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B2 · Lesson 8

Writing Formal Emails

寫正式電郵
What you will learn

Master the conventions of formal Chinese email writing used in Hong Kong business. Learn standard openings, closings, polite request phrases, and the written Chinese structures that differ significantly from spoken Cantonese.

Dialogue

Conversation

A
你識唔識用中文寫正式電郵呀？我成日都唔知點開頭。
Do you know how to write formal emails in Chinese? I never know how to start.
B
開頭通常用「敬啟者」或者直接寫「XX先生/女士 您好」。
The opening usually uses Dear Sir/Madam or directly writes Mr/Ms XX, greetings.
A
結尾呢？我唔知應該用「此致敬禮」定「祝好」。
What about the ending? I do not know if I should use sincerely or best wishes.
B
如果好正式就用「此致敬禮」，普通商業來往用「順祝商祺」都得。
If very formal use sincerely yours, for regular business correspondence wishing you business prosperity also works.
A
咁如果我想禮貌咁催人覆email呢？
What if I want to politely chase someone to reply?
B
你可以寫「煩請閣下於方便時回覆」或者「敬請盡快賜覆」。
You can write please reply at your convenience or respectfully request your earliest reply.
A
書面中文同口語真係差好遠。我平時講嘢一定唔會咁講。
Written Chinese and spoken language are really far apart. I definitely would not talk like this normally.
B
冇錯，但係掌握書面語會令你喺職場上更加專業。多寫就會熟㗎啦。
True, but mastering written language will make you more professional at work. Write more and you will get the hang of it.
Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

電郵
email
敬啟者
Dear Sir/Madam (formal opening)
此致敬禮
Yours sincerely (formal closing)
順祝商祺
wishing business prosperity (closing)
煩請
may I trouble you to (polite request)
賜覆
grant a reply (very formal)
回覆
reply
來往
correspondence / dealings
掌握
master / grasp
撰寫
compose / write (formal)
專業
professional
附件
attachment
Grammar

Language Patterns

Formal email openings and closings

Chinese formal emails have fixed conventions. Openings: 敬啟者 (Dear Sir/Madam), XX您好 (Hello XX). Closings: 此致敬禮 (Yours sincerely), 順祝商祺 (Business regards). These are never used in speech.
陳先生您好：
can4 sin1 saang1 nei4 hou2:
Dear Mr Chan, (opening)
此致敬禮。王明華 敬上
ci2 zi3 ging3 lai5. wong4 ming4 waa4 ging3 soeng6
Yours sincerely, Wong Ming Wah

煩請 / 敬請 + verb (polite formal requests)

煩請 (faan4 cing2) means "may I trouble you to" and 敬請 (ging3 cing2) means "respectfully request". Both are polite written request forms far more formal than 唔該.
煩請查閱附件。
faan4 cing2 caa4 jyut6 fu6 gin2.
Please kindly review the attachment.
敬請回覆。
ging3 cing2 wui4 fuk1.
Please kindly reply.

於 (at / in — formal written preposition)

於 (jyu1) is the written equivalent of 喺. Used in formal writing for time and place. Never used in casual speech. 於方便時 = at your convenience.
會議將於下午三時舉行。
wui6 ji5 zoeng1 jyu1 haa6 ng5 saam1 si4 geoi2 hang4.
The meeting will be held at 3 PM.
請於截止日期前提交。
cing2 jyu1 zit3 zi2 jat6 kei4 cin4 tai4 gaau1.
Please submit before the deadline.

Spoken vs Written equivalents

Many common words have different spoken (口語) and written (書面語) forms. Mastering both is essential for bilingual literacy in Cantonese.
佢 (spoken) → 他/她 (written)
keoi5 → taa1
he/she — spoken vs written
嘅 (spoken) → 的 (written)
ge3 → dik1
possessive particle — spoken vs written
Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1
___ 閣下於方便時回覆。 (may I trouble you to)
  • 煩請
  • 唔該
  • 請問
  • 麻煩
Answer
煩請
Translate · Question 2
The meeting will be held at 3 PM on Friday.
Answer
會議將於星期五下午三時舉行。
Choice · Question 3
Which is the correct formal email closing for business?
  • 順祝商祺
  • 拜拜
  • 再見
  • 多謝晒
Answer
順祝商祺
Fill_blank · Question 4
請 ___ 截止日期前提交報告。 (at — formal)
  • 於
  • 喺
  • 到
  • 由
Answer
於
Translate · Question 5
Mastering written language will make you more professional at work.
Answer
掌握書面語會令你喺職場上更加專業。

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