Apologies in Japanese: From ごめん to 申し訳ございません
Apologies in Japanese run on an intensity ladder from ごめん to 申し訳ございません. Learn each phrase, its register, and when sumimasen means sorry, thanks, or excuse me.
6 docs tagged with "culture"
View all tagsBowing, Business Cards, and Greetings: The Body-Language Layer of Japanese Etiquette
Bowing in Japan, explained: the three bows (eshaku, keirei, saikeirei), the set phrases that pair with each, business-card etiquette, and over-bowing pitfalls.
Gift-Giving in Japan: お土産, お返し, and the Language of Reciprocity
A sociolinguistic guide to Japanese gift-giving: お土産, お返し, 御中元, and 御歳暮, the set phrases givers and receivers say, plus 水引 and のし wrapping etiquette.
Japanese Holidays and Festivals: The Language and Customs of 正月, お盆, and the Annual Calendar
A language-focused guide to Japanese holidays and festivals: the dates, customs, and set greetings for お正月, Golden Week, お盆, the 節句, and more.
Reading Between the Lines: Implicit Communication in Japanese
Implicit communication in Japanese, explained: high-context culture, 空気を読む, and the ellipsis and hedging grammar you can learn to decode, no mind-reading.
Seasonality in Japanese Language and Life: Solar Terms, Seasonal Words, and Letter Greetings
Why Japanese has so many seasonal words: the 二十四節気 solar-term calendar, 季語 in haiku, 時候の挨拶 letter greetings, and everyday 旬, 花見, and 衣替え vocabulary.