Tofugu Comments - Latest Comments in In Japan, be Humble

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Grant — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:28:41 -0000

It seems a lot diferent form american colter
t seems a lot like christian ides of being pies and morels
a lot of people myself incloded have truble being humble

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Sougen02 — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:03:40 -0000

Humble = peace on earth
8)

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Zoi — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:00:55 -0000

Good article!

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Meg — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:22:29 -0000

Oh my goodness, thank you for this blog entry. :) I'm trying to learn Japanese and culture is such an important part of the language used! I just started using Mixxer to meet some language partners and they can be very complimentary at times. I have a hard time knowing how to respond because in America I would just say "Aw, no way! Thanks I really appreciate it!" or something like that but I have NO IDEA what to say in Japanese.

Actually I have a specific question about a certain type of compliment but I'm kind of embarrassed to mention it here. Maybe I'll get up the courage later!

Thanks for posting this! And I have to say, you're totally adorable Koichi. :)

Re: In Japan, be Humble

southofreality — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:16:29 -0000

I use Japanese at work all the time and don't expect my co-workers to compliment me on it, but sometimes they still do. I find that if I'm too humble or self-deprecating, the complimenters counter with more compliments.
For my co-workers, my best response is usually something like:
でも、直さなきゃいけないところが多いと思いますよ。
もし、私はだめな日本語を言っちゃったら、直してくれませんか？
お願いします。

They usually just say はい。でも、my nameがだめな日本語を言うのは珍しいから大丈夫ですよ。
Then, I just say でも、あるから、お願いします。

Re: In Japan, be Humble

japan-fan — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:21:40 -0000

yeah
i remember taking a japanese lesson and the teacher said that if you are told that you understand or speak well-you must never say yes, you can only say: domo arigatou gozaimasu
or iyye, jozu jaarimasen
thankyou for broadening my vocab

Re: In Japan, be Humble

thekaje — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 22:56:55 -0000

「ありがたいんだ」 -- LOL. Koichi, you like your んだ。

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Tyler — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 10:15:19 -0000

This was actually supposed to be for the onw about marry'n Segata Sanshiro, but somehow it got up here. I think Segata Sanshiro is better than Chuck Norris.

Re: In Japan, be Humble

koichi — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:45:13 -0000

@Leigh
I would just say "no no, I'm not."
Even when you go out and completely deny something - it doesn't mean that everyone else doesn't know that you're right.

The hard one would be more black and white. Like the example you gave about getting a kanji right. It's either right or it's wrong. If you wrote a kanji correctly, and someone said, "yep, that's right," I would think the correct response would involve you being silent, not saying one way or another. Being neutral is the key in this situation. But, when there is more room, and the action in question is based off of someone's opinion, it is best to deny, in order to be polite.

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Leigh — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:26:30 -0000

So I'm curious...I don't disagree with the blog entry (in fact I think that is well put and very true), but what is your take on being praised for getting something right. You can't very well say something negative when you ask a friend (or whoever) about something...ie. Is this kanji pronounced... and if you get it right, what is the proper humble way to respond to, Wow! You're right! You're learning kanji so fast!

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Ryan — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:03:15 -0000

well said koichi,

after going to japan and visiting different prefectures...i would have to say, being humble is very important. japanese etiquette is very important. not only in the business world but at home, on the street, etc. i remember bumping into a yukazua once riding on a train from aichi-ken to osaka.

this is how the story goes...my friend an i were having a great time, talking about my visit in nagoya. we laughed a lot and spoke out loud. then a bald guy with designer jeans, 2 cell phones, and a diesel shirt got up and was like...「うるせ～よおまえ！」 of course my friends and i kept quiet.

after that man left, my friend told me that he was a yakuza...(you can tell by the rough accent and the rolling "r" )and that we aren't in california anymore. with that said, i realized like you said, knowing how to speak japanese isn't enough. if you are going to learn japanese, learn the culture as well and respect it. japan is a country with many wonderful people that are as humble as can be.

soo....if u don't want to get kid napped in japan or have anything bad happen to you...stay quiet on trains, subways, buses, and public bath houses (i don't want to get too much into that). you are already a foreigner don't stick out more than you already do =P.

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Kendra — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 22:07:10 -0000

i just stumbled onto this from youtube. I used to study Japanese- mostly, because growing up in the US i feel like an ignorant American- which in my opinion is the worst thing a person can be. I stopped studying it so i wouldn't teach myself incorrectly, but i plan to learn the language fluently throughout college and my 20's if possible so that some day I'll be able to (possibly) live there (at the very least I'm moving to Europe after college, where it's at least a little better).

I'd just like to say that there is no need to apologize- America really IS that bad, I hate living here and I'm glad you have this website- it's definitely a major help to my Japanese studies and very entertaining

Re: In Japan, be Humble

:D — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:53:05 -0000

I don't know why everyone thinks your Japanese is bad. I think you're really good :DD!

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Holly — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:56:25 -0000

See, I will believe what you tell me, Koichi, and if I ever go, I will do that with you in mind even if it is a lie. My mom would never put a bumper sticker like that on.

Also, most of your humbling was blatant lies...>________>

heh!

Can I IM you to talk about my skill at...uhh...sticking spoons to my nose?(theres a big secret to it!)

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Sexy Beam — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 08:06:43 -0000

This kind of makes it difficult to compliment people in Japan, I think, because they seem to kind of assume you're doing it as a formality and then deny it. Actually the biggest complaint I've ever heard from foreign people living in Japan is that nobody says what they mean, at least not by English standards. There's always 2ch.net though, which is a huge insult fest sometimes, but that's because it's all anonymous.

Unfortunately for me, I'm unusually tall for a girl, and people do point it out to me every so often, which I find somewhat awkward, because I suppose I don't really like to be "the nail that sticks up" or something like that most of the time, although I do have an obnoxious side I sometimes show to friends. I think more Japanese probably would tend to see me as not modest enough, compared to more Americans who would tend to see me as too modest.

Re: In Japan, be Humble

samantha — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:06:29 -0000

ur awsome hehe but not sticking out would suck and im not one of those ppl who talk about how great they are so i think iwill be okay

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Biff — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23:27:23 -0000

I must have been born with some kinda Japanese soul thingie, cause I can't take compliments either. That is unless I think I REALLY deserve them haha. I always try to be humble, because I'm very sensetive to people's feelings, and to acting like a jerk. So I can say not all Americans are ignorant of the concept of humility - I guess it's a psychological thing? The trick really, is to suck it up internally and feed off of it hehehe.

By the way - I'm so excited I discovered thoughtful and funny Japanese YouTube vids, and a well-written and interesting blog in ENGLISH about Japanese culture! HAPPY DAY!!! I can't wait to read more :D

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Nate — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:26:14 -0000

I don't think it's necessary to be more humble than you naturally are if you were an American going to Japan. Japan has just as much individualistic people who stand out. It's only worse in America cause of our population difference with Japan. C'mon Japan is full of rebellious anxt teens who sneak out of their houses at night goto shows and clubs drink alcohol do drugs and such. I think you're wrong and naive on how Japan really is a lot more similar to America these days.

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Tiya — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:58:59 -0000

lol! "oh no, my kid's a retard"
ahahaha XD I love that video
yeah, I don't look at my accomplishments as worthless, but I don't pretend like I'm this friggin-awesome-super-amazing good-at-everything-I-do person.
It's not really a question about being shy, but more like one of some people being a bit too boastful.
When people brag, they just look so arrogant and stuck up...
not to mention annoying with their 'self-righteous' kind of attitude.

I agree with erin and koichi ^^
When you don't boast you really do save face and don't come off as an arrogant jerk to the person you're speaking with.
When you say “Nah, I don’t speak all that well” you're not really lying, but more like not being a super-braggart in your self-critique of your skills.

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Fredy — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:36:26 -0000

Haha. What's next? What if someone says, "I am VERY humble." I kept thinking about that.

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Erin — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:08:39 -0000

in perfect japanese

"Perfect", eh? Who's not humble now???

Re: In Japan, be Humble

koichi — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 23:44:49 -0000

I'm gonna have to agree with erin. If someone says "your japanese is good" - just reply in awesome japanese (while denying it at the same time), and you'll save face and still not make the other person uncomfortable at the same time. When someone says my japanese is good, it usually goes like this:

(pretend this is in Japanese, because not everyone can read it)
"Your Japanese is so good, Koichi"
"No, no, it's not" <--in perfect japanese
"But you just spoke!"
"no no no not not not" <--trail off and then quickly change the subject.

Easier to see if it was in person...

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Erin — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:36:38 -0000

Don't use Babelfish, hehe. Jim Breen's always pretty reliable, though.

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Erin — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:35:45 -0000

I personally don't think saying, "Nah, I don't speak that well" is lying/wrong. Think about it this way: if your Japanese is great, then the person you're speaking to will know that, even if you deny it; if your Japanese isn't as great as you think it is, you save face by denying instead of agreeing and having your 相手 (what's the word I'm looking for?) inwardly snickering or rolling their eyes at you. That's just my reasoning, though.

Re: In Japan, be Humble

Onimusha Nosferatu — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:33:24 -0000

hai hai. it is the kendo group. i'm really bad at it though.