Translate English to Japanese with the right level of politeness
In Japanese, how you say something matters as much as what you say. An email to a new business partner needs keigo, set phrases and the right name suffixes, while a note to a friend does not. Your todo.is agent translates for the relationship you describe and shows a back-translation so you can check the meaning.
The prompt
- Translate this [PASTE THE TEXT OR ATTACH THE FILE] from English into Japanese. I am writing to [WHO THEY ARE AND OUR RELATIONSHIP]. Use [POLITENESS LEVEL, E.G. BUSINESS KEIGO, POLITE DESU/MASU OR CASUAL]. Add the standard Japanese opening and closing phrases for this kind of message, use the right suffix with names (-sama, -san), and write my name as [MY NAME IN KATAKANA OR LATIN LETTERS]. Write dates the Japanese way. Give me the Japanese, a line-by-line back-translation into English and short notes on anything you changed to sound natural.
What to change
- [PASTE THE TEXT OR ATTACH THE FILE]: An email, letter, product text or a Word file.
- [WHO THEY ARE AND OUR RELATIONSHIP]: E.g. "Mr. Tanaka, a manager at a company I met at a trade show", "a ryokan I want to book" or "my host family".
- [POLITENESS LEVEL, E.G. BUSINESS KEIGO, POLITE DESU/MASU OR CASUAL]: Business keigo for clients and partners, desu/masu for most other people, casual only for friends.
- [MY NAME IN KATAKANA OR LATIN LETTERS]: E.g. "Emma Walsh in katakana" or "keep Emma Walsh". Your agent can write it in katakana for you.
Example result
- Translation: first email to a new business partner
- English → Japanese · business keigo
- English
- Dear Mr. Tanaka, thank you for meeting us at the trade show last week. We'd love to discuss a pilot project with your team. Would you have time for a video call on June 12 or 13? Best regards, Emma Walsh
- Japanese
- 株式会社ミドリ精工
- 田中様
- いつもお世話になっております。ノースブリッジ社のエマ・ウォルシュと申します。
- 先週の展示会では、お忙しい中お時間をいただき、誠にありがとうございました。
- ぜひ貴社チームの皆様と、試験導入プロジェクトについてご相談させていただければと存じます。
- 6月12日または13日に、オンラインでお打ち合わせのお時間をいただくことは可能でしょうか。
- 何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます。
- エマ・ウォルシュ
- Back-translation
- • Midori Seiko Co., Ltd. / Mr. Tanaka
- • Thank you for your continued support. My name is Emma Walsh, of Northbridge.
- • Thank you very much for taking time for us at the trade show last week, despite your busy schedule.
- • We would very much like to consult with your team about a pilot project.
- • Would it be possible to have an online meeting on June 12 or 13?
- • We humbly ask for your kind consideration.
- Notes
- • 田中様: -sama is the polite suffix for clients. Never add it to your own name.
- • いつもお世話になっております is the standard business opening, used even soon after a first meeting.
- • "We'd love to" became a humble request (ご相談させていただければと存じます). Direct enthusiasm can sound pushy in Japanese business email.
- • 貴社 is the respectful written word for "your company".
- • The company name goes first, then the person, as in Japanese letters. Dates are written 6月12日.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and describe who you are writing to and how well you know them.
- Paste your English text in todo.is or send it to your agent on Telegram or Slack.
- Check the back-translation line by line, then copy the Japanese into your email.
- When the reply arrives, forward it to your agent for an English version and a polite answer.
Tips for a better result
- Describe the relationship, not just "formal". A client, your boss, a hotel and a friend each need a different level of Japanese.
- Japanese emails rarely open with "Dear". They start with the company and the name with 様, then a set greeting like いつもお世話になっております.
- Write your name in katakana once and keep it the same every time, for example エマ・ウォルシュ. Ask your agent to remember it.
- Avoid sarcasm, idioms and blunt refusals in the English. They are hard to carry over and can sound rude.
translate English to Japanese: FAQ
- What is keigo in Japanese? Keigo is the system of polite language. It includes respectful forms for the other person (sonkeigo), humble forms for yourself (kenjōgo) and the plain polite desu/masu style (teineigo).
- Should I use -san or -sama? Use -sama for customers, clients and formal letters, and -san for colleagues and acquaintances. Never use either with your own name.
- Do I need hiragana, katakana and kanji? Normal Japanese text mixes all three. Your agent writes standard Japanese, and can add readings (furigana) in brackets for learners if you ask.
- Can AI translate Japanese replies into English? Yes. Paste the reply or attach a screenshot, and your agent translates it and explains the tone, which is often more polite than the literal words suggest.
JavaScript is required to use the todo.is app.