How to Announce a Pass or Promotion in Japanese: Using "Okagesama de" and "Watakushigoto desu ga"

Even when the facts are the same, how you word an announcement of a pass or promotion changes how readers respond. What mainly changes is where you put your thanks and how you describe your own effort. This article explains the order in which to build an announcement, and how to use "watakushigoto desu ga," "okagesama de," and "itadaku" along the way.

No Replies to "It Wasn't Hard at All"

*This scene is fictional, based on situations that are common among learners.

Tien passed the N1 of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. He was so happy that he posted about it on social media the same day.

"Passed N1! It wasn't hard at all. Next, I'm going for my interpreter qualification."

Friends from his Japanese class gave it likes. But there was not a single comment. The following week, when they met at class, Luis, a classmate, said in a small voice:

"Congratulations. I didn't make it this time."

Tien was startled. He had only written the facts. There wasn't a single lie in it. Even so, for the first time, he thought about how that one line might have read to Luis.

What Caught Was Not the Pass, but "It Wasn't Hard at All"

There is nothing wrong with announcing a pass in itself. The problem is what the sentence says.

"It wasn't hard at all" is Tien's own impression. But a person who failed the same exam may hear it as "if you found it hard, you're on the side of those who can't do it." Even if there is no phrase that makes your own effort look big, a phrase that makes other people's effort look small makes it hard to write a reply of congratulations.

From the standpoint of the words themselves, these are the two things most likely to trouble readers when included in an announcement:

• Words that play down how difficult an exam or job was ("it was easy," "it wasn't hard at all")
• Words that make you alone the cause of the success ("the result of my effort," "my leadership was recognized")

This does not mean that including them will always be taken as bragging. Between close friends, they are often laughed off. But the less sure you are about who will read it, the safer it is to write in a way that is unlikely to be read as bragging.

The Framework for an Announcement: Give a Heads-Up, State the Fact, and Mention Those Who Supported You

When you write good news, building it in the following order makes it easier for readers to reply "congratulations."

1. At the start, say that this is a personal matter.
2. State the fact briefly.
3. Thank the people who supported you.
4. Add a word about what comes next.

The first element is watakushigoto desu ga (私事ですが, "this is a personal matter, but"). It works as a preface in the same way as "kojinteki na koto de kyōshuku desu ga" ("I'm sorry to bring up a personal matter, but"), letting readers know in advance that you are about to talk about yourself. You can also use it in workplace emails and group chats.

The second element, the fact, is written plainly. "I passed N1" is enough to get the message across.

The third element uses okagesama de (おかげさまで, "thanks to you"). The Agency for Cultural Affairs' "Guidelines for Honorific Language" (Keigo no Shishin) gives, as an example, a way of expressing thanks from a different angle, in a scene where a boss has taught you your work: "Okagesama de shigoto ga sukoshi wakaru yō ni natte kimashita" ("Thanks to you, I've gradually come to understand the work a little") [1]. This form, which expresses thanks for what you were taught by speaking from the side of the result, can be used just as it is in announcements.

The Same Fact, Written As-Is and Rewritten

The following four are sample sentences. "As-is" is the fact written just as it happened, and "Rewritten" is the version rewritten using the framework above. The "As-is" versions are not wrong; I place them side by side because readers may take them differently.

Passing the JLPT.

• As-is: "Passed N1! It wasn't hard at all. Next I'm aiming even higher."
• Rewritten: "This is a personal matter, but I passed N1. I owe it to my teacher and friends who answered my questions every week. Next, I'll practice conversation more."

Announcing a job offer.

• As-is: "I got an offer from my first-choice company! My hard work was recognized."
• Rewritten: "This is a personal matter, but I received a job offer from my first-choice company. I owe it to everyone who cheered me on."

A big purchase.

• As-is: "I bought the luxury watch I'd wanted for ages! The best reward for myself."
• Rewritten: "I took the plunge and bought the watch I'd wanted for so long. I'll be saving money for a while (lol)."

A success at work.

• As-is: "Project success! My leadership was recognized."
• Rewritten: "Thanks to everyone, we were able to finish the project without problems. I was helped by the cooperation of the team."

In every rewritten sentence, the facts are unchanged. What changed is that the sentence says whom you are thanking, and that you are not the only subject.

The shopping example does not use "okagesama de." "Okagesama de" is also used as a greeting that does not point to a specific person, as in the exchange "Ogenki desu ka?" ("How are you?") "Okagesama de" ("Fine, thank you"). But attaching it to the announcement of something you bought for yourself leaves it unclear whom you are thanking, and it sounds unnatural.

Don't Overdo "Unyoku" and "Mada Mijuku desu ga"

There are two more expressions that are often used.

Un yoku (運良く, "luckily") says that chance played a part in the result. Writing "Un yoku gōkaku dekimashita" ("I was lucky enough to pass") lets you avoid making the difficulty seem small. But if you keep repeating "just by chance" about an exam you actually studied for over many months, the sentence ends up denying your own effort. It can also come across to readers as insincere.

Mada mijuku desu ga (まだ未熟ですが, "I'm still inexperienced, but") is a preface that shows an attitude of continuing to learn. If you specifically name the part you really want to improve, as in "Mada kaiwa wa mijuku desu ga, kore kara mo renshū shimasu" ("My conversation is still weak, but I'll keep practicing"), it doesn't sound like a stock phrase.

Neither is required. You don't need to include thanks, luck, and inexperience all together; one or two is enough.

"Tsurete itte itadakimashita" Is Not a Passive, but a Way of Saying You Received a Favor

In announcements about meals or trips, one phrase that is often used is tsurete itte itadakimashita (連れて行っていただきました, "I was kindly taken along").

This "~te itadaku" is not a passive. It is the humble form of "~te morau" ("to have someone do something for me"), a form that speaks from your own side and expresses what the other person did as something you are grateful for. Using "goriyō itadaku" ("to kindly use [our service]") as its example, the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Keigo no Shishin explains that it is an honorific expression that describes the other person's action from the speaker's standpoint and carries the meaning of being grateful for it [1]. It is used to express thanks to the person who took you somewhere, as in "Sutekina omise ni tsurete itte itadakimashita" ("I was kindly taken to a lovely restaurant"). If you use the passive "tsurete ikaremashita," it can sound as if you didn't want to go, so don't use it in a report meant to express thanks.

The same guidelines say that, of "itadaku" and "kudasaru," "goriyō itadakimashite" and "goriyō kudasaimashite" are both honorific expressions that can be used in almost the same way [1]. If the person who took you was your senior, either "tsurete itte itadakimashita" or "tsurete itte kudasaimashita" fits. If it was a friend, you don't need honorifics; "tsurete itte moraimashita" or "tsurete itte kuremashita" is enough.

"Sasete itadaku": Where No Permission Is Involved, "Itashimasu" Is Often Enough

In announcements, you may feel like writing "Go-hōkoku sasete itadakimasu." Sasete itadaku (させていただく) is convenient, but there is a range in where it fits.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs' guidelines summarize "(o/go)... (sa)sete itadaku" as being used when the speaker does something on their own side with the permission of the other party or a third party, and when there is a fact or feeling of benefiting from that. They write that, depending on how far these two conditions are met, there are cases where it is appropriate and cases where it is not quite appropriate [1]. The examples the guidelines give are as follows [1]:

• "Kopī o torasete itadakemasu ka" ("May I make a copy?") asks for permission and also involves receiving a benefit, so it fits the basic usage.
• "Sore de wa, happyō sasete itadakimasu" ("Then, I will make my presentation") feels more concise as "happyō itashimasu" if no permission has been given.
• "Honjitsu, kyūgyō sasete itadakimasu" ("We will be closed today") is appropriate if you consider the conditions to be met. If permission has not been given, "kyūgyō itashimasu" is better.
• In a wedding speech, "Watakushi wa, shinrō to sannenkan onaji kurasu de benkyō sasete itadaita mono desu" ("I am someone who had the privilege of studying in the same class as the groom for three years") is inappropriate if you feel the conditions are not met. However, it is also possible to think that it is acceptable because it is an occasion for showing the greatest respect to the bride and groom.

The guidelines also state that there is a usage in which the expression is applied as if the conditions were met even when they are not actually met, and that this widens the range of situations where "sasete itadaku" can be used. How natural people find that "as if" varies from person to person. The guidelines call this "tolerance" (許容度) [1]. They do not forbid its use.

Makoto Takiura, in an article re-edited from part of Nihongo no Daigimon (edited by the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics), cites a survey comparing two language corpora several decades apart and reports that "sasete itadaku" has increased. The same article also reports survey results that more people feel uncomfortable the less the other party is involved, as in "Kono tabi watakushitachi wa nyūseki sasete itadakimashita" ("We have registered our marriage") [2]. It is safest to keep in mind that although the number of people who use it has grown, how it feels to the person receiving it varies.

Applied to announcements, it looks like this:

• "Go-hōkoku sasete itadakimasu" is not a situation where you are asking for permission, so some people find it a little heavy. "Go-hōkoku itashimasu" is polite enough.
• "Naitei o itadakimashita" ("I received a job offer") can be used naturally, because there is a real benefit in having received something from the company.
• For facts that simply happened to you, such as "I got married" or "I was promoted," saying them as they are is the most concise.

When in doubt, it is enough to remember that there are few situations where switching to "itashimasu" causes problems.

The Rewritten Post, and a Closing Line

Tien rewrote his earlier post as follows.

"This is a personal matter, but I passed N1. I owe it to my teacher, who answered my questions every week, and to everyone in my study group. I'm still nervous about conversation, so I'll practice from now on."

The facts are the same. What differs is that he opened with "this is a personal matter," directed his thanks to specific people, and wrote about his next challenge. This time, Luis commented too.

"Congratulations. I want to pass next time too, so please let me join your study group."

When your announcement has become long, adding chōbun shitsurei shimashita (長文失礼しました, "sorry for the long post") at the end shows consideration for the reader's time.

References

1. 文化審議会, "敬語の指針（答申）," 文化庁（文化審議会答申）, 平成19年（2007年）2月2日. https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkashingikai/sokai/sokai_6/pdf/keigo_tousin.pdf
2. 滝浦真人, "「〜させていただいてもよろしいですか?」なぜ日本人はこんな面倒くさい言葉が好きなのか（国立国語研究所編『日本語の大疑問』（幻冬舎新書）の一部を再編集したもの）," PRESIDENT Online, 2022. https://president.jp/articles/-/53531