Konnichiwa 悪魔san!
What is "Moshi-moshi"?
Japanese "Moshi-moshi" is usually used for saying "hello" on a phone, and is used for speaking to strangers on the street too.
Example, on a telephone...
"Moshi-moshi, Watashi ha Nangi desu". It means "Hello, this is Nangi".
Example, on the street...
"Moshi-moshi, hankachi wo otoshi mashita yo". It means "Excuse me! you dropped out a handkerchief".
There are many ways to speak to strangers in Japan, "Moshi-moshi", "Chotto", "Sumimasenga", "Yoroshiidesuka", "Ano", and etc.... "Chotto" and "Ano" are very plain speaking. "Sumimasenga" and "Yoroshiidesuka" are polite. "Moshi-moshi" is an old fashioned and polite speaking. But most polite speaking is VERY long! "Ano moshi-moshi? Chotto sumimasenga, Yoroshiidesuka?".
Those are used for speaking to strangers on the street. But on a phone, people use only "Moshi-moshi".
The origin of "Moshi-moshi".
The origin of "Moshi-moshi" is "Mousu". "Mousu" is old Japanese of "moushi ageru"(It means "I say" in English). "Mousu" had corrupted into "Moshi". And old days, "Moshi" was used for speaking to someone.
Why do Japanese say "Moshi" twice, "Moshi-moshi"?
This is an old legend and may or may not be true.
Long ago, people believed they were in great danger of encountering mononoke (ghosts). When confronted with a stranger, there was no way to tell if it was a man or a ghost. Since they also believed that ghosts could not say the same word twice in a row, they said "Moshi-moshi." It was really a test phrase to see if the person was safe to talk to.
Why do Japanese people say "Moshi-moshi" but not "Konnichiwa" on the phone?
When the Japanese people first saw the telephone, they were surprised. Because small box can speaking! They thought things like "how can a voice come from a box? Is it some kind of mononoke?" Thinking it was a mononoke, when they spoke into it they said "Moshi-moshi." Thus, the custom developed.
Are you called and stopped on the street?
In Japan, sometimes we are called and stopped on the street. Because someone call us "Moshi-moshi" from the back. We stop and look around. But we find only young boy/girl speaking on a cellphone, "Moshi-moshi!". Confusing!
NANGI
