日本語
Casual style speech is used with small children, friends, family members, and subordinates. Polite style speech is used with strangers, acquaintances, co-workers, and superiors. In the above social example of a junior-ranking こうはい speaking to his senior ranking せんぱい, the こうはい shows respect by addressing the せんぱい in polite style speech while the せんぱい uses casual style speech in return.
Characteristics of Casual Speech
Grammar Forms
Nouns:
• Use with plain form of the copula. (だ、じゃない、だった、じゃなかった)
• Women often drop だ.
• Drop topic marker は, subject marker が, and direct object marker を.
(が is kept to emphasize the subject, and は to emphasize the topic or direct object)
• Keep the place / destination / time / indirect object marker に, the directional marker へ, the place marker で, and particles used like English prepositions (から、まで、と etc.)
な-Adjectives:
• Use with plain form of the copula. (だ、じゃない、だった、じゃなかった)
• Women often drop だ.
い-Adjectives:
• Use the plain form (drop the politeness marker です.)
Verbs:
• Use the plain form
Contractions
• Use ~てる in place of ~ている, ~でる in place of ~でいる, ~ちゃ in place of ~ては,
~じゃ in place of ~では, ~ちゃう in place of ~てしまう, ~じゃう in place of ~でしまう,
Asking Questions
• Use the above forms with a rising intonation ↑ in place of か at the end of the sentence.
Sentence-Final Particles
• Use よ to indicate that you are giving new or unknown information to the listener.
• Use ね to indicate that you are seeking confirmation or agreement from the listener.
• Use かなあ (かしら for women) to indicate that you are wondering about something.
• Use の to indicate that you are seeking empathy or detailed information. (polite: んです)
Conversational Fillers (あいづち)
• Use あのね↑ / あのねえ↓) or あのさあ↓ or ねえねえ↓ to start a conversation.
• Use えっと… to indicate that you are searching for a word, and あの~
to indicate hesitation.
• Use そう？/ そうなの？
or ほんとう？/ ほんとうに？to indicate surprise or disbelief. “Really?”
• Use そうよ (female) or そうだよ (male and female) to indicate an exclamation. “Really!”
• Use そうね (female) or そうだね (male and female) to indicate agreement. “That’s right.”
Characteristics of Casual Speech
Grammar Forms
Nouns:
• Use with plain form of the copula. (だ、じゃない、だった、じゃなかった)
• Women often drop だ.
• Drop topic marker は, subject marker が, and direct object marker を.
(が is kept to emphasize the subject, and は to emphasize the topic or direct object)
• Keep the place / destination / time / indirect object marker に, the directional marker へ, the place marker で, and particles used like English prepositions (から、まで、と etc.)
な-Adjectives:
• Use with plain form of the copula. (だ、じゃない、だった、じゃなかった)
• Women often drop だ.
い-Adjectives:
• Use the plain form (drop the politeness marker です.)
Verbs:
• Use the plain form
Contractions
• Use ~てる in place of ~ている, ~でる in place of ~でいる, ~ちゃ in place of ~ては,
~じゃ in place of ~では, ~ちゃう in place of ~てしまう, ~じゃう in place of ~でしまう,
Asking Questions
• Use the above forms with a rising intonation ↑ in place of か at the end of the sentence.
Sentence-Final Particles
• Use よ to indicate that you are giving new or unknown information to the listener.
• Use ね to indicate that you are seeking confirmation or agreement from the listener.
• Use かなあ (かしら for women) to indicate that you are wondering about something.
• Use の to indicate that you are seeking empathy or detailed information. (polite: んです)
Conversational Fillers (あいづち)
• Use あのね↑ / あのねえ↓) or あのさあ↓ or ねえねえ↓ to start a conversation.
• Use えっと… to indicate that you are searching for a word, and あの~
to indicate hesitation.
• Use そう？/ そうなの？
or ほんとう？/ ほんとうに？to indicate surprise or disbelief. “Really?”
• Use そうよ (female) or そうだよ (male and female) to indicate an exclamation. “Really!”
• Use そうね (female) or そうだね (male and female) to indicate agreement. “That’s right.”