Category Archives: Useful Japanese

Suimaseeen!

Suimaseeen!   is one of the most frequently used Japanese. “Sumimasen” usually means “I am sorry.” when you apologise casually but “Sumimaseeen” with the last syllable stretched means more like “Hello! Someone there for me?” or “Excuse me, please.”. You could say this phrase when you require an attention from somebody when you walk in a shop but there is nobody there, when you stop someone to press shutter for you, or ask directions, or some situation like that. The proper way to say is “Su-mi-ma-sen” but usually the first “m” is abbreviated. If you stretch “sen” like “seeeen”, it can be used when you draw attention from somebody a […]

New Year’s greetings

Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu   is the most common greeting used by every Japanese for New Year. It is very polite but most commonly used between friends, family members, business acquaintances, etc. when we meet each other first time in new year. However, amongst young people or between very close friends, they say the abbreviation phrase such as “Ame Ome Koto Yoro” (which we do not recommend you to use it though). Koto Yoro is the abbreviation of Kotoshimo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu (very polite), which means roughly “stay friendly this year too”. Enjoy speaking Japanese!!