dear sir or madam

dear sir or madam — 慣用語

1. the standard opening words of a formal letter or email, used when the writer doe

1.慣用語B1
釋義

敬啟者

正式書信開頭，收信人不明時用

the standard opening words of a formal letter or email, used when the writer does not know the name, gender, or specific title of the recipient

例句

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to apply for the position of office manager at your company.

敬啟者：本人特此致函應徵貴公司辦公室經理一職。

fixed salutation + comma before main clause

When Mei-Lin did not know the manager's name, she began her email with 'Dear Sir or Madam'.

Mei-Lin 不知道經理的名字，因此她在 email 的開頭寫了「敬啟者」。

used when addressee's name is unknown

常見搭配
  • begin with 'Dear Sir or Madam'
  • address with 'Dear Sir or Madam'
  • start a letter with 'Dear Sir or Madam'
  • use 'Dear Sir or Madam'
同義詞
  • To Whom It May Concern

    more formal and impersonal; used for reference letters or general inquiries rather than direct correspondence

  • Dear Sirs

    traditional but dated and gender-exclusive; avoided in modern usage

用法筆記

This opening is paired with the closing 'Yours faithfully' (British English) or 'Sincerely' (American English). When the recipient's name is known, use 'Dear Mr/Ms [Surname]' instead. The phrase is becoming less common in modern business emails, where 'Hello' or 'Hi [Name]' is often preferred in less formal contexts.

常見錯誤

Dear Sirs,' when sending to an organisation.
Dear Sir or Madam,
'Dear Sirs' is outdated and excludes women.
Using a colon after the phrase in a British-style letter.
Dear Sir or Madam,
British English uses a comma; American English uses a colon ('Dear Sir or Madam:').
Dear Sir/Madam,' as a shortened form.
Dear Sir or Madam,
spell out 'or' for the standard, most respectful version.