The PO box number-preceded by the letters “BP” for “Boîte Postale”, will either take a line of its own, or precede the town, depending where the postbox is situated. So to complicate things a little further, CEDEX addresses are addresses with their own postal code, usually with a PO Box as well ie: Sometimes you will see CEDEX also with a number which will apply in case a city has multiple post offices. This will apply to organisations which receive huge quantities of mail, and where an individualized postcode is given. “CEDEX” is an abbreviation of Courrier d’Entreprise à Distribution EXceptionnelle (special business mail). Most French postcodes end in a zero (exceptions include some major cities, overseas territories, and post office boxes).
#SEND LETTER ENVELOPE CODE#
The other three numbers in the code indicate which post office will actually handle the job of delivering the letter. The first two postal code numbers match the number of the département where you can find the destination city (ie 34 for anywhere in Hérault). There are over 30,000 officially recognized postal codes in France and you will find them listed here: Ī postal code is based on French “départements”-administrative subdivisions of a larger “région” (the equivalent of a county, to an English speaker).
#SEND LETTER ENVELOPE ZIP#
Postal CodesĪ French postal code is five digits consisting solely of numbers no letters, no spaces, no hyphens (similar to a US ZIP Code).
If the address is a business, the company name will be on Line 1 and the addressee moves to Line 2. Line 7: Country of destination-optional (only necessary for international mail)Ī typical envelope will be written as below, note that almost all essential items, proper nouns surnames or business names are in CAPITALS, it is only the supplementary information in lower case. Line 6: Postal code and name of city or other applicable locality Line 5: Additional information for aiding in delivery (PO box, lieu-dit, etc.) optional Line 3: Information regarding access (building name, entrance number/location, etc.) optional Line 2: Secondary address information (apartment number, etc.) optional Line 1: Name, title, and other pleasantries On the envelope the address should be placed on the bottom right hand section in the following order – essential items are in bold Additional information is often used to add special details or clarity to the delivery instructions. These are the 3 lines that will be in every address. The three core details of any French address are the recipient/addressee or “destinataire”, the street address, and the postcode + locality/town. For starters, addresses should not be any longer than six lines (seven for international), with no more than 38 characters per line, and CAPITAL LETTERS ARE USED – a lot. Yes, like letters, addressing an envelope has its own rules in France. That’s quite a mouthful – but it’s written all the time, so make a note and keep it handy!
#SEND LETTER ENVELOPE PROFESSIONAL#
Typically for professional correspondence the English phrase “Yours sincerely” or “Yours faithfully” will be “ Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur/Madame (or whichever title you used in the top of the letter) l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.” Why use 2 words when at least 10 will do?! The French are a lot more formal when it comes to closing a letter. The top section of a letter will look something like this: If you don’t know the name(s) of the recipients – use “ Monsieur le Directeur” or “ Madame la Directrice” or you are writing to a group, you could use “ À qui de droit,” ie “To whom it may concern.” In a formal letter you should address the person by their name or official title. You would not use first name terms unless writing to a friend. If you are writing to more than one person, you can say “ Chers Messieurs et Mesdames” – which means “Dear Sirs and Madams.” The French word “ cher” is the equivalent of the English “dear.” You can say “ Cher Monsieur” for a man, or “ Chère Madame” for a female addressee. Unless you are writing to a personal friend, your letter should always use the formal conjugations of “vous” instead of “ tu” – if you’re not sure what this is, you can check all French verb tables here: Typically, a letter will have your name and address in the top left hand side, and the date and addressee details aligned lower down to the right. In this modern age, posting letters and cards is less common than ever before, but it’s still very much a part of life in France – a nation renowned for its love of paperwork and bureaucracy! Like all things in a new culture, there are some things to get used to when it comes to letter-writing French-style.
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