SPYxFAMILY in Japanese #6 Greetings and Useful Expressions-1

＜Explanation＞

①ロイドLoid「ありがとうa ri ga to u ヨルYorさんsa n！」

Loid “Thank you Yor-san!”

②ヨルYor「…ありがとうa ri ga to u ございますgo za i ma su ロイドLoidさんsa n」

Yor “I appreciate it., Loid-san.”

These are words that expresses gratitude. Japanese people often accompany these words with「おじぎo ji gi」, a gesture of bowing their head lightly.

Normally, Loid speaks politely with Yor, but in this simple greetings such as ①「ありがとうa ri ga to u 」, he uses a friendly, casual, plain style. The subtle sense of distance is interesting.

②Yor speaks in a polite style of speech with a polite form word 「~ ございますgo za i ma su」.

Both of them say the other person’s name after the word of gratitude, but this is unique to Manga, and Japanese people rarely say the other person’s name in natural conversation, but only when they want to get the other person’s attention.

In ① and ②, both Loid and Yor add 「さんsa n」 to each other’s names. This is the most commonly used honorific in Japanese. It can be used regardless of gender or status. Used mainly by adults. You can express respect for the other person without being too polite or too casual.

Japanese adults rarely start calling each other by their first names when they first meet. People often refer to people by adding「さんsa n」 to their last name, or by title or occupation. This point will be addressed in another article at a later date.

Please remember「さんsa n」 this time.

＜Explanation＞

①ヨルYor「すみませーんsu mi ma se e n」

　　Yor “Excuse me!”

②ロイドLoid「すみませんsu mi ma se n「夫otto」などとna do to…‼」

Loid “I’m sorry about husband thing…!! ”

①, Yor is in a tailor, and she uses「すみませんsu mi ma se n」 to call out the staff in the back of the shop. This word is very often used when calling a store clerk, when asking someone for directions on the street, or when you want to get someone’s attention in various other situations.

Stretching out like「せーんse e n」is the same as pronouncing English word for calling out “Hey” like “Heeeey” out loud in order to reach someone far away. It is natural to lengthen the vowel e of 「せse」, but 「すーみませんsu u mi ma se n」or「すみまーせんsu mi ma a se n」 are unnatural.

On the other hand, in ②, Loid apologizes to Yor for referring to him as “Yor’s husband” in front of Yor’s colleagues, and here he uses「すみませんsu mi ma se n」as “I’m sorry”,

This word originally comes from the expression “I’m sorry for causing trouble (to someone).” In English, ① is closer to “excuse me”, and ② is closer to “sorry”.

When addressing someone who is very close to them, Japanese people use the word 「ねえne e」, which is a very casual word that does not mean apology.

For now, let’s learn the polite and often used「すみませんsu mi ma se n」.

＜Explanation＞

①ロイドLoid「おはようo ha yo u ヨルYorさんsa n」

Loid “Good morning, Yor-san”

②ヨルYor「おはようo ha yo u ございまふgo za i ma fu…」

Yor “Good morning…yawn”

③ 寮先生Tutor「おはようo ha yo u ございますgo za i ma su ヘンダーソンHenderson先生sen sei」④ヘンダーソンHenderson先生sen sei「おはようo ha yo u ございますgo za i ma su 寮先生Tutor」

Tutor “Good morning, Master Henderson”

Master Henderson “Good morning, Tutor”

④ ベッキー Becky「おはよーo ha yo o アーニャAnyaちゃん cha n」

Becky “Mornin’, Anya-chan”

⑤アーニャAnya「おはやいo ha ya i ますma su」

Anya “G’morbingh.”

Greetings in the morning. In the early hours of the morning, saying “good morning” instead of or before calling out someone “excuse me” sounds very natural. I recommend that you memorize it in polite form.

②Yor’s「ふfu」in「~ございまふgo za i ma fu」” is a mistake because he yawned while saying it.

Originally,「おはようo ha yo u」 is the correct pronunciation, but for very close people, Japanese natives often pronounce loosely at the end 「おはよーo ha yo o 」, as Becky does in ④ .

⑤ is Anya’s language (expressions that Anya always uses even though she remembered it incorrectly), which is familiar from “SPYxFAMILY”, but「おはようo ha yo u ございますgo za i ma su」 is correct!

Also, after the greeting, Loid, Tutor, Master Henderson and Becky say the name of the other person, but this is also unique to Manga, and is not necessary unless you need to call the person’s name to get the attention of .

In ④, Becky calls Anya with「ちゃんcha n」 .This is one of the honorifics. Used mainly for babies or small girls lovingly, or sometimes for boys and adults as a part of nickname among close friends.

＜Explanation＞

①フィオナFiona「こんにちはko n ni chi wa 先生sen sei」

Fiona “Hello teacher”

② シルヴィア Sylvia「こんにちはko n ni chi wa あるいはa ru i wa こんばんはko n ba n wa エージェントE e ge n to<黄昏tasogare>」

Sylvia “Good day, or rather, good evening, agent “Twilight”.”

「こんにちはko n ni chi wa 」is a daytime greeting.

「こんばんはko n ba n wa」is a greeting from evening to night when the sky is dark.

In “SPYxFAMILY”, the Westelis’s intelligence Agency seems to use「こんにちはko n ni chi wa あるいはa ru i wa こんばんはko n ba n wa 」as a password to identify the other party as a companion. Japanese people usually don’t use such expressions in natural conversation. But for a spy to use it, you don’t know when you’re greeting, and it’s mysterious, so it’s perfect!

As an aside, this “Good day, or rather, good evening” is a tribute to “Good Morning Mr.Phelps…” in the mission transfer tape of the American TV drama “Mission Impossible”…

＜Explanation＞

アーニャAnya「おやすみo ya su mi なさい」na sa i

These are greetings usually used just before going to bed at night. These are sometimes used as greeting when parting with someone late at night.

It is said that this word is based on the words that the inn keeper used to say to his/her guests,「ゆっくりyu k ku ri おやすみ o ya su mi くださいku da sa i -“Please take a good rest.” 」It is a word that assumes that you will go to bed immediately after this and rest, so it is mainly used “just before going to bed.”

＜Explanation＞

①ダミアンDamian 「はいha i！」

　Damian “Yes!”

②ユーリYuri「いえi e 大丈夫dai jyou buですde suありがとうございますa ri ga to u go za i ma su」

Yuri “Oh no thank you. I’m fine.”

These words are equivalent to “Yes” and “No” in English.

In ②, Yuri uses 「いえi e」 in front of 「ありがとうございますa ri ga to u go za i ma su」 (to be precise, he also adds “I’m fine” in between, but this “I’m fine” has the same meaning when it comes after “Thank you”.). This 「いえi e ありがとうございますa ri ga to u go za i ma su」 is used as “No thank you”

In plain style of speech , the sounds and forms of affirmation and negation are similar.

Affirmation「うんu n」/ Negation「ううんu u n」

Perhaps because of the similarity in form, Japanese natives often put supplement words afterwards, so let’s study this expression again later.

This time, please remember polite form,「はいha i 」 and「いえi e」。