Condolence Messages: What to Write in English & Chinese

Message Card Guide

Of all the cards we print at the studio, condolence cards are the ones people struggle with most. Orders sit unfinished at the message step, and we understand why: the words feel impossible, in any language. This guide gives you lines that work, in English and in Chinese, with the etiquette behind them, so you can say something true without saying too much.

If you still need the flowers themselves, start with the right format:

Before You Write: Three Rules

Short is right. Families at a wake read many cards quickly; one sincere line lands better than a paragraph. Never explain the loss. Avoid anything that begins with at least, and do not refer to the circumstances. Match the language to the family. A Mandarin-speaking household will feel a Chinese line more deeply; when unsure, use one phrase of each.

Condolence Messages in English

For most relationships

  • “With deepest sympathy. Our thoughts are with you and your family.”
  • “Thinking of you in this time of loss. May you find comfort in the memories you shared.”
  • “We are so sorry for your loss. Please know you are in our thoughts.”
  • “May [name] rest in peace. With heartfelt condolences.”
  • “Holding you and your family close in our thoughts. With love and sympathy.”
  • “No words feel enough. We are here for you, today and after.”

For a colleague or business associate

  • “Our deepest condolences on the passing of your [father/mother]. From all of us at [company].”
  • “With sincere sympathy for your loss. Please take all the time you need; we are thinking of you.”
  • “In sympathy and respect, on behalf of the whole team.”

For a close friend

  • “I am so sorry. I love you, and I am here, whenever and for whatever you need.”
  • “Your [mum] was one of a kind. I will never forget [her laugh at your wedding]. Thinking of you every day.”
  • “You do not have to reply to this. I just want you to know I am thinking of you.”

Condolence Messages in Chinese

Chinese condolence phrasing has its own register, and using it well is noticed. These are card-appropriate lines in Simplified Chinese, the way they are used in Singapore.

  • 节哀顺变
    “Please take care of yourself through this loss.” The standard condolence phrase; right for almost any card.
  • 请节哀，也请保重身体
    “Please grieve gently, and please look after your health.” Warm and personal.
  • 愿逝者安息，也愿您和家人节哀保重
    “May the departed rest in peace, and may you and your family take care of yourselves.”
  • 愿您和家人在这段艰难的日子里互相扶持
    “May you and your family hold each other up through this difficult time.”
  • 惊闻噩耗，我们深感悲痛。愿您和家人节哀顺变，保重身体。
    A fuller message: “We were deeply saddened by the news. May you and your family find strength, and please take care of yourselves.”
  • 致以深切慰问
    “With deepest sympathy.” Slightly formal; suits a card from a company or someone senior.
  • 一路走好
    “Farewell on the final journey.” Note: this line is addressed to the departed, not the family; suitable when the card speaks to the person who has passed.

Inscriptions for Condolence Flower Stands

A condolence flower stand displayed at a wake follows a stricter convention than a card. The sash usually carries a four-character mourning line, with the sender named below:

  • 沉痛悼念 —— XX公司 敬挽
    “In sorrowful mourning, respectfully, [Company].” The standard company-to-family stand inscription.
  • 谨致深切慰问 —— XX公司
    “With sincere condolences, [Company].” A slightly softer corporate alternative.

In English, a stand ribbon usually reads In Loving Memory or With Deepest Sympathy, followed by the sender; those two lines are used so often that two of our stands, In Loving Memory and Deepest Sympathies, are named after them. When you place a stand order, give us the names exactly as they should appear and our team sets the inscription out correctly; it is part of the service.

Deepest Sympathies condolence flower stand

Deepest Sympathies →

One of our most-sent condolence stands. Restrained whites, formal presence, inscription set by our team.

What to Avoid

Do not ask what happened. Do not compare the loss to anything, including your own. Skip lines that begin with at least, and be careful with religious phrasing unless you know the family shares it; the neutral lines above are safe across faiths. And do not apologise for a short message; brevity, at a wake, is a kindness.

Condolence Messages: Common Questions

Match the family, not yourself. If the household speaks Mandarin at home, a Chinese line reads warmer even if your own Chinese is rusty. When you are not sure, do what many Singapore senders do: one Chinese phrase followed by one English sentence, signed with your name.

The convention is a short mourning line with the company name as sender, for example 沉痛悼念 on the sash, signed XX公司 敬挽. Keep it formal and brief; the stand itself carries the respect. When you order a condolence flower stand with us, tell us the names and we will set the inscription out correctly.

No. At a wake, families receive many cards and read them quickly; a single sincere line is entirely appropriate. The flowers carry the gesture. Two or three considered words beat a paragraph that strains for the right thing to say.

No. Do not ask about or refer to the circumstances, and avoid lines that explain or minimise the loss, such as anything beginning with at least. Speak to the family's loss and their strength, not the event.

Sign from everyone the family would associate together: a whole household, a team, or a company. For business relationships, the company name alone is correct and expected; individuals within the company can send their own separate card if the relationship was personal.

Related guides: congratulations messages in English and Chinese · sending flowers to Singapore from overseas.

Write one true line. We will take care of the rest, from the flowers to the stand, delivered with care and on time.