I don't understand how お世話になっております is a valid expression


In a post about the validity of お待ちになっております:

> The grammar おVになる is 尊敬語, respect language. You can't use it to talk about
> yourself. -⁠ておる, on the other hand, is 謙譲語 (well, in the standard dialect at
> least). So what you said didn't make sense. It's like saying "I humbly give
> you the priceless privilege of witnessing me
> waiting."([source](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/53722/25980))

I don't understand why the same logic can't be applied to お世話になっております even
though it's the same structure?




> I don't understand why the same logic can't be applied to お世話になっております

お世話になっております is not the same construction as `お V になる`. It is originally from
the phrase お世話になる or お世話になっている and may have a superficial similarity to `お V
になる`, but they are different. Some points to consider:

**1.** 世話 is a noun, not a verb. Yes, you can attach する to make the verb 世話する,
but you still would not use the `お V になる` construction when making it
honorific. You would instead change する to なさる, as that is the appropriate way
to make する honorific. Nonetheless it is more common to express this from the
point of view of the person **receiving** the favor, as this emphasizes how
indebted they are to be receiving the kindness.

**2.** The いる part of the phrase 世話になっている is changed to the humble form おる to
become なっております. This keeps the phrase suitably humble, as it is the speaker
who is being taken care of and thus なる applies to the speaker.

**3.** Third, since the other person is giving 世話, it is correct to make that
word honorific by adding the prefix お. For example, if you told your wife you
would look after the kids while she is away, you would not say お世話する, you
would say 世話する as you shouldn't use the honorific お about an action you are
performing yourself. *

*( _btw that's meant as an illustrative example - I think there are better ways to say you'll look after the kids such as 面倒をみる)._




> I don't understand why the same logic can't be applied to お世話になっております

お世話になっております is not the same construction as `お V になる`. It is originally from
the phrase お世話になる or お世話になっている and may have a superficial similarity to `お V
になる`, but they are different. Some points to consider:

**1.** 世話 is a noun, not a verb. Yes, you can attach する to make the verb 世話する,
but you still would not use the `お V になる` construction when making it
honorific. You would instead change する to なさる, as that is the appropriate way
to make する honorific. Nonetheless it is more common to express this from the
point of view of the person **receiving** the favor, as this emphasizes how
indebted they are to be receiving the kindness.

**2.** The いる part of the phrase 世話になっている is changed to the humble form おる to
become なっております. This keeps the phrase suitably humble, as it is the speaker
who is being taken care of and thus なる applies to the speaker.

**3.** Third, since the other person is giving 世話, it is correct to make that
word honorific by adding the prefix お. For example, if you told your wife you
would look after the kids while she is away, you would not say お世話する, you
would say 世話する as you shouldn't use the honorific お about an action you are
performing yourself. *

*( _btw that's meant as an illustrative example - I think there are better ways to say you'll look after the kids such as 面倒をみる)._

