日本語道場

Nihongo Dojo — N3 → N2

Grammar

N2

~ことと存じます

~ koto to zonjimasu

I believe/trust that (formal business)

When to use it

Use this in written business correspondence (email, letters, reports) when you want to state a polite presumption about the reader's situation or about a shared understanding — essentially a humble, formal version of ~と思います. It very often appears in the opening or closing of a message, typically as ~ことと存じますが/~ことと存じますので, softening a request or a piece of news. Avoid it in speech except in highly ceremonial settings, and avoid it for your own actions (存じます is the humble form of 思う/知る, so the content is normally about the other party or a general state of affairs).

Formation

  • Verb: plain form (dictionary / ~ている / ~た) + ことと存じます → 「お済みのこと」ではなく「お済みになったことと存じます」
  • i-adjective: plain form + ことと存じます → 「お忙しいことと存じます」
  • na-adjective: 〜な(より硬く〜である)+ ことと存じます → 「ご不便なことと存じます」
  • Noun: 〜の(より硬く〜である)+ ことと存じます → 「ご承知のことと存じます」
  • Honorific forms (ご〜, お〜になる) are almost always used with it, since the subject is the addressee.
  • Frequent frames: 〜ことと存じますが(前置き)/〜ことと存じますので(理由)。

Examples

  • I trust you are busy with the fiscal year-end, but please do give it your consideration.

  • I believe you are already aware of the details.

  • I trust there will be no issue with the delivery date.

  • I am sure this sudden change is an inconvenience to you.

  • I believe this matter benefits your company as well, so please do give it thought.