Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| fidèlement votre |
| sincères salutations |
These phrases serve as polite, formulaic endings to letters. While sincères salutations functions as a standard formal closing for professional correspondence, fidèlement votre is another way to convey a similar sentiment.
Which one should you use?
The phrase sincères salutations is a standard formal way to close professional letters.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
sincères salutations is a formal closing used in professional settings. For very high-level formal business or professional letters, more elaborate constructions are often used, such as Veuillez agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l'expression de mes sentiments respectueux or Je vous prie d'agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l'expression de ma considération distinguée. Conversely, for friends or family, the informal phrase Bien à toi is more appropriate.
Did you know?
- While fidèlement votre looks like 'yours faithfully', using it in modern French can actually sound overly dramatic or even archaic, like something from a 19th-century novel.
- In French formal correspondence, the closing phrase must mirror the exact title used in the opening salutation. If a letter starts with Monsieur le Directeur, the closing must also include Monsieur le Directeur to be considered grammatically and socially correct.
- While sincères salutations is standard, the ultra-formal endings often use the verb agréer, which literally means 'to accept' or 'to admit'. The writer is essentially asking the recipient to accept the expression of their respect.
Examples in context
- Veuillez agréer, Madame Dupont, l'expression de mes sentiments respectueux.Please accept, Mrs. Dupont, the expression of my respectful sentiments.
- Je vous prie d'agréer, Monsieur Martin, l'expression de ma considération distinguée.I pray you to accept, Mr. Martin, the expression of my distinguished consideration.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are proofreading a formal letter together.
- ChloéLucas, comment dois-je finir ce courrier ?Lucas, how should I end this mail?
- LucasTu peux utiliser fidèlement votre pour être polie.You can use yours faithfully to be polite.
- ChloéC'est parfait pour une administration.That's perfect for an administration.
- LucasOui, c'est la formule classique.Yes, it is the classic formula.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yours faithfully” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
