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Translate a formal email into Spanish and keep it formal
- For Office and admin
- You practice Saying who it's for
- Time about 5 minutes
About this exercise
You need to send a formal email to a supplier in Madrid. Get the Spanish translation, then a line "Formal choices:" and exactly 2 numbered lines in English, each naming one formal Spanish phrase you used and why, under 15 words each. Keep usted throughout, write the meeting date as "4 de marzo" since Spanish readers would read 3/4 as April 3, and don't translate your bracketed note to yourself. Plain text.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Keeping the US date. The AI copies 3/4, which a reader in Spain takes as April 3. Try: Add: "Write the date as 4 de marzo."
- Translating your private note. The AI translates everything, including the note you never meant to send. Try: Add: "Leave out the bracketed note to self."
- Not checking the formality. Without a nudge the AI may drift into casual tú, and you can't tell if you don't speak Spanish well. Try: Add: "Use usted throughout, then explain 2 formal choices in English."
- Forgetting where it's going. AI adds bold and headings that show up as stray symbols in an email. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."
What a strong prompt includes
- Asks for usted
- Fixes the date
- Drops the private note
- Asks to explain choices
- Sets a length limit
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