Do you use Japanese often perhaps at work place or with your family? When you answer your phone in Japanese, how do you respond? In today’s article, let me show you some of the telephone etiquette that you can use in Japanese. Read on!<\/p>\n
Moshi Moshi – \u3082\u3057\u3082\u3057 \u00a0(Hello)<\/strong><\/p>\n ~is the key word to use when you pick up the phone in Japanese. I know in English, you would pick up a phone saying, “Hello.” \u00a0Just remember, you don’t say “Konnichiwa, \u3053\u3093\u306b\u3061\u306f\u3002” when you pick up a phone in Japanese.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dochira sama desuka? -\u3069\u3061\u3089\u3055\u307e\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f(Who is this?)<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are not sure who is calling, you can ask him\/her by saying,\u00a0Dochira sama desuka? -\u3069\u3061\u3089\u3055\u307e\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f<\/strong>This is a polite way of asking, “Who is this?”.<\/p>\n During your conversation, you might want to use the expressions like:<\/em><\/p>\n Goyouken wa nan desuka? -\u3054\u7528\u4ef6\u306f\u3001\u4f55\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff08\u3054\u3088\u3046\u3051\u3093\u306f\u3001\u306a\u3093\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff09(May I help you?)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Goyouken o oukagai shitemo yoroshii desuka? -\u3054\u7528\u4ef6\u3092\u3001\u304a\u4f3a\u3044\u3057\u3066\u3082\u3088\u308d\u3057\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff08\u3054\u3088\u3046\u3051\u3093\u3092\u3000\u304a\u3046\u304b\u304c\u3044\u3057\u3066\u3082\u3000\u3088\u308d\u3057\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff09(May I ask you what this call is about?)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Above two expressions are very similar, but the second one is much longer, and it might sound a bit more polite. However, you can use the first expression without offending anyone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Shoushou omachi kudasai. – \u5c11\u3005\u3001\u304a\u5f85\u3061\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044\u3002\uff08\u3057\u3087\u3046\u3057\u3087\u3046\u3000\u304a\u307e\u3061\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044\u3002\uff09(Please hold on. or Please hang on.)<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sukoshi omachishite itadaitemo iidesuka? – \u5c11\u3057\u3001\u304a\u5f85\u3061\u3057\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u3044\u3066\u3082\u3000\u3044\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff08\u3059\u3053\u3057\u3000\u304a\u307e\u3061\u3057\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u3044\u3066\u3082\u3000\u3044\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff09(May I ask you to hold on? )<\/strong><\/p>\n This one is again a bit more polite version of the above.<\/p>\n Omatase itashimashita. – \u304a\u5f85\u305f\u305b\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002(\u304a\u307e\u305f\u305b\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002)\u3000(Sorry to keep you waiting. )\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tantou sha ni otsunagi itashimasu. -\u62c5\u5f53\u8005\u306b\u304a\u3064\u306a\u304e\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u305f\u3093\u3068\u3046\u3057\u3083\u306b\u3000\u304a\u3064\u306a\u304e\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09(Let me connect you with the assigned person.)<\/strong><\/p>\n You can use this expression by replacing the part, “tantou sha(assigned person)” with anyone. For example, if you say,<\/p>\n Tanaka san ni otsunagi itashimasu. -\u7530\u4e2d\u3055\u3093\u306b\u304a\u3064\u306a\u304e\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u305f\u306a\u304b\u3055\u3093\u306b\u3000\u304a\u3064\u306a\u304e\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09 then, it would mean, “Let me connect you to Mr. Tanaka.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Odenwa arigatou gozaimashita. – \u304a\u96fb\u8a71\u3001\u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\uff08\u304a\u3067\u3093\u308f\u3000\u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\uff09(Thank you for calling.)<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Shitsurei shimasu. Shitsurei itashimasu. – \u5931\u793c\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\u5931\u793c\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u3057\u3064\u308c\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\u3057\u3064\u308c\u3044\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09<\/strong><\/p>\n As you are ending the conversation, it is an etiquette in Japanese to say “Shitsurei shimasu. Shitsurei itashimasu. – \u5931\u793c\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\u5931\u793c\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u3057\u3064\u308c\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\u3057\u3064\u308c\u3044\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09”. \u00a0To be honest, I am not sure if there is a good translation for this expression in English. This is one of those things that it literally means, “Sorry to disturb you..” kind of things. \u00a0People in Japan normally say this before ending the conversation. We rarely say “Sayounara, \u3055\u3088\u3046\u306a\u3089” on the phone to end our conversation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Were these expressions new to you? Hope these were helpful to you. Good luck learning Japanese.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you use Japanese often perhaps at work place or with your family? When you answer your phone in Japanese, how do you respond? In today’s article, let me show you some of the telephone etiquette that you can use in Japanese. Read on! Moshi Moshi – \u3082\u3057\u3082\u3057 \u00a0(Hello) ~is the key word to use…<\/p>\n