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Grammar Notes 1 |  |
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In Japanese, greetings vary depending on the level of politeness, which is an important aspect of the language. Polite-style greetings are typically used when addressing someone older or in a higher social position, such as a teacher or a senior colleague. On the other hand, plain-style greetings are more common among people of the same age or when speaking to someone younger.
This distinction in greetings reflects the broader cultural emphasis on respect and social hierarchy. In situations where there is a clear difference in social standing—like between students and teachers or junior and senior colleagues—the more polite form is used to show respect. Understanding and using the appropriate level of politeness in greetings helps in navigating social relationships in Japan.
The Japanese characters below will be formally introduced in Lesson 2.
Some greetings do not have politeness distinctions and are used regardless of the hierarchical differences within a community as shown below.
There are different levels of politeness in saying good-bye.
Requests:
Expressions when you hand over something:
Thank-you expressions range from casual to more polite ones. ありがとう /arigatou/ is a casual Thank you commonly used for peers, friends and colleagues. By adding ございます /gozaimasu/ at the end, you can make it sound more polite. By adding どうも /doumo/ in front, you can make it sound casually careful. どうも can be used by itself. In general, the longer the expression, the more polite it becomes.
There are other expressions not listed above that can be used in more formal situations.
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