I am sending an e-mail to a colleague to arrange a meeting. In my e-mail I inform her where and when we can meet, and I would like to end the e-mail by saying something like “See you there” or “See you then”. But is this correct or am I translating too literally? If it’s incorrect, what alternative phrase could I use?
Short Answer
“See you there” and “see you then” are both fine. They are somewhere between formal English (see alternative phrases below) and informal/spoken language, where a “see you” or even “see ya/cheers/cu” might suffice.
Alternative Phrases
A very formal way to say this would be to write “I look forward to seeing you there”. My (German/Canadian) company uses this as a standard phrase for invitations we send out to customers. In the rare case where you have not met the colleague you have an appointment with in person before, you might write “I look forward to meeting you.”
Some Help with Deciding What to Write
“See you there” focuses on the location, while “see you then” references the meeting time.
Personally, I always use the then/there depending on what best suits the situation:
If my colleague tends to arrive a few minutes late, I lean towards writing “see you then”.
If my colleague is new to the company, I write “see you there”.
If we meet in or near my or the colleague’s office, then the location is clear, so I will focus on the time.
If we always meet at the same time but at different places (or vice-versa), I reference the parameter that changes each time.