I have heard that native English speakers do not like to repeat what they have just said. Is this right? For example, when you say “Hello”, you would say some other greetings instead of repeating it. When you are said “Nice to meet you”, you would use “You, too” or some other expression instead of repeating “Nice to meet you” without any change.
What I hear is that if you don’t show your vocabulary extensive, you would be regarded to be childish in your countries. However, in Japan, you don’t need to change phrases you have just heard. “Hello” is “Konnichiwa”, and when you are said, “Konnichiwa”, you should reply with “Konnichiwa”. If it is after sunset, people will say “Konbanwa”, so you should respond with “Konbanwa.” No Japanese people would think your vocabulary is poor or that you are not greeting from your heart when you repeat a greeting.
To be honest, I do not see why you would need to demonstrate various expressions all the time when you speak in English. Why? If I may add, many native English speakers always seem to try to present their power, strength and ability as well as their vocabulary. I believe that it must be only natural in some countries, but things are opposite in Japan. People try to avoid showing things off.
This is one example for real about one ex-Yokozuna who was in the highest rank in Sumo. Have you seen Sumo? It’s the traditional Japanese-style wrestling. When a sumo-wrestler from a foreign country held up his fists when he became a champion, Japanese people criticized him saying “He showed off his victory.” We prefer coolness. He showed off what he had done too much and people hated it.
Now, there is another example in Tokyo. I was in a train which was in a station with the doors open. When a woman was about to get on, the doors started closing. One American man held the door with his hands and let the woman through. The sensor of the doors may have detected an error, the doors opened again, and we heard an announcement saying that they had troubles with the doors. The American man held up his fists smiling, yelling and looking around, and then looked at people nearby. No one responded him or said anything there. I was just surprised to see how an American man showed off his strength.
Anyway, you do not need to represent your strength or rich vocabulary in Japan. You may say why showing your strength is connected with your wide vocabulary, but proving your large vocabulary all the time seems to be demonstrating your ability for me. If you do the worst that could happen is Japanese people may dislike you. However, showing your ability and vocabulary must be only too natural for you, and you might not understand what I mean here. Just keep in mind, if you are planning to visit Japan, "THE NAIL THAT STICKS OUT GETS BANGED DOWN." Demonstrating your abilities too much is sometimes regarded as destroying the harmony in my country.
I ask for your kind understanding that I just want to say there are many differences among countries, and don’t mean to offend any foreign cultures. I just hope this will help you if you have a chance to work with Japanese people in the future. Lastly, I just want you know; if Japanese people do not seem to be with a confident, they just prefer to be humility and are not fool.
Thank you.
Thanks, Koir and Gakuchoh!
