＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・読み方を間違えやすい漢字や、尊敬語などの言葉遣いを誤って覚えている人の話
Previously, I shared an interesting story about the difficulty of pointing out someone’s mistakes. This time, let’s talk about people who misunderstand the pronunciation and usage of words. It’s quite difficult for others to correct this, especially since the person themselves believes they are correct.
When I was a child, I mistook the word “yakuzaishi” (pharmacist)（「やくざいし：薬剤師」） for “yakuza (doctor)（「ヤクザ（な）医師」）.” I also mistook “isharyō” (compensation)（「いしゃりょう：慰謝料」） for “doctor’s fee.（「医者（に払う）料（費用）」）”
Now, let me share some interesting examples I’ve seen and heard.
1. Female Office Worker
When I called the president of a certain company, the female office worker who answered the phone said, “The president is currently out of the office（「社長さんは、ただ今外出しておられます」）.” It’s strange to use honorifics（「尊敬語」） when referring to someone within the company, isn’t it?
I think the more normal way to say it would be something like, “I’m sorry, the president is currently out of the office. Shall I have him call you back later?”
2. Kanji that are easily misread:
Examples of kanji that are easily misread:
(Examples of kanji that are easily misread: 非力、依存、続柄、瑕疵、数多、御用達、間髪、年俸、貼付、完遂、相殺、一段落、大舞台、早急、舌鼓、脆弱、漸次、暫時、重複、乳離れ、他人事、諸刃の剣、凡例、河川敷、一日の長、押印、古文書、出生率、順風満帆、記す、出納、未曾有、遊説、代替、踏襲、詐取、侃々諤々、喧々囂々、云々、・・・
)
Here are some specific examples of kanji that are easily misread.
These are: “hiriki,” “ison,” “tsuzukigara,” “kashi,” “amata,” “goyoutashi,” “kanhatsu,” “nenpou,” “choufu,” “kansui,” “sousai,” “ichidanraku,” “oobutai,” “sakkyuu,” “shitatsuzumi,” “zeijaku,” “zenji,” “zanji,” “choufuku,” “chibanare,” “hitogoto,” “morohanotsurugi,” “hanrei,” “kasenshiki,” “ichijitsu no chou,” “ouin,” “komonjo,” “shusshouritsu,” “junpuumanpan,” “shirusu,” “suitou,” “mizou,” “yuuzei,” “daitai,” “toushuu,” “sashu,” “kankangakugaku,” “kenkengougou,” and “unnun.”
「ひりき」「いそん」「つづきがら」「かし」「あまた」「ごようたし」「かんはつ」「ねんぽう」「ちょうふ」「かんすい」「そうさい」「いちだんらく」「おおぶたい」「さっきゅう」「したつづみ」「ぜいじゃく」「ぜんじ」「ざんじ」「ちょうふく」「ちばなれ」「ひとごと」「もろはのつるぎ」「はんれい」「かせんしき」「いちじつのちょう」「おういん」「こもんじょ」「しゅっしょうりつ」「じゅんぷうまんぱん」「しるす」「すいとう」「みぞう」「ゆうぜい」「だいたい」「とうしゅう」「さしゅ」「かんかんがくがく」「けんけんごうごう」「うんぬん」
You may have memorized some of these words with the wrong pronunciation. When you memorize words with the wrong pronunciation like this, you’re unlikely to be corrected by others, so you might not even realize your mistake. I hope this is helpful.
Many people pronounce “間髪を入れず” (kanhatsu o irezu) as “kanpatsu,” confusing it with “間一髪” (kan ippatsu). Even Prime Minister Abe used the phrase “kanpatsu o irezu” (without hesitation) in his parliamentary response regarding the COVID-19 response in March 2020.
Similarly, some people pronounce “貼付” (choufu) as “tenpu,” confusing it with “添付” (tenpu).
Many people also make the mistake of saying “kenken gakugaku no giron（「けんけんがくがくの議論」）” (a heated debate) due to confusion between “kankan gakugaku（「侃々諤々（かんかんがくがく）」）” (a heated and tumultuous debate) and “kenken gougou（「喧々囂々（けんけんごうごう）」）” (a heated and boisterous debate).
3. Misreadings by Diet members and ministers
My father told me that shortly after the war, there were Diet members who misread “「追加更正予算」” (tsuika kousei yosan) as “tsuika saramasa yosan” (a sudden, sharp reassessment of the budget) and “毛沢東” (Mao Zedong) as “kezawa higashi” .
Finance Minister Taro Aso is also famous for frequently misreading kanji. I understand that you like manga, as it’s “Japan’s world-renowned anime culture,” but I’m a little concerned that you don’t know nearly enough kanji.
4. Ms. Sakie Yokota
Ms. Sakie Yokota is the mother of Megumi Yokota, a victim of abduction by North Korea. It’s a little concerning that she sometimes refers to her daughter as “Megumi-chan（「めぐみちゃん」）” instead of “Megumi（「めぐみ」）” at press conferences.
Sometimes, when a contestant on a variety show is asked “What’s your name?（「お名前は？」）” by the host, they might instinctively answer using honorific language（「尊敬語」）, saying “My name is XX.（「お名前は〇〇です」）” This is due to nervousness, and such mistakes should be laughed off.
In any case, it’s best for someone of higher status or a family member to correct someone who has misunderstood kanji readings or incorrect vocabulary. If a peer or subordinate gives a blunt correction, it could hurt the other person’s pride or lead to resentment, such as “Don’t act all high and mighty just because you know a few kanji.” In the case of a superior, it could even affect their performance review.
Humans are “emotional creatures,” so while it may be “logical” to expect gratitude when someone points out a mistake, it will undoubtedly leave a lingering resentment. Please be very careful when pointing out mistakes.