Polite or Plain
Japanese Grammar 2
Course 2 ยท Chapter 7 ยท Polite or Plain? Speech Styles
๐ญ Polite or Plain? โ ใฆใใญใ ใจ ใตใคใ
You now know both styles: polite (ใงใ / ใพใ) and plain (ใ / dictionary form). Grammar tells you how to form them; this chapter is about when to use each, how to move between them, and how plain speech sounds in real conversation, including the small particles that give it its flavour.
1. The two styles side by side
| Meaning | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| I eat / will eat | ใในใพใ | ใในใ |
| I don't eat | ใในใพใใ | ใในใชใ |
| I ate | ใในใพใใ | ใในใ |
| I didn't eat | ใในใพใใใงใใ | ใในใชใใฃใ |
| It's expensive | ใใใใงใ | ใใใ |
| It was expensive | ใใใใฃใใงใ | ใใใใฃใ |
| It's quiet | ใใใใงใ | ใใใใ |
| I'm a student | ใใใใใงใ | ใใใใใ |
| Will you eat? | ใในใพใใใ | ใในใ๏ผ (rising voice) |
Plain questions drop ใ and rise in pitch; they are often written with a question mark, which is rare in formal writing.
2. Who gets which style
| Situation | Style |
|---|---|
| Strangers, shop staff, new colleagues | Polite |
| Your boss, teachers, older people (outside the family) | Polite (and often keigo, Japanese Grammar 4) |
| Clients, in business | Polite or keigo |
| Close friends of your own age | Plain |
| Family (parents, siblings, children, partner) | Plain, though children often use polite forms to older relatives |
| Junior colleagues or students (by the senior person) | Often plain |
| Diaries, notes, thinking aloud | Plain |
3. Mixing the styles
Real conversation mixes the two. Common patterns:
| Pattern | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Plain with a friendly ใงใ | ใใใงใใญใ / ใใใงใใญใ | Short polite answers inside an otherwise easy conversation. |
| Polite sentence, plain inside | ใใใ ใใใ ใตใใจ ใใใใพใใ | The grammar of Chapter 6. |
| Self-talk breaking through | ใใใใใใใใใใพใใใ | Plain exclamation, then a polite statement. |
| Gradual shift | Polite at first; plain once you know each other well. | A relationship changes over time. |
A useful trick: plain forms followed by a polite closing particle sound friendly but still respectful: ใใใใใงใใญ, ใใใงใใ.
4. Plain conversation: the shape of casual speech
| Feature | Example |
|---|---|
| Particles are often dropped | ใใฏใ ใในใ๏ผ (instead of ใใฏใใ ใในใ) |
| Questions rise; ใ is dropped | ใใใ ใใ๏ผ |
| ใ is dropped after nouns and ใช-adjectives in questions | ใใใใ๏ผ / ใใใ๏ผ |
| Contractions | ใในใฆใใ โ ใในใฆใ; ใฎใใงใใพใฃใ โ ใฎใใใใฃใ |
| Shortened words and fillers | ใใฃใจ, ใใฎใ, ใใ (yes), ใใใ (no) |
5. Sentence-final particles in plain speech
The small particles at the end of a sentence carry attitude. These four are the foundation.
| Particle | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ใ | asserts or informs: "I'm telling you" | ใใ ใใใใ I'm going now (you should know). ใใใใใใ It's good, you know. |
| ใญ | seeks agreement: "isn't it? / right?" | ใใ ใฆใใใ ใญใ Nice weather, isn't it? ใใใธใใ ใญใ That's tough. |
| ใฎ | soft question (rising) or explanation | ใฉใใธ ใใใฎ๏ผ Where are you going? ใกใใฃใจ ใใใใฎใ It hurts a bit. |
| ใใช | "I wonder"; self-directed or tentative | ใใใ ใใใใชใ I wonder if it will rain. ใ ใใ ใใใใชใ I wonder who's coming. |
๐ฃ๏ธ In Use โ ใคใใใใ
Three styles in three relationships.
โ Close friends
โก To a manager
โข Warming up
๐ Quick Reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Stranger, boss, teacher? | Polite |
| Close friend, family? | Plain |
| Unsure? | Start polite; follow the other person's lead |
| Plain question? | Drop ใ, rise: ใในใ๏ผ |
| ใ / ใญ / ใฎ / ใใช | tell / agree? / soft question / I wonder |
| ใฎ after noun or ใช-adj | add ใช: ใใใใใชใฎ๏ผ |
โ๏ธ Practice โ ใใใใ ใ
Try each one, then click to check.
1. Make plain: ใใฎใ ใใใใ ใฟใพใใใงใใใ
Show answer
ใใฎใ ใใใใ ใฟใชใใฃใใ
2. Make polite: ใใฎ ใฉใผใกใณใฏ ใใใใใฃใใ
Show answer
ใใฎ ใฉใผใกใณใฏ ใใใใใฃใใงใใ
3. Turn into a friendly question: ใในใพใใใ
Show answer
ใในใ๏ผ (rising)
4. Ask a friend "Are you a student?" in plain speech.
Show answer
ใใใใ๏ผ (or ใใใใใชใฎ๏ผ)
5. Which style would you use to ask your teacher a question?
Show answer
Polite: ใงใ / ใพใ.
6. Add a particle: you want agreement that the weather is nice. ใใ ใฆใใโฆ
Show answer
ใใ ใฆใใใ ใญใ (or ใใ ใฆใใใงใใญใ)
7. Add a particle: you tell a friend that you're leaving now.
Show answer
ใใ ใใใใ
8. Say "I wonder where he is" in plain speech.
Show answer
ใใใฏ ใฉใใใชใ (or ใฉใใซ ใใใใชใ)
9. Ask softly "Where are you going?" to a friend using ใฎ.
Show answer
ใฉใใธ ใใใฎ๏ผ
10. A new colleague uses plain speech to you. Should you copy at once? Why?
Show answer
Not necessarily: a senior may use plain speech to a junior, but the junior still stays polite. Copy only if the relationship is between equals and the other person invites it.