JLPT N1 reference · Pragmatics and register
Indirectness and face
Indirectness protects social face by reducing explicit imposition or disagreement.
Core meaning and form
Use partial statements, negative questions, cushions, reasons, and listener-oriented forms to leave room for refusal or reinterpretation. The listener must still be able to recover the intended request; emergency and operational language should remain direct.
- Form: Use partial statements, negative questions, cushions, reasons, and listener-oriented forms to leave room for refusal or reinterpretation.
- Core use: Indirectness protects social face by reducing explicit imposition or disagreement.
- Context: The listener must still be able to recover the intended request; emergency and operational language should remain direct.
Examples in context
明日はちょっと予定がありまして…。Ashita wa chotto yotei ga arimashite...I have plans tomorrow, so…
窓を開けていただけないでしょうか。Mado o akete itadakenai deshō ka.Would it be possible for you to open the window?
その点は少し違うのではないかと思います。Sono ten wa sukoshi chigau no dewa nai ka to omoimasu.I think that point may be somewhat different.
Common errors
- Do not select this pattern from an English translation alone; check its attachment and discourse function.
- Keep the surrounding sentence in a consistent plain, polite, spoken, or written register.
Quick summary
- Use partial statements, negative questions, cushions, reasons, and listener-oriented forms to leave room for refusal or reinterpretation.
- Indirectness protects social face by reducing explicit imposition or disagreement.
- The listener must still be able to recover the intended request; emergency and operational language should remain direct.