PolishForums LIVE  /  Archives [3]    
 
Archives - 2005-2009 / Language  % width3

"Dear ....." re addressing a person in a letter. Szanowni Państwo?


mateinone  5 | 58  
22 Mar 2009 /  #1
Hi I have a few questions about appropriate openings to letters. It is very common in English to your "Dear" to open a letter. Especially to family, close friends and of course loved ones and it crosses sexes.. So a letter to your father would still be dear dad. A letter to a friend and his wife.. Dear Max and Kate etc etc. It is also however appropriate to use when speaking to an "unknown" person at a company... ie Dear sir/madam is not "inappropriate".

Looking at the word Kochany, it looks very much like the words associated with telling someone that you love them and also for example mój kochany. This leads me to think that it is most likely not that common and also that it is not a valid form unless the person is a loved one, (this is all guessing of course).

So what are appropriate opening gestures to male/female friends/family etc in a mail.

witaj/cześć/dzień dobry? (is dzień dobry even a valid way of addressing someone in a letter/email etc??)

What else is valid and in what circumstances?

what about a formal letter, a job application for example.
chi  1 | 33  
22 Mar 2009 /  #2
a letter to your father would still be dear dad.

Kochany/ Kochana... (tato,mamo) or friend's name (depending on how close the relationship is)
also
Mój kochany/ Moja kochana/ Moi kochani

A letter to a friend and his wife.. Dear Max and Kate

Drogi/ Droga/ Drodzy....

witaj/cześć/dzień dobry? (is dzień dobry even a valid way of addressing someone in a letter/email etc??)

no name following those is necessary...

what about a formal letter, a job application for example.

usually "Szanowny Panie/ Szanowna Pani/ Szanowni Państwo"

can't think of any other way right now... :)
OP mateinone  5 | 58  
22 Mar 2009 /  #3
Related: List motywacyjny (motivation letter) - Szanowna Pani/Szanowny Panie?

I would like to ask for some help with my motivation letter (scholarship program in Poland), which has to be written in Polish.
I don't know who I am writing to, man or woman... how should I invocate:

Dear Sir or Madam is
Szanowna Pani/Szanowny Panie,

or how should it be like? Which form is official and respectful?

I would say more popular is: Szanowni Państwo,
"Szanowni Państwo" is universal and better.

Archives - 2005-2009 / Language / "Dear ....." re addressing a person in a letter. Szanowni Państwo?Archived