| |
 |
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
In Issue 20, we
presented some greetings used by the Japanese in daily life.
Here is an update.
■おはようございます
This expression literally means 'it's early', but you may hear
it up to about noon. It is used both formally and with family
and friends, when it is often shortened to 「おはよう」. Another
variation is 「おっす」, used by men and boys, and the most
recent variation, made popular by the hit song おはロック
and used by young people, is 「おっはー」!
■こんにちは、こんばんは
These expressions are quite formal, and their usage is limited.
They are never used with family or close friends.「こんにちは」 is
rarely heard in a school. In the morning students greet teachers
with 「おはようございます」,
and later in the day they just give a slight bow or nod of the
head, and the same applies to teacher colleagues. However, 「ちわー」
which comes from 「こんにちは」
is used as a casual greeting throughout the day.
■ いってきます、いってらっしゃい
These expressions mean literally 'I'll go and come back' and
'Please go and come back'. They are used when someone is leaving
the house, going out on an errand or going on a journey.
ただいま、おかえりなさい 「ただいま」 stands
for 「ただいまかえりました」
and literally
means 'I've just come back'. The person at home or in the workplace
responds with 「おかえりなさい」,
'Welcome back'.
■さようなら、じゃあね、バイバイ
Japanese students use「じゃあね」 and
「バイバイ」 with
friends, but to teachers they say 「さようなら」. 「さようなら」 may
be said to friends who won't be seeing each other for a while,
but family members never use it among themselves unless the
person is leaving for good! |
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
Here are some proverbs
to guide you through your daily life!
「早起（はやお）きは三文の得。」Literally
'If you get up early you earn an extra 3 mon. (old monetary
unit)' equivalent to 'The early bird catches the worm.'
「寝た子を起こすな。」Literally
'Don't wake a sleeping child.', equvalent to 'Let sleeping dogs
lie.' or 'Leave well enough alone.'
|
| |
|
| |
(Answers
from top: vacuum cleaner, washing machine, electric thermos
pot, dishwasher, composter, rice cooker, oven toaster, microwave
oven) |
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
Did you
know that the oriental zodiac,十二支,
as well as referring to particular years, was formerly also
used for indicating compass points and the hours of the day?
One day was divided into 12 periods - 12 o'clock midnight was
the hour of the rat, ねずみ,
and 12 o'clock noon was the hour of the horse, うま.
So what time is it now? If you can't remember the order of the
animals of the zodiac, see below!
As befits such an important concept, the word 時間,
time, is used in many expressions - here are just a few.
|
| |
| 「時間です！」 |
'Time's
up!' (eg. when doing a test) |
| 「寝る時間ですよ。」 |
'It's
time to go to bed!' |
| バスは時間どおりにきた。 |
'The
bus arrived on time.' |
| 時間を守る |
Literally
'to keep time', hence 'to be punctual' |
| 時間をつぶす
|
Literally
'to crush' hence 'to kill time'. |
|
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
You all
know that 日, which comes from a picture of the sun, means 'day'.
It also appears as a radical in many kanji including 時,
time. The right side of 時
originated from pictures of a hand and a foot, which you move
when going forward, so combined, it expresses the idea of the
day moving forward, hence time! |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Privacy
& Copyright © The Japan Foundation, Sydney |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
