Brenton
Philip SharpReferring to other people
June 5th 2008 12:03
あなた (Anata) is the way to say ‘you’ with people you don’t know.
あなた の いぬ が おおきい.
Anata no inu ga ookii
Your dog is big.
The more polite way to say ‘you’ (and the only way you should say it to people with whom you are familiar) is to replace ‘you’ with the name of the person you are talking to.
Let’s have a look at this in action; looking at two ways to ask Dr Spin what his favourite movie is.
スピン せんせい の いち ばん すきな えいが は なん ですか.
Kuroi Kaji san no ichiban sukina eiga wa nan desu ka?
This says, literally “What is Dr Spin’s favourite movie?” This is how one should frame the question when speaking to Dr Spin. Remember, it is ALWAYS better to refer to somebody in third person, than to say ‘you’.
There is one final way to say ‘you’, however it is not commonly used. This is おれ (Ore). It is a very crude and impolite way to say it, and is best avoided wherever possible.
あなた の いぬ が おおきい.
Anata no inu ga ookii
Your dog is big.
The more polite way to say ‘you’ (and the only way you should say it to people with whom you are familiar) is to replace ‘you’ with the name of the person you are talking to.
Let’s have a look at this in action; looking at two ways to ask Dr Spin what his favourite movie is.
スピン せんせい の いち ばん すきな えいが は なん ですか.
Kuroi Kaji san no ichiban sukina eiga wa nan desu ka?
This says, literally “What is Dr Spin’s favourite movie?” This is how one should frame the question when speaking to Dr Spin. Remember, it is ALWAYS better to refer to somebody in third person, than to say ‘you’.
There is one final way to say ‘you’, however it is not commonly used. This is おれ (Ore). It is a very crude and impolite way to say it, and is best avoided wherever possible.
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Comment by Anonymous
"Anata wa bishunfu desu ka?"
be the more polite way to solicit a prostitute with whom you are not familiar?
Comment by Brenton
Dr Spin
Tales From The Other Side
Downwrite
Blip Blog
Gadget Museum
Apart from that, your question is literally 'Are you a prostitute?'.
I wouldn't reccomend using this phrase unless you want to offend a lot of people. Neither would I imagine wandering around Japan soliciting prostitutes to be a terribly good idea.