As any Japanese speaker will no doubt tell you, the Japanese language, although tricky to master, is incredibly convenient. Not only can we entirely omit words such as “I” or “you” and simply say things like “taberu?” (“eat?”) or “iku?” (“go?”) and it still be perfectly acceptable, but there are also set phrases for use in a multitude of situations, the like of which simply do not exist in many other languages.

But even something as simple as the phrase yoroshiku onegaishimasu (lit. “Please do good (for me),” and used when asking for something or beginning a meeting, class, or even a work or training session) can be quite a mouthful at first. Thankfully though, a recent post made by a Japanese net user suggests that so long as you mutter something that sounds like the actual phrase, you’ll probably get by just fine.

Posted to anonymous diary site Hatelabo, one Japanese netizen revealed earlier this week that they have been amusing themselves at work by replacing set phrases with ones that sound very similar but are actually entirely unrelated to the situation, not to mention a bit silly.

Instead of saying “odenwa kawarimashita” after being called to the phone or accepting a transfer, for example, this jokester claims that “oden ga niemashita!” (“The stew has cooked!”) works perfectly well.

▼ “Today I tried saying ‘oden ga niemashita’ instead of ‘odenwa kawarimashita.’ Worked like a charm.”

To non-Japanese speakers this may sound completely unfeasible at first, but step into almost any Japanese convenience store and listen carefully to what the arubaito (part time) staff say when they ought to be saying arigatou gozaimasu (“Thank you very much”) and you’ll soon realise that these set phrases are rarely said especially clearly. After using the polite phrase hundreds of times per shift, possibly for years on end, entire chunks of the words have started to crumble away and in the majority of cases – unless their boss is in close proximity – it usually comes out something like “aigatozaimas” and is enough to have beginner Japanese learners questioning their textbook’s pronunciation guide.

So if you find yourself in Japan and are struggling to get those day-to-day phrases out with the speed and fluency of a native speaker, don’t lose heart! Just go with the flow and mumble something that sounds similar and you’ll be set. And if you’re already an intermediate or advanced learner, why not test your language skills by replacing “irasshaimase!” (“welcome!”) with something like “ikakusaimase!” (“stinks of squid!”) or “shiawase!” (“happiness!”)? Chances are, with everyone pre-programmed to hear the phrase that should be used at that moment in time, no one will ever notice.*

Have a great weekend, everyone!

*RocketNews24 is not responsible for incidences of people losing their jobs, getting slapped across the face or stared at like a weirdo upon using these daft phrases.

Source: Hatelabo via Netorabo

Top image edited by RocketNews24 Inset image: Hatelabo