Email Etiquette: Writing Professional English Emails
Learn the exact greetings, requests and sign-offs native speakers use in professional English emails — without sounding too stiff or too casual.
Frases clave
I hope this email finds you well.
Espero que este correo te encuentre bien.
Could you send me the report when you get a chance?
¿Podrías enviarme el informe cuando puedas?
I was wondering if you could look into this.
Me preguntaba si podrías investigar esto.
Just following up on my previous email.
Solo dando seguimiento a mi correo anterior.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Avísame si tienes alguna pregunta.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Espero tu respuesta.
Writing an Email Is Not the Same as Speaking English
You can hold a confident conversation in English and still freeze in front of a blank email — because professional written English has its own fixed formulas, and translating directly from Spanish rarely sounds natural.
Greetings: Simpler Than You Think
- Hi [Name], — the default for almost any professional context, even with people you don’t know well.
- Hello [Name], — slightly more formal, good for a first message.
- Dear [Name], — reserved for very formal contexts (a cover letter, legal correspondence); using it in everyday office email sounds dated.
The Opening Line Every Native Speaker Uses
After the greeting, professional English email almost always opens with a short courtesy line before getting to the point:
- “I hope you’re doing well.” — the most common, works almost anywhere.
- “I hope this email finds you well.” — slightly more formal, common for first contact.
- “Thanks for your email.” — when you’re replying to someone.
Then get to the point quickly. English business writing values brevity far more than Spanish does — what might take three paragraphs of context in Spanish gets resolved in two sentences in English.
Asking for Something Without Sounding Blunt
This is where Spanish speakers most often trip up. In Spanish, “necesito que me envíes el informe” is completely normal between colleagues. Translated literally (“I need you to send me the report”), it reads as a curt order in English. Native speakers soften the request instead:
- “Could you send me the report when you get a chance?”
- “Would it be possible to get the report by Friday?”
- “I was wondering if you could send over the report.”
The more urgent the request, the more the conditional (could, would) matters over a direct command.
Closing an Email
- “Let me know if you have any questions.” — the safe, catch-all closer.
- “Looking forward to hearing from you.” — when you expect a reply.
- “Best,” or “Best regards,” — the standard sign-off; “Sincerely,” is reserved for very formal letters.