Situation
This conversation unfolds in a typical Japanese office. Tanaka, a junior employee, is grappling with a new project and decides to seek advice from Yamada, a more experienced senior colleague. This interaction beautifully illustrates the common practice of junior staff seeking guidance from their seniors in Japanese workplaces.
Dialogue
็ฐไธญ: ๅฑฑ็ฐใใใไปใกใใฃใจใๆ้ใใใใใงใใใใ๏ผ
Tanaka: Yamada-san, ima chotto o-jikan yoroshii deshou ka?
Tanaka: Yamada-san, do you have a moment now?
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใใใๅคงไธๅคซใ ใใ็ฐไธญใใใไฝใใใฃใ๏ผ
Yamada: Un, daijoubu da yo, Tanaka-kun. Nani ka atta?
Yamada: Yes, it's fine, Tanaka-kun. Is something wrong?
็ฐไธญ: ๅฎใฏใๆฐใใใใญใธใงใฏใใฎใใจใงใ็ธ่ซใใใใใจใใใใพใใฆใ
Tanaka: Jitsu wa, atarashii purojekuto no koto de go-soudan shitai koto ga arimashite.
Tanaka: Actually, there's something I'd like to consult you about regarding a new project.
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใชใใปใฉใญใ่ฉณใใ่ใใใฆใใใ๏ผ
Yamada: Naruhodo ne. Kuwashiku kikasete kureru?
Yamada: I see. Can you tell me the details?
็ฐไธญ: ใฏใใๅ ๆฅใ้จ้ทใใไปปใใใใฆใงใใตใคใใฎๆนๅใใญใธใงใฏใใชใฎใงใใใ้ฒใๆนใซๅฐใๆฉใใงใใพใใฆใ
Tanaka: Hai. Senjitsu, buchou kara makasareta uebusaito no kaizen purojekuto nan desu ga, susumekata ni sukoshi nayande imashite.
Tanaka: Yes. It's about the website improvement project I was entrusted with by the department manager the other day, and I'm a bit troubled about how to proceed.
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใฆใงใใตใคใใฎๆนๅใใๅใไปฅๅใซไผผใใใใชใใญใธใงใฏใใๆ ๅฝใใใใจใใใใใใๅใซใชใใใใใใใชใใญใ
Yamada: Uebusaito no kaizen ka. Boku mo izen ni nita you na purojekuto o tantou shita koto ga aru kara, chikara ni nareru kamo shirenai ne.
Yamada: A website improvement, huh. I've also been in charge of similar projects before, so I might be able to help.
็ฐไธญ: ใใใใจใใใใใพใ๏ผ็นใซใๆๅใซใฉใใใๆใใคใใใใใใใใชใใชใๆฑบใใใใชใใฆใ
Tanaka: Arigatou gozaimasu! Toku ni, saisho ni doko kara te o tsuketara ii ka, nakanaka kimerarenakute.
Tanaka: Thank you very much! Especially, I'm having trouble deciding where to start first.
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใใผใใๅใฎ็ต้จใ ใจใใพใใฏ็พ็ถใฎๅ้ก็นใๆดใๅบใใใจใใๅงใใใฎใใใใจๆใใใใฆใผใถใผใขใณใฑใผใใจใใใขใฏใปใน่งฃๆใจใใญใ
Yamada: Uun. Boku no keiken da to, mazu wa genjou no mondaiten o araidasu koto kara hajimeru no ga ii to omou yo. Yuuzaa ankeeto toka, akusesu kaiseki toka ne.
Yamada: Hmm. In my experience, I think it's good to start by identifying the current problems. Things like user surveys and access analysis.
็ฐไธญ: ใชใใปใฉใๅ้ก็นใฎๆดใๅบใใงใใญใ่จใใใฆใฟใใฐๅฝใใๅใฎใใจใใใใใพใใใใ่ชๅใ ใใ ใจๆฐไปใใพใใใงใใใ
Tanaka: Naruhodo. Mondaiten no araida-shi desu ne. Iwarete mireba atarimae no koto ka mo shiremasen ga, jibun dake da to kizukimasen deshita.
Tanaka: I see. Identifying problems, huh. Now that you mention it, it might be obvious, but I didn't realize it on my own.
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใใใ ใญใไธไบบใงๆฑใ่พผใพใใซใๅจใใฎๆ่ฆใ่ใใฎใๅคงๅใ ใใไปใซใไฝใๅฐใฃใฆใใใใจใใใฃใใใใใคใงใๅฃฐใใใฆใญใ
Yamada: Sou da ne. Hitori de kakaekomazu ni, mawari no iken o kiku no mo taisetsu da yo. Hoka ni mo nani ka komatte iru koto ga attara, itsudemo koe kakete ne.
Yamada: That's right. It's important not to keep everything to yourself and to listen to others' opinions. If you have any other troubles, feel free to ask me anytime.
็ฐไธญ: ใฏใใใใใใจใใใใใพใ๏ผๅฑฑ็ฐใใใฎใขใใใคในใฎใใใใงใๆฌกใซใในใใใจใๆ็ขบใซใชใใพใใใ้ ๅผตใใพใ๏ผ
Tanaka: Hai, arigatou gozaimasu! Yamada-san no adobaisu no okage de, tsugi ni subeki koto ga meikaku ni narimashita. Ganbarimasu!
Tanaka: Yes, thank you very much! Thanks to your advice, Yamada-san, what I should do next has become clear. I'll do my best!
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใใใๅฟๆดใใฆใใใ
Yamada: Un, ouen shiteru yo.
Yamada: Yeah, I'm rooting for you.
Key Vocabulary
ๆ้
jikan
โ time
ๅคงไธๅคซ
daijoubu
โ alright, okay
็ธ่ซ
soudan
โ consultation, discussion
่ฉณใใ
kuwashii
โ detailed
ๅ ๆฅ
senjitsu
โ the other day
้จ้ท
buchou
โ department manager
ไปปใใ
makaseru
โ to entrust (a task) to someone
ๆนๅ
kaizen
โ improvement
้ฒใๆน
susumekata
โ how to proceed
ๆฉใ
nayamu
โ to worry, to be troubled
็ต้จ
keiken
โ experience
ๅ้ก็น
mondaiten
โ problems, points at issue
ๆดใๅบใ
araidasu
โ to identify, to ferret out
ๆ่ฆ
iken
โ opinion
ๆ็ขบ
meikaku
โ clear, precise
Grammar Notes
- ใใใใใใงใใใใ: This is a very polite way to ask for someone's time or permission, especially in business or formal settings. For instance, instead of a direct 'ๆไผใใพใใใใ๏ผ' (Shall I help?), you might use 'ใๆไผใใใใใใงใใใใ๏ผ' to soften the request considerably.
- ใใฎใใจ: This phrase clarifies the topic of discussion, meaning 'about ~' or 'concerning ~.' For example, ใๆฐใใใใญใธใงใฏใใฎใใจใ translates to 'about the new project.' Other examples include ใๅฝผใฎๅฎถๆใฎใใจใ (about his family) or ใๆฅๆฌใฎๆๅใฎใใจใ (about Japanese culture).
- ใใใใใจใใใใพใใฆ: This is a polite way to express that one has something they want to do or consult about, frequently used when initiating a request or discussion. The ใใพใใฆ ending often implies a continuation or provides a reason, subtly inviting the listener to hear more. For example, ใใไผบใใใใใใจใใใใพใใฆใ (There's something I'd like to ask you about...).
- ใใฎใใใใจๆใ: This structure, meaning 'I think it's good to do ~,' is a common way to offer advice or suggest a course of action. For example, ใใใฃใจไผใใฎใใใใจๆใใ (I think it's good to rest more).
- ใใใใใง: Meaning 'thanks to ~' or 'owing to ~,' this expression is used to convey gratitude for a positive outcome stemming from someone's action or influence. For instance, ใๅ ็ใฎใใใใงๅๆ ผใงใใพใใใ (Thanks to the teacher, I was able to pass).
- ใใใซ: This is a negative conjunctive form, meaning 'without doing ~' or 'instead of doing ~.' It's formed by attaching ใใใซ to the negative stem of a verb. For example, ใไฝใ้ฃในใใซๅฏใใ (went to bed without eating anything) or ใ้ฃ็ตกใใใซไผ็คพใไผใใ ใ (took a day off from work without contacting anyone). In the dialogue, ใๆฑใ่พผใพใใซใ means 'without keeping to oneself'.
Cultural Notes
In Japanese companies, it's very common for junior employees to seek advice and guidance from their seniors (ๅ ่ผฉ - senpai). This senpai-kohai (senior-junior) relationship forms a crucial part of Japanese social structure, not just in schools but especially within workplaces. When seeking advice, it's paramount to be polite and show respect, using appropriate keigo (honorific language) or polite forms. Sincere expression of gratitude is also highly expected. Seniors often naturally adopt a mentoring role, viewing the act of offering help as an inherent part of their responsibility. This conversation beautifully illustrates the importance of teamwork and mutual support that underpins a Japanese professional environment.
Practice
Here are some ways to practice and deepen your understanding of this conversation:
Role-play: Find a partner and take turns being Tanaka and Yamada. Focus on natural intonation and polite expressions. Try to convey Tanaka's slight hesitation and Yamada's supportive demeanor.
Substitution Drill 1 (Topic of Consultation): Replace ใใฆใงใใตใคใใฎๆนๅใใญใธใงใฏใใ with different work-related topics:
ใๆฐใใไผ็ปใฎใขใคใใขใ (New project idea)
ใ้กงๅฎขใธใฎใใฌใผใณใใผใทใงใณใ (Presentation to a client)
ใ่ณๆไฝๆใฎใใๆนใ (How to create documents)
Substitution Drill 2 (Feeling/Problem): Replace ใ้ฒใๆนใซๅฐใๆฉใใงใใพใใฆใ with other ways to express difficulty:
ใ่ชไฟกใใชใใฆใ (I'm not confident)
ใ่ฏใๆนๆณใๆใใคใใชใใฆใ (I can't think of a good method)
ใใฉใใใใฐใใใๅใใใชใใฆใ (I don't know what I should do)
Variation Scenario: Imagine Tanaka is asking advice on balancing work and studying for the JLPT N2 exam. How would the conversation change, and what kind of advice might Yamada offer? Practice this new scenario.