Japanese Letter Opening and Closing Words: A Full Table of Pairs from Haikei/Keigu to Zenryaku/Sousou and Kashiko
Many people know that a Japanese letter starting with "Haikei" ends with "Keigu", but it's easy to get lost when the letter is a formal one to a senior, a reply, an urgent note or a get-well message. This article lists the pairs of opening words (tougo) and closing words (ketsugo) in a table, explains how to choose by situation, where they go in vertical and horizontal layouts, common mistakes such as "Haikei ... Sousou" or a seasonal greeting after "Zenryaku", and how the closing "kashiko" used in women's letters works.
What opening and closing words are: the "hello" and "goodbye" of a letter
The opening word (tougo) is written at the very start of a Japanese letter, and the closing word (ketsugo) at the very end of the text. In conversation they'd be "hello" and "goodbye", and the two always come as a pair. "Haikei" (拝啓) means "I respectfully address you" and "Keigu" (敬具) means "respectfully yours"; the rule is to match the level of respect at the start and the end.
- If you write an opening word, always close with the matching closing word (using only one of them looks odd)
- Match the politeness of the opening and closing words (Kinkei goes with Kinpaku or Kingen)
- After an opening word that skips the preliminaries (Zenryaku, Kyuukei), don't write a seasonal greeting
- Condolence letters use neither an opening nor a closing word
In emails and seasonal postcards (summer greetings, New Year cards), opening and closing words are normally left out. You need them in sealed letters and in business documents such as thank-you letters, announcements and cover letters.
Table of opening and closing word pairs
Here are the opening words you can use in each situation and the closing words that go with them. The further left a closing word is, the more common it is. When in doubt, choosing the first pair in each row won't be impolite.
| Situation | Opening word (reading) | Matching closing words | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| General letters | 拝啓 (haikei) | 敬具 (keigu), 敬白 (keihaku), 拝具 (haigu), kashiko | Most letters, including business documents, thank-you letters and announcements |
| General letters | 拝呈 (haitei) | 敬具, 敬白, kashiko | Same as haikei, with a slightly more formal ring |
| Formal letters | 謹啓 (kinkei) | 謹白 (kinpaku), 謹言 (kingen), 敬白, kashiko | Seniors, important clients, invitations to ceremonies |
| Formal letters | 恭啓 (kyoukei), 粛啓 (shukukei) | 謹白, 謹言, 敬白 | Like kinkei, for especially formal letters |
| Skipping the preliminaries | 前略 (zenryaku) | 草々 (sousou), 早々 (sousou), 不一 (fuitsu), kashiko | Letters to people you're close to, get-well letters |
| Skipping the preliminaries | 冠省 (kanshou) | 不一, 草々, 不備 (fubi) | Same as zenryaku, slightly stiffer |
| Urgent letters | 急啓 (kyuukei), 急白 (kyuuhaku) | 草々, 不一, 不備, kashiko | When you need to get your business across quickly |
| Replies | 拝復 (haifuku), 復啓 (fukukei) | 敬具, 敬答 (keitou), 拝答 (haitou), kashiko | Replying to a letter you received |
| Formal replies | 謹復 (kinpuku) | 謹白, 謹言, 敬答 | Replying to a letter from a senior |
| Writing again | 再啓 (saikei), 再呈 (saitei) | 敬具, 再拝 (saihai), kashiko | A second letter sent without waiting for a reply |
Readings and meanings of opening and closing words
If you know what each word means, you can choose the right pair without memorizing combinations. Opening words mean "I am about to address you" and closing words "I have now addressed you", and they correspond in politeness and urgency.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 拝啓 (opening) | haikei | I respectfully address you |
| 謹啓 (opening) | kinkei | I most respectfully address you (one step more polite than haikei) |
| 前略 (opening) | zenryaku | I omit the preliminaries |
| 急啓 (opening) | kyuukei | I address you in haste |
| 拝復 (opening) | haifuku | I respectfully reply |
| 再啓 (opening) | saikei | I address you once more |
| 敬具 (closing) | keigu | Respectfully stated |
| 謹白, 謹言 (closing) | kinpaku, kingen | Most respectfully stated |
| 草々, 早々 (closing) | sousou | Forgive this hasty note |
| 不一, 不備 (closing) | fuitsu, fubi | I have not fully expressed myself, and this is incomplete |
| 敬答, 拝答 (closing) | keitou, haitou | Respectfully answered |
| kashiko (closing) | kashiko | With humble respect |
For example, "Sousou" means "forgive this hasty note", so it suits "Zenryaku", which skips the preliminaries, but not "Haikei", where you've carefully written them. Thinking in terms of meaning makes wrong combinations easier to spot.
Choosing by situation: which opening word should you use?
| Type of letter | Recommended pair | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Thank-you letter, cover letter or announcement to a client | Haikei ... Keigu | Follow with a seasonal greeting and "we are delighted to hear that your company continues to prosper" |
| Formal letter to a former teacher or senior | Kinkei ... Kinpaku | One step more polite than haikei. Write the preliminaries carefully too |
| Reply to a letter you received | Haifuku ... Keigu | You may start by thanking them, e.g. "I have read your letter" |
| Letter to a close friend or relative | Zenryaku ... Sousou, or no opening word | Skip the preliminaries and get straight to the point |
| Get-well letter for an illness or injury | Zenryaku ... Sousou, or no opening word | Don't write a seasonal greeting; show concern for the reader right away |
| Urgent message | Kyuukei ... Sousou | Skip the preliminaries and state your business at once |
| Condolence letter | No opening or closing word | Begin directly with words of condolence |
| Personal letter written by a woman | Haikei ... kashiko, or "Ippitsu moushiagemasu" ... kashiko | Kashiko is a closing word that works with any opening word |
Even if the reader is senior to you, "Haikei ... Keigu" is enough for routine documents such as a monthly invoice cover letter. Conversely, for special occasions such as congratulations on a promotion or appointment, or an invitation to a ceremony, using "Kinkei ... Kinpaku" even with a client conveys your sentiment.
Where to write opening and closing words: vertical and horizontal
Opening and closing words have rules about position as well as choice. Here's how to write them on vertical stationery and in horizontal business documents.
| Vertical (stationery) | Horizontal (business document) | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening word | At the top of the first line, with no indent | At the left edge of the first line of the text |
| After the opening word | Leave one full-width space and continue with the seasonal greeting (or start a new line) | Leave one full-width space and continue |
| Closing word | Aligned to the bottom of the last line of the closing. If it doesn't fit, at the bottom of the next line | Aligned to the right on the line after the closing text |
| After the closing word | New line, then the end matter (date, signature, addressee) | Followed by separate notes after "ki" (notes) or the contact person's name |
- Writing a comma after the opening word, as in "Haikei,", is wrong. Use no punctuation; leave a one-character space instead.
- Don't put a full stop after the closing word, as in "Keigu.".
- Avoid adding text after the closing word. If you really must, add a short "tsuishin" (postscript), and avoid postscripts altogether in letters to seniors.
For the structure of the whole letter (opening, main text, closing and end matter) and where the date and addressee go on stationery, see How to Write a Formal Japanese Letter.
7 common mistakes
Mistakes with opening and closing words can give the impression that you don't know letter etiquette. The following 7 are common even in business documents.
| Mistake | Why it's wrong | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Haikei ... Sousou | Sousou means "a hasty note with the preliminaries skipped", which doesn't fit the polite haikei | Haikei ... Keigu |
| Zenryaku, followed by "in this XX season" | Zenryaku means "I omit the preliminaries (such as the seasonal greeting)", so it contradicts itself | Go straight to the point after zenryaku. If you want a seasonal greeting, use haikei |
| "Haikei, shurei no kou" with a comma | No punctuation after the opening word | "Haikei shurei no kou," with a space |
| Forgetting the closing word | The letter ends with only an opening greeting | If you start with haikei, end with keigu |
| Writing only a closing word (just keigu) | There's no matching opening word | Add the opening word, or leave out the closing word too |
| Kinkei ... Keigu | The politeness doesn't match (it's understood, but the levels differ) | Kinkei ... Kinpaku |
| Haikei and keigu in a condolence letter | Etiquette is to express grief without preliminaries | No opening or closing word; begin with words of condolence |
Using "kashiko" and opening phrases in women's letters
"Kashiko" is a closing word derived from "kashikoshi" ("awe-inspiring") and is traditionally used by women. It can be paired with any opening word, including haikei, kinkei, zenryaku and haifuku, and it gives the whole letter a softer feel.
- Use it in personal letters (thank-you letters, seasonal letters, letters to a former teacher)
- In business documents written on behalf of a company, "keigu" is usual even when a woman writes them
- You can also start with "Ippitsu moushiagemasu" ("Allow me to write you a few lines") instead of an opening word and close with "kashiko"
- To someone you're writing to for the first time, start with "Hajimete otegami wo sashiagemasu" ("I am writing to you for the first time") and close with "keigu"
Even when you use an opening phrase instead of an opening word, put the matching closing word at the end of the letter: "kashiko" after "Ippitsu moushiagemasu" and "keigu" after "Hajimete otegami wo sashiagemasu".
Letters without opening and closing words, and emails
Opening and closing words are part of a letter's formal shape, but they aren't always required. In the following cases, it's more natural to leave them out.
| Type | Opening/closing words | Example opening |
|---|---|---|
| Condolence letter | Don't write them | (Mr./Ms. XX) On hearing of the passing of XX, I offer my heartfelt condolences. |
| Get-well letter | Leave them out, or zenryaku ... sousou | I was very surprised to hear that you have been admitted to hospital. |
| Summer or winter greeting postcard | Don't write them | Shochu omimai moushiagemasu (Wishing you well in the summer heat). |
| Business email | Don't write them | Mr. XX, XX Co., Ltd. Thank you as always for your support. |
| Letter or note to someone close | Not needed | Hi XX, how are you? |
Starting an email with "Haikei" can feel stiff. Even when sending a formal notice to someone outside your company by email, leave out the opening and closing words and simply write the addressee, a greeting, your business and your signature in that order. When to send seasonal greetings and how to write them is covered in When to Send Japanese Winter and Summer Greetings.
FAQ
- Can I pair "Haikei" with "Sousou"?
- No. "Sousou" is the closing word for letters that skip the preliminaries, such as those starting with zenryaku or kyuukei, and means "forgive this hasty note". If you start with haikei, the correct close is "keigu".
- Is "Haikei" not good enough for a letter to a senior?
- Haikei isn't impolite. But when you want to convey particular formality (thanks to a former teacher, congratulations on an appointment, an invitation to a ceremony), starting with "Kinkei" and closing with "Kinpaku" or "Kingen" is more polite.
- Which opening word do I use for a reply?
- Use "Haifuku", and "Keigu" is the usual closing word. For a formal reply, use "Kinpuku ... Kinpaku". You may also open a reply by thanking them, e.g. "I have read your letter" or "Thank you for your kind letter".
- If I start with "Zenryaku", do I skip the seasonal greeting?
- Yes. "Zenryaku" means "I omit the preliminaries (seasonal greeting and well-being greeting)", so following it with "in this XX season" is contradictory. If you want a seasonal greeting, use "Haikei ... Keigu".
- Can men use "kashiko"?
- "Kashiko" is considered a closing word for women, so men usually use a closing word that matches the opening word, such as "keigu" or "sousou".
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