Arabic
For formal correspondence, it is common to use: : ''Sa'adat Assayid'' if the reader is male, and ''Sa'adat As'Sayyidah'' if female. It is commonly followed by a full name. For informal correspondence: : ''Al akh'' if male, and ''Al okht'' if female, followed by a first name. For more informal correspondence, ''Azizi'' if the reader is male, and ''Azizati'' if female. To address a group of people, ''A'ezza'e'' for informal correspondence, and in formal correspondence "Sadati" is commonly used and followed by ''Al A'ezza'a'' or "Almuhtarameen". To add more formality, it is common to begin the salutation with ''Ela'' (to), followed by the salutation and a full name. : Example: : ''Azizi Ahmed'', ''Azizati Sarah'', ''A'ezza'e members of the team'' or ''Member of the team Al A'ezzaa''. Formal : ''Sa'adat Assayid Ahmed Abdullah'', ''Sa'adat Assayidah Sarah Ibrahim'', ''Sadati members of the team Almuh-tarameen''. Common salutation for both formal and informal correspondence : ''Sa'adat Alostath Ahmed Abdullah'', ''Sa'adat Alostatha Sarah Ibrahim''. It is common to conclude the salutation with a Doa such as ''May god bless him/her'' or ''May god protect him/her''. This Concluding Doa comes right after the full name of the correspondent.Bengali
The salutation "Dear" (প্রিয়) in combination with a name or a title is by far the most commonly used salutation in Bengali, in both formal and informal correspondence. It is commonly followed by either an honorific and a surname, such as "Shrôddheyô" or "Manônīyô" (শ্রদ্ধেয়/মাননীয়), or by a given name, such as "Shrôddheyô/Manônīyô John" (শ্রদ্ধেয়/মাননীয় জন). However, it is not common in Bengali to use ''both'' a title of address ''and'' a person's given name: "Shrôddheyô/Manônīyô John Smith" (শ্রদ্ধেয়/মাননীয় জন স্মিথ) would not be correct form. If the name of the intended recipient is unknown, acceptable salutations are: : Shrôddheyô (শ্রদ্ধেয়) (if the gender of the reader is unknown). : Snehôr (স্নেহের) (if address someone younger). : Jahar Prôti Iha prôjojyô (যাহার প্রতি ইহা প্রযোজ্য) (if the writer wishes to exclude the gender of the reader from the salutation and/or to convey that the reader should forward the copy to one more suited to receive or respond appropriately. Same as To Whom It May Concern).Dutch
Dutch has two standard forms of salutation: one formal and the other informal. A person's title and surname always follow the salutation, regardless of formality. The formal salutation, "Geachte", is most commonly used in present formal communication, while the informal salutation "Beste" appears in informal communication. However, there is a tendency, especially among the younger generations, to also use this salutation in formal situations." Use of professional titles, especially unabbreviated, is uncommon in Dutch correspondence. The standard formal Dutch salutation is followed by a title, a name and a comma: : Geachte heerEnglish
The salutation "Dear" in combination with aFrench
Standard salutation
The standard French salutation uses the normal style of address to the recipient of the letter, followed by a comma: : ''Monsieur,'' for a man. : ''Madame,'' for a woman (the former distinction between a young or hopefully unmarried woman, with its distinct salutation, ''Mademoiselle'', and an adult or married woman, ''Madame'', is now considered rude; indeed, the usage of "Mademoiselle" has been prohibited in official documents since 2012). When writing specifically to a female where her marital status is irrelevant and/or unknown, the author should use ''Madame'', unless she is a child. When writing to an adult woman, one uses ''Madame'', unless one knows the person prefers ''Mademoiselle''. According to a traditional custom which is sometimes still followed by some people, one could also use ''Mademoiselle'' when writing to a female artist (actress, singer, etc.), regardless of the marital status and age of the person. When the gender of the person to whom one is writing is unknown, the appropriate salutation is (on two lines) : ''Madame,'' : ''Monsieur,'' In the case where the author knows the recipient well or is on friendly terms with him or her, one may add ''Cher/Chère'' in front of the address: : ''Cher Monsieur,'' : ''Chère Mademoiselle,'' (though this may be considered inappropriate for a male author who is not a close family relative of the recipient) : ''Chère Madame,'' A salutation using ''Chère/Cher'' and a title (''Madame/Monsieur/Docteur'') followed by a person's name (e.g. ''Cher Monsieur Dupuis'') used to be considered incorrect. However, maybe following English usage, such a construction is now rather common and deemed relatively formal. In case the author and the recipients are close friends or intimates, one may use the given name of the recipient immediately after ''Cher/Chère''. In case they are family, they may use their familial link preceded by ''Cher/Chère''. This is almost compulsory if the author is a younger member of the family (child to parent, nephew to aunt/uncle, grandchild to grandparent, godchild to godparent) and is left to the author's discretion in other cases. In French, the abbreviation for Monsieur is M.—the English "Mr." is incorrect though often used, especially by banks.Specific salutations
If the recipient holds a specific title, it must be inserted after the ''Monsieur/Madame'': : ''Monsieur/Madame le Président,'' ("Mr./Madam President) : ''Monsieur/Madame l'Ambassadeur,'' ("Mr./Madam Ambassador) : ''Monsieur/Madame le Chancelier,'' ("Mr./Madam Chancellor) : ''Monsieur/Madame le (Premier) Ministre,'' ("Mr./Madam (Prime) Minister) : ''Monsieur/Madame le Directeur,'' ("Mr./Madam Director) : ''Monsieur/Madame le Professeur,'' ("Mr./Madam Professor) In this case, one should always use ''Madame'', and never ''Mademoiselle''. In Québécois usage, many titles will be rendered in the feminine, contrary to practice in France (i.e. ''Madame la Présidente, Madame la Professeure, Madame la Directrice.'') In some cases, the wife of a dignitary may be entitled to a special address: : ''Madame l'Ambassadrice,'' (for the wife of an ambassador) : ''Madame la Générale,'' (for the wife of an officer) : ''Madame la Colonelle,'' (for the wife of a colonel) If the recipient is aGerman
German has two types of general salutations that are mutually distinguishable from one another—a formal and an informal form. The formal form distinguishes between the male or female gender of the recipient as a matter of courtesy. The male formal salutation begins with ''Sehr geehrter Herr'', while the female formal salutation begins with ''Sehr geehrte Frau''. Both formal salutations are followed by the recipient's academic degree (if any) and the recipient's family name (e.g. ''Sehr geehrter Herr Schmidt'' or ''Sehr geehrte Frau Dr. Schmidt''). It is possible but uncommon to include the full name (e.g. ''Sehr geehrter Herr Johann Schmidt''). With an unknown recipient, ''Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren'' (meaning ''Dear Sir or Madam'') is used with no variation on this. Due to insufficient functionality of computer software used for mass communication, some companies tend to use more clumsy gender neutral formal salutations (e. g. ''Sehr geehrte(r) Herr/ Frau Schmidt''). Informal salutations in German tend to begin with ''Hallo'', meaning "hello", which is used universally, written and spoken, and which is gender neutral. Depending on the region, informal salutations also tend to begin with ''Moin'' (north of Hannover), ''Servus'' (typically in the south and south west), or other words, although only used by locals. A more personal informal salutation begins with ''Lieber'' (male) or ''Liebe'' (female), meaning "dear", (e.g. ''Lieber Paul'', ''Liebe Annette'')—the latter should only be used if the recipient has been actually met in person or similar. It should be used with care because it can be otherwise perceived as patronizing or inappropriate, depending on the difference in age or social status. Specific salutations appear in German very similar to the way they do in English, with the exception that in the address block of a letter German must include all or multiple salutations that can be abbreviated ''Herr Dr. Schmidt'', or ''Herr Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. Krämer'', and can leave out the ''Herr'' or ''Frau''. While in the opening of a letter the direct salutation is reduced to only the most important title ''Sehr geehrter Herr Dr. Schmidt'', or ''Sehr geehrter Herr Professor Krämer''. The same applies to female variant, ''Sehr geehrte Frau Prof. Krämer''. Further details in the German Wikipedia article :de:Anrede.Hindi
In position of the English "Dear" are the words पूज्य (Pūjya), आदरणीय (Ādaraṇīya), or प्रिय(Priya) (from most formal to most informal), for social writing (e.g., relatives/friends). They would not usually be used for business writing. The second may be used in some instances, for example if writing to a teacher. Formal ways of salutation include "Italian
Standard salutation
The standard Italian salutation uses the normal style of address to the recipient of the letter, followed by a comma: : ''Egregio Signore'' for a man (or ''Signor'' if followed by the surname). : ''Gentile Signorina'' for a single woman but it is seldom used in current italian. : ''Gentile Signora'' for a married woman or a single woman (once it was used also for a single woman of high rank or age)Specific salutations
If the recipient holds a specific title: : ''Signor/Signora Presidente'' ("Mr./Mrs. President; sometimes the alternative feminine form ''Presidentessa'' can be used) : ''Egregio Dottor(e)/Gentile Dottoressa'' for anyone holding a university degree and professional journalists (''Dottor'' if followed by surname) : ''Egregio Professor(e)/Gentile Professoressa'' for high-school teachers, university junior professors, and professional orchestra performers : ''Chiarissimo Professore/Chiarissima Professoressa'' for university senior professors : ''Magnifico Rettore/Magnifica Rettrice'' for university rectors : ''Maestro/Maestra'' for orchestra directors, choir directors and soloistsMalayalam
Written salutation includes "Sreeman/Sree" (ശ്രീമാൻ/ശ്രീ) for men and "Sreemathi" (ശ്രീമതി) for women. The language also uses Bahumaanappetta, Aadaranieya (ബഹുമാനപ്പെട്ട, ആദരണീയ) for both genders which has a meaning similar to `Respected` in English. In Malayalam, a formal speech begins with Namaskaaram, Vandanam (നമസ്കാരം, വന്ദനം) and ends with Krithanjatha, Nandi (കൃതജ്ഞത, നന്ദി)Persian
In Persian language, formal and informal phrases are used for salutation and they are referred to as ''ehteramat'' (احترامات): ;Formal salutation Written by/for officials, a letter normally starts with the followings: * Besmehi ta'ala (بسمه تعالی), ''in his almighty name''. * Be name Khoda (به نام خدا), ''in the name of God''. * Besmellahe Rahmane Rahim (بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم), aPortuguese
Formal salutations
The standard formal Portuguese salutation uses an addressing expression such as ''Caro'' (Dear) or ''Excelentíssimo Senhor'' (Most Excellent Sir), followed by the addressee titles (e.g. ''Eng.'') and addressee name. Most expressions must be modified to account for addressee gender and number. Caro, for example, becomes: : ''Caro'' for a man; : ''Caros'' for a group of men or a mixed group of men and women; : ''Cara'' for a woman; : ''Caras'' for a group of women. The formal expression ''Excelentíssimo Senhor'' is often abbreviated as: :''Exmo. Sr.'' for a man; :''Exma. Sra.'' for a woman; Addressee titles can be professional and are often preceded by ''Sr.'' (Mr.) and almost always abbreviated (e.g. ''Arquitecto'' – ''Arq.'' (Architect), ''Engenheiro'' – ''Eng.'' (Engineer), ''Padre'' – ''Pe.'' (Priest)). An exception to this rule is the Medical Doctor (''Médico Doutor''), often addressed as ''Doutor'', being the abbreviation ''Dr.'' instead used to address anyone holding a baccalaureate degree. Each military or ecclesiastic rank has one abbreviation, and, historically, nobility ranks also had one—for example, one of the ways of addressing the Portuguese Monarch would be ''Sua Majestade'' (Your Majesty) abbreviated as ''S.M.'' . The title ''Sr.'' (Mr.) can also be used on its own, when appropriate.Informal salutations
Informal salutations may or may not be followed by the name of the addressee, and almost never contain any titles. : ''Olá'' (hello) : ''Oi'' (hi) : ''Querido'' / ''Querida'' (informally, Dear)Romanian
Formal salutations
When addressing a formal letter whose recipient is not known by name, the salutation of preference is ''Stimate Domn, Stimată Doamnă'' (equivalent to ''Dear Sir or Madam'' in English). When the recipient is known by name, ''Stimate Domnule'' or ''Stimată Doamnă'', followed by the person's last name, is used for a man or a woman respectively. For unmarried women, ''Stimată Domnișoară'' is acceptable for close relations, though this title is falling out of use in written communication and can be considered inappropriate or offensive. Examples: : ''Stimate Domn, Stimată Doamnă'' (used when the reader is unknown) : ''Stimate Domnule Ungureanu,'' (used when the reader is a man and his last name is known—this is the most commonly used version) : ''Stimată Doamnă Ungureanu,''(the reader is a woman and the last name is known, the most commonly used version) When the addressee has additional titles, such as ''Doctor'' or ''Profesor'', they are interposed between ''Domnule''/''Doamnă'' and the person's last name, although it is sometimes acceptable to drop the last name altogether when the intended recipient is clear. It is also preferred to write out a person's title when addressing a letter and abbreviations such as ''Prof.'' or ''Acad.'' are best avoided. An exception is ''Dr.'' for ''Doctor'', which is still acceptable in the salutation. If the recipient has multiple titles, generally only the most important one is used. For women, it is current practice to use the masculine form of the title, preferring, for instance, ''Doamnă Director'' instead of ''Doamnă Directoare''. Some titles may lose their intended meaning when used in their feminine form. For instance, ''Profesor''/''Profesoară'' are titles which may be associated with a male/female school teacher. When used to mean a university professor (''profesor universitar''), however, only the masculine form carries this meaning. The feminine ''profesoară universitară'' is not in common use. Examples for use of titles: : ''Stimate Domnule Dr. Ungureanu''; ''Stimate Domnule Doctor'' (the former shows more respect) : ''Stimate Domnule Profesor Ungureanu''; ''Stimate Domnule Profesor''; ''Stimate Domnule Prof. Ungureanu'' (first two versions are better) : ''Stimate Domnule Academician''; ''Stimate Domnule Academician Mihai Ungureanu'' : ''Stimată Doamnă Director''; ''Stimată Doamnă Directoare'' (the former is the recommended version) In very formal situations there can be slight variations in the choice of wording. Most often, more emphasis is added to the adjective ''stimat'' (esteemed), becoming ''mult stimat'' (much esteemed) or ''onorat'' (honoured). When addressing groups, the latter is preferred. Examples: : ''Mult stimate Domnule Director'' (for a director, man) : ''Mult stimată Doamnă Președinte'' (for a president, woman) : ''Onorate Domnule Ungureanu'' (understood as something like: "Honoured Mr. ...", is used in formal letters, usually has the same power as "Mult stimate ...") : ''Onorată Comisie'' (addressed to a group of people, for example a commission) : ''Onorați Reprezentanți'' (addressed to a group of representatives) : ''Stimați/Onorați Participanți'' (both versions are good, addressed to a group of participants)Informal salutations
The most widespread salutation for informal letters is, by a large margin, ''dragă'' (equivalent to English ''dear''). This can be used independently of the recipient's gender and is normally followed by the first name. An alternative which is less familiar is ''salut'' (equivalent to English ''hi'', ''hello''), followed by the first name. This version is typical of the workplace, where using ''dragă'' would be too familiar. Examples: : ''Dragă Ruxanda''; ''Dragă Mihai'' (used usually with the first name) : ''Salut Ruxanda''; ''Salut Mihai''Other
During Romania's communist period, it was generally frowned upon to use ''domn''/''doamnă'' (meaning ''Mr.''/''Mrs.'') to address people, preferring ''tovarăș'' (comrade) or ''cetățean'' (citizen) instead. This was reflected in written communication from that period. Today, society has reverted to using ''domn''/''doamnă'' as the standard way to address or refer to others. Today, salutations using the distinctly communist-sounding ''tovarăș'' or ''cetățean'' are only used in closed communist circles or humorously. Examples: : ''Stimate Tovarășe Ungureanu''; ''Stimată Cetățeancă Ungureanu''; ''Stimate Cetățean Ungureanu'' The oldest surviving document written in''Mudromu I plemenitomu, I cistitomu I B om darovannomu zupan Hanăș Begner ot Brașov mnog zdravie ot Nécșul ot Dlugopole.'' (To the most wise and noble and honoured and by God gifted master Hanăș Bengnerhat is, Johannes Benkner A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...from Brașov, much health from Neacșu from Câmpulung.)
Russian
In letters and during conversations, Russian speakers use : ''Уважаемый'' / ''Уважаемая'' (according to gender – M/F) : ''Многоуважаемый'' / ''Многоуважаемая'' : ''Глубокоуважаемый'' / ''Глубокоуважаемая'' followed by the given name andSpanish
;Informal salutations * "Hola" / "Hola" (+ name). Every time, everywhere, oral or written. * "Hola a todos". Addressed to a group of people, whether their names are known or not. ;Intermediate salutations. Not as simple as "hola" but can be used in every situation. These can be used in oral or written Spanish. * Buenos días. To be used from when you wake up to Noon or 1pm. Equivalent to good morning. * Buenas tardes. To be used from Noon or 1pm up to the sunset. Equivalent to good afternoon. * Buenas noches. From the sunset to the moment that you go to bed. Equivalent to good evening and good night. ;Formal salutations. Only written. * "Estimado" (+ name or title "Señor". "Sr." is the abbreviation). For male. Example for a man called Juan García: "Estimado Juan" or "Estimado Sr. García". The last is more formal. * "Estimada" (+ name or title "Señora". "Sra." is the abbreviation). For female. Example for a woman called Ana Sánchez: "Estimada Ana" or "Estimada Sra. Sánchez". The last is more formal. * "Estimados amigos" (plural) When your letter is addressed to a group of people. * "Estimado amigo" or "Querido amigo" (male or unknown gender). You may or not know the name of the person. * "Estimada amiga" or "Querida amiga" (female). * "Estimadas amigas" (a group of females). * "Excelentísimo Señor" (+name or without it) or "Excelentísima Señora" (female). This is extremely formal and is usually reserved for certain formal procedures with the government. You can also use "Ilustrísimo" (male) or "Ilustrísima" (female) instead of "Excelentísimo". ;Formal Letter to unknown receipt. * A quien correspondaTamil
Written salutations are "Thiru/Thiruvalar" "திரு/திருவாளர்" for men, "Thirumathi"/"திருமதி" for women, "Selvi/Thiruniraiselvi" "செல்வி/திருநிறைச்செல்வி" for unmarried women "Selvan/Thiruniraiselvan" "செல்வன்/திருநிறைச்செல்வன்" for unmarried men "Amarar (Marar) / Vaanor" "அமரர் (மரர்) / வானோர்" for Deceased person.Telugu
Various forms of salutation in Telugu are as follows: "Sri / Shri" ( శ్రీ ) is used to address men, "Srimathi / Shrimathi" ( శ్రీమతి ) is reserved for married woman. Unmarried girls are usually addressed as "Kumari" ( కుమారి ). In addressing a person in letter, usually in case of elders, "Poojyulaina" (పూజ్యులైన / పూజ్యనీయులైన) is often used although "Ganga Bhagirathi Samanulaina" ( గంగా భాఘీరతి సమానులైన )is used for female elders. When addressing a person who is younger, "Chiranjeevi" ( చిరంజీవి ) is commonly used irrespective of all genders. "Kumari" ( కుమారి ) is sometimes used for unmarried women and "Chiranjeevi Lakshmi Sowbhagyavathi ( చిరంజీవి లక్ష్మీ సౌభాగ్యవతి ), Chi. La. Sow. ( ఛి. ల. సౌ. ) in short for married women In addition, a suffix "garu" ( గారు ) is added as a respect or to address an elderly person irrespective of gender. Example: శ్రీ నరసింహ రాజు గారు, (Mr. Narasimharaju,)Turkish
In Turkish, there are two forms of salutations, formal and informal. Like most other languages, gender doesn't play a role in the salutation. When addressing somebody in formal writing, one can use "Sayın ''Surname''" without having to refer to the gender. If the title of the recipient is known, it is better to use it in place of the name, as in "Sayın Doktor". In a formal salutation, if the recipient's name is unknown, one uses "Sayın Yetkili", which is similar to "Dear Sir/Madam" in English. If the name and the gender of the intended recipient is known though, acceptable salutations are; Hanim (if the intended recipient is female), Bey (if the intended recipient is male). These salutations are used with the first names. When the surname is intended to be used, it is combined with "Sayin" instead. If a lady is named "Nihan Erten" for instance, she is referred to as either "''Nihan Hanim''" or "''Sayin Erten''". When an older person salutes a younger one in a formal way, he/she can refer to the younger person as "Hanim kizim" for females and "Bey oglum" for males where "kizim" is intended as "daughter" and "oglum" is intended as "son". In the informal way "Kizim" and "Oglum" are enough without having to use "Hanim/Bey". In an informal salutation, one can also use "Sevgili ''Name''", which has almost the same meaning with "Dear ''Name''".Ukrainian
In correspondence and during conversations, Ukrainian speakers use the words "Шановний/Шановна" (Shanovnyy/Shanovna) or "Вельмишановний/Вельмишановна" (according to male/female gender) as a salutation, followed by the given name (sometimes also usesSee also
*References
Further reading
*External links
* {{Wiktionary inline, salutation Greeting words and phrases Letters (message) de:Anrede