A valediction (derivation from Latin vale dicere, "to say farewell"), or complimentary close in American English, is an expression used to say farewell, especially a word or phrase used to end a letter or message, or the act of saying parting words whether brief or extensive.
For the greetings counterpart to valediction, see salutation.
The term is also used to refer to the speech given by a valedictorian at a commencement and to refer to final prayers and remarks at the graveside before a burial.
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English
Valedictions normally immediately precede the signature in written correspondence. The word or words used express respect, esteem, or regard for the person to whom the correspondence is directed, and the exact form used depends on a number of factors
Business usage
The following table contains complimentary closings as recommended for business hard-letter use by two authorities: Barron's Educational Series and American Management Association.
Valedictions in e-mail
Valedictions in formal e-mail are similar to valedictions in letters; on the whole, they are variations of "regards" and "yours". However, a wide range of popular valedictions are used in casual e-mail but very rarely in letters.
Other forms
- "Yours aye" (/e?/) is a Scottish expression commonly still used in the Royal Navy, meaning "yours always", and is occasionally used by sailors or people working in a maritime context. It can also be used as an email sign off meaning "your friend".
- "Yours, etc." is used historically for abbreviated endings. It can be found in older newspaper letters to the editor, and often in US legal correspondence. "&c." may be seen as an alternative abbreviation of et cetera.
- "Yours hopefully" is occasionally used in letters of respect or complaint.
Clerical usage
Christian clergy often use Yours in Christ, Sincerely in Christ, or Yours sincerely in Christ.
United States military usage
Current regulations of the United States Department of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy call for two complimentary closings for letters: "Respectfully yours" and "Sincerely". "Respectfully yours" is reserved for the President, except the Army includes the President's spouse, and for the President-elect. "Sincerely" is used in all other cases.
For more informal (but still professional) correspondence among military service members, "Very respectfully" is used. This is often abbreviated as "V/R."
The Commander of the Navy's school in the military's "Mustang University" stated his preference, in 2014, that the older "Very respectfully" be used in letters to someone senior in pay-grade or positional authority. However, the Commander acknowledged that current regulations call for "Sincerely" and told students they were free to follow that practice.
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Chinese
Valedictions in Chinese are highly variable and reflect the relative social status of the sender and recipient. Salutation (???) is traditionally placed after valediction (???) and the closing of the main body of the letter, as opposed to its typical location in English. Traditional valediction include:
- To social seniors: ???? (prostrating [to you], delivering up)????? (respectfully, speedily reporting)????? (especially prostrating, respectfully reporting)??? (prostrating [to you])??? (respectfully)??? (reverently)?
- To social equals: ???? (especially, respectfully delivering)????? ([apologetically] quickly, relaying [my] estimations)????? (especially relaying [for your] information)????? ([apologetically] simply, respectfully delivering)??? (simply)??? (especially)?
- For replications especially: ?????????????????????????
- For congratulations or commemoration: ???????????????
- To or from mourning persons: ???????????????
- For expression of gratitude: ???????????????
French
Standard French language valedictions tend to be much more complex than standard English ones, more akin to older English valedictions. They show a fair degree of variation, for example:
Or:
Or:
In the latter case of a formula beginning with the first person, the valediction is often enhanced with a participial phrase concluding the sense of the letter (since traditionally it is not considered appropriate to begin a paragraph with the first person singular je in a letter):
A number of rules concern the use of these formulae:
- the title used in the salutation of the letter must be reproduced in the valediction; so a letter addressing Madame la députée would conclude, Veuillez, Madame la députée.
- the wording recevoir l'assurance should be used in a letter from a hierarchical superior to an inferior, whereas the wording agréer l'expression should be used in a letter from a hierarchical inferior to a superior, and not conversely.
- in a letter from a man to a woman or from a woman to a man, the writer must not send sentiments if they are not close family relatives (i.e. mother and son, father and daughter, brother and sister, or possibly close cousins).
Such formulae may be used even in more friendly letters, often with the adjective cher or chère for the recipient. Letters to dignitaries may use even more grandiose styles, such as:
or more commonly:
According to French typographic rules, the proper capitalization for the official title is "Premier ministre" although people who mimic English titles or fear that they might appear disrespectful often use more capitals than the rules commend.
Another French typographic rule states that when addressing someone, styles like Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle, should never be abbreviated, even if followed by a title (hence, writing M. le Premier Ministre or Mme l'Ambassadeur would be considered clumsy).
Much shorter styles may be used in brief notes (Sincères salutations), and informal letters (such as between intimates) may use expressions such as (with approximate English equivalents - not literal translations):
- Amicalement ("In friendship")
- Amitiés ("Your friend")
- À bientôt ("See you soon")
- Au plaisir de vous revoir ("Hope to see you again soon")
- Bien amicalement ("In Good Friendship")
- Bien à vous ("Sincerely yours")
- Cordialement ("Cordially")
- Meilleures salutations ("Best Salutations")
- Salutations distinguées ("With Distinguished Salutations")
Unlike in English, when the letter writer has a title that is unique in his or her organization, it is placed before, not after, the name:
German
Valedictions in German, while a lot less complex than those in French, are similarly flexible. The highly formal form Hochachtungsvoll (lit. "highly respectfully") has been practically obsolete for many years and is very rarely used in modern German, except for highly formal correspondence from authorities or in letters with a highly negative connotation where "friendliness" would not be appropriate.
The standard business valediction is Mit freundlichen Grüßen (lit. "with friendly regards") and is equivalent to Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully in English. A more seldom used variant of this is Mit freundlichem Gruß, which is as above but in the singular form. Other semi-formal alternatives include (roughly in descending order of formality) Mit besten Grüßen (lit. "with best regards"), Beste Grüße, Mit herzlichen Grüßen (lit. "with cordial regards"), Viele Grüße (lit. "many regards"), Schöne Grüße (lit. "nice regards").
German valedictions also offer the possibility of adding your location, e.g. Mit freundlichen Grüßen aus Berlin to added effect. While this is no less formal, it does have a more "relaxed" feel to it. Other less formal location-centric variations are also possible, such as Viele Grüße aus dem sonnigen Barcelona (lit. "many regards from sunny Barcelona").
These valedictions are also often adapted to specific professions, states or political views. For example, it is common to use Mit solidarischen Grüßen ("with regards in solidarity") among socialist and communist groups, Mit gewerkschaftlichen Grüßen (lit. "with union regards") or Mit kollegialen Grüßen (lit. "with cooperative regards") among labour union members, Mit kameradschaftlichen Grüßen (lit. "with comradely regards") among military personnel, Mit sportlichen Grüßen ("with sporting regards") among sportspeople, and Mit gebärdenfreundlichen Grüßen ("with friendly regards in sign language") among persons hard of hearing.
More familiar valedictions in German follow the same formula. Alles Liebe or (Viele) liebe Grüße are common in German for friends or family. Friends or close colleagues among each other may use simply Gruß.
It is possible in informal and rapid e-mail communication to sometimes use abbreviations of the forms, unlike in English. In this way, Mit freundlichen Grüßen may be shortened to MfG and Liebe Grüße may be shortened to LG. A popular form in Germany in recent years, hdl (habe dich lieb, lit. "am fond of you") and hdgdl (habe dich ganz doll lieb, lit. "am very fond of you", for somewhere between "I like you" and "I love you") has found increased usage in SMS text messaging and e-mails in more intimate relationships.
Judges have deemed that Section 86a of the German Criminal Code forbids the use of Mit deutschem Gruß (lit. "with German regards"), as it has National Socialist overtones.
Hebrew
Formal letters in Hebrew often end with "b'chavod (rav*)" (Hebrew: ????? *??, lit: with (great*) honor) or somewhat less formal "bivracha" (Hebrew: ?????, lit: with blessing). The informal ones may use "kol toov" (Hebrew: ?? ???, lit: all the best). For an intimate, you might end a letter or email with "mitga'ageah" (m) or "mitga'aga'at" (f) -- missing you. Jews in the United States often use "B'shalom" or "shalom" (Hebrew: ?????, lit: in peace) within Jewish circles, for example, from a Rabbi to his congregation. This is an American Jewish usage, rarely heard from native speakers of Hebrew. "B'shalom" is incorrect, as it is religiously tantamount to wishing death on someone. Indeed, the Talmud says: "In bidding farewell to the living one should not say, 'Go with peace' [lech b'shalom], but 'Go to peace' [lech l'shalom], because [King] David said to [his son] Absalom, 'Go with peace', and he went and was hanged; whereas Jethro said to Moses, 'Go to peace', and he went and succeeded." [Talmud, Moed Katan 29a]
Hungarian
- Maradok tisztelettel: Very formal and now dated, means "I respectfully remain (your servant)".
- Tisztelettel: Very formal, means "With regards". This is the equivalent of the English "Yours sincerely/faithfully/truly".
- Üdvözlettel: Somewhat formal, assumes existing relationship. Often used between colleagues. It literally means "Greetings".
- Üdv: An abbreviated and informal form of "Üdvözlettel". Very frequently used in e-mails among colleagues.
- Puszi: Informal and somewhat intimate, means "kiss on the cheek". Often used within family and among friends, between or toward women.
- Csók: Intimate, it means "kiss (on the mouth)". Mostly used between couples.
Hungarian valedictions are extendable, which makes a number of variations on the above expressions possible, such as "?szinte tisztelettel" ("With sincere appreciation") or "Szívélyes üdvözlettel" ("With cordial regards").
Japanese
- Keigu (?? - Sincerely)
- Haikei (?? - Respectfully)
- Kashiko (??? - With great humility)
Russian
- ? ????????? (Respectfully yours)
- ? ?????????? ??????????? (Best regards)
- ? ????????????? ????????! (With Komsomol greetings) / Informal|joking
- ???????? ??? (Sincerely yours)
- ??? (yours)
- ??? ???????? ????? (Your obedient servant)
- ??????? ????????? ? ???? ????? ????????? ???????? ? ???????? (diplomatic etiquette)
- ?? ?????? ??????? (See you soon)
Spanish
- Saludos (Regards)
- Atentamente (literally "attentively", a very common business valediction similar to "respectfully")
- Cordialmente ("cordially")
- Amablemente (literally "amiably", similar to "kindly")
- Amorosamente ("lovingly", not commonly used in Spain)
- Tiernamente ("tenderly", not commonly used in Spain)
- Un cordial saludo ("cordial greetings")
- Reciba un cordial saludo ("receive cordial greetings")
- Un abrazo ("a hug", very common between male friends and male family members)
- Abrazos ("hugs")
- Un beso ("a kiss", very common to and from female friends and family members)
- Besos ("kisses")
Portuguese
Formal valedictions should end with a comma followed by a paragraph where the valedictor's name (and optionally his status) is identified. Depending on the occasion, different degrees of formality are adequate, ranging from highly formal (e.g. solemn occasions) to totally informal (e.g. a conversation among friends). Some formal valedictions can be used at different formality degrees, but almost never in informal situations.
Highly formal valedictions
- Com os melhores cumprimentos ("With the best compliments")
- Respeitosamente ("Respectfully")
- Reverentemente ("Reverently")
- Com protestos da mais elevada estima e consideração ("With protestations of the highest esteem and consideration")
Formal valedictions
- Atenciosamente ("Graciously")
- Atentamente ("Attentively")
- Saudações académicas ("Academic salutations", very common within Portuguese universities)
Semi-formal valedictions
- Cordialmente ("Cordially")
- Com amizade ("With friendship")
- Cumprimentos ("Regards")
- Saudações cordiais ("Cordial salutations")
Informal valedictions
- Abraço ("a hug", usually between men), also Abraços ("hugs"). Some common variants include Forte Abraço ("Strong hug") and Grande Abraço ("Big hug")
- Até já ("see you soon"), also Até depois and Até logo ("see you later")
- Beijo ("a kiss", usually between women or between woman and man), also Beijos ("kisses") and Grande Beijo ("big kiss")
- Beijinho (literally "a kisslet", very common especially between female and male friends), also Beijinhos (literally "kisslets")
- Muitas saudades ("I miss you verily")
- Seu / Sua ("Yours": male/female valedictor)
- Tudo de bom ("All the best")
Abbreviated valedictions (informal)
- Abs, Abr, Abç abbreviated form of Abraço ("hug") or Abraços ("hugs")
- Bj, Bjo, abbreviated forms of Beijo ("kiss") or Beijinho ("kisslet"), also Bjs ("many kisses/kisslets")
- Cumps. abbreviated form of Cumprimentos ("Regards")
Swedish
- Högaktningsfullt (Highly respectfully - Old style and very formal, no longer in common use)
- Med vänlig hälsning (With friendly regard - Common in business letters)
- or: Med vänliga hälsningar (With friendly regards)
- in informal emails often written: Mvh
- or: Vänligen (Kindly)
- Hjärtliga hälsningar (Cordially - somewhat formal among friends, informal in business letters)
- Kram (Hug - informal, between friends)
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