Write emails in Spanish.

Just as in the Anglo-Saxon world, correspondence through email is extensively used throughout the Spanish-speaking world. If you are writing to a new friend or someone you have met recently, your concern about how to write in Spanish to that person need not really go beyond that of getting your Spanish as correct as possible. When writing to a new business contact, supplier or client, it's natural that you will want to know how to address that person in Spanish properly.

Modern email-writing in the Spanish business world.

Many years ago, before the computer age, letter correspondence in Spanish could be quite formal. However, these days, the importance of email writing is to be direct and to the point - using all the linguistic techniques we can to achieve that aim: short sentences, abbreviations, clear and easily understood language.

Use of tu and usted.

The rule of thumb here is that if you have already met and spoken in Spanish previously and you were addressed with tu, then your correspondence will be likewise. For new contacts you have not communicated with before, use usted.

Formal and informal on the Internet.

On forums and chats, you will probably not find the use of "usted" at all unless South Americans are present. And you may see written the "vos" (informal you) form from countries like Argentina and Uruguay. Internet communication is notoriously levelling and lacking any formalities. You can use "tu" with no fear of offense. Among, non-native Spanish speakers, you can choose. It is highly unlikely a non-native will be offended if you use 'tu'!

Model bilingual emails to copy...