MSCFE Singapore

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THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Although children begin learning English in elementary school, generally, the Japanese have a difficult time with the English language and pronunciation. At times, teachers have been faulted for poor pronunciation or for forcing students to learn strictly "by the book." In the Japanese language, there is no "L" and so the Japanese have a very difficult time with any English words containing the letter L. The Japanese "R" is the closest and this is why you might hear rabu for the English word, love. The sound "b" also replaces the English sound for "v".   English is used widely in advertising in the promotion of an elite or "in" item, much in the way that North Americans have sometimes used the French language. Much of this Japanese/ English does not make sense but it is an indication of the Japanese admiration for anything English or North American.

USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES

YES . . . . . HA I
NO . . . . . I IE
PLEASE, as in "Please go ahead" . . . . . DO ZO
THANK YOU . . . . . A RI GA TO
THANK YOU VERY MUCH . . . . . A RI GA TO GO ZA I MA SU
YOU'RE WELCOME . . . . . DO I TA SHI MA SHI TE
"I hope for your continued good support" . . . . . YO RO SHI KU
GOOD MORNING . . . . . O HA YO GO ZA I MA SU
GOOD AFTERNOON OR HELLO . . . . . KON NI CHI WA
GOOD EVENING . . . . . KON BAN WA
GOOD NIGHT . . . . . O YA SU MI NA SA I
GOOD BYE . . . . . SA YO NA RA
I'M LEAVING (HOME) . . . I-I TE KI MA SU
I'M HOME . . . . . TA DA I MA
MY NAME IS ... . . . . . WA TA SHI NO NA MA E WA ...
NICE TO MEET YOU . . . . . HA JI ME MA SHI TE
HOW ARE YOU? . . . . . . O GEN KI DE SU KA?
EXCUSE ME, also used to get the waiter's attention . . . . . SU MI MA SEN
I'M SORRY . . . . . . GO MEN NA SA I
I UNDERSTAND . . . . . HAI, WA KA RI MA SU
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND . . . . . IIE, WA KA RI MA SEN
HOW MUCH? . . . . . I KU RA DE SU KA?
WHAT TIME? . . . . . NAN JI DE SU KA?
"May I begin?" or "I humbly receive" (at meals only) . . . . . I TA DA KI MA SU
"Thank you for the meal" . . . . . GO CHI SO SA MA
CHEERS! . . . . . KAN PAI !
PRESIDENT . . . . . SHA CHO
COMPANY . . . . . . KA I SHA
OFFICE . . . . . . JI MU SHO
HUSBAND . . . . . . SHU JIN
WIFE . . . . . . O KU SAN (another person's wife)
. . . . . KA NA I (your wife)
CHILD . . . . . KO DO MO
REST ROOM . . . . . O TE A RAI
STATION . . . . . E KI
AIRPORT . . . . . KU KO
HOTEL . . . . . HO TE RU
BANK . . . . . GIN KO
STORE . . . . . O MI SE
MONEY . . . . . O KA NE