So humbling!

[The7thSamurai]

So next week I'm finally finishing at this language school I've been teaching English at. For some of my final classes I want to take drinks or sweets or something in, but I thought I'd find out from the kids that it's ok. I asked one of the kids:

りりこちゃんのご両親はりりこちゃんにチョコレートを食べさせますか。

Basically I wanted to ask "Ririko chan, do your parents let you eat chocolate?". But all I got back was laughter and 意味がわからへん!

I said it in just that way - I know the pronunciation was fine because she repeated it several times, as kind of a joke. Anyway, I'm still sort of new to that whole causative させる form so maybe I got something wrong. What do you reckon??

 

[chickie]

It's lovely that you're going to bring some drinks and sweets

I don't think your pronunciation or the way you said it was wrong.
I guess they just didn't understand why you asked it. They might have thought "Of course they do!". I reckon nobody has ever asked them like that.

Did you say something to them afterwards? I think I might scold her if she kept repeating it. Children can be so irritating sometimes

 

[epigene]

I also think what you said is OK--with adults.

My guess is that they didn't understand ご両親
That's not something small kids hear in everyday living, since it is very formal and polite.

りりこちゃんのパパとママｏｒお父さんとお母さんｍｉ ｇｈｔ ｈａｖｅ ｂｅｅｎ ｂｅｔｔｅｒ．

 

[The7thSamurai]

Hmm, maybe it was because I said ご両親. Didn't think of that one. Anyway, little brat isn't getting any chocolate now! j/k hehe

 

[Elizabeth]

Hmm, maybe it was because I said ご両親. Didn't think of that one. Anyway, little brat isn't getting any chocolate now! j/k hehe

Not everyone likes chocolates anyway you know (speaking of myself, at least the milkish kind). Maybe you should have asked her if she's not allowed, but forced, to eat it at home. I don't think there is another way to say that, though, other than through a misinterpretation.

 

[Mike Cash]

I'm guessing she may have been amused at the very gaijinish overuse of names/pronouns. Neither りりこちゃんの nor りりこちゃんに were needed.

Also, a more natural construction would have チョコ（レート）食べられる？ rather than the 直訳ish 食べさせる....which sounds very much more like "Do your parents feed you chocolate?" rather than "Do your parents let you eat chocolate?"

 

[epigene]

As Mike said, it is actually very difficult for children to understand formal grammar structure, especially created by a foreigner. They demand 100% naturalness in language.

In fact, the way to speak to a child would be:
りりこちゃん、パパとママはチョコレート食べていいっていってる？

There are other ways, but this is what came to mind at 1 am in the morning...

 

[chickie]

I guess you can say
「お父さんとお母さんに(あまり)食べちゃいけないって言われてるお菓子ある？」
as well.
It's not the exact translation of "do your parents let you eat chocolate?", but it sounds natural to me

 

[Elizabeth]

It's lovely that you're going to bring some drinks and sweets
I don't think your pronunciation or the way you said it was wrong.
I guess they just didn't understand why you asked it. They might have thought "Of course they do!". I reckon nobody has ever asked them like that.

Honestly, kids today....I would get the easy stuff out of the way first and possibly save yourself some embarrassment in the process. Ask if her parents actually buy the candy OR if she eats it at home. But don't use giving words like ageru or yaru cause she probably won't understand those. How old is this class anyway ? Let the party begin !!!