Phrases de politesse et salutations pour e-mails pros chinois
The following are common polite phrases and greetings used in professional Chinese emails, including formal salutations, body expressions, and closing remarks. In business Chinese, the safest choice is usually a formal greeting, a concise request, and a closing that matches the relationship and level of formality. The goal is not to sound ornate, but to sound respectful, clear, and appropriately restrained.
Salutations formelles
In professional emails, it is essential to use respectful salutations. Begin with 您好 (nín hǎo), the formal version of “hello,” equivalent to “vous” in French. For higher-ranking individuals, use 尊敬的 (zūn jìng de) followed by their title and surname, such as 尊敬的刘总 (zūn jìng de Liú zǒng), meaning “Dear Director Liu”. Titles like 经理 (jīnglǐ) for “Manager” or 总 (zǒng) for “Director” should follow the surname to show respect. 1, 4
In many companies, the safest structure is title + surname, because it avoids overfamiliarity and fits the hierarchy that is often reflected in written Chinese. When the exact title is unknown, 您好 is still acceptable and neutral. In more hierarchical settings, 尊敬的 adds a clear formal tone, but it can sound heavy if used for a routine internal message between colleagues.
A practical pattern looks like this:
- 尊敬的王经理 — Dear Manager Wang
- 您好，李总 — Hello, Director Li
- 各位同事，您好 — Hello, colleagues
Using the wrong title is more noticeable than using a simpler greeting. When in doubt, a respectful but plain formula is usually better than a creative one.
Formules de politesse dans le corps
During the email body, maintain a courteous tone. Express gratitude with 谢谢 (xièxiè) for “thank you” or 非常感谢 (fēicháng gǎnxiè) for “thank you very much,” which conveys deeper appreciation. When requesting action, use polite phrases like 请查阅附件 (qǐng cháyuè fùjiàn), meaning “please review the attachment,” or 敬请查阅 (jìng qǐng cháyuè), a more formal “kindly review”. To apologize for inconvenience, say 如有不便之处，敬请见谅 (rú yǒu bú biàn zhī chù, jìng qǐng jiàn liàng), meaning “we apologize for any inconvenience”. 4, 1
Chinese business emails often prefer short, direct sentences over long softening phrases. A message can be polite without being verbose. A common structure is: state the purpose, make the request, express thanks, and close. That makes the email easier to scan, especially on mobile devices where many professionals read messages first.
Useful body phrases often include:
- 烦请您确认 (fán qǐng nín quèrèn) — Please kindly confirm
- 请您尽快回复 (qǐng nín jǐnkuài huífù) — Please reply as soon as possible
- 麻烦您查看一下 (máfan nín chákàn yíxià) — Sorry to trouble you, please take a look
- 如有问题，欢迎随时联系 (rú yǒu wèntí, huānyíng suíshí liánxì) — If there are any questions, please feel free to contact us
The phrase 麻烦 is very common in business correspondence. It literally suggests “to bother” someone, but in polite Chinese it softens a request rather than making it rude. Likewise, 烦请 is more formal and more courteous than a bare imperative.
A useful difference to remember is that Chinese email politeness often relies on formulas that acknowledge the other person’s effort. Phrases such as 感谢您的配合 (gǎnxiè nín de pèihé), meaning “thank you for your cooperation,” are common when asking for documents, approval, or a deadline-related reply.
Formules de clôture
End the email with a respectful closing. The most formal and widely recommended closing is 此致敬礼 (cǐ zhì jìnglǐ), equivalent to “sincerely” or “best regards”. Alternatives include 顺祝商祺 (shùn zhù shāngqí), meaning “wishing you business success,” often used in commercial contexts , and 祝好 (zhù hǎo), a simpler “best wishes”. For personal care, 保重 (bǎo zhòng) means “take care”. 3, 1
The closing should match the relationship and the type of message. 此致敬礼 is versatile and safe for formal business email. 顺祝商祺 fits letters to clients, suppliers, and other commercial contacts, where the business relationship is explicit. 祝好 is lighter and can work in semi-formal exchanges, while 保重 is usually reserved for personal warmth or situations involving concern for the recipient’s health or workload.
A few practical points help the closing look natural:
- Put the closing on a separate line.
- Keep the tone consistent with the rest of the email.
- Avoid mixing a very formal opening with an overly casual ending.
- In brief internal emails, a simple 谢谢 plus 祝好 is often enough.
Signature professionnelle
Include a complete signature with your name, title, company, phone number (电话), and email address (邮箱). This ensures clarity and professionalism, especially in ongoing business communication. A standard signature block usually also includes the department or office location when correspondence is frequent, because Chinese business contexts often involve multiple similar names and roles.
A clean signature can be kept minimal:
- Name
- Job title
- Company
- 电话
- 邮箱
In multilingual companies, the Chinese version of the name or title can be added alongside the Latin script to make replies easier to route internally. When messages are exchanged regularly, using consistent phrasing for greetings, requests, and closings builds a professional style that is easy to recognize. Active speaking practice helps make these formulas feel automatic, especially for tones and honorific register that are harder to internalize from reading alone.
Common mistakes to avoid
Several small errors can make an email sound less professional than intended.
- Using 嗨 or other casual greetings in a first business email
- Writing only a name with no title when the relationship is formal
- Translating English closings too literally instead of using established Chinese formulas
- Making requests too bluntly, without 请, 烦请, or 麻烦
- Ending a formal message with an overly friendly phrase that does not match the context
Quick model
A short professional email can follow this pattern:
您好，王经理
请查阅附件，烦请您确认。非常感谢您的配合。
此致敬礼
姓名 / 公司 / 电话 / 邮箱