The best way to start offical email

Question

What is the best way to start email with for 1- Boss 2- Colleague 3- CustomerBest regardsMohammed

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

What is the best way to start email with for 1- Boss 2- Colleague 3- Customer

That's hard to answer, because different counties and different cultures have different ideas about formality.

For example, in Canada many people call their boss by his first name. Do they do that where you live?

My advice is that you should look at the way other people in your office write emails, and write yours in the same way.

Clive

Red_Guitar_168 · Answer

CliveThat's hard to answer, because different counties and different cultures have different ideas about formality.

Hello,

Clive, hopefully you wouldn't mind about this, but, may I ask something too? if he is going to write e-mails in English (to his boss and colleagues), shouldn't he simply use the same format as other English letters/emails? (regardless of which country he's living now.)

p.s : Mohammed, i am sorry for interrupting. :-/

Regards,
[8].RedGuitar.[8]

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Comments are always welcome.

As I said, he should write them the same way other people in his office do. Is this what you meant?

Clive

Red_Guitar_168 · Answer

CliveAs I said, he should write them the same way other people in his office do. Is this what you meant?

erm.... this is not exactly what i wanted to say. But, to be on the safe side, that's a good suggestion for Mohammed, i think.

....

by the way, just sharing -

CliveFor example, in Canada many people call their boss by his first name. Do they do that where you live?

I don't know about Mohammed's country, but, in my country, we don't have such things as first and second names, family names or surnames. It could be a little bit problematic and troublesome when people ask for our surnames (for international application etc). When i was a kid, whenever people asked me for "surnames", i had always thought they asked me "Sir, name?"

. It was then i found a word as "surname" exists.

....

CliveComments are always welcome

Thanks for answering me too.

Regards,
[8].RedGuitar.[8]

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Interesting. So, in your country everyone just has one name? What country is that, if I may ask?

What name would appear in eg your passport?

Clive

Red_Guitar_168 · Answer

CliveHi,
Interesting. So, in your country everyone just has one name? What country is that, if I may ask?

What name would appear in eg your passport?

Clive

My country is Malaysia, and because it's a multiracial country, so, we have many kinds of names regarding to our races and religions. as for me, I am a Malay girl, so, i don't know much about Chinese, Indians or other races in my country. and, most (not all) of Malay names have been greatly influenced by Arabic language (I am not sure what's the exact reason behind that influence, perhaps due to some historical events)

actually, what do you meant with only one name? is having one name simply meant of having one word (ex. Clive) ? if that's the case, the answer is no. some of us have 1 word, and most of us have more than 2 words. (is this what people actually meant with "first name" or "second name"?My friend has 4 words for her name, is that meant she's going to have "third" and "4th name" ? how complicated!

)

and, if i am not mistaken, in my country, if you're a muslim, you have to write "binte" (for girls) or "bin" (for boys) after your own name (and exactly before your father's name). and, for non-Muslim, they should write it as "daughter of" / "son of" (i guess they abbreviate it as d/o or s/o respectively - i am not sure).

for example, if you're a muslim girl, and your name is Nurul Hidayah, and your father's name is Othman, then, you should write it as "Nurul Hidayah binte Othman". and if you're a muslim boy (ex. your name is Abdul Syukur), then you should write it as "Abdul Syukur bin Othman".
I couldn't really give any examples for non-muslim names, but, i think i have read it somewhere, it's more or less something like this : Gita d/o Chandran (it's an Indian name)

But, most of us now (including me), will omit the words "binte / bin" or "d/o, s/o" for the sake of simplicity. We'll simply introduce ourselves as "Nurul Hidayah Othman" or "Gita Chandran". But, for formal applications (ex. passport), we'll write it as "Nurul Hidayah binte Othman" (because that's how our names are written on our local Identification Card)

as for Indian and Chinese (and other races in Malaysia), i think they have that kind of "family name" / "surname". but as for my race (Malay), we don't - i am not even sure either to use my father's name or grandfather's or other than that.

p.s i am sorry for this very long reply, Clive. Again, actually, i am not very sure about all these facts (because they confuse me whenever i am thinking about it) - if we have other Malaysians here that would like to correct me, please, feel free to do it.

Regards,
[8].RedGuitar.[8]

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Thank you. How interesting!

In Canada, I would say most people have three names. The first two are chosen by their parents, and the third is their family name.

Let me ask you this.

If you work in an office, and your supervisor's name is "Abdul Syukur bin Othman", how do you address him. eg If you say 'Good morning, _______'.

Clive

Red_Guitar_168 · Answer

CliveHi,

Thank you. How interesting!

In Canada, I would say most people have three names. The first two are chosen by their parents, and the third is their family name.

Let me ask you this.
If you work in an office, and your supervisor's name is "Abdul Syukur bin Othman", how do you address him. eg If you say 'Good morning, _______'.

Clive

You're most welcome, Clive.

Well, as for his friends (during casual conversations), they would address him as "Abdul" / "Syukur" (depends on his personal preference). But, as for his colleagues or co-workes (in his office), they would address him as "Encik Abdul" / "Encik Syukur" or "Tuan Abdul" / "Tuan Syukur" . These two words (Encik / Tuan) simply mean "Mr.". So, if to be translated into English, they would call him as "Mr. Abdul" / "Mr. Syukur". They won't use his father's name and address him as "Mr.Othman" - he would be offended and humiliated

(to be honest, i am not so sure. but, this is what my friend has explained to me a few minutes ago).

But, if he's working with an international company, probably, his supervisor (from UK / other Western countries) would address him as "Mr.Othman" (because that what had happened to my sister when she worked at a branch of HSBC Bank UK in my country)

Regards,
[8].RedGuitar.[8]

Clive · Answer

Hi,

So, a tricky subject.

In the offices which I have worked in, in Canada, his colleagues and his supervisor would simply call him 'Abdul'. Same thing if he were the supervisor, people would say 'Abdul'.

In class, sometimes, students call me Mr. Clive. I tell them to simply say 'Clive', but they are often reluctant.

Clive

Red_Guitar_168 · Answer

CliveHi,
So, a tricky subject.

In the offices which I have worked in, in Canada, his colleagues and his supervisor would simply call him 'Abdul'. Same thing if he were the supervisor, people would say 'Abdul'.

In class, sometimes, students call me Mr. Clive. I tell them to simply say 'Clive', but they are often reluctant.

Clive

hello,

yes, it is a little bit tricky subject - to learn the differences between various culture in this world could be troublesome sometimes, but it's kind of interesting too.

Regards,
[8].RedGuitar.[8]

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