# I hope that this email finds you well



## TheUnitedStatesOfEurope

Hi everyone、皆さんこんにちは。 

May you please let me know what would be the equivalent of this common email greeting: "I hope that this email finds you well" in Japanese? The context is formal / a little bit casual. The recipient has already received letters from the author.

*My attempts:

Too formal and not asking if the recipient is doing well (but as last resort why not?):*
『いつもお世話になっております。
突然のご連絡失礼いたします。』

*As we are in Summer, the following can be used too, but it is not asking the recipient enough about how he is doing:*
『暑中お見舞い申し上げます。』

*Would the following below be acceptable, especially if the recipient is more senior and the context formal?*
『暑い日が続いていますが、いかがしていらっしゃいますか？』

*Regarding the two above, I saw that *『拝啓』*should perhaps be placed in front of them:*
『拝啓、暑中お見舞い申し上げます。』
or
『拝啓、暑い日が続いていますが、いかがしていらっしゃいますか？』
=> to make it more deferent and formal?... But it seems somehwat over-the-top, no? 

*There are also: *

『お変わりないことと存じます。』
*A bit more polite perhaps?:*
『皆さま、お変わりないことと存じます。』

『御無沙汰いたして おります。』
*More deferent perhaps?: *
『御無沙汰して 申し訳ありません。』

*Perhaps too formal ? :*
『お元気でいらっしゃいますか?』

Anyhow, just spitballing here.  

Would native speakers have other propositions to translate this greeting please?
*What is great about this greeting in English:* its both formal and respectful, while being kind / debonair / good-natured. 

Thank you so much for your invaluable advices.  m(_ _)m

Thank you so much | どうもありがとうございます m(_ _)m
The USE | ヨーロッパ合衆国


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## Inouez

暑い日が続いていますが、いかがしていらっしゃいますか？
＞＞＞＞暑い日が続いていますが、いかがお過ごしでしょうか？　is I think natural to me...

拝啓、暑い日が続いていますが、いかがしていらっしゃいますか？
>>>>>拝啓、暑い日が続いておりますが、いかがお過ごしでしょうか？　is I think more natural to me....


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## TheUnitedStatesOfEurope

*Would this be correct too* (I adjusted it slightly, because currently it is end of August )*? :*

『*残暑*お見舞い申し上げます、いかがお過ごしでしょうか？』

Thank you much.  

Thank you so much | どうもありがとうございます m(_ _)m
The USE | ヨーロッパ合衆国


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## Inouez

Yes, your suggestion is appropriate.

Let's go ahead !

Inouez


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## SoLaTiDoberman

TheUnitedStatesOfEurope said:


> 『*残暑*お見舞い申し上げます、いかがお過ごしでしょうか？』


残暑お見舞い申し上げます is a set phrase of its own. It's more like a title at the beginning of a postcard, just like "Happy New Year!"
Therefore, it should be:
*残暑お見舞い申し上げます*（line feed)
*まだまだ暑い日が続きますがいかがお過ごしでしょうか？*

By the way, it's already September. Therefore, 残暑見舞い is out of date. You should not use the phrase 残暑お見舞い申し上げます in September.

.................................................................

*>"I hope that this email finds you well"*

まだまだ暑い日が続いていますが、○○様におかれましてはますます御健勝(orご活躍）のことと存じます。

.............................................................

*>拝啓*
If you start your letter with 拝啓, you should end the letter with 敬具.
If you start your letter with 前略, you should end the letter with 早々.　
You should use them in pairs.


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## TheUnitedStatesOfEurope

@SoLaTiDoberman , thank you so much! m(_ _)m
Great pieces of advice! 

I love to learn such things!   


Cheers & take care,
The USE | ヨーロッパ合衆国


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## TheUnitedStatesOfEurope

@SoLaTiDoberman , is there an equivalent for cold days too? 

まだまだ + [寒中お見舞い申し上げます] or [余寒お見舞い申し上げます]、○○様におかれましてはますます御健勝(orご活躍）のことと存じます。

ご活躍 might be perhaps a bit off. No?  Just wondering. 

Thank you so much | どうもありがとうございます m(_ _)m
The USE | ヨーロッパ合衆国


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## SoLaTiDoberman

Again, "寒中お見舞い申し上げます" is a set phrase of its own.
Therefore, まだまだ寒中お見舞い申し上げます、............. is just wrong and sounds funny.　

One thing to note:
寒中見舞い, whose set phrase is "寒中お見舞い申し上げます," is usually a postcard for the substitution of a New Year Card, "あけましておめでとうございます” or "A Happy New Year" by a person in mourning.
They cannot say "happy" or おめでとうございます because their family member passed away and they are in the mourning period.

You can say "寒中お見舞い申し上げます," even when none of your family members passed away.
But I advise you not to use it, in order to avoid confusion that your family member passed away.


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## Katzuhiko Minohara

How about
お疲れ様です


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## Flaminius

This is unsuitable for starting an exchange with a cold contact.


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## TheUnitedStatesOfEurope

*@Flaminius , so that leaves us with: 

@Inouez 's suggestion: 
残暑*お見舞い申し上げます、いかがお過ごしでしょうか？ (to use until the end of Augsut)

*or* 

*@SoLaTiDoberman 's proposition:*
まだまだ暑い日が続いていますが、○○様におかれましてはますます御健勝(orご活躍）のことと存じます。(which can be used anytime of the year).

If you happen to have additional input, please feel free to let me know.   
I found those two suggestions above very different in terms of structure, but both very good. 
What do you think please? 

Thank you very much. m(_ _)m
Cheers,
The USE | ヨーロッパ合衆国


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## Inouez

Yes, both are comfortable expression, I guess.

Inouez


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## TheUnitedStatesOfEurope

Hi everyone、皆さんこんにちは。 

I have a n additional question, please:

@Inouez , @SoLaTiDoberman , if I don't want to refer to the weather (Summer and late Summer heat), may you please tell me what can I use? 

*For instance what I mentionned in the first message of this thread above: *

『お変わりないことと存じます。』
*A bit more polite perhaps?:*
『皆さま、お変わりないことと存じます。』

『御無沙汰いたして おります。』
*More deferent perhaps?: *
『御無沙汰して 申し訳ありません。』

*Perhaps too formal ? :*
『お元気でいらっしゃいますか?』

Which one would be the most suited in a formal context, if I haven't met the recipient of my email yet, or if I don't know the recipient well yet (already talked to him/her a few times)?


Thank you so much for your invaluable advices.  m(_ _)m

Thank you so much | どうもありがとうございます m(_ _)m
The USE | ヨーロッパ合衆国


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## SoLaTiDoberman

TheUnitedStatesOfEurope said:


> *For instance what I mentionned in the first message of this thread above: *
> 
> 『お変わりないことと存じます。』
> *A bit more polite perhaps?:*
> 『皆さま、お変わりないことと存じます。』
> 
> 『御無沙汰いたして おります。』
> *More deferent perhaps?: *
> 『御無沙汰して 申し訳ありません。』
> 
> *Perhaps too formal ? :*
> 『お元気でいらっしゃいますか?』





TheUnitedStatesOfEurope said:


> Which one would be the most suited in a formal context, if I haven't met the recipient of my email yet, or if I don't know the recipient well yet (already talked to him/her a few times)?


If you haven't met him/her for a while, for example, more than 1 year, you may say:
大変御無沙汰いたしておりますがいかがお過ごしでしょうか。
（I haven't met you for a while. How are you?)

If you met him/her recently, you may say:
いつも大変お世話になっております。
（Thank you for your kindness.)


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## Inouez

『御無沙汰いたして おります。』
*More deferent perhaps?:*
『御無沙汰して 申し訳ありません。』>>>>>> If I were you, I will write "ご無沙汰して誠に申し訳ございませんでした or ご無沙汰して誠に申し訳ございません"


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## TheUnitedStatesOfEurope

Inouez said:


> 『御無沙汰いたして おります。』
> *More deferent perhaps?:*
> 『御無沙汰して 申し訳ありません。』>>>>>> If I were you, I will write "ご無沙汰して誠に申し訳ございませんでした or ご無沙汰して誠に申し訳ございません"



Thank you so much @Inouez .  
But your suggestions sound more like: "I'm sorry for not contacting you in a long time", and not: "I hope that this email finds you well".  Is my understanding correct please?
Please do not hesitate to let me know, if I am mistaken.  m(_ _)m

@SoLaTiDoberman , いつも大変お世話になっております。 sounds somewhat like: いつもお世話になっております。, which would translate into: "Thank you for your patronage." , and not: "I hope that this email finds you well".  Is my understanding correct please? Please do not hesitate to let me know, if I am mistaken.  m(_ _)m

*Sorry to get back to my initial questions, (because I am a bit confused now ):*
How would you say per Email in Japanese, in a polite way: "I hope that this email finds you well" to someone with whom you reguarly correspond? 

*Moreover:*
@SoLaTiDoberman ,does not 大変御無沙汰いたしておりますがいかがお過ごしでしょうか。sound like a reproach? Indeed, the use of "が", may imply: "I didn't hear from you BUT (never mind anyways...) how are you?"  Or am I wrong in my interpretation? Please correct me, if I am mistaken. m(_ _)m

*Finally:*
in Japanese, is it customary to always convey a sense of いつもお世話になっております。("Thank you for your patronage"), i.e. a to always convey a sense of humility, although I am just merely asking how the recipient has been doing lately (in a polite way, of course)?  I know that Japan is the country of politeness and humility  , but I would need some clarifications about: "I hope that this email finds you well", which is in western countries a very common expression which has nothing special; but which is so difficult to translate in Japanese apparently. 

Thank you so much | どうもありがとうございます m(_ _)m
The USE | ヨーロッパ合衆国


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## Inouez

HI 

As for your question, "I hope that this email finds you well" is different from "I'm sorry for not contacting you in a long time"

Yes, it is different.

My view might differ from other Japanese native speaker, but as a people who reads and use Japanese as mother tongue for over 50 years, I cannot find exact same phrase of "I hope that this email finds you well" in Japanese.

The exact same translation for "I hope that this email finds you well" is, ”私はこの手紙があなたが元気でいることを知ることを願います”。
To be exact, we Japanese don't use the phrase, "I hope that this email finds you well"

If you write down this phrase not in English but in Japanese as a one Japanese native speaker to another Japanese native speaker, it brings some strange nuance. To us Japanese, English phrase, "I hope that this email finds you well" can be translated into "I want that this letter written by me will know you are doing fine in your everyday life". 

This letter is written by me and letter-receiver is not supposed to intervene ? or authorize the letter's full content. 
This letter is completely made by you by your own volition and your responsibility. 
The English phrase, "I hope that this email finds you well" sounds to us Japanese that letter sender enforces letter receiver to feel that letter confirms your status is all good. Letter receiver does not care if you hope or if you don't hope. 
Openly expressing your feeling or your wish to letter receiver ( hence, "I hope" expression ) is a kind of rude? phrasing at the start of the letter. Your feeling should not be openly expressed in the start of the letter as formal fixed phrase at the beginning of the letter. We Japanese deems highly valued that one people does not show his for her own inner-feeling to other person.

It is a bit difficult in this vague nuance, but other Japanese native speaker might explain this unique sense more clearly than me.

Off-course, writing this "I hope that this email finds you well" phrase in English to Japanese people who can understands English is fine. I know that "I hope that this email finds you well" is natural phrase in English. 

I hope, other Japanese will help me this explanation, or correct me if I am wrong.

Inouez


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## SoLaTiDoberman

同感です。
"I hope that this email finds you well"を直訳すると、
「この手紙が、あなたが元気であることを知ることになればよいと思っています」的な日本語になると思いますが、手紙を主語にするというのは従来の日本文化にはない発想ですので、この文章が英語の直訳体、翻訳体である、ということがわかっている日本人には合点がいくかも知れませんが、もし英語の発想がない日本人なら、意味をなさないか、あるいは、
「この手紙があなたに届くことで（消息不明のあなたの）*安否確認につながれば*望外の喜びです」的な、まったく違った文脈背景を想起させる文になっちゃうと思います。もしそうとるのであれば、御無沙汰していたことに対する強烈な当てこすり（sarcasm)なのだと曲解されかねません。

似たような現象として、文末の"Thank you in advance"は「どうぞよろしくお願いします」と訳すべきであり、「先に『ありがとう』と申し上げておきます」（という、取り方によっては大変ぶしつけで失礼な表現）とは訳さないことが思い出されます。同様に、今回の"I hope that this email finds you well"も文頭のあいさつとして日本語で通常用いられる別の表現を（意味としては別になるけれども）選ぶ、というのがこのスレッドの主目的だと思います。
Good morningを「良い朝ですね」とは訳さずに、「おはようございます」と、
Good night を 「良い夜を」とは訳さずに、「おやすみなさい」と訳す作業と同様のことだと思います。

やはり、
「いつも大変お世話になっております」（←交流頻度が高い場合）
または、
「大変ご無沙汰いたしております」（←交流頻度が少ない場合）
あたりが、無難なcounterparts になるんじゃないでしょうか。


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## TheUnitedStatesOfEurope

@Inouez @SoLaTiDoberman , thank you so much for the important and thorough cultural insight. it is much appreciated and much helpful.    

@SoLaTiDoberman , thank you so much for getting back to the bottom-line  (that's exactly what I needed ):

やはり、
「いつも大変お世話になっております」（←交流頻度が高い場合）
または、
「大変ご無沙汰いたしております」（←交流頻度が少ない場合）
あたりが、無難なcounterparts になるんじゃないでしょうか。

And indeed, "Thank you in advance" is a well-known translation nightmare for any western japanese-leaner. 

Thank you so much! m(_ _)m
The USE


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## TheUnitedStatesOfEurope

SoLaTiDoberman said:


> やはり、
> 「いつも大変お世話になっております」（←交流頻度が高い場合）
> または、
> 「大変ご無沙汰いたしております」（←交流頻度が少ない場合）
> あたりが、無難なcounterparts になるんじゃないでしょうか。


@SoLaTiDoberman , sorry to get back to you again, but there is an important case which is missing in your comment above (please see quote above), and which actually was *what* I wanted to translate in my first message above  : what do we say in japanese, when we haven't met the person yet, when it is a fully new encounter by email.

Do you start right away with: 

[ZZZ]様
株式会社 [YYY] の [XXX] と申します

Or can you squeeze in-between a nice greeting expression *[????]*, which must *not* translate as: "I hope you are doing well", but which could translate as something else, such as: "Thank you for your patronage" in the case of いつも大変お世話になっております? 
However, いつも大変お世話になっております would not be a good fit, as it is only used during regular correspondence, which isn't the case here, as it is the *very first* contact.

[ZZZ]様
*[????]*
株式会社 [YYY] の [XXX] と申します

If there are no *[????] *possible, then I'll simply write: 

[ZZZ]様
株式会社 [YYY] の [XXX] と申します

Thank you so much | どうもありがとうございます m(_ _)m
The USE | ヨーロッパ合衆国


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## SoLaTiDoberman

[ZZZ]様
*この度は大変お世話になります。*
株式会社 [YYY] の [XXX] と申します。


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