I hope to see you again soon/next week/etc

Hi

How can I appropriately expressed desire as in the question title? The たい form doesn't seem correct, "I want to see you again soon" seems very direct, maybe I'm translating too literally. Basically I want to say that I'm looking forward to seeing someone again at a certain point in the future, but I'm not completely certain that I will see them again. Say I'm leaving Japan, but fully intend on returning as soon as I can.

Secondly, what would be the most appropriate verb for seeing someone you have already encountered before. My vocabulary is very poor, much further ahead in grammar. Again, 会う does not seem appropriate to me.

Could anyone help? I really really want to make the best impression I can when I'm saying my farewell. This is somebody I speak casually to by the way, so no honorifics or anything too stiff and formal please.

Thank you so much!

Maybe また今度 （またこんど）would be what you are looking for?
AFAIK it's like "See you next time" but quite vague as to when that next time is.
And I'm pretty sure 会う is the verb you want for seeing someone, even if you've already met them.
会いたい！ is kind of like "I want to see you" "I miss you", something like that, so yeah.

BTW, I'm not Japanese.

Since you say casual, I am going to stick with informal speech (omitting not only honorifics, but also "-desu/masu" as well).

Just a few variations on the earlier suggestion:
- Mata kondo ne. (Next time, right?)
- Mata kuru kara ne. (I will come back again, OK?)
- Kitto mata kuru kara ne. (I will most likely come back, OK?)

Since you say not sure, so you might not want to use it, but:
- Zettai mata kuru kara ne. (I will definitely come back again, OK?)

If you want to suggest meeting up again:
- Mata kita toki niwa, aou ne. (We meet up when I'm back in Japan, OK?)

This "OK?" at the end is just for emphasis, like declaring it for yourself, rather than asking them a yes/no question.


Now the following is more a question :
- Mata kitara, aeru yo ne? (When I come again, we can meet again, right?/I can see you, right?)

"au/aimasu" is completely ok to talk about "to meet/to meet up" with someone you already know/have met.

For who?
Friend/same or similar generation cowoker except "先輩/senpai(senior)"
or someone who need to use 敬語/Keigo(Honorific)?
(boss/teacher/master,elder/older,neighbors,apartment owner or management staff or...)
http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/honorific
http://www.fluentu.com/japanese/blog/japanese-keigo/
http://lingwiki.com/index.php?title=Keigo

Thanks for the helpful answers. I've done a bit more reading on this subject and it seems I have more options than I first thought. I never realised what a strange concept 'hope' is to translate into another language.

How do you feel about といい for expressing desire? 来年また来るといい - I hope to come again next year. Do you think this makes sense/sounds appropriate? The person I'm addressing is quite close to me, but not best friend/partner close, still we use super casual language with one another. I have more that I will say, I've only been learning for six months but I'm honestly an okay speaker, I just haven't figured out certain concepts yet (spent my first four months self-studying with no real structure, and focused too much on kanji and too little on conversation) so I'm just struggling with how to express that I'll be back, with a little bit of good fortune.

Thanks again.

...that I use often is 「じゃあ、また (jyaa mata)」, which is roughly equivalent to "see you later" in casual form.

You can make it more formal with 「それでは、また(soredewa mata)」.

You can add 「あした(ashita)」(tomorrow), 「こんど(kondo)」(next time), or 「らいしゅう(raishuu)」, etc. at the end to make it more time specific.

Come to think of it, I think those are my parting words 90% of the time.

Thanks yeah that's pretty much what I use too, but I'm really looking to emphasise that I hope I will come again and that I hope I will see them if/when that happens.

James,

If you say 来年また来るといい, that sounds so detached, for one thing, and it sounds as if you are saying "it would be good for you to come next year," so that one is a no go.

If you want to say "I hope to come again next year," or "I intend to come again next year." you can say:　来年また来ようと思っているよ (I am thinking of coming again next year), or 来年また来るつもり (I intend to come again next year) would work.

Or you could say
来年また来るよ。(i will come again next year)
and if the other person asks, really? or you sure? then you can add:
いろんなことが　うまくいけば、来られるよ。(I can come if things turn out well.)
or
きっと来るよ。("I'll most probably come," in the sense of with "best hopes.)

I agree this "I hope..." and even "I wish..." expressions can be tricky :)

Good grief, つもり is one of the first things I learned, how did I not think of that? Perfect, thank you AK!