Matching game
French letter openings and closings: match the pairs
Madame, Monsieur goes with veuillez agréer; Cher Paul with amitiés; Coucou with bisous. Match eight openings to the closing that fits the same register.
- B1
- 8 pairs
- Tap to match
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
A French letter's opening and closing must match in register: Madame, Monsieur → Veuillez agréer mes salutations distinguées; Bonjour Madame Martin → Cordialement; Cher Paul → Amitiés; Coucou ! → Bisous.
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Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
Go further
| Register | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|
| very formal letter | Madame, Monsieur, | Veuillez agréer… |
| professional email | Bonjour Madame X, | Cordialement, |
| friendly but polite | Cher / Chère…, | Amitiés, / Bien à vous, |
| friends | Salut ! / Coucou ! | Bises, / Bisous |
Formal French closings are famously long, but they are fixed formulas: copy them exactly. Cordialement has become the default in professional emails. Cher agrees: Cher Paul, Chère Anne, Chers amis. Never use Cher alone with someone you don't know.
Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.
Yours faithfully (to a woman).
In very formal letters, the title used at the start is repeated in the closing formula: Monsieur le Maire, … veuillez agréer, Monsieur le Maire, ….
- Stagiaire
Je termine mon mail au client par « Bises » ?
Shall I end my email to the client with "Bises"?
- Toi
Surtout pas ! Mets « Cordialement ».
Absolutely not! Put "Cordialement".
- Stagiaire
Et pour commencer ?
And to start?
- Toi
« Bonjour Monsieur Petit, » c'est parfait.
"Bonjour Monsieur Petit," is perfect.
- Cher Madame Martin,Chère Madame Martin,
Cher agrees in the feminine.
- Cordialement, bisous,Cordialement,
Never mix registers.