How to Write a Letter in Spanish: 14 Steps

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

If you're writing a letter in Spanish to someone you don't know very well, it's best to use formal language. You may never have learned to write in a formal language, even if you can speak, listen, and read in Spanish. While most basic letter writing rules are the same in any language, you must follow certain formalities in a culture when writing letters in Spanish. These formalities vary depending on who the letter is addressed to and why you are writing the letter.

Step

Part 1 of 3: Letter Opening

Step 1. Write down the address

If you are writing a formal letter, place the name and address in the upper right corner of the letter page, followed by the name and address of the person addressed to the left.

Most word processing software has a business letter template that automatically composes your letter in this form.
If you want to print a letter on letterhead, you do not need to enter your own name and address.
When writing an email, we generally don't include the address at the top of the page.

Step 2. Write the date

If you're writing a formal letter, usually the date is listed at the top of the letter. In Spanish letters, the date of writing can be preceded by the city where the author of the letter came from.

For example, you could write "Acapulco, 23 de diciembre de 2016." Dates in Spanish follow the convention of writing the date first, followed by the month, and lastly the year. If you just write down the numbers, the same date could be written as "23-12-16."
For letters printed on letterhead, or regular letters to friends or acquaintances, place the date in the upper right corner where the name and address are usually written.
Formal letters usually include the date on the left side of the paper under the name and address.

Step 3. Write a greeting

How to write a greeting in Spanish depends on your relationship with the person and how well you know them. Informal greetings that can be used for friends or acquaintances can be rude when used to greet someone who is older, or someone you don't know closely.

You can start your letter with A quien corresponda: (or "to those concerned") if you do not know the name of the person you are addressing in this letter. This greeting can be used in commercial letters in general, for example when you want to find information about an item or service.
If the person you are addressing is older, or if you are writing a letter for the first time, use Estimada/o followed by their last name. Greet them with señor or señora if necessary. For example, you could write "Estimado Señor Lopez." This greeting, if translated literally "Dear Mr. Lopez", or in Indonesian we usually write in the form "Dear Mr. Sudaryanto", for example.
If you have a close relationship with the person, use Querido/a followed by the first name. For example, write "Querida Benita," which means "Dear Benita," or "Dear Benita."
In Spanish letters we must use a colon after the greeting, not a comma as is generally used in Indonesian.

Step 4. Introduce yourself

In the first part of the letter, we introduce ourselves to the reader. Begin the letter by saying Mi nombre es and write down your full name. If you think your job title or relationship with the addressee is important to the reader, include that in your letter.

For example, you could write "Mi nombre es Suryani Santoso." After that, write a sentence that describes who you are, for example, you are a student at a university or you have a relationship with one of their friends.
If you're writing a letter on someone else's behalf, you can add an escribo de parte de followed by that person's name. For example, you might write "Ecribo de parte de Margarita Flores."

Step 5. State the purpose of writing the letter

After introducing yourself, immediately explain briefly why you are writing this letter or what you want from them. You can explain this further in the body of the letter, but it's best to state the purpose of writing the letter up front.

Think of this as a sort of summary of the contents of the letter. For example, if you are writing a cover letter or internship, you might write Quisiera postularme para el puesto, which means "I would like to apply for this position." You can then describe where you saw the job advert or how you found out about the job.
This section should be no more than a sentence or two, and close the opening paragraph of your letter.

Part 2 of 3: Creating the Body of the Letter

Step 1. Maintain formal language

Writing a letter in Spanish uses a more formal and polite language than writing a letter in another language in general, even if you have a good relationship with the person to whom you are writing.

In Spanish, official letters tend to use a more passive language than other languages. Use conditional sentences (quería saber si ustedes estarían disponibles which means "I wonder if you are willing") and use the formal "you" (usted or ustedes) unless you are personally familiar with the person.
If you're not sure how formal your language should be, it's best to choose to write in a formal language. You're less likely to offend someone by being too polite than being too casual or too familiar.
If you've met this person several times, or you're replying to their letter, use the previous letter as a reference. Don't be more informal than the person who wrote you the letter.
Even in e-mail writing, the use of slang and the abbreviations or acronyms commonly used in Internet conversations is unacceptable when writing letters in Spanish.

Step 2. Start with the most important points

For the body of the letter, state your goals from the most important to the least important. Write briefly and clearly so that your letter is no more than one page.

For a personal letter, such as a letter to a friend to share a vacation experience, write as long as you want. However, for business letters or other formal letters, respect your readers' time. Avoid straying into other things that are not related to the purpose of the letter. You will make a good impression by writing a formal letter correctly.
Create a short outline before you start writing so you know exactly what you want to say, or how to say it. If you already have an outline ahead, you can write more easily, especially if you don't write in your native language.

Step 3. Break the information down into paragraphs

Your letter should be single-spaced, and double-spaced to separate paragraphs. One paragraph should not exceed two or three sentences.

For each different, write it in a separate paragraph.
For example, suppose you want to write to apply for an internship in Spanish. There are two things to talk about: your experience, and how to convince the reader that you are the best applicant for this position. The letter you should write contains an opening paragraph, a paragraph about your experiences, a paragraph about why you are the best applicant, and a closing paragraph.

Part 3 of 3: Closing the Letter

Step 1. Summarize the purpose of your letter

Begin the closing paragraph with a sentence or two that summarizes the purpose of your letter. You should also include a closing sentence that is relevant to the intent of your letter.

For example, if you are writing to apply for a job or internship, add a final sentence that you have a letter of reference if requested.
If your letter is only two paragraphs long, it may not be necessary. However, it can be helpful in letters that are longer than a few pages to help remind the reader of the letter's intent.
This concluding paragraph is usually not very important if you are writing to a close friend or family member.

Step 2. Write a closing sentence

At the end of the letter, convey your expectations to the reader. In the closing sentence, state the decision you expect or how quickly you would like to get a reply.

For example, if you just want a reply but aren't in a rush, write Espero su respuesta, which means "I'm looking forward to your reply."
If you think the reader might want to ask questions or talk further, write Cualquier cosa estoy a su disposición, which means "I'm willing to answer if you need further explanation."

Step 3. Send your closing greetings

Just as we end a letter in Indonesian with the sentence "Sincerely", we must use such a sentence in Spanish.

Afterwords in Spanish tend to be more formal than other languages. In general, we can use a closing greeting such as Saludos cordiales, which literally means "Sincere greetings." If you're asking for something in your letter, use Gracias y saludos, which means "Thanks and regards."
If you don't know the person at all, and they are older than you or the person holding the position, use Le saludo atentamente. This phrase is the most formal of the closing greetings, which can be translated literally "I sincerely send greetings." This greeting is so formal that it almost implies that you are not even worthy to send the greeting to this person.
When writing to a close friend or family member, use a closing greeting such as "Besos," which means "Kiss." This greeting may seem more intimate than the usual greeting in Indonesian. However, it is commonly used to end letters in Spanish.

Step 4. Reread the letter carefully

You may encounter errors in punctuation or spelling, especially if you write letters using word processing software with the default settings in English. A sloppy letter reflects badly on you and can imply that you have no respect for the person you are addressing.

If you turn on the Auto-Correct feature in your word processor, check the words carefully–especially if the language in the software's default setting is English. The software may convert some words into similar English without your knowing it.
Pay special attention to punctuation. For example, interrogative sentences in Spanish begin with "¿" and end with "?". This form is only found in Spanish, and if you don't write in Spanish, ignore the opening question mark.

Step 5. Enter the information about your contact number

People usually write contact information directly under the name, even if you have the address at the top of the letter. This is especially important if you are writing in an employee capacity.

For example, if you write a letter using company letterhead, the letterhead usually contains the company's address and contact number – not a personal contact number.
Enter information about how you would like to be contacted. If you want the person you're calling to call, enter the phone number under the name. However, if you want a reply via email, please include an email address.

Step 6. Sign the letter

When you are sure that there are no errors in the letter, print it out and sign it as if it were a letter in your language. Usually we leave a few blank lines under the closing greeting and then type the name.