SUBJECT:

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

 

 

TOPIC:

Telephoning

 

 

SOURCE:

Association for Japanese-Language Teaching (1994) Japanese for Busy People I (Revised Edition) Lesson 12

 

 

DATE:   

10 Mar 2003

 

 

 

LESSON DIALOGUE

 

Mr. Katō telephones Mr. Smith.

 

Katō:

Moshi moshi, Sumisu-san no o-taku desu ka.

Sumisu:

Hai, sō desu.

Katō:

Katō desu ga, go-shujin wa irasshaimasu ka.

Sumisu:

Ima imasen. 9-ji goro kaerimasu.

Katō:

Sō desu ka. Dewa mata ato de denwa o shimasu.

Sumisu:

Hai, onegaishimasu.

Katō:

Shitsurei shimasu.

Sumisu:

Sayōnara.

 

Katō-san wa Sumisu-san no uchi ni denwa o shimashita ga, Sumisu-san no go-shujin wa imasendeshita.

 

Translation

 

Katō

Hello. Is that Mr. Smith’s residence?

Smith:

Yes it is.

Katō:

This is Katō. Is your husband there?

Smith:

He’s not here now. He’ll be back about 9:00.

Katō

I see. Then I’ll call again later.

Smith:

Yes. Please do.

Katō:

Goodbye.

Smith:

Goodbye.

 

Mr. Katō telephoned the Smiths’ house but Mr. Smith was not there.

 

Vocabulary

 

moshi moshi

o-taku

ga

go-shujin

go-

irasshaimasu

sō desu ka

mata

ato de

onegaishimasu

shitsurei shimasu

ni

hello

(his) residence

(particle)

(your) husband

honorofic, referring to someone else’s

is (polite word for imasu)

I see

again

afterwards

please (do)

goodbye (lit. I’ll be rude)

to (particle)

 

NOTES

 

1.                    MOSHI MOSHI is the conventional beginning of a telephone conversation and may be repeated during the call to confirm whether the other party is still on the line.

2.                    The honorific O (or GO as in GO-SHUJIN) is often prefixed to nouns to mean “your,” i.e., O-NAMAE, “your name”. Similarly, O-TAKU means “your house”, or as here, “Mr. Smith’s residence.” It is very polite.

The word TAKU alone is seldom used. UCHI “house” is more common. UCHI is also used to mean “my/our house” or simply “our,” as in UCHI NO KURUMA, “our car”.

3.                    GA in this passage is a connective, joining two clauses. It can be translated as “but,” as in B, but sometimes it cannot, as in A. In A, it has no particular meaning. It is just a kind of courteous hesitation and indicates that the phrase before it is merely a preliminary to the principal matter.

A.      Katō deu ga, go-shujin wa irasshaimasu ka.

B.        Katō-san wa Sumisu-san ni denwa o shimashita ga, Sumisu-san wa imasendeshita.

4.                    The suffix GORO, “about” is used to indicate approximate time. E.g. 3-JI GORO, “about 3 o’clock.”

5.                    When SŌ DESU KA means “I see” as here, it is said with a falling intonation. It can also mean “Oh really?” or “Is that so?” and be a question expecting an answer. In that case, it is said with a rising intonation.

6.                    A very convenient phrase, ONEGAISHIMASU  is used when making a request. Literally, it means “I beg you,” and that the verb may be simply implied, as here, where it means “I beg you (to do that).”

e.g. Taipu o onegaishimasu. “Could you type this, please?”

e.g. Ginza made onegaishimasu. “Please take me to the Ginza.”

The reply to ONEGAISHIMASU is often HAI, WAKARIMASHITA. “Certainly/I see.”

 

 

USEFUL VOCABULARY

 

ga

mata

ni

 

amari …-masen

ato de

mainen

shōshō

yoku

zenzen …-masen

 

chigaimasu

moshi moshi

omachi kudasai

onegaishimasu

shitsurei shimasu

sō desu ka

 

go-shujin

go-

o-taku

 

aimasu

de gozaimasu

denwa o shimasu

irasshaimasu

jogingu o shimasu

kakimasu

kikimasu

machimasu

oshiemasu

 

haha

hoteru

kōkanshu

kurisumasu kādo

mise

naisen-bango

nengajō

otōsan

okāsan

sensei

(particle)

again

to (particle)

 

does not …often

afterwards

every year

a moment

often

never (do)

 

that’s wrong

hello

please wait

please (do)

goodbye (lit. I’ll be rude)

I see

 

(your) husband

honorofic, referring to someone else’s

(his) residence

 

meet

polite word for desu

make a phone call

is (polite word for imasu)

jog

write

ask

wait

tell

 

(my) mother

hotel

switchboard operator

Christmas card

store, shop

extension number

New Year’s card

(your) father

(your) mother

teacher

 

 

KEY SENTENCES

 

1.                    (Watashi wa) Ashita bengoshi ni aimasu. “I am going to see the lawyer tomorrow.”

2.                    (Watashi wa) Hayashi-san ni denwa o shimasu. “I will telephone Mr. Hayashi.”

3.                    (Watashi wa) Yoku tomodachi ni tegami o kakimasu. “I often write to (my) friends.”

4.                    (Watashi wa) Amari eiga o mimasen. “I don’t see movies very often.”

5.                    (Watashi wa) Sumisu-san no kaisha ni denwa o shimashita ga, Sumisu-san wa imasendeshita. “I telephoned Mr. Smith’s office, but he wasn’t there.”

 

SHORT DIALOGUES

 

Japanese Dialogue 1

 

On the telephone.

 

Otoko no hito:

Moshi moshi, Tanaka-san no o-taku desu ka.

Onna no hito:

Iie, chigaimasu.

Otoko no hito:

Dōmo sumimasen.

Onna no hito:

Iie. Dō itashimashite.

 

Translation 1

 

Man:

Hello. Is this Mr. Tanaka’s residence?

Woman:

No, you have the wrong number.

Man:

Sorry to have troubled you.

Woman:

That’s quite all right.

 

Japanese Dialogue 2

 

On the telephone.

 

Kōkanshu:

Tōkyō Denki de gozaimasu.

Hayashi:

Tanaka-san o onegaishimasu.

Kōkanshu:

Hai, shōshō omachi kudasai.

 

Translation 2

 

Operator:

This is Tokyo Electric.

Hayashi:

May I speak to Mr. Tanaka please?

Operator:

Just a moment.

 

Japanese Dialogue 2

 

Sumisu:

Watashi wa maiasa jogingu o shimasu ga, Hayashi-san mo jogingu o shimasu ka.

Hayashi:

Hai, watashi mo yoku shimasu.

 

Translation 2

 

Smith:

I jog every morning. Do you jog too?

Hayashi:

Yes, I often do.