Where the linguistic aspects of Japanese culture and the cultural aspects of the Japanese language overlap.
20
votes
5answers
841 views
Is it proper to thank waitstaff, cashiers, etc. for their service?
In my Japanese class we were taught that one does not need to thank a cashier when they check you out or a server when they bring you your meal, but I always feel awkward remaining silent. Was my ...
18
votes
2answers
389 views
Are bookshelves in alphabetical (kana) order in Japanese bookshops and libraries?
How are fiction books such as novels sorted on the shelves at Japanese bookshops? Kana order seems to play a small part but not the whole part.
(I'm not asking about nonfiction books since those are ...
16
votes
2answers
411 views
When and how did USA and UK come to be written as [米]{べい}[国]{こく} and [英]{えい}[国]{こく}?
I know of four countries with a specific kanji besides Japan: China, the Netherlands, the USA and UK. The last two must be quite recent (I presume 19th century) but I wonder on the details and context ...
15
votes
10answers
2k views
What to say after someone sneezes
It's happened several times: I'll be chattering away with a friend in Japanese, and they'll sneeze, and without even thinking about it I'll revert back to English to say "bless you." Is there a set ...
15
votes
3answers
681 views
Is it ok for non-japanese to refer to themselves as 僕{ぼく} and if not why?
Grammatically speaking it shouldn't be an issue, but I have heard from some people that a non-japanese using 僕{ぼく} sounds really weird. Has anyone else heard this? And if so, is there a reason?
15
votes
4answers
485 views
How would I respectfully disagree with a superior?
If my manager says something that I know to be factually incorrect, how can I point that out without sounding disrespectful? (Is ~違います appropriate in this context or is that too strong?)
Is this a ...
14
votes
5answers
1k views
Why are some words written backwards on trucks
I was driving the other day and say a truck with 一般 written as 般一 on the drivers side door. My wife was telling me that this is often the case with trucks, where it is actually written from right to ...
14
votes
7answers
1k views
Does the Japanese language only have negative terms for flirting?
I am looking for terms in the Japanese language which can describe the act of flirting in a positive light. This probably requires inventing terms to close a lexical gap, because as far as I know, all ...
14
votes
2answers
2k views
Will verbal irony and sarcasm be understood and/or appreciated?
It's a topic of debate to what extent Japanese has sarcasm and irony. In any case, Japanese speakers seem to use a whole lot less of it than English speakers.
My question is: whether or not Japanese ...
13
votes
3answers
2k views
What to say after someone dies
What is the proper response when someone tells you, for example, that their mother has died? Relatedly, what should you do to express your sympathy? Do you send a card? flowers? bake a casserole?
13
votes
2answers
707 views
How should I start an email when requesting something from someone I don't know well?
In English, there is a certain etiquette to follow when writing a business letter. From what I've seen so far, the same seems to be true in Japanese as well.
If I was making a business-related ...
12
votes
1answer
355 views
Understanding all the words but not the meaning: What does this ad say?
This is a frequent problem that I think many Japanese learners experience. You look at some Japanese sentences, and you understand the words, and most, if not all, the grammar, and yet still, it just ...
12
votes
4answers
382 views
The significance of 前 {まえ} in Japanese language and culture
I noticed that the 前 is a handy kanji character in Japanese language. It is used in many words including but not limited to:
名前 {なまえ} : Given name
手前, お前 : You
当たり前 {あたりまえ} : Natural, ...
11
votes
8answers
644 views
Is the word ハーフ derogatory?
Is the term ハーフ (mixed-race Japanese/other) derogatory? Can you use it in a newspaper article? Can you use it to describe your boss? If it is derogatory, what word(s) should one use instead?
11
votes
1answer
267 views
What is that thing yelled in Japanese when starting something?
When starting some activity, I've heard something like 'Se..inou... ' (I'm not sure what are the specific words for this). The context for this word I'd think is pretty much the same as when saying ...
11
votes
1answer
247 views
Why “社会の窓” (shakai no mado)?
A few years ago I was told by a Japanese friend "社会の窓" (shakai no mado).
It was explained after some giggling that this is what is said to a man who has inadvertently left his fly open, and that it ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views
Getting your haircut in Japan
I have been living in Japan now for the last 3 months and my hair is starting to look like it needs a cut.
But I have never been to a Japanese barbers before so as you can imagine I am a little ...
10
votes
1answer
180 views
How can [数]{す}[寄]{き}[者]{しゃ} both mean a tea ceremony master and a “lewd man, a lecher”?
I would like to understand better the etymology or the cultural context surrounding
数寄者
If I believe wwwjdic, this
compound is used to denote
a tea ceremony master (with a reference to a ...
9
votes
4answers
571 views
How commonly are “あたし” or “[僕]{ぼく}” used?
My friend and I are learning Japanese. For a time, all we knew was 私, but after we learned more words, she started to use あたし when referring to herself, and I began using 僕. What I'm wondering is, how ...
9
votes
1answer
492 views
Is -さん used when referring to a celebrity or historical figures?
When referring to a celebrity or historical figure, do you use -さん?
I am listening to Yoko Shimomura.
Would it be:"下村陽子さんを聞いている。"?
Abraham Lincoln is my favorite president.
Would it ...
9
votes
1answer
196 views
A tales and stories children book suitable for adult learners?
I like to read children literature in foreign languages I am learning. I usually do not have troubles picking them in european language, but I would need recommendation for Japanese.
I would like a ...
8
votes
2answers
228 views
日本のテレビを見ると、サブタイトルがいつも出てきます。でもサブタイトルじゃなくて。。。何と言いますか？
日本のテレビを見ると、サブタイトルがいつも出てきます。でもサブタイトルじゃなくて。。。何と言いますか？
what does one call Japanese "subtitles" that constantly appear in Japanese television and to a lesser extent movies? I'm referring to a sentence ...
8
votes
1answer
223 views
Meaning of “マスオさんする”
What is the meaning of "マスオさんする" in the following self-introduction extract?
家は表参道と近所ですが、特段お金持ちなわけではありません、妻の実家でマスオさんしてます。
My translation attempt:
I live near Omotesando, but I am not rich: I ...
8
votes
1answer
182 views
Is 音沙汰 not used anymore because communication technology has changed?
My understanding of the word 音沙汰【おとさた】(news, letter) is that in terms of usage, it functions the same way that 連絡【れんらく】(contact, communication) does. It refers to modes of communication between ...
8
votes
1answer
294 views
What is the significance of number of Kanji in a name?
There are several one-character surnames:
[林]{はやし}
[森]{もり}
[堤]{つつみ}
Most surnames have two-characters:
[鈴木]{すずき}
[山田]{やまだ}
[藤井]{ふじい}
[酒井]{さかい}
[松村]{まつむら}
A few surnames have ...
8
votes
1answer
432 views
What do you mean, “In Japanese there are no words for ”I’m suffering“”?
Today I noticed this article about eating disorders in Japan, which I got to via the News on Japan site.
The first line jumps out at me. Supposedly, in an interview, a 25 year old Japanese woman ...
8
votes
1answer
588 views
How to define 羨ましい?
羨【うらや】ましい!
You're so lucky!/ I envy you!/ I'm jealous of you!
As I learned it, 羨ましい as an exclamation does not carry much of a negative context, so perhaps a combination of these three ...
7
votes
3answers
948 views
Address someone by their first name, or their last name?
When addressing John Doe, would you say "John-さん", or "Doe-さん"?
Does it depend on how polite or formal you're being? Does it also depend on whether the person is a nihonjin, a kankokujin (who have ...
7
votes
1answer
168 views
Is it OK to keep saying ありがとう
I was asking a Japanese person for some help and noticed that I kept saying ありがとうございます over and over as they helped me more. Culturally, is it OK to keep saying it multiple times in Japanese? Would it ...
6
votes
3answers
425 views
Does the (USA) English metaphor “Unable to see the forest for the trees” keep its meaning if translated verbatim into Japanese?
The phrase "Unable to see the forest for the trees" implies one is too entangled in a situation to understand what is transpiring from a larger context, and thus, unable to determine the correct ...
6
votes
2answers
243 views
How would one convey the concept of “vouching” in Japanese?
Update: There seems to be some controversy here as to whether or not there really is a difference between vouching and guaranteeing, which impacts how it is translated. Please see the discussion I ...
6
votes
1answer
151 views
Translating volitive expressions in ads into English
I saw this on an advertisement outside the construction site of a company that makes wooden houses:
木{き}の家{いえ}と、暮{く}らそう。
I'm trying to think of a way to translate it other than:
Live with a wooden ...
5
votes
1answer
213 views
How should I bid farewell to a superior?
My boss is leaving soon after years of service. What would be a good way for me to express my gratitude for all of his guidance and help?
I am somewhat familiar with the expression お世話になりました but am ...
5
votes
2answers
207 views
Do Chinese loanwords have special connotations as foreign words?
I once heard that the Japanese like to use words like 「トイレ」 and 「お手洗い」 to refer to the water closet/bathroom because they are neutral and don't have dirty connotations, especially the English ...
5
votes
1answer
90 views
Help for this expression: 猿は人間に毛が三筋足らぬ
I read this expression in a text. It seems to be an old proverb about monkeys. But I am not sure about its meaning. Why 筋, for instance? Does it means muscle? reasoning faculty? Why would they be ...
5
votes
1answer
551 views
Heaven in Japanese
I have found that there are a number of words in Japanese that correspond to "heaven" in English. By heaven I mean the concept of a paradisiacal afterlife. The two most frequent in my limited and ...
4
votes
3answers
973 views
Expressing “don't work too hard”
I've read at other sites that "don't work too hard" isn't something that's generally said in Japanese. Is there any truth to this?
Are there any alternatives if that is the case? In which ...
4
votes
1answer
154 views
Is ノシ considered 絵文字?
My friend ended a letter thusly:
あとでノシ
ノシ symbolizes a waving arm. Is this considered 絵文字 or does it have a different name?
4
votes
1answer
273 views
“Your sniffling is driving me crazy!”
There are people in Japan who seem to think nothing of sniffling their nose indefinitely as they sit in a coffee shop, in an office, on a train, or anywhere with other people around. Sometimes ...
3
votes
2answers
118 views
What is 日本橋{にっぽんばし}？
So I'm doing some exercises in Minna no Nihongo and run across these two sentences:
どこで安い電気製品を売っていますか。
大阪の日本橋で売っています。
I looked it up and saw it mean japanese bridge but the way it is in the ...
3
votes
2answers
128 views
Are there names like ワンコイン for the other coins?
So ワンコイン refers to a 500円 coin, but is there other names for the other coins?
Also in conversation does ワンコイン refer to any specific currency or only to 500 yen (as in the sense of being a default).
3
votes
2answers
758 views
How and when do Japanese children learn kanas and kanji?
I wonder how exactly Japanese children learn to write. It may help a foreigner to know what is important to memorize or not. The only thing I know is that first of all, hiragana are learnt, and then ...
3
votes
1answer
264 views
Are there any issues with sexism in the Japanese language?
The only example I can think of/that I know of at the moment that has ever been of controversy with regard to sexism in Japanese was the change from 看護婦 to 看護師. I'm sure there are probably many more ...
3
votes
1answer
152 views
How would I respectfully disagree with a peer?
This is probably related to How would I respectfully disagree with a superior? however the context is a tech forum where the thread starter is asking for someone technically advanced to help, and the ...
2
votes
1answer
99 views
What is the background of the phrase 背中で教える, and where does the meaning “to teach with one's back” come from?
I came across this phrase today while doing a lookup on 背中.
背中で教える
I checked several sources, and all listed the meaning, amongst others, "to teach with one's back". It seems related to ...
2
votes
1answer
135 views
Is まい as in あるまい really only used in literary texts or TV?
My understanding --admittedly limited-- is that in Japanese, people say as much as they can with as little words as possible. So I wondered why ないだろう would be used in everyday speaking instead of まい? ...
2
votes
2answers
181 views
What was the origin for the term 水色 to be associated with youth, adolescence and puberty?
I am particularly interested in the phrase 「水色時代」. Did it come from the old manga that used the phrase as its title, or has the phrase been carrying that particular cultural connotation long before ...
2
votes
1answer
154 views
What is the best expression used by an employee to appreciate his/her employer?
Assume that the employer gives a presentation to the public audience. After the presentation, you as the employee want to appreciate it.
What is the best expression used by an employee to appreciate ...
1
vote
1answer
428 views
0
votes
2answers
445 views
Did the Japanese have a word for surrender before WWII?
I had always thought that the Japanese didn't have a word for surrender before WWII. It seemed to be plausible given their culture. However, I can't seem to find any solid evidence of this. Is it just ...
