Thread: options for signing emails

Good morning everyone,

Can I sign an email in russian using just my first name and patronymic (and without last name)? Or is it weird? How weird?

It would be suitable only if your email is addressed to your friend and you are trying to have some fun in this email. Otherwise it would be really weird even for a Russian.

The thing is that people address you (formally) using your name and patronymic, but you don't introduce (or sign) yourself with these two names, you use all three or only firstname or two initials and lastname. You don't call yourself by name and patronymic any more than you would call yourself in English by firstname-middle name. name and patronymic is as formal as signing yourself
initial plus lastname,
D.Chaika

Originally Posted by chaika

The thing is that people address you (formally) using your name and patronymic, but you don't introduce (or sign) yourself with these two names, you use all three or only firstname or two initials and lastname. You don't call yourself by name and patronymic any more than you would call yourself in English by firstname-middle name

That's a good point.

name and patronymic is as formal as signing yourself
initial plus lastname,
D.Chaika

In Russian using initial plus last name is really a formal way to sign a letter, while nobody ever would sign a formal letter with first and patronymic names only (without the last name).

In formal e-mail: Сидоров Иван Петрович (for executives patronymic is a must). or Иван Сидоров (usually if the position is not very high).
 In informal e-mail: Иван Сидоров. If you really want to sound formal, use patronymic. If you are writing to your friend, just Иван.

 In Russia in 99% cases it's a must to use the first name and the patronymic while addressing your boss or a senior. An exception can be if my boss is my friend or classmate, in which case i'd call him/her just using the first name. 

Ok. that's kind of what I suspected. Thank you everyone for your replies!

and then there's the use of only the patronymic. To friends I think you can sign yourself
Петрович.