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Letter to host family (please check for me) 2012/11/15 15:55
I'm writing my first letter to my Japanese host family who will host me for two weeks in December. Could you please check this for me? :)


XYZ家のみなさんへ、
はじめまして。私はキャロラインといいます。今年の12月にこうかんして、XYZ家のみなさんは私をせわをするそうです。ありがとうございます。
小形家のみなさんについてならいたいです。ですから、こうかんするまで、メールしましょう。
Email: _____
Address: _____
英語ができますか?私わ日本語にあまり上手じゃないですけど、がんばります。
メールをおくってください。楽しみに待っています。

English translation:
To the family of XYZ,
Nice to meet you. My name is Caroline. I am doing an exchange program in December this year and it seems that you will be taking care of me. Thank you very much.
I wish to know more about the XYZ family. So until I go on the exchange, lets mail each other.
Email: ____
Address: _____
Can you speak English? I'm not very good at Japanese, but I will try my best.
Please mail me. I'll be eagerly waiting for it.
by carolinex  

Re: Letter to host family (please check for me) 2012/11/15 19:43
I think your Japanese is better than my English.(^_^:)

今年の12月にこうかん留学(りゅうがく)で私はXYZ家のみなさんにおせわになります。ありがとうございます。
XYZ家のみなさんについてよく知(し)りたいです。ですから、その日(ひ)まで、メールしてください

1.こうかんして こうかん留学(りゅうがく)で
more natural.
2.みなさんは私をせわをするそうです 私はみなさんにおせわになります
This part sounds very very rude.(lol
3.ならいたい よく知りたい
in this case, "know" is "知(し)る".
"よく" is "more/well".
4.こうかんするまで その日(ひ)まで
more natural.
5.メールしましょう メールしてください
more polite."please"

And XYZ家のみなさん is a bit tedious?
You can say みなさん only.
by ajapaneseboy rate this post as useful

Re: Letter to host family (please check for me) 2012/11/15 19:54
The second line:
今年の12月にこうかんして、XYZ家のみなさんは私をせわをするそうです。needs to be rephrased.

- We don't use just the word "koukan" for student exchange program, but "koukan ryugaku" (exchange STUDY) program to refer to these programs.
- Also, "...sou desu" (it seems...) sounds a bit too detached, so I would rephrase it as "I have heard..."
I might suggest something like:
今年の12月に、こうかんりゅうがくプログラムで、XYZ家のみなさんに せわを して いただくと ききました。
Under exchange program for December of this year, I have heard/been told that I would be under your care.

XYZ家のみなさんについて ならいたいです。...needs to be changed a bit.
- Rather than "narau/naraimasu" (the verb "to learn (under someone, like an instructur)) I would simply say "I want to know more..." or "please tell me about...
XYZ家のみなさんについて おしえてください。
- こうかんするまで needs to be changed... for the same reason above. It sounds like "Until we swap" or something like that :) I would rephrase it as "until I go visit Japan" instead. Would you want to give it a try yourself to write this sentence in Japanese?

I am not correcting minor things here - if it's written too well, the family might assume that you are fluent in Japanese :)
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Letter to host family (please check for me) 2012/11/17 18:58
The particle {wa} is written as は . Be careful not to spell 私わ .

Can you speak English?

You had better mean "Can we talk in English?" to sound asking of possibility, not of ability.
I would say:
英語でお話しできませんか?

it seems that you will be taking care of me.

To make this sense in Japanese, one who takes care should not be the Subject.
I would say:
みなさんの おせわになる と ききました [I have heard that I will be under the care of you].
The Subject " 私 " is hidden here.
With " 私 " as the Subject, you can use (XYZ の ) おせわになる or (XYZ に ) おせわいただく or (XYZ に ) せわをしていただく .
The latter two are more humble, but I think the first one おせわになるis enough here because it's already a polite expression.

__ する ようです [It is assumed that S do __ / S will do __];
__する そうです [I here (they say) S do __ / S will do __];
__し そうです [It looks that S will (soon) do __].
It is already scheduled that XYZ will take care of you, so the first two do not much the situation.
Be careful not to mix up the two ways of " そうです ".

by omotenashi rate this post as useful

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