Register: formal, neutral and colloquial versions of the same message

Register is the level of formality you choose for a situation. The same request can be written to a ministry, a colleague or your best friend, and each version uses different grammar, vocabulary and set formulas. At C1 the challenge is not knowing formal or colloquial Spanish, but staying consistent and moving between them on purpose.

One message, three registers

• Lamento comunicarle que no podré asistir a la reunión.I regret to inform you that I will be unable to attend the meeting.
• Oye, que al final no me da tiempo a ir a la reunión.Hey, turns out I can't make it to the meeting.
• Les agradecería que me enviaran el presupuesto antes del viernes.I would be grateful if you could send me the quote before Friday.
• ¿Me puedes mandar el presupuesto antes del viernes?Can you send me the quote before Friday?
• Pásame el presupuesto cuando puedas, porfa.Send me the quote when you can, please.

What makes Spanish formal

• usted / ustedes and their verb forms (le escribo, les agradecería).
• The conditional and the imperfect of politeness: quería, desearía, agradecería. Quería pedirle is a present request, not a past one.
• Impersonal and passive structures: se ruega, se informa, procederá a.
• Precise, Latinate verbs: solicitar (pedir), proporcionar (dar), efectuar (hacer), adquirir (comprar), remitir (enviar).
• Connectors: no obstante, asimismo, por consiguiente (Arguing: no obstante, por lo tanto, dado que, en cambio).
• In formal requests, que can be dropped after verbs such as rogar and agradecer: Le ruego me confirme su asistencia.

• Le escribo para solicitar información sobre el máster.I am writing to request information about the master's.
• Quería pedirle un pequeño favor.I wanted to ask you a small favour.
• Se ruega a los usuarios que no dejen objetos en los pasillos.Users are requested not to leave items in the corridors.
• El ayuntamiento procederá al cierre de la calle el lunes.The council will close the street on Monday.

What makes Spanish colloquial

• tú and vosotros, short sentences, starting with oye, mira, pues, bueno.
• Exclamations, intensifiers and slang: currar (trabajar), pasta (dinero), flipar, mogollón (Colloquial Spain Spanish (vale, mola, tío, venga) and Latin American equivalents).
• An introductory que that reports or insists: Oye, que no puedo.

• Mañana no curro, así que podemos quedar.I'm not working tomorrow, so we can meet up.

Letters and emails

Spanish puts a colon, not a comma, after the greeting. Quedo a la espera de su respuesta is the standard "I look forward to hearing from you".

• Quedo a la espera de su respuesta.I look forward to your reply.

Latin America

The same principles apply. In several countries (Colombia, Costa Rica, parts of Central America) usted is used more widely, even among friends and family, and ustedes is the only plural "you" in every register. Porfa is common across the Spanish-speaking world; colloquial vocabulary changes by country (chamba for work in Mexico and Peru, laburo in Argentina).

Common mistakes

• Mixing registers: Estimado señor Ruiz, ¿qué tal, tío? Choose one level and keep it.
• Opening a business email with Querido: in Spain it sounds personal; use Estimado / Estimada.
• Translating Dear Sir as Querido señor or closing with Sinceramente: use Estimado señor and Atentamente.
• Using slang words like currar or flipar in a report or with a client.
• Over-formality with friends: ¿Desearías acompañarme? sounds ironic in a WhatsApp; say ¿Te vienes?