Let's study "Japanese custom"-SUMIMASEN-

Hello, This is Yuki @ Shinjuku Business Garden.

How are you?
I see many people putting the mask to avoid a flu.(or not to spread a flu)
in the train.
The best way to avoid getting cold which my mother told me is...to put the heat pad(Hokkairo)
on your back! Warm up your back is the best way to warm up your whole body!
....well, It is just a my mother's best way...I don't know if it is really the best way (^^;;

Lat week, I wrote about Condescension as one of Japanese customs.
This week, I will write about "SUMIMASEN".

SUMIMASEN has a lot of meanings in Japanese...
It sometimes means..."I'm sorry...", "Excuse me...", or just to call out someone whom
you don't know the name. (for example, to call out the waiter at the restaurant.)

So SUMIMASEN doesn't always mean apology.

Since SUMIMASEN show a lot of meanings, many people are confused with
using 'I'm sorry' or 'Excuse me' when they say it in English.

The most popular(?) one is.. When you pass right in front of someone,
You will say "Excuse me" in English. But people sometimes use "I'm sorry"!
Even there is nothing they are sorry about!

Since SUMIMASEN can use for many situation.
SUMIMASEN is very confusing phrase for Japanese when we
translate in English!



See you next week!


Yuki

Let's study "Japanese custom"! series
No.1 -Year-end gift -giving tradition-
No.2-Christmas-
No.3-New Year!-
No.4 -Condescension-

-Shinjuku Business Garden-

K-1blds 3F, 7-2-6 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo, 160-0023 Japan

TEL 03-6890-1111

FAX 03-6890-1151(Outside of Japan;+81-3-6890-1111)

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