Formal — to stranger
Workplace · Phone
お久しぶりです。お元気でしたか。 — It's been a while. How have you been? (Workplace · Phone, Formal — to stranger, JLPT N5)
You
お久しぶりです。お元気でしたか。
おひさしぶりです。おげんきでしたか。
It's been a while. How have you been?
Romaji: Ohisashiburi desu. Ogenki deshita ka. / Reply Romaji: Ohisashiburi desu, okage-sama de genki ni shite orimasu.
Reply
お久しぶりです、おかげさまで元気にしております。
おひさしぶりです、おかげさまでげんきにしております。
It's been a while — thanks to you, I've been well.
Gesture & etiquette
Warm smile, slight bow (15°) if in person. Eye contact. If on phone, audible smile in tone. Allow a beat for them to respond before continuing the conversation.
Universal phrase for reuniting with someone you haven't seen in a while. Works for in-person, phone, email. Casual variant: 'お久しぶり!元気だった?' For very formal contexts: 'ご無沙汰しております' (more humble, used after very long gaps or to senior). Always pair with a status-check question — never just stop at 'long time no see.'