Choosing Formal and Informal Register in Chinese Emails and Messages
Learn to pick the right level of formality in written Chinese, from 尊敬的先生 to 嗨, and understand why written register differs from everyday speech.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Chinese writing has its own register rules that do not match casual speech. In a WeChat message to a friend you might write 嗨, but in an email to a professor you should open with 尊敬的老师. This lesson focuses on written Chinese: greetings, requests, and closings for emails, work chat, and text messages. You will learn how pronouns, greetings, and polite phrases shift between formal and informal writing, and how to avoid sounding either stiff or rude.
By the end, you can…
- choose an appropriate greeting and closing for a formal or informal Chinese email or message.
- adjust pronouns and polite phrases to match the relationship and medium.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
尊敬的先生/女士
Dear Sir/Madam
zūn jìng de xiān sheng / nǚ shì
Very formal email opening when you do not know the recipient's name.
您好！
Hello! (polite)
nín hǎo
Standard formal greeting in email or first contact; 您 is the polite 'you'.
嗨，最近怎么样？
Hey, how have you been?
hāi, zuì jìn zěn me yàng
Informal greeting for friends on WeChat or text; not suitable for work.
麻烦您……
Could I trouble you to...
má fan nín...
Polite request in formal writing; 麻烦 softens the request.
此致敬礼
Best regards
cǐ zhì jìng lǐ
Traditional formal email closing, usually written on two lines.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Written Chinese marks formality mainly through greetings, pronouns, and closing formulas. Formal writing uses 您 instead of 你, 请 instead of bare imperatives, and set openings like 尊敬的老师 (Dear Teacher) or 尊敬的张经理 (Dear Manager Zhang). Informal writing uses 你, casual particles like 啊 and 吧, and short greetings such as 嗨 or 在吗 (Are you there?). Compare: 请您查收附件 (Please find the attachment) versus 附件看一下 (Take a look at the attachment). The grammar stays similar, but the vocabulary and tone change.
When to use it
Use formal register for first contact, job applications, professors, clients, and official notices. Use informal register with close friends, family, and teammates you know well. In Chinese workplaces, WeChat is common, but a first message to a new colleague should still be relatively polite: 您好，我是新来的李明 (Hello, I am Li Ming, the new colleague). Once the relationship is established, people often switch to 你 and shorter messages. If unsure, start formal and mirror the other person's style.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
尊敬的张老师，您好！我是中文系的学生李明。
Dear Teacher Zhang, hello! I am Li Ming, a student in the Chinese department.zūn jìng de zhāng lǎo shī, nín hǎo! wǒ shì zhōng wén xì de xué sheng lǐ míng你好，李明。有什么事吗？
Hello, Li Ming. What can I do for you?nǐ hǎo, lǐ míng. yǒu shén me shì ma麻烦您帮我看看这篇论文，谢谢！
Could I trouble you to look at this paper? Thank you!má fan nín bāng wǒ kàn kan zhè piān lùn wén, xiè xie好的，我明天回复你。
Okay, I will reply to you tomorrow.hǎo de, wǒ míng tiān huí fù nǐA little context goes a long way
In Chinese written communication, hierarchy and relationship often matter more than the medium. A WeChat message to a boss can still require 您 and a polite request, while an email to a close colleague can be brief. Traditional closings like 此致敬礼 are still used in formal letters and some emails, but many younger writers prefer 谢谢 or 祝好. Observe how your recipient writes and adjust accordingly.
One thing to watch for
Using 嗨 or 你 in a first email to a professor or manager because it feels friendly.
Try this instead: Start with a formal greeting and the polite pronoun 您, for example 尊敬的老师，您好！我是…… Then switch to 你 only if the other person does.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are writing a first email to a company manager whose name you know. Which opening is best: 嗨，张经理 or 尊敬的张经理？
Show a sample answer
尊敬的张经理
A first contact with a manager calls for formal register; 尊敬的 plus the title is standard. 嗨 would be too casual unless you already have a close relationship.
2Rewrite 你帮我一下 as a polite formal request.
Show a sample answer
麻烦您帮我一下。
麻烦您 softens the request and 您 marks respect. 请您帮我一下 is also acceptable, though slightly more direct.
3Which closing fits a formal email: 此致敬礼 or 拜拜？
Show a sample answer
此致敬礼
此致敬礼 is a traditional formal closing. 拜拜 is spoken-style and too casual for formal written correspondence.
In written Chinese, formality is shown by greetings, pronouns like 您/你, and closing formulas. When in doubt, start formal and adjust to your reader's style.
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