🎙️ Podcast #8｜JLPT N5-N3 | Embarrassing Japanese Mistakes? (言い間違い) How to Recover

Welcome to the Japanese Daily Podcast | 日本語デイリーポッドキャスト blog.

📌 目次 / Table of Contents

• 🎧 音声 / Audio
• 📝 概要 / Introduction & Timestamp
• ✅ 要点 / Key Takeaways
• 🌏 文化ノート / Cultural Note
• 📄 トランスクリプト / Transcript
• ✍️ 単語と文法 / Vocabulary & Grammar
• 💬 交流 / Engagement
• ☕ サポート / Support

🎧 音声 / Audio

📝 概要 / Introduction & Timestamp

Have you ever said something completely wrong in Japanese and wanted the ground to swallow you whole? In this episode, Yui and Haruki share their hilarious and embarrassing stories about misspeaking ("iimachigai"). From mixing up "hospital" and "hair salon" to Yui's unforgettable blunder at her cafe job, they explore why these mistakes happen. More importantly, they offer encouragement and practical advice, reminding us that mistakes are just "spice" for our language learning journey. Don't be afraid to make them!

Timestamp:

• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:32 - The classic mistake: "Hospital" vs. "Hair Salon"
• 02:36 - Yui's most embarrassing misspeaking story at a cafe
• 06:12 - The "Uchi-Soto" concept in Keigo (honorifics)
• 08:07 - Metaphor: Mistakes are the "spice" of language learning
• 09:44 - How to handle mistakes when you make them
• 12:33 - Proverb: "Failure is the mother of success"

✅ 要点 / Key Takeaways

• Everyone, including native Japanese speakers, makes speaking mistakes ("iimachigai"). It's a universal experience.
• Common mistakes often happen with words that sound similar, like 病院 (byōin - hospital) and 美容院 (biyōin - beauty salon).
• Don't let the fear of making mistakes stop you from speaking. Think of errors as "spice" that adds depth and memorable stories to your learning journey.
• If you misspeak, you can simply say 「すみません、言い間違えました」 (Sorry, I misspoke) to correct yourself politely.
• The most important thing in communication is the effort to convey your feelings, not grammatical perfection.

🌏 文化ノート / Cultural Note

A key concept in Japanese honorifics (敬語 - Keigo) is "Uchi-Soto" (ウチソト). "Uchi" (内) refers to your in-group (your company, your family), while "Soto" (外) refers to an out-group (a client, a customer). When speaking to someone from the "Soto" group, it is customary to humble yourself and your "Uchi" members. This is why you wouldn't use a respectful term like 「いらっしゃる」 for your own boss when talking to a client. Instead, you use a humble form like 「おります」. This shows respect to the person you are talking to by lowering the status of your own group in that context.

📄 トランスクリプト / Transcript (Click to expand/collapse)

✍️ 単語と文法 / Vocabulary & Grammar

Let's learn some useful JLPT N5-N3 words and grammar patterns from today's podcast:

言い間違える (iimachigaeru)

Meaning: To misspeak; to say something incorrectly.

Explanation: A compound verb from 言う (to say) and 間違える (to make a mistake). It specifically refers to verbal slips of the tongue or saying the wrong word.

Example: 僕たち日本人でさえ、毎日たくさん言い間違えていますからね。 (Bokutachi nihonjin de sae, mainichi takusan iimachigaete imasu kara ne.)

恥ずかしい (hazukashii)

Meaning: Embarrassing; shameful.

Explanation: An i-adjective used to describe a feeling of embarrassment or shame, often related to a personal mistake or awkward situation.

Example: うわー、恥ずかしい！まさに今日のテーマにぴったりじゃないですか！ (Uwā, hazukashii! Masani kyō no tēma ni pittari janai desu ka!)

お大事に (odaiji ni)

Meaning: Get well soon; Take care of yourself.

Explanation: This is a set phrase typically said to someone who is sick or injured. In the podcast, it was hilariously used out of context in a cafe, which is what made the story so funny.

Example: コーヒーをテーブルに置きながら、満面の笑みでこう言ったんです。「どうぞ、お大事に！」って。(Kōhī o tēburu ni okinagara, manmen no emi de kō ittan desu. "Dōzo, odaiji ni!" tte.)

敬語 (keigo)

Meaning: Honorific language.

Explanation: The complex system of polite speech in Japanese, which includes respectful language (尊敬語 - sonkeigo), humble language (謙譲語 - kenjōgo), and polite language (丁寧語 - teineigo). It is essential for formal and professional communication.

Example: 特に、ビジネスの場面とか、目上の人と話す時の言い間違いは、ちょっとヒヤッとすることがあるよね。敬語の間違いとか。(Toku ni, bijinesu no bamen toka, meue no hito to hanasu toki no iimachigai wa, chotto hiyatto suru koto ga aru yone. Keigo no machigai toka.)

正しくは〜です (tadashiku wa ~ desu)

Meaning: The correct way is...; Correctly speaking, it is...

Explanation: A useful phrase for politely correcting a mistake, either your own or someone else's. 正しく is the adverbial form of 正しい (correct).

Example: 「失礼いたしました。正しくは〇〇です」と訂正するのもいいね。(Shitsurei itashimashita. Tadashiku wa marumaru desu" to teisei suru no mo ii ne.)

失敗は成功のもと (shippai wa seikō no moto)

Meaning: Failure is the foundation/mother of success.

Explanation: A common Japanese proverb (ことわざ - kotowaza) that encourages perseverance. It means that we learn from our mistakes, and those experiences lead to eventual success.

Example: 「失敗は成功のもとって言いますしね。」("Shippai wa seikō no moto" tte iimasu shi ne.)

💬 交流 / Engagement

What about you? Have you ever had a funny or embarrassing "iimachigai" moment while speaking Japanese? Don't be shy! Share your story in the comments below. We'd love to hear about the "spice" in your Japanese learning journey!

☕ サポート / Support

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