Page 249 - Easy Japanese - Learn to Speak Japanese Quickly! (TUTTLE)

Michael: In this kind of situation, would it be better to use polite language?
Konna ba’ai wa, keigo o tsukatta hō ga i’i desu ka.
こんな場合は、敬語を使ったほうがいいですか。

Sato: Of course. After all, the other person is someone above you, so…

Mochiron desu. Yappari aite wa me-ue no hito desu kara.
もちろんです。やっぱり相手は目上の人ですから。

Michael: What do you think would be a good gift?
Omiyage wa nani ga i’i to omoimasu ka.
お土産は何がいいと思いますか?

Sato: Well, it’s the thought that matters, so…

Mā, kimochi no mondai desu kara nē.
まあ、気持ちの問題ですからねえ。

Michael: It’s so hard!
Muzukashi’i nā!
難しいなあ。

VOCABULARY

ba’ai 場合 case; situation
keigo 敬語 honorific language; polite
language

mochiron もちろん of course

yappari やっぱり after all; as assumed
aite 相手 the other party; partner
me-ue 目上 superior; senior

omiyage お土産 gift; souvenir

kimochi 気持ち feeling; frame of mind
mondai 問題 matter; problem; issue

kimochi no mondai 気持ちの問題 a matter of how you feel
nā なあ Informal form of nē

ADDITIONAL VOCABULARY
teinei (na) 丁寧 polite; careful