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How do Russian speakers typically struggle with Japanese politeness forms visualisation

How do Russian speakers typically struggle with Japanese politeness forms

Mastering Japanese: Key Cultural Mistakes to Avoid: How do Russian speakers typically struggle with Japanese politeness forms
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Russian speakers typically struggle with Japanese politeness forms due to several key factors:

  1. Cultural and Ethno-Psychological Differences: Russian learners often have difficulty grasping the strict social hierarchy and business etiquette embedded in Japanese politeness. In Japan, the mutual status of participants strictly regulates the linguistic means chosen, which differs significantly from Russian norms in communication. 1

  2. Complexity of Verb Forms and Aspectual Systems: Japanese politeness involves various verb forms and aspectual derivatives that do not have direct equivalents in Russian. Unlike Russian’s binary aspectual system, Japanese employs multiple forms that convey respect or humility, which Russian speakers find challenging to learn and use correctly. 1

  3. Different Address Forms and Social Hierarchy Representation: Japanese politeness heavily uses specific honorifics, humble forms, and address terms reflecting social hierarchy, which contrasts with Russian where forms of address are more flexible and figurative, and less bound by hierarchy in everyday use. This difference leads to misunderstandings in applying appropriate Japanese honorific language for different social contexts. 2

  4. Lack of Natural Intuitive Politeness Structure: Slavic languages like Russian have politeness forms that feel natural and organic but lack the intricate hierarchical structure of Japanese politeness forms, making it harder for Russian speakers to internalize Japanese honorifics and keigo (敬語) usage. 3

Overall, Russian speakers learning Japanese must overcome both linguistic structural challenges and cultural expectations embedded in Japanese politeness, especially in formal, business, and hierarchical contexts. 2, 3, 1

References

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