Phrases You Won't Find in Textbooks · 04 of 11
Why Japanese Don't Speak Directly
Oss! Today's a culture lesson. Japanese people HATE saying things directly. So we use these 3 words to soften EVERYTHING.
〜と思う
思う Means "I think." We add this to almost every opinion. "This is good" sounds too strong. We say: これ美味しいと思う. Even when we're 100% sure, we still say 思う.
多分
Means "maybe / probably." We use this even when we know the answer. A: 明日来る？ B: 多分行くわ〜. "多分" softens the commitment. Very Japanese.
〜かも / 〜かもしれない
〜かも "Maybe / might be." A: あの映画おもろい？ B: おもろいかも〜. We avoid "Yes / No." Always leave room.