An effective Catalan email makes the relationship, purpose, and requested action clear quickly. A message to a friend can sound like conversation; a professional email normally needs a descriptive subject, a stable address system, short paragraphs, and an explicit next step. More formality does not mean more abstract nouns: it means better control of distance, modality, and information.
The models below use Central Catalan vocabulary, but the underlying choices apply throughout the Catalan-speaking area. Standard Valencian este, eixe, seua or hui, for example, should not be removed from a consistently Valencian message.
Choose the relationship before the formula
Catalan offers three main address patterns:
| Address | Typical relationship | Possessive/object forms | Example request |
|---|---|---|---|
| tu | (informal), one familiar addressee | teu, et | Em podries enviar…? |
| vostè | (formal), one addressee; third-person agreement | seu/seva, li | Em podria enviar…? |
| vós | (formal), institutional and traditional correspondence; second-person plural agreement | vostre, us | Em podríeu enviar…? |
Neither vostè nor vós is universally “more correct.” Institutions often have a house preference. Once chosen, keep the pronouns, verb agreement, possessives, and imperatives consistent.
Bon dia, Júlia. Em podries confirmar si vindràs dijous?
Good morning, Júlia. Could you confirm whether you'll come on Thursday? (friendly professional tu)
Benvolguda senyora Serra, li agrairia que em confirmés la recepció de la sol·licitud.
Dear Ms Serra, I would be grateful if you confirmed receipt of the application. (formal vostè)
Benvolguts senyors, us adjuntem el pressupost que ens vau demanar.
Dear Sirs, we attach the quotation you requested. (formal institutional vós)
See vostè and vós for the complete agreement patterns.
Subjects, salutations, and openings
A useful subject names the action and reference: Canvi de data de la reunió del 12 d'octubre is better than Important or Consulta. The opening should then establish any context the recipient genuinely needs.
Common salutations include:
- Hola, Pau, — (informal) or warm professional.
- Bon dia, Marta, — neutral professional.
- Benvolguda doctora Rius, / Benvolgut senyor Vidal, — (formal).
- A qui correspongui, — (formal) when no person can be identified; less personal and best avoided when a name or role is available.
The comma belongs to the salutation formula. In email layout, the following paragraph conventionally begins with a capital letter even though the salutation ends in a comma. A full stop after Hola is possible when Hola is treated as a separate greeting, but do not scatter multiple punctuation marks for warmth.
Assumpte: Documentació pendent per a la matrícula
Subject: Outstanding documents for enrollment. (specific professional subject line)
Bon dia, senyor Pons,\n\nLi escric perquè al formulari de matrícula hi falta una còpia del passaport.
Good morning, Mr Pons,\n\nI am writing because the enrollment form is missing a copy of the passport. (formal opening with immediate purpose)
Li escric en relació amb… is useful when the relation is specific. Avoid ritual openings that delay the point, such as several sentences about hoping the recipient is well, unless the relationship makes them sincere.
Requests: polite, concrete, and answerable
A good request states the action, relevant item, and deadline. Conditional questions soften an imposition: Em podries…? with tu, Em podria…? with vostè, or Em podríeu…? with vós. Si us plau adds politeness, but it cannot rescue a vague or impossible request.
Quan tinguis un moment, em pots enviar la versió signada? La necessito abans de divendres a les dotze.
When you have a moment, can you send me the signed version? I need it before noon on Friday. (friendly and concrete)
Podria indicar-me, si us plau, quin document acredita el domicili?
Could you please tell me which document proves the address? (formal vostè request)
In a professional message, excessive indirectness can hide the action. Seria potser possible procedir a considerar l'eventual enviament… is not more respectful; it is harder to answer.
Paragraphing and reference
Give each paragraph one job: context, request, practical detail, or closing. When replying in a long thread, name the document or decision rather than relying on això, allò, or el tema. Attachments should be identified by content, not merely by their presence.
T'adjunto l'acta de la reunió de dilluns. A la pàgina 3 hi trobaràs els terminis acordats.
I'm attaching the minutes of Monday's meeting. On page 3 you will find the agreed deadlines. (clear attachment reference)
An English-style passive often obscures agency: La incidència ha estat revisada i serà comunicada una resposta is awkward and leaves the recipient unstated. Catalan normally benefits from an active agent or a natural pronominal construction: L'equip tècnic ha revisat la incidència i us respondrà demà.
Closings and signatures
Match the closing to the opening:
- Fins aviat, / Una abraçada, — (informal); use Una abraçada only where personal warmth is real.
- Gràcies, / Moltes gràcies, — neutral when gratitude is central.
- Cordialment, — neutral-formal and widely useful.
- Atentament, — (formal), especially institutional correspondence.
Avoid treating an English closing as a word-for-word formula. Millors salutacions is understandable but translation-like; Cordialment or Salutacions cordials is idiomatic. A signature should identify the sender sufficiently for the genre; an internal chat does not need a ceremonial block.
Messages, punctuation, and emoji
In private chats, fragments, voice-note rhythm, repeated punctuation, and emoji can carry stance. Their meaning depends on the relationship. A bare D'acord. may look cool or final in a friendly chat; D'acord! may look enthusiastic; D'acord 👍 can confirm efficiently. None is intrinsically rude.
Arribo deu minuts tard 😓 Comenceu sense mi!
I'm arriving ten minutes late 😓 Start without me! (informal group message)
Professional messaging tolerates emoji in some teams, but a first contact, complaint, legal notice, or sensitive refusal usually benefits from words. Do not use repeated exclamation marks or all caps as a substitute for an explicit deadline.
From spoken request to written email
Spoken version:
Ei, això de demà, al final em va fatal; ho podem passar a divendres o què?
Hey, about tomorrow, in the end it really doesn't work for me; can we move it to Friday or what? (informal speech)
Written professional version:
Bon dia, Laia,\n\nFinalment no podré assistir a la reunió de demà. Et va bé que la traslladem a divendres a la mateixa hora?\n\nGràcies,\nMarc
Good morning, Laia,\n\nIn the end I won't be able to attend tomorrow's meeting. Would it suit you if we moved it to Friday at the same time?\n\nThank you,\nMarc
The revision identifies la reunió, divides news from request, and replaces the pressure tag o què? with an answerable question. It stays warm and direct; no bureaucratic synonym is needed.
Before and after: an overloaded email
Before:
Benvolguda Marta, en relació amb la realització de l'enviament de la documentació, es procedeix a informar-te que seria necessari que ens la fessis arribar al més aviat possible. Així mateix, d'altra banda, gràcies!!!
Dear Marta, with regard to carrying out the sending of the documentation, you are hereby informed that it would be necessary for you to send it to us as soon as possible. Likewise, on the other hand, thank you!!! (mixed address, nominalization, vague deadline, stacked connectors)
After, plain professional style:
Bon dia, Marta,\n\nEns podries enviar la documentació abans de dimecres a les cinc? La necessitem per tancar la inscripció.\n\nMoltes gràcies,\nAnna
Good morning, Marta,\n\nCould you send us the documents before five on Wednesday? We need them to complete the registration.\n\nMany thanks,\nAnna
The new version consistently uses tu, names the action and reason, gives a deadline, and removes connector noise.
An annotated model paragraph
Li confirmo que hem rebut el contracte signat. L'equip jurídic el revisarà dilluns i, si no hi detecta cap incidència, dimarts li enviarem la còpia definitiva.
I confirm that we have received the signed contract. The legal team will review it on Monday and, if it finds no issue, on Tuesday we will send you the final copy. (formal vostè)
- Li confirmo keeps formal singular address.
- el resumes el contracte without the bureaucratic el mateix.
- L'equip jurídic names the reviewing agent.
- si… makes the condition explicit; the dates create an observable timeline.
Correction Practice
- Repair the mixed address in Senyora Roca, t'agrairíem que ens confirméssiu la data: Senyora Roca, li agrairíem que ens confirmés la data (vostè) or us agrairíem que ens confirméssiu (vós).
- Give Ho necessitem aviat an answerable deadline: for example, Necessitem el certificat abans de dilluns a les deu.
- Replace Tema important!!! with a useful subject: for example, Confirmació de la visita del 8 de maig.
Common Mistakes
❌ Benvolgut senyor Soler, et faig arribar el pressupost que vau demanar.
Mixed systems — senyor suggests distance, et is tu, and vau is vós.
✅ Benvolgut senyor Soler, li faig arribar el pressupost que va demanar.
Dear Mr Soler, I am sending you the quotation you requested. (consistent vostè)
⚠️ És requerida la remissió del document per part teva.
Grammatical but translation-like passive and nominal style; the requested action is hidden.
✅ Si us plau, envia'ns el document abans de divendres.
Please send us the document before Friday. (plain request to one familiar recipient)
⚠️ T'adjunto això. Mira-t'ho i digues-me alguna cosa aviat.
Grammatical, but the attachment, requested action, and timing are all too vague for a professional message.
✅ T'adjunto el pressupost revisat. Confirma'm abans de dimarts si l'aproves.
I'm attaching the revised quotation. Confirm by Tuesday whether you approve it.
⚠️ Així mateix, però, d'altra banda, la reunió serà virtual.
Grammatical, but connectors are stacked without distinct relations.
✅ Finalment, la reunió serà virtual.
In the end, the meeting will be online.
⚠️ Benvolguda professora, gràcies per la seva ajuda. Ens veurem prompte.
Every form is standard, but prompte introduces a Valencian choice into an otherwise Central editorial model. Keep it if it reflects the sender's variety; do not replace it mechanically.
✅ Benvolguda professora, gràcies per la seua ajuda. Ens veurem prompte.
Dear Professor, thank you for your help. See you soon. (coherent Valencian formal model)
Key Takeaways
- Decide between tu, vostè, and vós first, then keep every pronoun and verb consistent.
- Put purpose and action early; give concrete documents, dates, and deadlines.
- Use one paragraph per communicative job and one connector per genuine relation.
- Match salutation, request, closing, punctuation, and emoji to audience and genre.
- Professional Catalan can be plain: clear verbs and visible agents are more respectful than bureaucratic padding.
Now practice Catalan
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