The ultimate purpose of business is bringing benefits to yourself or your company. By using correct Japanese, let’s do delightful communication and think of nice ways to make a successful business.

When it comes to Business Japanese, it is said the polite form is necessary or understanding Japanese culture is important. However, the most important is Japanese proficiency to understand what the person wants. For example, in a meeting, someone says “Can’t you do something about it?” to you, what do you do? You cannot answer “What? What are you saying?” Does the businessperson want to talk about the price? Submission? Improvement of products? We need Japanese proficiency to understand exactly what the person asks us.

Before that, we also need the proficiency to tell what we want to sell or what the strong points of our product are. Using weird Japanese causes people to be anxious. “Are you OK? Do you understand what I said?” Since high Japanese proficiency is needed in business, we have to spare no effort to learn new vocabulary and expressions and understand business terminology and abbreviation.

We are always equals, but in the business world, respect and cordiality to customers are required. If we do not study even the minimum necessary business Japanese expressions, it is rude to customers.

At business scene, of course, polite expressions “です desu / ます masu” are used. But we sometimes make elementary mistakes. For example,

“分かりますです Wakarimasudesu”
→ “分かります Wakarimasu”

Both “masu” and “desu” are polite expressions. A polite expression can be used in a sentence.

“行きます時に連絡します Ikimasutokini Renrakushimasu”
→ “行くときに連絡します Ikutokini Renrakushimasu”

Polite expressions cannot be used in subordinate clauses.

“我が社のトップ商品でございます Wagashano Toppushouhinde gozaimasu”
→ “商品です Shouhindesu”

Do not use excessive polite expressions.

“ご採用いただければ幸いに存じます Gosaiyou itadakereba saiwaini zonjimasu”
→ “幸いです Saiwaidesu”

“Zonjimasu” is a word of written language. It cannot be used in conversation.

“先生さま sensei sama / 部長さま buchou sama”
 → “先生 sensei” “部長 buchou”

Job titles are polite expressions.

Elementary polite expressions errors sometimes happened such as polite expressions duplication. Others, using excessive polite expressions and using written language words in oral conversation make Japanese language users feel that something is wrong.

At first, you should master polite expressions (used in conversations with people who are not so close to you). If you do so, you can stand at the start line of business Japanese. It is important that people understand your politeness. After that, you should learn respectful language and humble language. Rather, be careful that we make mistakes easily when we learn various polite expressions incompletely. If you do not have the confidence to use them, you should check the correct way to use them by yourself or get advice from Japanese people around you and try to use them next time.

Japanese polite expressions are complicated and all of them cannot be explained here. First, master the difference between respectful language and humble language and be able to use them completely. Below are some typical examples. Please compare (A), (B), and (C) with respectful and humble language, and try to imagine the relationship and situation between who is saying what and in what situation.

Respectful language is a polite expression language used to respect another person’s attitude or condition.

(A)   課長がおっしゃったことは、よく分かりました。

Kacho ga osshatta kotowa, yoku wakarimashita.
: I understood what the section head said.

“おっしゃる ossharu” is a respectful expression of “言う iu: say.”

(B)   お客さまがいらっしゃいました。

Okyakusama ga irasshaimashita.
: Customers are coming.

“いらっしゃる irassharu” is a respectful expression of “来る kuru: come.”

(C)   社長が契約書をご覧になる。

Shacho ga keiyakusho wo goranninaru.
: Our company president looks over the contract.

“ご覧になる goranninaru” is a respectful expression of “見る miru: look.”

Humble language is a polite expression language used to denigrate yourself, your attitude or those in your inner circle.

(A)   私が社長に申し上げた（お話した）ことは本当です。

Watashi ga shacho ni moushiageta (ohanashishita) koto wa hontou desu.
: It is true what I told our company president.

“申し上げる moushiageru / お話しする ohanashisuru” are humble expressions of “言う iu: tell.”

(B)   （私は）これから御社に参ります。

(Watashi wa) korekara onsha ni mairimasu.
: I will go to your office.

“参る mairu” is a humble expression of “行く iku: go.”

(C)   我が社で契約書を拝見します。

Wagasha de keiyakusho wo haikenshimasu.

: Our company’s staff will look over the contract.

“拝見する haikensuru” is a humble expression of “見る miru: look.”

Many people are not accustomed to using humble language to describe themselves or their company, such as “申し上げる moushiageru: say” or “いただく itadaku: get or eat,” and using humble language about the other party is very rude and demeaning to the other party. Practice while being careful not to confuse, duplicate, or overuse these humble and respectful words.In fact, even among Japanese people, there are differences in awareness of honorifics depending on age, social experience, and other factors. There are some words debated to whom the term is used such as “お疲れ様でした otukaresamadeshita” and “ご苦労さまでした gokurousamadeshita” : both of them means “thank you for your hard work.”

Especially, when it comes to email or letters, more polite expressions are needed to use than speaking. You should ask veterans to check your writing and learn them completely.

At the business scene when using Japanese language, we should be conscious of not only the difficulties of polite expressions but also common sense and social custom in Japan. Since organization is prioritized in Japanese companies, knowing the circumstances of the company and the person in charge, especially the organization and job title of the company, may lead to smoother communication.

We have to check the time we will meet, the way to exchange business cards, the number of people in the meeting, how to lead a meeting etc. Moreover, we need to understand who has the authority in a company and the process to a conclusion. This is because in Japanese companies, even if an agreement is reached at a meeting, there are some cases where the decision is not made on the spot and is taken back to the company and made official. So, you have to be careful.

Another big problem is unique Japanese expressions and phrases stem from the Japanese people’s awareness and way of thinking of Japanese language life. If you do not know them, you cannot understand what people say in meetings and may not succeed in the business.

Generally, Japanese society tends to like to say things in a round-about way.

For example,“Please, print this out.”

–        “コピーしてください Kopi shite kudasai”       directly, self-centered, condescending

–        “コピーをお願いします Kopi wo onegai shimasu”         request

–        “コピーをお願いできますか？ Kopi wo onegai dekimasuka?”    

request, propriety, interrogative

–        “コピーをお願いできませんでしょうか？ Kopi wo onegai dekimasendeshouka?”

request, propriety, polite, interrogative

There are different degrees of politeness, and the lower, the more polite the phrase is. Also, at the meeting, people tend to discuss as you understand the overall flow and context. It can happen that you cannot follow what people say.

For example, to the offer we did,

“コンセプトはいいけど… Konseputo wa iikedo…
: The concept is OK…”
→ So, what is wrong with it?

“デザインがちょっと… Dezain ga chotto…
: The design is a little bit…”
→ A little bit what?

“もう少しなんとかなりませんか？ Mousukoshi nantoka narimasenka?

: Can you do something to make it better?”
→ What should we do?

“値段がちょっと高いかもしれませんね Nedan ga chotto takaikamoshiremasenne
: The price may be expensive.”
→ Maybe?

“……なんだけどなあ……
…nandakedona…
: I can understand but…”
→ So, what do you want me to do?

“社に持ち帰って検討しておきます Sha ni mochiakette kentou shiteokimasu
: We will take this proposal back to my company and consider it.”
→ What will happen after that?

“不安なわけじゃないですけど Fuannawakeja naidesukedo
: I am not worried but…”
→ So how do you feel?

We are sometimes confused by the reactions of Japanese people.

Especially when Japanese people claim, apologize, explain and make excuses, they often use vague expressions. Moreover, if the answers people do are vague, such as “it may be OK” and “probably,” we are really confused whether it is good or not.

Furthermore, Japanese can guess what the person wants to express from ambiguous attitudes such as facial expressions, gestures, gaze, and silence. But it may be difficult for foreigners to guess the exact meanings of the attitudes.

These problems will be solved as you interact more with Japanese people and become accustomed to business, so it is important to get many experiences.

There are various patterns of business Japanese expressions we can use depending on the situation and relationship with the other person. I cannot explain everything here. So, let’s learn how to deal with people, attitude and business Japanese language by reading books by ourselves or working together with a veteran Japanese businessperson. And assuming what the other party is likely to say in advance, thinking how to answer, writing it down on paper, and practicing verbally will be very useful in practice.

In TCJ, there are some Japanese teachers who have various real-world experiences. It is efficient for you to choose the business Japanese lesson.