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How do you convey that you wish someone's wife (or husband, mother, brother, etc.) to get well soon? I understand that you say お大事に if the person you speaking to directly is the one who is not well. What if there's a degree of separation, do you simply say "お大事にと伝えてください"?

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  • Good question. My first thought was 奥さんに私が「お大事に」と言ったと言ってください, but that double quotation sounds too strange for comfort... Oct 24, 2012 at 0:24
  • @phoenixheart6 Yeah, I was initially going to say 奥さんにお大事にと伝えてください but it sounded a bit off, and a little bit too distant. Although I'm not really sure if that's appropriate, since I'm emailing this to a coworker. Oct 24, 2012 at 0:43
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    As an expression 奥さんにお大事にと伝えてください is normal, but considering your situation where you haven't met your coworker's wife, 早く快復することをお祈りしています is your only option. Think about the difference between these two expressions and you'll see that the former is as though you are directly talking to the wife (through a messenger), where the latter is directed at your coworker about his wife.
    – By137
    Oct 24, 2012 at 8:25
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    ^ "早く快復することをお祈りしています is your only option. " ← No.. You can say お大事に(なさってください) to a sick person's family. 病人の家族にも「お大事に(なさってください)」って言えますよ~。
    – chocolate
    May 22, 2018 at 2:44

2 Answers 2

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I've heard people say:

  • (person)が[早]{はや}く[快復]{かいふく}することを[お祈]{おいの}りしています。

Literally, "praying for (person)'s quick recovery." I get the feeling this isn't terribly colloquial though.

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  • Thanks for that @timmy ! I've also heard people say なになにしますように when offering a prayer or hope. Should I use 快復することをお祈りします or 快復しますようにお祈りします ? Oct 24, 2012 at 1:01
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I think your original idea was good.

  • 奥さんにお大事にと伝えてください

but I would change the word order a bit

  • お大事にと奥さんに伝えてください
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    Why would you change the word order?
    – user1478
    Oct 24, 2012 at 1:09
  • 2 reasons: 1. I believe it is technically correct (but I could be wrong) to place the destination of who you are relaying information to/from after と and 2. I'd rather focus the sentence on お大事に and have it first.
    – paullb
    Oct 24, 2012 at 1:12

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