French formal correspondence is more codified than English. There are set phrases you are expected to use, in a set order, and an ending so elaborate that it looks like a mistake the first time you meet it. The good news: because it is codified, it is learnable. Get the frame right and the content looks after itself.
| Element | Where | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Your details | top left | Marie Dupont · 12 rue des Lilas · 75011 Paris |
| Recipient | top right | Service des ressources humaines |
| Place and date | right, above the greeting | Paris, le 22 septembre 2026 |
| Objet : | left, before the greeting | Objet : demande de remboursement |
| Formule d'appel | own line | Madame, Monsieur, |
| Body | 2â4 short paragraphs | context â request â availability |
| Formule de politesse | own paragraph | Je vous prie d'agréer⊠|
| Signature | bottom right |
Note the date format: le 22 septembre 2026, with no capital on the month and no ordinal â except the first of the month, which is le 1er.
| French | Pronunciation | When |
|---|---|---|
| Madame, Monsieur, | mah-dahm muh-SYUH | You don't know who will read it |
| Madame, | mah-DAHM | You know it's a woman |
| Madame la Directrice, | mah-dahm lah dee-rek-TREES | You know the role |
| MaĂźtre, | MEHTR | A lawyer or notary |
| Docteur, | dok-TUHR | A doctor |
| Cher Monsieur, | shair muh-SYUH | Someone you already know |
Never write Cher Monsieur Dupont â French does not put the surname after the title in a greeting. It is Cher Monsieur, full stop.
And never open with Bonjour in a formal letter. Bonjour is fine for a casual email; in a letter it reads as careless.
The famous one. It looks absurdly long, and it is compulsory. The rule that governs it: it must repeat the formule d'appel exactly, word for word, inside the sentence.
Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.
| French | Register |
|---|---|
| Je vous prie d'agrĂ©er, âŠ, l'expression de mes salutations distinguĂ©es. | standard formal |
| Veuillez agrĂ©er, âŠ, l'expression de mes sentiments respectueux. | formal, slightly warmer |
| Je vous prie de croire, âŠ, en l'assurance de ma considĂ©ration distinguĂ©e. | very formal, to an authority |
| Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d'agréer, ⊠| when you expect a reply |
Etiquette holds that you send the expression of a sentiment, not the sentiment itself. Hence the padding. Also: a man traditionally does not send sentiments to a woman â use salutations distinguĂ©es and you are safe in every direction.
Professional email keeps the register and drops most of the ceremony.
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Objet : | ob-ZHAY | Subject: |
| Bonjour Madame, | bohn-zhoor mah-DAHM | acceptable email opener |
| Suite Ă votre courriel du⊠| sweet ah votr koo-ree-EL dĂŒ | Further to your email of⊠|
| Je me permets de vous contacter | zhuh muh pair-may DUH | I'm writing to you |
| Veuillez trouver ci-joint | vuh-yay troo-vay see-ZHWAN | Please find attached |
| Je reste Ă votre disposition. | zhuh rest ah votr dees-po-zee-SYOHN | I remain at your disposal. |
| Cordialement, | kor-dyahl-MAHN | Kind regards, |
| Bien Ă vous, | bee-en ah VOO | Yours sincerely (warmer) |
| Bien cordialement, | bee-en kor-dyahl-MAHN | Best regards |
Formal requests run on the conditional (Lesson 3) and a few fixed formulas.
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Je vous saurais gré de bien vouloir⊠| zhuh voo soh-ray GRAY duh | I'd be grateful if you would⊠|
| Auriez-vous l'obligeance de⊠| o-ree-ay voo lo-blee-ZHAHNS duh | Would you be so kind as to⊠|
| Je me permets de solliciter⊠| zhuh muh pair-may duh so-lee-see-TAY | I am writing to request⊠|
| Pourriez-vous me faire parvenir⊠| poo-ree-ay voo muh fair par-vuh-NEER | Could you send me⊠|
| Je souhaiterais obtenir⊠| zhuh sway-tuh-ray ob-tuh-NEER | I would like to obtain⊠|
Faire parvenir in that fourth row is the faire causatif of Lesson 14, living in the wild.
Madame, Monsieur,
Je me permets de vous contacter au sujet de ma commande n° 4471, passée le 3 septembre et livrée le 12 septembre.
à la réception du colis, j'ai constaté que l'article livré ne correspondait pas à celui commandé. Je vous saurais gré de bien vouloir procéder au remplacement de l'article ou, le cas échéant, au remboursement intégral de la somme versée.
Vous trouverez ci-joint une copie de la facture ainsi qu'une photographie de l'article reçu.
Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.
Notice how much grammar is working there: a plus-que-parfait clause (ne correspondait pas after a past main verb), the conditional, le cas échéant from Lesson 4, a nominalisation (le remplacement, le remboursement) from Lesson 19, and the ceremonial close.
French administrative correspondence is famously elaborate, and the full formule de politesse is genuinely expected in any letter to an institution. Handwritten letters still matter in some contexts. Note also that France increasingly writes mail rather than courriel, despite official disapproval.
QuĂ©bec correspondence is noticeably shorter and warmer, closer to North American norms. Je vous prie d'agrĂ©er⊠exists but often gives way to a simple Veuillez recevoir mes salutations distinguĂ©es or just Cordialement. Courriel is the firm standard, not a purist's preference â you will see it on government forms. And Bonjour, as an email opener is entirely normal in QuĂ©bec professional life.
Write lettre or courriel for where each belongs.
1. What must the formule de politesse contain?
2. Which greeting is wrong in French?
3. How does Québec correspondence differ from French correspondence?