Informal e-mails and notes (briefjes)

When is a text informal?

You write informally to people you know: a friend, a neighbour, a colleague, a classmate, your child's sports coach if you are on first-name terms. You use je/jij/jouw, a first name and a relaxed closing. At A2, this is the most common kind of writing task.

A briefje is a short handwritten note: on the fridge, on a neighbour's door, on a colleague's desk. An informal e-mail is the same thing in digital form, usually a little longer.

The skeleton

Every informal message has four parts. Learn the skeleton and you only have to think about the middle.

After Hoi Mark, the next line starts with a capital letter: Ik schrijf je…

One point, one or two sentences

The task gives you points. A good method is to give each point its own small block:

Je kunt niet naar de verjaardag van je collega Eva. Schrijf een e-mail. Zeg sorry, vertel waarom je niet kunt en stel iets anders voor.

• Point 1 (sorry): Wat jammer, maar ik kan zaterdag niet op je verjaardag komen.
• Point 2 (why): Mijn moeder komt die dag uit Marokko en ik haal haar op van Schiphol.
• Point 3 (suggestion): Zullen we volgende week samen lunchen? Dan trakteer ik!

That is enough for A2. Add the skeleton around it and you are done.

Useful sentences per function

Make it hang together

Loose sentences make a text feel like a list. A few small words fix that and help your samenhang score:

• want / omdat for reasons: Ik kan niet komen, want ik moet werken.
• maar for contrast: Ik kan niet zaterdag, maar zondag wel.
• dus for a result: Mijn fiets is kapot, dus ik kom met de bus.
• ook to add: Ik neem ook een salade mee.

Remember: after omdat the verb goes to the end (omdat ik moet werken); after want it does not (want ik moet werken).

Length

At A2, a note is often 30 to 50 words and an e-mail 40 to 70 words. At B1, informal e-mails are longer and you should add a little detail to each point. Never write more if it means skipping a point or the last task.

Typical A2 situations

• Telling a neighbour about a party at your house (Het kan wat lawaaiig worden.)
• Asking a colleague to swap shifts (Wil jij mijn dienst op vrijdag overnemen?)
• Telling a friend you will be late (Ik sta in de file.)
• Thanking someone for help with moving (Zonder jou was het niet gelukt.)

For each one, practise writing the skeleton in under five minutes. Speed comes from the fixed parts; your thinking goes into the middle.