Osewa ni narimasu or Osewa ni narimashita

Please read the last two posts first! “Arigato gozaimasu or Arigato gozaimashita” and “Otsukaresama desu or Otsukaresama deshita”.

How about these expressions: “Osewa ni narimasu” and “osewa ni narimashita”? It’s not easy to translate them into English, but do you understand their meaning?  

 They are used when expressing gratitude to someone for taking care of you, helping you, or working with you. 

For example, when you leave a company where you’ve worked for five years, you feel grateful to your colleagues. 

  Ima made taihen osewa ni narimashita.

The act of receiving help from your colleagues has finished, so in this case, the present/future tense is not used. 

On the other hand, when you begin working at new office, you expect that your new colleagues will work with you and help you a lot. So, you say, 

  Korekara osewa ni narimasu.

This is about future, therefore “narimasu” is used and only this form is possible. 

What would you say to clients you have been working with for a while? 

  Itsumo osewa ni natteimasu.

  Itsumo osewa ni natteorimasu. (polite version) 

“Teimasu”, indicating a current state, is used because these refer to a daily situation. When you want to be extra polite, convert “imasu” to its humble form, “orimasu.”

These are very typical Japanese greetings and essential at Japanese offices. I hope you can use these expressions correctly in various situations.