This guide is a parts-level dictionary. If you want a finished email, jump to Business Email Templates. If you want the composition process from subject to signature, go to How to Write a Japanese Business Email. This article assumes the pieces are all you need.
If you only memorize 50 phrases — the frequency-ranked starter index
Screenshot this section and keep it open while you draft. It’s a one-screen reference.
How to read the tags
Every phrase carries two tags. The first is the A / B / C politeness level. The second is 内 (internal) or 外 (external).
Tag
Meaning
A
External clients, first contacts, formal documents, apologies — the most-formal register
B
Internal seniors, cross-department colleagues, general in-house communication
C
Peers and close juniors — almost always Slack DM, rare in email
外
External (clients, customers, candidates)
内
Internal (same company — coworkers, seniors, other departments)
The A/B/C framework itself is explained in detail in the Keigo Guide. This article applies the tags to every phrase.
Top 50 by estimated frequency
#
Phrase (romaji + kanji)
Function
Tag
When to use
1
osewa ni natte orimasu (お世話になっております)
opening
A · 外
The default external opener, used every time
2
yoroshiku onegai itashimasu (よろしくお願いいたします)
closing
A · universal
All-purpose closer, your safe default
3
otsukaresama desu (お疲れさまです)
opening
B · 内
Standard internal opener
4
arigatō gozaimasu (ありがとうございます)
thanks
A / B shared
Works alone or as a sentence opener
5
shōchi itashimashita (承知いたしました)
acknowledgment
A · universal
The safest “got it” — works externally
6
mōshiwake gozaimasen (申し訳ございません)
apology
A · 外
Standard external apology
7
go-kakunin no hodo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu (ご確認のほどよろしくお願いいたします)
closing
A · 外
The standard “please confirm” closer
8
~itadakemasu to saiwai desu (〜いただけますと幸いです)
request
A · 外
The most-used soft request frame
9
go-renraku arigatō gozaimasu (ご連絡ありがとうございます)
acknowledgment
A · 外
First line when replying to an external message
10
~no ken ni tsuite (〜の件について)
topic
A / B shared
The most-used topic-intro phrase
11
tempu shiryō o go-kakunin kudasai (添付資料をご確認ください)
attachment
A · 外
Standard attachment heads-up
12
~no ken de go-renraku itashimashita (〜の件でご連絡いたしました)
go-ichidoku itadakemasu to saiwai desu (ご一読いただけますと幸いです)
request
A · 外
Asking the reader to read through a document
46
kanren shiryō o tempu shite orimasu (関連資料を添付しております)
attachment
A · 外
Multi-attachment heads-up
47
o-sashitsukae nakereba (お差し支えなければ)
request
A · 外
The most-polite request preamble
48
osore-irimasu ga (恐れ入りますが)
request
A · 外
All-purpose cushion phrase
49
kochira koso arigatō gozaimasu (こちらこそありがとうございます)
acknowledgment
A / B shared
Reply to thanks
50
tondemo gozaimasen (とんでもございません)
acknowledgment
A · 外
Modest reply to thanks
The frequency ordering is the author’s working estimate from observing one month of mixed internal + external workplace email. Job functions and industries shift the bottom half, but the top 20 hold across most workplaces.
The 8 function categories at a glance
The rest of the article expands every phrase in the top-50 list plus a deeper bench per category. Jump straight to the slot you need.
After more than six months when the gap is on your side
go-busata shite orimasu. XX no ken de go-renraku itashimashita (ご無沙汰しております。○○の件でご連絡いたしました)
A two-sentence opener when you reopen contact with a request
Common mistakes
Using o-sewa-sama desu (お世話様です) or dōmo (どうも) externally.O-sewa-sama is a senior-to-junior abbreviation and reads as condescending in external email. Dōmo is too casual.
Using otsukaresama desu (お疲れさまです) externally. It’s a labor-acknowledging phrase, and you’re not in the position to acknowledge an external party’s labor. See the How-to guide’s recovery section for the 30-second correction email if you’ve already sent it.
These land right after the opening, before the body. You re-introduce yourself on every external email.
A · 外 — first contact
Phrase
When to use
Kabushiki-gaisha XX no YY to mōshimasu (株式会社○○の△△と申します)
The standard first-contact self-intro
XX Kabushiki-gaisha no YY to mōshimasu (○○株式会社の△△と申します)
When the company name takes the gaisha (会社) suffix at the end
XX no YY to mōshimasu (○○の△△と申します)
When the company is already well known to the recipient
A · 外 — ongoing thread
Phrase
When to use
Kabushiki-gaisha XX no YY de gozaimasu (株式会社○○の△△でございます)
Even on a long thread, re-introduce every time
XX no YY desu (○○の△△です)
For casual external partners or short exchanges
B · 内 — internal
Phrase
When to use
eigyō-bu no XX desu (営業部の○○です)
Only when addressing other departments or unfamiliar colleagues
eigyō-bu XX desu (営業部○○です)
A shorter variant
Common mistakes
Not re-introducing yourself on every external email. The English instinct is to drop the “Hi, this is John again” after the first round. Japanese workplace email keeps the re-introduction as a courtesy ritual, even ten threads deep.
Using mōshimasu (申します) internally.Mōshimasu belongs to formal external register. To a same-company colleague, desu is enough.
3. Topic-intro phrases
These declare “here’s what this email is about” within the first one or two lines. Japanese business email leads with the topic label, so the earlier you name it, the more considerate the email reads.
Standard
Phrase
When to use
~no ken ni tsuite (〜の件について)
The most-used topic intro
~no ken de go-renraku itashimashita (〜の件でご連絡いたしました)
Using toriaezu (取り急ぎ) in a formal external request. It leaks the “no time to polish this” tone and reads as casual. Externally, rewrite as sokuhō to shite kyōyū itashimasu (速報として共有いたします) or mazu wa go-ichihō made (まずはご一報まで).
Opening with small talk before the topic. Japanese email leads with the conclusion. After the opener and self-intro, go straight into the topic.
4. Request phrases
Requests come in five politeness gradients. Same intent, different strength.
Strong request (A · 外)
Phrase
When to use
go-taiō no hodo yoroshiku onegai mōshiagemasu (ご対応のほどよろしくお願い申し上げます)
o-chikara-zoe itadakemasen deshō ka (お力添えいただけませんでしょうか)
Floating a larger request with humility
Information request (A · 外 / B · 内 shared)
Phrase
When to use
go-kyōji kudasai (ご教示ください)
Ask for knowledge or information
o-shirase kudasai (お知らせください)
Ask for an update on status or schedule
shōsai o o-ukagai dekimasu to saiwai desu (詳細をお伺いできますと幸いです)
A softer ask for more detail
Internal request (B · 内)
Phrase
When to use
~o-negai shimasu (〜お願いします)
The standard internal-peer request
~tanonde mo ii desu ka (〜頼んでもいいですか)
A casual request to peers or close juniors
~shite moraemasu ka (〜してもらえますか)
A close variant of the above
Cushion phrases before a request
Place these in front of the actual ask to soften the load.
Phrase
When to use
o-tesū o o-kake shimasu ga (お手数をおかけしますが)
The all-purpose cushion, place before the ask
o-isogashii tokoro kyōshuku desu ga (お忙しいところ恐縮ですが)
Upgrade that defers to the recipient’s schedule
osore-irimasu ga (恐れ入りますが)
Another all-purpose cushion
o-sashitsukae nakereba (お差し支えなければ)
Carries the nuance “say no if it’s a bad time”
go-mendō o o-kake shimasu ga (ご面倒をおかけしますが)
A synonym pattern of o-tesū
Common mistakes
Confusing go-kyōji (ご教示) with go-kyōju (ご教授).Go-kyōju means “instruct me in a discipline” and is too heavy for an information request. For data or facts, use go-kyōji kudasai (ご教示ください).
Writing ~shite kudasai (〜してください) directly to an external recipient. Always upgrade to ~shite itadakemasu ka (〜していただけますか) or ~itadakemasu to saiwai desu (〜いただけますと幸いです).
5. Apology phrases
Apologies come in three severity tiers, each with variations.
Light (B · 内)
Phrase
When to use
shitsurei itashimashita (失礼いたしました)
Minor friction with internal coworkers
sumimasen (すみません)
Spoken-leaning — reads as light in writing
shitsurei shimashita (失礼しました)
A lighter version of shitsurei itashimashita
Medium (A · 外)
Phrase
When to use
mōshiwake gozaimasen (申し訳ございません)
Standard external apology
mōshiwake gozaimasen deshita (申し訳ございませんでした)
Past form, for completed events
shitsurei itashimashita (失礼いたしました)
A formal light apology
Heavy (A · 外)
Phrase
When to use
fukaku o-wabi mōshiagemasu (深くお詫び申し上げます)
When business impact has occurred
go-meiwaku o o-kake shi makoto ni mōshiwake gozaimasen (ご迷惑をおかけし誠に申し訳ございません)
For the second-plus message in a back-to-back chain
samidare-shiki ni mōshiwake gozaimasen (五月雨式に申し訳ございません)
Apology for piecemeal communication
kyōshuku desu ga (恐縮ですが)
A light apologetic preamble, also works before a request
o-henji ga osokunari mōshiwake gozaimasen (お返事が遅くなり申し訳ございません)
The default reply-delay apology
kochira no fute-giwa de mōshiwake gozaimasen (こちらの不手際で申し訳ございません)
When you explicitly own the mistake
Common mistakes
Using sumimasen (すみません) as the body apology in an external email. It’s too light for writing. External apologies should be mōshiwake gozaimasen or stronger.
Using gomennasai (ごめんなさい) in business email. It’s pure private-life spoken register — internal or external, avoid it.
For the 30-second correction email after a misdirected message, see the recovery section in the How-to guide.
6. Acknowledgment and receipt-state phrases
These are the phrases you reach for when you’re the replying side. Most articles cover only the sender’s vocabulary, but in practice you reply as often as you initiate.
The 5-level “I understand” comparison
The direct answer to a top PAA question.
Phrase
Level
Recipient
ryōkai desu (了解です) / ryōkai shimashita (了解しました)
C · 内
Peers and close juniors only. Never externally
shōchi shimashita (承知しました)
B · 内
Internal seniors and other departments — too weak externally
shōchi itashimashita (承知いたしました)
A · universal
The all-purpose answer, safe externally
kashikomarimashita (かしこまりました)
A · 外 (service register)
Carries a service-industry tone but works externally
wakarimashita (わかりました)
Neutral
Reads as light in writing — avoid externally
When in doubt, default to shōchi itashimashita (承知いたしました).
Document receipt
Phrase
When to use
shiryō haiju itashimashita (資料拝受いたしました)
Formal external receipt confirmation
tempu fairu kakunin itashimashita (添付ファイル確認いたしました)
kyū na o-negai de kyōshuku desu ga, nanitozo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu (急なお願いで恐縮ですが、何卒よろしくお願いいたします)
Closing an out-of-the-blue request
Thank-you closers
Phrase
When to use
kasanete o-rei mōshiagemasu (重ねてお礼申し上げます)
A formal thank-you closer
arigatō gozaimashita (ありがとうございました)
The default thank-you closer
kokoro yori kansha mōshiagemasu (心より感謝申し上げます)
For larger expressions of gratitude
Apology closers
Phrase
When to use
go-meiwaku o o-kake shimasu ga, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu (ご迷惑をおかけしますが、よろしくお願いいたします)
The apology-email closer
kongo to mo kawaranu go-shidō no hodo yoroshiku onegai mōshiagemasu (今後とも変わらぬご指導のほどよろしくお願い申し上げます)
The closer of a serious-apology email
Decision-request closers
Phrase
When to use
go-kentō no hodo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu (ご検討のほどよろしくお願いいたします)
A proposal-email closer
go-kakunin no hodo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu (ご確認のほどよろしくお願いいたします)
A confirmation-request closer
go-henshin o-machi shite orimasu (ご返信お待ちしております)
A soft reply-prompt closer
Common mistakes
Appending keigu (敬具) on every email.Haikei (拝啓) and keigu are a paired set used only in formal printed-letter situations — annual greetings, formal apologies, ceremonial notes. They don’t belong in everyday email.
Closing with “ijō desu” (以上です) alone. Acceptable in a short internal note, but external email always ends with yoroshiku onegai itashimasu (よろしくお願いいたします).
8. Attachment phrases
For announcing attachments and adding notes at the tail of the body.
Heads-up
Phrase
When to use
tempu shiryō o go-kakunin kudasai (添付資料をご確認ください)
The default
tempu fairu o go-sanshō kudasai (添付ファイルをご参照ください)
A default variant
kaki no tōri tempu shite orimasu (下記の通り添付しております)
Use as a preamble before a list or table of files
Multiple files
Phrase
When to use
kanren shiryō o ni-ten tempu shite orimasu (関連資料を 2 点添付しております)
Name the count
gijiroku oyobi shiryō isshiki o tempu itashimasu (議事録および資料一式を添付いたします)
Itemize the types
Large files
Phrase
When to use
yōryō no tsugō-jō, fairu tensō sābisu o go-riyō kudasai (容量の都合上、ファイル転送サービスをご利用ください)
For files over tens of MB
bettō, fairu tensō sābisu kara o-okuri itashimasu (別途、ファイル転送サービスからお送りいたします)
When you’ll send separately
Link instead
Phrase
When to use
shōsai wa kaki URL o go-sanshō kudasai (詳細は下記 URL をご参照ください)
Pointing to a web resource instead of attaching
kyōyū foruda no rinku o o-okuri itashimasu (共有フォルダのリンクをお送りいたします)
Directing to a shared internal drive
Asking for receipt confirmation
Phrase
When to use
o-temoto ni todoki-mashitara go-ichihō itadakemasu to saiwai desu (お手元に届きましたらご一報いただけますと幸いです)
For important files or documents
naiyō go-kakunin no ue, o-henji itadakemasu to saiwai desu (内容ご確認のうえ、お返事いただけますと幸いです)
When the recipient needs to read and respond
Same intent, different channel — email vs Slack vs phone
The register of the same intent shifts hard between channels. Pasting osewa ni natte orimasu (お世話になっております) into a Slack DM reads as bloated and over-formal.
Intent
Email (A · 外)
Slack DM (B / C · 内)
Phone
Light apology
o-henji ga osokunari mōshiwake gozaimasen (お返事が遅くなり申し訳ございません)
henshin osoku natte sumimasen! (返信遅くなってすみません！)
o-denwa itadaita no ni, sugu orikaesezu mōshiwake arimasen deshita (お電話いただいたのに、すぐ折り返せず申し訳ありませんでした)
Thanks
o-jikan o itadaki arigatō gozaimashita (お時間をいただきありがとうございました)
sakki wa arigatō gozaimashita! (さっきはありがとうございました！)
saki-hodo wa o-jikan o itadaki arigatō gozaimashita (先ほどはお時間をいただきありがとうございました)
Confirmation
nen no tame go-kakunin no hodo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu (念のためご確認のほどよろしくお願いいたします)
kore de atte masu ka? (これで合ってますか？)
nen no tame kakunin sasete itadakitai no desu ga (念のため確認させていただきたいのですが)
Status report
shinchoku no go-hōkoku desu. genzai ~made kanryō shite orimasu (進捗のご報告です。現在〜まで完了しております)
shinchoku no go-hōkoku desu. genzai ~no dankai desu (進捗のご報告です。現在〜の段階です)
Request
o-tesū o o-kake shimasu ga, ~itadakemasu to saiwai desu (お手数をおかけしますが、〜いただけますと幸いです)
~onegai dekimasu ka? (〜お願いできますか？)
o-isogashii tokoro kyōshuku desu ga, ~onegai dekimasu deshō ka (お忙しいところ恐縮ですが、〜お願いできますでしょうか)
Why pasting osewa ni natte orimasu into Slack feels bloated
Slack is built for instant short turns with emoji and shared context already in the room. A ceremonial opener like osewa ni natte orimasu (お世話になっております) redundantly restates context the participants already share — it reads as performative. Internal Slack DMs skip the opener and go straight to the topic. Even external Slack Connect channels typically front-load a short osewa ni natte orimasu. XX desu (お世話になっております。○○です) on the first message and drop it thereafter.