Years ago (in my pre-professional days), I signed letters to my friends and family members, “Love, Natalie”.  When I was in college, I did a summer study abroad in Lyon, France, and lived with a lovely host family. One day I needed to leave them a short note since they were not home and I would be gone all day.  After a few sentences, I wanted to offer a closing and my name.  But what would I say?  Surely, “Amour, Natalie” was not correct (at this point I was also wondering how I did not learn this in high school!).  I ended up just including my name to close but later learned that “Bises” would have sufficed.

Years later I would need to conclude more formal French letters and once again was plagued with feelings of  “what do I say?” In part 1 of our Business French blog posts we’re offering several options for salutations and closings in professional French settings should you happen to find yourself with the same conundrum!

Salutations


Salutation: Madame/Monsieur,
Occasion: Writing to a particular person that you don’t know OR writing not to a particular person in a company or large organization that you don’t know

Salutation: Cher Monsieur, Chère Madame,
Occasion: Writing to a person you know a little or a lot

Salutation: Bonjour Madame/Monsieur Monet,
Occasion: Writing to a person you know a little or a lot

Salutation: Bonjour Pierre/Marie,
Occasion: Writing to a person you know a little or a lot

Salutation: Monsieur le Directeur/Madame la Directrice,
Occasion: Writing to a manager or the head of a department

Closings




Very formal closings
Veuillez recevoir mes salutations les meilleures/distinguées.
Je vous prie de recevoir mes salutations les meilleures/distinguées

Formal closings
Cordialement, /Bien cordialement,
Bien à vous,
Bien à toi,

Closings for those you are friendly with
Amitiés,
Amicalement,
Sincèrement,

Bonus!


Here are some phrases you can use to conclude your letter before the closing:

To let them know you are waiting for their response: Je reste dans l’attente de votre réponse.
To thank them in advance: Je vous en remercie par avance./Merci par avance.
To let them know you remain at their disposal: Je reste à votre disposition.
To excuse yourself: Je vous prie d’excuser….
To offer your expertise: N'hésitez pas à revenir vers moi avec la moindre question


Natalie Collet

Former Membership Manager

From the Midwest, Natalie is a Francophile at heart. Her interest in French started when studying ballet and​ the language and culture entranced her through her student years.​ She became involved with the - Alliance - in the suburbs of Chicago after she spent an unforgettable year teaching English in a French high school near Bordeaux. She is happy to join the team in Boston and work with the members to provide them with unique opportunities​, ​quality programming​, and a community through French!

See All Posts

Related Posts

Lifelong Learning of French - Part 2

Since I was very young I knew I wanted to learn as many languages as possible. It all started when I was a kid, and…

Read More

What Are Your French Resolutions for 2023?

When it comes to New Year resolutions, there are two different types of people: those who make them and plan ahead of time; and those…

Read More

Holiday vocabulary to celebrate the end of the year en français!

It’s not breaking news but the holiday season is already here! We celebrated Thanksgiving and soon we will be in the midst of all the…

Read More

Upcoming Events

Entertainment

Poetry Contest

Time to use our typewriter

From May 23, 2023 To Jun 23, 2023

We invite parents and children to gather in the children's room of our library for a magical story time in French!

Read More
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 4:00 PM To 5:30 PM

The French Library is pleased to welcome you for an afternoon of cartoons in French with our sponsor TV5 Monde.

Read More
Festival

Marché d'été

French Summer Market

Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:00 AM To 4:00 PM

Sip and shop your way through our line-up of local artisans and vendors at our first edition of French Summer Market. Members get in free!

Read More