Conversation Dialogue 4: Confirming Someone's Name
 

 

In this dialogue, a student is looking for Prof. Yoshida. Pay attention to the nonverbal behavior such as bowing as she apologizes.

 

A: すみません。よしだせんせいですか。
B: いいえ、ちがいます。
A: あ、どうもしつれいしました。
B: いいえ。

 

key voc
1. よしだ Yoshida [family name]
2. せんせい teacher
3. いいえ No
4. ちがいます to be incorrect/wrong
5. どうもしつれいしました I'm terribly sorry. [Lit. "I committed a rudeness."]

Key Vocabulary

1. がくせい student 5. だいがくいんせい graduate student
2. だいがく university, college 6. りゅうがくせい foreign student
3. だいがくせい university student 7. こうこう high school
4. だいがくいん graduate school 8. こうこうせい high school student
English
A: Excuse me. Are you Prof. Yoshida?
B: No, I'm not. (Lit. "That's incorrect.")
A: Oh, I'm terribly sorry.
B: Not at all.
bunka
1.

Japanese say their family name first followed by their given name (e.g., "Ono Yoko"). Commonly, there is no middle name. When they give their name to Westerners, they usually follow the English pattern: given name + family name (e.g., "Yoko Ono").
2. Women's names are more likely to have two to three syllables while men's names are more likely to have three to four syllables. Traditional women's names tend to end with こ.
3. Most common last names are: (1) さとう, (2) すずき, (3) たかはし, (4) たなか, (5) わたなべ. Source: http://www.infoj.ne.jp (2003).