How you address your teachers in Japan

In Japan, we address teachers by saying “his/her family name + sensei.”

So that, please call me “Parsons-sensei.”

I will call you “your first name + san.”

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

Use of そ and あ to refer back

Words beginning with そ and あ (and occasionally こ) are used to refer back to previously mentioned topics and phrases. 

きょ年、日本に　行きました。そのとき　はじめて　ラーメンを　食べました。　

(I went to Japan last year. It was at that time that I first ate ramen noodles.)

たん生日に　本を　もらいました。それは　日本の　ベストセラーしょうせつ　です。

(I received a book for my birthday. It's a best-selling novel in Japan.)

Words in the あ group tend to refer to some information shared between the speaker and the listener.

もう「ホットスポット」みた？　うん、あれはおもしろかったね。

Have you already watched 'The Hot Spot?'    Yes, that was interesting, wasn't it?

When the information is new to the listeners, use そ group.

もう「ホットスポット」みた？　ううん。それ何？　ドラマ？

Have you already watched 'The Hot Spot?'  　No. What's that? Is that a drama?

私は　さいたま　という町に　すんでいました。そこには　大きい　じんじゃや、　ゆうめいな　はくぶつかんが　あります。

I lived in a town called Saitama. There is a large shrine and a famous museum, among other attractions.

Usage of Japanese Words ”I” - WATASHI and others

There are several equivalents of 'I' in Japanese. WATASHI is the most common word and is found in most Japanese textbooks. It is used by female speakers of all ages and adult male speakers. 

On the other hand, ORE is used by male speakers in relatively informal situations. Using it in a formal situation or with your superior is impolite. 
We have another word used by male speakers only, BOKU. BOKU is used by young male speakers in any situation. 
 
You might hear a female speaker say ATASHI. This is less formal than WATASHI. 
Similarly, WATAKUSHI is very formal and used by both female and adult male speakers. 
 
We have more equivalent words for 'I' in Japanese. Some can be found in historical books, films, and animations: WASHI, SESSHA, WARAWA, SOREGASHI, etc. 
However, they are no longer used in modern conversational Japanese.  

 

We hardly ever use YOU

We rarely use "YOU" (ANATA) in conversational Japanese. Using ANATA with your family, friends, and colleagues sounds cold and unfriendly, blaming or sarcastic. Referring to your superior as ANATA would be extremely rude! 
We can use someone's name or job title or omit it. 

When you don't know the other person's name or when speaking to the general public, you use ANATA.
 
Example: 
 
1. お名前は。(O-namae wa.) 
What is your name? 
 
2. 電話番号は何番ですか。(Denwa-bangoo wa nan-ban desu ka.) 
What is your phone number? 
 
3. 山田さんも学生ですね。(Yamada-san mo gakusei desu ne.) 
You are also a student, aren't you, Ms. Yamada? 
 
4. 先生はどんなスポーツが好きですか。(Sensei wa donna supootsu ga suki desu ka.) 
What kind of sports do you like, Sir? 
 
5. 運転手さん、次の信号を右に曲がって下さい。(Untenshu-san, tsugi no shingoo o migi ni magatte kudasai.) 
Could you turn right at the next traffic light, Mr Driver? 
 
6. お父さんは頭がいいね。(Otoosan wa atama ga ii ne.) 
You are smart, aren't you, Dad? 
 
Other equivalents of 'YOU' in Japanese are OMAE, KIMI, KISAMA, ANTA, etc. Again, we try to avoid using them, especially in formal situations.  

 
In other usage, women often use ANATA to address their husbands; this is similar to 'darling' or 'honey' in English. 

Haha or Okaasan

Haha is used when talking about your mother to a SOTO group (acquaintance, stranger, people you don't know very well, etc.). Soto means outside. 

Okaasan is used when  

1. Talk about someone else's mother. ex. "Tanaka san no okaasan" Mr Tanaka's mother
2. Address your mother. It is similar to "Mum".
3. Talk about your mother casually to the UCHI group (family, close friends, colleagues, etc.). Uchi means inside.

Which do you use haha or okaasan when you talk about your mother?

• To your close friend → okaasan
• To your colleague → haha / okaasan
• To your teacher → haha / okaasan
• To a stranger at a party → haha
• To the crowd at the meeting → haha
• To your friend's mother, you don't know very well → haha
• To your sibling → okaasan

Did you answer correctly? 

The distinction between 'haha' and 'Okaasan' depends on your relationship with the person you're talking to.