Hello dear ones!

[capricorn rising]

Question. Is a woman saying "hello dear xxxx" in letters normal? I have seen
this a few times now and to me it seems contrived but maybe it could be
a translation type thing?

[AmericanBoy]

I think its common to greet someone with "dear" in Russia. Is the word dorogoi? I got this girls number, sent her an sms and her response was "privet moi dorogoi (hello my dear)" so yeah I think it's normal.

[Shadow]

The word 'dear' can be used to express various things in Russia.
First of all it is a greeting of someone, and nothing unusual.
But it can also express other things, as when the female members here call each other 'my dear' during a heated discussion.
As always, you know the context and there for should be able to determine if it is unusual or not.

[Spoon]

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

'Dear' is used both formally & affectionately, so she could be trying to be either and getting confused.

When she starts with 'My dearest love......' in her first letter (or first few), then I would be on scam alert.

After you have been corresponding for a while and she finds a nickname for you, then the real fun begins

[Belvis]

Is a woman saying "hello dear xxxx" in letters normal?

It is formal way for a greeting and rather obligatory in  correspondence with a stranger.  Kind of Mr./Mrs. It can mean the biting irony in hot discussion.

[mendeleyev]

After you have been corresponding for a while and she finds a nickname for you, then the real fun begins

Excellent point, Spoon! Also it can be confusing to guys when she "gives permission" for a guy to use one of her nicknames. If a guy isn't aware of how intimate names or nicknames work, some misread it as a red flag when she switches her name from Natalya to Natasha, from Nadezhda to Nadia, or from Anastasia to Nastya, etc. 


Capricorn, many use an exclamation point (!) when addressing a letter too, instead of a comma. That is normal too.

[ghost of moon goddess]

...Also it can be confusing to guys when she "gives permission" for a guy to use one of her nicknames. If a guy isn't aware of how intimate names or nicknames work, some misread it as a red flag when she switches her name from Natalya to Natasha, from Nadezhda to Nadia, or from Anastasia to Nastya, etc. 
...

Very true!

Some years ago when my old school friend "switched" my name from … to … right in front of her husband, I questioned a stiff upper lip to be a defining character trait of Britons. 

[mies]

Question. Is a woman saying "hello dear xxxx" in letters normal? I have seen
this a few times now and to me it seems contrived but maybe it could be
a translation type thing?

Question, if I enter the post office in my city, and an African American woman calls me (and all other customers) "love" - is it normal?

(this was a tongue in a cheek).

IMHO "hello dear" in a letter from a stranger I personally would interpret as a scam.
In Russian culture if used between strangers - also predominantly means scam or fraudulent intent (by gipsies, for example). However, when used among friends - it is a very common phrase "привет дорогой" to greet a male friend, and "привет дорогая" to greet a female friend.

[Belvis]

IMHO "hello dear" in a letter from a stranger I personally would interpret as a scam.

Mies, likely you' re not receiving or sending business e-mails. In russian correspondence they would start the letter
Дорогая Mies (Dear Mies).
BTW, the same is true in correspondence with japanese, who would start a letter in english with
Dear Mies-san.

[Spoon]

Question, if I enter the post office in my city, and an African American woman calls me (and all other customers) "love" - is it normal?

It was something that my Wife found strange when she arrived in Australia, many women (usually older women 50+) will refer to complete strangers (male or female) as "Love" or "Darl" which is short for 'darling'

[OlgaH]

Mies, likely you' re not receiving or sending business e-mails. In russian correspondence they would start the letter
Дорогая Mies (Dear Mies).
BTW, the same is true in correspondence with japanese, who would start a letter in english with
Dear Mies-san.

Yes, дорогой or уважаемый, where the English word dear would be equivalent to Russian уважаемый. Dear (дорогой) is also used in Russian casual correspondence or verbal addressing. "Дорогая Mise поздравляем тебя... с чем-нибудь" 

[SANDRO43]

It was something that my Wife found strange when she arrived in Australia, many women (usually older women 50+) will refer to complete strangers (male or female) as "Love" or "Darl" which is short for 'darling'

When we lived in London, our greengrocer would serve my then wife and say:

"'ere you are, luv"

adding the amount in shillings and pence of the purchase, thereby confusing her totally so that she would always hand over a pound banknote - he must have thought we were affluent, never bothering with paltry coins .

So it may be a British/Cockney heritage .

[capricorn rising]

Thanks for the insight guys and gals

[Chicagoguy]

I found a few women who signed "kiss" at the bottom of letter sooner than I was expecting. Still don't know if this is normal.

[Daveman]

...
After you have been corresponding for a while and she finds a nickname for you, then the real fun begins

Yes it does... I am still trying to figure out what "Asgolchik" means...  must be one of those ultra romantic and super pooper endearing words!

[Shadow]

Yes it does... I am still trying to figure out what "Asgolchik" means...  must be one of those ultra romantic and super pooper endearing words!

According to MrsShadow it is a small piece of broken glass.
The optimisitc view is she calls you a little diamond. The pessimistic view.... you will do better at that..

[ghost of moon goddess]

... I am still trying to figure out what "Asgolchik" means...  must be one of those ultra romantic and super pooper endearing words!

I guess she called you Askoldchik. Perhaps she found you bearing a resemblance to Askold.



The suffix "chik" added to Askold connotes  endearment.