Polite phone calls
Phone calls are harder than talking face to face: there are no gestures, and the other side speaks fast keigo. But calls to an office, a clinic or a shop follow the same few steps, so a handful of lines gets you through. Tap to hear any line. The bar at the bottom plays a hands-free drill for walking.
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25 phone lines
Each card shows a key word and a line you'd say or hear on the phone. Your lines are です/ます with a little humble Japanese; the staff lines are full keigo. Twelve reuse words and forms from earlier lessons and courses.
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A phone call, step by step
What you say, what you'll hear back, and what it means.
| You say | You'll hear | Meaning |
|---|
- Say who you are first. Your name + . For the school, your child's name + .
- No さん for their own staff. Staff say about a colleague. It's humble, not rude.
- Didn't catch it? works every time, and so does .
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Three patterns to use today
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Say it in Japanese
Say each one out loud before you reveal the answer. Getting close counts.