okaremashite

[KrazyKat]

先生におかれましては、ますますお元気でご活躍のことと存じます。

この文章が全く分かりません。 「おかれましては」って何を意味するでしょうか？

それに「お元気でご活用のこと」 それもよく分かりません。

誰かが教えてくれれば、本当にありがたいです。

 

[epigene]

The sentence you mentioned is a fixture in formal letter writing. It is similar (but not necessarily identical) in function to starting to write the body of a letter with:
"I hope this letter finds you in good health."

～におかれましては is collocation used as an indirect pointer to 先生 (a person with seniority, such as teacher)
Indirectness is a style used for very formal "keigo."
In essence, 先生におかれましては means 先生は
This is related to ～においては which is used to refer to oneself or someone on one's side (family, company, etc.)

ますますお元気でご活躍のことと存じます is also a keigo form to mean "I know/hope that you are [all the more] in good health and active (in the person's profession, personal life, etc.)"

There is much more to explain, if you want to break it down further... But I'm lazy...

 

[JimmySeal]

I think that ~におかれましては semantically boils down to ~では.

I'm not sure how far down the line the mistake occurred, but the word used in that line is 活躍 (かつやく), not 活用. You can probably find a meaning in your dictionary that fits with the rest of the sentence.

What puzzles me is the 存じる part. I thought this meant think/know. Neither makes much sense in this context, but Epigene says it can also mean "hope" so maybe that's the case.

 

[KrazyKat]

I'm not sure how far down the line the mistake occurred, but the word used in that line is 活躍 (かつやく), not 活用. You can probably find a meaning in your dictionary that fits with the rest of the sentence.

Yes, that was just my typing mistake. The original sentence at the top is correct.


Thanks Epigene, Jimmy. I think that I should be OK with this now.

 

[epigene]

I think that ~におかれましては semantically boils down to ~では.

Yes, semantically, but the function is "wa."

What puzzles me is the 存じる part. I thought this meant think/know. Neither makes much sense in this context, but Epigene says it can also mean "hope" so maybe that's the case.

Yes, the basic meaning is think/know. But it is used to suggest "hope." Maybe, "assume" is a better translation?

 

[Elizabeth]

Yes, the basic meaning is think/know. But it is used to suggest "hope." Maybe, "assume" is a better translation? :?

Feel, assume, hope as an extension of "think/know" I can sort of understand in the same way that 思う is broad enough to carry similar differences. The evolution from "exist/be" to these others I'm glad not to have to explain.

 

[Elizabeth]

There is much more to explain, if you want to break it down further... But I'm lazy...

けさ、ちょっとお暇があったときに、力を取り戻して、「形式的な手紙で、文頭に出てくる「おかれまして」は漢字ではどう書きますか？」という質問を調べました。

調べの結果、「おかれまして」は「於かれまして」と漢字でかきますね。

常用漢字じゃないので、はっきり説明するのが難しいけど。 がんばります。

The left radical is clearly 方 (side, direction, person), the right I would interpret as a Chinese character for hairs under a hito, or perhaps an upside ladle if you're feeling at all creative.

 

[Glenn]

I think it just means "in," like the verb 於く or the compound particle に於いて.

 

[Elizabeth]

I think it just means "in," like the verb 於く or the compound particle に於いて.

Ahh, then that explains it well. In the direction of the person, for regarding,....
ありがとうございます、Glenn さん！