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feeling: bored and impatient
listening to: Ayumi Hamasaki - I am...
I'm bored~ sooo here's a little lesson in Japanese for all you gaijin out there who think you know a word or two. Ready? Brace your brain. :P Today we will discuss to concepts which are very simple and basic in the English language: Please and Thank You.
HOW TO SAY PLEASE IN JAPANESE
Douzo ~ people are probably more familiar with this term than any other 'please' form. But what you may not know is that this word means 'please' ONLY in the invitational sense. Translated examples: 'please help yourself to some sake', 'please accept this gift', or simply 'here' (as you're handing something to someone).
Onegai shimasu ~ THIS is the 'please' that you think of when you think of the word 'please'. In other words, you use it to request something. Examples: 'please write your name here', 'please assist me', 'please turn on the light'. This is the one you'll want to use if you ever want to make a request using 'please' in Japanese. If you want to be exceedingly humble and polite and stuff, replace 'shimasu' with 'itashimasu'.
Onegai ~ same as above, but more casual. Can be followed by 'desu', which is a little less casual. Literally means something like a desire or a wish; so the above is like, 'please grant my wish'. Just stick with the above, unless you're good friends with your acquaintance or talking to some 4 year old kid.
Kudasai ~ Use of this depends on what you're asking for. Based on a polite verb that honors the person you're referring to (as opposed to humbling yourself to them; the referents are different) and literally means 'give (to me)'. But 'Tabete kudasai' means please eat it, 'Matte kudasai' means please wait, and 'Kore kudasai' means please give me this one. Pretty polite. If you want to be extremely polite and gentle and such, you'd change it to 'kudasaimasen ka' - so 'Tabete kudasaimasen ka', and 'Yonde kudasaimasen ka', etc.
Nasai ~ Uses can overlap with kudasai, but meanings are different. Nasai is based on a polite verb that honors the person you're referring to and literally just means 'do'. I think nasai is usually more polite, also. 'Omachi nasai' is a slightly more formal, stiffer equivalent of 'Matte kudasai'. Also, like the above, you can change it to 'nasaimasen ka' if you want to be extremely polite and humble and gentle. Don't interchange nasai with kudasai on a whim; they each carry their own connotations. Remember that this one's based on 'do' while kudasai is based on 'give me'. If you have to use one or the other, I'd use kudasai.
Douka ~ This one's a bit odd. More literally it's like, 'one way or another' or 'in any way/in all ways'. Something like that. But when used to mean 'please', it seems to me like it holds a tad more... desperation, maybe, than the forms above. Maybe that's just me. Like, a good example I've heard: 'Douka wasurenaide', which means please don't forget. Anyway, I've only heard it in casual contexts, but one might be able to make it work for formal contexts. Don't try it though. Just stick with 'onegai shimasu' and 'kudasai(masen ka)'.
There are many, many more ways to say please, depending upon what you're asking for and how formal/polite/humble you want to be. It's highly dependent on the situation at hand. Some words even have their own forms that stretch them into a 'please' request. Examples: 'Ikitamae' means something like 'please go'. Bottom line: stick with 'onegai shimasu' and maybe 'kudasai' when you have to request something, and remember that 'douzo' is only for invitational requests.
HOW TO SAY THANK YOU IN JAPANESE
Arigatou ~ Yeah, just about everyone's heard this. Pretty basic. But what you don't know is that there's a better way.
Arigatou gozaimasu ~ This is the better way, assuming you're not good friends with whoever you're saying it to. It's more polite/formal while the above is more casual.
Doumo arigatou gozaimasu ~ Same as above, but with a little more enthusiasm. Like, 'thank you very much'.
Arigatou gozaimashita ~ Same as above, but refers to something that someone has done for you and that is completed and in the past. Example: if a colleague wrote you a letter just to say hi and be nice, and if you're nice enough to write a reply, you'd open by saying this to thank him/her for the letter. You can add 'doumo' to the beginning for emphasis.
Doumo ~ This is a highly schizophrenic little word. In most cases, it's very casual, but it can be used in formal settings without earning you weird looks. It's often used after 'douzo' when someone has offered you something and you want to accept it, especially if you requested it (you'd want to be more polite than 'doumo' if someone just gave you a gift out of the blue). Of course, it's always more polite to say 'arigatou gozaimasu', but you can get by with 'doumo' in SOME formal settings. Avoid it with your superiors (teachers, bosses, etc.) though. Also, you can double it up: 'doumo doumo'. But whether used alone or doubled up, this word has loads and loads of meanings. Used alone or doubled, it can mean everything from 'hi' to 'thanks' to 'bye'. Used in front of other words as part of a longer phrase, it usually has a 'very' connotation: 'Doumo hen' means very strange, etc.
Osore irimasu ~ This one's more formal and very ritualistic, and thus not used as broadly as those above. Literally, it means something like being in awe, or suddenly feeling about as large as a peanut. Usually it's used in the apologetic sense - 'thanks for your trouble', 'sorry for bothering you', etc. It's commonly used when you phone someone and their secretary/mother/etc. answers and offers to fetch the person you want to talk to for you. But if you're not on the phone, you're safe avoiding this one.
Okagesama (de) ~ Also ritualistic. Literally means something like 'in your shadow', so it carries a 'thanks for your consideration' or 'thanks to you' connotation. If you run into someone on the street whom you haven't seen in a while and they asked you how you've been and you want to say you've been well, you'd say this to mean 'thanks for asking'. Another context... if someone's just helped you move furniture around in your home and commented on finally being done, you'd say this in a 'thanks to you' or 'thanks for your help' sense. Always implies or accompanies pleasant information, as above.
Osewasama ~ Ritualistic, again. Literally means 'your help/care/assistance', and ritualism has made it a gratitude expression. It's a fragment, but it's polite. If you want to be even more polite and formal, add 'deshita' to the end. Note: 'deshita' is a past tense word, but if you're using 'osewasama', you're referring to something someone's already done for you anyway, so you're safe with past tense. You're even safer sticking with 'arigatou gozaimasu'.
There are many, many more ways to say thank you, depending on what you're thanking someone for and how polite/formal you want to be. Bottom line: stick with 'arigatou gozaimasu' unless you're in a very specific, ritualized situation, like a phonecall or running into someone you haven't seen in years.
There! Just that easy, you can now express the very simple fundamental concepts of 'please' and 'thank you' in Japanese! Now when you take your vacation there to meet your all time favorite anime voice actor, director, or mangaka, you'll know exactly what to say when you ask for their autograph. And you have me to thank. You even know how to thank me. ^^v
...and now you hopefully understand why someone who is only interested in learning Japanese for easier understanding of anime and manga should NOT make it a major objective in their life to learn the language. I happen to be a Japanese major, and I still love the language even though it's a pain in the neck to learn, so I'm allowed to say that. :P
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 11/26/2002 04:37:00 PM
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