1.
to be indebted to; to receive someone's help or care
A polite expression acknowledging that one has received help, guidance, or support from someone. Used widely in business and social contexts.
いつもお世話になっております。
Thank you for your continued support.
Standard business greeting, often used at the start of emails and phone calls.
先生には大変お世話になりました。
I am deeply indebted to my teacher.
新人の頃、部長にはいろいろお世話になった。
When I was new, the department head helped me out in many ways.
2.
to be in someone's care; to be looked after
Used when one is being cared for or supervised, such as by a doctor, teacher, or host.
入院中は看護師さんにお世話になった。
The nurses took care of me during my hospital stay.
子どもがお世話になっています。
Thank you for looking after my child.
Commonly said by parents to teachers or caretakers.
留学中、ホストファミリーに本当にお世話になりました。
My host family really took care of me while I was studying abroad.
お世話になる is one of the most essential polite expressions in Japanese. It expresses gratitude for ongoing or past assistance, care, or support. The phrase is formulaic in business settings and deeply embedded in Japanese social etiquette.
USAGE:
The person one is indebted to is marked with に: ～にお世話になる. The progressive form お世話になっている (or the more formal お世話になっております) is used for ongoing relationships.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- いつもお世話になっております: standard business greeting (lit. "I am always being taken care of by you")
- 大変お世話になりました: expressing deep gratitude for past support
- お世話になります: said when about to receive help or when meeting someone for the first time in a business context
REGISTER:
This is a polite expression. The お prefix is part of the fixed phrase and is not optional. Without お, 世話になる sounds blunt and is rarely used. In very formal contexts, お世話になっております is preferred over お世話になっています.