Kindly

[Maybo]

I saw the word "kindly" appear very often in business letters. For example, "please kindly sign the documents"

What does it mean? Does the word make the sentence more polite?

 

[Tdol]

We don't use it much in British English, and after please it sounds odd to me.

 

[GoesStation]

It's used a lot in Asian versions of English. It's not widely used in British, American, Canadian, or Australian English. "Please kindly" is virtually never used, and looks odd, in these varieties.

 

[emsr2d2]

Stick with just "please". You can't go wrong.

 

[Maybo]

In what situation would you guys use "kindly"?

 

[jutfrank]

In what situation would you guys use "kindly"?

In exactly the same situations as Asian speakers, i.e. in imperative sentences making polite requests.

 

[Tarheel]

In what situation would you guys use "kindly"?

In my experience it's used when making a request. However, if you want to politely ask somebody to do something the word please works quite well and doesn't come across as smarmy.

 

[jutfrank]

However, if want to politely ask somebody to do something the word please works quite well and doesn't come across as smarmy.

1) Yes, it's much more common (and better in my opinion) to preface imperative requests with please rather than kindly. Note, Maybo, that even in China you should not use both please and kindly together since they perform the same job.

2) I also agree that because kindly is so formal it can sometimes be overpolite—it can sometimes have an unwelcome snarky smarminess. I mean, it is often used when the person making the request is impatient, intolerant or irritated with the fact that others are not doing as requested. There is a notice on the wall of the shared bathroom where my friend lives that reads exactly like this:

Polite Notice: Kindly clean up after yourself. Others have to use the bathroom too!

 

[Tdol]

In what situation would you guys use "kindly"?

Without please- kindly inform them that....

 

[SoothingDave]

In what situation would you guys use "kindly"?

I would never use it.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would never use it.

I certainly wouldn't use it in place of "please". I would use it as the adverb it is, in the right context. For example, "She looked at him kindly" or "He very kindly lent her the money she needed".

 

[Rover_KE]

I occasionally use it for the sake of variety in a formal letter if I've already used 'please' more than once.

 

[bubbha]

Yes, I've seen it mainly in Asian business correspondence. Business English in places that were once part of the British Empire often preserve features of English that were common in the 19th century, but which sound terribly outmoded in the "Big Seven" English-speaking countries (UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa).