Common Phrases and Appropriate Responses
The phrases below are things you will hear with relative regularity during your stay in Japan (the last two will probably only show up at the beginning and end of a school year or term, however). Knowing the phrases and the correct responses should help to boost your confidence and help you and your coworkers feel a bit more comfortable.
よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu):
Many people learn this as “nice to meet you” or “I’m looking forward to working with you,” and are surprised at how often they hear it in Japan. It is used at the first time of meeting, but it’s also used as a sort of “thanks in advance” or “I know you’ll do your best” when a request is made. You’ll probably hear it a lot from English teachers when they ask you to make a game or lesson. You can respond by echoing back お願いします (onegai shimasu) to them. If you’re feeling a bit put-upon and want to give off a slightly cooler tone a simple はい (hai) is fine too, acknowledging the request politely but without sounding enthusiastic about it. If your teacher always asks you to make a game five minutes before class and you always respond back with お願いします it sounds like you’re all but too happy to do it.
お疲れ様です (otsukare sama desu):
You’ll hear this one a lot. It has a number of uses, but the most important are the following:
First, it can be used as a sort of “good job,” acknowledging a job well done. The proper response here would be along the lines of ありがとう (arigatô), thanking them for the praise, or いいえ (îe), deflecting the praise in a “it’s nothing” sort of way.
The other way it’s used is as a greeting between coworkers as an acknowledgement of the work they’re putting in. If you’re walking down the hall to class and a teacher says this to you, that’s the greeting type. The correct response is, as with most aisatsu, to repeat it back to them, unless it’s coming from the principal or assistant principal – in this case a quick bow and an ありがとうございます (arigatô gozaimasu) would be appropriate.
First, it can be used as a sort of “good job,” acknowledging a job well done. The proper response here would be along the lines of ありがとう (arigatô), thanking them for the praise, or いいえ (îe), deflecting the praise in a “it’s nothing” sort of way.
The other way it’s used is as a greeting between coworkers as an acknowledgement of the work they’re putting in. If you’re walking down the hall to class and a teacher says this to you, that’s the greeting type. The correct response is, as with most aisatsu, to repeat it back to them, unless it’s coming from the principal or assistant principal – in this case a quick bow and an ありがとうございます (arigatô gozaimasu) would be appropriate.
お先に失礼します (osaki ni shitsurei shimasu):
This is a set phrase to be said when leaving the office to go home for the day. It literally means “excuse my rudeness, but I’m leaving before you,” but in the same way we don’t actually mean “may God’s blessing be upon you” when someone sneezes this isn’t really that big of a deal. You should say it yourself when you head home every day, and you’ll probably hear it said by support staff who leave before you. The corresponding response is お疲れ様でした (otsukare sama deshita), using the past tense. If you happen to bump into another teacher on the way out of the building, you don’t need to say the whole phrase again to each. Just a simple 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu) is sufficient.
If, for some reason, a very important person such as the principal or assistant principal leaves before you, the correct response is different. In these cases you should say お疲れ様でございます (otsukare sama de gozaimasu) or, if it’s the evening/night, おやすみなさい (oyasumi nasai).
If, for some reason, a very important person such as the principal or assistant principal leaves before you, the correct response is different. In these cases you should say お疲れ様でございます (otsukare sama de gozaimasu) or, if it’s the evening/night, おやすみなさい (oyasumi nasai).
お世話になります (osewa ni narimasu):
This means, roughly, “you’re doing us a great service,” and you’ll probably hear it a lot when you first arrive, or when a new teacher or administrator arrives at a school. Probably the simplest response is こちらこそ、お世話になります。よろしくお願いします。 (kochira koso, osewa ni narimasu. yoroshiku onegai shimasu.) This basically means “It’s you who is doing me a service. I’m in your hands/thanks in advance.” Throw in a nice bow and you should be deep in their good graces from the start.
お世話になりました (osewa ni narimashita):
You’ll often hear this when someone is leaving a school permanently due to a transfer or for some other reason. It conveys the speaker’s thankfulness for all that has been done for them by the person whom they are addressing. A simple, universally appropriate response is いいえ、こちらこそ。ありがとうございます。 (îe, kochira koso. arigatô gozaimasu.)