Mochiron！

“Of course”

You’re of course familiar with the word “Mochiron”. In which of the following situations is “Mochiron” used correctly?

————–

1)On the Oscar night

Friend: Meryl Streep won her third Academy Award for Best Actress!

Me: Mochiron! (Of course!)

2) Your friend corrected a simple kanji mistake that you made.

Friend: This should be “入る”, not “人る”, shouldn’t it?

Me: Mochiron! (Of course!)

3) You were invited to a BBQ by a friend.

Me: Is it okay if my boyfriend/girlfriend comes along?

Friend: Mochiron! (Of course!)

————–

The correct answer is (3). Why, then, are (1) and (2) unnatural?

In Japanese and other languages, the word for “of course” carries the meaning of “naturally” or “surely,” and so by extension the Japanese word “Mochiron” is often used with a meaning of consent or permission. In (1), however, the intended meaning is that the statement is just as one expected (perhaps with irony?!), and (2) aims to express understanding or agreement; thus, using “Mochiron” in these situations feels unnatural.

What, then, should one say in Japanese? Phrases like “Souka” or “Yappari ne” for (1) and a phrase like “Ah, souda” for (2) are a good fit.

＊＊＊＊＊

Would you like to try reading this article in Japanese?

Iidabashi Japanese Language School

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

We are supporting foreigners by starting a brand new Japanese conversation class specialized for those living and working in Japan!

The Iidabashi Japanese Language School motto is “Be Unique, Have fun Globally!” We teach classes focused on conversation skills to foreigners living in Japan, and have started a Japanese conversation class called “Nihongo Plus” based on a new concept, and launched a fresh website in August 2012 to coincide with the twelfth anniversary of our school’s founding.

Click the link for more information –> www.funjapanese.net