PG013

26 Smali Talk

Foreigners are so common in Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto that you probably won’t attract a second glance in these cities. Outside these major cities, however, you may turn a few heads. The Japanese word for foreigner, gaijin, may be murmured by passers-by, or screamed by surprised motorists.

If you wish to beckon to someone, gesture with the palm facing down and the fingers fluttering up and down - never beckon or point with one finger. It would be a faux pas of eąual magnitude to address someone by their given name. Always use the person^ family name, preceded by a title such as Mr, Mrs or Miss.

indicating self

beckon i ng

Family Terms

Modesty is a great. virtue in Japan and is expressed not only by action but also by vocabulary. There are different words for what isyours and what. is another’s. Special respect words are used when speaking of another person’s relatives.

father

chichi

otósan

(one’s own) (others’)

m

fe A

r±A

S

£>< Ź A *£ tz i

mother (one’s own) (others’) husband (one’s own) (others⁷) wife

(one’s own) (others’) friend

haka

oktisan

shujin

goshujin

tsuma

okusan

otomodachi

About Yoursetf

Expect to be asked ąuestions about your age, what company you work for, and how many children you have. Learn a few phrases that tell others about yourself. Incidentally, if an acquaintance you bump into says ‘where are you going?’ dochirae?,it’s a common greeting and you aren’t expected to givc an explanation - a reply such as ‘just down the Street’ is polite.

Meeting People

May I ask your name? o-namae wa nan desu ka?

My name is........

namae wa........desu

How old are you? o-ikutsu desu ka?

(to children) nansai desu ka?

(to adults)

Please repeat that. mó ichido itte kudasai