Help with writing a letter
 

Hi,
I am new to this forum and am hoping for some assistance in translating a message to Japanese to send to my girlfriend's grandmother. She is moving back to Japan this weekend and I have no chance to say goodbye so I am hoping to send her some chocolates and a letter if I am able to get some assistance. She speaks no English and I speak little more than primary school level Japanese. Any help would be tremendously appreciated.

Basically what I was hoping to say is something along with lines:

'I am very sorry I was unable to say goodbye.
It was very nice to have met you.
I wish you a very safe and happy journey to Japan.
I look forward to seeing you again next year.'

I used Google Translate as well as SYSTRANET translator and they gave me the following translations:

'申し訳ありませんが、私は別れを告げることができま� �んでしたね。
それはあなたにめぐり会えてとてもよかったよ。
私は日本に非常に安全で楽しい旅行を願っております。
私は来年またお会いできるのを楽しみにして。'

AND

'私は私がさよならを言ってなかったことを残念です。
会えたことは非常にうれしかったです。
私は日本に非常に安全で、幸せな旅行を望みます。
私はもう一度見ること来年を楽しみにしています。'


If anyone could tell me if either of those are correct or can give me a better translation I would be so so grateful.

Thanks,

Tom

Hi　こんにちは,

'I am very sorry I was unable to say goodbye.
It was very nice to have met you.
I wish you a very safe and happy journey to Japan.
I look forward to seeing you again next year.'

あなたに直接お別れを言えなかったことを、大変残念に 思っています。
僕はあなたにお会いできたことを、とても嬉しく思って います。
ご無事に、そして楽しく日本へお帰りになれますよう、 お祈り申し上げます。
来年またお会いできるのを、楽しみにしております。

I think honorific expressions （like 'お'会い、'ご'無事、'お'帰りに'なる'、'お'祈り'申し上� ��ます'、して'おります'...） would be preferred.

Would someone address his girlfriend's grandma as 「あなた」? :confused: At least, I never would. I would use whatever name/title that I always address her with in real life.

あ、なるほろ・・・
じゃあ、・・・

(name)さんに直接お別れを言えなかったことを、大変残念 に思って います。
僕は(name)さんにお会いできたことを、とても嬉しく思っ ています。
ご無事に、そして楽しく日本へお帰りになれますよう、 お祈り申し上げます。
来年またお会いできるのを、楽しみにしております。

Thanks so much guys that's really helpful. I really appreciate the help :)

Sorry just one last thing that would be really helpful.

I was wondering if someone would be able to help me in how I could apologise that my Japanese skills are not very good at the beginning of the letter.

Something along the lines of:

'I am sorry if my Japanese is bad'

This would be really helpful guys, thank you so much for all the help so far :)

Any other advice or tips concerning the original message would be amazing. Thank you all so much

　
How about..

「私/僕の日本語が正しくなかったら、すみません」
watashi (or boku) no nihongo ga tadashiku nakattara, sumimasen)
（正しくないis like 'not correct')

「私/僕の日本語が下手だったら、すみません」
watashi (or boku) no nihongo ga heta dattara, sumimasen)
（下手is like 'not good,' 'poor' or 'bad')

Thanks so much Sumippi I really appreciate all the help :)