Okagesamade

There are many Beautiful Japanese phrases that cannot be translated. 美しい日本語でなかなか通訳できない言葉のひとつ『お陰様で』 の解説。"Okagesamade" (Oh-kah-gay-sa-ma-deh) is one of them.

Generally it is translated as, "thanks for asking" but the true meaning behind it is,
"With everyone's help, being in our shadow, everything is going well or everything went well" 

This phrase is used on a daily basis for answering, "How are you doing?", "How is your work?" or "How is someone's condition?" The Japanese will say "okagesamade".

This phrase encompasses gratitude for the efforts of everyone involved.  For example, a Japanese Traditional Dance Performance (Nihon-buyo).   There are many things that require attention to detail. It is not just about the performers but also the sensei's efforts in teaching and the master teacher's guidance. There are so many people involved including those doing hair and make-up, those who set-up for the event, and the guests who came to watch. Without all of these people, the performance would not have been possible.

So when asked how the performance went, the Japanese will say "okagesamade" ("with everyone's help being in our shadow, everything is going well/everything went well." ).

You can tell that this phrase has a very deep meaning but unfortunately it is translated simply as "Thanks for asking."

(Info adapted from a post by Naomi Ohara on Okinawa Natural Herb Meal's FB page.)
(Image from https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6106/6883412552_0dfd4bd8df_z.jpg)