Formal to Client
Workplace · Greeting
ご無沙汰しております。お変わりありませんか。 — It has been a long time. I hope you are well. (Workplace · Greeting, Formal to Client, JLPT N3)
You
ご無沙汰しております。お変わりありませんか。
ごぶさたしております。おかわりありませんか。
It has been a long time. I hope you are well.
Romaji: Go-busata shite orimasu. O-kawari arimasen ka. / Reply Romaji: O-kage sama de. O-hisashiburi desu ne.
Reply
お陰様で。お久しぶりですね。
おかげさまで。おひさしぶりですね。
I'm well, thanks to you. It really has been a while.
Gesture & etiquette
Bow at 20-30 degrees with a genuinely warm expression. A brief pause after the exchange allows both parties to appreciate the reconnection before moving to business. Do not rush immediately into the meeting agenda — a few lines of small talk honor the relationship first.
ご無沙汰' acknowledges that you have been out of touch — it is a soft apology for the lapse while also expressing warmth at reconnecting. The response 'お陰様で' ('thanks to your support') reflects the Japanese habit of attributing one's wellbeing to others rather than claiming it independently.