You can also use title abbreviations, such as “M. " for “Monsieur,” “Mme” for “Madame,” and “Mlle” for “Mademoiselle. " In France, people typically write last names all in capital letters to avoid any possible confusion. For example, you should address your letter to John SMITH instead of John Smith. For example: Mlle Brigitte MENIVIER Write the company’s name on the second line, if you are writing a business letter. Exclude this step if it is a personal letter. For example: Firm France.
Here is an example of how the recipient address should look: John SMITH 118 Boulevard Saint-Germain 75006 Paris France
Some people prefer to write the street name, city name, and country name in all caps as well, though this is not required. Do not include a comma between the house number and the street name.
If you are using a padded envelope, or if your package is bumpy, address your envelope before placing the contents inside to ensure that the addresses are clear and legible.
Your first and last name – with the last name in all caps (line one) Your street address (line two) Your city, state and postal code (line three) The country (line four)
Your stamp should be placed in the upper right hand corner of your envelope.
The format for both your info and that of the recipient should appear as follows: name (line one), house number and street address (line two), postal code and city name (line three), country name (line four).
The French word “cher” is the equivalent of the English “dear. ” You can say “Cher Monsieur” for a man, or “Chère Madame” for a female addressee. If you are writing to more than one person, you can say “Chers Messieurs et Mesdames” – which means “Dear Sirs and Madames. ” If you don’t know the name(s) of the recipients, or you are writing to a group of sorts, you may use “À qui de droit,” which is the French equivalent of “To whom it may concern. ” And remember that if you are writing the letter in French, you should always use the formal “vous,” rather than the informal “tu. ”
For a very formal or professional situation, you can write “Je vous prie d’agréer, repeat the title as you started your letter, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées. ” For a slightly less formal, but still professional, situation, you can write “Cordialement” (like “Cordially”), or “Bien à vous” (“yours truly”). For a letter to friends or family members, you can write “Affectueusement” (like “Fondly”) or “Gros bisous” (like “hugs and kisses”).