“KONNICHI WA!"

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 419, 30 July 1928, Page 8

“KONNICHI WA!"

JAPANESE WHILE YOU WAIT. FOR AUCKLANDERS FLEET ARRIVES TO-MORR 0W

East is East and West is »•«,. and there is no quick-fire method whereby we mav uZZ Japanese language wi£s PERHAPS nobody i n Auct . t > ea ™ s to master the tonrj7?S N ippon, but alter to-morrow the «,L™ of our city will be invaded by bers of polite, smiling little Jar, ose sailors. “i®®-

Possibly, with the most amiabi. i. tention. you may accost a JanaLZ sailor thus: "Konnichi wa, a--. -, “* a? ” J hich ’ b «ns interpreted, meaw Good-day. How do you do’ ik* the honour to make your acqnail* tance, or words to that effect quite probably he will replv in rZi colloquial English: “Delighted to you. old bean!” But in case the sailor von pick on is less sophisticated than manv of kt. pals, you may, if you are sufficiently enterprising and plucky, use a nle« ant phrase or two culled from the tw lowing bright lexicon:— h O hayo—Good morning. Konnichi wa—Good dav.

Komban va—Good evening. Ikaga desuka?—How are you’ Hajimete o meni kakarimasu—l lift up my eyes to you for the first tim. (This is a regular form of self-intro-duction. ) Watakaushi wa Smith to tuoshimasa —My name is Smith. Anata wa nani to moshimasu ka’— What is your name? Dichira yi irrashaimasu ka?—Where are you going? Go yukkuri to itte irasshai—Please go slowly. Hayaku!—Hurry up! Meishi wo cho dai—Please give me your card. Arigato gozimasu—Thank you Do itashimashite—Don’t mention it Chitto o kaki nasaimashi— Do sit down awhile. Gomen nasal —I beg your pardon. Chit' ■> haiken—Please let me look Wakarimasen—l don’t understand “O yasume nasai” is not the name of a geisha. It means “Good nightfat parting). Sayonara—Good-bye. In making use of these words every syllable should be pronounced with equal emphasis, and with English pronunciation, except that the “u" is scarcely sounded at all. Here are a few naval and other words that may be useful: A cadet is a “ren shu sei.” Cabin is “shitsu"; cruiser, “junyokan”; captain, ’aaisa-' anchor, “ikari”; cap, “boshl”; dag, “hata”; flagship, “kikaio”; funnel “entotsu" gangway, “hashigo”; left (direction), “hidari”; right, "nugi\ man, “otoko”; woman, “onna” officer, “shoko”; sailors, “suihei”; viceadmiral, “chusho.” To view the town is “machi wo mimawarimasu.” To wander here and there in the streets is “achi kochi wo aurkimasu. ’