If you're ever received (or worse, had to write) a formal French letter, then you'll know how absurdly difficult they can be to understand (and compose). 

 

Here's a list of some of the most commonly occurring greetings, phrases, and sign-offs that you need to know before putting pen to paper. Perhaps the best thing is, you just don't need to understand some of them, just to learn them off by heart.

 

Starting a letter

 

There are rules galore for how you start off a letter, so if you want to make a good impression then take note. 

 

Forget Cher

 

Never assume that you can start off a formal letter with the French word for “Dear” – Cher, or Chère if you're writing to a woman – unless you're sure you can get away with it (a letter to family, or a friend for example). 

 

Begin formally 

 

If you're unsure who to send the letter or email to, write:

 

Monsieur (or Messieurs) – meaning Sir (or Sirs). Sexist, sure. 

 

If you do know the surname of the person, go for:

 

Monsieur Dupois or Madame Dupois, for example. 

 

READ ALSO: Dos and don'ts to help you cope with writing in French

 

Photo: alecska/Flickr

 

Continue formally

 

There are loads of useful little phrases for letter writing in French that regularly crop up, all longer and far more complicated than their English cousins. Here are a few. Just learn them, don't try to understand them.

 

Je vous prie de bien vouloir me faire savoir… Can you please let me know…

 

Je vous prie d'avoir l'obligeance de… Would you please be so kind as to…

 

 

End it formally

 

If you thought the intro was formal, get your teeth around these formal (and admittedly clunky) ways to essentially say “Yours sincerely” in French. 

 

Je vous prie de bien vouloir agréer l’expression de mes salutations distingués 

 

Veuillez recevoir, Monsieur/Madame, nos salutations distingués 

 

Veuillez agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l’assurance de notre parfait considération. 

 

Je vous prie de croire, Monsieur/Madame, à l’assurance de mes salutations distinguées

 

Or, lastly, you could tone it down if you think you can get away with it:

 

“Meilleures salutations” or “Salutations distinguées”.