Japanese “I”: わたし[watashi] and ぼく[boku]
When you refer to yourself in English, there is only one expression, “I.” In Japanese, there are many words to express “I.” わたし is most commonly used. If you are a boy, you can use ぼく instead of わたし.
As we discussed earlier, it is common to use last name with さんto call another person. For example, Mr. Tanaka is たなかさん [Tanaka san]. If you talk to your teacher, Mr. Yamamoto, you will say やまもとせんせい [Yamamoto sensee]. When you talk to your teacher, your language will become more polite.
Let’s compare the following expressions. Click the Play button to hear the audio.
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たなかさん[Tanaka san] |
やまもとせんせい [Yamamoto sensei] |
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さようなら。[Sayoonara] |
しつれいします。[Shitsureeshimasu] |
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おはよう。[Ohayoo] |
おはようございます。[Ohayoogozaimasu] |
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ありがとう。[Arigatoo] |
ありがとうございます。[Arigatoogozaimasu] |
Graded Assignments
Please return to the Section 2 Tasks & Assignments folder to complete the graded assignments for Section 2, Part C.
