世話

Japanese

Alternative forms

• お世話(せわ), 御世話(おせわ) (osewa)

Etymology

Believed to derive from 忙しい (sewashii, “busy”). The kanji are ateji.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) せわ​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

世(せ)話(わ) • (sewa) 

1. care, looking after, help, favor

   お世話(せわ)になりました。

   Osewa ni narimashita.

   Literally, "I have been taken care of." → "Thank you very much for everything." / "I'm very obliged to you (for what you've done)."

   困(こま)った時(とき)には隣人(りんじん)の伯母(おば)さんにお世話(せわ)になっておりました。

   Komatta toki ni wa rinjin no obasan ni osewa ni natte orimashita.

   The auntie of next door helped a lot when I was in trouble.

   コンサート案件(あんけん)でお世話(せわ)になった田中(たなか)様(さま)だったのですね。

   Konsāto anken de osewa ni natta tanaka sama datta no desu ne.

   So you are that Mr. Tanaka who was a great help during the concert project.

Usage notes

Takes the formal prefix お (o-) when talking to someone outside the group (which could be anyone else when the “group” is just oneself) about a favor done for someone inside the group.

Idioms

• 世話(せわ)をする (sewa o suru): to take care of, to do a favor
• 世話(せわ)を焼(や)く (sewa o yaku)
• 世話(せわ)になる (sewa ni naru): to receive a favor, to be obliged or indebted to someone (for taking care of something)
• お世話(せわ)になる (osewa ni naru)
• お世話(せわ)になっております (osewa ni natte orimasu): Greeting between established business partners.
• 大(おお)きなお世話(せわ) (ōkina osewa) / 余計(よけい)なお世話(せわ) (yokeina osewa): "none of your business"

References

Okinawan

Noun

世話(しわ) (shiwa) 

1. worry