I can read a letter from a friend and understand what's new with them and what they're asking for; I can start and end a letter myself — and not mix up Bises and Cordialement.
A letter to a friend and an e-mail: the parts
A letter to a friend and an e-mail: the parts
A letter to a friend and a short e-mail have a fixed structure; both tables show it in full.
Greeting. To a friend: “Salut Lucas,” or “Cher Lucas,”; to a woman: “Chère Julie,” (unlike “Dear”, cher agrees); to an adult you barely know: “Bonjour Madame Moreau,”. Put a comma after the greeting and start the text on a new line.
Opening: Comment ça va ? Merci pour ta carte postale. Then the news.
Closing: Écris-moi vite. Donne-moi de tes nouvelles. À bientôt.
Sign-off. Friends and family: Bises (like “Love,”). A colleague, a teacher, a salesperson: Cordialement (like “Best regards,”). The level's main mistake: Bises to your boss.
A paper letter goes in l'enveloppe; you write the recipient's name (le destinataire) at the top, stick on le timbre, and drop it in la boîte aux lettres.
An e-mail has le destinataire too, but two fields exist only in a courriel: the subject line (l'objet), one short line, and the attached file (la pièce jointe).
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Cher Julie” — before a woman's name, add the ending e.
• NOT “Bises, Nicolas” in a letter to a teacher — use Cordialement.
• NOT “Salut Madame Moreau” — with a last name, write Bonjour.
• NOT “Hello Lucas” — in French, Salut Lucas.
• NOT “le sujet” in an e-mail — the subject line is l'objet.
A letter: the same parts, different words
The register changes in all four rows: greeting, opening, closing, and sign-off.
| Part of the letter | To a friend | To someone you barely know |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Salut Lucas, | Bonjour Madame Moreau, |
| Opening | Comment ça va ? | Merci pour votre message |
| Closing | Écris-moi vite | À bientôt |
| Sign-off | Bises | Cordialement |
The three fields of an e-mail
Destinataire is on an envelope too; l'objet and la pièce jointe exist only in a courriel.
| Field | What goes in it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le destinataire | To: the recipient's address | julie.martin@exemple.fr |
| l'objet | Subject: one short line | Rendez-vous de mardi |
| la pièce jointe | File: a photo or a document | deux photos |
Lesson notes
A letter to a friend and an e-mail: the parts
A letter to a friend and a short e-mail have a fixed structure; both tables show it in full.
Greeting. To a friend: “Salut Lucas,” or “Cher Lucas,”; to a woman: “Chère Julie,” (unlike “Dear”, cher agrees); to an adult you barely know: “Bonjour Madame Moreau,”. Put a comma after the greeting and start the text on a new line.
Opening: Comment ça va ? Merci pour ta carte postale. Then the news.
Closing: Écris-moi vite. Donne-moi de tes nouvelles. À bientôt.
Sign-off. Friends and family: Bises (like “Love,”). A colleague, a teacher, a salesperson: Cordialement (like “Best regards,”). The level's main mistake: Bises to your boss.
A paper letter goes in l'enveloppe; you write the recipient's name (le destinataire) at the top, stick on le timbre, and drop it in la boîte aux lettres.
An e-mail has le destinataire too, but two fields exist only in a courriel: the subject line (l'objet), one short line, and the attached file (la pièce jointe).
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Cher Julie” — before a woman's name, add the ending e.
• NOT “Bises, Nicolas” in a letter to a teacher — use Cordialement.
• NOT “Salut Madame Moreau” — with a last name, write Bonjour.
• NOT “Hello Lucas” — in French, Salut Lucas.
• NOT “le sujet” in an e-mail — the subject line is l'objet.