Addressing the recipient

The rule of thumb: use the recipient’s highest title, then a short greeting like “hello.”

When you know their name

When you don’t know their name

尊敬的尊敬的 zūnjìng de — literally means “respected” — add it before someone’s name to signal formality and respect. If you want to sound warmer instead of more formal, swap in 親愛的亲爱的 qīn’ài de, roughly “dear.”

Writing the subject line

Chinese subject lines tend to be short and functional, often opening with a bracketed tag that flags the type of email before the actual topic.

Common bracketed tags: 【通知】【通知】 tōngzhī, notice; 【急件】【急件】 jíjiàn, urgent; 【邀請】【邀请】 yāoqǐng, invitation; 【提醒】【提醒】 tíxǐng, reminder; 【回覆】【回复】 huífù, reply.

The body of the email

Opening the email

Chinese emails skip openers like “sorry for the late reply” or “thanks for getting back so fast” — replying promptly is simply assumed professional etiquette, not something to comment on. Expressions of thanks are usually saved for the closing instead. Get straight to the point.

This is also why sentences like “thank you for your quick reply” or “thank you for contacting me” read as distinctly foreign in a Chinese email — they’re thought in English first and translated afterward. Chinese writers generally don’t thank someone for doing what was already expected of them, so these lines simply aren’t part of the native repertoire.

Making a request

Asking for clarification

Attachments and information

Getting approval

Scheduling

Following up

Closing the email

Skip “looking forward to hearing from you soon” or “looking forward to meeting you” — they don’t translate naturally. A more professional, natural way to close is to state that you’ll wait for their reply, calmly and directly.

Notice that 靜候静候 jìnghòu means “wait quietly,” not “look forward to.” Chinese business writing tends to avoid sounding eager or emotionally invested in someone else’s response — a calm, patient tone reads as more professional than enthusiasm. That’s why the culturally natural translation isn’t “we look forward to” but closer to “we will await your reply.”

Sign-off phrases

Traditional Chinese closing blessings are elaborate enough that even native speakers don’t always remember them, so younger writers increasingly borrow Western sign-offs like “Best regards” in English. If you’re writing to a more traditional or conservative recipient, though, a Chinese sign-off still reads as more polished.

In practice, plenty of modern writers skip these paired phrases entirely unless the occasion calls for real formality. For an everyday email, it’s common to just write something simple like 祝順心祝顺心 zhù shùnxīn, “wishing you well,” or, after an event-related email, 祝活動圓滿祝活动圆满 zhù huódòng yuánmǎn, “wishing the event every success.”

A quick formality scale

Which greeting and sign-off you reach for depends on where the recipient sits on this scale — useful when you’re not sure how formal to be.

A complete sample email

Putting the building blocks together — a short business email requesting a meeting.

A formal invitation example

A more ceremonial register — inviting a guest to attend an event, such as an association’s anniversary dinner.

Formatting notes

• Signatures now usually sit on the left of the letter, following Western convention, rather than the traditional right side.
• Dating the letter is largely optional in modern emails — include it only when writing to someone from a much older generation.
• Never use a comma after the opening greeting — Chinese uses a colon (：) instead.
• 敬上敬上 jìngshàng, “respectfully submitted,” or 謹上谨上 jǐnshàng, after your name is the Chinese equivalent of “Sincerely” or “Best regards.”

Pitfalls learners often hit

• Over-apologizing at the start. “Sorry for the late reply” reads as odd filler in Chinese — skip it and get to the point.
• Literal translation of “Looking forward to hearing from you.” Use 靜候您的回覆静候您的回复 jìnghòu nín de huífù instead of a word-for-word translation.
• Using a comma after 您好您好 nín hǎo. Chinese greetings are followed by a colon (：), not a comma.
• Mismatching formality. Using 嗨你好嗨你好 hāi nǐ hǎo with a senior client, or 尊敬的尊敬的 zūnjìng de with a close colleague, both read as off-key — match the greeting to the relationship.
• Forgetting the sign-off pairing. 順頌顺颂 shùnsòng and 商祺商祺 shāngqí (or 敬祝敬祝 jìngzhù and 教安教安 jiào’ān) are read together as one phrase split across two lines — don’t use just one half.