During my first visit to japan I got “日本語は上手”’:ed by the guys next to me in a bar, and I knew so little japanese that had no idea what that phrase meant. I could literally just say what my name was and where I was from, and I could order two beers. I find it hilarious that they had to explain to me what “日本語は上手”’ meant, IN ENGLISH. =D
Using は there is very spicy of them... they be giving a back-handed compliment LMAO. Because in that case using は instead of が makes it sound like they're comparing your skill in Japanese to your skill in other things. So it's like saying "As for your Japanese (as opposed to other things), it is skillful." If you ever wanna turn a compliment into an insult, just tell a woman, "今日*は*かわいい" LOL. I guarantee your girlfriend will love it. The slaps you receive are slaps of joy, trust me. On the real, she would probs just respond with something like "what about the other days? Are you saying I'm not always かわいい?" (If you want to actually turn it into a compliment, you should say "今日*も*かわいい.")
Perhaps you'd have received the expected reaction from strangers and people you don't know well. In this case, perhaps your family members/close friends are comfortable enough with you to simply say "Thank you": they can trust that you are being genuine with your praise.
something i've realized as i've studied different languages is that the more you learn, the more aware you become of what you still don't know. you never appreciate how tall the mountain really is until you climb it halfway and you know better than anyone that you still haven't reached the top. but...personally, i think its important to look back every once in awhile to see how far you've come too. halfway is still a pretty far way to have climbed, i think it's ok to be proud of it
the fact that the first call got the last translation wrong in such an interesting way really was honestly impressive. I think it made me understand having feelings of excitement when someone is clearly trying their best to learn your language
I feel that too! Last month I ask politely to a Japanese if I could sit next to her -as in check if she wasn't waiting for anyone- and she was genuinely surprised. It made me want to practice more!
Person number 2 (the first girl) had such good pronunciation! It's interesting that the pronunciation was at such a high level while she was insecure about which words to say. I feel that it's usually the other way around, that people learn to say a bunch of stuff but pronouncing it in a funny way :P
I always thought it odd that people think it disingenuous even tho most people across most cultures and languages do the same. Even if someone isn’t fluent, when clear effort has been made and you can tell what they are saying even though it’s not a language they are used to, it’s genuinely impressive. Especially for super complicated yet super different languages like english and japanese. If someone who has spent most of their life speaking japanese comes to the US on a trip and can communicate even a little and people can understand them, chances are, someone will tell them their english is good. They will mean it too! Sounding like a native speaker and genuinely impressing people on a level they would call “good” are not mutually exclusive. There are different types of good too. Good for someone new to a language isn’t going to mean the same as good even compared to native speakers, but both are still genuine forms of “good”. I always thought of it just being the same way anyone would tell someone speaking a language that they aren’t necessarily proficient in that they are speaking well. It’s not a lie, it’s just based on a different set of criteria than “native tongue” level of fluency. I am glad to see more people realizing this and putting the message out there to clarify for those who may not have thought about it like that.
Not all cultures are like this. For instance countries like the USA and Canada are very diverse, so you have to be careful who you say "Your English is great!" to. The person you're talking to might look Asian but still be a 5th generation American lol. I have also heard the Germans are very direct, even directly correcting foreigners' German mistakes, which is something that would be rude in many countries, but I think is actually quite helpful in terms of learning a language.
Probably related to the almost universal thing people who live in Japan say. The worse your Japanese, the more you get jouzu'd. The closer you are to native, you get treated with indifference. Though my least favorite isn't quite as talked about. On the same line as "you get treated as normal", are the very strange people who feel the need to correct any minor mistakes or differences in your language. I have never felt the urge to do this to people in English, and I've never seen it in my third language, Korean. It feels exclusively Japanese (in my limited knowledge tbf) and is super obnoxious.
I can imagine my brother telling me in these cases: oh for sure you're kidding me, just get out, or do you know, he is so narcissistic so he's just gonna show off, but anyways, he's that kind of people: "atama ga ii na hito", so he's gonna be ok anyways
It's nice to say "thank you," whether they really mean it or not, even if they were just being flattering. The other party is doing you a favor anyway. ※Except in Kyoto.
You're so sweet and positive that it encourages me to keep going. The language community on YT can be a bit of a bummer at times. 😅 anyway, I want to get better at japanese since you're learning my native language (Spanish)! I wanna leave japanese comments 🥺 (but how!!)
Wow, @5:55 when she said "I want to be on youtube" sounded SO NATURAL to me. Then again I grew up in an area with a lot of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipino kids. I'm probably just used to their parents' thick accents lmao
I’ve studied Japanese for a long time, but I’m not fluent. When I studied in Japan, I had a friend from America visit! So we walked around, talked and I helped by speaking whatever Japanese I had at the time. The lady who worked at a Daifuku shopped told me 日本語上手！ and I replied how much i love the language and how hard I’m trying to learn it. But on the train, my friend said(after explaining what the lady said) “they probably told you that to make you feel good.” And I don’t know if that was meant to belittle me and make me feel proud about my progress. But it’s a quote that has lingered on me for so long that I never believe anyone who tells me “My Japanese is good.”
see the problem isnt just that they say 上手 its that they specifically DON'T say it if they actually do think you're jouzu which kind of betrays what they actually mean. what i hear now is wow it must be nice to be able to speak 2 languages lol
Thank you for this video! I recently signed up for a language exchange app so I could get in some live practice, and I've been keeping this in mind when Japanese language partners compliment my language skills. Instead of trying to contradict them, I'm thanking them and noting I still have a lot to learn. :)
私は30年以上、時々日本語を勉強してきました。これは、続けるべき最高のビデオの一つです。ありがとうございます! I've studied Japanese off and on for a good 30 years. This is one of the best videos that needs to be continued. THANK YOU!!
Next time you should ask to translate “こんにちは?” Then overly praise them 🤣 Usually in my case when I say a simple Japanese phrase and I get a 上手 I usually reply something like うそ／うそだ／(私の)日本語ひどい or just starting speaking a hard American accent when others start getting comfortable speaking Japanese around me.
your videos have lot of quality, they are very enjoyable, fun and I like your personality. I tell you this, I come watch your vidos mainly because I want comprehensible input in japanese but thats not all, I really like the way you speak and engage with us, it kinda feels like you are here by my side speaking to me. Once in a while I find some youtubers who are able to do that, I really like it, it doesnt feel 100% scripted even it is, it feels genuine and has a human touch to it. Great job! 次のビデオを楽しみにしてる。
What does it mean if no one ever says that to me but just keeps the convo going? (it might be different too bc I just talk on twitter, not in person). Is it good or bad XD. I always worry i might be a bit cringy but the desire to discuss characters in niche fandoms is too strong haha.
I think there was a mistake in the survey. When people say 上手! It is almost an interruption. Next time, when they finish the first sentence, you have to give an over reaction immediately.
I've been learning Japanese on my own for about a year and a half, and whenever I get the rare chance to speak it with native speakers and they say something like "日本語を上手ね" I usually just say "ありがとうございます" or try to be extra polite and downplay/be humble by adding "まだ勉強してる" (I'm still learning) or "日本語は難しい、でもとてもおもしろいね"
I've been told that by so many people when I traveled in Japan! Exactly this "Nihongo Jozu desune!" and I replied with "Ie ie zen zen!" every time. I think it was a proper reaction
I think because they know you and are comfortable with you, it’s easier to say “Thank you”. Also, they know you can speak three languages (English being one of them) so when you say that “Your English is good”, they know that they are genuinely praised for it. With strangers, or people you don’t know that well, you would prefer to stay polite and not be arrogant. This is what I think anyway. By the way, when I get “日本語は上手”’ed, I usually say “いやいやいや、まだ勉強します”. And if they say it another time, then I take the bait “ありがとうございます、優しすぎです！😭” (In English or Japanese) Thank you for the video! It was really nice!
It's funny how when I hear anyone else besides myself attempt at speaking a language it doesn't bother me and I'm impressed no matter how good they are just becase they tried. But when its ME I'm embarrassed befor I even open my mouth. 😅
Omg I feel this too!!!!! I have to start somewhere but there’s this overwhelming feeling of they’re gonna think I’m so bad and I’m gonna butcher words and maybe say something that’s completely off from the original meaning
Person: 日本語上手！ Me: はい。日本人です。笑 I said this a few times now to people I knew would be fine with a joke and it went over pretty well. Lol. Thank you, Dogen! But, admittedly, I often default to, いえいえ！まだまだです！while rapidly flailing my hands back and forth. Im just gonna say thanks from now on. Thanks for this video!
@@NiekNooijens さらにうまくなると日本人なのに日本語が下手くそやんと言われる始末 And then the next level you get told you're horrible cuz they expected you were Japanese and confused at some point. (But only really stupid or mean people would say 下手くそ） A lot of people are just gonna assume certain things sometimes, well if you avoid language exchange and just talk to natives pretending to be Japanese or just don't go out of your way to mention about your nationality then some weird situations may happen sometimes. And in the end, Japanese people have no way to truly judge your language ability, since you are the only person will full control over it xD and you know what you know or don't know.
Even though everyone said Thank you, they still did the typical Japanese thing of downplaying it. Like the guy said he’s not even good at Japanese lol. The girl said her English was all over the place. His sister was saying her pronunciation wasn’t great. But seriously they sounded great and their English was great! We should compliment and encourage each other when learning a language. Great video as always! :)
This is heartwarming ❤ When I was learning English back in Sweden everyone was hypercritical of themselves and others so I remember lacking confidence and being really shy to try to speak English so I relate with them! It is amazing to put in the effort and learn a language so I love hearing people try their best! Any mistakes are just cute. ^^
The second friend had good pronunciation ! I always feel bad that I didn't study Japanese enough and I cause inconvenience to store owners when I visit Japan. Because I am Asian but not Japanese... then both of us a flustered and try to communicate in English. I love to communicate with locals more.
It's so funny to me that the best one at English was the most humble and didn't want to take the compliment, haha. Her pronunciation was really good, too.
Actually if I think back, when a Japanese spoke in Chinese. In just one sentence I was pleasantly surprised as well. I think sometimes we don’t expect another culture to take so much interest in our language so when we witness a foreigner speaking just one sentence of our mother tongue (we also assume that they can speak more than that) we are genuinely surprised and elated. I might also be inclined to say something like WOW you can speak Chinese?! Or at least that would be my thoughts
"wow you can speak Chinese?" is a very genuine and positive reaction. There's no problem with it at all. Now, if you tell them their Chinese is super good just based on a "hello", that's kind of insulting. Especially if they are really good. Imagine you spent 5-6 years learning and really making an honest effort and then smb just dismisses you after a "hello". It's like " well, that's good enough for you, foreigner. It's not like we have any expectations for you in the first place". Also, we all know if smb's level is really high we wouldn't be saying " your japanese/chinese/etc is good to them. Maybe one of their parents is Chinese if they are so good and the praise will be misplaced.
It’s funny, at the beginning of the video you were talking about how Japanese folks just get excited to hear a foreigner speaking Japanese. When you first said it, I thought it was kind of ridiculous, why would anyone feel that way? But! When your sisters were speaking English and getting it right… I was literally sitting here clapping for them, I was super excited to hear them speaking English even though it was pretty simple 😂 That’s when it finally made sense to me, the way I felt about your sisters speaking English, that’s probably how a lot of Japanese folks feel when they hear a foreigner speaking Japanese. And if I’m sitting here clapping for them when they get it right, I can only imagine that when Japanese folks say “日本語じょおず”, they must really mean it 😊.
That was so charming i can't, couldn't stop smiling throughout the entire video. Now i finally know what to answer if i ever get told that by a native so thank you so much! ^_^
Learning languages is hard, and even in places like Germany they seem impressed by my child level knowledge. Because, like you mentioned, they understand that our culture doesn't expect or encourage learning other languages. So when someone learns it it's often through great effort and respect.
I finally watched a full video without any Japanese subs! Your clear pronunciation and interesting topics make learning so much fun. Thank you so much!
Impressive! I was thinking that they wouldn't accept the praise . Really glad that they do it , they put effort on it so deserve the praise , even if it's not perfect. On the same time , if (or when , i'm optimistic ) i become "nihongo jouzu again , i will accept it because i will be happy. Last time it was so hard to act like i was not happy about it , even if it's just one praise . (it mean all of the effort to learn japanese on my own , with no teacher and all , far from perfect was indeed usefull! I know it's far from perfect but like one friend said: "When i'm climbing the mountain , i must not look at the mountain , but at the rock who are in the way "
Your friends and family did amazingly well! I don't know too many people I could randomly call and have them translate English into Japanese. Well done!
I’m basically the only classmate who could write and speak Japanese in my entire class, everyone else has only some knowledge of a random European language or just speak English
This was the FIRST time i watched one of your videos without english subtitles AND I UNDERSTOOD IT!! Ok, not every single word, but most of it! Im so happy rn, thank you for speaking so clearly:))
I always love your videos for showing us the real response of the Japanese. Just get curious if your friends already know that they would be in the TH-cam video because you called them quite oftenxD.
I thought people were just being polite when they praised my Japanese until I talked to a Japanese person who was trying to learn English and I found myself genuinely meaning it when I told her that her English was really good because compared to my Japanese her English was amazing. Please make a video on how to get better at listening to Japanese! When people speak faster I can’t even pick out any words 😭
When I get 日本語上手ed, I just reply “ありがとうございます、まだまだですけど”. Btw you can see some small flicks of cultural differences in the video: #2 was very cold on the phone, usually me and my friends (Japanese friends included) when picking the phone will reply with a “ohh hi how are you etc” instead of a simply “hai” to “um”, and before hanging the phone again, “hai” Almost felt like she was being interrupted when you called her and wanted to hang as quick as possible…
I'd think it's largely generational. I teach Japanese people of all ages. Most of the older generations don't accept compliments well; younger generations generally show more thanks rather than rejecting compliments. And good on all those you talked to! They all did well :)
Side note I’m actually impressed that many people took time out of their day to answer! Not sure if it’s just me but I feel like a lot of people in my generation (I’m 21) prefer to text than call. Just like he was saying about everybody being busy with their own things I feel like it’s so hard to get someone at a good time to pick up the phone! I personally prefer calling if I can’t meet face-to-face but that seems a rare commodity these days 👁️👄👁️
Being able to understand the Japanese despite me being a beginner feels like magic! I have been learning by myself for less than a year but i have a japanese friend who helps me out online, we met through a online videogame! おのまっぷさん、ありがとう！
Learning a new language is hard, and hearing people encourage you for even trying is so wholesome! I know enough Japanese to hold a super basic conversation (things I like, things I can do, weather, getting directions) but would ABSOLUTELY still be flustered if someone told me “日本語は上手です！” I’d probably go “いいえいいえ,私は日本語を練習します！” Because my vocabulary isn’t incredible yet. ^^;
I never quite understood why Westerners got annoyed at "日本語上手ですねー”, as an Asian born in Australia people bloody assume my English is horrible by default or will say "Wow your English is so good, how long have you been in Australia?". It's the same, I'm sure everyone has said "Your English is good" and you were impressed because learning a language is hard and you appreciate their effort to learn your language. Anyway, great video ひときさん！ Had me smiling the whole time like most of your videos.
The problem isn't the praise, the problem is when every japanese person tells you your nihongo is jouzu simply because you were able to say "yoroshiku onegai shimasu" their praise becomes worthless. Praise is good when it's actually deserved. Imagine seeing an adult eating and praising them "wow you eat so nice, good job!"
Everybody did very well! Especially #2, her pronunciation was really good.
ikr I was surprised how good her pronunciation was after not wanting to do it
I noticed that too it sounded very natural
Did you just 英語上手 all of them?
@@Chisegh Uno reverse card
I think so
During my first visit to japan I got “日本語は上手”’:ed by the guys next to me in a bar, and I knew so little japanese that had no idea what that phrase meant. I could literally just say what my name was and where I was from, and I could order two beers. I find it hilarious that they had to explain to me what “日本語は上手”’ meant, IN ENGLISH. =D
Using は there is very spicy of them... they be giving a back-handed compliment LMAO. Because in that case using は instead of が makes it sound like they're comparing your skill in Japanese to your skill in other things. So it's like saying "As for your Japanese (as opposed to other things), it is skillful."
If you ever wanna turn a compliment into an insult, just tell a woman, "今日*は*かわいい" LOL. I guarantee your girlfriend will love it. The slaps you receive are slaps of joy, trust me. On the real, she would probs just respond with something like "what about the other days? Are you saying I'm not always かわいい?"
(If you want to actually turn it into a compliment, you should say "今日*も*かわいい.")
@@GodisgudAQW hahaha yeah I see your point, though i believe they didn't actually use the particle, and I just mistyped it above :)
@@GodisgudAQW thats good to know 😂
Lol same!! This lady jouzu'd me and then she had to explain to me what it meant lol!!
@@GodisgudAQW have you been watching Japanese Ammo with Misa?
Perhaps you'd have received the expected reaction from strangers and people you don't know well. In this case, perhaps your family members/close friends are comfortable enough with you to simply say "Thank you": they can trust that you are being genuine with your praise.
That's a good point.
I think the same.
just what I was thinking.
そうですね!
@@peachycakes8004 わかんない
2nd girl: nooooooo, my English sucks
also her: (speaks with great accent)
me: huh???
something i've realized as i've studied different languages is that the more you learn, the more aware you become of what you still don't know. you never appreciate how tall the mountain really is until you climb it halfway and you know better than anyone that you still haven't reached the top.
but...personally, i think its important to look back every once in awhile to see how far you've come too. halfway is still a pretty far way to have climbed, i think it's ok to be proud of it
the fact that the first call got the last translation wrong in such an interesting way really was honestly impressive. I think it made me understand having feelings of excitement when someone is clearly trying their best to learn your language
This made me so happy to hear that Japanese people are genuinely proud of us learners even if we're over critical of ourselves 😭 its hard out here
I feel that too! Last month I ask politely to a Japanese if I could sit next to her -as in check if she wasn't waiting for anyone- and she was genuinely surprised. It made me want to practice more!
Person number 2 (the first girl) had such good pronunciation! It's interesting that the pronunciation was at such a high level while she was insecure about which words to say. I feel that it's usually the other way around, that people learn to say a bunch of stuff but pronouncing it in a funny way :P
I always thought it odd that people think it disingenuous even tho most people across most cultures and languages do the same. Even if someone isn’t fluent, when clear effort has been made and you can tell what they are saying even though it’s not a language they are used to, it’s genuinely impressive.
Especially for super complicated yet super different languages like english and japanese. If someone who has spent most of their life speaking japanese comes to the US on a trip and can communicate even a little and people can understand them, chances are, someone will tell them their english is good. They will mean it too! Sounding like a native speaker and genuinely impressing people on a level they would call “good” are not mutually exclusive. There are different types of good too.
Good for someone new to a language isn’t going to mean the same as good even compared to native speakers, but both are still genuine forms of “good”.
I always thought of it just being the same way anyone would tell someone speaking a language that they aren’t necessarily proficient in that they are speaking well.
It’s not a lie, it’s just based on a different set of criteria than “native tongue” level of fluency.
I am glad to see more people realizing this and putting the message out there to clarify for those who may not have thought about it like that.
Not all cultures are like this. For instance countries like the USA and Canada are very diverse, so you have to be careful who you say "Your English is great!" to. The person you're talking to might look Asian but still be a 5th generation American lol.
I have also heard the Germans are very direct, even directly correcting foreigners' German mistakes, which is something that would be rude in many countries, but I think is actually quite helpful in terms of learning a language.
Probably related to the almost universal thing people who live in Japan say.
The worse your Japanese, the more you get jouzu'd. The closer you are to native, you get treated with indifference.
Though my least favorite isn't quite as talked about. On the same line as "you get treated as normal", are the very strange people who feel the need to correct any minor mistakes or differences in your language.
I have never felt the urge to do this to people in English, and I've never seen it in my third language, Korean. It feels exclusively Japanese (in my limited knowledge tbf) and is super obnoxious.
The 2nd girl actually did amazing. Nice pronunciation, almost like a native.
I can imagine my brother telling me in these cases: oh for sure you're kidding me, just get out, or do you know, he is so narcissistic so he's just gonna show off, but anyways, he's that kind of people: "atama ga ii na hito", so he's gonna be ok anyways
登録しましたよ
友達に日本語上手だね！と言ったら苦笑いされました。
It's nice to say "thank you," whether they really mean it or not, even if they were just being flattering.
The other party is doing you a favor anyway.
※Except in Kyoto.
Konichiwa
あリがとごさいます
助かった、おのまっぷ！ポジティブにしよっか
For listening practice, before watching his videos, I suggest speeding it up to 1.25 for a more natural speed first. And rewatch after.
You're so sweet and positive that it encourages me to keep going. The language community on YT can be a bit of a bummer at times. 😅 anyway, I want to get better at japanese since you're learning my native language (Spanish)! I wanna leave japanese comments 🥺 (but how!!)
0:19 Hitoki the Tool Man
ひときさん、今日からsubscribeします! 😆 言い方からでもすごく勉強になるし、動画も面白くて、雰囲気もいいなと感じられる 😍
日本語褒められたらやはり「そんなことないよ」とかまだ言っちゃうんだよね 笑 そして最後でありがとうで礼を言います
They were all suspiciously good. Probably paid actors.
✨✨✨✨✨✨
Wow, @5:55 when she said "I want to be on youtube" sounded SO NATURAL to me.
Then again I grew up in an area with a lot of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipino kids. I'm probably just used to their parents' thick accents lmao
I’ve studied Japanese for a long time, but I’m not fluent. When I studied in Japan, I had a friend from America visit! So we walked around, talked and I helped by speaking whatever Japanese I had at the time. The lady who worked at a Daifuku shopped told me 日本語上手！ and I replied how much i love the language and how hard I’m trying to learn it.
But on the train, my friend said(after explaining what the lady said) “they probably told you that to make you feel good.”
And I don’t know if that was meant to belittle me and make me feel proud about my progress. But it’s a quote that has lingered on me for so long that I never believe anyone who tells me “My Japanese is good.”
Wow the second friend's English sounds so pleasing.
あなたの話し方は幼稚です
Я не понимаю, это разве не переведено, а комментарии иностранные
こんにちは。私はベトナム人だよ。日本に来てもう1年間3ヶ月だったよ、日本語の会話を上手になりたいけどまだまだね。今回、初めてこのチャンネルを見るんですけど、すごく面白くて、すごく聞き取れやすいよ、それで勉強のやる気が出てきていたよ。チャンネルを登録して、よく見たいと思っています。ありがとうございます。これからも色んなビデオをしてね
Your so great ...そごいかった🙌 so let's challenge you in Arabicと思いますね😌😅ビドオの好きです、私は今日本の住んでますでも日本人全然話しませんそして私の日本語で話し上手じゃないです🥺
4:15 ❌本当？やったー
✅そんなことないです。まだまだ英語を勉強しないと…
queria ver sua irma
see the problem isnt just that they say 上手 its that they specifically DON'T say it if they actually do think you're jouzu which kind of betrays what they actually mean. what i hear now is wow it must be nice to be able to speak 2 languages lol
The old saying is to say "Mada Mada desu". I'm glad that is changing!
Bruh i learn Japanese language and every Japanese people in my class say that
Boku wa sukoshi dake nihonggo wakaru demo yomemasen
私はインドネシア人です。あなたの喋る方ははっきりとゆっくりだと思います。強くべんきょうしました。がんばってくださいね…
Thank you for this video! I recently signed up for a language exchange app so I could get in some live practice, and I've been keeping this in mind when Japanese language partners compliment my language skills. Instead of trying to contradict them, I'm thanking them and noting I still have a lot to learn. :)
Casate conmigo !!! Jajajjaja
私は30年以上、時々日本語を勉強してきました。これは、続けるべき最高のビデオの一つです。ありがとうございます!
I've studied Japanese off and on for a good 30 years. This is one of the best videos that needs to be continued. THANK YOU!!
Next time you should ask to translate “こんにちは?” Then overly praise them 🤣
Usually in my case when I say a simple Japanese phrase and I get a 上手 I usually reply something like うそ／うそだ／(私の)日本語ひどい or just starting speaking a hard American accent when others start getting comfortable speaking Japanese around me.
Bữa nay thêm cái vương miện trên avt hén :))
They are responding to a Nihonjin. Perhaps they might reply differently to a foreigner who speaks English.
The right reply is a thin line between いえいえ、まだまだですよ and ふざけるな、お前😂😂😂
your videos have lot of quality, they are very enjoyable, fun and I like your personality. I tell you this, I come watch your vidos mainly because I want comprehensible input in japanese but thats not all, I really like the way you speak and engage with us, it kinda feels like you are here by my side speaking to me. Once in a while I find some youtubers who are able to do that, I really like it, it doesnt feel 100% scripted even it is, it feels genuine and has a human touch to it. Great job! 次のビデオを楽しみにしてる。
What does it mean if no one ever says that to me but just keeps the convo going? (it might be different too bc I just talk on twitter, not in person). Is it good or bad XD. I always worry i might be a bit cringy but the desire to discuss characters in niche fandoms is too strong haha.
I don't know if you go to an English country as an Asian if they're gonna praise you when you can speak English fluently.
よく日本人は"私の英語は良くない"と言うが彼/彼女の英語は良いですよ。日本人は英語はこわいですか?よく日本語を勉強している人は日本語はこわいと言うと思います。たぶん皆さんはあたらしい言語はこわいと思います。
やっぱりそうですよね。
sugoiiiiiii video
Your drawings it's so "jozu"
u need to see video utube from Dogen..
I think there was a mistake in the survey. When people say 上手! It is almost an interruption. Next time, when they finish the first sentence, you have to give an over reaction immediately.
じゃあ今度私もただありがとうと言います🤣
Alguém do Brasil ? 🇧🇷
I've been learning Japanese on my own for about a year and a half, and whenever I get the rare chance to speak it with native speakers and they say something like "日本語を上手ね" I usually just say "ありがとうございます" or try to be extra polite and downplay/be humble by adding "まだ勉強してる" (I'm still learning) or "日本語は難しい、でもとてもおもしろいね"
Watashi wa indonesia jin desu ga nohonggo o benkyoushitara omoshiroi desu..
Türkiyeden izliyorum videoların çok güzelmiş . Özellikle animeli olanlar.
興味深い動画ありがとうございます。 友達からそう褒められたらどう反応すればいいか分かって嬉しいですね！でも目上やかなり年上の人からきたらどんな反応が相応しいかまだちょっと悩んでます ww
I think they saying thank you cause they are close to you..
でも、この実験に問題がありますよ。「日本語上手ですね」に対して正しい答えを調べると言いましたが、結局「英語上手ですね」という質問だけ聞きました。だから本当の正解はその３人の日本語を褒めなければ分かりません。
今回も面白かったです🤣😂
うれしい😆
I've been told that by so many people when I traveled in Japan! Exactly this "Nihongo Jozu desune!" and I replied with "Ie ie zen zen!" every time. I think it was a proper reaction
I think because they know you and are comfortable with you, it’s easier to say “Thank you”. Also, they know you can speak three languages (English being one of them) so when you say that “Your English is good”, they know that they are genuinely praised for it.
With strangers, or people you don’t know that well, you would prefer to stay polite and not be arrogant. This is what I think anyway.
By the way, when I get “日本語は上手”’ed, I usually say “いやいやいや、まだ勉強します”. And if they say it another time, then I take the bait “ありがとうございます、優しすぎです！😭” (In English or Japanese)
Thank you for the video! It was really nice!
"まだ勉強します" sounds a bit unnatural to me. I personally go with いえ、まだまだです or まだこれからです。
It's funny how when I hear anyone else besides myself attempt at speaking a language it doesn't bother me and I'm impressed no matter how good they are just becase they tried. But when its ME I'm embarrassed befor I even open my mouth. 😅
Omg I feel this too!!!!! I have to start somewhere but there’s this overwhelming feeling of they’re gonna think I’m so bad and I’m gonna butcher words and maybe say something that’s completely off from the original meaning
Person: 日本語上手！
Me: はい。日本人です。笑
I said this a few times now to people I knew would be fine with a joke and it went over pretty well. Lol. Thank you, Dogen!
But, admittedly, I often default to, いえいえ！まだまだです！while rapidly flailing my hands back and forth. Im just gonna say thanks from now on. Thanks for this video!
If you get better eventually it will become いつから日本に住んでいますか? (How long have you been living in Japan)
And I always have to respond "住んでいません。" (I don't)
Sou sou. "ya, ya, madamada desu!" tte, karuku ojigi wo shite... Everyone has always been very fond of seeing that reaction. :) 😇
@@NiekNooijens さらにうまくなると日本人なのに日本語が下手くそやんと言われる始末
And then the next level you get told you're horrible cuz they expected you were Japanese and confused at some point. (But only really stupid or mean people would say 下手くそ）
A lot of people are just gonna assume certain things sometimes, well if you avoid language exchange and just talk to natives pretending to be Japanese or just don't go out of your way to mention about your nationality then some weird situations may happen sometimes. And in the end, Japanese people have no way to truly judge your language ability, since you are the only person will full control over it xD and you know what you know or don't know.
私は日本のケーキ屋さんで働いていますので、時々日本語を話しています。
例えば商品の値段や商品の期限日やなど話しています。お客様が日本語がお上手ですねと褒めてくれた時、私はお客様のおかけで、新しい言葉を勉強するようになります。と言いました。
本当のこと言えば大丈夫ですか？
日本語勉強していた時、先生から教えたことがあります。褒められた時、「いえいえ、まだです」という教科書に載っていました。 毎回毎回「いえいえ、まだです」と言ったら面白くと思います。
勉強するように返事する時会話によって変わっています。
大丈夫ですかね。
Even though everyone said Thank you, they still did the typical Japanese thing of downplaying it. Like the guy said he’s not even good at Japanese lol. The girl said her English was all over the place. His sister was saying her pronunciation wasn’t great. But seriously they sounded great and their English was great! We should compliment and encourage each other when learning a language. Great video as always! :)
This is heartwarming ❤ When I was learning English back in Sweden everyone was hypercritical of themselves and others so I remember lacking confidence and being really shy to try to speak English so I relate with them! It is amazing to put in the effort and learn a language so I love hearing people try their best! Any mistakes are just cute. ^^
私も、いつも「いえいえ、そう言うことじゃないですよ」って言っているんですけど、みんなすごくポジティブな答えをしていたのはすごくいいと思います。今からそう言う風に答えするかな？。。。面白い動画を作ってくれてありがとうございます^^
The way he speaks about things, makes Japan such a wholesome place. He is one of the few channels I feel so so happy after watching.
初めての友達の声はとても美しい😆🥰💜💙
"Thank you" is such a kind way to respond to a compliment. There's no punishment or feeling bad for giving a compliment that way.
The second friend had good pronunciation ! I always feel bad that I didn't study Japanese enough and I cause inconvenience to store owners when I visit Japan. Because I am Asian but not Japanese... then both of us a flustered and try to communicate in English. I love to communicate with locals more.
It's so funny to me that the best one at English was the most humble and didn't want to take the compliment, haha. Her pronunciation was really good, too.
Actually if I think back, when a Japanese spoke in Chinese. In just one sentence I was pleasantly surprised as well. I think sometimes we don’t expect another culture to take so much interest in our language so when we witness a foreigner speaking just one sentence of our mother tongue (we also assume that they can speak more than that) we are genuinely surprised and elated. I might also be inclined to say something like WOW you can speak Chinese?! Or at least that would be my thoughts
"wow you can speak Chinese?" is a very genuine and positive reaction. There's no problem with it at all. Now, if you tell them their Chinese is super good just based on a "hello", that's kind of insulting. Especially if they are really good. Imagine you spent 5-6 years learning and really making an honest effort and then smb just dismisses you after a "hello". It's like " well, that's good enough for you, foreigner. It's not like we have any expectations for you in the first place". Also, we all know if smb's level is really high we wouldn't be saying " your japanese/chinese/etc is good to them. Maybe one of their parents is Chinese if they are so good and the praise will be misplaced.
@@MrGianeta bro ranted 💀
It's a compliment usually geared towards tourists. If you're studying or working in Japan they won't say that unless you're really good.
It’s funny, at the beginning of the video you were talking about how Japanese folks just get excited to hear a foreigner speaking Japanese. When you first said it, I thought it was kind of ridiculous, why would anyone feel that way? But! When your sisters were speaking English and getting it right… I was literally sitting here clapping for them, I was super excited to hear them speaking English even though it was pretty simple 😂
That’s when it finally made sense to me, the way I felt about your sisters speaking English, that’s probably how a lot of Japanese folks feel when they hear a foreigner speaking Japanese. And if I’m sitting here clapping for them when they get it right, I can only imagine that when Japanese folks say “日本語じょおず”, they must really mean it 😊.
so wholesome 🐱
Perfectly said. Especially when you hear someone switch from their native tongue
That was so charming i can't, couldn't stop smiling throughout the entire video. Now i finally know what to answer if i ever get told that by a native so thank you so much! ^_^
I lived in Japan for 11 years and heard 日本語上手ですね！ so many times that on an off day I’d just respond with そうですね 😂
Holy shit how is #2's pronunciation and accent so PLEASANT.
Learning languages is hard, and even in places like Germany they seem impressed by my child level knowledge. Because, like you mentioned, they understand that our culture doesn't expect or encourage learning other languages. So when someone learns it it's often through great effort and respect.
I finally watched a full video without any Japanese subs! Your clear pronunciation and interesting topics make learning so much fun. Thank you so much!
Impressive! I was thinking that they wouldn't accept the praise . Really glad that they do it , they put effort on it so deserve the praise , even if it's not perfect.
On the same time , if (or when , i'm optimistic ) i become "nihongo jouzu again , i will accept it because i will be happy. Last time it was so hard to act like i was not happy about it , even if it's just one praise . (it mean all of the effort to learn japanese on my own , with no teacher and all , far from perfect was indeed usefull!
I know it's far from perfect but like one friend said: "When i'm climbing the mountain , i must not look at the mountain , but at the rock who are in the way "
The second girl's pronunciation is excellent. They all did great, really.
Your friends and family did amazingly well! I don't know too many people I could randomly call and have them translate English into Japanese. Well done!
I’m basically the only classmate who could write and speak Japanese in my entire class, everyone else has only some knowledge of a random European language or just speak English
実際で日本人の反応から教えてくれるのは本当にいいアイデアですね。
ありがとう〜
This was the FIRST time i watched one of your videos without english subtitles AND I UNDERSTOOD IT!! Ok, not every single word, but most of it! Im so happy rn, thank you for speaking so clearly:))
I always love your videos for showing us the real response of the Japanese. Just get curious if your friends already know that they would be in the TH-cam video because you called them quite oftenxD.
二人目がいやだーっていったのに英語の発音はすごく綺麗でびっくりした
I thought people were just being polite when they praised my Japanese until I talked to a Japanese person who was trying to learn English and I found myself genuinely meaning it when I told her that her English was really good because compared to my Japanese her English was amazing.
Please make a video on how to get better at listening to Japanese! When people speak faster I can’t even pick out any words 😭
When
I get 日本語上手ed, I just reply “ありがとうございます、まだまだですけど”.
Btw you can see some small flicks of cultural differences in the video: #2 was very cold on the phone, usually me and my friends (Japanese friends included) when picking the phone will reply with a “ohh hi how are you etc” instead of a simply “hai” to “um”, and before hanging the phone again, “hai” Almost felt like she was being interrupted when you called her and wanted to hang as quick as possible…
I think it’s just a sibling relationship/personality thing :-) Plus it seemed like they see each other often
whoa that 2nd friend's english is really good! there is absolutely no need for her to be so humble/shy about it.
I'd think it's largely generational. I teach Japanese people of all ages. Most of the older generations don't accept compliments well; younger generations generally show more thanks rather than rejecting compliments.
And good on all those you talked to! They all did well :)
Side note I’m actually impressed that many people took time out of their day to answer! Not sure if it’s just me but I feel like a lot of people in my generation (I’m 21) prefer to text than call.
Just like he was saying about everybody being busy with their own things I feel like it’s so hard to get someone at a good time to pick up the phone!
I personally prefer calling if I can’t meet face-to-face but that seems a rare commodity these days
👁️👄👁️
Being able to understand the Japanese despite me being a beginner feels like magic! I have been learning by myself for less than a year but i have a japanese friend who helps me out online, we met through a online videogame!
おのまっぷさん、ありがとう！
Interesting experiment! I'm glad you did it. The lady who went second, her accent was very good.
oh my god the basis of this video is my entire thought process THANKS FOR THE VIDEO I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED
also your english is better than mine wth 😭😭 I didn't even think about the "up" to correct it to "show up on TH-cam"
I love the fact that the first friend you called always seems to be clicking away at his computer :'D
私はいつも"お世辞でも嬉しいです"と答えます。そう言うなら世辞のことは認めるながら自分の嬉しいさも伝えられると思います。
Learning a new language is hard, and hearing people encourage you for even trying is so wholesome! I know enough Japanese to hold a super basic conversation (things I like, things I can do, weather, getting directions) but would ABSOLUTELY still be flustered if someone told me “日本語は上手です！” I’d probably go “いいえいいえ,私は日本語を練習します！” Because my vocabulary isn’t incredible yet. ^^;
I never quite understood why Westerners got annoyed at "日本語上手ですねー”, as an Asian born in Australia people bloody assume my English is horrible by default or will say "Wow your English is so good, how long have you been in Australia?". It's the same, I'm sure everyone has said "Your English is good" and you were impressed because learning a language is hard and you appreciate their effort to learn your language.
Anyway, great video ひときさん！ Had me smiling the whole time like most of your videos.
The problem isn't the praise, the problem is when every japanese person tells you your nihongo is jouzu simply because you were able to say "yoroshiku onegai shimasu" their praise becomes worthless. Praise is good when it's actually deserved. Imagine seeing an adult eating and praising them "wow you eat so nice, good job!"
すごい動画だね。こんな素晴らしい動画がユーチューブに珍しいだと思う。声が聞き取りやすいです。