![]() Additional information is often used to add special details or clarity to the delivery instructions. These are the 3 lines that will be in every address. The three core details of any French address are the recipient/addressee or “destinataire”, the street address, and the postcode + locality/town. For starters, addresses should not be any longer than six lines (seven for international), with no more than 38 characters per line, and CAPITAL LETTERS ARE USED – a lot. Yes, like letters, addressing an envelope has its own rules in France. That’s quite a mouthful – but it’s written all the time, so make a note and keep it handy! Typically for professional correspondence the English phrase “Yours sincerely” or “Yours faithfully” will be “ Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur/Madame (or whichever title you used in the top of the letter) l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.” Why use 2 words when at least 10 will do?! The French are a lot more formal when it comes to closing a letter. The top section of a letter will look something like this: If you don’t know the name(s) of the recipients – use “ Monsieur le Directeur” or “ Madame la Directrice” or you are writing to a group, you could use “ À qui de droit,” ie “To whom it may concern.” In a formal letter you should address the person by their name or official title. You would not use first name terms unless writing to a friend. If you are writing to more than one person, you can say “ Chers Messieurs et Mesdames” – which means “Dear Sirs and Madams.” The French word “ cher” is the equivalent of the English “dear.” You can say “ Cher Monsieur” for a man, or “ Chère Madame” for a female addressee. Unless you are writing to a personal friend, your letter should always use the formal conjugations of “vous” instead of “ tu” – if you’re not sure what this is, you can check all French verb tables here: Typically, a letter will have your name and address in the top left hand side, and the date and addressee details aligned lower down to the right. In this modern age, posting letters and cards is less common than ever before, but it’s still very much a part of life in France – a nation renowned for its love of paperwork and bureaucracy! Like all things in a new culture, there are some things to get used to when it comes to letter-writing French-style.
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