Introduction to Japanese
- 日本語 [Nihongo], Japanese is the national language of Japan, but is spoken by around a total 125 million people.
- There are dozens of dialects spoken in Japan that differ in vocabulary and pitch accent, the main distinctions being between the Tokyo accent 東京式 [Toukyou-shiki] and the Kyoto/Osaka accent 京阪式 [Keihan-shiki].
- The Japanese language uses a grammatical system to express varying levels of politeness
Pronunciation
The 5 Japanese Vowels
A I U E O The vowels, when together, make a distinct sound. They do not blend into one sound. Eg. 青い - aoi [blue], is pronounced a - o - i [ah-oh-ee] |
'a' as in father 'i' as in city 'u' as in soon 'e' as in egg 'o' as in old |
Honorific Speech [keigo 敬語]
Honorific speech is used in Japan to convey varying degrees of respect and politeness, it is considered very important in business atmospheres.
You will often find that keigo is much longer than normal speech.
TYPES OF KEIGO
teineigo (polite language) will normally be used by Japanese television presenters and news readers. It is characterized by the usage of 'desu' and 'masu' when ending a sentence, and prefixes such as 'go' and 'o'.
teineigo is a form of keigo first taught to learners of the Japanese language.
sonkeigo (respectful language) is never used to talk about oneself, and is in fact used to talk to/about customers and superiors. sonkeigo reflects a sense of professionalism. Common verbs may be changed to a more respectful alternative, this may also be the case for nouns.
kenjougo (humble language) used when talking about one's actions or the actions of one's business group, it is very similar to sonkeigo.
Name suffixes are not used when referring to individuals inside one's group.
HONORIFIC TITLES
In the Japanese language, many honorific suffixes are used to address and refer to people. Honorific suffixes are a vital part of Japanese sociolinguistics. Remember, using an honorific suffix to refer to oneself may be seen as arrogant, while forgetting to use a suffix when it is required may be viewed as rude.
~san is the most common honorific. The best way to translate 'san' in English to look at it as 'Mr', 'Mrs' or 'Miss'.
~chan is a diminutive and endearing honorific. 'chan' is commonly used for children, infants, close friends, elderly relatives, lovers and young women. Remember, using 'chan' after a superiors name may be seen as condescending.
~kun is used when referring to those of a lower status than your own (in work/school/university) and is also commonly used when referring to young and adolescent males.
~sama is a more respectful alternative to 'san'. It is used to acknowledge that someone is of a higher rank than yourself, or to refer to customers and guests.
~senpai is used to address your senior peers/colleagues, and ~kohai is used when referring to your junior peers/colleagues (however in this case, 'kun' is more oftenly used).
~sensei is an honorific used to address teachers, doctors and many other authority figures.
You will often find that keigo is much longer than normal speech.
TYPES OF KEIGO
teineigo (polite language) will normally be used by Japanese television presenters and news readers. It is characterized by the usage of 'desu' and 'masu' when ending a sentence, and prefixes such as 'go' and 'o'.
teineigo is a form of keigo first taught to learners of the Japanese language.
sonkeigo (respectful language) is never used to talk about oneself, and is in fact used to talk to/about customers and superiors. sonkeigo reflects a sense of professionalism. Common verbs may be changed to a more respectful alternative, this may also be the case for nouns.
kenjougo (humble language) used when talking about one's actions or the actions of one's business group, it is very similar to sonkeigo.
Name suffixes are not used when referring to individuals inside one's group.
HONORIFIC TITLES
In the Japanese language, many honorific suffixes are used to address and refer to people. Honorific suffixes are a vital part of Japanese sociolinguistics. Remember, using an honorific suffix to refer to oneself may be seen as arrogant, while forgetting to use a suffix when it is required may be viewed as rude.
~san is the most common honorific. The best way to translate 'san' in English to look at it as 'Mr', 'Mrs' or 'Miss'.
~chan is a diminutive and endearing honorific. 'chan' is commonly used for children, infants, close friends, elderly relatives, lovers and young women. Remember, using 'chan' after a superiors name may be seen as condescending.
~kun is used when referring to those of a lower status than your own (in work/school/university) and is also commonly used when referring to young and adolescent males.
~sama is a more respectful alternative to 'san'. It is used to acknowledge that someone is of a higher rank than yourself, or to refer to customers and guests.
~senpai is used to address your senior peers/colleagues, and ~kohai is used when referring to your junior peers/colleagues (however in this case, 'kun' is more oftenly used).
~sensei is an honorific used to address teachers, doctors and many other authority figures.