ＨＥＬＬＯ！ Ｉ　ＡＭ　ＱＵＩＺＢＯ™！And, this is the second instalment of Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!! Online’s Japanese Word of the Weekday. It will continue every weekday throughout the month of January as a special corner. Though, it can be enjoyed at any time. Kiki, Koko, and I have created this special corner in order to assist you in forming your own helpful revision/study habits. The beginning of the year is a popular time to begin anew, but do not let that stop you from beginning the first step on your Japanese language learning journey, or continuing from your previous save point. We will be here for you!

Also, how are you? There are many answers to this question, each of them important and valid answers. Learning a new language means being able to express your thoughts and feelings more clearly and thoroughly as well as understand the thoughts and feelings of those with whom you communicate. However, today, we will be adhering to more conventional answers due to the nature of this quick corner. So, be sure to continue your journey with us and expand your communication and vocabulary! It is a skill to which you can look forward to gain which we will only introduce today.

Every Word (or phrase) of the Weekday will include more than simply its definition, romanisation, and original script. It will also include at least one example sentence to assist you in your revision/study.

In order to get the most out of your revision/study session, it is recommended that you engage as many of your senses as possible.

A few suggestions include:

• Listening to the pronunciation and repeating it aloud
• Writing the word or phrase using the correct stroke order
• Creating your own sentences through writing or aloud

Word(s) of the Weekday:

お元気ですか【おげんきですか】ogenki desuka
Phrase/Collocation (連語)

How are you?
lit. Are you well?

Also shortened informally to お元気？

BONUS Word(s) of the Weekday:

※ご機嫌いかがですか 【ごきげん　いかが　ですか】gokigen　ikaga　desuka

Phrase/Collocation (連語)
How are you?
lit.How are your spirits?/How is your health?/How is your situation?/How is your well-being?

Also shortened colloquially to:
ご機嫌いかが?【ごきげん　いかが】gokigen ikaga?

※slightly more formal expression

There are many set greetings and phrases in the Japanese language that are used both as serious inquiries and as simple greetings. For example, in English, or at least in the United Kingdom, you will hear a friendly stranger, perhaps from the North, ask, “All right?’ And, this does not necessarily mean you should begin to express your deepest feelings or your specific situation. In this case, you would most likely reply “All right.”

It is similar in Japanese. In response to 「お元気ですか？」from a stranger, you will most likely reply, 「はい、元気です。ありがとう。あなたは？」。However, there are many times that you may want to express more to this stranger, showing them the true inner machinations of your mind. But, that will have to wait for another day. Today is simply about the basics, and with time, you will be able to express your darkest secrets to Japanese speaking strangers on that long train ride or at the bus stop.

In reality, you may want to save this future skill of expressing more of your thoughts and feelings for close friends. Small talk in most countries usually consists of talking about the weather, not what happened on 2021年06月24日. Save the big talk for someone special. Speaking of special, let us move on to the example sentences! Let us NihonGO!!

Thank you for your patience during this quick advertisement break.

Our lesson will continue shortly.

Thank you for your patience during that quick advertisement break.

Note: If you have any contrast issues with the colour coding on your monitor, you can highlight the text by tapping on your touch screen or click and drag with your cursor in order to get a higher contrast. The colour coding is meant to assist as a visual aid to accommodate all types of language learners, but monitors may not always provide the same contrast to every student/reader.

Example #1：Informal

A:お久しぶりだよ！去年からずっと、君に会ってないよ。お元気？
おひさしぶりだよ！きょねんからずっと、きみにあってないよ。おげんき？
ohisashiburi da yo! Kyonen kara zutto, kimi ni attenaiyo. Ogenki?
It’s been a long time! I haven’t seen you since last year. How are ya?
UOPQ

B:去年は先週だった。
きょねんはせんしゅうだった。
kyonen wa senshuu datta.
Last year was last week.
FAPI
A:だよね！
だよね！
da yo ne!
innit!

JA

Example #2：Casual

A.お元気ですか？

おげんきですか？

ogenki desuka?

Are you well?
MBNGTEBUUIISQ
B.はい、元気です。ありがとう！最近どうですか？
はい、げんきです。ありがとう！さいきんどうですか？
hai, genki desu. Arigatou! Saikin dou desuka?
Yes, I’m well. Thanks! How’ve things been lately?

YVSWSO JG LC

A.さあね。*
さあね。
saane.*
Beats me.*

NCLAZVE.

B。言えてるねぇ。*

いえてるねぇ。

ieterunee

You can say that again.*

*さあね is from the conjunction さあ which can be used in many contexts to mean many things.
*言えてるね is an expression literally meaning, can be saying, which usually used as approval or agreement, such as in cases that you would say, ‘you can say that again’ or ‘nice one’ or ‘you said it!’.

Example #3：A:Formal/B: Informal

A:ジョンソンさん、ご機嫌いかがですか？
じょんそんさん、ごきげんいかがですか？
Jonsonsan, gokigen ikaga desuka?
Mr. Johnson, how are you?

BUVUO

B:オレをレイと呼んでもええか
おれを　れいと　よんでも　ええか
ore wo rei to yondemo eeka
ｙｏｕ　ｃａｎ　ｃａｌｌ　ｍｅ　Ｒａｙ　ｏｒ　

QQOQ NK

ジェイと呼んでもええんだが、

じぇいと　よんでも　ええ　んだが、

jei to yondemo eendaga,

ｙｏｕ　ｃａｎ　ｃａｌｌ　ｍｅ　Ｊａｙ，

JTG YEME

ジョンソンと呼ぶのが必要ねぇっすよ。

じょんそんと　よぶのが　ひつよう　ねぇ　っすよ。

jonson to yobu no ga hitsuyou nee ssuyo.

ｂｕｔ　ｙｏｕ　ｄｏｅｓｎ’ｔ　ｈａｓ　ｔｏ　ｃａｌｌ　ｍｅ　Ｊｏｈｎｓｏｎ．

FF HG PEK

A:・・・これからそれをおっしゃるは御遠慮ください。
・・・これからそれをおっしゃるはごえんりょください。
・・・korekara sore wo ossharu wa goenryo kudasai.
・・・Please refrain from saying that from now on.

This may be the end of today’s Japanese Word of the Weekday, but it does not have to be the end of your daily learning! You can have a look at previous Word of the Week articles for even more Japanese vocabulary. You can be sure that you are caught up with the latest by visiting ieindigoeast.com, and clicking the sidebar link labelled 今週の単語 | Word of the Week, or go to ieindigoeast.com/kikiandkokoletsnihongo and scroll down until you see the blue screen of QUIZBO™ (that is me) on the Word of the Week banner, and you can access the archives.

Be sure to subscribe to our Electronic Mailing List of Tomorrow, today, using the form at the bottom of the web page so you can be the first to see the latest from Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!!, Indigo East, and SpeRaToBo. And, be sure to return to previous articles and lessons to review/revise as learning takes more than one look. Also consider following our new page on Twitter and Instagram to support the spread of this site in a friendly domination of Earth that will help more people. Or, if you are enjoying the content that we are creating, or want to spread this content to more people to be able to access it for free, you can join our patreon, patreon.com/ieindigoeast or you can leave a TIP in the TIP♡JAR to keep it going with no strings attached. If you cannot support in this way, then we are just super happy that you are here anyway! It supports the content when you participate, and it is appreciated!

Thank you so much for learning with us!

♡QUIZBO™

Follow SpeRaToBo || ieindigoeast on WordPress.com