Best wishes in Japanese?
November 16, 2009 2:55 AM Subscribe
Japanese speakers: please help? I need to convey best wishes to a dying person.
Our japanese martial arts teacher is in hospital in Japan and it is feared that he won't live much longer. We, his students, want to send him a picture book of us to show him we're thinking of him. I'm assembling the pictures and would like to put some text on it. The thing is, it can't be "get well soon", for obvious reasons. I'm thinking something like "Best wishes from your Dutch and Danish students". You know, something that says "all the best, we're thinking of you". How do you say something like that in Japanese?
Thanks very much in advance.
Our japanese martial arts teacher is in hospital in Japan and it is feared that he won't live much longer. We, his students, want to send him a picture book of us to show him we're thinking of him. I'm assembling the pictures and would like to put some text on it. The thing is, it can't be "get well soon", for obvious reasons. I'm thinking something like "Best wishes from your Dutch and Danish students". You know, something that says "all the best, we're thinking of you". How do you say something like that in Japanese?
Thanks very much in advance.
Best answer: My (Japanese) wife suggests:
XX先生
私たちも遠くから応援しています
オランダとデンマークの生徒一同
XX sensei
Watashi-tachi mo tōku kara ōen shiteimasu
Oranda to Denmaaku no seito ichidō
Literally:
"XX-sensei
We too are pulling for you [i.e. thinking of you in this difficult time] from afar
All your students in Holland and Denmark"
[replace the XX with his surname, obviously]
She also suggests somehow incorporating the "yosegaki" format (where everyone writes a small personalized message on the same page, thus covering it) -- maybe arranged around the above text, or whatever you eventually go with, written in larger letters at the center of the page. The personal messages should be in a language you are more comfortable with -- even if your sensei doesn't speak it very well, he should get the idea. The photos are a great idea too as I'm sure he'll be delighted to see that he made a difference in your lives and you will continue applying his lessons after he is gone. Actually, I'm sure he'll be delighted whatever you send.
posted by No-sword at 3:37 AM on November 16, 2009
XX先生
私たちも遠くから応援しています
オランダとデンマークの生徒一同
XX sensei
Watashi-tachi mo tōku kara ōen shiteimasu
Oranda to Denmaaku no seito ichidō
Literally:
"XX-sensei
We too are pulling for you [i.e. thinking of you in this difficult time] from afar
All your students in Holland and Denmark"
[replace the XX with his surname, obviously]
She also suggests somehow incorporating the "yosegaki" format (where everyone writes a small personalized message on the same page, thus covering it) -- maybe arranged around the above text, or whatever you eventually go with, written in larger letters at the center of the page. The personal messages should be in a language you are more comfortable with -- even if your sensei doesn't speak it very well, he should get the idea. The photos are a great idea too as I'm sure he'll be delighted to see that he made a difference in your lives and you will continue applying his lessons after he is gone. Actually, I'm sure he'll be delighted whatever you send.
posted by No-sword at 3:37 AM on November 16, 2009
Perhaps a simple:
◎◎先生が戻ってくるのをみんなで待っています。
"We're all waiting for you to come back."
A more formal phrase might be:
１日も早いご全快を祈ります。
"We pray for your swift recovery."
posted by armage at 3:52 AM on November 16, 2009
◎◎先生が戻ってくるのをみんなで待っています。
"We're all waiting for you to come back."
A more formal phrase might be:
１日も早いご全快を祈ります。
"We pray for your swift recovery."
posted by armage at 3:52 AM on November 16, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks very much guys and/or girls!
posted by Skyanth at 5:37 AM on November 16, 2009
posted by Skyanth at 5:37 AM on November 16, 2009
I second No-sword's wife's idea as one that will be familiar to and appreciated by your teacher.
posted by vincele at 6:54 AM on November 16, 2009
posted by vincele at 6:54 AM on November 16, 2009
Response by poster: That's the one I chose in the end.
posted by Skyanth at 7:46 AM on November 16, 2009
posted by Skyanth at 7:46 AM on November 16, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
What I have come up with is this:
オランダ人とデンマーク人の生徒は、先生のつらい気持ちを存じております。
Oranda-jin to Denmaaku-jin no seito wa, sensei no tsurai kimochi wo zonjite orimasu.
This basically means "Your Dutch and Danish students are thinking of you during this difficult time."
I hope this helps!
posted by turnipinthemoonlight at 3:17 AM on November 16, 2009