Por Usted

Question

My friend received this correspondence from a company in Spain. The words I am querying are in this phrase which is as follows.

"Con referencia al escrito enviado por usted a nuestras oficinas"

Is the term "por usted" referring to a written document sent "by" my friend, or a written document sent in his "stead", ie on his behalf.

Alternatively can the "por usted" here, be applied to both cases.

Answer 1

If you write "Con referencia al escrito enviado para usted a nuestras oficinas" I would think that a letter for me (not from me or in my behalf) was sent to that office. If you want to say on your behalf, you should say "en su nombre", meaning that someone else has written and sent it. The sentence is this case is" Con referencia al escrito enviado en su nombre a nuestras oficinas"

Sally said:

Con referencia al escrito enviado por usted a nuestras oficinas = With reference to the letter sent by you to our officesCon referencia al escrito enviado para usted a nuestras oficinas = With reference to the letter sent on your behalf to our offices I'm not sure about this because it could also mean that there is a letter waiting for you in our officeWell, if anything this is good practice!To be clearer what about - Con referencia al escrito enviado por su cuenta a nuestras oficinas.I

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Answer 2

sent by your friend

Answer 3

What I meant was that the style and the choice of construction are simply ugly.

But I don't think that the "because of you" interpretation makes sense, since it says "sent to our offices", and not to the one where the recipient of the letter is, so it is more likely to be "sent by you to our offices". Assuming that they really meant to say "because of you", the sentence would mean:

la carta enviada a nuestra oficina por usted
the letter sent to our office as a nice gesture to you

Answer 4

lazarus1907 said:

The sentence is badly written anyway. I would have written something like "Con referencia al escrito que nos envió", using a much more natural, easy and unequivocal style.

Am I correct in saying then, that as you consider it to be ambiguous, it can mean both "by" and "on behalf of".

Answer 5

The sentence is badly written anyway. I would have written something like "Con referencia al escrito que nos envió", using a much more natural, easy and unequivocal style.

Answer 6

Sally said:

Con referencia al escrito enviado por usted a nuestras oficinas = With reference to the letter sent by you to our offices Con referencia al escrito enviado para usted a nuestras oficinas = With reference to the letter sent on your behalf to our offices I'm not sure about this because it could also mean that there is a letter waiting for you in our office

Well, if anything this is good practice!

To be clearer what about - Con referencia al escrito enviado por su cuenta a nuestras oficinas.

I

I like that, unfortunately that's not what they wrote, hehe.

Answer 7

Con referencia al escrito enviado por usted a nuestras oficinas = With reference to the letter sent by you to our offices

Con referencia al escrito enviado para usted a nuestras oficinas = With reference to the letter sent on your behalf to our offices I'm not sure about this because it could also mean that there is a letter waiting for you in our office

Well, if anything this is good practice!
To be clearer what about - Con referencia al escrito enviado por su cuenta a nuestras oficinas.

I

Answer 8

Sally said:

Just to clarify, are you asking if "Con referencia al escrito enviado para usted a nuestras oficinas" means " With reference to the written notice sent to our offices on your behalf"? Also any better translation for "escrito" in this case?

Exactly, or "by you" as you stated in your first reply. And yes, escrito in this case means a written document or letter.

Answer 9

Just to clarify, are you asking if "Con referencia al escrito enviado para usted a nuestras oficinas" means " With reference to the written notice sent to our offices on your behalf"?

Also any better translation for "escrito" in this case'

Answer 10

Sally said:

In this case it does mean "by you". Can it be used to mean "on his behalf"? Hhmm! In that case wouldn't it be "enviado por uds"? Better leave that one to the native speakers.

My reasoning for asking "on his behalf" is that if I say "lo compré por María", this means I bought it for María because she couldn't buy it herself, ie in her stead, which has the same meaning that I am querying. Lo compré para María means I bought it for Maria ie, as a present. But as you say, let´s see what the natives say, or James, hehe

Answer 11

In this case it does mean "by you". Can it be used to mean "on his behalf"? Hhmm! In that case wouldn't it be "enviado por uds"?
Better leave that one to the native speakers.