Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site h-sc1.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!h-sc1!breuel
From: breuel@h-sc1.UUCP (thomas breuel)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: please repeat that
Message-ID: <852@h-sc1.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 31-Dec-85 10:26:42 EST
Article-I.D.: h-sc1.852
Posted: Tue Dec 31 10:26:42 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 1-Jan-86 05:11:18 EST
References: <1809@uwmacc.UUCP>
Organization: Harvard Univ. Science Center
Lines: 26

> question ("kudasaimasen-ka").  Of course, asking things politely in
> Japanese is complicated by the fact that one answers logically.
> 
> So "O-cha wa nomimasenka" (Won't you drink some tea) is answered
> 	"Iie, nomimasu" (No, I will drink)
> or      "Hai, nomimasen" (Yes, I won't drink).

For polite questions this is, I believe, not true. See the following
quote, which agrees with what we have been taught in class:

	"As shown in example (2) above, 'iie' used as a response to a
	negative question usually corresponds to 'yes'. Thre are
	some cases, however, where 'iie' used as a response to a negative
	question corresponds to English 'no'.
		(3) A: Genki-soo ni natta ja arimasen ka.
		       You are looking much better, aren't you.
		    B: Iie, mada dame na n desu.
		       No, I'm not well yet.
	The above question, though negative in form, is actually
	affirmative in spirit. What the question really means is
	'You're looking much better, and that's great!' Speaker
	'B' therefore says 'iie' to show disagreement."
	[Quoted from 'Japanese Words and Their Uses', by Akira Miura]


						Thomas.