uk-business-english
Compare original and translation side by side
🇺🇸
Original
English🇨🇳
Translation
ChineseUK Business English
英式商务英语
Professional and measured. Polite without being obsequious. Direct without being abrupt. Naturally British without being a caricature. Write like a competent professional who happens to be British -- not like a Dickens character, not like an American tech startup, and not like someone who just discovered the word "whilst".
专业且得体，礼貌但不谄媚，直接但不生硬。自然呈现英式风格而非刻意模仿，要像一位地道的英国专业人士那样写作——别像狄更斯小说里的人物，别像美国科技初创公司的风格，也别像刚学会用“whilst”这个词的人。
Spelling (EN-GB)
拼写规范（EN-GB）
| Pattern | British | Not |
|---|---|---|
| -our | colour, favour, honour, behaviour | color, favor |
| -ise | organise, realise, specialise, recognise | organize, realize |
| -re | centre, fibre, metre, theatre | center, fiber |
| -ence | licence (noun), defence, offence | license (noun), defense |
| -ise/-ize | Both accepted in GB; prefer -ise for consistency | — |
| Double L | travelling, cancelling, modelling | traveling, canceling |
| -ogue | catalogue, dialogue, analogue | catalog, dialog |
| -ement | judgement, acknowledgement | judgment (legal only) |
Noun/verb splits:
| Noun | Verb |
|---|---|
| licence | license |
| practice | practise |
| advice | advise |
Common traps: enquiry (general), inquiry (formal/legal), kerb (road edge), tyre (wheel), programme (general), program (computing), cheque (payment), grey (not gray).
Date format: Day Month Year, no comma -- 15 January 2026. Abbreviated: 15 Jan 2026. Never Month/Day/Year.
| 拼写模式 | 英式拼写 | 非英式拼写 |
|---|---|---|
| -our | colour, favour, honour, behaviour | color, favor |
| -ise | organise, realise, specialise, recognise | organize, realize |
| -re | centre, fibre, metre, theatre | center, fiber |
| -ence | licence（名词）, defence, offence | license（名词）, defense |
| -ise/-ize | 英式英语中两种形式均被接受；建议统一使用-ise | — |
| 双写L | travelling, cancelling, modelling | traveling, canceling |
| -ogue | catalogue, dialogue, analogue | catalog, dialog |
| -ement | judgement, acknowledgement | judgment（仅法律语境） |
名词/动词拼写区分：
| 名词 | 动词 |
|---|---|
| licence | license |
| practice | practise |
| advice | advise |
常见易错点： enquiry（通用语境）、inquiry（正式/法律语境）、kerb（路缘）、tyre（轮胎）、programme（通用语境）、program（计算机领域）、cheque（支票）、grey（而非gray）。
日期格式： 日 月 年，无逗号——例如15 January 2026。缩写形式：15 Jan 2026。切勿使用月/日/年格式。
Tone Ladder
语气层级
Match formality to context. Default to "polite professional" -- a step more formal than Australian or American baseline, but still warm.
| Context | Formality | Greeting | Sign-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slack/Teams (internal) | Casual | "Hi" / first name | None needed |
| Email to existing client | Polite professional | "Hi [Name]" | "Kind regards" / "Thanks" |
| Email to new client | Professional | "Dear [Name]" / "Hi [Name]" | "Kind regards" |
| Proposal or quote | Professional | "Dear [Name]" | "Kind regards" / "Yours sincerely" |
| Follow-up after meeting | Polite professional | "Hi [Name]" | "Kind regards" / "Thanks" |
| Cold outreach | Professional | "Dear [Name]" / "Hi [Name]" | "Kind regards" |
| Formal letter or legal | Formal | "Dear [Name]" / "Dear Sir or Madam" | "Yours sincerely" / "Yours faithfully" |
Rule: "Yours sincerely" when you know their name. "Yours faithfully" when you don't (Dear Sir or Madam). Getting this wrong marks you as careless.
Never use: "Hey" in first contact, "To Whom It May Concern" (use "Dear Sir or Madam"), "Warmest regards", "Respectfully yours".
根据场景匹配正式程度，默认使用“礼貌专业”语气——比澳式或美式商务英语稍正式，但仍保持亲切。
| 场景 | 正式程度 | 问候语 | 落款 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slack/Teams（内部沟通） | 随意 | “Hi”+名字 | 无需落款 |
| 给老客户的邮件 | 礼貌专业 | “Hi [姓名]” | “Kind regards” / “Thanks” |
| 给新客户的邮件 | 专业 | “Dear [姓名]” / “Hi [姓名]” | “Kind regards” |
| 提案或报价 | 专业 | “Dear [姓名]” | “Kind regards” / “Yours sincerely” |
| 会议跟进邮件 | 礼貌专业 | “Hi [姓名]” | “Kind regards” / “Thanks” |
| 陌生开发邮件 | 专业 | “Dear [姓名]” / “Hi [姓名]” | “Kind regards” |
| 正式信函或法律文书 | 正式 | “Dear [姓名]” / “Dear Sir or Madam” | “Yours sincerely” / “Yours faithfully” |
规则： 若知晓对方姓名，使用“Yours sincerely”；若不知晓（用“Dear Sir or Madam”问候），使用“Yours faithfully”。搞错这一点会显得你粗心大意。
切勿使用： 首次联系时用“Hey”，“To Whom It May Concern”（请用“Dear Sir or Madam”），“Warmest regards”，“Respectfully yours”。
Sign-off Ranking
落款优先级
From most to least common in UK SME context:
- Kind regards -- default, works almost everywhere
- Thanks / Many thanks -- when appreciating effort or asking for something
- Best wishes -- warm, slightly less formal than Kind regards
- Regards -- neutral, slightly cooler
- Yours sincerely -- formal letters, proposals to new clients
Avoid: "Best" on its own (reads as American), "Cheers" in first contact (fine once rapport is established), "Warm regards" (overdone), "Ta" (too informal for anything written).
英国中小企业场景中从最常用到最少用排序：
- Kind regards —— 默认选项，几乎适用于所有场景
- Thanks / Many thanks —— 表达感谢或提出请求时使用
- Best wishes —— 亲切温暖，比Kind regards稍随意
- Regards —— 中性，稍显冷淡
- Yours sincerely —— 正式信函、给新客户的提案
避坑： 单独使用“Best”（美式风格），首次联系时用“Cheers”（建立融洽关系后可使用），“Warm regards”（过度使用），“Ta”（过于随意，不适合书面沟通）。
Avoid List
避坑清单
Americanisms
美式表达
Replace these reflexively:
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| "reach out" | "get in touch" / "contact" |
| "touch base" | "catch up" / "check in" |
| "circle back" | "come back to" / "follow up" |
| "leverage" (verb) | "use" / "make the most of" |
| "moving forward" | "going forward" / "from here" (or drop it) |
| "actionable insights" | "useful findings" / "what we found" |
| "deep dive" | "closer look" / "detailed review" |
| "bandwidth" (for time) | "time" / "capacity" |
| "gotten" | "got" |
| "could care less" | "couldn't care less" |
| "loop in" | "include" / "copy in" |
| "deliverables" | "what we'll provide" / "the work" |
| "Monday through Friday" | "Monday to Friday" |
| "on the team" | "in the team" |
请主动替换以下表达：
| 避免使用 | 建议使用 |
|---|---|
| "reach out" | "get in touch" / "contact"（联系） |
| "touch base" | "catch up" / "check in"（跟进、沟通） |
| "circle back" | "come back to" / "follow up"（后续跟进） |
| "leverage"（动词） | "use" / "make the most of"（利用、充分运用） |
| "moving forward" | "going forward" / "from here"（或直接省略） |
| "actionable insights" | "useful findings" / "what we found"（实用结论、我们的发现） |
| "deep dive" | "closer look" / "detailed review"（深入研究、详细审查） |
| "bandwidth"（指时间） | "time" / "capacity"（时间、精力） |
| "gotten" | "got" |
| "could care less" | "couldn't care less"（根本不在乎） |
| "loop in" | "include" / "copy in"（抄送、纳入） |
| "deliverables" | "what we'll provide" / "the work"（交付成果、我们的工作内容） |
| "Monday through Friday" | "Monday to Friday"（周一至周五） |
| "on the team" | "in the team"（在团队中） |
Forced Britishisms
刻意英式表达
Avoid in written professional comms:
- "Cheerio", "pip pip", "tally-ho" -- never in professional writing
- "Bloody", "blimey", "crikey" -- spoken register only, and even then sparingly
- Overuse of "rather" and "quite" -- one per email is plenty
- "I dare say" -- sounds like a period drama
- "Awfully good" -- ironic understatement has limits in business writing
- "Old chap", "old boy" -- not this century
书面专业沟通中避免使用：
- "Cheerio", "pip pip", "tally-ho" —— 绝对不要用于专业写作
- "Bloody", "blimey", "crikey" —— 仅适用于口语，且需谨慎使用
- 过度使用"rather"和"quite" —— 每封邮件最多使用一次
- "I dare say" —— 听起来像年代剧台词
- "Awfully good" —— 讽刺性的克制表达在商务写作中有限度
- "Old chap", "old boy" —— 不符合当代语境
Writing Principles
写作原则
-
Lead with the point. First sentence answers the question or states the purpose. Context comes after, not before. British politeness doesn't mean burying the lead.
-
Short paragraphs. Two to three sentences max. One idea per paragraph. White space is your friend.
-
Measured contractions. "We've", "I'll", "that's" are fine in emails. Use fewer in proposals and formal letters. The goal is human, not robotic -- but the baseline is slightly more formal than American or Australian English.
-
Active voice. "We'll send the report on Monday" not "The report will be dispatched on Monday."
-
Specific over vague. "I'll have this to you by Thursday" not "I'll revert at my earliest convenience."
-
One ask per email. Multiple requests? Number them. Don't bury the second ask in paragraph four.
-
Understate rather than overstate. "That's quite a good result" lands better than "That's an absolutely incredible, game-changing result!" Restraint signals confidence.
- 开门见山：第一句回答问题或说明目的，背景信息放在后面，而非前面。英式礼貌不意味着回避核心内容。
- 段落简短：每段最多2-3句话，每段一个核心观点。留白是你的好帮手。
- 适度使用缩写：邮件中使用"We've", "I'll", "that's"是可以的。提案和正式信函中减少使用。目标是显得有人情味，而非机械生硬——但整体基调要比美式或澳式英语稍正式。
- 主动语态：用"We'll send the report on Monday"（我们将于周一发送报告）而非"The report will be dispatched on Monday."（报告将于周一被发送）。
- 具体而非模糊：用"I'll have this to you by Thursday"（我周四前给你）而非"I'll revert at my earliest convenience."（我会在方便的时候尽快回复）。
- 一封邮件一个请求：若有多个请求，请编号列出。不要把第二个请求藏在第四段里。
- 克制而非夸张："That's quite a good result"（这个结果相当不错）比"That's an absolutely incredible, game-changing result!"（这绝对是不可思议的、颠覆性的结果！）效果更好。克制体现自信。
Examples
示例
Status update to existing client
给老客户的状态更新
Too corporate:
Dear Mr Thompson, I write to apprise you of the current status of your website redesign project. Please find herewith a summary of deliverables completed to date and the projected timeline for the remaining programme of work.
Right tone:
Hi David,Quick update on the website -- we've finished the homepage and the three main service pages. Coming together nicely.Next up is the contact form and booking system, which we'll have ready by the end of next week. I'll send through a preview link once it's on the staging site.Kind regards, [Your name]
过于刻板：
Dear Mr Thompson, I write to apprise you of the current status of your website redesign project. Please find herewith a summary of deliverables completed to date and the projected timeline for the remaining programme of work.
合适语气：
Hi David,快速跟你同步网站改版的进度——我们已经完成了首页和三个主要服务页面的制作，效果不错。接下来是联系表单和预订系统，我们会在下周完成，上线到测试环境后我会发预览链接给你。Kind regards, [你的名字]
Delivering a quote
发送报价
Too stiff:
Dear Client, Please find enclosed our formal quotation for the proposed scope of works as discussed. We trust this meets with your approval and look forward to receiving your favourable response at your earliest convenience.
Right tone:
Hi Sarah,Thanks for the call yesterday -- good to get a clear picture of what you need.I've put together a quote based on what we discussed. In short: GBP 3,500 for the full site, including the booking system. That covers design, development, and getting it live on your domain.Happy to arrange a call if you have any questions.Kind regards, [Your name]
过于生硬：
Dear Client, Please find enclosed our formal quotation for the proposed scope of works as discussed. We trust this meets with your approval and look forward to receiving your favourable response at your earliest convenience.
合适语气：
Hi Sarah,感谢昨天的通话——我们已经清楚了解你的需求。我根据我们讨论的内容整理了报价：全套网站制作费用为3500英镑，包含预订系统，涵盖设计、开发和域名部署。如有疑问，随时安排通话沟通。Kind regards, [你的名字]
Saying no to a request
拒绝请求
Too blunt:
We can't do that.
Too soft:
Whilst we greatly appreciate your most kind enquiry and would very much welcome the opportunity to explore this avenue further, regrettably it would not be possible for us to accommodate this particular request at the present time.
Right tone:
Hi Mark,Thanks for thinking of us for this. Unfortunately it's not something we're able to take on at the moment -- we're fully committed through March.If timing works, we'd be happy to look at it in April. Otherwise, I can suggest a couple of firms who might be able to help sooner.Kind regards, [Your name]
过于直接：
We can't do that.
过于委婉：
Whilst we greatly appreciate your most kind enquiry and would very much welcome the opportunity to explore this avenue further, regrettably it would not be possible for us to accommodate this particular request at the present time.
合适语气：
Hi Mark,感谢你考虑我们。很遗憾，目前我们无法承接这个项目——3月之前我们的排期已经满了。如果时间允许，我们可以在4月处理，或者我可以推荐几家能更快接手的公司。Kind regards, [你的名字]
Context Rules
场景规则
Corporate clients: Match their formality but keep your clarity. "Dear [Name]" and "Yours sincerely" if they use it. Never mirror their jargon -- if they say "key learnings going forward", you say "what we've found".
Delivering bad news: Be direct but considerate. State the issue, explain briefly, offer the path forward. British politeness means framing matters, but don't wrap bad news in so many qualifiers that the message gets lost. One "apologies" is sufficient.
Quoting prices: Clear and confident. "The cost for this is GBP X" not "We would wish to propose a fee of GBP X for your kind consideration." Include what's covered. State VAT position (inclusive/exclusive) explicitly.
Saying no: Polite and brief. "Unfortunately" does the work -- you don't need three sentences of preamble. Give the reason, offer an alternative if possible.
Following up: Purposeful but not pushy. "Just checking in on this" works. "I trust this finds you well" is filler -- drop it. "Wanted to bring this back to the top of your inbox" is fine.
企业客户： 匹配对方的正式程度，但保持表达清晰。若对方使用"Dear [姓名]"和"Yours sincerely"，你也可以使用。切勿模仿对方的行话——如果他们说"key learnings going forward"，你可以说"what we've found"（我们的发现）。
传达坏消息： 直接但体贴。先说明问题，简要解释，给出解决方案。英式礼貌意味着适度包装，但不要用太多修饰词掩盖核心信息。一句"apologies"（抱歉）就足够了。
报价： 清晰自信。用"The cost for this is GBP X"（此项费用为X英镑）而非"We would wish to propose a fee of GBP X for your kind consideration."（我们建议费用为X英镑，供你参考）。说明包含的服务内容，明确说明是否包含增值税（VAT）。
拒绝请求： 礼貌简洁。"Unfortunately"（很遗憾）就足够了——不需要三段铺垫。说明原因，如有可能提供替代方案。
跟进： 目标明确但不催促。"Just checking in on this"（跟进一下此事）就可以。"I trust this finds you well"是套话——直接省略。"Wanted to bring this back to the top of your inbox"（提醒你查看此事）是可以的。