What is the difference between estimado and querido? When writing a letter are they interchangeable?

Question

Dear Roberto, Should I use "Estimado Roberto? or "Querido Roberto?

Answer 1

It depends on what kind of a letter you are writing, I believe that estimado is more professional - it puts a little more distance between you and the person you are writing to. Whereas querido is friendlier, not romantic, but definitely friendlier.

I would never, ever use "querido" in a business letter, *never* for a male unless he was a very dear friend or family member, and cautiously with a female that is not reasonably well known! - Gekkosan, Jan 14, 2011

Answer 2

I use Estimado when I write to my university lecturer I want to ask for help and when arranging tutorials some answer back with Querido....I use Estimado because they are in a position of authority; I don't know I'm only a first year and would be interested to hear how you address lecturers when we call them by their first names.Eg I say Estimada Begoña.

Answer 3

The phone company's prerecorded message calls me "estimado cliente" when I run out of minutes on my prepaid cellphone.

Of course, everything is prepaid. What would they call you if it wasn't prepaid and you were behind in your payments. - 0074b507, Jan 14, 2011

My conventional phone isn't prepaid. - lorenzo9, Jan 14, 2011

Answer 4

I use Estimado when I write to my university lecturer I want to ask for help and when arranging tutorials some answer back with Querido....I use Estimado because they are in a position of authority; I don't know I'm only a first year and would be interested to hear how you address lecturers when we call them by their first names.Eg I say Estimada Begoña.

Answer 5

The translators and dictionaries say that Estimado Señor = Dear Sir, but it's really more like Esteemed Sir, whereas Querido really is Dear. Like Kiwi Girl said, one is more professional, used in business letters, the other is more for familiar and informal letters.