10 Non-intuitive-but-useful Japanese Phrases

                So learning a second language is hard. It’s even harder when you run into terms and phrases that either don’t translate well, or have not-immediately-obvious meanings and/or usages. Here’s my list, in no particular order, of ones I’ve come across during my tenure here in the land of the rising sun.

1.) Onegai shimasu/itashimasu (お願いします・いたします)

              This phrase is usually translated as, “thank you” in English, but that gloss is insufficient on a number of levels. Most notably in that it doesn’t tell English speakers when they should use this particular expression of gratitude.

              “Onegai (shimasu)” has a more specific usage than just “thank you.” It’s appropriate for situations where someone will be doing something for you, or when you are having someone do something for you. A more literal equivalent might be “I beg (of) you,” or “I beseech you,” neither of which are found in everyday English speech.  If you want a more natural version, I would say it’s more like, “(Thanks,) I’d appreciate it/that a lot,” or “(Thanks,) that’d be great.”
              In a lot of ways, it's way more like "please." You can use it to request specific items or services, for one thing. But again, it revolves around something that you will receive from the listener in the future, even the very immediate future (such as requesting some chopsticks at a restaurant.)

2.) Chotto ii desu ka? (ちょっといいですか.)

              This one is difficult because it sounds incredibly vague. A little is good whowhutnow??... is what might go through your mind.

              But, all this question is, is a request to initiate a conversation or ask a question. It’s essentially the same as saying, in English, “(Do) you have a minute?” Even if you never use it yourself, be prepared to hear it a lot.

3.) Itadakimasu (いただきます)

              Many people may know this phrase from it ubiquitous appearances in anime and manga. Most of the time, it’s used prior to eating food, most likely food prepared by someone other than the speaker. The verb “itadaku” literally means “to receive.” In an eating context, it might be translated as, “to partake.” Traditionally, it was a respectful saying not unlike saying grace, but over time it lost much of the religious overtone. Now it’s more of a matter of courtesy.

              BUT. If you work in a Japanese office setting, you may notice that people come around handing out “omiyage” (edible souvenirs brought back from trips and whatnot) fairly often. If you take one of these from the person offering, you should say “Itadakimasu,” even if you don’t plan to eat it that very moment. Similarly, if there’s an open box of omiyage, you have one, and then someone offers you another, you can beg off by saying “Mou itadakimashita.” (I’ve already had one.)

4.) Iru?/ Taberu?/ Nomu? (いる？・食べる？・飲む？)

              That first verb is not the “iru” that means “to exist,” but the one that means “to need/require.” So these seem simple, right? You would think so. What makes these frustrating is that they’re deceptively straightforward, but there’s a subtle difference in the nuance that can cause some significant problems in communication.

              In their simple form, “taberu” and “nomu” would seem to mean, “Do you eat…./ Do you drink…?” In other words, a general inquiry about your dietary habits. However, in practice, people use these words to mean “Do you want some ….. (to eat / to drink)?” They’re not asking about your lifestyle, just offering you some of what they have. “Iru” is even more obscure. It sounds like you’re being asked if you need something to eat or drink. In fact, it is again simply a question like the English, “You want some?”

              Also, for the record, a good way to decline the first two is, “Kekkou desu” (I’m fine / No thanks), and for the last one, “Irimasen / Iranai-n-desu.” (No thanks) A good way to accept? “Itadakimasu.” =)

5.) Otsukare-san/sama (お疲れさん・さま)

              Again, you will hear this a lot if you work in an office environment in Japan. When someone leaves for the day, it’s appropriate to say “Ostukaresama,” to them. It’s like saying, “Good job.” However, in normal English, we don’t say that to someone unless we’re reacting to some specific accomplishment. It’s not a casual, on-your-way-out kind of phrase. This is a difference in the culture of politeness and acknowledgement between America and Japan. However, you can also use this phrase in the way we would, to recognize the work someone put into something in particular. If a student hands you a notebook full of homework after an extended absence, it’s entirely acceptable to say “Otsukare(san/sama)” to them. This phrase is why your coworkers might seemingly randomly say “You look tired,” to you. “Otsukare” is literally saying the person must be exhausted (i.e. after working so very hard.)

              A similar phrase is “Gokurou(san/sama).” The difference is usage is rather subtle, but it is more targeted than “Otsukare.” It’s commenting on the trouble the person went through (to finish or accomplish something), rather than being spent afterwards. Also, in my experience, it’s best to use it with someone who is below you in the hierarchy. I could be wrong here, but to say it to an equal or a superior could seem condescending. In that sense, it’s different from English sayings like “Thanks for going to the trouble…”, etc.

6.) Osewa ni narimasu / narimashita / natteimasu (お世話になります・なりました・なっています)

              This is another one that unfortunately gets generally glossed over as “thank you.” You know how, when you eat in a sit-down restaurant, your waiter will often start by saying, “Hi, I’m so-and-so, and I’ll be taking care of you today”? This phrase is somewhat like that, except it comes from the customer, not the service person. It’s like going, “I’m placing myself in your care.” More colloquially and jokingly, you might be able to translate this as, “You’re (always) so good to me.” If someone did something for you, took care of some matter for you, etc, you would say this to them in the past tense. If it’s someone you interact with on a regular basis, perhaps your phone service provider or something, you can say it in the present progressive.

              This one is handy especially when you need to make a call to said service provider. I often hear my coworkers open a phone dialogue with, “Sumimasen, itsumo osewa ni natteimasu!” I’d liken it to, “Thanks for (always) looking out for me / for taking care of me / for taking my call,” and so on.

7.) “Ii desu.” (いいです.)

              This one is tricky because in practice it seems to mean the opposite of its translation. On the surface it looks like “That’s good/fine.” Something you might say in acceptance, right? Actually, this phrase almost always is used to decline. It sounds backwards, but if you think of it like saying “No, I’m fine,” “That’s alright,” “I’m good,” etc., it is actually quite intuitive. The general lag in understanding that comes with working in a second language is what makes it difficult to casually associate it with those very similar English phrases, though. You can also use this phrase in conjunction with whatever you’re declining. E.g., “Piza wa, ii desu” doesn’t mean “Pizza is good/sounds good,” but “I don’t want any pizza.” Or if you tweak it a little, “I’m good on pizza, thanks.” Coincidentally, the phrase “Mou ii,” is basically the same as “nevermind” in English.

8.) “…Mada desu.” (。。。まだです)

              This phrase is very versatile, which unfortunately means it’s incredibly vague, and much of the meaning needs to be derived from context.

              “Mada,” means “still” or “yet.” When it’s used on it’s own, it implies that something or other has not yet come to pass, or that it is incomplete. The most useful way that I use it is to humbly accept compliments on my Japanese (the only way to accept compliments in Japan). Saying, “(Nihongo wa) mada mada desu” always gets a positive response, as modesty is valued. It’s like saying “My Japanese isn’t quite there, yet.” Alternatively, if someone asks if you’ve eaten lunch, saying, “mada” just means “not yet.” Like the English gloss, though, the nuance that the intent to eventually eat is there. So if it’s something that you really don’t want to try, say going to a public hot spring, using, “(Onsen wa) mada desu” will imply you’d be willing, and might lead to awkward invitations to go with people later on.

              Also, say you’re at a party and asking after one of the attendees. If the answer is, “Mada desu,” it means “They’re not here yet,” or “I haven’t seen them (so far).” The notion of “yet” is consistent in most of these translations, it’s teasing out the specific meaning that can be a pain.

9.) Chotto wakarimasen (ちょっと分かりません)

              This one has a pretty solid equivalent. It’s just not necessarily obvious. This phrase seems to mean, “I don’t understand a bit,” but it’s pretty much exactly like saying, “I’m not sure.” Seriously, it means “I’m not sure.” The usage is just about spot-on the same. For someone who hates to give absolutes, like me, it’s incredibly handy.

10.) Chigau (違う)

              Here’s one that I have a bit of a soap box to stand on about. This is a verb which means “to be different.” Japanese people use it to mean something is incorrect or wrong. So many times I’ve seen people hold up this tendency as proof that the Japanese shun diversity or divergence from a set norm. While I don’t contest that that sentiment does exist in Japan, I don’t think this particular word is evidence of it.

              To me, using “chigau” to mean incorrect isn’t because being different and being wrong are synonymous, but because the Japanese like to phrase anything negative as delicately as possible. In other words, it’s euphemism that allows them to avoid saying “NO YOU’RE WRONG, EPIC FAIL,” which is how “Iie, sore ga machigatteiru” would come across. It’s a circumlocution born out of a desire to be indirect, not a cultural intolerance of variation.

              So, in terms of usage, this word is used when correcting someone, mostly. It’s gentle-sounding, so in that sense, I’d liken it to a response like, “Not quite,” as opposed to “No,” which is much harsher.

So there you go. I hope you can glean something new and useful from what turned into a surprisingly long-winded topic for me!

Ja, mata ne.

ちなみに、すみませんが、このポーストを日本語に直すつもりがありません。長くて、指がもう疲れていますので、英語で頑張ってください！