After You

In Japan, it is often said that there is no honorific in English, but there is not much expression same as Japanese, there are many English in expressions to respect others.

Today is about English expression that I think is good.

When going in and out of the elevator and the door, say “after you”, it is told. This is an abbreviation of “I will go after you” meaning “please go ahead.” When I am told, I am trying to respond to “Thank you!” Smartly, and if I were overseas I could do it straightforwardly, but it is a little frustrating in Japan.

Because, the other day when I was on the elevator in Ginza. There was me in the vicinity of the operation button, another elderly woman who was a foreigner who seems to be a tourist was riding together. We arrived at the first floor, so I was thinking the woman to go first pushing the “open” button, but I was said “After you” just before arriving at 1F… I am by the operation button, I am younger, here is Japan, my heart of hospitality… there words were in my head, so I said “No no, after you” to her but she returned “After you” to me…

In the end I decided to go out early with a word. “I will pay here for you” at the checkout “No, I will pay” “Good, I am …”. it seemed to be a situation that we often see, I tried to end in one turn, but a bit of confused heart. I thought that it would be better to respond to obedience, but I thought it was quite difficult at such times. Still, the “Afte you” battle was a bit happy because there was a warm exchange.

Well another one. I think it relates to “After you”, when you explain something like “you and me, ○○, △△ …” in the conversation. Me definitely is to last in English such “○○, △△ and me”, “me” always puts in the last. I thought after studying this English expression it is beautiful that me places in the last even in Japanese. I think almost all of Japanese me places in the first. I was said so many times “Place me in the last!” by my English teachers…

There are many expressions respect both Japanese and English, so I would like to learn a lot from now on.