Planning and Conversation

🎌 Japanese Social Communication: Planning & Conversation

Think of Japanese conversation like a gentle dance. Everyone takes turns, gives small nods, and moves together smoothly. Let’s learn the steps!

🗓️ Making Appointments (約束を作る)

Imagine you want to meet your friend to play. In Japanese, you ask politely and check if they’re free first!

The Magic Words

🌟 Simple Example

You: 土曜日はどうですか？ (Doyōbi wa dō desu ka? - How about Saturday?)

Friend: いいですよ！何時がいいですか？ (Ii desu yo! Nanji ga ii desu ka? - That’s good! What time is good?)

You: 3時はどうですか？ (San-ji wa dō desu ka? - How about 3 o’clock?)

Friend: 大丈夫です！ (Daijōbu desu! - That’s fine!)

💡 Pro Tip

Always suggest a time and ask if it works. Japanese people love when you give options!

📞 Phone Conversations (電話で話す)

Phone calls in Japanese have special phrases. It’s like a secret handshake for your ears!

Opening the Call

もしもし (Moshi moshi) = Hello (phone only!)

⚠️ Important: You only say “moshi moshi” on the phone, never in person!

The Phone Dance

graph TD
    A["📞 Ring Ring"] --> B["もしもし"]
    B --> C["Say your name"]
    C --> D["State your purpose"]
    D --> E["Have conversation"]
    E --> F["失礼します - Goodbye"]

🌟 Simple Example

You: もしもし、田中です。 (Moshi moshi, Tanaka desu. - Hello, this is Tanaka.)

Other: はい、山田です。 (Hai, Yamada desu. - Yes, this is Yamada.)

You: すみません、明日の会議についてですが… (Sumimasen, ashita no kaigi ni tsuite desu ga… - Excuse me, about tomorrow’s meeting…)

Ending the Call

🎉 Invitations & Declining (誘いと断り)

Inviting Someone 🎈

Think of inviting like offering candy. You want to make it sound yummy!

Example: 映画を見ませんか？ (Eiga wo mimasen ka? - Won’t you watch a movie?)

Saying Yes! ✅

Saying No (Gently) 🙅

In Japan, you never say a hard “NO.” It’s like softly closing a door, not slamming it.

🌟 The Gentle Decline Example

Friend: 明日、カラオケに行きませんか？ (Ashita, karaoke ni ikimasen ka? - Won’t you go to karaoke tomorrow?)

You: あ、明日はちょっと…すみません。また今度！ (A, ashita wa chotto… sumimasen. Mata kondo! - Ah, tomorrow is a bit… sorry. Maybe next time!)

💡 The Secret: “Chotto…” is magic. Everyone understands it means no, but it sounds soft and kind.

🎧 Aizuchi: The Nodding Sounds (相づち)

This is the most important part of Japanese conversation!

What is Aizuchi?

Imagine your friend is telling a story. In English, you might just listen quietly. In Japanese, you make little sounds to show “I’m listening! Go on!”

It’s like being a friendly audience at a show! 🎭

The Essential Sounds

🌟 Aizuchi in Action

Friend: 昨日、新しいレストランに行ったんだ。 (I went to a new restaurant yesterday.)

You: へえ〜 (Oh really?)

Friend: すごくおいしかったよ。 (It was really delicious.)

You: そうですか！いいですね〜 (Is that so! That’s nice!)

Friend: 今度一緒に行こう！ (Let’s go together next time!)

You: うん、行きたい！ (Yeah, I want to go!)

⚠️ Why Aizuchi Matters

Without aizuchi, Japanese people feel uncomfortable. It’s like talking to a wall! They might think:

• “Are they listening?”
• “Did I say something wrong?”
• “Are they angry?”

Always give aizuchi! It shows you care. 💕

🤔 Filler Words & Hesitation (フィラー)

When you need to think, don’t stay silent! Use these “thinking sounds.”

Common Fillers

🌟 Natural Conversation

Someone: この映画、面白かった？ (Was this movie interesting?)

You: えーと…そうですね…うーん…まあまあかな。 (Ēto… sō desu ne… ūn… māmā kana.) (Um… let’s see… hmm… it was so-so, I guess.)

💡 Pro Tip

Using fillers makes you sound more natural, not less smart! Native speakers use them all the time.

😲 Interjections (感動詞)

These are the sounds of your emotions! Like little explosions of feeling.

Positive Feelings 🌈

Surprised Feelings 😮

Disappointed/Sad Feelings 😔

Pain & Trouble 😣

🌟 Interjections in Real Life

Friend: テストで100点取ったよ！ (I got 100 points on the test!)

You: えっ、本当？すごい！やったね！ (Huh, really? Amazing! You did it!)

Friend: でも、次のテストは難しいって。 (But they say the next test is hard.)

You: えー、困ったね… (Aww, that’s troubling…)

🎭 Putting It All Together

Here’s a real conversation using everything you learned:

📞 Phone rings

A: もしもし、田中です。
   (Moshi moshi, Tanaka desu.)

B: あ、田中さん！山田です。
   (A, Tanaka-san! Yamada desu.)

A: あ、山田さん！どうしたの？
   (A, Yamada-san! What's up?)

B: えーと、土曜日、映画に行きませんか？
   (Ēto, doyōbi, eiga ni ikimasen ka?)

A: わあ、いいですね！何時がいい？
   (Waa, ii desu ne! Nanji ga ii?)

B: そうですね...2時はどうですか？
   (Sō desu ne... ni-ji wa dō desu ka?)

A: うん、大丈夫！
   (Un, daijōbu!)

B: やった！じゃあ、また土曜日に。
   (Yatta! Jā, mata doyōbi ni.)

A: うん、楽しみ！じゃあね！
   (Un, tanoshimi! Jā ne!)

B: じゃあね〜
   (Jā ne~)

🌟 Remember This!

graph LR
    A["Japanese Conversation"] --> B["🗓️ Make Plans Politely"]
    A --> C["📞 Phone Phrases"]
    A --> D["🎉 Invite & Decline Softly"]
    A --> E["🎧 Always Give Aizuchi"]
    A --> F["🤔 Use Fillers Naturally"]
    A --> G["😲 Express with Interjections"]

The Golden Rule: Japanese conversation is like a team sport. Both people work together to keep it flowing smoothly. Listen, respond, and connect! 🤝

You’ve got this! Practice these sounds and phrases, and you’ll sound like a natural in no time! 🎌✨