Everyday Words

A Japanese family finishes dinner. The dishes are mostly empty; the children are squirming, wanting to leave the table; the mother is starting to clear. Before anyone moves to leave, each person sets down their chopsticks,…

A Japanese friend hands you a small umbrella as it starts to rain. You take it and say, automatically: “arigatou.” Your friend smiles. Five minutes later, a stranger holds an elevator door for you. You step…

A small Japanese boy bumps into a stranger at a department store. He looks up, sees the stranger’s face, and immediately says: “gomennasai.” The stranger smiles, says “iie, daijoubu desu yo” — “no, it’s fine” —…

A typhoon has shut down the train system. A Japanese commuter, stranded at a major station with thousands of others, looks at the cancellation board, takes out their phone to text family they’ll be late, and…

A Japanese office, 6 p.m. on a Wednesday. A colleague stands up from her desk, gathers her things, and starts to leave. As she passes coworkers still working, she says quietly to each: “otsukaresama desu.” Each…

A Japanese teenager is leaving the house early, on her way to a national-level music competition. Her mother stands at the door, watches her daughter put on shoes, and says: “ganbatte.” That night, the daughter performs…

A Japanese family sits down to dinner. The food is set out, everyone is seated, the children have been waiting for the signal. The mother places her hands together briefly in front of her chest, makes…

The door opens. The returning person steps into the genkan, slips off their shoes, sets down their bag. Before they’ve fully crossed into the house, they call out: “tadaima.” A voice from the kitchen, or the…

A Japanese family in the morning. One person — child, partner, sibling — picks up their bag and heads for the door. They pause at the genkan, slip on their shoes, and call back into the…

You walk into a Japanese coffee shop at 9 in the morning, smile at the staff, and say “konnichiwa.” The reply you get is technically polite, but the staff member’s expression has a half-beat of confusion.…