# writing an e-mail



## onomatopeya

Hi, 

I want to know if is correct begin an email with ni hao and finish it with zai jian?

I want to write an email to someone that I don't know, but I think he is a young person.

In English I'll say "hi" and "regards".
But maybe in Mandarin I need to be more formal even  if he is young.....

or maybe there are better ways to begin and end an email....


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## Dalian

Hola onomatopeya,

It's perfectly acceptable to begin your email with 'ni hao' and end with 'zai jian'. They sound nice to me.

Regards
Dalian


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## onomatopeya

ni hao Dalian,

many thanks for your answer.
xie xie


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## paddycarol

onomatopeya said:


> Hi,
> 
> I want to know if is correct begin an email with ni hao and finish it with zai jian?
> 
> I want to write an email to someone that I don't know, but I think he is a young person.
> 
> In English I'll say "hi" and "regards".
> But maybe in Mandarin I need to be more formal even if he is young.....
> 
> or maybe there are better ways to begin and end an email....


 
 It would be quite *silly* to finish a Chinese letter with *zai jian. Never use it!* -- Imagine you see a "goodbye" in an English letter! In practice, there's no need addressing at the end, even in a formal case.


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## Flaminius

paddycarol said:


> It would be quite *silly* to finish a Chinese letter with *zai jian. Never use it!* -- Imagine you see a "goodbye" in an English letter! In practice, there's no need addressing at the end, even in a formal case.


Then how do you close your email communications?  Do you simply sign your name?


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## paddycarol

Flaminius said:


> Then how do you close your email communications? Do you simply sign your name?


Yes, a signature is quite needed. But you are also expected to add a date below.


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## onomatopeya

In English I usually write at the bottom of the email *Best Regards.
*Is there in Chinese a similar expression?


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## Flaminius

In full knowledge that this may sounds pretty quaint in today's Chinese, I give me ¢2.

I often close my emails by:

愚生
頓首
[imbecile in deep bow]
OR

Flaminius拝
[Flaminius greeting]

Whaddya say?


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## paddycarol

onomatopeya said:


> In English I usually write at the bottom of the email *Best Regards.*
> Is there in Chinese a similar expression?


祝好! or 祝您万事如意!


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## Savoir

Flaminius said:


> In full knowledge that this may sounds pretty quaint in today's Chinese, I give me ¢2.
> 
> I often close my emails by:
> 
> 愚生
> 頓首
> [imbecile in deep bow]
> OR
> 
> Flaminius拝
> [Flaminius greeting]
> 
> Whaddya say?



Frankly speaking, I'm chinese and I don't understand the above. Nobody would use the above forms of address in any modern day formal letter, let alone emails. Emails are casual forms of writing, and you can be really casual. In fact, I never end my emails with anything, even zai jian. If it is a formal one, you may end it with zai jian, something like see you, bye.

愚生 - me (I'm a foolish studying kind of person)
頓首 - pondering, lowering my head, thinking deeply

No offence, but the above, if used in modern day writing, have a really comical effect. They belong to at least 200 years ago, if not earlier. Unless you want to give others an impression of being an old man. (no offence again), or for comical effect. (most probably)


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## midismilex

Flaminius said:


> In full knowledge that this may sounds pretty quaint in today's Chinese, I give me ¢2.
> 
> I often close my emails by:
> 
> 愚生
> 頓首
> [imbecile in deep bow]
> OR
> 
> Flaminius拝
> [Flaminius greeting]
> 
> Whaddya say?


 


Savoir said:


> Frankly speaking, I'm chinese and I don't understand the above.


Of course, you don't.

Flaminius is writing Japanese best regards (or ending of a letter), not Chinese, OK?



Savoir said:


> If it is a formal one, you may end it with zai jian, something like see you, bye.


Eek!


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## Flaminius

midismilex said:


> Flaminius is writing Japanese best regards (or ending of a letter), not Chinese, OK?



 Well, I thought it was Chinese but wasn't sure about the date... [Even for a Japanese letter, the expression is too old-fashioned.  But this is an entirely different matter.  ]

Now, I am still wondering what kind of closing phrase is used in Chinese emails, if at all a closing phrase is used.  Do they used the format for letters?



> 此致
> 敬礼
> Flaminius​


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## midismilex

Flaminius said:


> Well, I thought it was Chinese but wasn't sure about the date...


No, 愚生/頓首/拝 are absolutely not Chinese. 

*With different kinds of formal letters*, and *whom you will inform to*, the letter head (title) and the ending of a letter (best regards) have different kinds of titles and best regards.

敬禮 is a wrong usage. And 此致 is used in an official document/letter.


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## Seastar

You can always use these:

祝愿  顺心/安康


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## paddycarol

Hello, Flaminius
The crrect form should be:

此致(against the right side)
敬礼(against the left side)


Paddycarol (right side)
2006年11月14日 (right side)
Note: 此致should be put at the end of a line while 敬礼at the beginning. This is a tradition most observed in ancient China when people wrote letters. As you know, Chinese letters in the past were written vertically and leftwards. (from above to below and right to left). Then once *the name* of whom you are writing to is mentioned, you are not expected to proceed (as is indicated by 此致)but *initiate another line* and put the person's name at the beginning. Thus his name would be always at the top end of the letter. As you may have assumed, this is a way to *show respect*. Nowadays, people do not write in this way anymore, but the tradition to show respect is inherited and transformed as what I have shown you above.
Sorry, I can not manage the famat.


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## midismilex

Well, the correct form will be:

XXXXXX (title)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX(body of the letter)(and best regards, if needed). 此致

XXXXXXX (whom you inform to)

XXXXXXXX(=>signature) is writing
XXXX (date)

======

It's *a kind* of form for such letters/emails. And it's formal. We write it like a piece of cake and all the time.


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## paddycarol

midismilex said:


> Well, the correct form will be:
> 
> XXXXXX (title)
> 
> XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX(body of the letter)(and best regards, if needed). 此致
> 
> XXXXXXX (whom you inform to)
> 
> XXXXXXXX(=>signature) is writing
> XXXX (date)
> 
> ======
> 
> It's *a kind* of form for such letters/emails. And it's formal. We write it like a piece of cake and all the time.


Maybe things are different, but in mainland China, signature and date are put on the right side.


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## midismilex

paddycarol said:


> Maybe things are different, but in mainland China, signature and date are put on the right side.


 I can imagine.


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