Over the last few Japanese linguistics posts, I’ve been focusing on some major differences between Japanese and English/French perceptions. It’s important to keep in mind that since Japanese culture and customs are so very different, it often means we don’t say the same things in the same ways, which directly impacts the language and grammar. Direct translations from English are not always the best way to speak, particularly if you want it to sound natural. It is important to try to consider the message first within the context of the Japanese mindset.
In light of this, appropriate use of vocabulary can be an enormous huddle of students. Japanese and English words don’t often have exact matches, especially outside the more concrete words like “table” or “chair“. It is not an Excel sheet where each English word has its Japanese equivalent. More so, Japanese adjectives are incredibly precise with a great degree of subtle nuances that must be considered. For example, if you want to translate the adjective “gentle” into Japanese, you have the choice between many adjectives, each one focusing on a different aspect of what is “gentle.”
Let’s have a close look…
GENTLE:
— 親切 (shinsetsu) = gentle with the idea of “helping others,” “thoughtfulness.” It is often used in situations of hospitality, if the staff of a hotel has been kind to you. This is why you can’t use this broadly, for example with a pet, if you wanted to say “my cat is sweet.” It would sound strange.
— 優しい (yasashii) = gentle with the idea of “sweetness,” “softness,” or “quietness.” It is usually used to describe a personality, and sometimes for pets.
— 寛大 (kandai) = gentle with the idea of “generosity,” “big heart”, “tolerance,” “lenience.”
— 思いやりのある (omoiyari no aru) = gentle with the idea of “thoughtfulness” “consideration,” and often “compassion.” It’s different from the first (shinsetsu), which is about being helpful, whereas this one focuses on the person’s values or feelings rather than actions. It feels more intimate, that’s why you wouldn’t use for a store’s staff, for example, unless you knew them personally and are talking about their personality.
All except the second one (yasashii), shouldn’t really be used to describe a pet, as they include human values. There are more adjectives meaning “gentle,” but I wanted to show a few examples of how Japanese adjectives can have different meanings within Japanese, even though they are translated into the same English word.
Knowing this, you may ask: “how can we pick the right words when we speak? “
That’s the difficulty –and beauty– of Japanese! The best way comes with experience and practice. The more you practice, the more you will learn and collect information about each word and start to understand how to use them appropriately. Be open-minded and do not rely completely on the bilingual dictionaries. They are merely providing you some assistance, but they are not accurate and precise. You will need to be flexible and not take words literally, especially without consideration of the continually evolving cultural landscape and contextual user patterns. Watch, listen to, and read as much as possible, so you can observe how words are natively used.
Also, once you are at the intermediate or advanced levels, I highly recommend regularly using a Japanese-Japanese dictionary. This is important in all languages studies, but even more so in Japanese. The dictionary I personally recommend is 広辞苑 (koujien). If you are currently using bilingual dictionaries, I recommend trying to always read the phrase examples too.
All these will help you get the right nuances, however remember that it is ok to make mistakes! The goal of languages is to be able to communicate, and whether it is with the right grammar or not. Most importantly, enjoy connecting with people!