Compliments in Japanese

                                       

Oval Callout: Wow, you look great!
 

 


                                                                           

 

Contents in Compliments Unit:
This unit contains the ins and outs of compliments and responses to compliments in Japanese
as you move through examples and exercises.

 

A compliment in English often functions as a “social lubricant,” helping the social relationships to go smoothly.  How are compliments used in Japanese culture?  Are there any taboos in giving a compliment?  Also, Japanese speakers are known for rejecting compliments, but how accurate is this statement?  What strategies can we use for responding to compliments?

 

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If Japanese characters are not readable, click "View" on the tool bar, select "Encoding," and select Japanese fonts.  The exercises function better by using the Internet Explorer Version 5 or higher on a PC, instead of on a Mac. 

 

 

Exercises 1-2: Observing Compliments in Japanese

Compliments about appearance or possessions, as well as those about ability or performance are commonly heard in Japanese as in English.  However, there are likely to be cultural differences between the two languages as you perform speech acts.  In these exercises, see what insights you can come up with as to how compliments are given in Japanese.

Go to Exercise 1

Go to Exercise 2

 



 

Exercises 3: Identifying Recipients of Compliments

         

You may need to be careful about what you compliment someone on in Japanese and how you do it.  This exercise will help you identify appropriate and inappropriate compliments for your interlocutors.

 

Go to Exercise 3

 

 


Exercises 4: Complimenting Expressions

 

Just as in any other language, certain adjectives, adverbs, and phrases are commonly used in compliments in Japanese.  What are these words and phrases, and how are they used?

 

Go to Exercise 4

 

 

 

   Coffee Break

 

Beware of the nicest compliments – you never know what’s coming next!

 

Click Below to Listen

 

 

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Exercises 5: Cross-Cultural Comparison of Compliments

Let’s take a dinner table conversation for example and see how complimenting behavior might vary in English and Japanese.  Also, see what reasons lie behind the similar and different complimenting patterns in the two languages.


Go to Exercise 5

 

 

 

Exercise 6: Responses to Compliments

 

You might have been taught to refuse compliments you receive in Japanese.  However, Japanese speakers do not always refuse all the compliments they receive!  What are various other strategies you could use in response to compliments?  

 

Go to Exercise 6

 

 

 

 

Exercise 7: Compliment Response Strategies

 

As we have seen, there are a number of strategies you can use in response to compliments.  In this exercise, we’ll focus in on these strategies and analyze the language. 

 

 

Go to Exercise 7

 

 

     

 

Exercises 8: Tone of Compliments

 

As with any other speech acts, your tone of voice could either make your compliment sound either genuine or insincere.  Listen and practice so that the compliment you give sounds genuine.

Go to Exercise 8

 

 

 

 

Exercises 9-10: Simulation Exercises for Giving and Responding to Compliments

            Now let’s just practice all that we have learned about compliments and responses to compliments!  You will be asked to self-evaluate your utterances in these exercises.

Go to Exercise 9

Go to Exercise 10

 

Revisiting Useful Links

Ex1 Comments

Ex2 Comments

Ex5 Comments

Ex6 Comments

Ex7 Comments

Ex7 Strategies Summary

Ex9 Comments

Ex10 Comments

 

Summary of Strategies

          Let’s review all the strategies for giving and responding to compliments we have seen in the exercises.  The strategies in red are core complimenting/responding strategies, without which your utterance wouldn’t be recognized as such.  The strategies appearing in blue are particularly important supporting strategies that can enhance or expand upon your compliments/responses to compliments.  You will see in black additional strategies that can also help you perform compliments/responses to compliments, but they are not essential.  The strategies in green are general strategies that can be applied not only to compliments/responses to compliments but also to other speech acts.

 

 

Giving Compliments:

 

1.

 Making the complimenting statement

·        Making the complimenting statement

·        Using appropriate complimenting expressions according to the interlocutor and the situation (Ex. 3, 4, 6, 9, all others)

 

2.

 Using an appropriate level of politeness throughout the interaction (Ex.1. 2, 9, 10)

 

3.

Abiding by the cultural norms for complimenting

  • Phrasing a compliment appropriately according to the interlocutor (Ex. 1, 9)
  • Maintaining an appropriate distance (Ex.1, 2, 9)
  • Avoiding complimenting family members at the presence of a third party (Ex. 5)
  • Adhering to the typical frequency of compliments (Ex. 8)

4.

 Using an appropriate tone of voice

  • Using intensifiers and pronounce them emphatically
  • Extending the compliment again if rejected (Ex. 8)

 

 

 

 

Responding to Compliments:

 

1

Making the response statement

·        Making the response statement

·        Using appropriate response expressions according to the interlocutor and the situation (Ex. 6, 7)

2

Using an appropriate level of politeness throughout the interaction (Ex. 6, 10)

 

3

Using compliment response strategies

·        Disagreeing with a compliment (Ex.. 6)

·        Thanking (Ex.. 6, 7, 10)

·        Providing no answer or shifting topics (Ex. 6, 7)

·        Providing positive comments (Ex. 7)

·        Questioning (Ex. 7, 10)

·        Returning a compliment (Ex. 7)

·        Offering background information (Ex. 7)

·        Shifting credit to others (Ex. 7)

·        Expressing surprise (Ex. 7)

·        Downgrading (Ex. 7)

·        Making a joke (Ex. 7)

·        Disagreeing (Ex. 7)

·        Doubting the sincerity of compliments (Ex. 7)

 

 

Learning Strategies for All Speech Acts

 

1.

Finding an informant (a native or non-native expert of the culture) who can answer your questions regarding sociolinguistic or sociocultural norms in the target language/culture.

2.

Listening to other speakers carefully to observe the cultural norms and language of their speech.  Making your own hypotheses or hunches regarding appropriate use of the target language and being willing to renew them as necessary. 

3.

Finding resources that can inform you of the target language and culture.

 



References

Barnlund & Araki (1985), Daikuhara (1986), Furukawa (2001), Koike (2000), Nakamura (1989), Nomura (1998), Takasaki (1988), Terao (1996), Torikai (1985), Yokota (1986)

 

View the Annotated Bibliography
of the Articles Used to Create the Exercises

 

 

View More Information about Compliments and Responses to Compliments



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