Oh no, do I sound like a girl?

[GoldCoinLover]

According to Mangajin "it sounds very unnatural, even ludicrous, for a man to use feminine speech"

I use polite speech all the time.

Gender differences in spoken Japanese - Wikipedia

Gender differences in spoken Japanese - Wikipedia

 

[nhk9]

You have to understand that polite speech is a different thing from feminine speech.

polite speech surrounds teineigo & keigo. while keigo and teineigo are often used by female, one doesn't necessarily need to use polite speech in order to sound effeminate.

 

[bentenmusume]

I've never heard you speak Japanese, but I doubt you sound like a (Japanese) girl. More likely, you sound like an American guy trying to speak Japanese.

This reminds me of a classmate of mine back in my college Japanese class. He somehow got it in his head that the audio materials we were using were giving him a Kansai (western Japan) accent, instead of the "proper" and "standard" Tokyo intonation that he wanted to learn. Never mind that he hadn't been studying the language long enough to distinguish between various accents/dialects, much less accurately imitate them.

He brought this up one day in class in a somewhat insulting and accusatory manner. Our instructor's response was, "Let me assure you that the speakers in the audio materials are Tokyo natives who were chosen specifically so there would be no traces of dialect in their speech. Even if you were to somehow acquire a Kansai accent, though, I guarantee you that it would be preferable to the Miami, Florida accent that you have right now."

The moral of the story is: get a basic working proficiency with the language before you start concerning yourself with what "flavor" of the language you're speaking. If you're still at the point where putting together a basic grammatical sentence is a struggle, whether or not your speech is "masculine" enough is really the least of your worries.

 

[GoldCoinLover]

I've never heard you speak Japanese, but I doubt you sound like a (Japanese) girl. More likely, you sound like an American guy trying to speak Japanese.
This reminds me of a classmate of mine back in my college Japanese class. He somehow got it in his head that the audio materials we were using were giving him a Kansai (western Japan) accent, instead of the "proper" and "standard" Tokyo intonation that he wanted to learn. Never mind that he hadn't been studying the language long enough to distinguish between various accents/dialects, much less accurately imitate them.
He brought this up one day in class in a somewhat insulting and accusatory manner. Our instructor's response was, "Let me assure you that the speakers in the audio materials are Tokyo natives who were chosen specifically so there would be no traces of dialect in their speech. Even if you were to somehow acquire a Kansai accent, though, I guarantee you that it would be preferable to the Miami, Florida accent that you have right now."
The moral of the story is: get a basic working proficiency with the language before you start concerning yourself with what "flavor" of the language you're speaking. If you're still at the point where putting together a basic grammatical sentence is a struggle, whether or not your speech is "masculine" enough is really the least of your worries.

ありがとうございます。今わかります。


Thank you so much. Now I understand.

 

[RockLee]

Japanese women speak more polite than Japanese men.It's the way things are.
When you study Japanese you start with the polite form of speaking/writing.
Conversational Japanese is for after you are proficient in polite speech

My Japanese friend told me that "Watashi" is mostly used by guys who are gay, BUT to other people you don't know;your employer;people in a higher position than you it's required you address them in a polite way, so "Watashi" or even "Watakushi" is appropriate.The last is more used when having a jobinterview AFAIK :? It's old Japanese.

GCL, as long as you are not proficient in Japanese "watashi" is no problem to say When you talk to friends or people you know, "boku" or "ore" might be better to use.

 

[Glenn]

Heh, I just had a conversation tonight with my Japanese friends about when to use な and 俺. They were telling me to be careful at first, but after a little while when I explained to them when I thought each was appropriate, they finally said "oh, well, you understand pretty well." It was quite an interesting experience, mostly because they were saying "I'm not even sure when to use what." I guess that's one of those things where if you use the language natively you just speak it without realizing what you're doing.

 

[DoctorP]

Japanese women speak more polite than Japanese men.It's the way things are.

This is actually the way it is with many Asian languages! I wouldn't sweat it GCL...it will go away with time...and if anyone gives you crap about it just start speaking to them in English and watch the dumbfounded look on their face as many times they will not be able to understand what you just said! I have done this quite often with people who tried to make me feel bad about my level of Japanese. They become quite humble when they realize that I speak two languages and they speak only one! (this also works for my kids when they get teased by someone!)

 

[MeAndroo]

Heh, I just had a conversation tonight with my Japanese friends about when to use な and 俺. They were telling me to be careful at first, but after a little while when I explained to them when I thought each was appropriate, they finally said "oh, well, you understand pretty well." It was quite an interesting experience, mostly because they were saying "I'm not even sure when to use what." I guess that's one of those things where if you use the language natively you just speak it without realizing what you're doing.

I found that to be the case when I was teaching English. I'm comfortable with grammatical rules, but trying to explain the "why" was difficult for me. Must be that rigorous English education I got en route to my marketing degree .

My dad's friend used to learn Japanese from hostesses and stuff at a local sushi spot. The cooks would make fun of his Japanese because of how feminine he spoke. I guess it's pretty humorous to see an American guy in a sushi spot refer to himself as "atashi."

 

[GoldCoinLover]

I found that to be the case when I was teaching English. I'm comfortable with grammatical rules, but trying to explain the "why" was difficult for me. Must be that rigorous English education I got en route to my marketing degree .
My dad's friend used to learn Japanese from hostesses and stuff at a local sushi spot. The cooks would make fun of his Japanese because of how feminine he spoke. I guess it's pretty humorous to see an American guy in a sushi spot refer to himself as "atashi."

Yes, same with my japanese friend, Mac-san. He knows how it works, but can't explain why.

 

[Shigehisa]

Heh, I just had a conversation tonight with my Japanese friends about when to use な and 俺. They were telling me to be careful at first, but after a little while when I explained to them when I thought each was appropriate, they finally said "oh, well, you understand pretty well." It was quite an interesting experience, mostly because they were saying "I'm not even sure when to use what." I guess that's one of those things where if you use the language natively you just speak it without realizing what you're doing.

な & 俺 are less polite forms of ね and 私/僕 respectively right ?

 

[cheapshot]

な & 俺 are less polite forms of ね and 私/僕 respectively right ?

the way i see it is that these "words" are generally used more by males. 俺 is especially used a lot by kids. 俺 is a very informal term for 私 and 僕 though, yes.

 

[Elizabeth]

な & 俺 are less polite forms of ね and 私/僕 respectively right ?

I have heard kansai women using な (not the ka na or na as a prohibition or negative command) but it is more commonly a masculine particle of assertion or emphasis (?). Sorry I can't help more -- my guys friends are more the 'ne' and 'boku' types.

 

[J44xm]

In day-to-day use, when speaking with people on the street, is "boku" all right for a 28-year-old male to use? For example, if I ask for directions and a conversation ensues, would "Boku wa Amerika kara desu" offend anyone (from kids to the elderly)? I can't find much in the way of straight answers on the Web (though I know the answer to a question like this is rarely straight).

 

[Mike Cash]

In day-to-day use, when speaking with people on the street, is "boku" all right for a 28-year-old male to use?

Yes.

For example, if I ask for directions and a conversation ensues, would "Boku wa Amerika kara desu" offend anyone (from kids to the elderly)?

No.

 

[Elizabeth]

In day-to-day use, when speaking with people on the street, is "boku" all right for a 28-year-old male to use? For example, if I ask for directions and a conversation ensues, would "Boku wa Amerika kara desu" offend anyone (from kids to the elderly)? I can't find much in the way of straight answers on the Web (though I know the answer to a question like this is rarely straight).

Simply Americajin or America desu is best. They are also most likely going to abbreviate it to "Dochira?" or "Dochira no kuni?"

 

[Gaijinian]

However, when I do say it in times that I don't want to, Japanese people almost never even react (I have said it to teachers before, etc..) because I'm a "Gaijin..." Then again, I'm also 16. If I were 25 or something, then it would be embarrassing.
~~~~~

Boku wa Amerika kara desu

You need a DA
amerikajin DAkara desu
~~
To throw out my idea, I'd go with
"Amerika-jin nan desu." "I'm an American," it also gives the feel, "that is why I don't know."

If your not Asian, they will be able to tell, so you really don't need to say it at all...

 

[Glenn]

He didn't say アメリカ人; he said アメリカ.

 

[Elizabeth]

You need a DA
amerikajin DAkara desu
~~
To throw out my idea, I'd go with
"Amerika-jin nan desu." "I'm an American," it also gives the feel, "that is why I don't know."
If your not Asian, they will be able to tell, so you really don't need to say it at all...

単になぜ アメリカ人 のか聞いているのかなと思います。もちろん、言い方にもよりますけどね。

 

[J44xm]

To throw out my idea, I'd go with
"Amerika-jin nan desu." "I'm an American," it also gives the feel, "that is why I don't know."
If your not Asian, they will be able to tell, so you really don't need to say it at all...

I don't think they'd be able to tell what country I'm from, though, eh? I'm studying the explanatory "no" and "na no" right now, so the "nan" actually makes sense to me--enough to understand, at least. Thanks.

 

[Elizabeth]

Sometimes when I talk, I naturally use "俺." It just comes out...
So, I usually try to avoid it entirely (unless the say 俺 to me)...
However, when I do say it in times that I don't want to, Japanese people almost never even react (I have said it to teachers before, ect..) because I'm a "Gaijin..." Then again, I'm also 16. If I were 25 or something, then it would be embarrassing.

そうですね。確かに、「オレ」は１００％否定的ということではありません。
そして、社会人になったら、「オレ」という言い方に対して「僕」を使う時のことですが、
本当に謙虚な人は「私」を使いますね。

 

[Mike Cash]

Sometimes when I talk, I naturally use "俺." It just comes out...
So, I usually try to avoid it entirely (unless the say 俺 to me)...
However, when I do say it in times that I don't want to, Japanese people almost never even react (I have said it to teachers before, etc..) because I'm a "Gaijin..." Then again, I'm also 16. If I were 25 or something, then it would be embarrassing.

Gaijins worry about and agonize over whether or not to use 俺 far, far, far more than Japanese worry about what first-person pronoun gaijins use.

It isn't that they don't react because they're cutting you some slack as an ignorant gaijin. It's that (pay attention now) it ain't that big a deal.