1.11 Leading up to a Request
Rather than abruptly making a request, you might prepare the listener for what is to follow by starting with one of these phrases.
• Ashita no kaigi no koto nan desu ga,
明日の会議のこどなんですが、
About tomorrow’s meeting,
• Jitsu wa, o-negai ga atte, o-denwa shita wake nan’ desu ga,
実は、お願いがあって、お電話したわけなんですが、
I phoned because there was something I wanted to ask you,
• O-isogashii tokoro, sumimasen.
お忙しいどころすみません。
I’m sorry to disturb you when you’re busy.
1.12 Refusing Requests kotowaru 断る
Although refusals should be made discreetly, it is important to make it clear whether you are refusing or accepting. At the first hint of something undesirable, you might want to make a remark such as:
• So desu ne …
そうですね。
Well...
When the request comes, it is often enough to say:
• Sā, chottto …
さ一、ちょっと、
Well, it’s just that...
When spoken hesitantly, with pauses before and after the chotto, either of the phrases below should convey your desire not to partake.
• Konogoro, chotto, shigoto ga isogashikute,
このごろ、ちょっと、仕事が忙しくて、
I’m rather busy at work these days.
• Saikin, chotto, taichō o kuzushimashite,
最近、ちょっと、体調を崩しまして、
I’ve really not been feeling well recently.
If you cannot think of a specific reason, you could play for time:
• Chotto sōdan shite, mata o-denwa shimasu.
ちょっと相談して、またお電話します。
I’ll discuss it (with someone) and call you back.
• Chotto kangaesasete kudasai. Daiji na koto desu kara.
ちょっと考えさせてください。大事なこどですから。
Please let me think it over. It’s such an important matter.
Obviously, specific excuses make convincing refusals:
• Sumimasen ga, kyūyō ga dekimashita no de.
すみません力\急用ができましたので。
I’m sorry, but something urgent has come up.
• Zannen desu ga, hatsuka wa tsugō ga warui no desu ga.
残念ですが、二十日は都合が悪いのですが。
I’m afraid I’m not free on the twentieth.
• Hidoi kaze o hiite shimatte, utsuru to ikenai desu kara.
ひどい風邪を引いてしまって、うつるどいけないですから。
I’ve got a terrible cold. I wouldn’t like you to get it.
In cases when your reasons still do not convince the listener, you can try one of these statements:
• Mōshi-wake arimasen ga, konkai wa o-yaku ni tatema sen no de.
申し訳ありません力\今回はお役に立てませんので。
I’m sorry but I can’t help you this time.
• Zannen desu ga, kondo wa enryo sasete itadakimasu.
残念ですが、今度は遠慮させていただきます。
I’m sorry but I’ll forgo it this time.
• Demo komarimasu.
でも困ります。
But that would put me in a bind.
On the other side of the coin, you may fall victim to a reluctance to give a direct refusal. There is a tendency to stress the positive “I really would like to go” and not the negative “but I can’t.” For example, the following phrase, depending on the context, might be a well-meaning delaying tactic:
• Maemuki ni kentō sasete itadakitai to kangaemasu.
前向きに検討させていただきたいど考えます。
We will consider it constructively.
The oblique phrase and hesitant tone may well signal that the situation is difficult. One must learn to read between the lines.
Chapter 2 The Neighborhood
2.01 Calling on the Neighbors
2.02 Buying Sweet Potatoes
2.03 Asking About Restaurants
2.04 Ordering a Restaurant Delivery
2.05 Admiring a Neighbor’s Garden
2.06 Warning Neighbors About a Party
2.07 Complaining About Noise
2.08 Asking Someone to Move a Car
2.09 Apologizing to a Neighbor
2.10 Reporting a Robbery
2.11 Going on Vacation
2.12 Words and Expressions
Chapter2
The Neighborhood
