How to Say “Best Regards” in French

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cordialement
/kɔʁ.djal.mɑ̃/
In French, best regards is translated as cordialement.
cordialement is the standard, neutral-to-formal way to say 'best regards' in professional emails. In modern French email culture, it is often used as a standalone sentence followed by a period or a comma.
Meaning: polite closing of a letter (noun)

Which one should you use?

While cordialement is standard for most business, bien à vous is a slightly more formal or elegant alternative used in professional correspondence. Adding bien to the front to create bien cordialement makes the closing feel slightly warmer and more personal than the standard cordialement.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

cordialement is suitable for neutral-to-formal professional contexts. For a standard formal way to say best regards, you can use Meilleures salutations. If you share a close friendship or a warm relationship, use the informal Bien amicalement.

How do you pronounce it?

The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /kɔʁ.djal.mɑ̃/.

What mistakes should you avoid?

English speakers sometimes mistakenly use cordialement in very formal letters to high-ranking officials. In such cases, you should use a much more elaborate formula, such as Je vous prie d'agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l'expression de mes sentiments distingués.

Did you know?

  • French professional closings are strictly tiered based on hierarchy. Using a short closing like cordialement when a long formula is expected can be interpreted as a lack of respect for the recipient's rank.
  • The term cordialement shares a root with the English word 'cordial' and the Latin word cor, meaning 'heart'. It literally describes a greeting coming from the heart.
  • In French, the phrase Meilleures salutations is the equivalent of 'best regards', but 'salutations' evokes the physical act of greeting someone, like a salute or a bow.

Examples in context

  • Cordialement.
    Best regards.
    Tatoeba #6778328 by Fabimaru, translation #4299336 by Globetrotter
  • Cordialement, Jean.
    Best regards, Jean.

Example conversation

Nathan sends a professional email to Léa.

  1. Nathan

    Bonjour Léa, voici le document demandé.
    Hello Léa, here is the requested document.
  2. Léa

    Merci Nathan, je vais le lire tout de suite.
    Thank you Nathan, I will read it right away.
  3. Nathan

    Parfait, j'attends votre retour. Cordialement.
    Perfect, I await your feedback. Best regards.
  4. Léa

    C'est entendu, à bientôt !
    Understood, see you soon!

Sources

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Corey Harley
Corey HarleyHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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