Japanese Culture in New York - Chopsticks NY

Making a phone call, Part 3

In this third lesson on phone conversations, you will, like in the last lesson, learn how to deal with a scenario in which you cannot reach the person you are calling. Instead of waiting for the receptionist’s instructions, however, this time you will actively suggest something. Look at the following example:

John: Moshi moshi, John to moushimasu. Tanaka-san o onegai shimasu.
(Hello, this is John speaking. May I please speak with Mr. Tanaka?)
Receptionist: Moushiwake gozaimasen. Tanaka wa tadaima seki o hazushiteorimasu.*
(I’m sorry, but Tanaka is not at his desk right now.)
John: Soredewa, dengon o onegai shimasu.
(Well, would you pass on a message to him?)

This conversation differs from the last lesson in that the receptionist does not suggest anything after mentioning that Mr. Tanaka is not available. You can answer just by using the phrase you learned in the last lesson, “Wakarimashita. Ato de kakenaoshimasu” (I see––I’ll call back later), but you can also be more active. If you would like to leave a message, say “Dengon o onegai shimasu.” Then, the receptionist will take your message or connect you to Mr. Tanaka’s voice mail by saying, “Soredewa, boisu meeru ni o-tsunagi-shimasu” (OK, I’ll connect you to his voice mail).

The phrase “o-tsunagi-shimasu” used by the receptionist is in the honorific form. The structure of the honorific form of a verb being used for an action you are performing is “o” + the -masu form of a verb (minus “masu”) + “shimasu.” For another person’s action, you would use “o” + the -masu form of a verb (minus “masu”) + “ninarimasu.” Take “hanashimasu” (to speak) as an example. When you use the honorific form to describe your own action of speaking, it would be be “o-hanashi shimasu.” If it’s for another person’s action, it would be “o hanashi ninarimasu.”

New Words
seki: n. seat
hazushimasu: v. to remove (dictionary form: hazusu, -te form: hazushite)
*seki o hazusu: a phrase meaning “to be not at the desk”
wakarimasu: v. to understand (dictionary form: wakaru, -te form: wakatte)
tsunagimasu: v. to connect (dictionary form: tsunagu, -te form: tsunaide)