There are plenty of fun and friendly ways to start an email.
“I hope you enjoyed” is one of them, but is it the best way to open an email if you’re trying to remain professional?
This article will explore that question. We’ll provide you with some alternatives to use instead of “I hope you enjoyed.”
Is It Professional to Say “I Hope You Enjoyed”?
It is professional to say “I hope you enjoyed” at the start of an email. It’s a polite and friendly way to introduce yourself and show that you wish the recipient well.
For instance, if they recently got back from a vacation, you can say “I hope you enjoyed your vacation.” From there, you can continue the email with a professional yet friendly tone.
Check out the following example to see how it works:
I hope you enjoyed your weekend. Have you thought any more about the project?
Pros
- It’s really polite.
- It’s a friendly way to check in on someone.
Cons
- It’s quite generic.
- It’s not always the most appropriate choice (if someone has been away for negative reasons).
Clearly, “I hope you enjoyed” is one of the best phrases to use in a professional email.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s the only one. You should explore some alternatives to see what else is out there.
Keep reading to learn how to say “I hope you enjoyed” in an email.
What to Say Instead of “I Hope You Enjoyed”
- I trust you enjoyed
- I’m checking in to find out
- I’m getting back to you about
- I’d like to hear about
- I’d like to learn more about
- How was your
- I hope you had fun
- Did you have fun with
- I hope […] was good
1. I Trust You Enjoyed
You will often see “hope” and “trust” in similar circumstances in formal writing. For instance, “I hope I helped” and “I trust I helped” are interchangeable.
The same thing is true for “I hope you enjoyed” and “I trust you enjoyed.”
If anything, including “trust” instead of “hope” is more formal. It’s also slightly more impersonal, making it a better choice when you don’t know the recipient well.
For instance, you can use “I trust you enjoyed” when emailing new employees. It shows you care enough to find out if they’re enjoying themselves, but you don’t know much more about them.
You can also refer to this email example:
Dear Carter,
I trust you enjoyed your holidays. Now, it’s time for you to focus on the project I set for you. I need it by Monday.
Yours,
Darren Scoffield
2. I’m Checking in to Find Out
You can also go for a slightly more friendly alternative. Feel free to include “I’m checking in to find out” in your writing.
It’s effective when emailing coworkers. It shows you truly care about them on a more personal level and want to find out how their vacation was.
Once you’ve checked in with them, you’re free to talk about business again.
However, starting an email with “I’m checking in to find out” keeps things light-hearted and fun for the recipient. It shows you’re main focus isn’t business-related.
Check out the following example if you need more help:
Dear Jason,
I’m checking in to find out how your vacation was. I’d love to hear more about it before we get back to talking about business.
Yours,
Dean White
3. I’m Getting Back to You About
Another way to say “I hope you enjoyed” is “I’m getting back to you about.” This works well after someone returns from vacation.
It shows you’re interested in hearing more about their trip. It’s a great way to keep things friendly and polite when starting a new email and finding out more about what someone’s done.
You can email colleagues with phrases like this. It shows you want to find out more about their life outside of the workplace. Who knows? Maybe a friendship will blossom from the question.
You should also refer to this example to see how to use it:
Dear Hayley,
I’m getting back to you about your trip. I notice that you’ve been away for a few weeks. It looks like you’ve had a great time.
Best,
Elliot Jacobs
4. I’d Like to Hear About
You can also use “I’d like to hear about” instead of “I hope you enjoyed.” It’s a more active way to share your interest in someone’s life.
We recommend using this when emailing close coworkers. It shows you genuinely care about them and would like to ask them how things are.
Generally, “I hope you enjoyed” doesn’t expect a response. Instead, it’s simply a nicety that shows you hoped someone had a good time.
However, “I’d like to hear about” shows you would like the recipient to tell you more. It’s really friendly and helps to keep things polite between you.
Also, you can refer to this email sample:
Dear Angelina,
I’d like to hear about your holidays. Have you had a good time? Also, I still need your signature on the attached document.
Kind regards,
George Sanchez
5. I’d Like to Learn More About
You can use “I’d like to learn more about” as another way to say “I hope you enjoyed.” It’s great because it shows you’re keen to learn about someone’s life.
Again, it avoids making a simple and “nice” statement like “I hope you enjoyed.”
Instead, it asks for a response to find out more about how someone’s trip was. So, you can use it when you’d like to set up a good relationship between yourself and the recipient.
Check out this example as well:
Dear Bear,
I’d like to learn more about your trip. Can you tell me everything you got up to? It’s very interesting to me.
All the best,
Stephen Audial
6. How Was Your
Instead of making a statement, how about asking a question? Asking questions ensures a response from the recipient.
So, you can start an email with “how was your” and precede it by asking about a holiday or vacation.
You should use this when contacting your boss after they’ve been away. It shows you’re trying to remain polite and civil with them, even if you still want to talk about business-related things.
Here’s a great email example if you’re still stuck:
Dear Ms. Dean,
How was your holiday? I have attached the file you requested before you left. I hope it’s what you were expecting.
Thank you so much,
Janet Parker
7. I Hope You Had Fun
Stick to the basics if you’re unsure how best to replace “I hope you enjoyed.” There’s nothing wrong with a simple phrase like “I hope you had fun.”
It’s both formal and polite. It works well at the start of an email when you know someone’s been away.
For instance, you can write it when emailing a client back. It shows you’re happy to hear from them and would like to know more about what they’ve been up to.
If you’re still unsure, refer to this email sample:
Dear Mr. Jules,
I hope you had fun on your time away. It’s not often that you get to spend two weeks relaxing in the sun like that.
All the best,
Victoria Bray
8. Did You Have Fun With
Another great question opener is “did you have fun with.” Including “fun” in this question shows you’re actively interested in hearing about someone’s vacation.
It works well when building strong connections with the recipient. Think about using it when emailing customers you haven’t heard from for a while.
Starting any formal email with a phrase like this builds a good rapport. It also allows you to segue into more important business once someone has answered the question.
Here’s a great sample email to help you with it:
Dear Ms. Cargo,
Did you have fun with your vacation? I would like to ask you when you’re free for a meeting if that’s okay.
Yours,
Sean Walters
9. I Hope […] Was Good
Finally, we recommend including someone’s vacation or trip in the middle of this phrase. You can say something like:
- I hope your trip was good.
- I hope your holiday was good.
You can also replace “good” to be more positive, depending on the tone you want to achieve.
Whatever the case, this phrase allows you to sound polite and formal. It shows you are interested in someone’s life outside of work.
Try using it when emailing an employee. It works well at the start of an email before you start talking about more pressing matters.
You can also refer to this email example:
Dear Freya,
I hope your vacation was good. Please let me know when you plan on coming back to the office, so we can discuss the project.
Yours,
Dan Evangeline