How does one respectfully sign off semi-formal (e.g. business) emails without going for the full blown “Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes sentiments distingués.” etc.?
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See also: french.stackexchange.com/questions/757/…– Stéphane GimenezNov 19, 2012 at 17:25
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4 Answers
In business or university context, I tend to use:
Cordialement,
Moreover, if I am thankful and want to convey this stronger feeling, I use:
Bien cordialement,
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I would complete by saying "Bien cordialement", is generally reservated for more formal discussions. (Student, teacher...)– ZenklysAug 17, 2011 at 21:16
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1To add on Zenlys comment: when the student writes to the teacher, he can write "Bien cordialement à vous". It formal and respectful, but not too much. Aug 17, 2011 at 22:20
I often use the adverb for cordial:
Cordialement,
<Here my email signature>
For an “almost friend but not really friend”, I use something similar to kindly:
Amicalement,
<Here my email signature>
I often use:
Bien à vous
or:
Bien à toi
which is closer to Yours truly I guess.
answered Aug 17, 2011 at 21:00
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I personally use Bien à vous too when I write an email in French– user22Aug 17, 2011 at 21:06
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1I find bien à toi disturbingly direct at the same time as formal. I'd reserve it to very close people, if to use it at all. Nov 19, 2012 at 18:36
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In short e-mail exchanges with a business contact you know more personally, you can also use "Bàv" or "Bàt", which are abbreviations for "bien à vous" et "bien à toi".– GregSep 13, 2017 at 16:22
Taking the first few mails in my inbox, we have:
Bonne journée,
Bonne fin de semaine,
Cordialement,
Quite often, nothing.
But mostly, as this is the one included in the official company signature:
Meilleures salutations,
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1Define good for salutations !? (It sounds contrived to me.) Nov 19, 2012 at 18:39