The other day, some guy said to me on skype "あけましておめでとうございます(akemashite omedeto gozaimasu)！".lol.
But then I did know it, "あけましておめでとう" isnot "Happy new year".
"あけましておめでとう" can be used only after the year was changed. So it's so strange to use before the new year. You can use "よいおとしを(yoi otoshi wo)" instead of "あけましておめでとう".
"よいおとしを" means mostly same of "happy new year". "よいおとしを" is a farewell sentence like good-bye. so you cann't say it when you see someone. Please try to say "よいおとしを" when you'll part someone last of year.
20 comments:
That's interesting to know :)
What does akemashite omedetou translate to then? Or does it still mean Happy New Year - but is only appropriate to use after the year has ended?
I think it's "Happy new year" :). And as you said, "Akemashite omedetou!" can use after It's chenged to the new year.
The literal translation of "Akemashite Omedetou" is "Congratulations for the new year opened". So you can't use it before the new year, can you?
Okay yoi otoshi wo よいおとしを。
Okay yoi otoshi wo よいおとしを。
okelah!
I Think it literally translates to something like "the new year has come" so yes saying before hand doesn't make much sense.
I had forgot that I have this blog long time lol, but seems some guys have a fun with this post still now :)
Have a great new year!
Akemashite Omedetou!!
I don't understand your friend on Skype. I would only say "Happy New Year" in English after the new year has started. It is a greeting used on January 1st and thereafter (i am from the UK, maybe different in the US?).
The only time you might say it before the new year is if you are not going to see that person again for a long while, "Happy New Year, when it comes".
So, "akemashite omedetou" is used in the same way as "happy new year" in this case.
I'm from the UK, and where i came from at least we would say "we wish you/ have a merry Christmas and a happy new year" before the January the 1st.
Akemashite / akeru means “to open”; omedetou means “congratulations”
You're really making too big of a deal on it....relax
Don't make things too difficult for people. You should just be happy that people are trying to learn and spread joy by using your language.
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Interesting. I’ve actually never heard anyone just say “akemashite omedetou gozaimasu” at the start of the New Year...well I’ve heard those 3 words, but I’ve never heard anyone say them without first saying “Shinnen”, “new year”...especially in a language as contextual as Nihongo (the words...”Japan” and “Japanese” are English constructs [don’t even get me started on “karaoke”...it’s NOT even close to carry-oh-key”. Who the hell saw “Kara” and thought it should be pronounced “Cary”. People wouldn’t see someone with the name “Kara” and then call them “Cary”...yet they didn’t have the bare minimum amount of respect for another country’s language. 🤦🏽♂️]. Nihon in the name of the country, and in their language, you add “go” at the end of the country name and that means that country’s language...like “Supein” is how they say “Spain”, and “supeingo” means “Spanish language”. [I know their correct country name is España.]
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But they were closer with Germany, whose real name is Deutschland, which they call “Doitsu”, which is how they’d say “Deutsch” within their language’s parameters...and “doitsugo” is “German language”. If you add “jin” at the next, it means “person”...so a person from Nihon would be called a “Nihonjin” (日本人*) Case in point to lay people:
Normal, everyday talk amongst family and friends.
To go: ikimasu
To come: kimasu
To exist: imasu
Honorifics, if you’re speaking to a customer or client.
To go: irassahimasu
To come: irassahimasu
To exist: irassahimasu
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So when you hear restaurants saying “irasshaimase”, because they’re saying it to people who’ve just arrived, the context lets you know that they’re saying “to come”...but without that context, they also could be saying “to go” or “to exist, or be”.
But I do agree with you, I’ve never said Shinnen Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu before January 1st. I have told people, “hope you have a Happy New Year” though.
I should also mention that despite being 100% of Japanese descent, and both of my parents and all four blood related grandparents being 100% Japanese...I’m only offering the perspective of a Hawai’i citizen. My ancestors emigrated from Nihon in 1868, so neither of my parents and none of my grandparents spoke Japanese...we’re that American. To the lay people: Which is kinda good in a sense ‘cause even if you’re full Japanese by blood, if you weren’t born in Nihon, you cannot tell people that you’re “Japanese”...I’m called“gaijin”, aka foreigner.
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It doesn’t matter that I have more Japanese names than English names, my ancestry doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter that I was raised Japanese Buddhist and followed the exact same protocols and celebrated the exact same events as Buddhist Temples in Nihon (Buddhists in Japan go to temples...while people who are Shinto go to shrines), it doesn’t matter that I was raised on many of the exact same foods found in Nihon since almost 20% of Hawai’i is Japanese, hell, even Hawai’i 7-11 stores are eerily similar to the 7-11 stores in Nihon (which is why our 7-11 stores look very little like most American 7-11 stores. LOL)
So yeah, my experiences aren’t true Nihonjin experiences...so I can only talk about what I hear from Japanese Americans. 😁
On that note, Kousuke, I wanted to wish you a Hau’oli Makahiki Hou 2021! “Happy New Year 2021!” in Hawaiian. 🧨🎉🎊 Oh yeah, the Hawaiian language pronounces their vowels the same way as in Nihongo...and they both pronounce their vowels the same way as in the Spanish language. Case in point, the letter “o” is always pronounced “oh”...and a shot “oh” sound, we English speaking peeps tend to round our “o”. The word “aloha” is just pronounced “ah-loh-ha”...but most Americans say “ah-low-ha”.
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I identify as a “Hawai’i resident”, but always tell people not to say I’m a “Hawaiian”, how people say a “Californian” is someone from California. “Hawaiian” should ONLY be used to describe someone who has Native Hawaiian ancestry, like Jason Momoa. We Americans have taken sooooooo much from Native Hawaiian people...the least we can do is be respectful of their race’s name and the wishes of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop [She left a trust fund for the education of Native Hawaiian keiki (“child/children” in Hawaiian). The funds are overseen by a Board of Trustees and go to a network of schools across the state, Kamehameha School, here on O’ahu is the most well known. They’re obviously all private schools and allow keiki with Native Hawaiian ancestry to get private school educations and athletics...but at very affordable tuitions. The trust is currently reported at $10,000,000,000...yeah, $10 billion. Though this is all common knowledge for Kama’āina (local people), the vast majority of Americans don’t know about it (though I would think it would be in American History textbooks since we are the most recent state and the annexation and statehood of Hawai’i happened under less than ideal circumstances...ergo, this was Princess Pauahi’s way of reclaiming a little bit of what was taken from the Hawaiian Monarchy), which is why every few years or so, a white family will make the news ‘cause they moved here and filed a law suit alleging discrimination. To be clear, I say “white” as a descriptor only...not as a judgment. If I wanted to make a judgement, I would’ve, but I’ve already said that it’s because most Americans don’t know about the trust...and the reason of the lawsuit was asserted by the plaintiff, the white family, not me.
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* To further highlight just how contextual a language it is...日本人 means “Japanese national”....but only in this context. 日 is also used for the word “day”...that’s why “today” is written 今日, in this context, the first character is “ima”, which means “now”, and the second character is “hi”, which mean “day”...so “now day” makes sense that it means “today”...until you learn that despite the two characters being “ima” and “hi”...the word for today is “Kyou”, also seen as “kyoo”, which also doesn’t make sense. 😂🤣
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