I’m sure this has been answered before, but reddit’s search function is terrible.
I’m meeting with a former employer who I haven’t seen in years, and while he knows I don’t speak much Japanese, I want to at least prepare for the basic greetings.
I know I can speak first and say お久しぶりです, but in the case that he says 久しぶり first, how do I respond? Do I still say お久しぶりです in reply? Or そうですね? Or はい、お久ぶりですね？
Thank you!
11 comments
Any of those are fine to be honest.
はい、お元気ですか？ kind of like “it has, how have you been?”
The standard “response” would be ご無沙汰しております, which is “polite” and a little “formal” but this phrase/response what is usually/normally used when responding to someone who is “senior” or “higher” in age or status.
It’s also a very safe phrase to use, and if it’s being used in an environment that’s more “informal” it’s isn’t a problem, and if anything if in a group, it might garner a bit of laugh and a comment about being “硬い”. In a one an one setting, the individual will probably not say anything and just press on with the conversation, because there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this phrase other than it being “polite” and a bit “formal”, but again if the person you are addressing or responding to is more you it’s usually better to err on the side of caution, because you don’t want to potentially “offend” them by accident or unintentionally.
This is much like the “おかげさまで…” or “おかげさまです…” that’s used in response to the “you look well” or the “you seem to be doing well” type statements, that tend to be the next thing that’s said, in situations like this.
I hope this made sense and was helpful.
Best wishes and good luck!
I’d respond by confirming the 久しぶり and asking if they are 元気 to keep the conversation going.
Any of those are fine except that I wouldn’t use はい because here it feels like saying “yeah that’s right” or almost like “yes sir” 笑
Putting myself in this situation I’d probably say something like でしょ〜？何々さん、元気ですか？
I think just saying お久しぶりです is the best.
I don’t mean to be rude as I am simply curious: How did you end up working for a Japanese employer without speaking much Japanese?
Depends on your relationship with him.
Was he your 上司?
IF so, then ご無沙汰しております
If he was your coworker and you aren’t that close then 久しぶりです(ね)
If he was your 部下 then anything casual is fine.
Just add an あっ- as in shock and repeat お久しぶりです~ then follow with a お元気 ですか?
If you consider your former employer to be a superior person, the most correct way that native speakers would use is the honorific “ご無沙汰して – います/おります（ごぶさたして – います/おります）” with a slight bow. “お久しぶりです” is in a polite form(丁寧語), but it is not an honorific expression, and strictly speaking, it is inappropriate and not a polite way.
Well, they will tolerate even native speakers if they don’t say anything harsh, or if you are non-native. At the condition that you and the person have a personal relationship.
Also, if the person you are talking to considers you a junior, it is most correct to use honorifics and bow lightly, as in the first example, even when the person says to you, “お久しぶり(です)”. If you are sure that the person you are talking to is more frank and does not care whether you are superior or inferior, you may reply “お久しぶりです” in response to “お久しぶり（です）”.
When in doubt you can just repeat their reply. and add 元気 (げんき / genki) to your response. My keigo is not good though, but you could say ご無沙汰しております (ごぶさたしております / Gobusatashiteorimasu).
ひさしぶりぶり