Informal email — friend, family, classmate

You write an informal email when you want to catch up with a friend, share news with a cousin, or message a classmate about a weekend plan. The goal isn’t to inform a stranger — it’s to keep a relationship warm. That changes everything: the structure, the vocabulary, the rhythm.

Russian-speakers tend to write every email like a business letter — Dear, I am writing to, Best regards. To a friend, that sounds cold and weirdly formal, like you’re suddenly mad at them. American informal email is short, warm, and full of personality. Contractions everywhere. Exclamation marks are fine. Half-sentences are fine.

This lesson shows you the structure, the building-block phrases, and a full sample to copy.

Structure

An informal email has flexible structure, but most follow this pattern:

1. Subject — often skipped (in a reply chain) or super casual: Hey!, Quick question, Trip idea, Update from NYC.
2. Greeting — Hi Jess! / Hey Mark! / Yo! (very casual). Name + exclamation or comma.
3. Opening line — a warm hook: How have you been? / Hope you’re doing well! / Long time no see!
4. Body — your news, plans, or questions. Short paragraphs (2-4 sentences). Personality welcome.
5. Closing line — invite a reply: Talk soon! / Can’t wait to hear back! / Let me know what you think!
6. Sign-off + name — Take care, / Cheers, / Talk soon, / xoxo (close friends/family) + your first name.

Notice what’s missing: no subject formula, no formal opening, no Dear. The greeting itself does the warming-up.

Useful phrases by function

Opening — saying hi and reconnecting

• Hope you’re doing well!
• How have you been?
• Long time no see! / Long time no talk!
• It’s been a while — sorry I haven’t been in touch!
• Just wanted to drop you a quick note.
• Just wanted to let you know…
• Hope your week is going well!
• Sorry it’s been a while — life’s been crazy.

Middle — transitions and digressions

• By the way, … (introduces a side topic)
• Anyway, … (returns to the main point after a digression)
• Speaking of X, … (linked side topic)
• On a different note, …
• Oh, and I almost forgot — …
• Quick question: …

Closing — wrapping up and inviting reply

• Hope to hear from you soon!
• Let me know what you think!
• Catch up soon!
• Can’t wait to hear back!
• Drop me a line when you can.
• Give my love to your family!
• Say hi to Mike for me!

Sign-offs (most casual to least)

• xoxo — close friends, family, romantic
• Love, — family, very close friends
• Cheers, — friends, neutral-warm
• Take care, — warm and friendly
• Talk soon, — implies you’ll be back in touch
• Best, — neutral, default for less-close friends

Full sample — 130-word email about an upcoming trip

Subject: Berlin trip in June??

Hey Anna!

Hope you’re doing well! Sorry I dropped off the radar for a bit — work has been wild. Anyway, I have some news: I’m planning a trip to Berlin in early June and I was wondering if you’d want to join. I know you’ve been wanting to go for ages.

I’m thinking 5-6 days, mid-week to mid-week so flights are cheaper. We could split an Airbnb in Kreuzberg — there’s a great spot I found for around $80/night each. I’ve already started a list of things to do (museums, that flea market you mentioned, way too much currywurst).

Let me know if June even works for you. If not, we can totally pick another month.

Talk soon! Lev

That’s 130 words. Notice the contractions (I’m, we’d, there’s), the dashes for asides, the casual wild, totally, the playful way too much currywurst. This is what informal looks like — full of voice.

Common pitfalls for this text type

Too long

Friends don’t read 800-word emails. If you have that much to say, call them. An informal email is usually 80-200 words. Keep it tight.

Too formal

The biggest trap. I am writing to inform you that I will be arriving in Berlin sounds like a hostage note from your friend. Use contractions: I’ll be in Berlin. Use casual openers: Hey! not Dear Anna.

No personality

A factually correct email with zero voice (I will travel to Berlin in June. I will stay for six days. Please confirm.) reads like a robot. Sprinkle in casual asides, jokes, exclamations, dashes — let the friend hear you.

Missing closing line

Just stopping after your last fact feels abrupt. Always close with something warm: Talk soon! / Let me know! / Hugs!

Wall of text

Break paragraphs every 2-4 sentences. White space helps your friend skim and reply.

Common Russian-speaker mistakes

1. Starting with Dear in casual emails — Dear Anna to a friend sounds like she’s in trouble. Use Hi Anna! or Hey Anna!
2. Signing Best regards / Yours sincerely — these are formal sign-offs. To friends use Take care, Cheers, Talk soon, or xoxo.
3. No contractions — I am, I will, I have, do not in casual writing sounds stiff. Use I’m, I’ll, I’ve, don’t.
4. Word-for-word translation of Russian phrases — I write you to inform that… (Russian Пишу тебе сообщить, что…). Just say Just letting you know… or Quick update:.
5. Over-apologizing — Russian email culture loves Sorry to bother you, Sorry for taking your time. To a friend, this is weird. Skip it or downgrade to Sorry it’s been a while!
6. Using thee/thou English from old textbooks — stay modern. How do you do? is not used. Say How have you been? or How’s it going?
7. Time format — write 7 PM or 7 in the evening in casual emails, not 19:00 (which feels like a train schedule).

Summary

• Informal email = warm, short (80-200 words), full of personality.
• Structure: greeting → opening line → body → closing line → casual sign-off.
• Use contractions everywhere. Use exclamation marks freely.
• Greetings: Hi/Hey + first name. Sign-offs: Take care, Cheers, Talk soon, xoxo.
• Don’t translate Russian formality directly — Dear and Best regards are wrong here.
• Always close with a warm line that invites a reply.

Next lesson: Formal email — inquiry, complaint, application — the opposite end of the register dial.