misorano 1 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Keigo is not a prob. At least it's understandable. Hogen's get me. Moving from Miyazaki, where everything is -chaga, and yodaki, to Nagano makes you feel like a real hick. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 keigo is as interesting as going to the dentist and having your wisdom teeth pulled. Hyojungo and Keigo might be the standard Japanese I find it boring and uptight. The dialects of Japanese are what I find interesting and colorful. Kansai peeps are funny, smartasses, inyourface, and have the best sense of humor. Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Quote: Kansai peeps are funny, smartasses, inyourface, and have the best sense of humor. Why is that do you think? Link to post Share on other sites
misorano 1 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Kansai is more attitude than Hogen. Other good thing about Kansai is that the people are more adaptable and cover your ass if you make a cock up. Dialects may be interesting and colorful, but it can be damn near impossible to understand what they are saying. Link to post Share on other sites
bettyx 0 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 isn't challenge a verb in english as well? (eg. ' i challenge you to a duel') Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Yes it is. But the usage is different in Japanese. It's used with non-human and intangible things too. "Let's challenge reduced emissions of 25% this year". Link to post Share on other sites
misorano 1 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Bit different, but I always get peeved at the way Japanese are told when to applaud. Link to post Share on other sites
me jane 0 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Back to the original question... How about jama (邪魔)? Nice and simple in Japanese but in English: Get out of my way! You're in the way! I can't concentrate on this with you around! It's disturbing me. It puts me off. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Care to list all the possible meanings of "hai"? That's one good reason why computers will never replace human translators. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Quote: Originally posted by misorano: Kansai is more attitude than Hogen. Other good thing about Kansai is that the people are more adaptable and cover your ass if you make a cock up. Dialects may be interesting and colorful, but it can be damn near impossible to understand what they are saying. Brit-gob, maybe it stems from most peeps here being merchants, or from the merchant class... Kansai is def the most interesting and rhythmical dialect. I dont think you can seperate attitude and dialect because language reflects the people of the region. So, wouldnt it be the same thing? I think theyre more likely to laugh at you than cover your ass too. Damn smart@sses. If you live in an area and learn the dialect then its not hard to understand. Its another part of learning Japanese. Much in the same way that you really have to learn how to read Kanji and how to speak as theyre essentially 2 different languages. How many foreigners can speak Japanese decently but cant read a menu, train schedule, notice at a bus stop, or something else just as simple. Best way to explain dialects would be by comparing N.American, U.K., New Zealand, Australia, and (S. Africa). All speak English but for the life of me when I first hung out with my aussie/kiwi mates didnt get a freaking word they were saying. After a while, you get it. Dialects from region to region are different, but I think foreigners, who have had to learn Japanese and go through the process of learning basic Japanese, trying to guess what the speaker is saying by only hearing a few "key words/phrases" have a better chance of understanding a dialect than a native Japanese speaker does. That was my experience in Tohoku at least. My J-mates wernt able to get a word/phrase and make sense of it but I could - or at least could BS enough of it to make some sense. I can speak the thickest Hiroshima ben along with anybody - think its all what youre exposed to and what you do with it; but, my Kansai ben is weak. I speak it and it comes out naturally but just dont have the deep-rooted vocabulary that Kansai peeps speak, yet. Link to post Share on other sites
misorano 1 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Yama: Thanks for the reply. Quote: I think theyre more likely to laugh at you than cover your ass too. Damn smart@sses Only Kansai people I really deal with are hotels, and I've found they they are really adaptable and accomodating of our guests. If there is a mistake or the number of guests is wrong they just get on and fix the problem, rather than having a hissy fit. We also get quite a few eigyou men coming around, and the Kansai ones seem to be the friendliest. Quote: Kansai is def the most interesting and rhythmical dialect. I dont think you can seperate attitude and dialect because language reflects the people of the region. So, wouldnt it be the same thing? You may be right. But my thinking is the Kansai-Ben is not as far removed from regular Japanese as some of the farther flung dialects (Satsuma, Amami, Okinawa etc). I've never had much a problem understanding people from Osaka, but try and talk to an elderly person from Amami or Kagoshima and it can be damn near impossible to figure out what they are talking about. I agree that language is an important part of attitude, but there is more too it than just that. In addition to language, you have to figure in history, lifestyle, economics, education. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Ive heard the same thang bout the dialects of Ryukyu islands though I know nothing about them having never visited there nor had many mates from there. Do you find that only peeps from Kansai tend to go outta their way more for your guests? Where have you had issues with the hotel industry? Link to post Share on other sites
misorano 1 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Pretty big generalization, but Tokyo Hotels like to have all the "i"s dotted. With most of our guests coming in from overseas, they get caught up in flight delays etc. Quite a few hotels in Tokyo don't let this slide, but we never have a prob in Osaka. Hakone is a bit of a pain too, while Nagoya has quite a few hotels that refuse foreigners point blank. Link to post Share on other sites
misorano 1 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Back in the TeeCha days we had kids coming in by train from about 40KM away. While you could understand them talking directly to you, once they get with a group of kids from the same hometown it's bloody difficult to understand a word. I was once visiting a student studying in Minnesota, and I was with the LA agent (a J bloke), and he couldn't understand a word this kid was saying. Link to post Share on other sites
cal 6 Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 Yappari Very flexible word. Link to post Share on other sites
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