Courtesy

Thank you / You're welcome

Thank you.
Arigatou.



You're welcome.
(a polite way of replying to someone who has just thanked you for something)
Dou itashi mashite.



Excuse me.
Pardon me.
Sorry.
Sumimasen.



Never mind.
Don't worry about it.
Ki ni shinai de kudasai.



Kanji translation:
ki: mind



That's all right.
It doesn't matter.
It's no problem.
Don't worry about it.
Iindesuyo.



Excuse me, may I ask you something?
Excuse me, may I ask you a question?
Sumimasen, chotto otazune shimasu.



sumimasen: excuse me

I'm very sorry about that.
Gomen nasai.



Sorry I'm late.
I'm sorry I'm late.
I'm sorry for the delay.
Okurete sumimasen.



okurete: for being late
sumimasen: sorry

After you.
Go ahead.
(When you ask someone to go through a door before you, or to do something before you.)
O-saki ni douzo.



Kanji translation:
saki: ahead



Excuse me, can I get past?
Excuse me, can I get by?
Sumimasen, chotto tooshite kudasai.



sumimasen: excuse me

Kanji translation:
toosu: pass, past

thank you. it helps a lot.

Thanks I learned some more jap

heehee, arigato gozaimasu hayo0o-sensei, sumimasen chotto otazume shimasu? will there be more lessons?

ohh arigato

arigatou gozaimasu minna san!!!!!

yeah al put more lesson if u want

Sugoi! I'll be lookin' forward to 'em

This is also called 敬語 (keigo) or politeness.

Good lesson, I learned some stuff here, thanks.

There are a number of ways to say something nice in Japanese.

It is possible to go through your life only using 'normal' or 'neutral' Japanese. However knowing honorifics will help you fit in better when talking with Japanese.

Take a deep breath and let's go through some honorific forms and construction. (remember to actually exhale--this could take a few minutes...)


1) Prefixes - お or ご (for kanji kings, both are written with this kanji 御):

* お + noun (Usually the noun is of Japanese origin - This is the kun reading of 御)
* ご + noun (Usually the noun is of foreign (Chinese) origin - This is the on reading of 御)

Example: (including a few you probably thought were the actual word!)

ご飯 (gohan - rice/meal)
ご主人 (go shujin - your husband)
お茶 (ocha - tea)
お酒 (osake - sake/alcohol)
お金 (okane - money)
お土産 (omiyage - souvenir)

You may know some set phrases using these such as:

よろしくお願いします
yoroshiku onegaishimasu
Nice to meet you.

　
2) Suffixes for names

* 様 sama - use in place of さん. To be polite to someone you don't really know or has a higher status than you, use '様' after their name: 田中様 (tanaka sama - Mr. Tanaka)

You will also hear this at any store: お客様 okyakusama (notice the honorific 'お' and 様)

Common usages that have really become words in their own right are: 神様 (kami sama - God), 王様 (ou sama - King)

As with さん you don't use this about yourself unless you are wanting to be sarcastic - 俺様 (ore sama - I (something like Mr. Number one (meaning myself)))

　
3) Pronouns / Question Words

When on the phone, you shouldn't ask 'who is this' with 'dare.' Instead use the more honorific 'donata' when refering to the person on the other side of the line:

誰 (dare) どなた (donata) or on the phone you can also say どちら様ですか？ (dochira sama desu ka?)

Likewise when pointing out someone 'over there' using 'kata' instead of 'hito' is nicer:

あの人 (ano hito) あの方 (ano kata)

　

　
4) Verbs

There are three basic types of honorifics for verbs. It depends on your 'status' as to which form to use.

A) Humble (丁寧語 teineigo) - This is when referring to oneself or family and (usually) speaking to someone higher up in grade, position or some other criteria for determining status. However even some people with high positions may choose to use the humble form with those under him/her.

B) Normal - This is the standard form of a verb/noun that you use everyday

C) Exalted or Honorific (尊敬語 sonkeigo) - This is what you say to your boss or those higher up when speaking about or to them. If you are speaking about yourself, you will use the humble form.
Humble
(speaking to your boss about yourself)

Normal
(speaking to your friends)

Honorific / Exalted
(speaking to your boss about your boss)

拝見します
hai ken shimasu

見ます
mimasu
to see

ご覧になります
goran ni narimasu　

申します
moushimasu
You know this from 'name to moushimasu'

言います
iimasu
to say

おっしゃいます
osshaimasu

頂きます
itadakimasu

食べます
tabemasu
to eat

召し上がります
meshi agarimasu

参ります
mairimasu

This is the humble form for both to come and go!


来ます
kimasu
to come

行きます
ikimasu
to go


いらっしゃいます
irasshaimasu

This is the honorific for both to come and go!
致します
itashimasu

します
shimasu
to do

なさいます
nasaimasu

　Here is an example which should make things clear as mud:　Red is humble and Blue is Exalted (black is normal)

A dialog at a company that makes Cakes

Employee:
ただいま、参(まい)りました。社長（しゃちょう）がもうすぐこちらへいらっしゃいます。
tadama, mairimashita. shachou ga mousu gukochira he irasshaimasu.

｛The boss arrives｝

Boss:　
おはよう。この書類（しょるい）を見（み）てくれますか？
ohaiyo. kono shoroi wo mite kuremasu ka?

Employee:　
はい、拝見（はいけん）します。こちらの書類（しょるい）もご覧（らん）になってください。
hai, haikenshimasu. kchira no shoroi mogo ran ninatte kudasai.

{A cake is brought out for the boss}

Boss:　
このケーキは会社（かいしゃ）で一番（いちばん）おいしいな。
kono ke-ki wa kaisha de ichiban oishina.

Employee:
おっしゃたとおりでございます。みんなもそう申（もう）しております。ケーキをどうぞ召（め）し上（あ）がってください。
osshata toori de gijiimasu. minna mo sou mou shite orimasu. ke-ki wo douzo me shi a gatte kudasai.

Boss:
頂（いただ）きます。
itadakimasu.

When the boss is spoken of or to, it is BLUE (exalted)

Note image When the employee and even the boss speaks of himself and wants to use keigo, he uses the humble RED form

On the last Employee statement, we use 'おります.' This is actually the keigo (humble) form of いる / います. Needless to say, the above list isn't all inclusive, but it should be enough to get around.

　

5) Special Conjugations of normal (not in and of themselves honorific) verbs

お + stem + になる This makes a 'normal' verb honorific (exalted) [You are speaking to or about someone with a higher status than you (your boss)]

社長と話しましたか？
shachou to hanashimashita ka?
Company president - with - talk - ?
Did you speak with the boss? (normal)


社長とお話になりましたか？
shachou to o hanashi ni narimashita ka?
Did you speak with the boss? (polite)

何か飲みませんか？
nanika nomimasen ka?
something - won't drink - question
Won't you drink something? (normal)
Arrow Image

何かお飲みになりませんか？
nanika o nomi ni narimasen ka?
Won't you drink something? (polite)

お + stem + ください This also makes a 'normal' verb exalted; it is used when asking things - 'please give me'

売ってください。
utte kudasai.
Please sell (me this). (normal)

お売りください。
o uri kudasai.
Please sell (me this) (honorific)

食べてください。
tabete kudasai,
Please eat. (normal)
Arrow Image

お食べください
o tabe kudasai.
Please eat. (polite)

(Taken from www.thejapanesepage.com)

hi

i want to know how to say
1-Dou itashi mashite
2-Ki ni shinai de kudasai
3-lindesuyo
4-okurete
5-saki
6-tooshite
i think my problem with the letter i

alright. i broke it down for you to make it a little easier.
now i could tell you how each character is pronounced but i think it might
be better if you HEARD it yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwY4ErC8nzE
and there's the hiragana chart here on the group page you can refer to also.

listen carefully to how the first 5 (a, i, u, e, o) are pronounced.
then you'll pretty much follow the same pattern with the rest of the characters
it's not a bad idea to remember these first characters of each line. then just read down each one
a ka sa ta na ha ma ya ra wa n

i feel i've thrown quite a bit at you. for right now. just listen to how the characters are pronounced.
try and get that part down first.

Domo arigatou gozaimasu

It helps

Image