As per my previous email

Formal Depends on context

What it really means

A famous phrase of polite office anger. It means "I already told you this — please read my email". Receiving it suggests the sender is running out of patience.

Chinese explanation
职场邮件里著名的"客气式怒气",意思是"我早就说过了,请去看我的邮件"。收到这句话,说明对方的耐心快用完了。

Context, tips & common mistakes

"As per my previous email" is the politest sentence in British office life that means "you did not read what I wrote". It is passive-aggression in a suit: technically neutral, universally understood as a flag of irritation, and often screenshotted into office group chats. Receiving it means someone believes they already answered you — reread the thread before replying, and acknowledge ("apologies, missed that") if they did.

Sending it is an escalation choice, not a neutral reference. First nudge: "just bringing this back to the top of your inbox". Genuinely repeating information: restate it without the barb. Save "as per my previous email" for the third time of asking, when you want the irritation legible — because it will be.

Example conversation

A: What time is the client call? B: As per my previous email, it's at three. A: …Right. Sorry, found it.
A:客户电话是几点来着? B:如我上封邮件所说,是三点。 A:……好吧。抱歉,我找到了。

What you could say back

“Apologies — I've found it now.”

Related phrases

Official sources

Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
All Politeness Decoder
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 17 August 2026 · Report a mistake