As a non-Japanese person, that sea urchin exchange looks like comedy gold! I don't know if it's just as funny for Japanese people, as they probably look at it with very different context, but I thought it was really funny how they kinda trap each other into saying impolite things!
This is actually a topic I don't see anyone making videos about. I did wonder about making friends and using polite vs casual language. Thanks as always!
The last conversation is something I've been trying to verbalize for a while but didn't know how to put it into words. You did it brilliantly and in a skit.
I've seen a lot of Japanese language teaching content over the years here on TH-cam, and I can easily say that your videos are on a different level. Definitely one of the best language-teaching channels I've ever subscribed to.
It's an easy way to freeze people out without having to tell them directly that you're upset with them. It's unfortunate that actual discussions can't be had instead, to work things out.
These are so frikn good. Tho if I pause and read everything I can spend 30 mins on an episode. I just ignore the English subtitles mostly now and just focus on listening to the Japanese. That's my greatest struggle, understanding the natural flow of spoken Japanese.
Learning about these social contracts is invaluable, language and culture go hand in hand. This video teaches their relationship so well while being equally entertaining!
One thing I unintentionally did was make friends with a Japanese lady but only spoke English with her until we got to know each other. When it came to actually speaking Japanese it was straight to casual. It's like a cheat code to skipping polite Japanese when making friends lol.
I've been thinking about this too, if you start in English with no polite language in the first place, I bet it would be way easier to skip formalities when switching to Japanese. There's even a load of ways you could smoothly transition in a fun way so that it makes the other instantly comfortable to speak casually
I laughed out loud so much to this, thanks! This makes me think of the time I was in a restaurant in Osaka and I was talking to the owner, and how he mentioned to me that he doesn't like the way people talk to him in Tokyo. He felt that they were standoffish. Maybe the formal speech contributes to that feeling.
I started working in Japan recently, and it just so happens that I’m younger than all of my coworkers. Around a third of my coworkers often speak to me in casual form. I assumed this was just them exercising their privilege as my elders, so I‘ve been responding to them in です ます form to be polite. I’m starting to realize that some of them are probably just trying to be friendly and my attempts at politeness are coming across as me shutting them out. 頑張ります
well in context of work, it is normal for older people to use casual form and younger people using masu form. So if you were using casual form, maybe some of the colleagues might in fact feel weird about it... but that will depend on the person. I know a Japanese person that told me that she doesn't think she'd be able to speak in casual form to anyone who is not her childhood friend or a husband or something and that she's talking in keigo also to her very close friend, because the friend is older and her senior at work on top of that. So it's normal even for Japanese people to not use keigo towards older friends, despite them being so close to each other.
@@vyli1 You're definitely right that at the workplace younger people are expected to respond in polite form even if they're spoken to in casual form by their seniors. That said, I often have one-on-one conversations with some of my co-workers who aren't that much older than me in and outside of the workplace. They'll often switch to casual form halfway through the conversation, but I'll usually respond in polite form. It's in cases like that that I think my politeness might be interpreted as shutting someone down.
@@idlear1651 best to ask them directly 🙂 if you ever do, I'd be curious to know what they said, so if it's no trouble would you share the outcome with us? 🙂
@@vyli1 I'm curious too haha. Or what would happen if during one of those conversations they just switch to casual speech after the other person does without saying anything.
There's someone I've known for years and I was getting nervous about her still talking in a more polite form with me. Then she sent a message by accident, which was supposed to be for her best friend, and even then she was still using the masu form. So I guess it can also be a personal thing or dependent on how somebody was raised if they don't break away from polite forms.
Certainly this. It's the 'safe' form to use. You won't offend anyone. You won't stand out. All these politeness layers really highlight just how much depth the language has and what it tells you about the person.
I just started learning Japanese about a month ago and you have helped me understand so much about the Japanese language and culture. This has given me so much motivation and has helped me jump start my learning. I look forward to learning from your videos, even past ones, for years to come!
Holy shit! I was interested in what a man from a country known for its politeness would say with a title like that, so I didn't know this is a Japanese lecture channel for Eigoshaberu Kaigaizindachi. Then the dialogue you prepared feels so lively, I felt like I myself am making friends right now! What a crazy experience, you are a strong teacher!
One thing I’ve heard _constantly_ from teachers over the years is, “yes, you need to _understand_ casual form, because you will overhear it, and will see it in art and literature, and some people like ryokan owners may use it with you. And you need to be able to form the basic grammar for subordinate clauses even in polite sentences. But if you are visiting Japan as a tourist for less than a month at a time, and don’t have family there, you will _never_ find yourself in a situation to _use_ casual form that will not offend someone. So don’t!” I’m still not sure how true that is or not-I’ve never dared break into casual except talking to, like, cashiers or train staff, where there really isn’t a relationship and if they’re offended they wouldn’t show it.
Yeah it's a toxic mindset . Especially given that if you primarily interact with Japanese through media or online (which is gonna be virtually everyone unless you literally move to Japan or have relatives) you're gonna encounter non-polite form way moreso then anything else, and it's how you'll expand your learning beyond the classroom. If the primary form you encounter isn't the one you are taught how to use everything is just so much more difficult. I know when I was an infant and teaching myself to read the real thing that pushed me forward was having things I was excited about reading, way more so then any classroom lesson.
I feel that talking to a train staff in an inpolite form is kinda like saying "dude" to a police officer, except that the train staff is not allowed to hit you with a iron-core baton.
@@ganqqwerty That’s more or less the mindset I’m talking about that has dissuaded me from using casual form. When I said I’ve only “dared” use it in those situations, it’s just informational things - basically, where it would be really weird and stilted in English to use complete sentences, like “uh, this one?” - I still do the pleasantries and any requests in ます/です form. But if you’re knowledgeably telling me that I’m basically verbally abusing them by saying あの大きいのいくら？ and leaving out the 〜は〜ですか, then you’re just affirming what the teachers said: there’s _never_ a reason for a short-term visitor to use casual form.
The subtext here is that as a tourist you won't ever have time to build a close relationship with a Japanese person that would allow you to speak in a casual manner. This is half-true. Yes, it takes a very long time to build a trusting relationship with a Japanese person. But now, if you have a daily conversation level in Japanese, just walk into a bar and I guarantee you that you'll have to use casual speech before you know it.
In my opinion, the first reason for teaching this form very soon (almost at the same time as the "polite form" or more specifically 連用形) is its use as "attributive form" (連体形), because without that, you could not understand very basic and easy titles like 時をかける少女 (often translated as "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time"), nor use very basic sentence structures like ご飯を食べるとき ("When I eat the meal"). This form as attributive form is the first thing we use (and very often) even talking to people we do not know, before starting using it as "conclusive form" (終止形) at the end of the sentence in a casual way (replacing the polite form which is almost always used at the end of the sentences). In other words, many sentences make us use both forms of verbs in polite speech.
Hi Kaname. It struck me that your videos have morphed into something else of late. Incredible talent for observation that helps you give some valuable insights into the Japanese culture. Although I have a poor grounding in Japanese, the dialogues have such a slice-of-life quality that we're getting a real sense of what is at stake. Hearing you talk about the constraints of politeness it sounds like some Japanese people may just be aching for a reprieve from stilted formality! The fact that nurses in hospitals are intuitively using casual language while tending their patients is a good example of how a more direct connection can be healing. Just impressed by the amount of work that's going into making each one of these videos. Thank you so much.
As a nurse myself, I was SO happy to hear how the RN's in Japan speak casually to their patients. I also tend to speak very casually with my patients, and address them with loving names like 'love bug', ' honey bun', 'sweet heart' --- of course, I ALWAYS gauge my patients, and will address them by formalities like Sir/Ma'am when professionalism calls for it. But I find that when I speak to my patients as someone I care about like close family/friends, I sense they feel it too, and appreciate it. 🥰
I love that your videos always have interesting cultural discussions mixed in to the lesson. To the point of the video, it seems "ribbing" is part of the process of getting closer. That's not dissimilar to the way things happen here in the states. Light teasing is inherently a show of comfort. It's a way to communicate that you're just enjoying the conversation and that it's OK to not take everything so seriously.
The first restaurant example dialogue hits so hard. After living in Japan for 7 years, the extreme politeness of people in customer facing jobs is one thing I really dislike about the culture. It makes me very uncomfortable and makes me feel like I'm being talked to by a robot and not a real person. It's not the peoples' fault, that's how they are taught and trained to do their jobs, but it makes me very uncomfortable and I wish the politeness level wasn't so extreme.
Man is breaking through Japanese formality more boldly that I do through paperthin layer of Slavic formality we don't even normally use. Respect to you.
I absolutely love your videos! The pronunciation is clear, there’s tons of native Japanese spoken , the skits are hilarious and the lessons invaluable. Thank you so much for doing these! Looking forward to more videos in the future!
Wow, it's like Kaname sensei understands my personal troubles with the Japanese language. I'm already in an "advanced" level but can't connect with people deeply. Formality is getting in the way between my relationships. This lesson is gold.
I just discovered your channel and absolutely love the different situation exemples, I learn so much evertime, thank you for that ! But this time is different, why did I start crying? You touched my heart with the last situation man, I'm so happy for them and it's suuuch a real problem, you play the roles so well it become so convincing that I'm caught watching a movie without noticing it, what the hell ? Thank you so much for the lessons, it's suuuper interesting, efficient and usefull to me and my friends trying to learn japanese ✨
I'm so happy my native language (Spanish) has a clear way of differentiating formality levels of a conversation. It's not as prevalent as the forms in Japanese, but the same sentiments, about something being more friendly, colder, distant, and all the other nuances depending on situation and social dynamics are easily understood by people in our language since me have many of the same preconceptions.
I get it! And not only in the words, but the choice of order and also how long the phrase becomes. It is true that we don't care that much about these levels of politeness, but I think it depends on the person. There are some people that with elders they always care about polite speak.
In Costa Rica... it's complicated XD XD Contrary to Spain, in many places we use "usted" even with friends, and despite sounding polite, at the same we sound quite friendly. Interestingly, in Costa Rica is more valued being affable than distant.
@@Japonesbello I oversimplified, but like in Colombia, it's much more complicated. In Costa Rica it's possible using the three second pronouns (although "tú" is kind of estigmatized, however, I used it and almost anyone say nothing to me about that), but it depends of the region. In old capital Cartago, "vos" is much more used, and "usted" sounds either for them or too polite or too angry. It's said in south region "tú" is a little more used and much less estigmatized. In San José it's more common to listen "usted" even among friends or lovers. However, young people (and ads directed toward these population) use more "vos". Yep, in Costa Rica is complicated XD
This is brilliant! Thank you so much, your videos are so informative and backed up by vivid and interesting dialogues. Honestly, it's the first time I understand Japanese so easily after many years of studying😁
Thank you so much for making a video on this topic! I feel like this is one of those things that's very difficult to understand unless you're in japan for awhile. Please make more videos on when to speak casually and formally!
I imagine if a Foreigner who works in Japan and is able to speak Japanese might have a an edge here because they don't have the same pre-conceived notion but they need to break the language bubble. Even if I don't understand Japanese I was able to understand the difference in tone between polite Japanese and less polite Japanese and it definitely feels more friendly.
We got the first wave of anime in my country very early. No internet person to explain to us the nuances of Japanese culture like he does. The dubbed acting sounded weird sometimes but I guess translators and actors knew the nuances and tried their best to convey these subtle differences in speech. Now I get it better thanks to this person. Tysm !
Top premium content! It is too challenging for my level but I feel like hurrying it up so I can come back and get this lovely rich and dense stuff. So impressed, wow.
"They speak basic form to make you feel more at home" makes a lot of sense to me. The hospital example makes me think of how people who work at nursing homes tend to talk to the elderly. I wonder what kind of language they speak at the maid Cafe
The exchange between Aoi and Yukka was very wholesome. I hope that by improving my japanese I can make friends with people who are open and friendly like Yukka 😊
Thanks for this video, I always found it slightly annoying that most grammar books seem deathly afraid of teaching you ‘impolite’ speech as though it’s still the 80’s and during a time when everyone was learning how not to offend the wealthy japanese businessman whose looking to acquire your business. It makes sense but skims the real fun of speaking japanese; making funny noises.
In my opinion, polite forms in languages are important. Without that, I think we lose fine details in communication and how each person considers the one he speaks to. When I speak English (even though there is formal language in English too), I often feel puzzled and rather unconfortable because I don't know exactly if the person I am speaking to treats me like a stranger or like a friend. But when I speak a language with several polite levels, I realize something new happens when we gradually switch to casual language. Anyway, in my own language, I never use casual language when talking with people I've just met (so I do in Japanese, of course).
You know what would've been cool? If you explained that 'before and after split up' not separate, but let them split up during the talking and just switching out of nowhere 😂
But it real life it might not actually go that way. It's precisely because they already split up and time has passed that she no longer feels like talking to him in ため口.
ばっちり！ようく説明してくれた。Perfect for a friend of mine trying to escape the clutches of formal Japanese, to speak more informally. I recommended your channel to him. 頼むな。
It’s so interesting! I was in the waiting room and the nurse always used casual language and I liked it but another patient got so mad and said 友達じゃないよ！ちゃんと丁寧に話して！
Wow, I am so impressed by your interpretation, Kaname さん. I have been learning Japanese for a while but I wouldn’t get this kind of 細かい nuance without watching this video. I love the conversations you made they are so funny!😂 Thank you for such a high quality video😊
The way that Kaname is the best Japanese learning TH-camr but doesn't ask is to do a bunch of stuff in the middle of the video. Makes me actually want to like, comment, and subscribe 😂 Wonder if he has a Twitter
Great stuff. I feel exactly the same but very few if my Japanese friends speak to me in タメ語 but when they do I feel like I’m making a connection Why didn’t I discover your lessons 10 years ago. Keep it up. You’re one of the rare few J teachers who give us insights into real Japanese.
i really liked that last dialogue between the younger-sounding man and the older-weathered man. i think a lot of people assume that japan is this kind of paradise where everyone is kind and good to each other and nothing is wrong with their society. but the outward-facing politeness can really be a curse on people's intimacy and hide a lot of deeper conflict.
Thats why all Japanese people know how to roast each other by using polite form lol. If you get to a native level of Japanese(linguistically and culturally) you’ll quickly notice the amount of passive aggressive jabs people give each other. From an outsiders view it may seem like 2 people having a polite interaction but trust me, Japanese people know when theres conflict going on 😂
I find your videos so interesting as someone learning Japanese and hoping to be able to speak fluently and naturally with others in the future. I was curious if you have any thoughts on whether or not there's a sort of, tipping point, in learning the language, after which it might become possible to be able to just pick up more of the language passively through conversations with people?
I'm so sick of being so polite with everyone through the years, that I only really use desu/masu if I'm speaking directly to a person. Otherwise, if it's random statements (comments about the weather, on food or whatever other small talk) or referring to myself, I'll go a little more casual. If they feel like hopping aboard, they will. If not, it's probably most likely that the conversation will be overwith soon enough anyway. I like being friendly, and it's usually received well, thankfully! Thanks for your examples, people don't usually get down to actually talking about their form while they're using it - at least not that I've much heard in real life!
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Text Transcript:
迷惑をかける
迷惑をかけるかもしれない
もし私が誘ったら、迷惑かもしれない。断りづらいしなあ。
美香は何注文するの？
私、アップルパイ！
俺と同じだ！真似すんなよ！
真似してないよ。タクが私の真似したんでしょ！
お前が真似したんだろ！
じゃあ半分こしない？私ティラミスも食べたかったから、両方頼んで、半分づつ食べよう！
あ、美香！久しぶり！
あ、お久しぶりです。
最近どう？元気？
はい、元気です。
なんか話し方が冷たいなあ。なんで敬語で話すんだよ。
いや、今はそういう関係ではないので。今ちょっと忙しいので、すいません、失礼します。
いらっしゃいませ！何名様ですか？
一人です。
カウンター席とテーブル席がございますが、どちらになさいますか？
じゃあカウンター席で。
かしこまりました。カウンター席、一名様入ります！
ご注文はお決まりでしょうか？
ここ、何かおすすめあります？
本日のおすすめはメニューに書いておりますので、そちらをご確認ください。
わかりました。あと、何かお酒で何かおすすめの、地元のお酒とかってありますか？
あ、地元のお酒ですか…、えっと、今ちょっと店長に聞いて参りますので、少々お待ちください。
いらっしゃい！お兄ちゃん一人かい？カウンター席とテーブル席あるけど、どっちにする？
カウンター席で。
ああじゃあここ座って。お兄ちゃんいい時に来たね！今日ちょうど北海道から新鮮なウニが届いたんだよ。もしよかったら注文してね。
マスター、なんかおすすめの地元のお酒ないっすか？
地元のお酒かい？うーん、お兄ちゃん辛口は好きかい？
はい、好きです。
じゃあいいのあるよ。今それ出してあげる。
それでお兄ちゃん、どこから来たの？東京？
いや、札幌です。
なんだ北海道かい！じゃああんたウニも食べ飽きたでしょ。
いやいや、俺なんて貧乏もんだからウニなんてそんなしょっちゅう食べないよ。俺、金持ちに見える？
確かに金持ちには見えないなあ。お兄ちゃんちょっと貧乏くさいからねえ。
失礼な！
まあ金持ちには見えないな。
マスター、貧乏人のよしみで、今日はちょっと安くしてね。
貧乏人のよしみ？誰が貧乏人だよ！
だってマスターも金持ちに見えないしょう。
そりゃあ金持ちだったらこんなボロい店やってないよ。まあ、せっかく北海道から来たんだったらちょっとサービスしてあげるよ。その代わりいっぱい頼んでね。
俺なんか貧乏もんだからそんなしょっちゅうウニなんか食べないよ。
あ、田中さん！帰りはどちらですか？
私は札幌駅からJRで帰ります。
私も札幌駅なんで、途中まで一緒に帰りませんか？
あ、いいですよ。
ねえ、田中さんって出身沖縄なんでしょう？なんでこんな日本の反対側の北海道まで来たの？
いやあ、なんか私、自分のことを知ってる人がいない土地に来てみたかったんですよ。そしたら北海道で求人見つけて、そして札幌に来ることになったんです。
へえ！そうなんだ！
あのー、吉田さんは札幌でお生まれになったんですか？
うん！私は生まれも育ちも札幌だよ。ねえ、私たち同い年でしょ、これからタメ語で話さない？敬語って窮屈だし。
わかります。でも私、社会人になってから、タメ口で人と話すの慣れていなくて…。
わかる。でも私と話すときは気にしなくていいよ！これから私のこと、「ゆかり」って呼んで！
いや、なんか呼び捨てするのは照れるので、じゃあ「ゆかりちゃん」でいいですか？
「ゆかりちゃん」か…、じゃあ友達は私のこと「ゆっか」って呼ぶので、「ゆっか」はどうですか？
あー、わかりました。頑張ってみます。
じゃあ私はなんて呼べばいい？
じゃあ、「あおい」って呼んでください！
「あおい」かあ、いい名前だね！じゃあこれから「あおい」って呼ぶね！
あ、はい！
「あ、はい」じゃなくて、「うん」でいいよ「うん」で。
じゃあ失礼します。うん！
んー、なんか変な感じするなあ。あ、そうだ。あおいはお酒飲むの？もしよかったら、これからちょっと飲みに行かない？
うーん、私は酒あまり強くないけど、ワインだったら飲むよ。
へえ、ワイン飲むんだあ！おしゃれだね。じゃあさ、駅前においしいバルがあるんだけど、そこに行かない？今回友達になってくれた記念に、私がおごるから！
いいよ！悪いよ！
いいから、遠慮しないで！これからもよろしくね！あおい！
ねえ、あんた、一人で飲んでんの？
あんた初対面の人に「あんた」はないでしょ。
あんただって今「あんた」って言ったじゃん。硬いこと言うなよ。一緒に飲まない？
あんた変わった人だね。
俺人に気 いつかうの疲れたんだよ。
どうしたの？なんかあったのかい？
まあね、昔ね。あんたもさあ、普段は俺みたいな赤の他人にタメ口なんて使わないだろ？意外になあ、俺みたいに無作法な人間のほうがみんな気を使わないで話せるんだよ。
まあ確かにそうかもしれないね。俺も今あんたに敬語使って話そうなんて気は起こらないし。
だろ？日本人は気を使いすぎなんだよ。俺も昔はセールスマンやっててさあ。敬語で「すいません、すいません、すいません」なんてばっかり言ったけど、昔よりも今の方が友達できたよ。
そりゃあすごいね。俺にはできないけど。
あんたもやってみなよ。やってみたら案外簡単だよ。こういう話し方して怒るやつもいるけど、大体そういう奴はプライドが高いだけなんだよ。んなやつと友達になったってしょうがねえし。大体の人はね、こういう話し方されたら向こうも負けじとタメ口使ってくるもんなんだよ。そしたらいつの間にか友達になってんだよ。
あんたほんとに面白いね。
あんたもやってみなよ。自由になるよ。
俺は無理だよ。俺はあんたほど面の皮が厚くないからね。
それよく言われるよ。俺は世の中に顔面をぼこぼこぼこぼこ殴られてこういうツラになったんだよ。
へえ、いろいろあったんだね。まあでも俺には無理だよ。俺には妻も子どももいるし、なんたって俺、サラリーマンだからね。
Thank you soooooo much for your videos and the script, you sir are a treasure for Japanese learners like me!
スクリプトまであげていただき、助かります😊ありがとうございます
Oooo, thank you! 😊
「気を使う｣わかるけど「気いつかう｣ってなんという意味ですか？
あんた、最高だよ！
This dude literally poped out of nowhere and casually just drops the best japanese language content ever.
Legend
I hope Japan bombs USA with a million nuclear bombs.
Legend it is👑
Tell me about it. His clear speech is great for listening immersion.
I agree, best Japanese
Content!
True!
“I want to be friend with you, but I’m afraid of offending you”
Bars 💯
The Customer and the Boss ROASTING TF OUT EACH OTHER WAS SOOOO FUNNY
RIGHT I wasn’t expecting that 😂 😭 I wanna be like that with my friends, but I feel like I’ve cemented myself as the “polite one” lol
I like how you went from teaching us about breaking formality to roasting the entire Japanese polite system 😂
I think its strange this is your takeaway
It's well deserved. The character in the last bit is a real guy firing off right now in a snack bar.
The right way to be rude is to be very polite.
"Real" videos like this are gold.
みっけー
These "skits" feel so genuine and real! Are you a writer?! Felt like I was reading a novel.
He can be an actor. He has potential
As a non-Japanese person, that sea urchin exchange looks like comedy gold! I don't know if it's just as funny for Japanese people, as they probably look at it with very different context, but I thought it was really funny how they kinda trap each other into saying impolite things!
No, you got it. That's exactly it.
I love, LOVE, love Kaname sensei's convos. They sound so natural, like an actual conversaton you'll actually hear in real life!
This is actually a topic I don't see anyone making videos about. I did wonder about making friends and using polite vs casual language. Thanks as always!
The last conversation is something I've been trying to verbalize for a while but didn't know how to put it into words. You did it brilliantly and in a skit.
This channel is a godsend
I've seen a lot of Japanese language teaching content over the years here on TH-cam, and I can easily say that your videos are on a different level. Definitely one of the best language-teaching channels I've ever subscribed to.
holy shit the post breakup talk was cold af yikes
Goes to show why "formal" form isn't the same as "polite" form
Imagine being angry and start speaking in polite form.
It's an easy way to freeze people out without having to tell them directly that you're upset with them. It's unfortunate that actual discussions can't be had instead, to work things out.
These are so frikn good.
Tho if I pause and read everything I can spend 30 mins on an episode. I just ignore the English subtitles mostly now and just focus on listening to the Japanese. That's my greatest struggle, understanding the natural flow of spoken Japanese.
数年間日本語を勉強してきて、それからもちろん、日本語の先生のTH-camrをフォローしてる。 でも本当に、こんなに面白くて詳しいチャンネルを初めて見た。 他の人たちのコメントも同じことを言ってると思うけど、それはおそらく真実だと思う。 これからも頑張ってください！
Learning about these social contracts is invaluable, language and culture go hand in hand. This video teaches their relationship so well while being equally entertaining!
One thing I unintentionally did was make friends with a Japanese lady but only spoke English with her until we got to know each other. When it came to actually speaking Japanese it was straight to casual. It's like a cheat code to skipping polite Japanese when making friends lol.
I've been thinking about this too, if you start in English with no polite language in the first place, I bet it would be way easier to skip formalities when switching to Japanese. There's even a load of ways you could smoothly transition in a fun way so that it makes the other instantly comfortable to speak casually
I laughed out loud so much to this, thanks! This makes me think of the time I was in a restaurant in Osaka and I was talking to the owner, and how he mentioned to me that he doesn't like the way people talk to him in Tokyo. He felt that they were standoffish. Maybe the formal speech contributes to that feeling.
Your characters are so cute! Wish I was friends with them.
I started working in Japan recently, and it just so happens that I’m younger than all of my coworkers. Around a third of my coworkers often speak to me in casual form. I assumed this was just them exercising their privilege as my elders, so I‘ve been responding to them in です ます form to be polite. I’m starting to realize that some of them are probably just trying to be friendly and my attempts at politeness are coming across as me shutting them out. 頑張ります
well in context of work, it is normal for older people to use casual form and younger people using masu form. So if you were using casual form, maybe some of the colleagues might in fact feel weird about it... but that will depend on the person. I know a Japanese person that told me that she doesn't think she'd be able to speak in casual form to anyone who is not her childhood friend or a husband or something and that she's talking in keigo also to her very close friend, because the friend is older and her senior at work on top of that. So it's normal even for Japanese people to not use keigo towards older friends, despite them being so close to each other.
@@vyli1 You're definitely right that at the workplace younger people are expected to respond in polite form even if they're spoken to in casual form by their seniors. That said, I often have one-on-one conversations with some of my co-workers who aren't that much older than me in and outside of the workplace. They'll often switch to casual form halfway through the conversation, but I'll usually respond in polite form. It's in cases like that that I think my politeness might be interpreted as shutting someone down.
@@idlear1651 best to ask them directly 🙂 if you ever do, I'd be curious to know what they said, so if it's no trouble would you share the outcome with us? 🙂
@@vyli1 I'm curious too haha. Or what would happen if during one of those conversations they just switch to casual speech after the other person does without saying anything.
There's someone I've known for years and I was getting nervous about her still talking in a more polite form with me. Then she sent a message by accident, which was supposed to be for her best friend, and even then she was still using the masu form. So I guess it can also be a personal thing or dependent on how somebody was raised if they don't break away from polite forms.
Certainly this. It's the 'safe' form to use. You won't offend anyone. You won't stand out. All these politeness layers really highlight just how much depth the language has and what it tells you about the person.
AMAZING content.
You have reignited my want to learn Japanese.
I just started learning Japanese about a month ago and you have helped me understand so much about the Japanese language and culture. This has given me so much motivation and has helped me jump start my learning. I look forward to learning from your videos, even past ones, for years to come!
El dialogo del "Imprudent man" es sublime. Priceless.
Holy shit! I was interested in what a man from a country known for its politeness would say with a title like that, so I didn't know this is a Japanese lecture channel for Eigoshaberu Kaigaizindachi.
Then the dialogue you prepared feels so lively, I felt like I myself am making friends right now!
What a crazy experience, you are a strong teacher!
One thing I’ve heard _constantly_ from teachers over the years is, “yes, you need to _understand_ casual form, because you will overhear it, and will see it in art and literature, and some people like ryokan owners may use it with you. And you need to be able to form the basic grammar for subordinate clauses even in polite sentences. But if you are visiting Japan as a tourist for less than a month at a time, and don’t have family there, you will _never_ find yourself in a situation to _use_ casual form that will not offend someone. So don’t!” I’m still not sure how true that is or not-I’ve never dared break into casual except talking to, like, cashiers or train staff, where there really isn’t a relationship and if they’re offended they wouldn’t show it.
Yeah it's a toxic mindset . Especially given that if you primarily interact with Japanese through media or online (which is gonna be virtually everyone unless you literally move to Japan or have relatives) you're gonna encounter non-polite form way moreso then anything else, and it's how you'll expand your learning beyond the classroom. If the primary form you encounter isn't the one you are taught how to use everything is just so much more difficult.
I know when I was an infant and teaching myself to read the real thing that pushed me forward was having things I was excited about reading, way more so then any classroom lesson.
I feel that talking to a train staff in an inpolite form is kinda like saying "dude" to a police officer, except that the train staff is not allowed to hit you with a iron-core baton.
@@ganqqwerty That’s more or less the mindset I’m talking about that has dissuaded me from using casual form. When I said I’ve only “dared” use it in those situations, it’s just informational things - basically, where it would be really weird and stilted in English to use complete sentences, like “uh, this one?” - I still do the pleasantries and any requests in ます/です form. But if you’re knowledgeably telling me that I’m basically verbally abusing them by saying あの大きいのいくら？ and leaving out the 〜は〜ですか, then you’re just affirming what the teachers said: there’s _never_ a reason for a short-term visitor to use casual form.
The subtext here is that as a tourist you won't ever have time to build a close relationship with a Japanese person that would allow you to speak in a casual manner. This is half-true. Yes, it takes a very long time to build a trusting relationship with a Japanese person. But now, if you have a daily conversation level in Japanese, just walk into a bar and I guarantee you that you'll have to use casual speech before you know it.
In my opinion, the first reason for teaching this form very soon (almost at the same time as the "polite form" or more specifically 連用形) is its use as "attributive form" (連体形), because without that, you could not understand very basic and easy titles like 時をかける少女 (often translated as "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time"), nor use very basic sentence structures like ご飯を食べるとき ("When I eat the meal"). This form as attributive form is the first thing we use (and very often) even talking to people we do not know, before starting using it as "conclusive form" (終止形) at the end of the sentence in a casual way (replacing the polite form which is almost always used at the end of the sentences). In other words, many sentences make us use both forms of verbs in polite speech.
Hi Kaname. It struck me that your videos have morphed into something else of late. Incredible talent for observation that helps you give some valuable insights into the Japanese culture. Although I have a poor grounding in Japanese, the dialogues have such a slice-of-life quality that we're getting a real sense of what is at stake. Hearing you talk about the constraints of politeness it sounds like some Japanese people may just be aching for a reprieve from stilted formality! The fact that nurses in hospitals are intuitively using casual language while tending their patients is a good example of how a more direct connection can be healing. Just impressed by the amount of work that's going into making each one of these videos. Thank you so much.
As a nurse myself, I was SO happy to hear how the RN's in Japan speak casually to their patients. I also tend to speak very casually with my patients, and address them with loving names like 'love bug', ' honey bun', 'sweet heart' --- of course, I ALWAYS gauge my patients, and will address them by formalities like Sir/Ma'am when professionalism calls for it. But I find that when I speak to my patients as someone I care about like close family/friends, I sense they feel it too, and appreciate it. 🥰
@@maonoya That’s such a nice approach to patients. We owe nurses so much. Your presence, work and dedication are invaluable. Have a very nice day.
I love that your videos always have interesting cultural discussions mixed in to the lesson.
To the point of the video, it seems "ribbing" is part of the process of getting closer. That's not dissimilar to the way things happen here in the states. Light teasing is inherently a show of comfort. It's a way to communicate that you're just enjoying the conversation and that it's OK to not take everything so seriously.
finally a guy making a japanese learning video that actually sounds like the japanese people in japanese tv shows
As a native Japanese tutor, this is one of the most important lesson I've ever watched.
The first restaurant example dialogue hits so hard. After living in Japan for 7 years, the extreme politeness of people in customer facing jobs is one thing I really dislike about the culture. It makes me very uncomfortable and makes me feel like I'm being talked to by a robot and not a real person.
It's not the peoples' fault, that's how they are taught and trained to do their jobs, but it makes me very uncomfortable and I wish the politeness level wasn't so extreme.
You're not only a great teacher but a great creator in general. Your content is creative, realistic, funny, and insightful. Thank you!
your acting is really good!
ahhhh once again kaname proves himself to be the best
Man is breaking through Japanese formality more boldly that I do through paperthin layer of Slavic formality we don't even normally use. Respect to you.
well, he just talked to himself after all...
@@ganqqwerty well... fair enough, but I am not sure I would do this even in this circumstances, though
I absolutely love your videos! The pronunciation is clear, there’s tons of native Japanese spoken , the skits are hilarious and the lessons invaluable. Thank you so much for doing these! Looking forward to more videos in the future!
I get super invested in the little scenes, I learn so much more from Kaname than pretty much every other language yt channel, keep up the great work!
The example dialogue is really excellent. Thank you!
Your channel is truly gold for day to day language where language books fail to teach things like that. Thank you. Greetings from Germany.
Thank you so much for this invaluable and precious lesson ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
great scriptwriting!
Wow, it's like Kaname sensei understands my personal troubles with the Japanese language. I'm already in an "advanced" level but can't connect with people deeply. Formality is getting in the way between my relationships. This lesson is gold.
These are exactly the kinds of videos people need to see! I appreciate that you’re making them
DARE TO BREAK THE BARRIER
I just discovered your channel and absolutely love the different situation exemples, I learn so much evertime, thank you for that !
But this time is different, why did I start crying?
You touched my heart with the last situation man, I'm so happy for them and it's suuuch a real problem, you play the roles so well it become so convincing that I'm caught watching a movie without noticing it, what the hell ?
Thank you so much for the lessons, it's suuuper interesting, efficient and usefull to me and my friends trying to learn japanese ✨
金目先生、北海道で25年以上英語教師をしていました。当時、先生の日本語レッスンにアクセスできたら良かったと思います。とても役に立ちます！今はオレゴンに住んでいるので、日本語を維持するために先生の動画を見ています。共有してくださってありがとうございます。
That was super entertaining! Thank you for making this!!
This is one of the best Japanese learning videos yet. Keep up the good work!!!!
Great video! Please do入る: いる vs はいる , I have trouble figuring out which to use and what's what when reading!
I'm so happy my native language (Spanish) has a clear way of differentiating formality levels of a conversation. It's not as prevalent as the forms in Japanese, but the same sentiments, about something being more friendly, colder, distant, and all the other nuances depending on situation and social dynamics are easily understood by people in our language since me have many of the same preconceptions.
In Spain "usted" is quite useless lol.
I get it! And not only in the words, but the choice of order and also how long the phrase becomes.
It is true that we don't care that much about these levels of politeness, but I think it depends on the person. There are some people that with elders they always care about polite speak.
In Costa Rica... it's complicated XD XD Contrary to Spain, in many places we use "usted" even with friends, and despite sounding polite, at the same we sound quite friendly. Interestingly, in Costa Rica is more valued being affable than distant.
@@azarishiba2559, really? Like in Colombia? That's interesting lol. It's hard to imagine going around life and addressing your friends by "usted". XD
@@Japonesbello I oversimplified, but like in Colombia, it's much more complicated. In Costa Rica it's possible using the three second pronouns (although "tú" is kind of estigmatized, however, I used it and almost anyone say nothing to me about that), but it depends of the region. In old capital Cartago, "vos" is much more used, and "usted" sounds either for them or too polite or too angry. It's said in south region "tú" is a little more used and much less estigmatized. In San José it's more common to listen "usted" even among friends or lovers. However, young people (and ads directed toward these population) use more "vos".
Yep, in Costa Rica is complicated XD
This is brilliant! Thank you so much, your videos are so informative and backed up by vivid and interesting dialogues. Honestly, it's the first time I understand Japanese so easily after many years of studying😁
Thank you so much for making a video on this topic! I feel like this is one of those things that's very difficult to understand unless you're in japan for awhile.
Please make more videos on when to speak casually and formally!
I imagine if a Foreigner who works in Japan and is able to speak Japanese might have a an edge here because they don't have the same pre-conceived notion but they need to break the language bubble.
Even if I don't understand Japanese I was able to understand the difference in tone between polite Japanese and less polite Japanese and it definitely feels more friendly.
We got the first wave of anime in my country very early. No internet person to explain to us the nuances of Japanese culture like he does. The dubbed acting sounded weird sometimes but I guess translators and actors knew the nuances and tried their best to convey these subtle differences in speech. Now I get it better thanks to this person. Tysm !
Top premium content! It is too challenging for my level but I feel like hurrying it up so I can come back and get this lovely rich and dense stuff. So impressed, wow.
お疲れ様です！
敬語からカジュアルな話し方まで自然的なスイッチ仕方はずっともっと学びたいけど、今はカナメ先生のビデオのおかげでやっとそれは分かりやすく習いました。
カナメ先生、いつも有用なことを教えてありがとうございます！
Outstanding lesson! Best in class!😁
These are so funny and informative at the same time 😂😂 ありがとうございます🙇♀️
"You smell kinda poor." Japanese insults are lit.
これまで観たレッスンの中で今のが最高です❤
ありがとう、先生。
本当にありがとうございます！このビデオでたくさん学びました！！！
Thank you so much, I'm glad to see that someone, a Japanese person at that, has the same views on polite language as I do 👏
Your Videos are awesome
Also thanks for writing out everything you say, it really helps getting the rhytm while reading
"They speak basic form to make you feel more at home" makes a lot of sense to me. The hospital example makes me think of how people who work at nursing homes tend to talk to the elderly. I wonder what kind of language they speak at the maid Cafe
Maid cafe, you’re the master, so they speak in basically royal politeness.
It will depend on the maid café's theme.
"迷惑をかけるかもしれない", not that I want to be a bother to anyone, but somehow this phrase resonates deeply within me
The exchange between Aoi and Yukka was very wholesome. I hope that by improving my japanese I can make friends with people who are open and friendly like Yukka 😊
You are the best teacher! I laughed a lot in this one, thank you so much Kaname Sensei!
Thanks for this video, I always found it slightly annoying that most grammar books seem deathly afraid of teaching you ‘impolite’ speech as though it’s still the 80’s and during a time when everyone was learning how not to offend the wealthy japanese businessman whose looking to acquire your business. It makes sense but skims the real fun of speaking japanese; making funny noises.
In my opinion, polite forms in languages are important. Without that, I think we lose fine details in communication and how each person considers the one he speaks to. When I speak English (even though there is formal language in English too), I often feel puzzled and rather unconfortable because I don't know exactly if the person I am speaking to treats me like a stranger or like a friend. But when I speak a language with several polite levels, I realize something new happens when we gradually switch to casual language. Anyway, in my own language, I never use casual language when talking with people I've just met (so I do in Japanese, of course).
Your videos are so helpful!! Thank you for explaining not only language but also an insight into the culture and meaning.
You know what would've been cool? If you explained that 'before and after split up' not separate, but let them split up during the talking and just switching out of nowhere 😂
I too thought that conversation was gonna lead to their breakup and be just one big conversation lol
But it real life it might not actually go that way. It's precisely because they already split up and time has passed that she no longer feels like talking to him in ため口.
Even the sample dialogues were extremely compelling!
ばっちり！ようく説明してくれた。Perfect for a friend of mine trying to escape the clutches of formal Japanese, to speak more informally. I recommended your channel to him. 頼むな。
会話の細かいところまでの再現性の高さとストーリーの面白さで見入ってしまう。
あと、めっちゃ怒ってる時、敬語になる時あるな。
本当に謝る時は、親しい人にはごめん🙏ってなるけど、
めっちゃキレてて、心から謝ってない時は、キレながら「すいませんでした！」みたいになる人、結構いるとおもう。あれは距離を置いてることを、敬語で強調してるんだ。
分析するとおもしろいなぁ。
Japanese polite - impolite speech is really important and can be applied in variety of ways. very informative video!
Appreciate the videos Kaname, keep up the hard work!
the best part: "You smell kinda poor"
この「別れたあと」会話ヤバイなwww痛い目にあうよww
Awesome video as usual ! I’m really enjoying your videos!
It’s so interesting! I was in the waiting room and the nurse always used casual language and I liked it but another patient got so mad and said 友達じゃないよ！ちゃんと丁寧に話して！
Wow, I am so impressed by your interpretation, Kaname さん. I have been learning Japanese for a while but I wouldn’t get this kind of 細かい nuance without watching this video. I love the conversations you made they are so funny!😂 Thank you for such a high quality video😊
The man, the myth, the legend, the gigachad, is back with another based video.
今回の例文はめっちゃいい！英訳を見ながら英語の勉強をしています。
I hope you keep doing these!
The way that Kaname is the best Japanese learning TH-camr but doesn't ask is to do a bunch of stuff in the middle of the video. Makes me actually want to like, comment, and subscribe 😂
Wonder if he has a Twitter
Great Video! Thanks a lot 🙏🏼
I love your videos man.
Great stuff. I feel exactly the same but very few if my Japanese friends speak to me in タメ語 but when they do I feel like I’m making a connection
Why didn’t I discover your lessons 10 years ago. Keep it up. You’re one of the rare few J teachers who give us insights into real Japanese.
Thanks for the quality content
Incredible insights delivered potently. Thank you
i really liked that last dialogue between the younger-sounding man and the older-weathered man. i think a lot of people assume that japan is this kind of paradise where everyone is kind and good to each other and nothing is wrong with their society. but the outward-facing politeness can really be a curse on people's intimacy and hide a lot of deeper conflict.
Outward facing poltess can be a curse on people intimacy and can hide deeper internal conflict
Thats why all Japanese people know how to roast each other by using polite form lol. If you get to a native level of Japanese(linguistically and culturally) you’ll quickly notice the amount of passive aggressive jabs people give each other. From an outsiders view it may seem like 2 people having a polite interaction but trust me, Japanese people know when theres conflict going on 😂
I find your videos so interesting as someone learning Japanese and hoping to be able to speak fluently and naturally with others in the future. I was curious if you have any thoughts on whether or not there's a sort of, tipping point, in learning the language, after which it might become possible to be able to just pick up more of the language passively through conversations with people?
That’s what I’m talking about🤩
Agree to never disagree💯
Thank you🥰
Kaname would make a great best girl in an anime
いつもいろいろ勉強になってくれてありがとう
I'm so sick of being so polite with everyone through the years, that I only really use desu/masu if I'm speaking directly to a person. Otherwise, if it's random statements (comments about the weather, on food or whatever other small talk) or referring to myself, I'll go a little more casual. If they feel like hopping aboard, they will. If not, it's probably most likely that the conversation will be overwith soon enough anyway. I like being friendly, and it's usually received well, thankfully! Thanks for your examples, people don't usually get down to actually talking about their form while they're using it - at least not that I've much heard in real life!
This is refreshing !
Your videos are awesome! thank you. MORE MORE MORE!!!!