Which one should you use?
While querido/a is personal and affectionate, estimado/a is the standard formal equivalent used in professional or business correspondence. For individuals of high rank or status, you may use distinguido/a [name] to show respect. If you wish to convey an even higher level of respect in a formal context, use muy estimado/a [name].
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, estimado/a [name] is commonly used in formal settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the person being addressed: use querido for males and querida for females. When addressing a group, use the plural form queridos for a group of men or a mixed group and queridas for a group of only women. Similarly, for formal plural addressing, use estimados/as [names].
How do you pronounce it?
/keˈɾido ˈnombɾe/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, using querido with a colleague you have only just met might be seen as inappropriately intimate or overly 'friendly' rather than just polite.
- The word querido comes from the verb querer, which in modern Spanish most commonly means 'to want' or 'to love'.
- While querido implies affection, the formal alternative estimado literally translates to 'esteemed' or 'valued'.
Examples in context
- Estimado Sr. Rodríguez,Dear Mr. Rodríguez,
- Muy estimada Sra. López,Dear Mrs. López,
- Distinguido Dr. González,Dear Dr. González,
- Querido Juan,Dear Juan,
- Querido amigo,Dear friend,
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (querido, nombre) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries querido, CC BY-SA 4.0.
