BSingh
後輩
- 25 May 2014
- 7
- 0
- 11
Someone asked this question on yahoo answers regarding the use of the word くださいfor please. The answer to the question was given by a Japanese person who said that it can sound rude. Here is the link: Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos
Here's what he said:
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If I have to translate English into Japanese, I will do as ninaballerina mentioned.
But, there isn't neither "ください" nor "お願いします" in Japanese dictionary.
In my dictionary, it is written as...
どうぞ、どうか、なにとぞ、すみませんが
Do you know why it is?
Japanese is quite different from English. Japanese doesn't have the same word for "please." You want to add something like "please" to your imperative sentence? But it won't be respectful because imperative is not regarded as respectful.
If you tell old Japanese people or executives that "それをしてください," he/she might get angry. He/she will regard you as arrogant.
I will use "そうしていただけますか?" or "そうしていただけませんか?" for "Please do it."
Our language has many ways to express respect/politeness. You should forget direct translation if you use it to real Japanese. If you want to express respectful feeling, you should use suggestion-like sentence.
Honestly, I was confused about it when I talked with young foreign people because they didn't know how to talk politely in Japanese way.
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My question is could you not say this: could you please to sound polite as well instead of 'そうしていただけますか?'?
Or is it still better to say it the way the Japanese person said?
Thank you
Here's what he said:
-------
If I have to translate English into Japanese, I will do as ninaballerina mentioned.
But, there isn't neither "ください" nor "お願いします" in Japanese dictionary.
In my dictionary, it is written as...
どうぞ、どうか、なにとぞ、すみませんが
Do you know why it is?
Japanese is quite different from English. Japanese doesn't have the same word for "please." You want to add something like "please" to your imperative sentence? But it won't be respectful because imperative is not regarded as respectful.
If you tell old Japanese people or executives that "それをしてください," he/she might get angry. He/she will regard you as arrogant.
I will use "そうしていただけますか?" or "そうしていただけませんか?" for "Please do it."
Our language has many ways to express respect/politeness. You should forget direct translation if you use it to real Japanese. If you want to express respectful feeling, you should use suggestion-like sentence.
Honestly, I was confused about it when I talked with young foreign people because they didn't know how to talk politely in Japanese way.
-------
My question is could you not say this: could you please to sound polite as well instead of 'そうしていただけますか?'?
Or is it still better to say it the way the Japanese person said?
Thank you
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