Polite to Friend
Cultural · Gift
You
お大事にしてください。早くよくなりますようお祈りしています。
おだいじにしてください。はやくよくなりますようおいのりしています。
Please take good care of yourself. I hope you feel better soon.
Romaji: Odaiji ni shite kudasai. Hayaku yoku naru you oinori shite imasu. / Reply Romaji: Arigatou gozaimasu. Okagesamade, dandan yoku natte kimashita.
Reply
ありがとうございます。おかげさまで、だんだんよくなってきました。
ありがとうございます。おかげさまで、だんだんよくなってきました。
Thank you. Fortunately, I've been getting better gradually.
Gesture & etiquette
Keep your visit brief (20-30 minutes) unless the patient invites you to stay longer — hospitalized people tire easily. Bring the gift in a bag and offer it at the end of the visit, not at the entrance.
When visiting a patient in hospital, avoid potted plants (they 'take root,' implying a long illness) and bring azalea (tsutsuji) which symbolises recovery. Cut flowers are safer. Never bring flowers in groups of 4 (sounds like 'death') or 9 (sounds like 'suffering'). Odd numbers are auspicious.