How to Write a Letter in Spanish (2024)

Writing a letter, especially in English, can feel as natural as speaking. That all changes when you have to write a letter in Spanish.

If you run a large business then you will encounter this situation sooner than later. There are over 52 millionSpanish speakers in the US, which is more than the population of Spain! This increases the likelihood of having to communicate with someone in Spanish, especially if you aim to build business relationships.

Curious about how to write a letter in Spanish? Not sure how to start?

Here are some guidelines to help you communicate like a native speaker.

1. What Kind of Letter and To Whom?

Before we proceed with how to write a letter in Spanish, take note of who you are writing to. This dictates the type of letter you are trying to construct. Like in any letter written in English, this will also have a bearing on the tone and arrangement of your sentences.

The following portions that we will tackle have specific rules and notes in writing acarta(basic letter) or acorreo electronico(electronic mail). In this case, you have a formal letter that you would send to someone of stature with a more professional tone. This differs from an informal letter, something casual that you send to a friend.

2. Dates

The date happens to be one of the first components that you jot down in a letter. The format used in writing the date differs from the method used when writing English letters:

Miércoles, 17 de julio del 2019

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Note the comparison between the formats. Instead of the Month/Day/Year format that we usually know from an English format. Spanish puts the day first before the month.

Also, notice how it renders the month in lower case. Instead of having the first letter capitalized.

3. Greetings

Once you have set down the date, let us go with how you shouldstart the letterand to whom you are addressing.

Letters written in English often start with “Dear” followed by the recipient’s name,

When you look at Spanish letters, you have some form of variation. It depends on how formal you want it to sound.

For personal correspondence, you can usequeridoorqueridadepending on the gender of the person. If you have two people to address, usequeridosas it also works for both genders.

Now, if you plan to go for formal correspondence, you need to use something else. In this case, useestimadoinstead. Its literal meaning is “esteemed” but it follows the same function as “dear” in English. Here are some examples:

• Estimado Sr. Cruz:(Dear Mr. Cruz,)
• Estimado Sra. Gonzalez:(Dear Mrs. Gonzales,)
• Estimado Srta. Fuentes:(Dear Miss Fuentes,)

Now, while Sra. and Srta. would easily denote Mrs. and Mrs. respectively, its usage is dependent on age than marital status. When in doubt, Sra. works as a courtesy when you are unsure if you addressed the letter to a married female recipient or not.

In some instances, you might also include the full information of the recipient. This includes the full name, the position, and the name of the company or institution. In those instances, you can use any of these greetings instead:

• Muy señor míoorEstimado señor:(Dear sir,)

• Muy señora mía or Estimada señora: (Dear madam,)
• Muy señores míos orEstimados señores: (Dear sirs, dear sirs/madams,)

Uncertain who to address?For this case, you can statea quién correspondaora quién pueda intersar.

4. Punctuations

Another important element when writing a letter in Spanish is to be aware of the punctuation.

To start, take note of the punctuation used on the greeting as shown in an earlier section.

Instead of using a comma, Spanish letters feature a colon after the greeting. This divides the greeting and rest of the letter..

5. The Letter Body and Some Common Phrases

This is where the bulk of the letter comes to. While the content is up to you, there are some phrases that you can use. These common phrases tend to appear in other letters and you can use them.

We will put them in two categories, to help you see which ones work in the letter you plan to write.

Common Phrases for Formal Letters

Here are some phrases you could use for formal letters:

• Adjunto encontrára…(Attached please find…)
• Por favor déjeme saber si puedo ser de alguna otra ayuda.(Please notify me if I can be of further help.)
• Gracias por su respuesta rápida.(Thanks for your prompt response.)

You can use these phrases in inquiry letters or application letters. These should be of help in drafting a formal correspondence.

Common Phrases for Informal Letters

Here are some phrases that you can use with informal letters:

• Te escribo porque…(I’m writing to you because…)
• Tanto tiempo sin hablarnos.(Long time no talk.)
• ¡Tanto tiempo!(It’s been a while!)
• ¿Cómo te va?(Hows it goin?)
• Espero que estés bien.(Hope you are doing well.)
• ¡Nos vemos!(See you!)

For casual letters, it is far more relaxed compared to a formal one. You can make use of a more casual language when sending an informal letter.

Here’s something to help youwith your grammar, while you’re at it.

6. Ending the Letter

As we reach the ending portion of the letter, let us look at some phrases you can use. There are some distinctions you can see when writing a formal letter compared to an informal one.

When ending a formal letter, some phrases you can use are:

• Saludos cordiales,(Best regards,)
• Quedo a la espera de sus noticias,(Looking forward to hear from you,)
• Quedo a la espera de su respuesta,(Looking forward to your reply,)
• Atentamente/Cordialmente,(Sincerely/Yours Sincerely,)
• Muchisimas gracias,(Thank you very much,)

Now if you are ending a friendly letter, you can use these phrases:

• Un abrazo,(literally, a hug)
• Un fuerte abrazo,(literally, a strong hug)
• Cariñosos saludos,(roughly, kind regards)
• Afectuosamente,(affectionately)
• Un saludo,(Cheers,)
• Saludos,(Best,)

These are but some of the phrases that you can use. Though it may seem too flowery in English, these phrases do not stand as unusual in Spanish.

Also, if you are adding a postscript or P.S., use P.D.

Now You Know How to Write a Letter in Spanish!

With these tips, you should be able to write a letter without any problem. These guidelines can help you with how to write a letter in Spanish. This way you are a step closer in communicating like a native Spanish speaker.

Time to put what you have learned into good use.

Interested in learning more and honing Spanish in a more straightforward way, check out more of our content today or you cancontact usfor your queries.