How to Write an Email in Spanish: the complete guide (2024)

As you learn Spanish and engage with the Spanish-speaking world, you may find yourself needing to write an email in Spanish. This guide is here to make that process easier for you.

How to Write an Email in Spanish: the complete guide (1)

Levels of formality in Spanish

Spanish has two second-person pronouns: “tú” for informal situations, and “usted” for formal situations. The choice of pronoun affects verb conjugation.

UstedYou
QuieresQuiereWant
AmasAmaLove
EresEsAre (permanently)
EstásEstáAre (temporarily)

Additionally, the two “you’s” in Spanish are related to two different possessive adjectives meaning “your”:

  • “tu” (without an accent or tilde) is used when you’re addressing the person as “tú”.
  • “su” is used when you’re addressing the person as “usted”.

The indirect objects (meaning “to you”) also vary:

  • “te” (without an accent or tilde) is linked to the informal second-person pronoun
  • “le” is linked to the formal second-person pronoun.

For example:

Formal (usted)Informal (tú)
Le escribo este email para enviarle los documentos que me solicitó (I’m writing this email [to you] to send you the documents that you asked me)Te quería contar que me fue bien en el examen de español (I wanted to tell you that I did well on the Spanish test).
Uno de sus empleados me dio su dirección de email (one of your employers gave me your email address)Vi a uno de tus amigos en la fiesta de Navidad (I saw one of your friends at the Christmas party)

As in other languages, the level of formality is given by the relationship that you have with that person.

“Usted” is generally used when you talk to authority figures, such as employers and professors, or when you talk to people you don’t know (especially if they’re much older than you).

“Tú” is used with friends and family members, coworkers of the same rank, and people of the same age (especially young people may feel weird and older than they are if you address them as “usted” in the streets).

So as you can see, the way you’ll write your email in Spanish will vary depending on who the receiver is.

How to start an email in Spanish

Formal email greetings in Spanish

The most common formal email opening line is “Estimado/a Sr./Sra [last name]”. “Sr.” or “Sra.” are abbreviations of “señor” and “señora”, just like in English we’d write “Mr.” or “Mrs.”

Just like in English, Spanish-speaking people use “señor” or “señora” (or their abbreviations) according to the person’s gender. So, if you’re writing an email to a woman —let’s say her name is Marina López—, you want to write “Estimada señora López” in your formal email in Spanish.

It’s important that you use “estimado” or “estimada” and not “querido” and “querida”. Although many dictionaries may list them as synonyms, “querido” is a more affectionate term that is more common in informal contexts and less appropriate for formal emails.

An alternative to this is writing directly “señora López:” but it may sound a little curt in some contexts.

If you don’t know the person’s last name but you know their profession or their role in a company, you can write “Estimado(a)” + the role or the profession. For example, “Estimado(a) director(a)” or “Estimado(a) profesor(a)” (Dear director/Dear professor).

If you don’t really know who you’re writing to, you can use “A quien corresponda”, which means “to whom it may concern”.

Informal email opening lines in Spanish

Remember what we’ve clarified about the word “querido” or “querida”? “Querido” or “querida” are more common in informal email greetings, and they’re usually followed by the person’s first name instead of his or her last name.

So if you’re a friend of Marina López, you’d write “querida Marina” as an email opening line. “Buenos días”, “buenas tardes”, and “buenas noches” (good morning, good afternoon, and good evening) are also acceptable.

If you’re a really close friend or family member, you can use an even more informal tone marked by the presence of casual greetings like “hola” (hello) and “buenas” (short for “buenos días/tardes/noches”).

The body of your email in Spanish

Right after the greeting, you should start explaining who you are and/or why you’re writing that email. Especially in formal emails, you want to get to the point quickly without sounding too abrupt. Key phrases, in this case, could be:

SpanishEnglish
Me llamo/Mi nombre es…I am… / My name is…
Le escribo porque… I’m writing [to you] because…
Me dirijo a usted a causa de… I’m approaching you because…
Me dirijo a usted para solicitarle… I’m approaching you to ask you for…
Le molesto para… I’m bothering you to/because…
Le contacto para… I’m contacting you to/because…
Me gustaría saber si… I would like to know if…
Quisiera informarle sobre/acerca de…I would like to inform you that…
Me gustaría recibir información sobre/acerca de…I would like to receive information about…

Please, note that “me gustaría” and “quisiera” can both be translated as “I would like [to]”.

  • “Me gustaría” is the option that is closer to the English verb “like”
  • “quisiera” comes from the verb “querer”, which is Spanish for “want”

Although these verbs have different meanings, they are practically interchangeable when you are asking for something.

Also note that “molestar” is used in a humble way here, like a way to excuse yourself for the time that you’re “stealing” from the other person. If you’d like to really apologize, though, you want to use “disculpe las molestias” (“sorry to bother you”). This could be more suitable if you are asking for a favor from somebody you are not familiar with.

So what do you say after that? What would you like to do with your email, or what do you want to obtain from your receiver? What you can say really depends on the specific case, but here are some examples to give you ideas.

SpanishEnglish
Me gustaría postularme para el puesto de…I would like to apply for the position of…
Aquí le envío los documentos que me pidió.Here, I’m sending you the documents that you asked me for.
Por favor, mire el archivo adjunto.Please, take a look at the attachment.

Informal emails allow other phrases in a more direct and personal tone. Pay attention to the differences in the conjugation of the verbs in relation to the second-person pronoun “tú”:

SpanishEnglish
¿Cómo estás?How are you?
¿Puedes enviarme el archivo cuanto antes?Can you send me the file ASAP?
Te avisaré si recibo alguna noticia.I will let you know if I receive any updates.
Aquí está el archivo que me pediste.Here’s the file that you asked me for.
Muchas gracias por tu ayuda.Thank you very much for your help.

The more direct and literal translation of letting someone know something is “dejarle saber [algo a alguien]” but this phrase doesn’t sound natural in Spanish. Use the verb “avisar” instead. Don’t worry, it has essentially the same meaning (but in only one word).

How to finish an email in Spanish

Formal email closing lines in Spanish

Formal email closing lines in Spanish have equivalent phrases in English, but you should never directly translate these phrases from English to Spanish because some of them may not sound natural in Spanish.

For example, “sincerely” can be literally translated as “sinceramente”, but this is not a word that Spanish speakers would normally use at the end of a formal email.

Instead, they would use “atentamente” or the abbreviated form “atte.” right before the signature. Or “le saluda atentamente/cordialmente”, which means “greeting you attentively/sincerely/cordially”.

Other closing lines in Spanish are “saludos cordiales” (basically meaning “best regards”) or phrases that express gratitude (for taking the time of reading the email, for considering assisting you in what you’re asking, etc.).

Here are some ways of writing this:

SpanishEnglish
Gracias de antemano Thank you in advance
Muchas graciasThank you very much
Le agradezco de antemano por su ayudaI thank you in advance for your help

Informal email closing lines in Spanish

SpanishEnglish
Un saludo or saludosCheers
BesosKisses
Un abrazoA hug
Te veo el martes / Nos vemos el martesSee you on Tuesday
Nos vemos pronto See you soon
Nos vemos luego / Nos vemos más tarde See you later
Nos estamos viendo See you around
Con cariño / Cariñosamente Affectionately
Con amor With love
Cuídate Take care of yourself

As always, if you forgot any details, you can write “P.D.” at the end of your email, which means “post data”. This is Spanish for “postscript” or “P.S.” and works both for formal and informal emails.

How to Write an Email in Spanish: the complete guide (2024)

FAQs

How do you write an email in Spanish format? ›

Formatting a formal or business email
  1. Línea de asunto. This is the subject line, which includes the most important information in the email. ...
  2. Saludo inicial. The initial greeting addresses the receiver by name if you know it. ...
  3. Introducción/presentación. ...
  4. Cuerpo. ...
  5. Saludo de despedida. ...
  6. Firma.
Jul 18, 2023

How do you introduce yourself in Spanish in an email? ›

The most common way to introduce yourself in Spanish is to say "Me llamo" followed by your name. Alternatives include "Mi nombre es" or "Soy" followed by your name. "Hola" can be used for either "hi" or "hello."

How do you start a professional letter in Spanish? ›

There are a couple of ways in which you can open a letter in Spanish with a formal greeting:
  1. Distinguido Señor Rosario: / Distinguida Señora Rosario – Distinguished Mr./Mrs. ...
  2. Estimado Sr. ...
  3. Estimada Sra. ...
  4. Estimada Srta. ...
  5. Estimado señor / Estimada señora – Dear sir / Dear madam.
Apr 14, 2020

How do you format a bilingual email? ›

Bilingual message (if applicable)
  1. Add a bookmark to let users skip to the section containing their language of choice.
  2. Include location of language information. in emails where English is the first language used, include “Le français suit l'anglais” above the English content.
Jun 28, 2024

How to end a letter in Spanish sincerely? ›

“Atentamente” is a common formal closing in Spanish, which translates to “sincerely” in English. Other formal options include “Cordialmente” (cordially) and “Saludos cordiales” (warm regards).

Is Mucho Gusto a greeting or introduction? ›

Introductions and Welcome
SpanishEnglish equivalentContext
Mucho gustoPleasure/Nice to meet youIntroductions
Encantado/ encantadaPleasure (to meet you)Used mainly in Spain
Encantado/a de conocerlePleasure to meet youUsed mainly in Spain
Bienvenidos/Bienvenida/ Bienvenidos/BienvenidasWelcomeIntroductions
3 more rows

How do you start an email politely and professionally? ›

If you need something formal
  1. Allow me to introduce myself.
  2. Good afternoon.
  3. Good morning.
  4. How are you?
  5. Hope this email finds you well.
  6. I hope you enjoyed your weekend.
  7. I hope you're doing well.
  8. I hope you're having a great week.
Apr 21, 2023

How to finish a formal email? ›

These include:
  1. 1 Sincerely. This traditional sign-off is a popular choice because it ends an email on a positive, yet formal, note.
  2. 2 Regards. ...
  3. 3 Best wishes. ...
  4. 4 Cheers. ...
  5. 5 Take care. ...
  6. 6 Best. ...
  7. 7 Thank you. ...
  8. 8 I appreciate your [help, input, feedback, etc.]
Oct 5, 2023

How to start a greeting in an email? ›

8 best ways to start emails
  1. Hi [Name], Starting an email with “Hi [Name],” is best for most circumstances, other than very formal situations. ...
  2. Hello [Name], ...
  3. Dear [Name], ...
  4. Good morning / afternoon / evening, ...
  5. Greetings, ...
  6. Hi there, ...
  7. To [Name], ...
  8. To Whom It May Concern,
Apr 9, 2024

How do you start a Spanish email? ›

How to Begin an Email in Spanish
  1. Hola. This is a pretty standard email greeting in Spanish. ...
  2. Buenos días/tardes. ...
  3. Querido/a. ...
  4. A quien corresponda. ...
  5. Apreciado señor/a o señorita. ...
  6. Un saludo. ...
  7. Espero tus noticias. ...
  8. Espero tu repuesta pronto.

Is bien gracias formal or informal? ›

Responses like “Estoy bien, gracias” or “Todo bien” are useful for both formal and informal situations. However, in a more casual context, responses may be more relaxed, such as “Muy bien, ¿y tú?” or even “Pura Vida” in some Latin American countries.

How do you say to mail a letter in Spanish? ›

"mail a letter" in Spanish
  1. enviar una carta.
  2. volume_up. enviar una carta por correo.

How do I write in Spanish in Gmail? ›

Type in another language
  1. Open Gmail. ...
  2. In the top right, click Settings .
  3. Click Settings.
  4. In the "Language" section, click Show all language options.
  5. Check the box next to "Enable input tools."
  6. Pick the languages with which you want to use input tools, and what kind of keyboard you want to use.
  7. Click OK.

How do you format a Spanish address? ›

The first rule is to write the street, building number and flat if necessary. The address should start with the street name, followed by the building number, the flat number (if necessary) and finally the postcode. The second step is to write the town or city where the addressee is located.

How do I ace AP Spanish email? ›

Here are the expert tips to conquering the email reply:
  1. Know your instructions. Your main concern is to complete the task at hand. ...
  2. Maximize your time. ...
  3. Know some greeting phrases. ...
  4. Know your audience. ...
  5. Know your tenses. ...
  6. Throw in subjunctive where you can. ...
  7. Throw in culture where you can. ...
  8. Be creative.
Mar 1, 2022

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