お世話になっております
osewa ni natte orimasubusiness email, formal
Japanese business emails usually open with お世話になっております (osewa ni natte orimasu), which means "thank you for your continued support". For friends, こんにちは (konnichiwa) is enough. It is also called はじめまして (hajimemashite).
Meaning: opening greeting of an email (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| お世話になっております | osewa ni natte orimasu | business email, formal |
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | casual email |
| はじめまして | hajimemashite | first contact |
In a work email the greeting comes right after the name of the recipient, for example 田中様 (Tanaka sama). It is used even with people you have never met, as a polite opener.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
こんにちは (konnichiwa) is fine for friends and casual messages. In a first email to a stranger, はじめまして (hajimemashite) is added, meaning "nice to meet you".
What mistakes should you avoid?
Time of day greetings such as おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu) are normal in spoken Japanese, but business emails prefer the fixed opener because the reader may open the message at any hour.
Did you know?
- Japanese emails traditionally put the recipient's company and name first, followed by the fixed opener お世話になっております (osewa ni natte orimasu) and then the sender's name.
Examples in context
- 田中様、お世話になっております。Tanaka sama, osewa ni natte orimasu.Dear Mr. Tanaka, thank you for your continued support.
- はじめまして、山田と申します。hajimemashite, Yamada to mōshimasu.Nice to meet you, my name is Yamada.
- こんにちは、元気ですか。konnichiwa, genki desu ka.Hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Mika is writing to a new client, Mr. Tanaka, and asks her coworker Ken how to start the email.
- Mika最初は何と書きますか。saisho wa nan to kakimasu ka.What do I write at the start?
- Ken田中様、お世話になっております、です。Tanaka sama, osewa ni natte orimasu, desu.Write "Dear Mr. Tanaka, thank you for your continued support".
- Mikaありがとうございます。arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you.
