Dutch
Dutch has two standard forms of salutation: one formal and the other informal. A person's title and surname always follows the salutation, regardless of formality. The formal salutation, "Geachte", is most commonly used in present formal communication, while the informal salutation "Beste" appears in informal communication. However, there is a tendency, especially among the younger generations, to also use this salutation in formal situations."
The standard formal Dutch salutation is followed by a title, a name and a comma:
- Geachte heer
, (If the reader is Male). - Geachte mevrouw
, (If the reader is Female). - Geachte mejuffrouw
, (If the reader is Female, unmarried and younger than 25). - Geachte heer/mevrouw
, (If the gender of the reader is unknown).
The standard informal Dutch salutation is followed by a name and a comma:
- Beste
, (For either Male and Female readers).
If the informal Dutch salutation is used in a formal context, the salutation is followed by a title, a name and a comma:
- Beste meneer
, (If the reader is Male). - Beste mevrouw
, (If the reader is Female). - Beste meneer/mevrouw
, (if the gender of the reader is unknown).
Read more about this topic: Salutation
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