| Practice | ||
| 1. | A: Anata—dare? | B: Watashi—Tanaka. |
| A: Anata Amerika-jin? | B: Iie, Nihon-jin. | |
| A: Sō des' ka? Ok'-san? | B: Kano-jo—Nihon-jin. Anata? | |
| A: Watashi— Amerika-jin. Watashi—Tōkyō; kanai—Amerika. | ||
| 2. | A: Chotto sumi-masen. Anata— Eikoku-jin? | B: Iie. Watashi— Amerika-jin. |
| A: Sō des' ka? Sumimasen. Watashi—Nihon-jin, Tanaka, isha. | B: Sō des' ka? | |
| A: Anata—dare? | B: Watashi—Brown, kaishain. | |
| A: Hajimemash'te. Dōzo yorosh'ku. | B: Dōzo yorosh'ku. | |
| A: Shitsurei, ok'-san—? | B: Kanai—Amerika. | |
| A: Sumimasen. Mata aimashō. | B: Hai. Domo. Sayonara. | |
| A: Sayonara. | ||
| 3. | A: Gomen kudasai. | Kaseifu: Hai, hai. |
| A: Sumimasen. Tanaka sensei? | Kaseifu: Hai. Chotto shit-surei. ... Mrs. Tanaka: Sumimasen. Dōmo shitsurei. | |
| A: lie, iie. Kano-jo dare? | Mrs. T: Kano-jo? Kanojo—kaseifu-san. Dōzo. | |
| A: Shitsurei. Dōmo. Danna-san? | Mrs. T: Shujin—Ginza, shoppingu. Gomen nasai. | |
| A: Sō des' ka? Dō itashimashite. | ||
| 4. | A: Ano hito—dare? | B: Gak'sei. |
| A: Sō des' ka? Watashi—gak'sei. | B: Sō desu ka? Kare— tomodachi. Dōzo. | |
| A: Dōmo arigatō. Sumimasen. | B: Dō itashimash'te. ... Tanaka san, Andrews san. Dōzo yorosh'ku. | |
| T: Hajimemash'te. Dōzo yorosh'ku. | ||
| A: Dōzo yorosh'ku. Hajimemash'te. | T: Andrews san—sensei? | |
| A: Iie, gak'sei. | T: Amerika-jin? | |
| A: Hai. Amerika-jin, gak'sei. | T: Brown san— gak'sei san? | |
| A: Iie, kare—kaishain. |
Tips
When you cannot make yourself understood— DON’T SHOUT. This is not only very rude, it makes you harder to understand. Slow down, go back, and try to say the same thing with different words. Most Japanese know quite a lot of individual English words but they are not used to hearing them pronounced and used in sentences. When you don’t understand a Japanese, excuse yourself and say Mō ichido “again” or Yukkuri “slowly.” When you don’t know a Japanese word, use an English word, but say it slowly and try to imitate the way a Japanese would pronounce it. As regards anata “you” and watak’shi or watashi “me,” the longer forms are the more standard, while the shorter forms are on the informal side.
| 1. | A: You—who (are you)? | B: Me—(I'm) Tanaka. |
| A: You—(are you) an American? | B: No, a Japanese. | |
| A: Well well. Your wife? | B: Her—(she's) a Japanese. (How about) you? | |
| A: Me—(I'm) an American. Me—(I'm in) Tokyo; my wife— (she's) in America. | ||
| 2. | A: Excuse me a minute. You—(are you) English? | B: No. Me—(I'm) an American. |
| A: Oh? Excuse me. Me—(I'm) a Japanese, Tanaka (by name), a doctor (by profession). | B: Well well. | |
| A: You—who (are you)? | B: How do you do. Me— (I'm) Brown, a company employee. | |
| A: How do you do. My compliments. | B: My compliments. | |
| A: Excuse me (for asking a rude question but) your wife—? | B: My wife—(as for her it's) America. (My wife is in America. or My wife is an American.) | |
| A: Thank you. So long. | B: Yes. Thank you. Excuse me. Goodbye. | |
| A: Goodbye. Excuse me. | ||
| 3. | A: Excuse me—anybody home? | Maid: Yes, yes ("coming—"). |
| A: Excuse me. Dr. Tanaka (is he home)? | Maid: Yes (I understand what you want), just a minute please.... | |