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Welcome to 英語で雑談！Kevin’s English Room Podcast.
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So in the last episode, I talked about some of the things that I feel
behind.
Some of the elements that I feel behind when I compare to the other Japanese friends that I have.
Even though your Japanese is quite high.
I've excelled a lot compared to me in high school.
But there are some parts, some situations where I feel,
Ooh, I'm so not Japanese.
I'm jealous of their skills, the Japanese's skills.
The first one was, you know, the kanji.
How do I explain kanji over telephone?
Other things, for example, when somebody, um,
あのーなにあのーあのしゅくーかんれい
あのほら
Okay.
祝福かんれい
あの、しゅくかんしゅく
祝福かんれい
Like happy, sad events.
Happy, sad, celebratory events.
What do you call those?
That's, uh...
かんしゅくふくれい
なんだっけほら
What do you call those?
しゅく
かん
かん
Yeah.
かんしゅく
No, that's かんこん総裁
あ、かんこん総裁
Exactly.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
かんこん総裁
Right, right, right.
That, like, let's say, for example, uh, let's say, um, uh, sadly, let's say I had a friend
that had their family member pass away.
Okay.
I don't know what to say to them.
Like, the manners, right?
It's true.
In English, it's like, I'm so sorry to hear that.
I'm so sorry for your loss that I know.
But, like, in Japanese, you can't, I don't think there, I think, I feel like there's a,
it's just me not learning that yet.
Like, I should do my own studying.
That, that's, that's absolutely true.
But, like, there are certain ways of communicating in that situation.
Yeah.
But, like, that feels so weird to me.
Like, it's just, I don't know
It's really
Like, okay, let's say that, I don't know.
Let's say, let's say you had somebody pass away.
Okay.
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I don't know if that, if I'm comfortable saying that to you.
Like, it feels too, like, I don't know.
It's just, like, it feels too, like, like, like, it's so keigo to the point where it's like,
but I can't think of any other form of saying it.
Okay.
Like, it's too not casual.
It's too formal to say it to a friend.
Like, okay, okay.
If I were to say to a joshi, yeah, maybe it makes more sense.
Yeah.
But, like, I don't know how to adjust that.
I don't know how to, like, change that, like, to, to, to a friend.
Like, I'm, so maybe, yeah, I'm not used to, like, sort of, like, optimizing the words.
It's so difficult.
I see.
Yeah.
Well, um, maybe that's not something you're the only one who is struggling.
It's like a Japanese, in general, like, people, is that difficult?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Maybe, um, so same for that explanation for the kanjis.
Still, like, today, I'm not fully, like, I have not, like, fixed ways of explanation for me.
It's every time on the spot, I think about it, and then, well, yeah, I kind of, so.
Okay.
That, that, that's that.
Okay.
And this one too, like, because it's not, or luckily, or it doesn't have to be luckily,
but kankon sosai is not, not everyday situation, everyday things, right?
So, I'm not, still not used to.
Communicating.
Yeah.
Under that circumstance.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's just like, I'm not, I don't know how, like, when I go, when I attend, when I'm attending to
the wedding party of somebody, it's like, I don't know what should I bring, and how, like,
wait, wait, wait, is that gomaen or samaen?
You know, that's kind of same thing to me.
It's like, you know, those fixed phrases are only used in that, that situation.
So, we don't say that in daily life.
Yeah.
And, yeah.
So, yeah, so maybe, like, people around you, including me, maybe, not, like, that confident.
As well.
As well.
But just, like, pretending that I'm kind of mashed up everything and just saving.
So, maybe I'm not as behind.
Yeah, yeah, I think so.
Okay, okay.
Because after I'm hearing your story, like, okuyami moshiagemasu, for example.
Yeah.
True.
If, if it was, like, tackiest.
Yes.
I could use that phrase to my friend.
Okay.
To a friend.
Yeah.
Is that natural to you?
Yeah, to me, yes.
Because it's more, like, text.
06:01
It's like, yeah.
Okay.
Like, more, yeah.
But, like, face to face.
Okay.
If we're in the same room, and then, yeah.
Maybe I would say so.
Because I don't have no other choices.
You'll say okuyami moshiagemasu?
Maybe.
So counterintuitive to me.
Uh-huh.
Because I, if I can find something more, just like you said, a little bit more casual.
And I, the way I can express my, an empathy?
Sympathy?
Both is okay.
I guess sympathy.
Sympathy.
With, like, more closer vibe as a friend.
Like, I'm, man, I'm your, on your side, man, kind of.
Yeah.
Vibe is the one I want to express.
But, and I know okuyami moshiagemasu is a little too, like.
Yeah, yeah.
This too.
Yeah.
Too much.
I know.
But I cannot find anything better than that.
Okay, all right.
So I guess.
Yeah.
That itself is a very difficult sort of word to deal with, I guess.
It's not whether one's accustomed to the Japanese culture or not.
It's more like, that word is difficult.
Yeah.
Like, sugoku zannen dattane.
That sounds, no, that's not enough.
That's not enough to me.
Yeah, so I can't find any.
Yeah, okay, all right.
Yeah, so that happens to me as well, kind of.
I see.
Yeah.
But not only this.
Not only that.
Like, for example, there was this other timing, right?
Where I was at a wedding.
I was attending a wedding.
And then the cameraman started coming around and be like.
The cameraman just started walking around, right?
Okay.
I was not, I didn't know that was coming, right?
And everybody else was like, just saying their whole shit.
Okay.
They're really good.
They're really fast.
And it came to me.
Yeah.
I was like, fuck, what do I say in these situations?
Everybody's saying things like, what I remember they were saying, like.
Okay.
It was sort of like the keyword that they were saying.
I catch that.
I caught that.
But like, I couldn't think of what the appropriate terms for that was.
What do people usually say?
Well, yeah, I mean, I guess is kind of like the, I don't know, the word that everybody says.
Like, you can't think of anything else.
You're catching on the spot.
I was catching it on the spot.
But I froze, man.
Like the game was like, I can't say no.
I'll be too impolite.
Right.
Of course.
Of course.
I'll do it.
So, okay, let's start this.
It's like.
09:11
This is exactly how I did it.
It's like, I stuttered.
I don't know what to say.
Should I say, like, that phrase?
Like, suenaga kousenatsu ni, but maybe not suitable for this.
Exactly.
I was not comfortable.
I see.
Yeah.
I see.
Yeah.
I see.
Right.
Those things were like.
Okay.
When I make a reservation, you know, at a restaurant, right?
When I call, I still don't know how to start a conversation.
Okay.
Like, for example, should I go with.
Should I say that?
Or like, some people do, right?
Yeah, I sometimes do.
Or like, should I start off with that?
Yeah.
Or like, should I say that?
Is that casual?
Or like, that's something that I'm still really like, I'm not confident with that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, I mean, I understand you.
Like, maybe the amount of exposure to those situations are a little bit bigger on my side.
So maybe experience level would be different.
But I'm still learning.
Oh, you still haven't really like, it's not definite that this is the right.
Oh, okay.
When I was in the company, I had to like, make a reservation to like, restaurants for the
customers, right?
Or hotels or, you know, every places.
And I have to do sometimes phone call to the restaurants.
And I didn't know how to do that from the beginning.
From the beginning.
And I was like, watching and listening to the bosses and like, senpais doing it.
And one of my senpais are like,
Start with like that.
Okay.
Yeah, it's not bad.
That's the mature way of saying it.
And I copy that.
But one of my boss is from Osaka.
I love his communication style.
Style.
Yeah.
And then he went like,
So like, the tone?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that at this time.
Start with like that.
Okay.
And I really like that.
That's a technique.
Yeah.
Oh, that's how like, you know, he, this senpai,
Very mature.
He's like a,
Of course.
But the boss, he was like,
And like, he's a boss of boss.
And like, mature of mature kind of to me.
That's what masters do.
Oh, okay.
And I copy that.
Okay.
So you were actually on the phone.
12:00
I'm learning.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Like,
Right, right, right, right.
Really?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I, you know, I'm younger than him.
Okay.
So I know I have to take some,
Like the,
Yeah.
Like the,
Oh, just turn off of the voice?
Yeah.
Yeah.
You know.
Yeah.
I have to be like a little more fresher than him.
Yeah.
As a voice and everything.
But the way of saying everything is like I copied from him.
Oh, okay.
And still today I'm using it.
You're using it?
Yeah.
Man.
So, so yeah, we're still,
At least I'm still learning it.
Right.
And.
Another thing that's kind of difficult for me is,
If I should say,
お世話になってます or not.
Oh, to?
To people that,
Let's say for example,
Like,
じゃあ、例えば市役所でやり取りしてて。
Okay.
その人に対して。
うん。
あ、えっと、先ほどの何々です。お世話になってます。
I don't know if I should say that or not.
Oh.
Like お世話になっ、どうなんだろうみたいな。
Like for 取引先?
Yes.
I know you have to say it.
Yeah.
お客さん取引先?
Yes.
It's been quite a while.
Yeah.
We, we do the time.
We don't have the time of お世話になっている time.
Right, right, right.
Constant things.
Right.
But like,
Do I say it to like,
For example,
The doctors,
The dentist office that I call.
Do I say it to
The 市役所?
If I have to say,
Communicate with them?
Yeah.
That's kind of difficult.
I've always,
I kind of, I tend to sort of like wait until they say it.
Then I'll say it.
Well, yeah, I mean, that's a good way of learning things.
Like see and listen to what they do.
And then, yeah, that's true.
It's, um, the difficult thing is about those things are like,
Like you have the classic Japanese standard way of saying these things, right?
That's, that's the standard.
In, for example, like maybe,
30 years ago.
Okay.
That was the mainstream.
Okay.
That was the standard.
But now, right now, we're like,
Like people like me and you do this.
Yeah.
In certain situations that sounds too much sometimes, you know.
What do you mean by that?
For example, like,
That's like, thank you.
And like, thank you as always kind of.
Yeah.
And that's something purely Japanese authentic standard way of saying,
Thank you to, for example, like dentist to like any, any places.
15:02
I know it.
For example, my grandma uses it.
Yeah.
And that sounds perfect.
Oh, that's really beautiful.
Yeah.
But if I use to, um, for example, in, in, in, in
Okay.
Or like trucks, drug store.
Okay.
Or like any supermarket that sounds a little.
Yeah.
Kind of.
Yeah.
Maybe I'm not.
Too young.
Yeah.
I'm not mature enough to, to be like that.
I see.
I see.
You know, and that's really cannot be like verbalized.
I see.
Right.
There's some sort of weirdness.
Yeah.
Young people just using that word.
Right, right, right, right.
So I respect that the Joshi's way of communicating.
I love, but I cannot completely copy that.
Because if I do that, oh, it's a little too much.
Too much character.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I see.
So that's difficult.
I see.
Yeah.
Even though like, it's the right way.
I see.
Yeah.
Because when I was doing the register, uh, at Baito for the, uh, the gashiyasan,
a lot of people were, yeah, now, now that I know they were all, um, like Obachans.
Right.
They were like, yeah, yeah.
When they, when they're done with Okaiken, when they leave, they go away.
They're like, huh.
That's, I didn't know that was one of the things you can say.
So I was about to incorporate that.
I, I, I don't do it, but like, I was like, oh, I didn't know this was one of the ways of saying
it.
So I was like, I was so close to using it.
Yeah.
At a convenience store or something.
I mean, it's not completely off, you know.
Yeah.
But it's like, you, you've got, it's too characteristic.
If we, if we use that.
Yeah.
Same as like, okugami moshiagemasu.
That's completely the perfect ones.
It's the standard one, but.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's why it's like, true.
That's so difficult.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So difficult.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So difficult.
Yeah.
I get it.
Yeah.
I get it.
So you wait.
I wait until the other person.
Yeah.
But I think, I guess that's like the only thing, how you can learn to listen to other people.
Yeah.
So like the downside of that, if I don't get to see it, so you know this, but like,
I've been using the washikino toire the opposite way.
Right.
I don't know when, but like one time we talked about this and like, Kevin, you're using it
the opposite way.
Like you face the other side, Kevin, when you use that washikino.
Yeah.
And I was like, really?
Right.
Because I don't get to see anybody take a shit or do a piss.
Yeah.
Right.
In the koshitsu, so like, I, I don't have any other samples.
18:03
So it's dangerous though.
Right.
Yeah.
I get it.
Right.
I get it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It happens.
It happens.
All right.
Thanks for listening guys.
Thank you.
Bye.
