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[+] 13 points 1 year ago (3 children)
  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago*

    a woman that decided when she lived in Japan that the more lower classl/colloquial form of Japanese was easier

    It's not that she decided it was easier, it's just a fact. For example:

    casual: taberu - [subj] eats. This is the form listed in the dictionary and can be used as is.
    basic polite: tabemasu. Used with strangers.
    humble: itadakimasu. Used to talk about your own eating when in conversation with a superior.
    honorific: meshiagarimasu. Used to refer to a superior eating.

    Basically the more polite something is the longer the verb form. One of the be-verbs goes from casual to polite as da --> desu --> degozaimasu

    I practiced most of my Japanese conversation skills by hanging out in bars so I know the struggle with using polite forms.

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