In today's digital world, sending an email is a daily task. If you're learning French, you've probably wondered about the right word to use. While many French speakers simply borrow the English word 'email', there are several other, more authentically French terms that are important to know, especially in professional or formal settings.

Using the correct term not only makes you sound more fluent but also helps you understand the nuances of the language.

Let's explore the nine most common ways to say 'email' in French, from the officially recognized term to more casual options!

The standard 'email' – un e-mail / un email

The standard 'email' – un e-mail / un email

Un e-mail (or un email) is the most common and universally understood word for 'email' in modern French. As a direct loanword from English, it's one of the easiest vocabulary words for learners to pick up.

You will encounter two primary spellings: e-mail with a hyphen and email without. Both are correct and widely used. While the hyphenated version can be seen as slightly more traditional, the unhyphenated email is extremely common in digital communication.

Crucially, the word e-mail is masculine in French. Therefore, you must always use masculine articles and agreements with it, such as un e-mail (an email), le premier e-mail (the first email), or mon e-mail (my email).

The plural is formed just as it is in English, by adding an 's' to the end: des e-mails or des emails. For example: J'ai reçu beaucoup d'e-mails aujourd'hui (I received a lot of emails today).

This term is perfectly suitable for all contexts, from informal messages to friends to formal business correspondence. It is the most natural and standard term you can use, especially in metropolitan France.

While e-mail is dominant, you should be aware of the official French alternative: un courriel. This term was created by merging the words courrier (mail) and électronique (electronic) to provide a native French option.

In practice, the use of courriel is much more prevalent in Québec (Canada) than in France. In France, courriel is often confined to administrative or official government contexts and can sound a bit stiff or overly formal in everyday conversation. When in doubt, using e-mail is always a safe bet in France.

💡 * Je dois envoyer un e-mail important à mon patron.

• As-tu reçu l'email que je t'ai envoyé hier soir ?
• Ma boîte de réception est pleine, j'ai plus de 200 e-mails non lus.
• Veuillez confirmer la réception de cet email.
• L'adresse e-mail de l'entreprise se trouve sur leur site web.

The common, shorter version – un mail

While courriel is the officially correct term, in everyday spoken and written French, you will almost exclusively hear and see un mail. This is a direct borrowing from English, pronounced similarly to 'my-l', and has become the standard, most common way to refer to an email.

It's crucial to remember that mail is a masculine noun in French: un mail. This is a common point of confusion for learners. The pronunciation is also key; it doesn't sound like the English word 'male' but rather rhymes with the English word 'sky'.

Un mail is used universally in both informal and professional settings. From sending a quick note to a friend to corresponding with a client, mail is the go-to term. It's the equivalent of how 'email' is used in English, completely overshadowing more formal alternatives in daily life.

The most common verb paired with un mail is envoyer (to send). You'll frequently hear phrases like envoyer un mail (to send an email), recevoir un mail (to receive an email), and répondre à un mail (to reply to an email).

The plural form follows the English convention by simply adding an 's': des mails. For example, you might say, J'ai beaucoup de mails à lire (I have a lot of emails to read).

💡 * Je t'envoie un mail tout de suite. (I'm sending you an email right away.)

• As-tu reçu mon mail d'hier ? (Did you receive my email from yesterday?)
• Il faut que je vérifie mes mails avant de partir. (I need to check my emails before leaving.)
• Pouvez-vous me transférer ce mail, s'il vous plaît ? (Could you forward this email to me, please?)

1. The Official French Term: Un Courriel

The official, government-approved term for “email” in France and other French-speaking regions is un courriel. If you're looking for the “correct” French word, this is it.

The word courriel is a portmanteau, a blend of two words. It combines courrier (mail) and électronique (electronic). This makes its meaning, “electronic mail,” very clear and logical.

You will most often encounter un courriel in formal, professional, or administrative contexts. Think business communications, government websites, and academic settings. It's the standard in formal writing.

While it's the official term everywhere, un courriel is particularly prevalent in Canadian French (Québécois), where there is a stronger effort to avoid Anglicisms. In Québec, it's used in both formal and informal situations.

It's important to remember that courriel is a masculine noun. Therefore, you always say un courriel (an email) or le courriel (the email).

💡 * J'attends un courriel de confirmation de la part de l'université.

• Veuillez m'envoyer les documents par courriel avant demain.
• Avez-vous reçu mon courriel d'hier ?
• Mon adresse courriel est facile à retenir.

The full, formal 'electronic mail' – un courrier électronique

The full, formal 'electronic mail' – un courrier électronique

Un courrier électronique is the most formal and complete term for an email in French. It literally translates to 'electronic mail,' combining courrier (mail/post) and électronique (electronic).

You will typically encounter this term in professional, administrative, or legal settings. It is the preferred term for official communications, user agreements, and business correspondence where precision and formality are required.

In day-to-day conversation, this term is rarely used. French speakers almost always use the shorter, anglicized terms un mail or un e-mail. Using un courrier électronique in a casual chat would sound overly formal, similar to saying 'I shall dispatch an electronic mail' in English.

💡 * Veuillez envoyer les documents par courrier électronique avant vendredi.

• J'ai reçu un courrier électronique de confirmation de la part de l'université.
• L'adresse de courrier électronique que vous avez fournie est invalide.
• Pour des raisons de sécurité, nous ne traitons pas les demandes sensibles par courrier électronique.

1. The General 'Message' – Un Message

The most direct and widely used French word for 'message' is un message. This is your go-to term in almost any context, from a formal letter to a casual text.

As you can see, un message is a direct cognate of the English 'message,' making it very easy for learners to remember and use correctly.

It's important to remember that un message is a masculine noun. This means you'll always use masculine articles and adjectives with it, such as un message, le message, or mon message.

You can use un message to refer to a text message (un texto or un SMS are also common), an email, a voicemail, a written note, or a formal communication. Its versatility is its greatest strength.

The common verb used with this noun is laisser (to leave). For example, laisser un message means 'to leave a message'.

💡 * J'ai reçu un message de ma mère. (I received a message from my mother.)

• Pouvez-vous lui laisser un message, s'il vous plaît ? (Can you leave him a message, please?)
• Le message était clair : il faut agir vite. (The message was clear: we must act quickly.)
• As-tu lu mon message sur WhatsApp ? (Did you read my message on WhatsApp?)

The more specific 'electronic message' – un message électronique

While you'll often hear un mail or un e-mail in daily French conversation, the full, technically precise term is un message électronique. This is the formal and unabbreviated way to refer to any message sent through digital means.

Literally translating to 'an electronic message,' the term un message électronique is broader than just an email. It can encompass any form of digital correspondence, including SMS, instant messages, or emails. It's the French equivalent of the formal English phrase 'electronic correspondence' and carries a similar official tone.

You are most likely to encounter un message électronique in formal, administrative, or legal contexts. For example, it might appear in a company's terms of service, a government form, or a legal document. In casual conversation, using this term would sound overly formal and unnatural.

For everyday communication, stick to the much more common un mail or un e-mail. While the Académie française officially recommends un courriel, mail remains the most popular term in practice. Reserve un message électronique for your understanding of formal written French, but not for your spoken vocabulary.

💡 * Veuillez confirmer la réception de ce message électronique.

• La politique de l'entreprise interdit l'envoi de messages électroniques non sollicités.
• Tout message électronique peut être utilisé comme preuve en justice.
• Une copie de la facture vous sera envoyée par message électronique.

The technical 'digital message' – un message numérique

For a more technical or formal way to refer to any kind of electronic message, such as an email or text, the term un message numérique is used. It literally translates to a 'digital message.'

This phrase combines message, a common word for 'message,' with the adjective numérique, which means 'digital.' It's a straightforward term used to specify the medium of communication.

You will most often encounter un message numérique in professional, administrative, or IT contexts. In everyday conversation, people typically use more specific terms like un e-mail, un mail, or un texto.

💡 * Avez-vous reçu le message numérique que je vous ai envoyé hier ? (Did you receive the digital message I sent you yesterday?)

• La nouvelle politique de l'entreprise a été communiquée par message numérique à tous les employés. (The new company policy was communicated via digital message to all employees.)
• Il est important de vérifier l'authenticité d'un message numérique avant de cliquer sur un lien. (It is important to verify the authenticity of a digital message before clicking on a link.)

The dated official term – une mél.

The term une mél. is an officially sanctioned, yet dated, French term for an email address or email message.

It's an abbreviation of messagerie électronique (electronic messaging) and was promoted by French language authorities as a native alternative to the English words 'email' or 'mail'.

Despite its official status, mél. never gained widespread popularity in everyday speech. You are most likely to encounter it in administrative contexts, on official forms, or on the websites of French government agencies.

In daily conversation and correspondence, French speakers almost universally prefer using un mail or un email. While it's useful to recognize mél., using it yourself might sound unnatural or overly formal.

💡 * Veuillez indiquer votre nom et votre mél. dans les champs ci-dessous. (Please indicate your name and email address in the fields below.)

• J'ai besoin de votre mél. pour vous envoyer l'invitation. (I need your email address to send you the invitation.)
• Pour toute question, contactez-nous à l'adresse mél. suivante... (For any questions, contact us at the following email address...)

1. The Formal 'Electronic Communication' – Une Communication Électronique

In French, the term une communication électronique translates directly to 'an electronic communication.' This is a formal and comprehensive phrase used primarily in legal, business, and administrative contexts. It encompasses any form of communication transmitted electronically, including emails, official notices, and digital files.

You will most likely encounter une communication électronique in official documents, terms of service agreements, privacy policies, or corporate correspondence. It's the preferred term when a high degree of formality and precision is required, distinguishing it from casual, everyday language.

While technically correct, you would not use une communication électronique to tell a friend you sent them a message. For everyday situations, you would use more common terms like un e-mail, un mail, or un message. Using the formal term in a casual setting would sound unnatural and overly bureaucratic.

💡 * Toute notification officielle sera envoyée par communication électronique.

• En acceptant nos conditions, vous consentez à recevoir des communications électroniques de notre part.
• La loi exige une trace écrite de cette communication électronique.
• Veuillez confirmer la réception de cette communication électronique.

Are there other ways to say 'email' in French?

Are there other ways to say “email” in French?

Our list covers the most common and officially recognized terms for “email” in French, like courriel and mail. However, language is always evolving, especially when it comes to technology. You might encounter other slang terms or company-specific jargon in the wild.

To explore regional differences, try searching online for phrases like “comment dire email en français québécois” or “email en français de Suisse” to see if local preferences emerge.

If you encounter a new synonym for email, it's a good practice to check its definition and observe how it's used in context. Some terms might be very informal or specific to a certain professional field.

The best way to stay up-to-date is through immersion. As you read French websites, receive professional communications, and watch videos in French, pay close attention to the vocabulary people use for digital messaging.

For a more detailed look at the nuances between these terms and their usage, online dictionaries like WordReference or Larousse can be great resources. They often provide example sentences that clarify context.

I hope this guide has helped you navigate the world of French digital communication. While the specific word for 'email' might vary, the goal is always the same: to connect and communicate effectively. Bonne communication!