You receive a Japanese workplace email with your name in CC and the line 「ご確認をお願いします」. Are you expected to act? Start with the To field, the sentence naming the owner, and any deadline. CC often means someone is being kept informed, but the body may assign that person a task. If your role is unclear, ask before making or ignoring a decision.
Recipient and reply words
| Japanese / label | Reading | Meaning in context |
|---|---|---|
| 宛先・To | あてさき (atesaki) | Primary recipients; check who is addressed in the body |
| CC・共有先 | シーシー・きょうゆうさき (shī shī / kyōyūsaki) | People copied for visibility; context still matters |
| BCC | ビーシーシー (bī shī shī) | Recipients hidden from the other recipients |
| 全員に返信 | ぜんいんにへんしん (zen’in ni henshin) | Reply all, generally to the visible thread recipients |
| 個別に返信 | こべつにへんしん (kobetsu ni henshin) | Reply separately to one person |
| ご確認ください | ごかくにんください (gokakunin kudasai) | Please check; identify what needs review |
| ご対応ください | ごたいおうください (gotaiō kudasai) | Please take action |
| ご参考までに | ごさんこうまでに (gosankō made ni) | For your reference; may not require action |
| 関係者各位 | かんけいしゃかくい (kankeisha kakui) | To everyone concerned; look for a named owner within the message |
| 返信不要 | へんしんふよう (henshin fuyō) | No reply needed |
Choose the reply path
- Identify the actual request. An email can copy several people yet ask only one person for a file or decision. Find a name, department, 「ご対応」 or a deadline. Being in To does not tell you every detail of the task.
- Decide who needs the answer. Reply all if the entire visible thread needs the result or a shared decision. Reply to the sender alone for a personal clarification that does not affect the group. When in doubt, ask the sender who should receive the response.
- Check the recipient list again. A reply all can include people outside your team. Remove recipients who do not need sensitive details, using your company’s information handling rules. Do not reveal a BCC recipient by mentioning them in a visible reply.
- State the result or next step. A short acknowledgment can say when you will review the file. When finished, explain what you checked, what changed, and who will act next. If an approval system is specified, use it: an email response alone may not change a formal approval status.
- Keep the thread easy to follow. Retain a relevant subject line and quote only the context needed. If the topic has changed substantially, start a new message according to your workplace’s practice.
Short replies you can use
Clarify your role: 「CCで拝見しました。私のほうで対応が必要な項目はありますか。」
Shī shī de haiken shimashita. Watashi no hō de taiō ga hitsuyō na kōmoku wa arimasu ka?
“I saw this on CC. Is there an item you need me to handle?”
Confirm the audience: 「確認結果は、全員に返信して共有したほうがよろしいでしょうか。」
Kakunin kekka wa, zen’in ni henshin shite kyōyū shita hō ga yoroshii deshō ka?
“Should I share the review result by replying to everyone?”
Give an update: 「資料を確認し、修正点を担当者へ共有しました。最終版は明日お送りします。」
Shiryō o kakunin shi, shūseiten o tantōsha e kyōyū shimashita. Saishūban wa ashita okurishimasu.
“I checked the document and shared revisions with the owner. I will send the final version tomorrow.”
CC does not create one universal rule
Companies and teams use CC differently. Follow the instructions in the message and your workplace’s rules for external recipients, personal data and record keeping. For brief action requests in chat, see the workplace chat request guide. A meeting record or handover note can make the owner and deadline clearer when a long email thread becomes hard to follow. If you are sending application files outside the company, use the separate job application email guide.
