Request for advice about a translation

[subiej]

Hi there-

We have a good friend who speaks Mandarin, and reads very little English, and would like to send her a card that says "We Miss You!"

I know nothing about Chinese (sorry!), so the only thing i could think of was to use an online translator. Here are the 2 translations I got,

using the iGoogle Translation gadget: 我們懷念你

and http://www.worldlingo.com/: 我们想念您

Can someone kindly let me know if one of these is even close? Without your help, i'm liable to send her a card that says "We blender dog" or something.

Thank you in advance!

Susan

[skylee]

The first one is in traditional script. I think unless the friend were dead it wouldn't be suitable.

The second one is in simplified script. I think it is more suitable. But the last character 您 (meaning "you") shows respect. If the friend is much older than you and you need to show your respect, or if he/she is a customer, then it is suitable. For a friend of equal status as you, it would be too formal.

I suggest you use the second one, but change the last character (meaning you) to 你. So it would be -

我们想念你 (simplified script, suitable if your friend is on mainland China)

我們想念你 (traditional script, suitable if your friend is in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau)

[ABCinChina]

Usually, if your friend is a female, the traditional script would be "我們想念妳".

I've recently learned that 妳 means you (female), while 你 means you (male or female).

[skylee]

Personally I don't use 妳 unless in a more romantic context. But generally it is ok to use 妳 to refer to a female.

[vampire]

我們想念你(traditional) or 我们想念你(simplified)

懷念 is used when someone is dead - -||, and the difference between 您 and 你 is like what skylee has said.

and to abccinchina

CHT(traditional character)

妳 female 你 male

CHS(simplified character)

你 both male and female, no longer use 妳