How To Start, Write, and End a Letter in Spanish (With Real Examples)

Writing a letter in Spanish is more than translating word by word from English. You need the right greeting, the right level of formality, and a closing that doesn’t sound like it was copied from a 1980s textbook.

This guide walks you through how to start, write, and end letters in Spanish for both formal and informal situations, with copy-paste-ready examples you can adapt for emails, DMs, and old-school paper letters.

Quick Primer: Parts of a Spanish Letter

A typical Spanish letter or email has four key parts:

saludo /saˈlu.ðo/ — greeting
introducción /intɾo.ðu(k)ˈθjon, intɾo.ðu(k)ˈsjon/ — short opening
cuerpo /ˈkwjeɾ.po, ˈkweɾ.po/ — main body
despedida /des.peˈði.ða/ — closing/ sign-off

You’ll adjust each part depending on whether you’re writing something formal (job, school, official) or informal (friends, family, casual contacts).

Formal vs Informal: Choosing Tú or Usted

In Spanish, the tone of your letter is heavily shaped by whether you use tú /tu/ — informal “you” — or usted /usˈteð/ — formal “you”.

Use usted in job applications, official letters, writing to a company, or to someone you don’t know well.
Use tú with friends, family, classmates, and people your own age in casual contexts.

This choice affects the greeting, verbs, and closing formulas, so we’ll show both versions side by side.

How To Start a Letter in Spanish: Greetings

Formal Greetings

First time writing to someone? Err on the side of formal.

Notes:

In Spanish letters, especially traditional ones, the greeting usually ends with a colon (not a comma): Estimado señor…:
If you don’t know the name:
- Estimado señor / Estimada señora: — Dear Sir / Madam
- A quien corresponda: /a ˈkjeŋ ko.resˈpon.da/ — To whom it may concern

Semi-Formal Greetings (Neutral Email Style)

These are great for repeated contact: a teacher you know, a colleague, or someone you’ve already written to before.

Informal Greetings

You can adjust querido / querida for family and close friends: Querida Laura, Querido primo, etc.

Writing an Effective Introduction

Right after the greeting, you need one or two lines that say why you’re writing. Here are ready-made patterns you can tweak.

Formal Introductions

Example formal openings:

Le escribo para solicitar más información sobre el curso de español.
/le esˈkɾi.βo ˈpa.ɾa so.li.siˈtaɾ mas in.foɾ.maˈθjon, in.foɾ.maˈsjon ˈso.βɾe el ˈkuɾ.so ðe es.paˈɲol/
I am writing to request more information about the Spanish course.

Me dirijo a usted para expresar mi interés en el puesto.
/me ðiˈɾi.xo a usˈteð ˈpa.ɾa eks.pɾeˈsaɾ mi in.teˈɾes en el ˈpwes.to/
I am addressing you to express my interest in the position.

Informal Introductions

Example:

Te escribo porque tengo una noticia importante.
/te esˈkɾi.βo ˈpoɾ.ke ˈteŋ.go ˈu.na noˈti.θja, noˈti.sja im.poɾˈtan.te/
I’m writing to you because I have important news.

Useful Phrases for the Body of the Letter

Once you’re past the intro, you need chunks that sound natural and polite.

Formal Body Phrases

Informal Body Phrases

How To End a Letter in Spanish: Closings

The despedida is where Spanish becomes very formula-friendly. Pick a closing that matches your greeting and tone.

Formal Closings

You usually add your name on the next line:

Atentamente,
/a.ten.taˈmen.te/
[Tu nombre]

Semi-Formal Closings

These work great for emails with teachers, colleagues, or clients you know a bit.

Informal Closings

You can combine:

Un abrazo grande, /un aˈβɾa.so ˈɣɾan.de/ — A big hug,
Con mucho cariño, /kon ˈmu.tʃo kaˈɾi.ɲo/ — With lots of love,

Region Notes

Spain:

Slightly more formal formulas are still used in traditional letters: Muy señor mío, Le saluda atentamente.
Un saludo and Saludos are extremely common email closings.

Latin America:

Usted is more frequent in some countries, even with people who are not strangers (like older relatives or teachers).
Informal closings like Un abrazo and Besos are common in messages to friends and family.

Across the Spanish-speaking world, the structures in this article are widely understood and safe to use.

Mini Dialogues (Reading Letter Fragments)

These are snippets you might hear if someone reads part of a letter aloud. Each block is like a tiny “dialogue” between writer and reader in your head.

Dialogue 1: Formal Letter to a School

Estimado señor Director:
/es.tiˈma.ðo seˈɲoɾ ði.ɾekˈtoɾ/
Dear Principal,

Le escribo para solicitar información sobre los cursos de verano.
/le esˈkɾi.βo ˈpa.ɾa so.li.siˈtaɾ in.foɾ.maˈθjon, in.foɾ.maˈsjon ˈso.βɾe los ˈkuɾ.sos ðe βeˈɾa.no/
I am writing to request information about the summer courses.

Atentamente,
/a.ten.taˈmen.te/
Sincerely,

Dialogue 2: Email to a Friend

Hola, Marta:
/ˈo.la ˈmaɾ.ta/
Hi Marta,

Te escribo porque te echo mucho de menos y quiero contarte mis planes para este año.
/te esˈkɾi.βo ˈpoɾ.ke te ˈe.tʃo ˈmu.tʃo ðe ˈme.nos i ˈkje.ɾo konˈtaɾ.te mis ˈpla.nes ˈpa.ɾa es.te ˈa.ɲo/
I’m writing because I miss you a lot and I want to tell you my plans for this year.

Un abrazo,
/un aˈβɾa.so/
Hugs,

Dialogue 3: Semi-Formal Email to a Teacher

Buenos días, profesora López:
/ˈbwe.nos ˈði.as pɾo.feˈso.ɾa ˈlo.pes/
Good morning, Professor López,

Me gustaría saber si podría revisar mi ensayo antes del viernes.
/me ɣus.taˈɾi.a saˈβeɾ si poˈðɾi.a re.biˈsaɾ mi enˈsa.ʝo ˈan.tes ðel ˈbjeɾ.nes/
I would like to know if you could review my essay before Friday.

Un saludo,
/un saˈlu.ðo/
Best regards,

Quick Reference: Starter + Ending Combos

Five-Minute Practice Plan

Write one formal opening + closing pair: for example, to a university or company.
Write one informal opening + closing pair for a friend or family member.
Take an English email you’ve written recently and rewrite just the greeting and closing in Spanish.
Read the three mini dialogues out loud, paying attention to Le escribo para…, Te escribo porque…, and the rhythm of Un saludo / Un abrazo.
Create a three-line formal email in Spanish: greeting, one sentence of purpose, closing.
Create a three-line informal message in Spanish: greeting, one line of news, closing with Un abrazo or Besos.

Yak-Style Closing Spark

Once you know how to open and close a letter in Spanish, you can email teachers, write to companies, and send heartfelt messages to friends without feeling like you’re guessing. These little formulas are like scaffolding—reuse them, adjust them, and soon your letters and emails will sound smooth, natural, and confidently yours.