JLPT N1Written, formalCourteous

かたがたpartly to (thank, apologize, greet)

Formal and courteous, for visits and letters: you thank someone, apologize or pay your respects, and do something else with the same visit or letter.

in a letter

先せん日じつのお礼れいかたがた、近きん況きょうをご報ほう告こく申もうし上あげます。

I am writing to thank you for the other day, and to let you know how I have been getting on.

on a visit

お詫わびかたがた、今こん回かいの経けい緯いをご説せつ明めいに参まいりました。

I have come to apologize, and to explain how this happened.

How to form it

Noun for a courtesy + かたがた

No の. The noun is nearly always one of a few: お礼れい, お詫わび, ご挨あい拶さつ, ご報ほう告こく, お見み舞まい, お祝いわい.

After it: Visiting, phoning or writing, in humble language: 伺うかがう, 参まいる, お電でん話わを差さし上あげる, ご報ほう告こく申もうし上あげる.
Said about: Mostly your own visit or letter, to a client, a teacher or a host.
Where you'll meet it: Business letters and emails, formal greetings on a visit, speeches. It is one to use, ready-made, in formal writing. In ordinary polite speech people say お礼れいを兼かねて.

In use

就しゅう任にんのご挨あい拶さつかたがた、主しゅ要ような取とり引ひき先さきを訪ほう問もんいたしました。

I called on our main clients, partly to introduce myself in my new post.

退たい院いんのご報ほう告こくかたがた、先せん生せいの研けん究きゅう室しつへ伺うかがいました。

I visited my professor's office, partly to report that I was out of the hospital.

まずはお礼れいかたがたご挨あい拶さつ申もうし上あげます。

I write simply to thank you and to send my regards.

A stock last line for a business letter. Shorter still: まずはお礼れいかたがたご報ほう告こくまで.

It carries a courtesy, not an errand

With an everyday errand it reads like a sentence that strayed out of a business letter.

Sounds odd: 買かい物ものかたがた、銀ぎん行こうに寄よった。

I stopped at the bank while I was out shopping.

People say 買かい物もののついでに.

Close neighbours

を兼ねてN1

One trip, event or thing planned to serve two purposes. Everyday as well as written.

散さん歩ぽを兼かねて、図と書しょ館かんまで歩あるいて本ほんを返かえしに行いった。

I walked to the library to return a book, and made a stroll of it.

がてらN1

One outing with a second thing fitted into the same trip. Grown-up and a little old-fashioned, but not formal.

私わたしは散さん歩ぽがてら、図と書しょ館かんに予よ約やくした本ほんを受うけ取とりに行いった。

While out for a walk, I went to the library to pick up a book I had reserved.

かたわらN1

Years, not one trip: a second activity kept up alongside your main work.

彼かれは会かい社しゃに勤つとめるかたわら、小しょう説せつを書かいている。

He writes novels alongside his job at a company.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

ご報ほう告こく（　　）、近ちかいうちに一いち度どお伺うかがいします。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which sentence sounds natural?

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

Older writing, and dictionaries, also have it after a plain outing: 散さん歩ぽかたがた, "while out for a walk". Today that is 散さん歩ぽがてら.

方かた々がた, a respectful word for "people", only sounds the same:

関かん係けい者しゃの方かた々がたにご出しゅっ席せきいただきました。

The people concerned were kind enough to attend.

More sentences

ご報ほう告こくかたがた、関かん係けい資し料りょうをお届とどけに参まいりました。

I have come to deliver the relevant documents, and to give you my report.

帰き国こくのご挨あい拶さつかたがた、恩おん師しのお宅たくを訪たずねました。

I called on my old teacher at home, partly to say that I was back in the country.

お礼れいかたがた、改あらためてお電でん話わを差さし上あげました。

I am calling again, partly to thank you.

お詫わびかたがた、責せき任にん者しゃが先せん方ぽうを訪ほう問もんいたしました。

The person in charge called on the other party, partly to apologize.