In the countries of the East, much attention is paid to the culture of behavior and observance of traditions. For example, the first thing children are taught in Japan is Aisatsu. In a general sense, the term "aisatsu" can be translated as "greeting", although this word has a deeper meaning. It includes not only the culture of Japanese greetings and farewells, but also other aspects of everyday behavior.
If you don't want to inadvertently offend a Japanese when communicating, then you also need to know the norms of behavior in his country. And first of all, the study of Aisatsu must begin with mastering the rules of greeting in Japanese.
Types of greetings
During the day, the Japanese use different phrases to greet each other. In the event that you say "good evening" instead of "good morning", you may be considered uncultured and rude.
Japanesegreeting depends on the time of day, the relationship between the speakers and their social status:
- Before 10:00 say ohayo (ohAyo), but this greeting is informal. For more polite treatment, add gozaimas (godzaimas). Interestingly, actors and media workers use this greeting throughout the day, historically.
- Konnichiwa is used during the day. This title can be used throughout the day, especially for foreigners.
- After 18:00 until midnight, greet by saying konbanwa.
- Then until 6:00 they say the phrase oyasuminasai (oyaUmi usAi). In close relationships, it is permissible to use the abbreviation oyasumi (oyasumi). It is also used to say "good night" and "good dreams".
In the event that you are not sure whether to be formal in a conversation, you need to remember one rule: in the Land of the Rising Sun there is no concept of "too much politeness." Formality in communication will be accepted by your interlocutor well.
Traditional Japanese introduction greeting
If you are introduced to a person for the first time, then the rules of greeting are somewhat different from the usual ones. First of all, after giving your own name, you should say hajimemashite (hajimemAshte). "Ji" in the word must be pronounced softly, and for a Russian-speaking person, the very idea of \u200b\u200ba softened "zh" may seem strange.
This phrase can betranslated as "nice to meet you," she expresses friendliness. After that, you can briefly talk about yourself to find topics for conversation. However, before that, you need to inquire about the he alth of the interlocutor by asking o genki des ka (about genki des ka). If you were asked this question, then you should answer genki desu (genki desu) - "Everything is fine" or maa-maa desu (MA-MA desu) - "It will do." You should say this, even if your affairs are not very good. Complaining about problems is only permissible if you have a very close relationship with the interlocutor.
After answering this question, you need to ask about the state of the interlocutor, saying anata wa (anAta wa) - "And you?" Listen carefully to the answer before starting the acquaintance.
When saying goodbye to a new acquaintance, it is best to use the phrase yoroshiku onegaishimasu (yoroshiku onegaishimasu). The most accurate translation of this phrase is "please take care of me", which is quite unusual for a European.
Japanese politeness
In Japanese greetings, not only words and phrases are important, but also gestures. Who does not know about traditional bows? Fortunately, at the present time, the Japanese are not so strict with foreigners and do not require strict observance of customs. Now handshakes familiar to Western people have become widespread, which makes life much easier for many businessmen. And yet, if you see that the Japanese begin to bow, then you should not extend your hand to him. It will be much better if you answer the interlocutor to his"language".
Telephone calls and other situations
As in other languages, there are special Japanese greetings for certain occasions:
- Talking on the phone begins with moshi-moshi (might-might), this is an analogue of the Russian "hello". The syllable "schi" is pronounced as a cross between "schi" and "si", and the syllable "mo" is not converted to "ma".
- Close male friends can greet each other with ossu (os!). Girls don't use this greeting, it's considered rude.
- For girls, there is also an informal way of Japanese greeting, which is widely used in Osaka: ya:ho (I: ho).
- If you have not seen someone for a long time, then you need to say o hisashiburi desu ne (o hisashiburi desu ne), which literally means "have not seen you for a long time".
- Another informal greeting is the phrase saikin-do (saikin do:), which means "How are you?"
