Meeting the in laws again (Advanced): Family updates and events

💬 Many nouns become verbs by adding する: 入院 "hospitalization" + する. Same pattern: 退院する "to leave hospital".

💬 退院 (taiin) means "leaving hospital," and its opposite is 入院 (nyūin) "being admitted." Both work with する the same way: 入院する.

💬 Japanese says 安心しました "I became relieved" in the past tense, because the relief happened the moment you heard the news.

💬 行けなくて is the can't-form of 行く with て, which gives the reason for the apology that follows. The same shape works for other verbs: 来られなくて "because I couldn't come."

💬 Putting the apology in the past, なかった, shows you're sorry about something that's already over, like a visit you missed.

🇯🇵 お見舞い (omimai) is a visit to someone who is sick or in hospital, and it's an important family duty in Japan. If you missed one, mention it when you next see them, especially to the patient's family.

🇯🇵 This is casual, so it usually comes from an in-law speaking down kindly to you. You wouldn't say it back to them in this form; a more polite version is お気になさらないでください.

💬 結婚式 (kekkonshiki) is 結婚 "marriage" plus 式 "ceremony." The same 式 shows up in 卒業式 "graduation ceremony" and お葬式 "funeral."

💬 と重なる means "to fall on the same time as" and works for any scheduling conflict: 試験と重なる "to clash with an exam."

💬 Adding 中 (chū) to an action noun means "in the middle of doing it": 調整中 "being arranged," 会議中 "in a meeting," 準備中 "being prepared."

🇯🇵 The soft のよ ending sounds warm and motherly, so you'll typically hear this from a mother-in-law. It's a genuine kindness, but it's polite to still try to attend.

💬 Use に with this verb to say what you're in time for: 結婚式に間に合う "to make it to the wedding in time."

💬 Putting なら after a noun means "if it's that one" and offers a condition: 土曜日なら "if it's Saturday."

💬 何とかなる means "it'll work out somehow." Changing it to なりそう softens it to "looks like it'll work out," which is a cautious way to say yes.

💬 Take a verb's stem and add 次第 (shidai) to get "as soon as ___": 着き次第 "as soon as I arrive."

💬 てもよろしいですか is the polite way of saying てもいいですか "may I...?" Putting ご before 連絡 shows humility, because the action is your own.

🇯🇵 Promising a follow-up instead of giving a vague answer comes across as responsible and respectful with in-laws, especially when the plans involve a family event.

💬 ゆっくり usually means "slowly," but ゆっくりする means "to relax and take your time."

🇯🇵 Hosts often say this at the entrance as you take off your shoes. A typical reply is お邪魔します (ojama shimasu) "sorry to intrude."

💬 邪魔 (jama) on its own means "a nuisance, something in the way," so you're literally saying "I'm going to be a bother." Switch the ending to past tense when you leave: お邪魔しました "sorry for having intruded."

🇯🇵 Say this as you step up from the entryway into someone's home, even a relative's. In-laws will notice if you walk in without it, and it sets a polite tone before you hand over your gift.

💬 では (dewa) is the polite form of じゃあ (jā) "well then." Use では with in-laws and じゃあ with friends.

🇯🇵 This is usually a reply to the host's どうぞ "please, come in." Wait for that invitation at the door rather than heading straight inside.