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🇯🇵 Japanese · Advanced Level 1

PART 2 · LESSON 16 OF 30 · 32 MINUTES

The Complaint

Friday the fifteenth of December, twenty twenty-eight, nine in the morning, the seventh floor in Osaka. The Tsukiya phones Mister Okada, not Ben, and Mister Okada passes the receiver across his desk without a word. Four of the group came back at eleven last night, loud in the corridor, Mister Doyle got into the bath with his towel, and two other guests have complained. A formal apology on the phone, a box of sweets from the boss's drawer, and at eleven the Tsukiya's doorway, the deepest bow of Ben's life, and a hostess who forgives the Kyoto way. Two o'clock, Miss Nishimura and a letter of apology, on paper. Saturday, Kansai airport, and an envelope refused three times. Learn to take the blame for your side (watakushi domo no fuchuui deshita), say you'll come at once to apologise (sugu ni, owabi ni ukagaimasu), promise it won't happen again (nido to kono you na koto ga nai you ni, ki o tsukemasu), write the line of a letter of apology (kokoro yori, owabi moushiagemasu), hear why a complaint with a next time is a good one, and refuse a tip politely, humbly and finally (chippu wa, itadakemasen; okoshi itadaita koto ga, naniyori no orei desu). The sixteenth lesson of Advanced Level 1.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

Friday, the fifteenth of December, twenty twenty-eight. Nine in the morning, the seventh floor in Osaka, and the phone on Mister Okada's desk. The Tsukiya is calling, for him and not for Ben, and Mister Okada passes the receiver across his desk without a word. Eleven o'clock, the Tsukiya's door in Kyoto. Two o'clock, the office, and Miss Nishimura. This is the conversation you'll be able to say by the end of the lesson.

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Words and phrases

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けさ、 ほか の おきゃくさん から、 クレーム が ふたつ。kesa, hoka no okyakusan kara, kurēmu ga futatsuThis morning, two complaints from other guests.
わたくし どもwatakushi domowe, humbly, for your own side
わたくし ども の ふちゅうい でした。watakushi domo no fuchūi deshitaIt was our carelessness.
すぐ に、 おわび に うかがいます。sugu ni, owabi ni ukagaimasuI'll come at once to apologise.
わかっとる。 ……これ、 もって いき。wakattoru. ... kore, motte ikiI know. ... Take this with you.
まあ、 リーダー さん。 よう きて くれはって。mā, rīdā-san. yō kite kurehatteOh, leader. How good of you to come.
き を つけますki o tsukemasuI'll be careful
この よう な こと が ない よう にkono yō na koto ga nai yō niso that there's nothing like this
にど と この よう な こと が ない よう に、 き を つけます。nido to kono yō na koto ga nai yō ni, ki o tsukemasuWe'll make sure nothing like this ever happens again.
つぎ も、 あります やろ？tsugi mo, arimasu yaroThere'll be a next time, won't there?

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