estimado alguien
/estimado alɡjen/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'dear someone' is translated into Spanish as estimado alguien.
This phrase is a formal greeting used at the beginning of a letter or email. The term 'Estimado/Estimada' is a polite way to say 'dear' in formal situations.
Which one should you use?
The word Estimado is used for males, while Estimada is used for females. The word querido is used for males and querida is used for females.
How do you pronounce it?
/estimado alɡjen/
When do people say it?
In formal Spanish correspondence, it is standard practice to follow the greeting with a colon (:) rather than a comma (,). For example, Estimado Sr. García:.
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'dear' to mean both 'beloved' and 'formal', Spanish uses a strict distinction. Using querido in a professional email can feel uncomfortably intimate, almost as if you are calling the recipient your 'darling'.
- The word estimado shares a root with the English word 'estimate' as both come from the Latin idea of assigning a value or price to something.
- In very formal Spanish business letters, you might see Distinguido used instead of Estimado. This elevates the greeting even further than 'dear' does in English.
Example conversation
Elena is helping Mateo write a formal email to a professor.
- ElenaDeberías empezar con 'Estimado profesor'.You should start with 'Dear professor'.
- Mateo¿Es demasiado formal decir estimado alguien?Is it too formal to say 'dear someone'?
- ElenaNo, es lo correcto para un correo académico.No, it is the correct way for an academic email.
- MateoEstá bien, lo escribiré así.Alright, I will write it that way.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alguien, estimado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
