sugoi (great)

Japanese people often seem easily impressed and frequently display this by clapping like trained sea lions and exclaiming ‘sugoi!’ (that’s great!). In particular, things like magic tricks and new gadgets are guaranteed to get this reaction. Where foreigners are concerned, being able to use chopsticks or speak a few words of Japanese is often enough to elicit a round of applause and a chorus of ‘sugoi!’. (more…)

sumimasen (excuse me/thank you)

Depending on the situation it’s used in, sumimasen can be used apologetically to mean ‘please move out of my way’ or ‘I’m sorry’/’pardon me’. It can also be used to get someone’s attention politely (although it often sounds otherwise when barked loudly), as in ‘I’m ready to order now’, ‘I need another drink’ or ‘get over here!’. Additionally, it can be used to say ‘thank you’ in an apologetic way when someone has done you a favour, as in ‘thank you for going to so much trouble’ or ’sorry to trouble you’. (more…)

itadakimasu (lit=’I am receiving something’)
One of many Japanese expressions that has no direct translation in English, ‘itadakimasu’ can basically be equated with ‘saying grace’, a short prayer said by a lot of religious families (particularly in the US) to thank God before eating a meal. (more…)

Atsui (hot) and samui (cold)
It’s often said that British people like to talk about the weather unusually often compared to other nationalities, but the same is true of Japanese people.

Whereas the British tend to elaborate on the topic in more detail (‘looks like rain’ or ‘Autumn’s almost here’, for example) however, the Japanese seem content with merely stating the obvious about the temperature – they exclaim ‘atsui’ at every opportunity all summer and ‘samui’ constantly throughout the winter. (more…)

What The Japanese Say

This series will focus on the most common expressions used in the Japanese language. As anyone who’s spent a considerable amount of time in Japan will know, there are certain words and phrases you hear all the time. And I do mean ALL THE TIME, often to the point of being annoying to non-Japanese people. (more…)