Beginning Japanese for Professionals: Book 1

23 All these are called Aizuchi . You probably hear Japanese speakers use the sentence particle nee frequently and see them nodding equally frequently. Nodding means ‘I’m listening’, but not necessarily means ‘I agree.’ So, don’t just stair and listen with a poker face. Nod, smile, and say, Aa, soo desu ka. 1-3-4 Personal References Watashi ‘I’ is the most common reference to oneself in Japanese, which is probably the safest form to use for beginning learners. Boku is only used by male speakers, and less formal than watashi. Other forms will be introduced later, which have different shades of formality and other elements, and thus require more care in using them. Unlike English, where the pronoun you is used for the addressee in most cases, there are many ways to address and refer to others in Japanese. To decide how to call a person in Japanese, you need to consider your relationship with the person and the circumstances. Last name + san is most common, but sensei ‘teacher’ and other titles are required to address and refer to people in such positions. Using – san instead of the titles can be rude. First name with or without – san is more informal and used among friends or to those in the subordinate positions. Be extra careful with the word anata ‘ you ’ . Unlike its English equivalent, anata has very limited use, usually for anonymous addressees, and is inappropriate if you know the person’s name or title. When deciding how to call a person, be conservative. Start with last name + san or a title such as sensei . Switch to more casual alternatives when requested. Be careful about timing. A switch is usually initiated by the superior. Another caution is to not overuse watashi or any personal reference for that matter. Recall that the subject is not mentioned in Japanese when clearly understood from the context. Overuse of personal reference is one of the most common errors made by foreigners whose native language requires them in a sentence. 1-3-5 Sentence Particle Yo Indicating New Information Unlike the particle ne(e), which indicates the shared information, the particle yo indicates that the speaker thinks this is new information to the listener. So, it is often used to correct or assure someone. In the dialogue above, Mr. Yamada tries to assure Ms. Honda that he is going by using this particle at the end. Needless to say, when correcting someone, you need to first make sure that you are in a position to do so, and then do it appropriately.