Onegaishimasu (おねがいします) is a formal Japanese greeting used in the game of Go before a game starts.
"Onegaishimasu" is the correct polite Japanese phrase to say to one's opponent before starting to play: o negai shimasu
"Please do your best", "Please have a good game", "if you please", or "I pray you..." Literally: "do me this favor"
https://senseis.xmp.net/?
How to Use Onegaishimasu in a Sentence
While kudasai is a more familiar term, onegaishimasu is more polite or honorific. Thus, this Japanese word is used when you are requesting a favor. You would also use it if you are directing the request to a superior or to someone you do not know well.Like kudasai, onegaishimasu follows the object of the sentence. The sentences below echo the examples in the previous section, except that you would replace kudasai with onegaishimasudue according to the context and social circumstances, where you need to make a request in a more formal manner. When using onegaishimasu, you can omit the particle o.
| Kitte (o) onegaishimasu. 切手 (を) お願いします。 |
Please give me stamps. |
| Mizu (o) onegaishimasu. 水 (を) お願いします。 |
Water, please. |
Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu Meaning and Definition
The definition of “yoroshiku onegaishimasu” is really hard. It’s one of those words that isn’t really translatable. It’s a concept that’s hard to grasp and hard to define in the English language (not to mention plenty of other languages as well). I’m sure that many of you will have “correct” definitions of yoroshiku onegaishimasu as well (put them in the comments / read the comments, they’re useful!). There are different ways that yoroshiku onegaishimasu is used, as well, depending on the situation. We’ll also take a look at the shorter, more casual yoroshiku, just in case you weren’t sure of the difference.Let’s take a look at some attempts at “definitions.” Keep in mind, these definitions are clunky at best. We’ll take these and put them into “example situations” as well, so you can get a better understanding of these definitions a little later.
"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu"
In general, you’ll want to use this one in more formal situations, with people that have a higher status than you, and basically anytime you’re not sure which one to use. It’s more formal that yoroshiku on its own, but it’s also safer, too.-
“Be Kind to me”
-
“I am in your debt”
-
“I’m counting on you”
-
“Please help me”
-
“Please take care of me”
-
“Nice to meet you”
"Onegai shimasu" is a hard
phrase to directly translate to English. The second part "shimasu" is
basically the verb "suru" which means "to do" conjugated into the
present tense. "Onegai" comes from the verb "negau" which literally
means
"to pray to (something)" or "to wish for (something)." The "O" at the
beginning is the "honorific O" that makes the phrase more "honoring." Of
course, we would never say that particular phrase without it, but
that's what it is. (Don't confuse this "O" with
the "O" in O-sensei. The one in O-sensei is actually "Oo" meaning "big"
or "great.")
In Japanese culture, we use "onegai shimasu" in many different
situations. The basic connotation is the feeling of exchanging "good
will" towards the "future" of the two meeting parties. Hence, it's
sometimes kind of like saying "I'm hoping that our relationship
holds good things in the future." We use this during New Year's
celebration by saying "kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu" which
transliterated (to the best of my abilities) means "this year also good
tidings I pray I do." You get the gist.
Another connotation is "please" as in, "please let me train with you." It's an entreaty often used in asking the other person to teach you, and that you are ready to accept the other person's teaching.
If you're feeling really, really humble, you can say "onegai itashimasu" which uses "kenjyougo" or the "humble" form of the verb. This places you lower on the hierarchy than the person to whom you're speaking (unless they too use the same humbling form -- in which case, I think it all comes down to stuff like who can put their nose closer to the ground when bowing or something).
To pronounce this, I'd transcribe it as:
Another connotation is "please" as in, "please let me train with you." It's an entreaty often used in asking the other person to teach you, and that you are ready to accept the other person's teaching.
If you're feeling really, really humble, you can say "onegai itashimasu" which uses "kenjyougo" or the "humble" form of the verb. This places you lower on the hierarchy than the person to whom you're speaking (unless they too use the same humbling form -- in which case, I think it all comes down to stuff like who can put their nose closer to the ground when bowing or something).
To pronounce this, I'd transcribe it as:
-
o ne gai shi ma su.
12 Japanese Words You Need To Know For Karate
My good friend and full-contact karate fighter
Norihiro Yoshida was visiting recently from Japan. It had been a year
since he visited before and trained at
Contact Kicks Dojo for a few months and competed. This visit however was very brief.
While he was here he only had the opportunity to train one day. Afterwards we spent a lot of time catching and chatting. As part of that he was commenting on the way people pronounce Osu outside of Japan. He was saying that many people don’t pronounce it correctly, not enough emphasis on the “O”, and was impressed with how Fogarasi Sensei pronounced it. This then led into a discussion about other words used in the dojo. I touched on some of this in a previous blog post on Reishiki – Japanese Etiquette in Kyokushin Karate.
So, based on that discussion and some research, here are 12 Japanese Words You Need To Know For Karate!
1.
Osu!
(pronounced Oh’ss with the stress on the O), Osu is a word that you
will hear in all Kyokushin dojos, and has been adopted by some other
martial arts,
such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other full-contact styles. When you
enter or leave the dojo, you bow and say “Osu”. When you greet a fellow
student, you use “Osu” instead of “hello”. When you respond to your
teacher for anything, you say Osu! It is used as
a sign of respect towards fighters at tournaments. It’s generally a
word that can be used in many situations.
Osu is a contraction of two words:
押し Oshi meaning “Push”
忍ぶ Shinobu meaning “to Endure”
Thus, Osu can mean patience, determination and perseverance. When you are pushing yourself beyond your limits, you use Osu!
To learn about the history of Osu, click here =>>>
2. Sensei – [sen say] In spite of many North American martial arts schools using it as “master”, it does not mean this. Sensei (先生) is literally translated as “person born before another” or “one who comes before”.
In general usage within Japan, it is used after a person’s name, and means “teacher”. It is used in all schools to address teachers and professors, as well as professionals such as lawyers, doctors, politicians, and other figures of authority. The word is also used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or some other skill: accomplished novelists, musicians, artists and martial artists.
3. Seiza (正座 or 正坐) – [say za] literally means “proper sitting” and is the Japanese term for one of the
traditional formal
ways of kneeling in Japan. To sit seiza-style in Kyokushin, one must
first be kneeling on the floor, folding one’s legs underneath one’s
thighs, while resting the buttocks on the heels. The ankles are turned
outward as the tops of the feet are lowered so that,
in a slight “V” shape, the tops of the feet are flat on the floor and
big toes sometimes are overlapped, and the buttocks are finally lowered
all the way down. Within Kyokushin the fists are placed on the upper
thigh. The back is kept straight, though not
unnaturally stiff. Traditionally, women sit with the knees together
while men separate them slightly, roughly two fist widths of distance
between the knees.
4. Shomen ni rei – [show men nee ray] literally means “bow to the front”, and denotes respect to all the practitioners that came before us (our instructor’s instructor and so forth) which is usually followed by, “Sensei ni rei” (bow to the teacher), this is followed by “Otagai ni rei” (bow to others), to show respect to all of your training partners. If there is a Shihan present, you will say Shihan ni rei (bow to the master instructor).
From seiza (kneeling), facing the front of the dojo, bow (rei) at the waist
placing
first your left fist and then your right fist on the floor in front of
you. Keep your back straight and avoid raising your hips. Do not duck
your head; keep your neck in alignment with your back. After a short
pause, and Sensei has completed his/her bow, you
raise yourself back to the seiza position, retracting first your right
hand and then your left. Place your fists comfortably on your thighs.
At the end of class, the procedure is repeats, however, this time “thank you” is added, to thank for the training. Eg. Sensei ni, arigatou gozaimasu, rei (thank you and bow to the teacher).
5. Mokusō (黙想 pronounced “moh-kso”) is a Japanese term for meditation, especially when practiced in the traditional Japanese
martial arts. Mokuso is performed before beginning a training session
in order to “clear one’s mind”, very similar to the zen concept of
mushin, or “no mind”. The term Mokusō is more formally known to mean, “Warming up the mind for
training hard.”
6. Arigatou gozaimasu – [ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee-mas] means ‘thank you’, and is used for either something that will be done or something that has been done. In Japan, one can never say, “Thank you” or be thanked enough when expressing appreciation and gratitude in any number of situations, especially within the dojo to someone of higher rank.
7. Dōitashimashite – [doe-ee-tah-she-mahssh-tay]
8. Onegaishimasu – [oh-nay-guy-she-mus] translates roughly as “please take care of me” or “I am in your care” or “please have patience with me”. It is a word that isn’t used too much within North American dojos, and when it is it is sometimes misused, but should be used more often to show respect. It is very important within dojos of Japan, when asking of instruction or help from a senior student or teacher. It is essentially a polite way of saying ‘please.’ It isn’t a word used exclusively for martial arts.
Onegaishimasu is a sign of “humbleness”. In north American dojos you might hear it screamed out, like you would Osu!, but this isn’t correct and can be considered rude. Onegaishimasu should always be said with gratitude in a humble way.
9. Sempai (先輩) – [sem pie] is someone who is of a higher social standard, such as an upperclassman or upperclasswoman, someone of a higher age, or senior in rank. Sen or先means early, in advance, first or prior. Hai, 輩 means fellow, person, colleague, or people.
The mentor system is found at all levels of education, and in sports clubs, businesses, and informal or social organizations within Japan. The relationship is an essential element of Japanese seniority-based status relationships, similar to the way that family and other relationships are decided based on age, in which even twins may be divided into elder and younger siblings. And the dojo is a family after all.
There is debate on the spelling of Senpai. I cover this in another article. However, it is spelled seNpai, but pronounced seMpai.
10. kōhai (後輩)- [koe hi] is a protégé, one’s junior or underclassman. Ko, 後means later, afterwards, rear or aback. So Kohai is someone that started later than another person.
11. Kata (型 or 形) literally means “form”, the detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. Kata are used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theater forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony (chado), but are most commonly known for the presence in the martial arts. Kata are used by most Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, such as aikido, judo, kendo and karate.
For a full breakdown and history of Kata, I have covered it in another article.
12. Kihon (基本, きほん ) – [key hone] is a Japanese term meaning “basics” or “fundamentals.” The term is used to refer to the basic techniques that are taught and practiced as the foundation of most Japanese martial arts.
While he was here he only had the opportunity to train one day. Afterwards we spent a lot of time catching and chatting. As part of that he was commenting on the way people pronounce Osu outside of Japan. He was saying that many people don’t pronounce it correctly, not enough emphasis on the “O”, and was impressed with how Fogarasi Sensei pronounced it. This then led into a discussion about other words used in the dojo. I touched on some of this in a previous blog post on Reishiki – Japanese Etiquette in Kyokushin Karate.
So, based on that discussion and some research, here are 12 Japanese Words You Need To Know For Karate!
1.
Osu!
(pronounced Oh’ss with the stress on the O), Osu is a word that you
will hear in all Kyokushin dojos, and has been adopted by some other
martial arts,
such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other full-contact styles. When you
enter or leave the dojo, you bow and say “Osu”. When you greet a fellow
student, you use “Osu” instead of “hello”. When you respond to your
teacher for anything, you say Osu! It is used as
a sign of respect towards fighters at tournaments. It’s generally a
word that can be used in many situations.Osu is a contraction of two words:
押し Oshi meaning “Push”
忍ぶ Shinobu meaning “to Endure”
Thus, Osu can mean patience, determination and perseverance. When you are pushing yourself beyond your limits, you use Osu!
To learn about the history of Osu, click here =>>>
2. Sensei – [sen say] In spite of many North American martial arts schools using it as “master”, it does not mean this. Sensei (先生) is literally translated as “person born before another” or “one who comes before”.
In general usage within Japan, it is used after a person’s name, and means “teacher”. It is used in all schools to address teachers and professors, as well as professionals such as lawyers, doctors, politicians, and other figures of authority. The word is also used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or some other skill: accomplished novelists, musicians, artists and martial artists.
3. Seiza (正座 or 正坐) – [say za] literally means “proper sitting” and is the Japanese term for one of the
traditional formal
ways of kneeling in Japan. To sit seiza-style in Kyokushin, one must
first be kneeling on the floor, folding one’s legs underneath one’s
thighs, while resting the buttocks on the heels. The ankles are turned
outward as the tops of the feet are lowered so that,
in a slight “V” shape, the tops of the feet are flat on the floor and
big toes sometimes are overlapped, and the buttocks are finally lowered
all the way down. Within Kyokushin the fists are placed on the upper
thigh. The back is kept straight, though not
unnaturally stiff. Traditionally, women sit with the knees together
while men separate them slightly, roughly two fist widths of distance
between the knees.4. Shomen ni rei – [show men nee ray] literally means “bow to the front”, and denotes respect to all the practitioners that came before us (our instructor’s instructor and so forth) which is usually followed by, “Sensei ni rei” (bow to the teacher), this is followed by “Otagai ni rei” (bow to others), to show respect to all of your training partners. If there is a Shihan present, you will say Shihan ni rei (bow to the master instructor).
From seiza (kneeling), facing the front of the dojo, bow (rei) at the waist
placing
first your left fist and then your right fist on the floor in front of
you. Keep your back straight and avoid raising your hips. Do not duck
your head; keep your neck in alignment with your back. After a short
pause, and Sensei has completed his/her bow, you
raise yourself back to the seiza position, retracting first your right
hand and then your left. Place your fists comfortably on your thighs.At the end of class, the procedure is repeats, however, this time “thank you” is added, to thank for the training. Eg. Sensei ni, arigatou gozaimasu, rei (thank you and bow to the teacher).
5. Mokusō (黙想 pronounced “moh-kso”) is a Japanese term for meditation, especially when practiced in the traditional Japanese
martial arts. Mokuso is performed before beginning a training session
in order to “clear one’s mind”, very similar to the zen concept of
mushin, or “no mind”. The term Mokusō is more formally known to mean, “Warming up the mind for
training hard.”6. Arigatou gozaimasu – [ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee-mas] means ‘thank you’, and is used for either something that will be done or something that has been done. In Japan, one can never say, “Thank you” or be thanked enough when expressing appreciation and gratitude in any number of situations, especially within the dojo to someone of higher rank.
7. Dōitashimashite – [doe-ee-tah-she-mahssh-tay]
8. Onegaishimasu – [oh-nay-guy-she-mus] translates roughly as “please take care of me” or “I am in your care” or “please have patience with me”. It is a word that isn’t used too much within North American dojos, and when it is it is sometimes misused, but should be used more often to show respect. It is very important within dojos of Japan, when asking of instruction or help from a senior student or teacher. It is essentially a polite way of saying ‘please.’ It isn’t a word used exclusively for martial arts.
Onegaishimasu is a sign of “humbleness”. In north American dojos you might hear it screamed out, like you would Osu!, but this isn’t correct and can be considered rude. Onegaishimasu should always be said with gratitude in a humble way.
9. Sempai (先輩) – [sem pie] is someone who is of a higher social standard, such as an upperclassman or upperclasswoman, someone of a higher age, or senior in rank. Sen or先means early, in advance, first or prior. Hai, 輩 means fellow, person, colleague, or people.
The mentor system is found at all levels of education, and in sports clubs, businesses, and informal or social organizations within Japan. The relationship is an essential element of Japanese seniority-based status relationships, similar to the way that family and other relationships are decided based on age, in which even twins may be divided into elder and younger siblings. And the dojo is a family after all.
There is debate on the spelling of Senpai. I cover this in another article. However, it is spelled seNpai, but pronounced seMpai.
10. kōhai (後輩)- [koe hi] is a protégé, one’s junior or underclassman. Ko, 後means later, afterwards, rear or aback. So Kohai is someone that started later than another person.
11. Kata (型 or 形) literally means “form”, the detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. Kata are used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theater forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony (chado), but are most commonly known for the presence in the martial arts. Kata are used by most Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, such as aikido, judo, kendo and karate.
For a full breakdown and history of Kata, I have covered it in another article.
12. Kihon (基本, きほん ) – [key hone] is a Japanese term meaning “basics” or “fundamentals.” The term is used to refer to the basic techniques that are taught and practiced as the foundation of most Japanese martial arts.
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