ご無沙汰しております
gobusata shite orimasu
In Japanese, the phrase 'long time no hear' is expressed as ご無沙汰しております (gobusata shite orimasu).
It is an idiomatic way to say 'I haven't heard from you for a long time' or 'it has been a while'.
Meaning: idiomatic: I haven't heard from you for a long time (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The noun ご無沙汰 (gobusata) literally refers to a state of neglect or a lack of contact.
Which one should you use?
The use of hiragana in ひさしぶり instead of kanji adds a playful and relaxed touch to the phrase.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ご無沙汰しております is a formal and polite way to acknowledge a long period of no contact, making it suitable for business or speaking to superiors. A slightly less formal but still polite and standard version is ご無沙汰しています. For casual, everyday use with friends and peers, you should use 久しぶり.
How do you pronounce it?
gobusata shite orimasu
Did you know?
- The noun 無沙汰 (busata) refers to a state of neglect, implying that by not contacting someone, you have been failing in your social duties.
- In business emails, ご無沙汰しております is often used even if the speakers have only been apart for a few weeks, as the 'long time' is relative to the expected frequency of professional contact.
- Using ご無沙汰しております to a close friend can be seen as a joke or a way of acting overly formal to create a humorous distance.
Examples in context
- お久しぶりですね。最後にお会いしたのはいつでしたっけ？Long time no hear. When was the last time we met?
- 久しぶり！最近どうしてたの？Long time no hear! What have you been up to lately?
- ああ、忙しくて全然連絡とれなかったんだよ。Oh, I've been busy and haven't had a chance to get in touch at all.
- ご無沙汰しております、お元気でしたか？Gobusata shite orimasu, ogenki deshita ka?Long time no hear, have you been well?
- しばらくご無沙汰しております。Shibaraku gobusata shite orimasu.It has been a long time since I last heard from you.
- 大変ご無沙汰しております。Taihen gobusata shite orimasu.It has been a very long time since we last spoke.
Example conversation
Ren is calling his former mentor, Himari, after a long absence.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵さん、ご無沙汰しております。Himari-san, gobusata shite orimasu.Himari, long time no hear.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さん、お久しぶりですね！Ren-san, ohisashiburi desu ne!Ren, it has been a while!
- 蓮 Renはい、お元気でしたか？Hai, ogenki deshita ka?Yes, have you been well?
- 陽葵 Himariおかげさまで元気ですよ。Okagesama de genki desu yo.Thanks to you, I am doing well.
