What is “It was nice seeing you” in Japanese?

Today, let’s look at the relationship between the "-te form" and "words that express feelings."

• Okurete, sumimasen. (I’m sorry for being late.)

• Tetsudatte kurete, arigatou. (Thank you for helping me.)

  Both sentences contain words that express feelings: "sumimasen" (apology) and "arigatou" (gratitude). What are the reasons for these feelings? In these cases, it is "being late" and "the other person helping you." These reasons are expressed using the -te form.

  Sometimes, I hear people say things like "Okureta kara, sumimasen" or "Tetsudatte kureta kara, arigatou." While the meaning is clear, it sounds slightly unnatural. Also, always remember to add "kurete" before "arigatou." Saying "Tetsudatte, arigatou" is an incomplete sentence.

What about other emotional expressions?

• Ryokou ni ikenakute, zannen desu. (I’m disappointed that I can't go on the trip.)

• Tomodachi ga byouki ni natte, shinpai desu. (I’m worried because my friend is sick.)

• Kyou wa aete, ureshii desu. (I’m happy to be able to see you today.)

  Since the first part of the sentence uses the -te form (and not the -ta form), students sometimes ask: "Does this mean I am feeling this way about something that hasn't happened yet?" The answer is no—these express feelings about events that have already occurred or situations that are already true.

• The trip was canceled (even if the date was in the future) → Feeling disappointed now.

• A friend fell ill → Feeling worried now.

• I met you today → Feeling happy now.

The phrase "Kyou aete, ureshii desu" is very useful, so let’s look closer. You should say this when you first meet someone and exchange greetings (like "Hello, how are you?"), or while you are still spending time together.

In contrast, you should use "Kyou aete, ureshikatta desu" (I was happy to see you) when you are saying goodbye. "Kyou aete, yokatta desu" is also commonly used. In this context, "yokatta" carries a nuance of feeling relieved or satisfied.

The reason the adjective changes to the past tense (-katta) isn't necessarily because the "feeling" has ended, but because the act of "meeting" is coming to a close.

If you want to say the same thing the next day via message, you would say: "Kinou aete, ureshikatta desu" (I was happy to see you yesterday). Notice that the first part remains in the -te form regardless of the timing.

To be more polite (Keigo), use: "O-ai dekite, ureshii desu." In all these cases, the key point is to use the potential form of the verb "to meet" (aeru). By using the potential form, the first half of the sentence describes a situation outside of the speaker's direct control, making the expression sound more natural.