ‘Chère Madame X ’.

The Body Of The Letter

If you are struggling to open your letter or email, you could turn to one of the following sentences:

• If you are following up a message that your destinataire ‘recipient’ has previously sent to you, you may write ‘en réponse à votre lettre’ or ‘je vous remercie de votre lettre’. If it is formal correspondence, as you probably know, you should always use ‘vous’ rather than ‘tu’.
• If it is you who is beginning the exchange, a straightforward ‘je vous écris pour…’ is perhaps a good way to begin.
• When enclosing or attaching documents, it is customary to write ‘veuillez trouver ci-joint…’ (‘please see attached…’), and if you want the recipient to send something to you, a polite way to ask is ‘ veuillez me/nous faire parvenir…’ .
• While writing your letter, pay attention to French punctuation rules, and how they sometimes differ from the English. When using an exclamation mark, a question mark or a colon, there is a space between the word and the symbol.

Closing Remarks

• Just like in English, there are several different set phrases that you can use to close a letter or email in French. If you want to say ‘I look forward to hearing from you’, you can either put ‘ dans l’attente de vous lire’ or ‘dans l’attente de votre réponse’, and if you think that they may want to get in touch with questions or queries, you would write ‘ n’hésitez pas à me contacter si vous avez des questions’ .
• To sign off a very formal letter, it is normal to use the very elaborate phrase ‘ je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur/Madame X, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées’. If the message is fairly formal, ‘meilleures salutations’ will suffice, and if you are writing to someone that you know but still want to maintain a certain level of respect, ‘ (Bien) Cordialement’ or ‘Bien à vous’ is the best thing to say.

You write the address of the destinataire on the front of the envelope, using the same formula as you would in the UK or the USA, but it is also customary to write the details of the expéditeur (‘sender’) in one line across the back:

Finally, if you need help navigating the French post office system, click HERE .

Click HERE for more handy language toolkits.

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Toolkit: Flat Hunting

Writing an Email in French: My best tips

• November 22, 2021

How do you write an email in French?

Let’s say you want to send an email to thank your teacher for your progress in French. Should you use “ Tu ” or “ Vous ” ? How do you start and end an email? Which sentences can you use?

Let’s dive in.

Want all the vocabulary of the lesson ?

1) write an email in french: greetings.

So what’s in an email, after l’objet (= the subject line) ?

Before diving into the heart of the email, let’s start with the first line.

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)

Just as in spoken French!

Click here to learn more: Mastering the Basics: French Greetings + How to Practice Your French

Or you can be more formal, and write your email like you’d write a letter:

• Monsieur, madame, (= Dear Sir / Madam , cold and formal, if you don’t know who’s going to read the letter.)
• Cher monsieur, (= Dear Sir, warmer but still formal)
• Chère madame, (= Dear Madam, same but for a woman)

We would never really use these in spoken French.

Here, Cher / chère means “ dear ,” but as you probably know, it also means “ expensive ” when talking about things you can buy.

• Une montre chère = an expensive watch
• Un ami cher / un cher ami = a dear friend

Le truc en + : Some French adjectives have two meanings like “ cher ,” one more down-to-earth, the other more metaphorical. When the adjective comes after the noun, it’s usually the concrete meaning. When it comes before the noun, it’s usually the metaphorical meaning. For instance : un grand homme = a great man, un homme grand = a tall man.

By the way, Chéri (Chérie / Mon chéri / Ma chérie) means “ my love, my dear. ” Don’t make the embarrassing mistake of sending that greeting to your French teacher instead of “ cher ” !

It’s becoming more common to start an email the “American way,” with simply the name of your reader: Géraldine, … (I’m not fond of this greeting in French.)

2) Write an email in French: Ending an email

Ending an email also relies on a few usual expressions:

• Bisous (= kisses ) → Informal and intimate, for family and close friends
• Bonne journée (= Have a nice day ) → Neutral, friendly
• Cordialement (= Cordially ) → More formal. Common in letters and emails, never used in spoken French.
• Bien à vous (= Yours / Kind regards ) → Formal but warm and friendly.
• Veuillez agréer, Madame, mes sincères salutations… (= Please accept, Madam, my sincere greetings… ) → Very formal. I never used it, even in writing, and it’s never used in conversations.

We can use Bisous (with close friends and family) and Bonne journée (with anyone) in real spoken French conversation.

Variations on Bisous are a bit more outdated but more elegant:

• Bises = Kisses
• Grosses bises = “Big kisses”, hugs and kisses
• Bons baisers de Paris = “Big kisses from Paris” = From Paris with love

These are all “kisses” like la bise , the French informal greeting of an “air kiss”. It’s not a romantic thing!

Click here to learn more : French Culture Lesson — La Bise – Comme une Française

Finally, you can use “goodbye” like we use at the end of a conversation:

• À demain (= “See you tomorrow” – also applies for “writing tomorrow”)
• À bientôt (= “See you soon” )
• À très vite (= “See you very soon” )

3) Write an email in French: “Tu” or “Vous” ?

“ Tu ” (= singular “ you ”) is the informal, intimate pronoun to use when talking to friends and family. It conveys friendliness, closeness.

“ Vous ” (= plural “ you ”) is the respectful, more distant pronoun to use when talking to someone you don’t know and aren’t friends with, like a baker, a counter clerk or any administration. It conveys respect and formality.

There’s a grey area in the middle. For people you technically don’t know, that you do respect, but still want to be friendly with. For friends of friends for instance. Or an in-law. Or a teacher on the Internet that sends you an email every week! 😉

Well, it depends. Use what you’re comfortable with. Three thoughts on that:

• Some people will feel weird if you use “ tu ” with them. Especially if they’re people who are just doing their job.
• Some people will feel weird if you use “ vous .” Since “ vous ” is often used for elders, it might make them feel old!
• So there’s no real “safe” pronoun here. But don’t worry! If you’re sincere and polite, nobody will mind which pronoun you use. You’re not fluent, you’re allowed to make mistakes, we understand.

Click here to learn more about “Tu” and “Vous” and how we switch between them: Tu or Vous? How to say “you” in French

In the examples for this lesson, I’ll use “ tu ,” but you can easily switch. And if you want to send me an email to thank me, I give you the permission to use “ tu ” !

4) Write an email in French: Thanking someone

Basic ways to thank someone in French:

• Merci (= Thank you) → The one used in everyday conversation; you need to know this essential French polite word.
• Merci beaucoup (= Thank you very much)
• Merci énormément (= Thank you so much, with more emphasis, less common)
• Merci pour tout. (= Thank you for everything.)

Click here to learn more about saying “thank you” in French : Learn to Say Thank You in French: What to say and correct pronunciation

More personal:

• Merci pour ton aide (= Thank for your help.)
• Merci pour tout ce que tu as fait (= Thank you for everything you’ve done.)
• Ça m’a vraiment fait super plaisir ! (= “It really pleased me a lot” literally = I really loved it! – “ super ” is informal.)

If you’re sending an email to say thank you, the more precise you are, the better. Explain how you feel, why their help mattered, what it allowed you to do now.

Merci énormément pour avoir gardé les enfants. Ça nous a beaucoup aidé, et on a pu enfin passer une soirée à deux avec Michel. Tu es vraiment très gentille ! (= Thank you so much for taking care of the kids. It helped us a lot, and we finally got to spend an evening with Michel, just the two of use. You’re really nice!)

And these are all sentences you can use in spoken French conversation as well!

But some “thanks” are used mostly in writing only. Especially “ Merci de… ” which is actually a command or a plea:

• Merci d’avance. = Thank you in advance.
• Merci de m’aider. = Thank you for helping me (in advance)
• Merci de me répondre rapidement (= Thank (in advance) you for answering promptly)
• Merci de ne pas toucher la vitre. (= Thank you for not touching the glass, on a sign in a zoo or a museum.)

You can use “ Merci de… ” (in advance) instead of “ Merci pour… ” (for something in the past), in an email. I’m not a fan though, it feels a bit passive-aggressive. Merci d’avance is fine though.

For instance:

Bonjour Madame, J’aimerais réserver une table dans votre restaurant avec des amis. Pouvez-vous m’envoyer vos menus, si possible ? Merci d’avance, Bonne journée, Julia

(= Hello Madam, I’d like to book a table in your restaurant, with some friends. Could you send me your menus, if possible? Thanks a lot, Have a great day, Julia)

5) Writing an email in French: Answer back

Basic answers to Merci :

• De rien (= You’re welcome) → Most basic, everyday French.
• Je t’en prie. / Je vous en prie. (= You’re welcome) → A bit more elegant.
• Pas de problème. (= No problem)
• Il n’y a pas de quoi. (= There’s no need [to thank me.])

But of course, it’s even better if you don’t deflect the good you did. You deserve to be thanked! Own it, and maybe tell them more about why you did it and how that made you feel. And soon you’re having a full conversation in French!

For now, Merci à toi ! (= Thank you.) You’re on your way to improve your French conversation, and that’s wonderful.

Learn more with these other free lessons:

• Learn to Say Thank You in French: What to say and correct pronunciation
• Tu or Vous? How to say “you” in French
• French Culture Lesson — La Bise
• Quoi in French: What It Means and How to Use It
• Explore France and understand fast spoken French : l’Alsace (and SLANG)

Pick one that looks interesting, click on the link, and I’ll see you in the next video!

À tout de suite. (= See you very soon.)

→ If you enjoyed this lesson (and/or learned something new) – why not share this lesson with a francophile friend ? You can talk about it afterwards! You’ll learn much more if you have social support from your friends 🙂

→ Double your Frenchness! Get my 10-day “ Everyday French Crash Course ” and learn more spoken French for free. Students love it! Start now and you’ll get Lesson 01 right in your inbox, straight away.

Click here to sign up for my FREE Everyday French Crash Course

Join the conversation!

Hi, how do you ask if a restraunt has availabilities? Is “Avez-vous des disponibilités la première semaine d’avril” correct?

Oui, c’est ça. “Auriez-vous une table / plusieurs tables disponibles pour la première semaine d’avril ?”

Fabien Comme une Française Team

How do I say “Thank you For thinking oF writing to me”

Bonjour Anna,

I’d say: “Merci d’avoir pensé à m’écrire.”

Salut Fabien, I want to say something like “I hope you’re doing well” but in french. Would “J’espère que tu vas bien?” be similar to that?

Salut Nicholas, Oui, you can say that or “J’espère que tout va bien” (I hope all is well.) Bien à toi, Fabien Comme Une Française Team

Does anyone have any tips for how to say something like: “if you need anything else, please let me know” in French?

Bonjour Dom,

Of course, you can say “si vous avez besoin de quoique ce soit, n’hésitez pas/faites moi savoir.”

Belle journée,

Fabien Comme Une Française Team

When writing “have a good weekend” in French, is it “bon weekend”, “bon week end” (with space) or ” “bon week-end” (with hyphen)?

Bonjour Jacquelyn,

Il s’agira de « bon week-end ».

I have received a helpful email in English from the assistant manager of a French hotel I will be visiting. It is signed “Best regards, Gaëlle.” I want to reply in French. Is “Bonjour, Gaëlle” appropriate? If so, is the comma necessary?

The comma will not be necessary before the name, but it should appear after (Bonjour Gaëlle,).

I hope this helps.

How would you say Referred by Mrs. X….

Bonjour Lilianne,

It depends on the context, but generally, you may use “recommandé.e par …”.

Bonjour Géraldine et l’équipe de Comme une Française,

En France, est-ce que c’est impoli d’écrire « Claire, » , « Claire : », ou encore pas de salutation spécifique (comme un SMS) au début d’un courriel, spécifiquement quand ce courriel est sa réponse à la réponse de son interlocuteur (c.-à-d. le troisième courriel)? Ou est-ce que c’est nécessaire d’écrire toujours « Bonjour Claire ! » ou une autre salutation que vous avez décrite ici ?

Est-ce que c’est plus courant d’écrire « Bonjour Claire ! » (avec un point d’exclamation) ou « Bonjour Claire, » (avec une virgule) ?

Je pense que ces différences sont subtiles, mais importantes. Merci pour votre aide !

Bonjour Claire,

Oui, en effet, on préfèrera une salutation (Bonjour/Salut, etc.) suivie de la virgule.

Comment dit on en anglais tu bien chez moi ?

Bonjour Maria,

Je crois qu’il nous manque un verbe dans cette phrase. Tu (?) es bien chez moi = “Are you well in my house?” dans le sens de “Did you settle well?”, “Do you like it here?”, “Does it suit you?”

J’espère que cette réponse est utile.

Bonne journée,

Merci Beaucoup Geraldine. Tu m´a aidé enormement avec les e mails. Tu es vraiment tres gentille.

Salut Géraldine! Pas de “gros bisous “😘 dans tes mails ?

merci beaucoup Geraldine . C’est tres utile et pratique. vous etes le meillere peter en Grece

Merci beaucoup Géraldine. C’est super utile parce ce que je vais rester avec un ami en France la semaine prochaine et aprés, je lui ecrirai pour dire ‘merci’.

C’est très utile et pratique. Merci beaucoup!

C’est exactement ce que je voulais aussi. Merci beaucoup, madam. Vous etes le meilleur.

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Continuing our section on writing a letter in French , we look at some common forumlae for closing a letter in French.

Closures: informal

Closures to informal letters are less formulaic than formal or business letters, so there are a variety of possibilities. Here are some common ones:

Closures: formal

Traditionally, French business correspondence ends with one of various silly long-winded formulae, although particularly in the case of e-mail correspondence, these are starting to go out the window. A common favourite for closing a semi-formal business e-mail is cordialement .

See also the general section on writing a business letter in French .

By the way, there's no shame in not remembering these formulae: many French speakers end up looking them up in a book and/or using numerous variants (and arguing about which is "correct"). One convention is that agréer is used when you have a "filler" word like expression , assurance ; recevoir or accepter is used when salutations directly follows.

Next: phrases for business letters/e-mails

On the next page, we look at useful phrases and vocabulary for writing a business letter in French .

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How to End an Email in French: 23 Email Sign-Offs

• By Catherine Rickman
• April 26, 2023

There are few things more subtly stress-inducing than writing an email . And if you’re trying to write one in a language that isn’t your own , don’t be surprised if the nerve-racking nature of the challenge leaves you curled up in a ball under your desk, praying for the robot takeover. Because then at least this email could write itself. If you’re struggling to figure out how to end an email in French for a job interview, thank you note, informal email, or formal letter, there are several French email sign-offs that will prevent you from saying “Love” to your boss, or “Warm regards” to your BFF. French people are very particular about language, so using the wrong French email sign-off can make you come off as disrespectful, overly familiar, or stiff.

To make you sound like a native French speaker , here are some of the most common email sign-offs used in France, for business letters and personal letters alike.

23 French Email Sign-Offs

1. cordialement (semi-formal).

Even though the literal translation, “Cordially,” would be extremely formal in English, this is perhaps the most common sign-off in French emails; it really has an absence of connotation. Use for: submitting a job application, making HR aware of an official complaint, or asking your professor for a letter of recommendation.

2. Très cordialement (formal)

This is the more formal version of Cordialement . If you feel like covering all your bases you can use this version in pretty much the same way.

3. Bien cordialement (semi-formal)

Like Cordialement , but a bit warmer (say, if you’ve been interacting with the same person multiple times). Use for: finally getting that freelancer to send you the new website specs.

4. Respectueusement (formal)

“Respectfully.” Can be used the same way as Très cordialement .

5 & 6. Amicalement / Affecteusement (informal)

For acquaintances or older friends, the kind of people you want to keep at an arm’s length, or people you haven’t heard from in a long time. Similar to “warm regards.” Use for: inviting your neighbors to a block party.

7. Sincères salutations (semi-formal)

For when you don’t know the recipient personally, but have been emailing back and forth for a bit. Use for: When you’re coordinating things for a project or event with someone in another department.

8 & 9. Bisous / Gros bisous (informal)

Meaning “kisses,” this familiar sign off is used for close friends and family. Use for: Emailing your mom to tell her you finally submitted your taxes.

10. Je t’embrasse (informal)

This translates more or less to “lots of hugs.” Use for: a letter to your grandma, uncle, or other extended family member

11. Bises (informal)

The email equivalent of the in-person cheek kiss. Use for: inviting a second-tier friend out for drinks this weekend.

12. A+ (informal)

The diminutive of A plus tard or “See you later.” Extremely casual. Use for:  after sending an invitation to drinks in the form of a meme.

13. À bientôt (neutral)

“See you soon.” Good for planning emails that will result in some kind of face-to-face encounter. Use for: a group email discussing a surprise party for your boyfriend.

14 & 15. À demain / À la semaine prochaine (neutral)

See you tomorrow/See you next week. Same as À bientôt , but with a specific date in mind. Use for: finally nailing down that long-awaited rendezvous with your cousin who’s in town for the weekend.

16. En vous remerciant de l’attention que vous porterez à ma demande. (formal)

“Thank you for bringing your attention to my request.” It doesn’t translate very well into English, but the sentiment is clear: formal, formal, formal. Use for: emailing the CEO of your company.

17. Veuillez agréer, Madame/Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués. (formal)

“Accept, Sir/Madam, the expression of my distinguished feelings.” This one can be mixed and matched, like in the following examples (which all pretty much mean the same thing).

Use for: emailing an authority figure, such as a politician or someone in charge of clearing your visa.

18. Veuillez agréer Madame/Monsieur, l’expression de mes sincères salutations. (formal)

“Please accept, Madam/Sir, the expression of my sincere greetings.”

19. Veuillez recevoir, Monsieur/Madame, mes sentiments respectueux et dévoués. (formal)

“Please accept, Sir/Madam, my respectful and devoted sentiments.”

20. Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame/Monsieur, mes sincères salutations. (formal)

“Please accept, Sir/Madam, my sincere greetings.”

21. Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées. (formal)

“Please accept, Sir/Madam, the expression of my distinguished greetings.”

Use for: corresponding with your corporate lawyer.

22. Avec mes remerciements, je vous prie de trouver ici, Madame/Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués. (formal)

This one adds an extra “thank you” at the beginning for some extra respect points.

23. Dans l’attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur/Madame, mes salutations distinguées. (formal)

If you’re waiting on a response from someone in a formal situation, you can add “waiting for your response” to the beginning of one of these expressions.

Use for: gently prodding your potential employer at a big conservative company to actually look at your resume.

– How do you say warm regards in French in an email?

There is no direct translation of “warm regards” in French, but “Cordialement” is the closest in terms of tone.

– Can I end an email with “Merci” in French?

You can end an email with “Merci,” but it would be more polite to follow that “Merci” with a “Cordialement” or “Sincères salutations.”

Catherine Rickman is a writer and professional francophile who has lived in Paris, New York, and Berlin. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman .

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• Letter Writing

How to End a Letter in French

Last Updated: March 11, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Lorenzo Garriga and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Lorenzo is a native French speaker and French language connoisseur. He has many years of experience as a translator, writer and reviewer. He is also a composer, pianist, and globe-trotter, who has been travelling the world on a shoestring for almost 30 years with a backpack. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 139,908 times.

Writing a letter or email in French follows much of the same format as a letter or email in English. However, the French tend to be more formal in their written correspondence than most English speakers. This formality is seen particularly in the closing, which can be lengthy and complex. How you end a letter in French depends on how well you know the person to whom you're writing, the purpose of the letter, and the degree of formality. [1] X Research source

Closing a Formal Letter

• While a literal translation of this phrase would be "looking forward to reading you," its actual meaning is closer to "looking forward to hearing from you" or "looking forward to your reply."

• Veuillez recevoir, Monsieur/Madame, mes salutations distinguées is used for general business or formal letters. This phrase is similar to "yours sincerely" in a letter written in English.
• Veuillez agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l'assurance de ma considération distinguée is used if you are writing to someone who would be considered your equal, or someone in an inferior position to yourself. For example, you might use this expression if you were a business owner writing a vendor.

• Use Je vous prie d'agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l'expression de mes sentiments respectueux if you are writing to someone who would generally be considered your superior, such as if you are applying for a job.
• Je vous prie de croire, Monsieur/Madame, à l'assurance de mes salutations distinguées is used if you are writing to a dignitary or elected official. It means something closer to "yours faithfully," and implies a subjugation to the recipient.

Tip: When writing the most formal closing, use à rather than en . The phrase de croire en is more typically used when referring to God, and would be considered overly exaggerated by even the most egotistical official.

• For example, suppose you're writing a business owner named Jacques Cousteau to apply for a job. You might close your letter Je vois prie d'agréer, Cher Monsieur Cousteau, l'expression de mes sentiments respectueux.

• For example, suppose you were writing to a business owner on behalf of a nonprofit organization to request a donation. You might close your letter with Nous vous prions d'agreer, Monsieur/Madame, l'expression de nos sentiments respectueux.

• If you used a formal closing that ended with respectueux, use the word cordialement instead so you don't repeat yourself.

• The single word cordialement typically is used to close a business email. This is considered semi-formal. You should still use the full formal closing if you're writing to someone who would be considered your superior, especially if you've never communicated with them before.

• If you need to make a digital copy of your signature, sign a white piece of paper and scan it. Then you can paste the image into your email and manipulate the size as you wish.
• You may also be able to create a digital signature image with your finger on a tablet, or by using a trackpad on a laptop.

Signing Off a Personal Letter

• For example, suppose you were writing to your sister, who has a daughter named Sophie. You might add embrasse Sophie pour moi (which means "Hug Sophie for me").

• Among friends or close acquaintances where you have a tu relationship, use amicalement , a word with a meaning similar to "best wishes" in English.
• With closer friends or family members, you might use affectueusement , which means "love from" or "with love."
• You might also sign off with hugs or kisses, using a phrase such as je t'embrasse or grosses bises ("big hugs"), or gros bisous ("big kisses").

Tip: When writing to a close friend your own age or younger, you can be even more casual – especially when writing an email. The variants bisouxx , bizoux , and bizoudou are similar to closing a letter or email with "xoxo" in English.

• For an older relative, such as a grandparent, you might use je vous embrasse , which sends an affectionate hug but still addresses the older person as vous .
• For a distant acquaintance or friend you still have a vous relationship with, you might use votre ami dévoué(e), which means "your devoted friend."
• Basic closings that might be used regardless of the closeness of your relationship include amitiés ("best wishes" or "all the best") or chaleureusement ("warmly" or "with warm regards"). If you're extremely close to the recipient, these might come across as too generic or cold. However, they would be appropriate if, for example, you were sending an email to several friends of varying degrees of closeness.

• For example, if you addressed a letter to an older relative to Madame Cousteau, you would typically sign the letter using Madame or Monsieur, as appropriate, followed by your last name.
• If you addressed the letter to the recipient by their first name, you would typically sign the letter with your first name.

Determining the Degree of Formality

• If the recipient is okay being on tu terms with you, they will let you know in their response.
• Always use vous in business letters, even if you know the recipient.

• This rule applies even to close relatives who are older than you, such as grandparents or aunts and uncles. In that case, even if you have a close and warm relationship, addressing them as vous indicates a measure of respect and politeness. This is similar to how you might use "ma'am" or "sir" with an older relative in English.

Cultural Note: If someone has requested that you address them as tu , it is considered rude to continue to address them as vous without any explanation. If someone asks you to call them tu and you're not comfortable with that, let them know your feelings as soon as possible.

• In business communications, the use of vous would indicate that you consider the relationship to be professional in nature, even if you occasionally interact more personally.
• To some degree, this may be considered an older habit. If you are already on tu terms with the person, you can generally assume that you can write them more informally as well.

• Your level of formality would also depend on the purpose of your letter. If you are writing the person in their capacity as a government official or other dignitary, use vous even if you have a more personal relationship, out of respect for their office.

Expert Q&A

• Be careful with punctuation if you are typing. Unlike in English, most punctuation marks require a space both before and after. The comma and the period are exceptions. [11] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-vocabulary/how-to-write-letters-in-french
• ↑ https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-learners/learning-french/french-letter-writing/
• ↑ https://blog.speechling.com/how-to-write-a-formal-letter-in-french/
• ↑ https://graduateland.com/article/French-cover-letter
• ↑ https://www.talkinfrench.com/how-to-write-letters-in-french/
• ↑ https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-vocabulary/switch-vous-tu-french

About This Article

To close out an email or letter in French, make sure to maintain formality and tell the recipient you look forward to their reply using specific expressions, like "dans l'attente de vous lire." If you're writing a business letter, try something like "Veuillez recevoir, Monsieur/Madame, mes salutations distinguées," which means something similar to "yours sincerely." Alternatively, if you are writing to a business associate who you consider your equal or inferior to you, use "Veuillez agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l'assurance de mon parfaite considération." To use the proper protocol, make sure to include the same full title and name that you used in your opening, and check that you are using the correct pronouns as well. Finally, finish your letter with a handwritten signature, which will convey a sense of formality and respect. For more tips, like how to close a formal email in French, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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