Polish e-mail: How do I write it?
If you’re an English speaker, you’re probably familiar with complex rules for writing e-mails. However, in the Polish language, we have a bit less complicated tradition of writing. In the following article, we’ll show you the general rules of writing in Polish.
How do I begin Polish e-mail?
I don’t know who I’m addressing!
No one likes being misgendered. This is why, when you don’t know the receiver’s gender, you use “Dear Sir or Madam” in the English language. In the Polish language, you begin such an e-mail with “Szanowni Państwo”. “Szanowni” literally means “respected”, while “państwo” stands for a group of individuals of unknown gender. In another context, “państwo” may mean:
- The mixed-gender group,
- The state.
This word is very tricky and context-dependent, like many others in the Polish language. During our Polish language course in Wroclaw, we’ll teach you how to tell those differences.
I know who I’m addressing!
If you’re lucky to know the receiver’s gender, you have to use another phrase. “Szanowny Panie” is the way to formally address a male. If your e-mail will be read by a woman, begin it with “Szanowna Pani”.
It is not necessary, but you may add your receiver’s last name after the phrase. It will make your e-mail look more personalized.
How do I introduce a subject in Polish e-mail?
A new subject
In all languages, an e-mail should be exact. So once you address a receiver, immediately clarify why are you writing.
In the Polish grammar, we have the cases. So, if you’re e-mailing a male, you write “Piszę do Pana w sprawie…” (I am writing to you regarding…). If a woman – “Piszę do Pani w sprawie…”. If your e-mail will be read by many people, you’ll write “Piszę do Państwa w sprawie…”.
Our Polish language course in Wroclaw starts on 9th October 2023. During it, our lectors will teach you about the mysteries of Polish cases. We even have a proverb: “The devil is not as scary as He is painted”. Polish cases become much less scary once they’re practiced.
Discussing ongoing subject
If you’re discussing something that already goes on, you’ll likely refer to something mentioned a few emails ago. What do you do then?
In the English e-mail, you’d write:
- “As per my last e-mail”,
- “As previously mentioned”.
In the Polish language the first option would sound: “Jak wspomniałem w ostatnim mailu” (if you’re a male) or “Jak wspomniałam w ostatnim mailu” (if you’re a woman). There are no standardized pronouns for non-binary people in the Polish language, so we’ll not discuss this subject here.
The second options males write “Jak ostatnio wspomniałem” and the females write “Jak ostatnio wspomniałam”.
How do I finish the Polish e-mail?
Formal e-mail
Finishing e-mails in the Polish language is similar to doing it in English. If you’re finishing a very formal e-mail, you can write “Z wyrazami szacunku”, which is the Polish counterpart to “Best regards”. However – the literal meaning is “With the expressions of respect”.
You can also write “Z poważaniem”, which is also a variant of “Best regards”. In that case, the literal meaning is “With respect”.
Informal e-mail
If you’re emailing a colleague or a friend, you should… Well, there are no rules in an informal e-mail. That’s why it’s informal 😉 However, there are some commonly used ways to end an informal e-mail in the Polish language.
One of them is “Pozdrawiam”, which is the counterpart to “Bye”. The most literal meaning is “I greet you” Yes, Polish people greet each other goodbye.
You can also end your Polish informal e-mail with “Z gory dzięki”, which is “Thanks in advance” in English. But be careful! “Dzięki” is a very casual, while a slightly more serious form is “dziękuję”. During our Polish language course in Wroclaw, we’ll gladly teach you about the nuances of meaning.
Summary
In this article, we showed you a few examples of the most useful phrases for Polish e-mail. Our Polish language course in Wroclaw starts on 9th October 2023 (Monday). If you want to enroll, please, send us an e-mail at: polishdream.wroclaw.@gmail.com. We’re waiting for you!