What does it mean word for word?
The part お会いできて is the humble potential form of the verb to meet, expressing the ability or opportunity to meet the listener.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard polite form is お会いできてよかったです. For more formal situations, you can use お会いできて嬉しいです to mean 'I am glad to have met you'. In very formal business settings or when meeting someone of much higher status, お目にかかれて光栄です is used to say 'it is an honor to have met you' or even お会いできて光栄です to say 'it is an honor to meet you'. For casual contexts with friends, you can use the informal 会えて嬉しかった to say 'I was happy to meet you' or the informal お会いできてよかった to express gladness upon meeting someone.
How do you pronounce it?
oaidekite yokatta desu
When do people say it?
For example, you might say こちらこそ、お会いできてよかったです.
Did you know?
- In a business context, saying お会いできてよかったです might be followed by the exchange of business cards, called 名刺交換. The card is treated as a proxy for the person and must be handled with both hands.
- In very formal Japanese, the 'humble' form of the verb is used to lower your own status while raising the listener's. By using the humble お会いできて, you are linguistically showing respect by making yourself appear smaller.
- In Japan, the gesture of bowing typically accompanies the phrase お会いできてよかったです. The depth and duration of the bow change depending on the social status of the person you are meeting.
Examples in context
- こちらこそ、私もお会いできてよかったです。Likewise, it was nice to meet you.Tatoeba #5082156 by Andy_Andy, translation #1119452 by daywo
- あなたにお会いできてよかったです。お便りを楽しみにしています。It was nice to meet you, and I look forward to hearing from you.Tatoeba #233802 by mookeee, translation #71176 by CM
- 今日はお会いできてよかったです。Kyou wa oai dekite yokatta desu.It was nice to meet you today.
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are exchanging business cards after their first meeting.
- 健太 Kenta今日はありがとうございました。お会いできてよかったです。Kyou wa arigatou gozaimashita. Oai dekite yokatta desu.Thank you for today. It was nice to meet you.
- 陽葵 Himariこちらこそ、お会いできてよかったです。Kochira koso, oai dekite yokatta desu.Likewise, it was nice to meet you.
- 健太 Kentaでは、失礼します。Dewa, shitsurei shimasu.Well, excuse me (goodbye).
- 陽葵 Himari失礼いたします。Shitsurei itashimasu.Goodbye.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
