Comments on: Refusing people in Japanese http://gakuranman.com/refusing-people-in-japanese/ Discover the Japanese language and culture, explore ruins and haikyo off the beaten path or learn about bioluminescence. Sat, 19 May 2012 16:17:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Billy http://gakuranman.com/refusing-people-in-japanese/comment-page-1/#comment-1636 Billy Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:10:43 +0000 http://gakuranman.com/?p=2307#comment-1636 I've been studying Japanese for years and I still have problems with the little things in situations when I should be polite. I'm fine in a casual atmosphere... but polite Japanese is a different language and I definitely should brush up a bit. Great post! I’ve been studying Japanese for years and I still have problems with the little things in situations when I should be polite. I’m fine in a casual atmosphere… but polite Japanese is a different language and I definitely should brush up a bit.

Great post!

]]> By: Billy http://gakuranman.com/refusing-people-in-japanese/comment-page-1/#comment-5266 Billy Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:10:00 +0000 http://gakuranman.com/?p=2307#comment-5266 I've been studying Japanese for years and I still have problems with the little things in situations when I should be polite. I'm fine in a casual atmosphere... but polite Japanese is a different language and I definitely should brush up a bit. Great post! I’ve been studying Japanese for years and I still have problems with the little things in situations when I should be polite. I’m fine in a casual atmosphere… but polite Japanese is a different language and I definitely should brush up a bit.

Great post!

]]> By: Jenni http://gakuranman.com/refusing-people-in-japanese/comment-page-1/#comment-1202 Jenni Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:21:33 +0000 http://gakuranman.com/?p=2307#comment-1202 OK, so I don't understand any of the Japanese :) However, the title reminded me of something very interesting I read recently. Obviously there is a vast difference between cultures of how to make requests politely, and how to turn someone down without being rude. Apparently there have been notable incidents of airline pilots from cultures where there are very subtle nuances of politeness (e.g. Japan, Korea) not being able to communicate effectively with people in air traffic control, because they are just *too* subtle. In particular, co-pilots from cultures such as these often feel unable to disagree with the pilot - they see them as their superior, and it would be very rude to assert oneself too much, even when the aeroplane's safety is endangered! The book was called "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell if you are interested ^_^ OK, so I don’t understand any of the Japanese :) However, the title reminded me of something very interesting I read recently. Obviously there is a vast difference between cultures of how to make requests politely, and how to turn someone down without being rude. Apparently there have been notable incidents of airline pilots from cultures where there are very subtle nuances of politeness (e.g. Japan, Korea) not being able to communicate effectively with people in air traffic control, because they are just *too* subtle. In particular, co-pilots from cultures such as these often feel unable to disagree with the pilot – they see them as their superior, and it would be very rude to assert oneself too much, even when the aeroplane’s safety is endangered! The book was called “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell if you are interested ^_^

]]> By: Jenni http://gakuranman.com/refusing-people-in-japanese/comment-page-1/#comment-5265 Jenni Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:21:00 +0000 http://gakuranman.com/?p=2307#comment-5265 OK, so I don't understand any of the Japanese :) However, the title reminded me of something very interesting I read recently. Obviously there is a vast difference between cultures of how to make requests politely, and how to turn someone down without being rude. Apparently there have been notable incidents of airline pilots from cultures where there are very subtle nuances of politeness (e.g. Japan, Korea) not being able to communicate effectively with people in air traffic control, because they are just *too* subtle. In particular, co-pilots from cultures such as these often feel unable to disagree with the pilot - they see them as their superior, and it would be very rude to assert oneself too much, even when the aeroplane's safety is endangered! The book was called "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell if you are interested ^_^ OK, so I don’t understand any of the Japanese :) However, the title reminded me of something very interesting I read recently. Obviously there is a vast difference between cultures of how to make requests politely, and how to turn someone down without being rude. Apparently there have been notable incidents of airline pilots from cultures where there are very subtle nuances of politeness (e.g. Japan, Korea) not being able to communicate effectively with people in air traffic control, because they are just *too* subtle. In particular, co-pilots from cultures such as these often feel unable to disagree with the pilot – they see them as their superior, and it would be very rude to assert oneself too much, even when the aeroplane’s safety is endangered! The book was called “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell if you are interested ^_^

]]> By: Mike http://gakuranman.com/refusing-people-in-japanese/comment-page-1/#comment-1200 Mike Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:33:15 +0000 http://gakuranman.com/?p=2307#comment-1200 Excellent explanation! Thank you ^^ Excellent explanation! Thank you ^^

]]> By: Mike http://gakuranman.com/refusing-people-in-japanese/comment-page-1/#comment-5264 Mike Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:33:00 +0000 http://gakuranman.com/?p=2307#comment-5264 Excellent explanation! Thank you ^^ Excellent explanation! Thank you ^^

]]> By: Mike http://gakuranman.com/refusing-people-in-japanese/comment-page-1/#comment-1199 Mike Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:29:40 +0000 http://gakuranman.com/?p=2307#comment-1199 Hey Hao! Irresponsible companies eh? Sounds tough! I think 'Could you do it by tomorrow' in polite Japanese would be: 明日までにできますでしょうか。 There's probably an expression that's even more polite than this though, but keigo isn't my strong point. 明日までにしないと、あなたはひどい目にあうぞ！ That's something more like the 'have your neck cut' nuance. Literally, 'if you don't do it by tomorrow, you'll meet misfortune'. *Do not* use that to anybody in the office, unless they are an equal and have a more Western sense of humour... Hey Hao! Irresponsible companies eh? Sounds tough!

I think ‘Could you do it by tomorrow’ in polite Japanese would be:

明日までにできますでしょうか。

There’s probably an expression that’s even more polite than this though, but keigo isn’t my strong point.

明日までにしないと、あなたはひどい目にあうぞ！

That’s something more like the ‘have your neck cut’ nuance. Literally, ‘if you don’t do it by tomorrow, you’ll meet misfortune’. *Do not* use that to anybody in the office, unless they are an equal and have a more Western sense of humour…

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