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

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.

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


Drogi/ Droga/ Drodzy....


no name following those is necessary...


usually "Szanowny Panie/ Szanowna Pani/ Szanowni Państwo"

can't think of any other way right now... :)

Related: List motywacyjny (motivation letter) - Szanowna Pani/Szanowny Panie?


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