The Japanese language can be extremely convenient. There is no small talk, in most cases you don’t need to state the subject or object or sentences, and there are single words and expressions that can express a way of thinking or ideology that have no equivalent in English.
If there is one word that is used and repeated more than any other in Japanese it is “Gambarimasu”. A quick look at a dictionary would tell you the word translates to “good luck” or “do your best”. However, as you will soon discover with many Japanese words, this one has a more complex meaning and importance in Japanese social culture. “Gambaru” or gambaru-ism is the primary philosophy of the Japanese.
Gambatte Meaning
I first remember hearing the word when working at a restaurant. I was making salads and slicing raw fish at a counter bar. A male customer was quite surprised to see me working there. We had a conversation about why and what I was doing in Japan. At the end of our conversation when he was getting ready to leave he said “Gambatte kudasai”. I wasn’t sure what he meant and my co-workers were unable to explain to me the meaning of the expression. Later, I found out the expression meant “Please, do your best”. I found this a little odd – a customer telling a me, either as a foreigner or staff member to do my best. Then I began hearing the word more and more.
The term is used as encouragement, as a promise, as a dedication or a battle cry. When baseball players golfers, singers, sumo wrestlers, newly elected politicians and others are interviewed they invariably promise to gambaru. It is used and said almost in every situation imaginable. Well-wishers seeing friends and co-workers off abroad yell out “Gambatte”. Newly hired employees pledge that they will do their absolute best for their company by gambaru-ing. Control Freak parents expect nothing less than their children to gambaru in the their school work.
You hear it so often that you begin to understand that it is an important cultural expression, rather than someone expressing their intentions to be all they can be. Also, I have noticed parents often say it to their children as an expression of love ( my interpretation) , rather than an expectation of high performance. I saw parents say to their kids “Gambatte ne” on countless of occasions when they dropped them off to kindergarten. It had me confused for while, because it was kindergarten, children no older then 3 or 4 years old. I thought it was strange to be saying “Do your best” to children at such a tender age. The I realized it was just a parting greeting, much like when we say “Have fun” to our own children.
It takes years to learn Japanese and understand the language. Some words are so culturally ceremented that you need to experience several years of living in Japan to finally get them. It can be a very interesting learning process, but it is frustrating. So “Gambatte” and do your best.
Basic Japanese……………there is no such thing. Basic Japanese is what deters most people from learning Japanese. While living in Japan I saw hundreds of foreigners, usually English teachers, start learning Japanese and then give up within the space of a month. What happens is these newly arrived teachers get all excited up about learning Japanese and rush off to their local ward office where they can get free Japanese lessons. After a month or so they give up and move on to more exciting cultural adventures like drinking Japanese beer.
The problem is learning Basic Japanese isn’t basic at all. Learning the basics of Japanese is very difficult because the language is completely different to English. There is no common ground – no concrete language aspects to relate what you learn about the Japanese language to English. With complex grammar, two different alphabets, Kanji, hundreds of idioms and the very confusing cultural aspect of the language it isn’t surprising most would be Japanese speakers give up only after a few lessons.
Japanese Phrases
Some basic Japanese phrases and expressions are untranslatable. You are end up memorizing lots of set expressions that in essence hold no meaning to you. Unfortunately, too many formal set expressions are generally considered basic, when they aren’t. However they are fundamental to social interaction in Japan. So you are trapped into learning lots of formal expressions you don’t really understand.
The teaching method is also to blame. It blows my mind how poorly Japanese is taught at private colleges in and outside of Japan. Formal grammar focused conversations are usually the meat and potatoes of most learning courses. These are conversations, to my knowledge to exist in Japan. It all focuses on the “masu” form and speaking politely.
In Japan I have found the best foreigner Japanese speakers are non English speakers. The are forced to speak Japanese in their job and are usually immersed in the language constantly while living in Japan. So there is hope. You just need to get over learning the difficult basics – the fundamentals. If you learn the basics hopefully you’ll get to meet a few Japanese and develop friendships and get some exposure to real spoken Japanese. I felt somewhat freed when I came to Japan and discovered colloquial Japanese. Hopefully you’ll experience the same freedom.
Learning and memorizing a few Japanese phrases is an achievement in itself for most people. Say a few greetings and know a little bit about Japanese food and Japanese will be complimenting your Japanese. Which can be quite embarrassing. The first time a Japanese compliments your Japanese in Japanese you will of course have no idea about what is being said. Once you realize what is being said you will feel like an idiot and probably give up learning basic Japanese.
To learn more about understanding Japanese start with these lessons:
One of the great and convenient aspects of the Japanese language is the kimarimoku – common Japanese phrases and expressions. If you have been studying Japanese for sometime you probably know some of them and using them when you see your Japanese friends. Naturally, many Japanese phrases are taught in standard text books and what not, but I have discovered (learned) many expressions or phrases only in certain situations one wouldn’t normally experience unless they were living in Japan.
My understanding of Japanese phrases and words (set expressions) seem to evolve to me as a student. First you learn them with some sort of basic English translation. Then you hear them and use them every day if you happen to be living in Japan. You then take them for granted and go around saying them half-heartedly and get sick of hearing the same expression or phrase in the same situation over and over, again and again, day in and day out. Then Buddha willing, you have an experience that finally brings the deeper meaning of the phrase or expression to you. It is all about the culture of the Japanese language. You can’t really learn the true deeper meanings of certain Japanese phrases or expressions unless you immerse yourself into the culture. And the only way you can do that is by living in Japan for several years.
Common Japanese Phrases
Itadakimasu – An institutionalized expression said just before beginning to eat. This is NOT a Japanese version of “grace”. It is in no way similar to grace at all. It is especially appropriate to say this when you are guest. It is showing appreciation to you host for the meal they have prepared for you. At home it is just a casual “starter gun” type meaning of “Lets eat”. Often, when eating with Japanese I am asked for a translation of the word in English – there is none.
Gochisosamadeshita – Just as important and ritualized as “Idatakimasu”, this phrase is said to express thanks to the host after finishing a meal. This expression is also said in a less formal manner when certain private details of someone’s private life is shared in a conversation. If you were to reveal the juicy details of how you met your first love your audience would thank you for sharing by say “Gochisosamadeshita”.
Finally the expression of all expressions – the king of the castle expression. This is the one you will hear most often, and the one that will ponder?on for years and years. It is…..wait for it……..Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. This one is a little hard to explain because it is so rooted in Japanese culture and mentality. It is a very formalized and ritualized way of saying, “Please help me”. Not help me as in “save me I am in trouble”, but more of a “when the time comes help us out” kind of meaning. It can also be used as a formal request as in “please take care of it”,” make it so”, “please do it” and …..I think you get the idea. It is said when business relations are being formed, and if it concerns something really serious it is usually accompanied by a bow.
Here are some more blogposts and articles relating to Japanese words and phrases:
In order to speak Japanese you obviously need to learn a lot of Japanese words words. Naturally you begin with learning basic Japanese words and then get into words or phrases. Most Japanese greetings and set expressions are quite complex and not basic at all. This is often a problem for students as they feel so overwhelmed with only a few Japanese expressions that they develop a mindset that Japanese is extremely difficult. The problem is students don’t often learn words. I mean they don’t spend time to consider the deep meaning and cultural aspects of Japanese words. There a lot of ways to learn words such as using Japanese language software, books or audio programs. The best way to learn new words is to spend time speaking to Japanese.
Japanese Words Meanings
When living in Japan for a long time as I have there are moments when you discover the real meanings of certain words. They are usually moments of serendipity where you experience Japan - the culture of Japan and what you happen to be doing at that time seem to meet at the perfect moment and then you realize you have made a discovery. This when I feel I am really learning Japanese. One word that I had always found odd and confusing was “Okagesama-de”. You may know this word to mean “Thanks to you”.
It is one of the most common expressions in the vocabulary of the Japanese way, but it is almost always misunderstood by Japanese-speaking foreigners who hear and use it. Japanese routinely use the expression when someone asks them how they are, asks about the health and welfare of a family member; or ask how their business is going, and so on.. Not understanding the true meaning of Okagaesama-de, many foreigners take it personally, presuming that the Japanese, out of politeness and their automatic response to formailites, are actually thanking them. I once often thought this. In fact, I thought it was yet another stupid and meaningless Japanese expression from a socially challenged people.
As with many Japanese words, the misunderstanding arises in the translation of the word. Instead of meaning “thanks to you” in a personal sense, the expression actually means “as luck would have it” or “thank heavens” (in a Buddhist sort of a way). The word is a vestige of the Buddhist concept of fate in the lives of people. It is way of implying that the relationships and life have been properly nurtured and are thriving, and that all is right in the word.
You , as a student or Japanese-speaking foreigner can gain valuable points by using okagasama-de appropriately when to responding to Japanese friends and business contacts. Use this word correctly at the right and people will be impressed. It subtly notes that you are speaking on their cultural wavelength, and gives a warm, positive feeling to your response.
As Japanese don’t do small talk you can impress Japanese and start speaking Japanese with just a small number of Japanese words, phrases and set expressions under your belt. However, understanding the deeper meanings of certain Japanese words may take several months or even years. Culture plays a very important part in the Japanese language right down to simple phrases and words. Learning about Japanese culture is as important as builing your vocabulary or learning the stroke order of Kanji. The more Japanese culture you know the more important Japanese words you will discover.
One of the most interesting and colorful aspects to Japanese is the increabile use of onomatopeia.
Onomatopoeia are words that reflect the sound things make. And for you, the student, learning onomatopiea will be lots of fun. Unfortunately onomatopeia is rarely taught in the classroom. However, it should be becuase it is very much an interal part of conversational and written Japanese.
If you want to learn Japanese start learning onomatopeia. Onomatopeia is often thought as children book or comic language by non-Japanese teachers and some linguist. This could be one of the reasons why Japanese onomatopeia is not taught in the classroom.
Japanese has a rich onomatopoeic vocabulary, with several thousand words to describe the various
sounds things make as in the “the cat goes mewo”. Also there is mimesis, words to describe the state
of things. For example, “the tree stood looming”. It is important to realize that onomatopoeia can be used to make both grammatical and natural sounding sentences or language. This is not the case for English.
One of the first times you’ll probably hear the use onomatopoeia is in relation to rain or water. There are hundreds of onomatopoeia to desrcibe rain and , namely how it falls and how it lands. In Japanese, a statement such as “the water went drip drip down the sink” can mean various different things depending on the exact choice of onomatopoeia for “drip drip”. One could for instance use “taratara” which is the sound of a steady regular dripping, or “daradara”, which is a heavier sound. One could also use “botabota”,which is a fuller sound and implies big drops, or “tarari tarati” which would imply it’s only dripping intermittently. One could even use “pisha”, so that it’s the sound of only a single drophitting something.
As you can see Japanese onomatpoeia is a very complex use of sound words, something which in English is simply impossible because it lacks both the vocabulary for it, as well as the acceptance of using onomatopoeia in regular speech.
