お会いできるのを楽しみにしています
Oai dekiru no o tanoshimi ni shite imasu
In Japanese, "I am looking forward to meeting you" is expressed as お会いできるのを楽しみにしています (Oai dekiru no o tanoshimi ni shite imasu).
This phrase is a polite expression used to convey that you are excited about meeting someone in the future. It is a common way to conclude business emails or to use after you have successfully scheduled an appointment.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase contains the part 楽しみにしています, which literally means "am making/treating [the event] as a pleasure".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form お会いできるのを楽しみにしています is polite and suitable for business settings or formal correspondence. For more formal situations, you might use 楽しみにお会いできるのをお待ちしております or お目にかかれることを楽しみにしています. In informal settings, such as with friends, you can use 会えるのを楽しみにしているよ or even the very casual 会いたくて待ちきれない！ to express strong anticipation with close friends or loved ones.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle の is used to nominalize the verb phrase "to be able to meet", allowing the action of meeting to function as the object of your anticipation.
How do you pronounce it?
Oai dekiru no o tanoshimi ni shite imasu
Did you know?
- When meeting someone for the first time in person after saying this in an email, Japanese speakers rarely repeat the sentiment. Instead, they pivot to よろしくお願いします, a phrase with no English equivalent that asks the other person to treat them kindly.
- The most formal version, お目にかかる, uses a specialized verb for 'to meet' that literally means 'to put [someone] before one's eyes'. It is a form of humble language called kenjougo designed to lower the speaker's status relative to the listener.
- In Japanese business culture, expressing too much excitement can sometimes be perceived as unprofessional. While 楽しみにしています is common, extremely enthusiastic expressions like 待ちきれない are almost never used in a workplace, even if the speaker is genuinely thrilled.
Examples in context
- 明日、お会いできるのを楽しみにしています。Ashita, o-ai dekiru no o tanoshimi ni shite imasu.I am looking forward to meeting you tomorrow.
- 来週、お会いできるのを楽しみにしています。Raishū, o-ai dekiru no o tanoshimi ni shite imasu.I am looking forward to meeting you next week.
Example conversation
A business person and a client are exchanging emails to confirm a meeting.
- 健太 Kenta来週の会議の準備はできています。Raishū no kaigi no junbi wa dekite imasu.The preparations for next week's meeting are ready.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとうございます。お会いできるのを楽しみにしています。Arigatō gozaimasu. O-ai dekiru no o tanoshimi ni shite imasu.Thank you. I am looking forward to meeting you.
- 健太 Kentaこちらこそ、よろしくお願いいたします。Kochira koso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Likewise, I look forward to working with you.
- 美咲 Misakiそれでは、当日お会いしましょう。Sore de wa, tōjitsu o-ai shimashō.Well then, let's meet on that day.
