Japanese · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 10 of 12
Formal writing
ビジネスメールBijinesu mēru
Write a business email in Japanese: the set structure, polite written requests and apologies, connectors such as なお and ただし, and formal letters.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Structure a business email: subject, greeting, body, closing
- Make written requests and apologies with 幸いです, 存じます and 恐れ入りますが
- Link sentences with written connectors: また, さらに, したがって, ただし, なお
- Recognise the opening and closing of a formal letter
Listen
In Sapporo, new employee Hirose Kenta asks his senior, Matsuda Yoko, to check his email to a client about a late delivery; she rewrites it with him. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Hirose
松田さん、すみません。取引先へのメール、送る前に見ていただけませんか。納品が遅れるお詫びなんですが。
Matsuda-san, sumimasen. Torihikisaki e no mēru, okuru mae ni mite itadakemasen ka. Nōhin ga okureru owabi na n desu ga.
Ms Matsuda, sorry to bother you. Could you look at my email to a client before I send it? It's an apology for a late delivery.
Matsuda
いいよ、見せて。…件名が「遅れます」だけだと、何の件かわからないね。「【お詫び】ご注文品の納品遅延の件」にしよう。
Ii yo, misete. Kenmei ga “okuremasu” dake da to, nan no ken ka wakaranai ne. “[Owabi] Gochūmonhin no nōhin chien no ken” ni shiyō.
Sure, show me. … If the subject line just says “It'll be late”, they won't know what it's about. Let's make it “[Apology] Delay in delivery of your order”.
Hirose
なるほど。書き出しは「こんにちは」でいいですか。
Naruhodo. Kakidashi wa “konnichiwa” de ii desu ka.
I see. Is it all right to start with “Hello”?
Matsuda
ビジネスメールでは「お世話になっております」が基本。そのあとに、会社名と名前を書くの。
Bijinesu mēru de wa “osewa ni natte orimasu” ga kihon. Sono ato ni, kaishamei to namae o kaku no.
In business emails, the standard opening is “osewa ni natte orimasu”. After that, you write your company name and your name.
Hirose
本文は「部品が届かないので、納品が一週間遅れます。すみません」と書いたんですが…。
Honbun wa “buhin ga todokanai node, nōhin ga isshūkan okuremasu. Sumimasen” to kaita n desu ga…
For the main part, I wrote: “The parts haven't arrived, so the delivery will be a week late. Sorry.” …
Matsuda
「すみません」は軽すぎるね。こう直そう。「部品の入荷が遅れているため、納品が一週間ほど遅延する見込みです。ご迷惑をおかけし、大変申し訳ございません。」
“Sumimasen” wa karusugiru ne. Kō naosō. “Buhin no nyūka ga okurete iru tame, nōhin ga isshūkan hodo chien suru mikomi desu. Gomeiwaku o okake shi, taihen mōshiwake gozaimasen.”
“Sorry” is too light. Let's change it like this: “Owing to a delay in receiving parts, we expect the delivery to be delayed by about a week. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.”
Hirose
新しい納品日も書いたほうがいいですよね。「来週の金曜日でもいいですか」は…。
Atarashii nōhinbi mo kaita hō ga ii desu yo ne. “Raishū no kin'yōbi demo ii desu ka” wa…
I should give the new delivery date too, shouldn't I? What about “Is next Friday OK?” …
Matsuda
それなら、「新しい納品日は、来週金曜日の十五日とさせていただきたく存じます。ご了承いただけますと幸いです。」かな。
Sore nara, “atarashii nōhinbi wa, raishū kin'yōbi no jūgonichi to sasete itadakitaku zonjimasu. Goryōshō itadakemasu to saiwai desu.” ka na.
In that case, maybe: “We would like to set the new delivery date as next Friday, the 15th. We would be grateful for your understanding.”
Hirose
「存じます」ですか…。自分では書けないです。あと、新しい見積もりも添付するんですが、それはどう書けばいいですか。
“Zonjimasu” desu ka… Jibun de wa kakenai desu. Ato, atarashii mitsumori mo tenpu suru n desu ga, sore wa dō kakeba ii desu ka.
“Zonjimasu” … I could never have written that myself. Also, I'm attaching a new quote. How should I mention that?
Matsuda
最後に「なお、修正したお見積書を添付いたしました。ご確認のほど、よろしくお願いいたします。」って書けば大丈夫。
Saigo ni “nao, shūsei shita omitsumorisho o tenpu itashimashita. Gokakunin no hodo, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.” tte kakeba daijōbu.
At the end, just write: “Please also note that we have attached a revised quotation. We would be grateful if you could kindly check it.”
Hirose
ありがとうございます。「取り急ぎ」は使わなくていいですか。
Arigatō gozaimasu. “Toriisogi” wa tsukawanakute ii desu ka.
Thank you. Don't I need to use “toriisogi”?
Matsuda
「取り急ぎ」は、とりあえず急いで知らせるときの言葉だから、今回はいらないかな。それより、次からは遅れるとわかった時点で、すぐ連絡しようね。
“Toriisogi” wa, toriaezu isoide shiraseru toki no kotoba da kara, konkai wa iranai ka na. Sore yori, tsugi kara wa okureru to wakatta jiten de, sugu renraku shiyō ne.
“Toriisogi” is for when you send a quick note in a hurry, so I don't think you need it this time. More importantly, from now on, let the client know as soon as you find out something will be late.
Understand
The shape of a business email
Japanese business emails follow a fixed pattern. The subject line, (kenmei), says what the email is about, often ending in (no ken), regarding …. The email opens with the recipient's company and name + (sama), then (osewa ni natte orimasu), literally “you are always looking after us”, then your own company and name. There is no “Dear” and no “Hello”.
Say why you're writing early on: ～の件でご連絡いたしました (no ken de gorenraku itashimashita), I'm writing regarding …. End with (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) and your signature. (toriisogi gorenraku made), just a quick note for now, is only for a short message before a fuller reply.
| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| subject line | (nōhin chien no ken), regarding the delayed delivery |
| name of the recipient | company, department, then name + (sama): (Tanaka-sama) |
| opening | (Osewa ni natte orimasu.) |
| purpose | ～の件でご連絡いたしました。 (no ken de gorenraku itashimashita.) |
| closing | (Nanitozo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.) |
Asking and apologising in writing
Written requests are softer and more roundabout than spoken ones. (zonjimasu) is the humble form of (omoimasu), so ～ていただきたく存じます (-te itadakitaku zonjimasu) means “I would like to ask you to …”. (saiwai) means “fortunate”: ～いただけますと幸いです (itadakemasu to saiwai desu), I would be grateful if you could …
Apologies in writing use (mōshiwake gozaimasen), never (sumimasen), and often mention the trouble caused: (gomeiwaku o okake shi), for causing you inconvenience.
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ～いただけますと幸いです (-itadakemasu to saiwai desu) | I'd be grateful if you could … |
| ～ていただきたく存じます (-te itadakitaku zonjimasu) | I would like to ask you to … |
| 、… (osoreirimasu ga, …) | I'm sorry to trouble you, but … |
| (Gokakunin no hodo, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.) | Please kindly check it. |
| (Gomeiwaku o okake shi, taihen mōshiwake gozaimasen.) | We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. |
| (Kokoro yori owabi mōshiagemasu.) | Please accept our sincere apologies. |
Written connectors and formal letters
Written Japanese links sentences with its own connectors. They start a sentence and are followed by a comma.
Formal paper letters open with (haikei) and close with (keigu), much like “Dear Sir or Madam … Yours faithfully”. After (haikei) comes a greeting about the season, for example in autumn: (aki mo fukamatte mairimashita ga, ikaga osugoshi deshō ka), autumn is well under way; how are you keeping? Emails leave all this out.
| Connector | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (mata) | also, in addition |
| (sara ni) | furthermore, what's more |
| (shitagatte) | therefore, consequently |
| (tadashi) | however, but note that (an exception or condition) |
| (nao) | please also note (an extra point, often near the end) |
- 部品が届いておりません。したがって、納品が遅れる見込みです。Buhin ga todoite orimasen. Shitagatte, nōhin ga okureru mikomi desu.The parts have not arrived. The delivery is therefore likely to be delayed.
- 送料は無料です。ただし、海外は有料となります。Sōryō wa muryō desu. Tadashi, kaigai wa yūryō to narimasu.Postage is free. Please note, however, that there is a charge for overseas.
- なお、ご不明な点がございましたら、お気軽にご連絡ください。Nao, gofumei na ten ga gozaimashitara, okigaru ni gorenraku kudasai.If anything is unclear, please feel free to contact us.
More in the grammar: Keigo: honorific and humble language
New words
- お詫びowabiapology · おわび; (owabi mōshiagemasu), we apologise
- 納品nōhindelivery (of goods to a client) · のうひん; (nōhinbi), delivery date; (buhin), parts; (nyūka), arrival of stock
- 件名kenmeisubject line (of an email) · けんめい
- 件kenmatter, case · けん; ～の件 (no ken), regarding …
- 遅延chiendelay · ちえん; formal word for (okure); (chien suru mikomi desu), it is expected to be delayed
- お世話になっておりますosewa ni natte orimasu(standard opening of a business email or call) · おせわになっております; literally “you are always looking after us”
- ご迷惑gomeiwakutrouble, inconvenience (caused to someone) · ごめいわく; (gomeiwaku o okake suru), to cause trouble
- 存じますzonjimasuI think; I know (humble) · ぞんじます; humble form of (omoimasu) and (shitte imasu)
- 幸いsaiwaifortunate; (I would be) grateful · さいわい; ～と幸いです (to saiwai desu); (goryōshō itadakemasu to saiwai desu), we would be grateful for your understanding
- 添付tenpuattachment; attaching · てんぷ; (tenpu fairu), attached file; a quotation is a (mitsumorisho)
- なおnaoplease also note, in addition · written connector
- ご確認gokakunin(your) checking, confirmation · ごかくにん; (gokakunin kudasai), please check
- 取り急ぎtoriisogiin haste, just a quick note · とりいそぎ; (toriisogi gorenraku made)
- 拝啓haikeiDear … (formal letter opening) · はいけい; the letter closes with (keigu)
Practise
1.After the recipient's name, how does a business email to a client usually begin?
2.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Please kindly check it.
3.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Which connector adds an exception or a condition, “however, please note that …”?
5.A formal letter opens with (haikei). How does it close?
6.In an email to a client, you want to say “I'd be grateful if you could let me know by Friday.” Which sentence fits?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
いつもお世話になっております。
Itsumo osewa ni natte orimasu.
Thank you, as always, for your support.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.