Email format

[Sachaoc]

Hi there,

I have to do a piece of writing in Mandarin in which I have to imagine that I am a teenager (I am not!) emailing a Chinese high school student of the same age (around 16). I am to imagine that I am going to host this student in my home and so am writing to introduce myself.

 

In this situation, where I don't know the person, how should I start the email?

After the initial greeting, do I just get straight into the information or do I make some kind of general inquiry - what's the weather like up there in Beijing?

What would an appropriate ending be ...祝好？Too formal...too informal?

 

Some help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Lu]

If I were writing such a letter in Dutch (or English), I'd probably start with saying I'm happy they're coming to stay at my home/my country and that I hope they'll like it. It feels weird to inquire after the weather in Beijing when you don't even know a person yet.

 

祝好 is, I think, the most informal of formal greetings, but from one high school student to another it still seems too formal. Perhaps just end with something like 'I look forward to showing you around/getting to know you' and then your name. Or just write 祝好 anyway and see how your teacher responds to that.

[889]

“Hi! I've just heard the good news. You'll be staying with us in Amsterdam. Here's some useful information."

 

At this stage, keep to one verb per sentence, no commas.

[Shelley]

I would agree with Lu.

How you would write it in English? Think along these lines and just write it in Chinese.

 

I don't think there is any special format that would apply as you are teenagers (supposedly) if it was a business email it would be different.

 

Keep it simple and informative, you are not at the chatty stage of the relationship yet.

[Wippen (inactive)]

I would follow the brief. Imagine how a 16 year old would write. When you were 16 and if  your school or parents told you, you would be hosting someone your own age, what would you write,? What your hobbies are, music tastes, what your friends are like, your school and maybe what your parents are like. Then ask them the same.

[歐博思]

A general inquiry like you mentioned - how's the weather/how are you recently - would be a good way to get into things. Then maybe make a statement or two about your own situation and then go on into a different aspect of yourself, and then you could flip it back around and ask them a question or two. After all, you're creating a relationship out of thin air so you have to dive deep and ask/say many things and see what sticks.

 

Also, a 16 year old writing this kind of letter email would surely be under some kind of teacher's guidance who would be coaching them on proper letter etiquette. So naturally ending it with a kind of formal 祝好 or maybe a 祝你一路顺风would be most appropriate 

Edited March 5, 2018 at 05:35 PM by 歐博思
letter -> email

[889]

Folks, it's not a letter it's an email, and an email calls for a concise but informal style. Especially between teenagers.

[Sachaoc]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Most helpful