“Otsukare Sama Desu”: A Daily Greeting in Japanese Workplaces

Speaking and Emails

Otsukare sama desu is an essential Japanese workplace greeting that can be used with anyone in the same organization. Tsukareru means to “be tired,” so the phrase otsukare sama desu is associated with thanking others for their efforts that have “made their weariness apparent.” This should not be taken overly literally, though. Instead, it is a standard way of saying “hello” when passing a colleague in the corridor or greeting someone at the beginning of an email.

When delivered to a coworker leaving at the end of a workday, the phrase goes into the past tense: otsukare sama deshita. However, if you’re leaving earlier than others who are still working, you do not address this to those remaining behind—instead, you say osaki ni shitsurei shimasu, or roughly, “excuse me for leaving first.” In reply to this, the standard phrase will once again be otsukare sama deshita—or, more casually, a simple otsukare.

(Originally written in English. Banner photo © Pixta.)