Japanese C1.4 Listening Practice: Honor Respect
Listen to a C1 Japanese dialogue about honor respect, with audio, transcript, and grammar notes for language learning.
Podcast listening pages are in beta while chapter audio, transcripts, and discussion flows are still being completed.
Level
C1.4
Audio
3m 17s
Transcript
17 segments
A short Japanese listening chapter with transcript.
You learn that Japanese can raise the other person through verb choice. The goal is not full keigo mastery, but accurate recognition and safe phrases.
Read while you listen.
1. Native Speaker 1
恐れ入りますが、本日ご出席の確認をさせていただいております。お名前は何ですか。
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2. Native Speaker 2
鈴木と申します。本日、こちらの特別講義を担当される佐藤先生は、もう会場にいらっしゃいますでしょうか。
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3. Native Speaker 1
はい、佐藤先生はすでに控室にいらっしゃいます。開演まで、こちらのパンフレットをご覧になりますか。
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4. Native Speaker 2
ありがとうございます。先生は控室でどのようなご準備をなさいますか。
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5. Native Speaker 1
先生はただいま、スピーチの最終スライドの確認をなさっております。
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6. Teacher
Let's break down the first sentence: '恐れ入りますが、本日ご出席の確認をさせていただいております。お名前は何ですか。' Here, the receptionist asks for the guest's name. 'お名前は何ですか' is a safe, polite anchor. Adding the polite prefix 'o' to '名前' shows respect to the listener, even if the overall sentence structure remains direct.
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7. Student
At a C1 level, wouldn't 'O-namae wa nan to osshaimasu ka' be more common in professional settings?
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8. Teacher
Yes, absolutely. 'Nan to osshaimasu ka' is indeed more elevated. However, 'O-namae wa nan desu ka' serves as a crucial, foolproof anchor when you want to ensure clarity and politeness without overcomplicating your speech in fast-paced situations.
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9. Teacher
Now, let's look at the second sentence: '佐藤先生は、もう会場にいらっしゃいますでしょうか。' Here we see 'irasshaimasu', which is the respectful (sonkeigo) form of 'iru' (to be), 'iku' (to go), or 'kuru' (to come).
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10. Student
Since 'irasshaimasu' can mean to go, to come, or to be, how do we know it means 'to be' or 'to have arrived' in this context?
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11. Teacher
Context is key. The particle 'ni' after 'kaijou' (venue) points to a location of existence, indicating the meaning 'is the professor at the venue?' rather than 'going' or 'coming'.
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12. Teacher
In the third sentence, the staff says: '開演まで、こちらのパンフレットをご覧になりますか。' 'Goran ni narimasu' is the respectful form of 'miru' (to look or see).
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13. Student
How does 'goran ni narimasu' differ from 'haiken shimasu'?
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14. Teacher
'Goran ni narimasu' is sonkeigo, which elevates the listener's action of looking. 'Haiken shimasu' is kenjougo, or humble language, which lowers your own action of looking to show respect to someone else. Never use 'haiken shimasu' for the listener's action.
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15. Teacher
Finally, let's look at: '先生は控室でどのようなご準備をなさいますか。' 'Nasaimasu' is the respectful form of 'shimasu' (to do). By using 'go-junbi' and 'nasaimasu', the speaker highly elevates the professor's actions.
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16. Student
Can 'nasaimasu' be used in its progressive form, like 'nasatte imasu'?
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17. Teacher
Yes, as we heard in the last sentence: 'kakunin o nasatte orimasu'—or more simply, 'nasatte imasu'. It is very common to use 'nasaru' in the continuous form to describe what a respected person is currently doing.
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