Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

Greetings and goodbyes in letters

24.3

24.2.4 Saying goodbye with reference to time of day

晚安。

Wǎn’ān.

Goodnight.

Note 晚安 wfn’an can only be used as a goodbye, and not as a greeting.

24.3 Greetings and goodbyes in letters

24.3.1 Greetings and salutations in letters

Letters begin with the name of the addressee.

In informal letters to someone with whom you have a close relationship, you may use the recipient’s

given name, or family name and given name. Sometimes these are followed by these kinship terms:

兄 xiōng elder brother, a form of address used by males of the same generation

弟 dì younger brother, a form of address used to a younger male

姊 zǐ elder sister, a form of address used by females of the same generation

or

姐 jiě

妹 mèi younger sister, a form of address used to a younger female

建国兄：

建國兄：

Jiànguó xiōng:

Elder brother Jianguo:

美英姊：

Měiyīng zǐ:

Elder sister Meiying:

A more formal letter may begin with the addressee’s family name, or family name and given

name, followed by his or her title.

王建国先生：

王建國先生：

Wáng Jiànguó xiānsheng:

Mr. Wang Jianguo:

More formal letters may also begin with the name and title of the addressee following by

a standard salutation. Note that the use of the family name makes the greeting more formal

than the use of the given name alone.

The following phrases may also be used after the name and title of the addressee.

Polite and formal

钧鉴/鈞鑒 jūnjiàn ‘for your perusal’

王先生钧鉴：

王先生鈞鑒：

Wáng xiānsheng jūnjiàn:

Mr. Wang, for your perusal:

王校长钧鉴：

王校長鈞鑒：

Wáng xiàozhǎng jūnjiàn:

Principal Wang, for your perusal: