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“Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

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Re: “Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

#61

Post by chrisra »

darkroasted wrote: post #2

As an American, I've sometimes been bothered by the use of thank you. It is fine as a pleasantry at a restaurant. But it always felt odd coming from a boss or from the company CEO. I think to myself, "I didn't do this piece of work as a favor to you, I didn't because you are paying me and you told me to do it." It is interesting to read that this view is more common in other cultures. I also dislike putting "thank yo…

It's nice to find a higher purpose in your work. If you are paid $10 and work worth $15, you're giving of yourself for others. Work is such a big part of life, it is good to go the extra mile and serve others while you're there. Sure, you're paid for it, but your motivation can become "I'm doing this because I want my boss and the customer to have a better life."

Re: “Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

#62

Post by alienchow »

jmadsen wrote: post #53
alienchow wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

May I know your source for this? Arigatou pretty much just means "Thank you". Arigatou - "Thank you" Sumimasen - "Excuse me" or a milder version of "sorry" Gomennasai - "Sorry" If I help my Japanese roommate grab some stuff from the convenience store, he says arigatou. If he wants to really be polite he could add on "suman, meiwaku kaketa." (sorry for troubling you) I'm not arguing against the fact that we shouldn't…

My "source" is 13 years in Japan living with Japanese wife, children & extended family :-) But I'm not going to argue - for example, it may just be that here in Kansai we use them differently. We would definitely say "sumasen" for the things you listed. Just shows how hard it is to get this down from textbooks.

Hmm it is true that I have only hung out with mostly people from kantou. Thanks for the new knowledge, will go look into it. :D

[Edit] Just checked with the friends. It seems like it really depends on the social habits. If a bunch of people started with gomen, then that word will stick, even if it feels weird.

For me, because I started with "arigatou" with them, so my friends naturally used "arigatou" around me instead. However, whether they use "arigatou" or "sumimasen" really depends on their family habits. Currently it's split 30(arigatou)-70(sumimasen) amongst them. Much nuance is learnt today.

Re: “Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

#63

Post by harperlee »

StavrosK wrote: post #34

In Greece, saying "please" can sound condescending. You pretty much want to avoid saying please, and politeness comes from the phrasing. "Can you bring me a glass of water" is the polite version of "bring me a glass of water", although the latter is also usually made polite by adding "re" (to friends) or adding "a bit" ("bring me a glass of water for a bit", it doesn't translate well). Saying "please" to anyone you'r…

In spain we have a mix of both; although it is very normal to say it formulaically to e.g. a shop clerk, we are also very often very direct and don't use it, just using tone or phrasing - and foreigners (including spanish-speaking ones) are usually shocked by how rude we seem to be.

Re: “Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

#64

Post by bane »

paulsutter wrote: post #10

I say thank you often, and every single time it's because I feel gratitude. This guy is doing it wrong. > After moving to America, it took me several years to say thanks to people without actually meaning it. Putting “thank you” on the tip of my tongue, ready to escape at a moment’s notice, rather than extracting it from the depths of my heart, was one of the hardest language lessons I had to learn in the United Stat…

I completely agree. I was raised to say "please" and "thank you", not because it's makes me look good, but because it's showing appreciation, gratitude and empathy for the other person's work on your behalf. Politeness is about empathy, not self-aggrandizing.

I've been told more than once that just being polite to a cashier or a waiter has turned bad days they were having around. Treating other people decently is its own reward.

Re: “Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

#65

Post by paulsutter »

ajuc wrote: post #27
paulsutter wrote: post #10

I say thank you often, and every single time it's because I feel gratitude. This guy is doing it wrong. > After moving to America, it took me several years to say thanks to people without actually meaning it. Putting “thank you” on the tip of my tongue, ready to escape at a moment’s notice, rather than extracting it from the depths of my heart, was one of the hardest language lessons I had to learn in the United Stat…

You feel gratitude when you receive change from the shop clerk and say "thanks, bye"? I guess the word "gratitude" is routinely badly translated, too, in that case.

Every time I say thanks, I mean it.

My first job was selling cokes at football games when I was 12. One dollar for each tray I sold, and I'd carry it to the top of the stands. Yeah I'm grateful when someone serves me.

Re: “Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

#66

Post by bane »

littletimmy wrote: post #49

As a non-American, this was one of the biggest culture shocks I faced. On the surface, relationships in the US seem very transactional (not making the judgment that they are really transactional). For example, in the US a son would thank his parents for paying his college tuition. In my culture, this would be insulting because it would suggest being distant from family, in the sense that the son ought to believe his…

I think this is an interesting idea. Cultures are often categorized as "individualistic" or "shame-based"...but I wonder if "debt-based" might be a good descriptor for many cultures.

There's definitely a range of individualism in the U.S. as well, some people take it to a kind of local maximum, some people just try to find workable balances. When my wife first immigrated here from South Korea, she struggled to characterize "America" in simple, digestible differences so that she could work within the society. No a couple decades later, she's developed a more nuanced view, and understands that it's very hard to say "Americans do x" without going into a higher level of abstraction like "some Americans do x" when explaining something to her friends.

Re: “Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

#67

Post by kurthr »

jmadsen wrote: post #53
alienchow wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

May I know your source for this? Arigatou pretty much just means "Thank you". Arigatou - "Thank you" Sumimasen - "Excuse me" or a milder version of "sorry" Gomennasai - "Sorry" If I help my Japanese roommate grab some stuff from the convenience store, he says arigatou. If he wants to really be polite he could add on "suman, meiwaku kaketa." (sorry for troubling you) I'm not arguing against the fact that we shouldn't…

My "source" is 13 years in Japan living with Japanese wife, children & extended family :-) But I'm not going to argue - for example, it may just be that here in Kansai we use them differently. We would definitely say "sumasen" for the things you listed. Just shows how hard it is to get this down from textbooks.

I'm surprised you didn't mention the less formal Kansai local term: "oh-KIni" おおきに: It is also used as "Thank you" in casual situations, but my understanding is that it is literally "Excuse me".

So much of proper speech is dependent on who you are with and their preferred idom. Of course formality in the case of uncertainty is usually preferred, but that can lead to both humor and embarrassment.

Re: “Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

#68

Post by jpatokal »

jmadsen wrote: post #12

Perhaps he doesn't understand that "thank you" is usually meant as a simple, polite acknowledgement. A heartfelt expression of gratitude in English is said not with a stock phrase, but by stopping, looking at the person, and explaining your gratitude to them. He is confusing our stock phrase with something that is an entirely different concept.

Per the article, he now understands that perfectly well, it just took him a while to get used to it.

Re: “Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

#69

Post by bane »

ajuc wrote: post #27
paulsutter wrote: post #10

I say thank you often, and every single time it's because I feel gratitude. This guy is doing it wrong. > After moving to America, it took me several years to say thanks to people without actually meaning it. Putting “thank you” on the tip of my tongue, ready to escape at a moment’s notice, rather than extracting it from the depths of my heart, was one of the hardest language lessons I had to learn in the United Stat…

You feel gratitude when you receive change from the shop clerk and say "thanks, bye"? I guess the word "gratitude" is routinely badly translated, too, in that case.

Yes. I also try to wish them to have a good day, genuinely.

Re: “Thank You” in Hindi and English Mean Very Different Things

#70

Post by chatwinra »

As an English speaker, I agree with others above that this article misses a huge point about our language.

Yes we use thank you a lot, even for some things people may consider 'trite'. I'm from the UK so I use it a HELL of a lot.

But I want to call out 2 points based on this:

1. As mentioned above, just thanking someone can turn their day around, and most times I feel rude if I do not say it (that is my cultural upbringing).

2. For me/the English culture, it is a multi-faceted word. It can be used in everyday scenarios, or it can be used in deeply emotional ones.

The article doesn't seem to acknowledge this, so perhaps the OP hasn't truly grasped the intricacies of the language.

As an aside, I did find the information about the attitude towards 'thanks' in Hindi really interesting. Thanks!*

*sorry, couldn't resist. ;)

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