10 Japanese Phrases You Should NEVER Use to Your Boss/Superior | Must-see to Avoid Misused KEIGO

[@LetsaskShogo]

What other themes like this video, do you think would be interesting to discuss? *一応 ichiō can also mean things like "for the time being" or "just in case." ・ In this channel, you can take a closer look at Japanese traditional culture, tips upon traveling to Kyoto, and social problems in Japan. So learners and lovers of Japanese language and culture, be sure to subscribe to enjoy more content! Please check out the description box for more videos recommended for you! Thank you again very much for watching!

[@aquaarietta]

Just a few hundred subs away from 100,000!

[@notoriousresearcher]

Given that all of these rules are presented in a business context, should you also use these specific terms with seniors and strangers? Is it more friendly to use terms like "mochiron" with elderly people, or is it seen as being presumptive? And if I inconvenienced a service person like a driver and wanted to apologize, should I use something stronger than "gomen nasai"?

[@kaji_sensei]

Another set of words that I kind of spend a bit more time agonizing over appropriate selection for is けど、けれど、けれども、が、しかし. Naturally, "but" isn't something one would say to a boss that often, however it's sometimes hard to understand the differences between the levels of formality between the choices, whether things are more literary or spoken, etc. This was an amazingly insightful video! Looking forward to your next upload.

[@mattybrunolucaszeneresalas9072]

What does Omake means?

[@mattybrunolucaszeneresalas9072]

@@kaji_sensei oh! Could you explain?

[@NaiaraD]

to make a long story short, avoid talking to your superiors lol

[@dihydrogenmonoxide7600]

You need to memorise a mantra of magical spells to speak with superiors.

[@illythan]

Or stop working in big cities, inaka for the win, people be chill here.

[@littlepsycopopmaryith8618]

Oh no, when you go in to work the first time. You'll be a signed to a mentor who will guide you to success, but also the thing is you will be asked to be more independent on some work because the mentor cant help you. And that's ok, just when it comes down to it you'll have someone who will help you.

[@emmakawasaki9606]

That is the WORST thing to do in ANY work place... In ANY business, RELATIONSHIPS ARE KEY! So, with time; these phrases will roll off your tongue! :D

[@SmoovyNovaFan]

@@illythan where's Inaka at?

[@yaroslavromanyuk5669]

Apologizing to your friends: I'm sorry Apologizing to your boss: Please, use me as your doormat, sir/madam!

[@quentinultramegadroiteradi7345]

Good one 😂

[@vasundarakrishnan4093]

Exactly

[@aenean.]

I feel like this summarize all the language manners in the whole video 😂

[@still_your_zelda]

American bosses want that too lol

[@RadenWA]

Kinky

[@pulguinha682]

My rule of thumb is, if an anime protagonist uses, it's probably rude and arrogant

[@TomSestilio]

@@zeapic8500 uh.. what?

[@teixopoison601]

@@zeapic8500 actually no.

[@agathaplayziez4953]

@@zeapic8500 Depends on what kind of anime tho

[@sindri1447]

@@zeapic8500 Ask yourself if this is something Luffy or Naruto would say. If the answer is yes then shut up until you come up with something they 100% wouldn't say.

[@luxstellaelunae]

I guess it's a good rule. And always looking for a polite way to say things, it can sometimes sound too polite if you're around friends but better too polite than rude,especially if you're a woman

[@imstupid880]

"Gomennasai is too casual to be used as sorry" Oh, so he's going to say to use sumimasen instea- "Sumimasen is far too light if an apology" ...uh oh.

[@Sonicfalcon16]

UH OH!

[@echooscar5241]

Exactly what I thought!

[@Yayofangamer16]

Japanese stuck up bosses when you do a linguistical mistake HOW DARE YOU. 👧🏼

[@shady6131]

what about "dōmo sumimasen"? is that good?

[@paulortnakamura2968]

Should I say Honto Ni Gomennasai?

[@GAURON123]

Legend says that even breathing is offensive

[@GiveMeBackMyUsernameYouTube]

There's always someone that'll get offended about literally anything, and they're probably on Twitter.

[@ADeeSHUPA]

@@GiveMeBackMyUsernameKZbin Twitter

[@user-xn2gd8kz1m]

The people who get offend easily on twitter just wants a time were they are the rules...... ya they are just bored

[@averagewanderer1732]

Krabs charges you for breathing

[@joannamysluk8623]

You should always ask for permission to breathe, the air doesn't belong to you after all!

[@moi1310]

I think this video is great because it shows that learning a language is not only about the language but the culture the language is used within.

[@jonazo1]

Particularly in the case of Japanese

[@Mnogojazyk]

I studied for a doctorate in linguistics but I work with translators. They have the practical expertise while I have the theoretical expertise. Both groups have independently come to understand that good language use involves both the linguistic knowledge and the cultural knowledge.

[@regusion6366]

You just judged the usefulness of this video HOW DARE YOU

[@JodyY808]

Yes, it's called sociolinguistics, and the relationships and relative status of the speakers in an interaction are especially important and interesting in Japanese culture (and very challenging for people not raised in this culture.)

[@amvolret8326]

After watching this video i might only use hai for everything. Edit: damn too many likes now I might add sumimasen to my dictionary. You never know when you might fukup.

[@colacal2523]

me too😭

[@gaiusjuliuspleaser]

"Hai, sumimasen deshita!"

[@christianhadinata5517]

@@gaiusjuliuspleaser すみません ❌️ でも すいません ✔️

[@newbiepetrohead]

@@christianhadinata5517 actually すみません is more polite than すいません

[@xdtimetoastergaming273]

@@gaiusjuliuspleaser ye they are both correct lol

[@rachaelkent3303]

These jobs / boss relationships sound so... soul crushing. I can see why you go out to drink after, so you can talk normally and get to know each other outside of formality.

[@originalkingdomhearts]

The fact that someone was about to punch you over something so harmless shows how much the power dynamic in the work place is toxic.

[@dapidminiAiki]

maybe just a bit of exaggeration to make the video more interesting?

[@DidiOxijin]

@@dapidminiAiki no, I believe him. I’ve been in similar situations and I’ve seen worst. Last week I was scolded for 2.5 hours for saying “it sounds complicated” the problem is that I was thinking out loud and the monster heard.

[@roripantsu]

​@@DidiOxijin honne and tatemae is pretty ingrained in the culture. if you know how to read the situation youd be able to deal with it.

[@YamanoteSensei]

ブラック企業で仕方ない。

[@originalkingdomhearts]

@@YamanoteSensei しょうがない T^T

[@griffinina]

I remember my boss (Japanese) asked me to follow up something to his business consultant (also Japanese), about something they had discussed. When I contacted the consultant, he simply said: “I’m actually not sure what Mr. X request was…” In my head, I was thinking: WTF?? They’re both Japanese, they can communicate freely in their native language, so why didn’t he ask my boss to explain things clearly when he still isn’t sure about the request??? Now I understand what happened here. The consultant just don’t want to say “I’m sorry I don’t understand your request, can you please explain it again?” Too much good things (politeness) can actually be harmful.

[@michaelmcdoesntexist1459]

Causing problems in the work because of misscomunication seems a bit more unpolite imo

[@Gaijin101]

@@michaelmcdoesntexist1459 Not in Japan xD

[@michaelmcdoesntexist1459]

@@Gaijin101 touché!

[@Kyuukami]

I love learning about the nuance behind words or phrases that are implicitly understood by natives, but aren't written down in any textbooks.

[@lukeberghaus272]

Same. I like to know the real meaning instead of just the functional translation.

[@kazuma8492]

His English is so calming and nice to listen to.

[@Tiana_Skye]

I feel like I would panic mildly every time I would have a social interaction like this until the phrases were properly hammered into my head. They aren't difficult phrases to say even! Just switching my brain over from friend mode to boss mode would be confusing for the first week.

[@kevinhiggins7838]

I would hope allowances would be made for non-native speakers, at least for awhile. Gomennasai surprised me the most.

[@Frikiman_H]

"I feel like I would panic mildly every time I would have a social interaction". Story of my life.

[@RoleplayHost]

i agree

[@YamanoteSensei]

For the first week. Lol! Ok....

[@wallacesousuke1433]

@@Frikiman_H you and me both xD ;-;

[@kaidan725]

Saddest part is no one corrected me at my work till I watched this vid😭

[@yaroslavromanyuk5669]

You've been slowly losing trust all this time.

[@Buddies_official46]

yeah, same.

[@zimi9]

It's fine if you're a Gaijin

[@arnelj360]

@@zimi9 result: baka gaijin

[@ApplePotato]

No one punched you yet? lol

[@TheodoreManthovani]

Apparently playing SEGA's Yakuza games help me understand and remember the correct responses.

[@HattoriZero]

Konami's ? Do you mean Sega ?

[@Darthmessiah66]

then i gotta start playing Yakuza.

[@PalloneWafer]

You will end telling your boss "Shinite Yatsu Dake Kakatte Koi!"

[@dkf315]

😲😂

[@rubyy.7374]

All the words I learned from Yakuza have just been curse words lmao. Don’t want to be calling my potential Japanese boss an ossan by mistake.

[@327legoman]

It's funny how a lot of these polite responses seem borderline rude in English. Like in English it'd be seen as the more involved thing to say なるほうど in a way like "Aaaah I understand what you mean now." instead of just saying "Okay." which would come off as uninterested and bored.

[@B3RyL]

Oh yeah. If I gave someone an explanation of a complex problem and all I got was "Okay" I'd think to myself "He probably didn't understand anything and is just trying to get me to stop talking." I'd much rather hear "Oh, that makes sense" instead. To me that means they actually used their brain to consider the way to resolve the issue.

[@jonazo1]

@@B3RyL "Okay that makes sense" elevates you to a level equal to or above the first speaker, in any language

[@B3RyL]

@@jonazo1 Not to my knowledge. I'm a native Polish speaker and I studied linguistics with focus on English, I also lived for 11 years in England, and to this day I have never come across a situation where saying "that makes sense" would put you at a higher social standing than your partner in conversation. It's a completely benign phrase as far as English and Polish are concerned.

[@jonazo1]

@@mingledingle1556 oookaaayyy...

[@jonazo1]

@@B3RyL that makes sense (?!? duh)

[@berttkltan]

I love the way you speaking in English, clear and smooth with accurate pronunciation.

[@Pellefication]

Fun facts: In Sweden we had something called the 'You reform'. It was a change in the Swedish language in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In short, it means that you would use 'you' to your superiors instead of eg ,Mr, Mrs, surname, your excellence (except for the king) ,etc. That's a good thing in my humble opinion.

[@milliblom2237]

Yup! It also got rid of the formal plural version of you that was used to show respect when talking to strangers, superiors, etc.

[@Pellefication]

@@milliblom2237 That was a good formulation. "Du reformen" or what you can call it in English was 'the formal plural version of you' (ni) the most important ingredient in the reform. There is no word for it in English as far as I know.

[@janaduchkova8970]

@@Pellefication That´s interesting... No Swedish speaking, here, but, can you give an example in a short sentence or dialogue? And, does it mean you have no "Sie" (vous) and "Du" (tu) distinguishing in SW, formal?

[@Pellefication]

@@janaduchkova8970 It does not translate. That's the only word we use nowadays. Du = sie, vous, tu, ti, ty. "Ni" and "du" is the same word in other languages. The formal Swedish word "ni" in stead of the common word "du" can also be in the sense of adress many people at once .... a group of people with only one small word..."ni". If that make any sense? There doesn't seem to be any equivalent in other germanic, latin, slavic languages. What's your mother tounge? We don't use honorifics when addressing people except for the king and in the military. We also always use first names or surnames when we talk to teachers, managers, bosses and so on....and people in general. It sounds strange, but using surnames instead of first names is like a nickname in Sweden sometimes.

[@KatonRyu]

English has had something similar happen. 'Thou' and the like used to be the informal form, while 'you' was both formal and plural. Nowadays, of course, 'thou' has fallen out of general usage.

[@kunderemp]

As a Javanese, this video brought me my childhood trauma, Shogo when my father prohibited me of using a local language (Jakarta dialect of Malay) and introduced me to our hierarchical Javanese language.

[@xiegalo253]

Oh sorry to hear that

[@Righthand_]

Astaga 😅

[@qduck7696]

Ya ampun, jadi lebih rumit saja.

[@tantejunko]

interestingly indonesian is kinda similar to this video, like you can say words but you need to know who you're talking to. example, if you're talking to friends/close relatives you can use "lu(you)/gua(me)" (though, those two aren't a part of the official dialect or whatever you call bahasa baku is.) and when talking to people with higher position, "anda(you)/saya(me)" and "kamu(you)/saya(me)" to strangers

[@aronbenafill9780]

The thing is Javanese has 3 levels of politeness in their language from the "casual" => "medium" => "polite" and each level has slightly different vocabulary which makes it feels like you were learning 3 different languages. That's why Javanese is kinda hard to learn for younger generation.

[@Lilyium]

Remember we are not the main protagonist of an anime, we are a side character working for the main character of their anime.

[@waltwhite8126]

more like: we are side characters working for the main villain of their anime

[@no-mt2ts]

More like a side character working for the side character working for the side character.

[@GumSkyloard]

In this world, we're all Hiroshi Nohara.

[@nickpatella1525]

As correct as this video is, it actually really sickens me that it's societally acceptable and encouraged to submit to that sort of treatment from a boss. It's as though you are merely a tool to achieve their ends and not a human being with feelings and opinions. It makes it clear to me that I would never want to offer my skills and time to a company that can't care less for the human side of its workers. The worst part is to think that a boss as you described in the video would feel that after he has treated you like a tool and wasted an hour of your time scolding you for something as menial as uttering the sound waves "of course", he still has the right to tell you about the things going on in his life and expects you to give robotic answers in response. Like, that's quite a disconnect.

[@unrealsimon93]

Yup. That's why so many people have their previously-extremely naive and unrealistic view of Japan completely destroyed once they move there to live and work. One friend of mine absolutely hated the country and its culture because it's just inhumane, stressful and so conformist to the point of driving people who are not used to those BS etiquettes to depression. I would absolutely hate living in a society like this.

[@nickpatella1525]

@@unrealsimon93 I did work there for 6 months at an American-owned startup company and it was a great experience. All depends on the company I guess.

[@unrealsimon93]

​@@nickpatella1525 You said it yourself. American-owned startup probably has pretty different work-culture from the local places.

[@zammich3649]

@@unrealsimon93 Yes. If you're from an English-speaking country, especially the US, you really should not be working for most Japanese-owned companies (日系企業) just because the work culture will feel extremely toxic with little to be gained. An older acquaintance of mine advised me ONLY to work for foreign-owned companies (外資系企業) when working in Japan and his advice was absolutely on point. There are some exceptions (I've heard of a few major Japanese companies that have healthy work cultures), but if it's not a company you've expressly heard values employee insights and personal life, then stick with foreign-owned companies. That being said, foreign-owned companies in Japan will STILL feel quite Japanese if you were raised abroad, but they are much more flexible and supportive of employees in general (again, there are exceptions, so be careful).

[@DaBaSoftware]

Well put Nick!

[@mrbishi634]

I like how you explain the nuances behind the phrases to avoid. After a while, you'll probably instinctively avoid them but it's nice to hear someone spell out just why that is.

[@banyalaplace]

I know it may sound like a paradox, but watching your videos reassures me... I feel like I'm entering the mentality because I feel the traps in apparently harmless words now

[@albertoandrade9807]

I have the same feeling

[@cremapastelera00]

kiryu time

[@WT.....]

Something I picked up when studying linguistics that could be universally applied to any language is, when interacting in a serious setting, always use 'open language'. 'Open language' is anything that would give enough information to be sufficient for an answer and not entice the person asking to question further. 'Open language' does this by not being broad or too detailed as doing so might appear rude or informal. A good example of 'open language' is the alternative response phrases you provided in the video of using はい instead of もちろん. Somethings I learnt from my ex-Navy-SEAL instructor, grandpa is "it's better for someone to have a positive misunderstanding than a negative one", and while it might seem a bit rude if taken out of context, "if you want to avoid attracting unwanted attention from someone, the quicker you can politely 'shut them up', the better". From interacting with Japanese culture, I've learnt that the same could also be applied.

[@hollybums89]

Ive worked as a chef for 6 years and this is also relates so well to kitchen life as well, fine dining especially. Yes chef/no chef - I take full responsibly for all mistakes chef. Hierarchy is real and you will be punished for questioning or speaking back. Thank you so much Shogo for this content love it all so much, always so informative.

[@BillyBoze]

Sounds like you were a cook, not a chef.

[@ZenDragoonYT]

@@BillyBoze or they are speaking for when they trained to become a chef. And now how they expect others to speak to them now in the kitchen.

[@BillyBoze]

@@ZenDragoonYT Or you are just a bad at reading, literally the first sentence: "Ive worked as a chef for 6 years".

[@Adniwhack]

That reminds me of a story of a korean plane crash, where the co-pilot could not speak up to the pilot about a particular problem that had arisen. From that point onwards, training was mandated for them to speak in English, and thereby the korean airlines started to have a better safety record. With most eastern languages, lot of respect is placed on the elderly and the superior, so it is understandable when you are in that background.

[@jimballard1186]

Do you happen to know anything about how a health care worker, like the aides in a nursing home, are expected to speak to the elderly in Korea or Japan?

[@bocahdongo7769]

Ah... Classic Cockpit Resource Management. One thing that save 2/3 of passenger from plane with fully destroyed control surface

[@tibiademon9157]

"I can't be disrespectful to my boss, guess we better all die"

[@2Sor2Fig]

I'm Zimbabwean (and never really been much of an anime fan). For context, there's a significant Chinese population here, but few Japanese people. About 10 years ago I was in a bar with some friends and we saw a group of people who we all kinda assumed were Chinese. Walking past, one of them happened to be saying thank-you to someone. It didn't sound like Mandarin, so I randomly asked if they were Japanese instead. That turned into 20min of having drinks and chatting with them and it always stuck with me how nice and welcoming they welcoming they were. About a year ago I started learning Japanese (I'm a programmer, and I'd heard learning to speak a new language is a good way to learn other programming languages as well) and would like to visit at some point. I appreciate all of the videos and learning more about the culture has made learning the language easier... Except kanji... I'm not there yet, but these sort of videos help a lot. Thanks for all the hard work and love you've put into your channel.

[@Belikel]

But I always wanted to tell my boss "I will fight to protect you"! ...I am the protagonist of a BL manga, after all!

[@hobbita]

but you still can use a phrase from this list and say Kashikomarimashita, Destiny 😉

[@悪魔城下町]

Just say 守ってあげたい! 😅😅😅

[@wanderer-my-beloved]

BL😳

[@Soysauce-undertaker]

I’m the protagonist of a GL!

[@IvanDmitriev1]

so you wanna add some sekuhara to the powahara mix :P

[@christophertiftickjian9053]

I found your channel quite by accident, but I have to say, I am fascinated with the content and I appreciate the high quality and production.

[@tubbie0075]

This makes my staff look so disrespectful, because I am so casual with them in verbal communication. But then, we are in Australia. We are encouraged to be approachable so that staff feels free/safe to ask questions or alert an issue/problem. That said, I am very strict with the quantity and quality of work :-D

[@pitrs101]

Same here in Czech Republic 🇨🇿 😁👍

[@lolmanboss]

My job is to question and scold my boss 😂😂😂 love from Austria

[@wallacesousuke1433]

@@lolmanboss So basically you're a CEO? :P

[@lolmanboss]

@@wallacesousuke1433 no, im actually something similar to a security officer. If something at my workplace is unsafe, i have to tell my boss to make it safe and if he doesent, i have to scold him. Plus he cant fire me because of that 😇

[@andersstromqvist2211]

yeah where i live a boss acting like described in the video would not keep his job for very long

[@parabox8176]

Personally, I find most of the phrases quite intuitive (I would never dare to tell my boss "good job out there!"), but never knew what alternatives could there be. Thanks!

[@mrahzzz]

Right - once you understand the connotations with your own language as context, it's clear, but too often the connotation isn't quite taught. EG, I once told a group of proficient English speakers from Japan "よくできました!" for their accomplishment of speaking English well enough to get to travel to the US, because this is what my Japanese teacher always told us in response to us doing something well. I, therefore, internalized it and gave it the same connotation as "well done!" Turns out, the connotation is more like crouching down to a little kid, patting their head, and saying "well look at you, you did it all by yourself!" - it's kind of patronizing and superior, so inappropriate to use in the context I used it in /_- They all laughed kind of awkwardly when I said it, so I was able to kind of catch it, but none of them explained the connotation to me - it was a mystery until I stumbled upon the topic in one of Misa's ("Japanese Ammo with Misa") videos . Live and learn!

[@ChaoticallyAnxious]

Learning about Japanese language and culture from you makes so much sense for me! I have a hard time learning and everything you're saying makes so much more sense than how someone else would explain it to me! So thank you very much! I can't wait to learn more from you when you get the license!

[@lolthe0]

short version: always smile and treat your superior as god even though we are all humans

[@lolthe0]

@Sakuta Ren an outsider's perspective generally brings valuable insights. Many people think Japan can provide them that exotic chance of a new life and a new hope, but always expect the culture to adapt to them, instead of the other way around.

[@OmnipotentO]

Pretty much. I think most languages have similar respectful language depending on who you're talking to. Even in English. In Spanish we have "usted", etc. but not to this extent. I'd love to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.

[@meryemadam1860]

...and it's true in all and every culture:if it seems more informal,beware the

[@greyfreeman5537]

Nice summary. It's good to have a "mantra" that reminds me of how to act. Like as a chef, when people are stressed and judging myself or others, I say to myself, "don't take anything personally," and "focus on the food." From the USA

[@Yayofangamer16]

Do they bleed?

[@19divide53]

About 6.了解, there's another Japanese teaching KZbin channel 秋山燿平 who says otherwise. He says that you shouldn't use かしこまりました towards your superior because it sounds a bit weird, and that the phrase is usually used towards someone outside of the company you work for. He also gives an alternative 「承知しました」which he says is suitable in pretty much all contexts (and more polite than 了解しました). The title of the video in which he explained this is:【日文敬語】「了解しました」不算敬語 ？正確的表達方式到底是？ The title is in Mandarin as his target audiences are Mandarin speakers. He speaks Japanese throughout the video, and the video has Mandarin and Japanese subtitles.

[@kmurii]

I used to work at a japanese company until a few months ago and that is true. My coworkers used かしこまりました towards the clients mostly, but within the company and towards the boss, 承知しました is more used. Then again if you have a good relationship with your coworkers you can also say 了解です but to be sure 承知しました is the safest option.

[@JohnNelson1]

Very respectfully, this was an excellent lesson in politeness on the job in Japan. The extra conversation at the end was very helpful as well. I hope you continue to include a more casual section of video when you think it would help.

[@Teigism]

This video is extremely informative, as always. And getting ever closer to 100k subs, Shogo-san. Thank you for your hard work!

[@clanpsi]

This is a really long and detailed way of saying, "Stop being a weeb at work." Except #6, I work in Japan and hear Japanese coworkers saying 了解です to superiors all the time.

[@komet5420]

also なるほど

[@greyEAX]

Probably depends on context. I'm sure some of these might be fine with some superiors depending on where you work and your position, but the safe bet is to not use it.

[@y.o.l.o6722]

some superior is a good easygoing if u meet strict one maybe a slap or two will be in ur face

[@wizdoodle]

了解しました (ryoukai shimashita) is a bit old fashioned anyway to be honest. These days 承知しました (shouchi shimashita) is a lot more common to use, and effectively means the same thing.

[@irondragonmaiden]

Eh, some of these are the sort of things you wouldn't think about if you don't have a formal way of speaking (like how English lost the formal/plural you). I have said "I am sorry" in a work setting and the important part is that the employee has learned their lesson and won't commit the same mistake again

[@Tomoeine]

So many of these have subtle meanings I never knew! As soon as "gomennasai" came up, I immediately said: "Oh, this one is easy. Sumimasen deshita!" Shogo: "By the way, you should avoid sumimasen." Oof.

[@renakyun]

I really like how you explain what the phrases sound like (like a child apologizing, for example). It will make it a lot easier for me to remember!

[@IAmNotYourProblem]

敬語 is so interesting to me. It’s complicated, but I enjoy learning about it. I grew up taught very strict respect too, so it’s fun to compare

[@ernestestrada2461]

Growing up part of my childhood in Japan and my mother being Japanese I picked up on many of these things and I've also made some of the mistakes you have mentioned with someone who is older. Because I was younger they gave me a dirty look or corrected me. Living in the states and without using the language as much it's easy to forget some of these rules. Thanks for the reminder.

[@Narusasu98]

Very interesting. Love your videos. I laughed so hard at the "Ganbatte!" part, imagine saying that to a boss lmao

[@lolmanboss]

I was thinking like: omg the only thing thats worse is to say ganbarou...

[@ebmage8793]

I was raised in the South (US), so I feel like alot of this is natural in English for me. I was always taught to just say 'yes and no/yes ma'm, no sir' and to have a professional way of speaking and a home way of speaking. Its fascinating that a whole country is also keen on this way of carrying oneself, although, its much more strict in Japan.

[@goombapizza6335]

Funny thing about that is that outside of the Deep South, if you go around the US saying yes ma'am/no sir all the time, it doesn't sound professional, it sounds like a stereotype of someone from the South, and that stereotype is associated with backward views and low education. To put it bluntly, it makes a person sound like a yokel.

[@Gabriel87100]

His anime portrayals are amazing lmao

[@XUIW]

For a person like me that has been studying Japanese for 3 years now, this was really helpful.

[@aquabluerose7734]

This is so interesting, it reminds me of how in Spanish "tú" and "usted" both mean "you" but tú is the informal one and usted is the formal one, and they have different conjugations so "¿Cómo estas?" is (informal) "how are you" while "¿Cómo está usted?" is the same meaning but formal, like talking to a teacher or boss. (Of course it seems like its way way easier to screw up at this stuff in Japanese)

[@sushinfudoshin8991]

Thank you for sharing this video ! It does give a good idea of the difficulty for a westerner to perceive the intracicies of the Japanese culture/language.

[@g4m3ryc78]

Nice i can use omae wa mou shindeiru

[@clang8061]

😂😂😂

[@dodongjakadventures7732]

Try it. 🤣🤣🤣

[@robson2256]

If you are the boss, so you can.

[@悪魔城下町]

🤣🤣🤣

[@soyaliovee]

Lmao 🤣

[@mavischang8634]

can we just take a moment to appreciate this man's english? It's so good!! :D

[@madarasamanta2494]

Well my anxiety just kicked in but as always it is really interesting and sometimes confusing too to learn new things in life. Thank you for sharing!

[@jakemarie828]

This is great advice with good contextual examples. Studying Keigo has been a natural learning process for me because many southern American women in the workplace and in church are socialized to defer and be demure in many situations. Working with other expats though, it seems many people didn't get these lessons of submission, and they come to me for help with phone calls etc. If you're not sure what your rank is in a social setting, the easiest way to be polite is to assume you're on the bottom.

[@ammaranuar2544]

Great, I learned a lot from this. Now, I'm terrified.

[@idontcare3315]

Thanks for putting timestamps! I've begun working in Japan this year and I catch myself constantly forgeting something and coming back to this video xDD

[@simransuri3447]

Thank you sooo much for this video. I have been using almost every word you mentioned with my boss, i am glad that webhad a friendly relationship and hebhas been cool with it. But still i will follow your suggestions and improve it. Thanks a lot!

[@AslanRuiz]

I’ve learned more watching this video than an entire semester at japanese language school… thank you so much!! New fan from now on!

[@yumark5800]

Thank you for this. I plan to work for a Japanese company when I move(if any accept me 😭). I hope to avoid these mistakes. I know they don't expect much from a foreigner but doesn't mean we shouldn't try to follow the same standards Japanese have to follow. ありがとう ございます! 🥰

[@jaanth314]

I work in a factory in Japan. In my experience, this kind of thing isn't really an issue in blue collar jobs. Everyone just speaks casually almost all the time. Not criticising though, Shogo's videos are great.

[@BlasterJunos]

As much as I am not a fan of overly hierarchical societal structures, I do appreciate the idea of Keigo. It shows that you are polite, show respect, and think about what you are actually saying. It also shows you care about the other person by making sure you use the most polite phrases when talking to someone

[@joedear2359]

I apreciate all the effort that is put into your videos. You explain it perfectly and the acting parts are very helpful, since we get a feel how it should look in a practical situation.

[@don.hihot83]

Thank you so much! Keigo is really hard to learn, mostly because of keeping in mind all these "directions", but you explained it smoothly :)

[@laughtercatz]

It is interesting how even the spoken vocabulary is a challenge itself to be learned as well as kanjis and all the others characters . This does not make me feel like it is impossible to speak Japanese but give me more determination to give even more efforts to learn it and discover it secrets . As master musashi said :" a man cannot understand the art he is studying if he only looks for the end result without taking the time to delve deeply into the reasoning of the study " Wich means ,don't learn Japanese just to flex to speak Japanese or because you want to learn it for living there ( wich is as well a good reason to do so but nonetheless ..) Learn Japanese also for discovering its base ,like the bottom of a tree ,you must study the tree before cutting it or knowing how much planks will come out of the wood , by understanding the tree itself before the end result ( the planks ) you will actually learn even more from the culture ,language and life than just studying ,rushing for the end result of just speaking Japanese . ( Sumimasen ( sorry ) ) if the explanation or comment of mine is not well written . Also !! Amazing video All of this to say , don't de courage yourself everyone , Japanese is hard but pays well to learn ^^

[@LauraChieko]

Ganbatte! Thank you for considering us your friends. Thank you for explaining how these phrases would sound in a business setting! Most English-speaking countries have similar things as well, in graduate school I got some serious backlash when one of my committee members didn't think I was polite enough. I definitely learned a lot from that experience!

[@cheryltan7962]

every language is hard, but learning japanese makes me crave the days when I was a kindergartener

[@jonazo1]

Having a small son now myself, it strikes me how hard he works to learn new stuff.

[@170skeith]

Ty I found as an American trying my best people were quick to correct me but very pleasant and actually enthusiastic about me learning other languages

[@vermilion7777]

I mean... if I go to my non japanese boss and tell him: "Hey Buddy, you did well." He would be probably pissed too.

[@E4439Qv5]

I'm not sure I've wanted to congratulate my boss on anything at all, actually.

[@DiaborMagics]

Very good video! Thanks! The only phrase I did not know, was Kooun wo inottemasu, but I didn't know all the nuances between the other phrases and indeed, with 'desu' in it, I tend to think by default that it is polite. What is very interesting is the cultural difference. I am Dutch and we are more direct. We do have more and less polite words, for example 'Je' and 'u' which are a less and more polite "you" and addressing strangers, your boss, or the elderly with appropriate words is important, but even then many people tell you "zeg maar 'je'". Which means "please use the impolite form, im more comfortable that way". Unless it's a shy employee or someone who gets walked all over on the regular - like myself, to be fair - we do not treat bosses like they know everything. "You don't have the right to criticise your boss' work, right?" is not a phrase that flies in our culture in general. Because, we're all human. Bosses can make mistakes and do things in a sub-optimal way. A lot more gets done properly if an empoyee with good insight in the matter can give accurate feedback. So, we definitely do not treat bosses like they're the king or queen. Even though... many tend to act like they are. In my opinion though, being able to talk back and quickly and accurately resolve issues and smoothen processes, will only benefit the health of the company and workflow and at the end of the day, make the company more profit than jusy saying "yes" and letting a boss who cannot possibly know everything better (because for human beings, that is impossible), always do things their way, without trying to get a word in. If the boss accepts or not depends on the boss and company, sure, but... yeah, I thought these cultural differences are very interesting. Even if I'm not one to talk back quickly, I WOULD offer my feedback when I feel it is valid and... well, maybe if I were to work in Japan, quickly get fired? I don't know. But hey, multiple heads know more than one.

[@dr.shuppet5452]

You've got the logic backwards: it's precisely because people find the strict hierarchy acceptable that it persists and won't change in a day or two. Accepting the status quo as a riskless way to approach things has been the main cause of why such corrupt and inhumane ideas stay relevant for long periods of time.

[@enrlichhartman]

Nailed it

[@462n]

I haven't experienced dealing with this type of thing in Japanese yet (as I'm still learning and am far from doing business in Japan), but I did have a similar learning experience on giving simple responses at a Kendo class I took in New York years ago. Basically I had a tendency to respond to corrections with things like "Sorry", "I'll try", or things like that and my sensei made a point to emphasize to me that I should just say things like Yes/Hai. It was only for 2 days that I took that class (i was on vacation and there aren't kendo classes where I live), so I dont remember the specifics too well, but the general vibe was very memorable to me. Side note, I obviously didn't learn Kendo from those classes, but I think it helped my confidence a lot. I do kind of wish I could've kept doing those classes.

[@pedroivantaveraferreira3037]

Oh boy. I have problems with hierarchy in Brazil and in a pretty solid bureaucracy with pre-determined company. My very essence is to question every order I receive and very clearly show my judgement about every decision my bosses make. I'm absolutely inadequate to Japan's culture

[@lepolhart3242]

Different cultures give the world spice in my opinion. I'm British and I would never fit in Japan. Most non Japanese wouldn't cope but its their culture and they need to protect it.

[@Skye_Writer]

This is completely off topic, but I need to say it after watching so many of your videos. I love the way you present yourself in your videos, particularly the deliberate movements of your hands. You make everything look like a dance/performance, so elegant and refined. And your voice is so soothing! ♥ Thank you for this channel.

[@sondertekken]

So basically 'moshiron' = well duh

[@naturalthing1]

mochiron, there is no shi in mochiron

[@hao9508]

@@naturalthing1 yeah I was like what is moshiron?

[@X9Metatron9X]

🤣💀🤣💀 i didnt know someone had commented this before i dropped mine lmao

[@jonazo1]

obviously

[@LittleSparklingStars]

I think it means "of course!"

[@TheLooking4sunset]

This video is superior in many ways, the mimic and acting and post production 🥷👍

[@Resvrgam]

This video is extremely helpful and appreciated, Shogo. It’s like having a blindfold removed before running through the minefield. This extra layer of unspoken subterfuge greatly adds to the frustration levels of this language barrier. When culture & language are this strongly linked, it’s a minefield for any JSL learner. No other language I learned had this kind of baggage attached to it. Friendly & formal forms were all that needed to be understood. With Japanese, we have to navigate friendly, formal, and subordinate to superior/stranger forms. There is also the Honne & Tatamae nuances and other linguistic implications. Good luck trying to walk on that spider-web, gaijin. 😂

[@guitar45rocks5]

This is incredible. It's hard for me to wrap my head around having to be so careful with my language at my job, and I consider myself to be really polite. Yet there are millions of people who go through these motions every day, probably without even thinking about it. I realize that a single video can't capture all of the nuance of an entire culture, but this video sheds light on the differences between the culture at Japanese companies and the American one I work at in a really interesting way. Thanks for this video.

[@dyahrahayupradita80]

this is reallly helpful! eventhough in my current company is kind of startup which has a flexible working environment, i often nervous if i have to report to my 部長 because i'm afraid making mistakes in using keigo. やっぱり、日本語は難しいやな😢

[@vexx7755]

せやなぁ

[@scuttleflip8650]

These things make so much sense the way you explain it. Very cool.

[@iddqd2]

4:28 instead of "tasukarimasu", is it okay if I use "osewaninarimasu"? 6:59 is it okay if I use ryoukai-itashimashita? I usually use shouchi-itashimashita and kashkomarimasta to my superiors, but I've heard ryoukai-itashimashita used by a co-worker of mine so I've been using that too, but now I wonder if I wasted a lot of my gaijin cards for using that term.

[@keksitzee1094]

It's cold. All these examples also highlight how absolute the hierarchy is. They're willing to spend hours of work time to maintain the hierarchy

[@ericng5707]

It's hilarious how some Japanese companies say they want to be flatter and more open, and yet the workers still have to use keigo.

[@jonazo1]

Never believe any official line from companies, it's usually totally hypocritical

[@jonazo1]

Makes me think of Chairman Mao inviting everyone to speak their mind

[@TheIgnitionCollective]

Saving me so many mistakes with this. Duolingo is the only teacher i have for Japanese so this helps a tonne! Thankyou!

[@chiisaimikan]

Lol at work, some people who are leaving for the day and you meet them on the hallway, i can just hear them say “--samadeshita” lol and I know they were saying otsukaresama deshita 😂 As time went by, I also unconsciously started saying “samadeshita” instead of the whole thing lol. But the company i worked for didnt really care much about keigo which was a good thing lol

[@Gabriel73971]

also the morning greeting "--gozaimasu"

[@authorecgrube4214]

Thanks, this was very helpful in also showing what phrases to use with friends to show less reserved behavior and to notice when someone else is showing less reserved behavior too :)

[@artour3634]

"Koun wo Inottemasu" - Alright, I learned new keigo today. Thank you Shogo Sensei!

[@davarrashayde]

Thank you very much for explaining this, it is not always clearly explained in the teachings when learning Japanese language depending on where and whom you have learned from.

[@emi_milk]

一応 also actually means “just in case” Example: I get asked if I brought my wallet, I say “ichiō” because maybe I might want to buy something on the way.

[@FDE-fw1hd]

Not always. Like if someone says ええええ。日本語喋れるの？I might say 一応日本人だからね

[@emi_milk]

@@FDE-fw1hd Yep. That’s why I said “also” It has meanings and it’s not just one.

[@FDE-fw1hd]

@@emi_milk oh that's what you meant by also

[@TokyoXtreme]

@@emi_milk but what did you mean by “actually”?

[@emi_milk]

@@TokyoXtreme What do you mean? I don’t fully understand this comment. But I was trying to say that it’s not just “probably” and can use it on other occurence, too.

[@icemaiden9534]

for the last year i have been attempting to understand nuances in languages across the world to better make myself understood by people in other parts of the world and japanese has be my hardest one yet and this really helped further my understanding, thank you for making an informitave and easy to digest video.

[@LionKimbro]

親分: ｢これは、このようにやるんだよ。」 子分:「はっ!」

[@serenadellabona8560]

Wow... thank you for this video. I hope that one day people will open their hearts and put themselves on the same level of understanding.

[@TajiriOli]

Thank you for this video! Please more like that :) One Questions: Instead of かしこまりました　would be 承知しました　also be ok for "I understand"?

[@to_ru_kw]

Yes, that would be better than Kashikomarimashita which could sound too formal :)

[@tasvapontaranne6373]

What a voice! Your speaking manner is very pleasant and relaxing and the videos are useful. Thank you!

[@Densema]

Shogo-san! Please, could you make a video about Saigō Takamori and his role in the Boshin sensō? I would greatly apprecciate it! Also keep up your incredible work, wish you and your family the very best! Arigatou gozaimasu!

[@k9_xx]

Omg thank you for this, my teacher said it wasn't really appropriate to say "gomennasai" to teachers but then never told us what to say instead...

[@chibigon01]

You earned my subscription. Thank you for this very useful content.

[@百仁華]

My last boss was very VERY strict about keigo, so I used to use it relentlessly with him, but my current boss and I are friends somehow and he insists I use tameguchi with him… 😅 which is impossible for me, so we compromised on just teineigo lol.

[@jess4475]

I hit the subscribe button before he even finished the list. Super useful information. Connotation is so important to learn.

[@RMKFfm319]

As interesting as Japan is, I would neither live or work there. Too many laws that are over complicated and out of date practices which makes things unnecessarily harder than they should be.

[@aJazzyFeel]

Your wonderful, entertaining, and very informative video helped me a lot. I really appreciate the Omake Talk at the end for context! Personally, I'm currently halfway through N5 and I am glad I didn't make many mistakes with my teacher yet. You probably saved me a lot of headaches in the future! Thank you very much once again and I hope I get to watch your videos for a long time. :)

[@morsidlamini1224]

Heyo 😀and happy belated Easter shogo 😂🌈

[@tiffaniecross2209]

I really enjoyed this video. I like to listen to Japanese rock, and my father has worked in Japan and can speak a little Japanese. But I have to say that I’m from the Southern United States. When I was growing up, I was taught that you should always use “Yes M’aam/No M’aam” or Yes Sir/No Sir” when addressing 1) someone you don’t know/ or you don’t know their name. 2) when addressing someone who is older than you (or who seems older than you.) 3) when addressing someone who has a job that is higher in authority to you (regardless of whether they are actually older than you) For me , saying “M’aam” or “Sir” is a matter of courtesy and respect. But, I have NEVER had a man fuss at me for calling him “Sir”. But I’ve actually been cursed at my women (mostly women from the northern states) for calling them “M’aam” because they feel it only applies to older women. I always make a point of thanking moms who teach their children to use the M’aam/Sir because I feel it’s important to teach your kids to give respect to everyone. I also stand up for myself and respond to the women who try to take offense with. “I’m sorry if you feel offended, but I am calling you “M’aam” from a place of courtesy and respect & will not be berated for it. Have a nice day “