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Happy New Year, everyone!

In this article, we would like to share with you the key to communicating in easy-to-understand Japanese to foreigners.

It is sometimes said that “Japanese is one of the most difficult languages in the world,” but what kind of impression do foreigners have of the Japanese language?

It is surprisingly difficult to notice what characteristics Japanese has compared to other foreign languages when we use it unconsciously in our daily lives.

When teaching Japanese to foreigners, please make sure to check the following points.

Subject and object are not omitted

Speak in short sentences rather than long sentences

Avoid distant and ambiguous expressions

Use honorific expressions and tame-mouthed expressions

Learn how to use onomatopoeia

Use katakana words

Learn kanji a little at a time

Do not omit the subject and object

When Japanese people converse, they can convey their message even if the subject, predicate, and object are omitted, but for foreigners whose Japanese is still in its infancy, this can cause difficulty in understanding.

Example: “What are your plans today?”

What are your plans for today?”

In this way, it is easier for foreigners to understand if you do not omit the subject and predicate.

At first, you should use polite and correct Japanese, and as you become more accustomed to speaking in abbreviated sentences, you can speak in abbreviated sentences.

Speak in short sentences rather than long sentences
If your conversation becomes long, it may be difficult for foreigners to understand you and they may not be able to convey the content of your message.

Example: “Mr. Suzuki is busy right now; please come back in an hour.”　　

Mr. Suzuki is busy right now.

Please come back in an "hour.”

For Japanese, this is a subtle difference, but for foreigners, it is easier to understand if the message is divided into two short sentences rather than one long sentence.

Avoid far-fetched, ambiguous phrases
Ambiguous expressions unique to the Japanese language can be a source of confusion for foreigners.

For example, “No problem. No problem. I see. Yes, I'm fine.

etc. are words that make it difficult to determine “yes” or “no”.

It is customary for Japanese people to use ambiguous answers to avoid making others feel uncomfortable.

In addition, the ability to call the air of the situation and read the content is something that only Japanese people can do; it becomes difficult for foreigners unless they have been doing it for a number of years.

Therefore, when communicating to a foreigner, try to reduce ambiguous expressions as much as possible and communicate in a straightforward manner.

For example, “It is good.” is used not only to mean “it is good,” but also “it is fine” when refusing. This can be confusing for foreigners.

In addition, there are many other ways to express yourself in Japanese, such as words that have multiple meanings, words that fit the situation, or words that are used to express modesty or understatement.

Use honorific expressions and tame-mouthed expressions
The Japanese language has honorific expressions such as honorific and humble, so it is necessary to teach students to use different words depending on the person they are speaking to.

On the other hand, when chatting with friends or colleagues, you should help them understand how to use tame-mouthed expressions little by little.

The first Japanese that foreigners learn is the polite way of saying “〜ます” and “〜です,” but if they can speak in a tame-mouthed manner, it will soften their relationships and make it easier for them to communicate within the company.

Learn how to use onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia, also known as “onomatopoeia” or “mimetic words,” can be difficult for foreigners to understand if used frequently.

However, onomatopoeic words have the advantage of making it easier for foreigners to enjoy and learn the language because they are interesting and help them visualize the meaning.


Japanese is a complex language.

However, there are still many features of the Japanese language that foreigners have difficulty with, and we will introduce the rest next week.

We hope you will continue reading next week.


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