Japanese mini lesson: Sound More Natural in Japanese Emails, Instantly!
Writing business emails in Japanese is tricky. Even for native Japanese speakers!
“Is this too direct?”
“Am I being polite enough?”
“Does this sound natural?”
In this mini lesson, you’ll learn key phrases that will instantly make your Japanese emails sound more natural and professional.
Start with the Basics
Japanese business emails almost always begin and end with the same pair of expressions, like the bread in a polite email sandwich 🥪.
🍞 Start with:
お世話になっております。
osewa ni natte orimasu
Thank you for your continued support.
📩 Your main message here
🍞 End with:
よろしくお願いいたします。
yoroshiku onegai itashimasu
Thank you in advance./ I appreciate your support.
If you remember just these two, you are already on the right track. They frame your message with respect and professionalism every time, no matter the content.
Yes, even in a reply!
In Japanese email culture, these two phrases are used every time, even if you are replying in the same email thread or continuing a conversation where you’ve already said them.
3 Must-Know Email Expressions
Those two phrases are your starting and ending point. Now, let’s fill in the middle with three essential expressions used in Japanese emails every day.
ご確認をお願いいたします。
gokakunin o onegai itashimasu
Please check / review.
資料を添付いたしますので、ご確認をお願いいたします。
shiryo o tenpu itasshimasu node, gokakunin o onegai itashimasu.
I’ve attached the document, so please take a look.
お手数ですが、〜いただけますと幸いです
otesu desuga, ~itadakemasu to saiwai desu.
Sorry to trouble you, but I'd appreciate it if you could…
お手数ですが、本日中にご返信いただけますと幸いです。
otesuu desuga, honjitsu chuu ni gohenshin itadakemasu to saiwai desu.
Sorry to trouble you, but I’d appreciate it if you could reply by the end of today.
承知いたしました。
shoochi itashimashita.
Understood.
ご連絡ありがとうございます。承知いたしました。
gorenraku arigatoo gozaimasu. shoochi itashimashita.
Thank you for your message. Understood.
Before & After: Polish The Email
Now let’s see what these expressions look like in action.
Here’s a simple but too-direct message:
Before
わかりました。
ファイルをみてください。
今日中に返事ください。
Got it.
Look at the file.
Reply by today.
This can be understandable, but in Japanese business culture, it can feel a bit too direct.
After
お世話になっております。
ご連絡ありがとうございます。承知いたしました。
資料を添付いたしますので、ご確認をお願いいたします。
お手数ですが、本日中にご返信いただけますと幸いです。
よろしくお願いいたします。Thank you for your continued support.
Thank you for your message. Understood.
I’ve attached the document, so please take a look.
Sorry to trouble you, but I’d appreciate it if you could reply by the end of today.
I appreciate your support.
With just a few adjustments, the message feels more natural, polite and professional.
✨ Try It Yourself
Write a short Japanese email using today’s phrases. Or take a past message and upgrade it using the Before & After format above!
📚 Want to feel more confident in your Japanese emails?
Come learn with us - our lessons are designed for real-life communications, with plenty of practical tips just like these, you can use at work right away! Contact us and let’s get started!
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