Un message, quatre registres — One Message, Four Registers

Register in French Writing

French marks register in writing more strongly than English, and the difference shows most clearly at the beginning and end of a message. Text messages between friends use abbreviations such as pr, ts, bcp and stp, often drop capitals and articles, and close with bisous or bises. Personal emails to friends are warmer and fuller but still informal, with salut, tu and je t'embrasse. Professional emails usually open with Bonjour or Madame, Monsieur, and close with Bien cordialement or Cordialement. Someone you know well but address as vous, such as a supervisor after a year of work, is often addressed as Chère Madame or Cher Monsieur. Formal letters to administrations keep a very traditional style, with formulas such as je vous saurais gré de bien vouloir and long closing phrases like Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées. Using the wrong level, in either direction, is noticed: a text-style message to an administration can seem disrespectful, while a formal closing to a friend sounds cold or ironic. The underlying skill is the same at every level: adapting not only words but the whole frame of a message to the person who will read it.