Study Tips
How to Write an Email in Chinese: Requests, Follow-ups and Rescheduling
A useful Chinese workplace email tells the reader who is writing, what is needed and when a reply would help. Start with a suitable name or title, make the request concrete, and close with thanks and your name. A short accurate message is usually better than an ornate template that hides the action.
Subject, greeting and a clear request
主题 is the subject line. “确认周五会议时间” tells the reader you are confirming Friday’s meeting time. A subject such as “问题” is less useful because it does not identify the task.
For a first contact, a known title plus 您好 can be appropriate: 王经理，您好. With a close colleague, 王明，你好 may fit the established relationship. 尊敬的 is more formal and is not necessary in every routine email.
Original request email: 主题：请确认周五会议时间。王经理，您好：我是项目组的李明。想和您确认一下，周五的会议是否仍在下午三点开始？如果时间有变化，麻烦您告诉我。谢谢！李明。
The message identifies the writer, asks one concrete question and tells the reader what to do if the time has changed. 想和您确认一下 softens the opening without obscuring the request. 是否 means “whether,” useful in written questions.
麻烦您周四下午五点前回复，方便我们安排。
Má fan nín zhōu sì xià wǔ wǔ diǎn qián huí fù, fāng biàn wǒ men ān pái.
Give a reason for a deadline; specify a time zone if the recipients work in different ones.
Follow up without assuming blame
Original follow-up: 王经理，您好：想跟进一下周五会议的安排。不知道您是否已经看到上一封邮件？如果还需要其他信息，请告诉我。谢谢！李明。
跟进 means following up. 上一封邮件 means the previous email; 封 is the measure word for letters and emails. The message checks whether it was seen and offers information instead of accusing the recipient of ignoring it.
If the deadline is genuinely urgent, state the operational consequence clearly. Avoid stacking “urgent” labels or inventing pressure. Politeness is compatible with a precise deadline.
Reschedule with a proposal
Original rescheduling email: 陈老师，您好：很抱歉，我周二上午临时有事，无法参加原定的会议。请问能否改到周三下午两点？如果这个时间不方便，我也可以配合其他时间。给您添麻烦了，谢谢您的理解。李明。
无法 means unable to; 原定 means originally scheduled. 能否 introduces the proposal. The alternative-time sentence gives the recipient a useful next step instead of merely canceling.
“谢谢” plus your name is a practical close for many routine messages. “此致 / 敬礼” belongs to more formal letter conventions and some school exam formats; it is not obligatory in every workplace email. If you are writing for an exam, follow its specific instructions rather than treating workplace habits as a marking rubric.
Check before sending
Confirm the recipient’s name, the date, the time zone, and whether you actually attached the file mentioned. 附件 means attachment: 请查收附件 asks the recipient to check or receive the attachment. If you need approval rather than acknowledgment, say that explicitly.
Read only your subject line and request sentence. Can the recipient tell what action you want? Then check whether the rest of the message supplies enough context to take that action. This small review is more valuable than adding a stock formal closing.
Vocabulary to keep
Words and expressions in this article. Open a word in the dictionary to explore its readings and meanings.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning in this lesson |
|---|---|---|
| 邮件 | yóu jiàn | email; mail |
| 主题 | zhǔ tí | subject; topic |
| 回复 | huí fù | to reply; reply |
| 附件 | fù jiàn | attachment |
| 确认 | què rèn | to confirm |
| 跟进 | gēn jìn | to follow up |
| 安排 | ān pái | to arrange; arrangement |
| 原定 | yuán dìng | originally scheduled |
| 方便 | fāng biàn | convenient |
| 麻烦 | má fan | trouble; to trouble someone with a request |
| 是否 | shì fǒu | whether |
| 能否 | néng fǒu | whether something can be done |
How to use these words
附件
附件 is an attachment. 附件中 is a useful way to locate information, as in 请查看附件中的表格. Mentioning an attachment does not establish that it was actually included, so check the file before sending. If the reader must do something with it, name the action: review, fill in, confirm or return. “Please see attached” alone can leave the task unclear.
请填写附件中的表格，并在周五前回复。
Qǐng tián xiě fù jiàn zhōng de biǎo gé, bìng zài zhōu wǔ qián huí fù.
The request specifies both an action and a deadline.
是否
是否 introduces whether in a relatively formal written question. 请确认是否收到 asks the recipient to confirm whether something was received. It does not need another question marker 吗 at the end of the embedded question. In a shorter chat message, 收到了吗 may be more natural. Match the phrasing to the channel rather than making every sentence formal.
请确认您是否收到这份文件。
Qǐng què rèn nín shì fǒu shōu dào zhè fèn wén jiàn.
The sender is checking receipt, not asking for approval of its contents.
Check your understanding
Choose an answer or say your own response before opening the explanation.
Rewrite “明天回复我” so a new contact knows the deadline and reason without receiving a bare command.
Show answer and explanation
One option: 麻烦您明天下午三点前回复，方便我们安排会议。 “Please reply before 3 p.m. tomorrow so we can arrange the meeting.” Add the date and time zone when needed.
You cannot attend Tuesday’s call. Which is more useful: only saying you cannot attend, or proposing another time and asking whether it works?
Show answer and explanation
Propose another time and ask. 请问能否改到周三下午两点？ gives the recipient a concrete decision to make.
Common questions
Must a Chinese email use a very formal closing?
No. The relationship, organization and purpose matter. A clear request followed by thanks and your name is often sufficient. Copying an elaborate formal ending into an otherwise casual exchange can sound mismatched.
How do I follow up without sounding accusatory?
Identify the earlier message and the information you still need, then give a useful deadline if there is one. Do not assume that no reply proves carelessness. A question such as 请问您方便确认一下吗 leaves room for the recipient’s situation.
Keep learning
References and further reading
Examples and practice in this lesson are original. Usage varies with the speaker, relationship and setting.