random post Today, I went to a nearby grocery store with my grandmother. Just before we left there, I saw a foreign guy entering the store. I thought I should say "Hi" to him as "a friendly Japanese p

Minami

random post Today, I went to a nearby grocery store with my grandmother. Just before we left there, I saw a foreign guy entering the store. I thought I should say "Hi" to him as "a friendly Japanese person" since I rarely see foreigners around here, but I was too shy to do that. I wonder if people on here can say "Hi" or "Konnichiwa"(if you study Japanese) to strangers that seem to speak the language you're learning.

Feb 12, 2015 4:33 PM

Corrections · 27

random post

Today, I went to a nearby grocery store with my grandmother. Just before we left there, I saw a foreign guy entering the store.

※The two omissions are not wrong, but both are understood from context

I thought I should say "Hi" to him as "a friendly Japanese person" since I rarely see foreigners around here,

※Quotations can be used for quotes that you would have said (e.g. "Hi'), but if you use it for a noun phrase (e.g. "a friendly Japanese person") it can have a contrasting connotation and sound like you are not actually a friendly Japanese person. Also, I don't really see a reason to use quotes there.

but I was too shy to do that.

※Again not wrong, but implied from context

I wonder if people on here can say "Hi" or "Konnichiwa"(if you study Japanese) to strangers that seem to speak the language you're learning.

※I can't tell the difference between Chinese/Korean/Japanese, and in the US there aren't many Japanese people :( so no.

February 14, 2015

>匠杰森 Yeah, that's exactly what I meant. I never thought about the possibility you mentioned above when I wrote this entry but yeah, that's likely to happen.(I should be careful!) Thanks for sharing your opinion.

February 23, 2016

Sometimes you might want to say hello in that person's language, but then you might not be sure if the language you're going to use is their actual language! I know it's a common complaint from Asians in the USA that people say "konnichiwa" or "ni hao" to them when they are actually native born Americans and can't speak any Asian languge. They take it as a racist insult, even though it's meant as a kind way to open a conversation :s

February 22, 2016