Does "kindly" as "please" sound out of place?

[salvador.dal1950]

Hi, I'd like to know the opinion of native people -but everybody please feel free to chip in- regarding the use of "kindly" as a polite alternative to "please".

First of all, I've only seen it in British English but what I want to point out is that I've never encountered a native person using it. Because of my work, sometimes I receive e-mails from people from China, Pakistan, India, etc. Even though I'm a learner, I can tell they aren't native and they love using "kindly" in this fashion.

I know that is perfectly alright, it's correct English, maybe a bit old fashioned or something but correct nonetheless. What I'd like to know is if it comes across as too formal or out of place.

Thank you!

 

[probus]

I use kindly in that way all the time but only in business correspondence. I'm a native speaker of AmE but I'm pretty old, so it may be old-fashioned.

 

[Tdol]

It exists in BrE. I use it, though not often. I am over fifty and it may sound dated to younger people.

 

[konungursvia]

It's not so uncommon in Canada, either.

 

[datalia56]

Hello!
Could you guys give my an example of using "kindly" and "please"?
I am usually confused about using vocabulary when I write.
Thanks in advance.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I hardly even use "kindly". Most of the time, the issue has nothing to do with "kindness".

 

[emsr2d2]

Hello!
Could you guys give my an example of using "kindly" and "please"?
I am usually confused about using vocabulary when I write.
Thanks in advance.

You can't go wrong if you use "please" every time.

 

[Rover_KE]

I tend to use 'kindly' for a change if I've already used 'please' a couple of times in a letter.

 

[Auldlangsyne]

I often use “most kind of you”, but noticed that often (very often) people give me a strange look when I say that. They are far more likely to answer “you are welcome/you are very welcome” to my “thank you”, and never to my “most kind of you” - not that I expect that, but it puzzles me.

:roll:

 

[Prof.Alan]

Kindly definitely sounds old fashioned or out of place for me. I don't recommend using it if you want to sound normal. (At least in AmE)

 

[Auldlangsyne]

Kindly definitely sounds old fashioned or out of place for me. I don't recommend using it if you want to sound normal. (At least in AmE)

I am old-fashioned, indeed.
I am thinking now, how to define normality. You didn’t mean not normal as a bit weird, did you? Just different it terms of the vocabulary used? In my home country not normal means mentally disabled. I wonder if this the case in either AmE or BrE.

 

[emsr2d2]

Once upon a time, people with some kind of mental deficiency would have been called "not normal" or "abnormal" in BrE. That usage is very much frowned upon now. The usual phrase is something like "a person with learning difficulties" or something similar.

 

[Tdol]

I am thinking now, how to define normality.

I'd assume it was intended to mean the same as sound natural rather than anything stronger.

 

[Auldlangsyne]

Once upon a time, people with some kind of mental deficiency would have been called "not normal" or "abnormal" in BrE. That usage is very much frowned upon now. The usual phrase is something like "a person with learning difficulties" or something similar.

I know that, emsr2d2, I know, and the intention was there. I just sometimes tend to forget to choose most appropriate words to convey information. But good job you pointed it out.

For those who wish to learn more of those expressions, here are some dos and don’ts:

Guidance (gov.uk) –Inclusive language: words to use and avoid when writing about disability.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-communication/inclusive-language-words-to-use-and-avoid-when-writing-about-disability--2

 

[Giant]

I don't think it makes a big difference as we often use 'kindly' in place of 'please' even in our official and formal conversation.

 

[Rover_KE]

Giant, please read the following extract from the Forum Guidelines:

You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post.

 

[TheParser]

You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as ....

Dear Rover,

May I please have a clarification.

I had always thought that we non-teacher members had to preface our posts with a disclaimer only in the "Ask a Teacher" forum.

Is a disclaimer also necessary in all the other forums, including this "General Language Discussions" forum?


Thank you,


James

 

[Rover_KE]

I had always thought that we non-teacher members had to preface our posts with a disclaimer only in the "Ask a Teacher" forum.

Is a disclaimer also necessary in all the other forums, including this "General Language Discussions" forum?

No, it isn't. I had been working in 'Ask a Teacher' for a long time and forgot that I had moved over to 'General Language Discussions'.

Please/Kindly accept my apologies.