Closing a formal letter or email
Letters and emails to a company, a bank or an office use usted or ustedes (le / les, su) and end with a few set phrases.
| phrase | meaning |
|---|---|
| a la espera de | awaiting |
| sin otro particular | with nothing further to add |
| un cordial saludo | kind regards |
| atentamente | yours sincerely |
| We are awaiting your reply. | Estamos a la espera de su respuesta. |
A la espera de takes what you are waiting for: a reply, news, a refund. The usual last line puts it first, then the greeting:
| Awaiting your news, I send you kind regards. | A la espera de sus noticias, le envío un cordial saludo. |
Another classic last line opens with sin otro particular, then the greeting:
| With nothing further to add, yours sincerely. | Sin otro particular, le saluda atentamente. |
Sin otro particular is very formal and a little old-fashioned. In an email, un cordial saludo on its own is usually enough.
Time limits and amounts
Con antelación means in advance; como máximo means at most.
| I ask you to let me know in advance. | Les ruego que me avisen con antelación. |
Les ruego que + subjunctive is a polite, formal way to ask a company for something.
| We will return the amount to you in ten days at most. | Le devolveremos el importe en diez días como máximo. |
Como máximo sits right after the amount it limits (dos horas como máximo) or right before it (como máximo dos horas).
The current account
La cuenta corriente is the everyday bank account that bills are paid from: you domicilias a bill in it, and refunds go back into it.
| They have charged me the bill twice on the current account. | Me han cobrado la factura dos veces en la cuenta corriente. |
| I ask you to return the money to my current account. | Les ruego que devuelvan el dinero a mi cuenta corriente. |
