Page 17 - Basic Japanese
P. 17
However, this does not mean English speakers are rude.
English speakers use different strategies for expressing
politeness. For example, they tend to use a longer phrase
for expressing politeness: they may say ‘I’m wondering
whether it is okay for me to leave now’ instead of ‘Is it okay
to leave now?’ for politely asking for permission to leave. Or,
they may elaborate on a statement with the addition of kind
comments or brief explanations for conveying politeness in
a variety of speech functions such as asking for permission,
requesting, apologizing, thanking, and refusing invitations.
