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All Japanese activities

Activities: What is 謙譲語 (kenjōgo) in Japanese?

By: Nora Farley

Activity 1: Make it more humble

Take the following sentences and make all necessary (and optional) changes to make them humble.

  1. A parent speaking to an older coworker at work:

    子供が生まれた時、上司からお祝いをもらいました。
    Transcription: Kodomo ga umareta toki jōshi kara oiwai o moraimashita.
    Translation: I received a congratulatory gift from my superiors when my child was born.

    Your revision:

  2. A company employee in a business meeting with a client:

    この新技術の特許をうちの会社が持っています。
    Transcription: Kono shingijutsu no tokkyo o uchi no kaisha ga motte imasu.
    Translation: Our company holds the patent for this new technology.

    Your revision:

  3. A student to a professor:

    来年、先生の研究室に入れてもらいたいのですが。
    Transcription: Rainen, sensei no kenkūshitsu ni irete moraitai no desu ga.
    Translation: Professor, I would love to be accepted into your laboratory next year.

    Your revision:

  4. An employee on the phone with Ms. Tanaka, a representative from another company:

    課長が戻りましたら、田中様のメッセージを伝えます。
    Transcription: Kachō ga modorimashitara, Tanaka-sama no messeeji tsutaemasu.
    Translation: I will pass your (Tanaka’s) message along to the section manager when she gets back, Mr. Tanaka.

    Your revision:

  5. A student to a teacher:

    先生、すみません、聞きたいことがあるんですが…。
    Transcription: Sensei, sumimasen, kikitai koto ga arun desu ga….
    Translation: Excuse me, Professor, there’s something I want to ask you….

    Your revision:

Activity 2: Find and fix the mistakes!

The following humble sentences contain mistakes. Find and correct them.

  1. A young employee speaking to an older coworker:

    来週転職について部長にご話しします。
    Transcription: Raishū tenshoku ni tsuite buchō ni gohanashi shimasu.
    Translation: Next week I will talk to the head of the department about making a career change.

    Your revision:

  2. One company employee speaking to another:

    恵谷社長は今夜の発表会に参る予定だそうです。
    Transcription: Eya-shachō wa kon’ya no happyōkai ni mairu yotei da sō desu.
    Translation: I heard that CEO Eya is planning to come to this evening’s presentation.

    Your revision:

  3. A student to a professor:

    小笠原教授に推薦状を書かせていただきました。
    Transcription: Ogasawara-kyōju ni suisenjō o kakasete itadakimashita.
    Translation: I got Professor Ogasawara to write my letter of recommendation.

    Your revision:

  4. An architect to a member of the city council:

    市議会が集まる前に市長に設計図をお見せました。
    Transcription: Shigikai ga atsumaru mae ni shichō ni sekkeizu o omise mashita.
    Translation: I showed the mayor the blueprints before the city council assembled.

    Your revision:

  5. A young employee to an older employee in the same company:

    社長にお目にかからせていただきました。
    Transcription: Shachō ni ome ni kakarasete itadakimashita.
    Translation: I met the CEO.

    Your revision:

Activity 3: Humble or courteous?

Determine whether the following sentences should be humble or courteous based on the given context and put them in the correct form.

  1. At the end of a business email to your counterpart in another company:

    返事を待っています。
    Transcription: Henji o matte imasu.
    Translation: I await your reply.

    Humble or Courteous:

    Your revision:

  2. On a TV weather broadcast:

    北海道の西海岸では雪が降り続いています。
    Transcription: Hokkaidō no nishi kaigan de wa yuki ga furi tsudzuite imasu.
    Translation: Snow is falling continually on the west coast of Hokkaido.

    Humble or Courteous:

    Your revision:

  3. Loudspeaker announcement at a bus terminal:

    仙台行きのバスは午後2時半に出発します。
    Transcription: Sendai yuki no basu wa gogo ni ji han ni shuppatsu shimasu.
    Translation: The bus going to Sendai will depart at 2:30 PM.

    Humble or Courteous:

    Your revision: