Apologising and complaining
Thin walls and shared car parks mean noise, parking and rubbish problems. This lesson covers apologising before anyone complains, raising a problem softly, and replying kindly when someone apologises to you. Two apologies, and , are polite forms from Everyday Japanese 6; learn them as set phrases. Tap to hear any line. The bar at the bottom plays a hands-free drill for walking.
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25 words for problems
Each card shows a word or phrase and a line you'd use at the door or on the phone. Nine reuse words from Everyday Japanese 1 and 2 and Lessons 1 to 3.
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From soft to strong
Apologies and complaints both come in levels. Start soft. You can always go stronger.
| Level | Say it | Use it for |
|---|
- Complain softly. Say what bothers you, not what they did wrong: sounds much kinder than うるさいです.
- Go through the manager. Many people would rather not complain face to face. The or the can pass a message on.
- Apologise in advance. Before building work or a party, tell the neighbours. People often take a small gift such as a towel or sweets.
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Four 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.