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Japanese words and phrases whose literal meaning hides a richer social rule. We decode the invisible logic behind them.
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- Sumimasen — the Japanese word that does the work of three English ones
One Japanese word does the work of sorry, thank you, and excuse me. The literal meaning solves all three at once.
- Arigatō gozaimasu — the Japanese 'thank you' that literally means 'this is a rare and precious thing'
Japan's standard 'thank you' literally means 'this is a rare and precious thing.' Here's how a phrase about rarity became the country's gratitude.
- Daijobu — the Japanese word that means yes, no, and 'I'm fine'
The most context-dependent word in everyday Japanese. Means yes, no, thanks, and don't worry — situation decides.