Do you use beautiful Japanese, even if it's Japanese language? Many people, even Japanese, do not use beautiful Japanese. One of the most important things when working at the office and talking to the boss or professors at university is the way you speak. In Japan, it is customary to show respect and deference to one's elders. You need to use different phrases than those you would normally use with family members or colleagues.

Today I would like to write about the language used to address superiors, which is difficult even for Japanese. However, if you sprinkle these phrases into conversation, they will completely change their impression of you. Not only will you become very trustworthy, but you will also be more likely to get ahead at work. Here are 10 such phrases, in two columns.

You may even have seen the person on the cover of the inserted video. He is Atsuhiko Nakata, a well-known comedian and YouTuber in Japan, who has put it all together in an easy-to-understand video that I used as a reference.

1.  I understood/I don’t get it

✕　分（わ）かりました/了解（りょうかい）です

➡　承知（しょうち）しました

✕　できないです/無理（むり）です

➡　承服（しょうふく）いたしかねます

2.  I know/Please tell me

✕　知（し）っています

➡　存（ぞん）じております

✕　教（おし）えて下（くだ）さい

➡　ご教示（きょうじ）ください

3.  This phrase is used when you want to give a gift to an elderly person.

✕　どうぞ

➡　心（こころ）ばかりのものですが

4.  I forgot/I recieved it

✕　忘（わす）れていました

➡　失念（しつねん）しておりました

✕　分（わ）かりました

➡　肝（きも）に銘（めい）じます

5.  I have to go

✕　帰（かえ）ります

➡　お暇（いとま）します

✕　また会（あ）いましょう

➡　お名残（なごり）り惜（お）しい

Many people thought that the desu masu tone could be used as an honourific. However, it can also be used by primary school children. It should not hurt to know how to use the language as a member of society. How have you liked it so far?

To speak about myself. I finally studied German seriously up to B2 level after 15 years of living in Germany. I should have studied as soon as I moved here, but one of the reasons I didn't was that I had no difficulty with sensory German. I realised that I had been using childish German until now. Now I can use proper German and use it confidently in society. The second half of the column will continue to introduce useful phrases at a higher level.　

今日（きょう）はこの辺（あた）りでお名残（なご）り惜（お）しいですが、お暇（いとま）させて頂（いただ）きますね。

Part 2 ➡
Rocket in beautiful Japanese Phrases!! Part. 2 | Takayo 講師コラム - Cafetalk