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All Japanese activities

Activities: Honorifics: Polite expressions, honorific prefixes, and honorific titles

By: Nora Farley

Activity 1: Revise for politeness

Read the following sentences and make appropriate changes to make them more polite.

  1. Original sentence:

    さつきさん、水を取ってくれますか。
    Transcription: Satsuki-san, mizu o totte kuremasu ka.
    Translation: Could you pass me the water, Satsuki?

    Polite version:

  2. Original sentence:

    土曜日、祭りに行く？
    Transcription: Doyōbi, matsuri ni iku?
    Translation: Are you going to the festival on Saturday?

    Polite version:

  3. Original sentence:

    そこの店はこの地域の名物をたくさん置いているよ。入ってみる？
    Transcription: Soko no mise wa kono chi’iki no meibutsu o takusan oite iru yo. Haitte miru?
    Translation: That shop stocks a lot of local specialties. Wanna go inside?

    Polite version:

  4. Original sentence:

    昨日は、本当にありがとう！
    Transcription: Kinō wa, hontō ni arigatō!
    Translation: Thanks so much for (what you did) yesterday.

    Polite version:

  5. Original sentence:

    ねえ、正人くん、今夜時間ある？一緒に映画見ない？
    Transcription: Nē, Masato-kun, kon’ya jikan aru? Issho ni eiga minai?
    Translation: Hey Masato, do you have time tonight? Wanna see a movie?

    Polite version:

Activity 2: Spot the mistake

Something in the following sentences is not correct, or not polite. Find and correct it.

  1. Original sentence:

    初めまして、マクミランさんだ。
    Transcription: Hajimemashite, Makumiran-san da.
    Translation: Nice to meet you, I’m Mr. MacMillan.

    Polite version:

  2. Original sentence:

    平林さん、腹が減っていますか。今から何か食べに行きましょう。
    Transcription: Hirabayashi-san, hara ga hette imasu ka. Ima kara nanika tabe ni ikimashō.
    Translation: Are you hungry, Ms. Hirabayashi? Let’s go eat something now.

    Polite version:

  3. Original sentence:

    野村さんはよくおテレビを見ますか。
    Transcription: Nomura-san wa yoku oterebi o mimasuka.
    Translation: Do you often watch TV, Mr. Nomura?

    Polite version:

  4. Original sentence:

    すみません、さん、落とし物ですよ。
    Transcription: Sumimasen, san, otoshi mono desu yo.
    Translation: Excuse me, ma’am, you dropped something.

    Polite version:

  5. Original sentence:

    先生、今日の授業、ありがとうございました。ご苦労様です。
    Transcription: Sensei, kyō no jugyō, arigatō gozaimashita. Gokurō-sama desu.
    Translation: Thanks for the class today, Professor. Thanks for your hard work.

    Polite version: