お世話になっております

When to use it

The opening line of business emails and calls between companies. It follows the addressee’s name: 田中様　いつもお世話になっております。さくら商事の山田です. On the phone: お世話になっております、さくら商事の山田です. 世話（せわ）is looking after someone, なる is ‘to become’, おります is humble います: ‘I am being looked after by you’.

Tense carries the relationship. お世話になります: it starts today (first day at a placement, a homestay). お世話になっております: ongoing. お世話になりました: it is ending (leaving a job, a hospital, a host family). 世話をする is the plain verb: to look after children, a pet, a guest. Inside your own company the greeting is お疲れ様です, not this.

Examples

• いつもお世話になっております。さくら商事の山田です。（いつも おせわ に なって おります。さくら しょうじ の やまだ です）— Thank you for your continued support. This is Yamada from Sakura Trading.
• 三年間、大変お世話になりました。（さんねんかん、たいへん おせわ に なりました）— Thank you for everything over these three years.
• 明日からお世話になります。よろしくお願いします。（あした から おせわ に なります。よろしく おねがい します）— I’ll be in your care from tomorrow. I look forward to working with you.

Traps for Spanish, English and French speakers

• ‘Estimado Sr. Tanaka’, ‘Madame, Monsieur’ and ‘Dear Mr Tanaka’ are salutations, and learners treat お世話になっております as one. It is a full sentence that comes after the name line (田中様) and before your self-introduction.
• It presupposes an existing relationship. Writing it to someone you have never contacted, the way ‘Dear Sir’ works for strangers, is a false start; first contact is 初めてご連絡いたします or 突然のご連絡失礼いたします.
• English speakers use it with colleagues down the hall. Within your own company the greeting is お疲れ様です; お世話になっております marks the other person as outside the company.
• Saying お世話になりました to a client you will see next week sounds like you are ending the contract. Ongoing is なっております; only a real ending takes なりました.
• 世話 is 世 (world) + 話 (talk) and means neither: it is ‘care’. Learners reading kanji by parts translate it as ‘world talk’ and miss 世話をする, to look after a child.