Unit I (26:33)
Listen to this Japanese conversation:
sumimasen, anata wa eigo wakarimasu ka?すみませんあなたはえいごわかりますか？iie, watashi wa eigo ga wakarimasen.いいえわたしはえいごがわかりません。watashi wa nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu.わたしはにほんごがすこしわかります。anata wa amerikajin desu ka?あなたはアメリカじんですか？hai, watashi wa amerikajin desu.はいわたしはアメリカじんです。
Vocabulary introduced:
amerika - America
amerikajin - American person
anata - you (not commonly used, usually determined from the context of a conversation)
desu - am/are/is
desu - am/are/is
eigo - English language
ga - particle which follows the subject of a verb
hai - yes
iie - no
jin - person
ka - particle denoting a question; “spoken question mark”
nihongo - Japanese language
sukoshi - a little bit
sumimasen - excuse me
wa - particle which follows the topic (main focus) of a sentence
wa - particle which follows the topic (main focus) of a sentence
wakarimasen - do not understand
wakarimasu - understand
wakarimasu - understand
watashi – I
Notes:
On すみません -
In this unit you have learned すみません (sumimasen) for excuse me. You will find this expression quite useful in your initial encounter with the Japanese, and you will also hear Japanese people using it in many different social contexts. Sumimasen is often used to express the speaker’s sincere and polite attitude toward others. Japanese people use this expression to convey not only excuse me, but also I am sorry and even thank you. You will hear them say sumimasen to attract someone’s attention when initiating a conversation, as was demonstrated in the unit. You might also hear this expression from someone who mistakenly steps on your foot in a crowded train and wishes to apologize. It is a very useful expression in a wide range of social contexts.
On the omission of subjects -
Japanese speakers often rely on the listener’s ability to understand their real intention from what appears to be subtle and evasive verbal and nonverbal signals. Being able to leave some things unsaid so that the other can read between the lines is an important skill in Japanese communication. A person who explains things in great detail is considered legalistic, and often frowned upon. The frequent omission of subjects is one example of this ambiguous and seemingly incomplete form of Japanese communication. This style of speech may frustrate foreign learners of Japanese at first, but after a while it will become natural.
The Japanese language has several words for “you”. The one to use depends on the speaker’s relationship with the person being spoken to. Among these are the common あなた (anata), which was introduced in this unit, the informal あんた (anta), the formal きみ (kimi), often used by a superior to address his or her junior, and おまえ (omae), used only by male speakers. However, you will often hear people address one another without using any of these, simply leaving you to be understood.
