Ethnography: Sumimasen すみません

 Ethnography:  Sumimasen すみません

For our homework today, we read a short illustrated book that demonstrated the different uses すみません depending on context. Some of the uses in the book were as follows:

• Expressing thanks if someone assisted you. ("Sorry for the trouble...")
• As an acknowledgement that you inconvenienced someone. ("So sorry!")
• A method to get someone's attention. ("Excuse me...")
• Conveying gratitude for a gift. ("You didn't have to do that!")

すみません was one of the first words I learned when I began my Japanese studies. I remember listening to the Japanese conversational recording and hearing "su-mi-ma-se-n", followed by the English translation: 'Sorry'. 

"Easy enough," I thought at the time. "That's one word down. I'm on my way!" 

Of course, language isn't so simple. (Sorry, すみません!  I underestimated you!) So much of what we say to one another isn't just in the words we employ, but their place in the context of what we are talking about (and how we use them!) It's very common for humans to say one thing and mean the complete opposite, or for words to carry additional meaning that would be lost to a casual listener.

Learning about the different uses of すみません made me think of the English word "Thanks". It too is very flexible! For instance...

It's a winter morning in February. You wake up in your dorm room bed. You're hungover. What day is it? Monday? What time is it? You slap your arm around, trying to find your phone. You should have never said yes when Phil suggested you get beers on a Sunday night. Thanks Phil. Locating your phone, you hold it up and see it is now 8:08 and you are late for your Graphic Design class. Shit!

You throw on a hoodie, but where are your pants? Screw it. Gym shorts are fine. It's not that far a walk to the B Building. Plus, it's been warm this winter...

You leave the dorm only to see a nasty blizzard is in full effect. Icy rain is slashing through the air. You're not prepared for this, but there's no time to go back. Thanks, universe, you think, pulling up your hood. You hurry down the stairs toward the nearest entrance to the main building, your hand shielding your face from the sleet. 

By the time you cross the pedestrian bridge, you're soaked. Approaching the crosswalk to the B Building, a fellow student notices you from the entrance and holds the door open. One problem: he was over-eager and you're still 20 yards away. Now you've got to do that awkward walk-jog thing so he's not standing there waiting while doing you a "favor". You splash over the pavement, and reaching the door you look up and say "Thanks."

That's when you notice it's the guy from your Writing class. The one from the group project who was obviously into you but couldn't stop talking about why Andrew Garfield's portrayal of Spiderman was underrated. What was his name again? Brayan? Brennan? Bray...don?

"Hey, no problem. Oh, listen, I was wondering if sometime you wanted to..."

"No thanks," you say, barely slowing down. You're pretty sure your legs have frostbite at this point.

You make it to your class, unprepared for whatever Professor Geiss has in store today, and more than a little soggy. You sit down next to your friend Phil, who gives you a once over.

"You look like drowned shit."

"Thanks a lot," you say.

"Figured you might need this," Phil says, sliding a coffee over to you.

You breath a grateful sigh. "Thanks man."