New here? This is lesson 162 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.
A polite work message in Japanese
The meeting has run long. Mori-san wants the latest build in a short mail, not a speech and not another sorry.
Leo sits at his Ueno desk. She shows a sample with set phrases: an opener, a check request, and a wait for a reply.
You will read those mail phrases. Name the report and the file in ordinary polite Japanese.
By the end of this lesson
Write a short polite work message.
- お世話になっております。Thank you for your continued help.
- 進捗の報告です。This is a progress report.
- 添付は最新の版です。The attachment is the latest version.
- ご確認をお願いします。Please take a look when you can.
- ご不明な点があれば、お知らせください。Please let me know if anything is unclear.
- ご返信をお待ちしています。I look forward to your reply.
Scene — after the meeting
The Ueno office is quiet after a long meeting. Mori-san holds her tablet. Game screens glow with no readable text.
Leo sits at his desk with a blank mail open. She wants the latest build, short, and no extra sorry.
Learn — a short work mail
These six lines are a short work mail, from the opener to the wait for a reply.
Four set phrases are for reading. Two short lines name the report and the file.
お世話になっております。
Thank you for your continued help.
When to use it: You will read this at the start of a work mail from a colleague.
おります is a more formal います used as a set mail opener.
Say it: Give っ in なって its own beat; do not skip it.
進捗の報告です。
This is a progress report.
When to use it: State the point of the mail in one short line.
の joins 進捗 and 報告 into one noun phrase.
添付は最新の版です。
The attachment is the latest version.
When to use it: Tell them the file you attached is the newest one.
は marks 添付 as the topic of this line.
ご確認をお願いします。
Please take a look when you can.
When to use it: You will read this when a mail asks a colleague to check a file.
ご確認 is a polite name for a check that you will read in mail.
Say it: The u in します is almost silent.
ご不明な点があれば、お知らせください。
Please let me know if anything is unclear.
When to use it: You will read this when a mail invites questions if anything is unclear.
あれば means if there is, and it sets up the request that follows.
ご返信をお待ちしています。
I look forward to your reply.
When to use it: You will read this when the sender is waiting for a reply.
しています marks waiting as an ongoing state in this mail close.
Story — the latest build
After the long meeting, Mori-san shows Leo a short sample mail with the latest build.
Highlighted phrases are the new lines. Turn on Show English if you want a gloss.
- The meeting has run long. Mori-san closes her tablet.
Moriお疲れさまです。Thanks for your work today.
Leoお疲れさまです。Thanks for your work today.- Mori誰が担当ですか。Who is in charge?
- Leoこれを担当しています。I'm in charge of this.
- Moriメールで送ってください。短くていいです。Please send it by email. Short is fine.
- Leoわかりました。I understand.
- Moriすみませんは、いりません。You don't need extra sorry.
- She turns the tablet toward him. A short sample mail is on the screen.
- Mori最初は、これですよ。This is the first line.
- Moriお世話になっております。Thank you for your continued help.
- Leo進捗の報告です。This is a progress report.
- Leo添付は最新の版です。The attachment is the latest version.
- Moriそのあと、こう書きます。After that, you write it like this.
- Moriご確認をお願いします。Please take a look when you can.
- Moriご不明な点があれば、お知らせください。Please let me know if anything is unclear.
- Leoなるほど。That makes sense.
- Mori最後は、これです。This is the last line.
- Moriご返信をお待ちしています。I look forward to your reply.
- Leoはい。Yes.
- Moriそれでいいです。That's fine.
Practice — pick the right mail line
Ten short tasks wait in this round. You will listen, fill a gap, build a line, and spot a mail mistake.
Each one is small, so you move on quickly.
0 of 10 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
Japanese
ご確認をお願いします。Drop the English hereご不明な点があれば、お知らせください。Drop the English hereご返信をお待ちしています。Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
The long meeting just ended. Mori-san looks up from her tablet.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
The attachment is the latest version.
添付____最新の版です。
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
ご不明な点があれば、お知らせください。
Build the line
Build the line
This is a progress report.
。
Tap the words in order.
Pick the reply
Mori says:
Pick the reply
何のメールですか。
What's the mail about?
And you reply with:
What do you say?
What do you say?
You attached the newest build to your short message. Tell Mori-san which version the attachment is.
Find the mistake
Find the mistake
True or false?
True or false?
You use this line to open a work mail.
Say it — send the mail
You are Leo at your Ueno desk now. When the cue is yours, tap the microphone and say the line.
Tap play first if you want to hear it. The recording stays on this device.
- Moriこれ、最初です。This is the first line.
- Leo (you)Read the opening line on her tablet.
Read the opening line on her tablet.
お世話になっております。
Thank you for your continued help.
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Japanese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| お世話になっております。 | Thank you for your continued help. | |
| 進捗の報告です。 | This is a progress report. | |
| 添付は最新の版です。 | The attachment is the latest version. | |
| ご確認をお願いします。 | Please take a look when you can. | |
| ご不明な点があれば、お知らせください。 | Please let me know if anything is unclear. | |
| ご返信をお待ちしています。 | I look forward to your reply. |
Save your progress — it’s free
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Keep these mail lines in your pocket. Open the Yak Cards for this lesson and run them on the train.
A short Yak Cards round after work keeps the mail opener ready.
Open Yak Cards