Dan-san,
"you know what to do"
That's what I liked
The Japanese version "subeki" is, yes, the verb "suru" - "ru" + "beki"
The word "beki" works like "should".
In English, this phrase is so cozy and handy, but I'm not sure how I can make it
in Japanese (as short as it is, and as direct as it is)...
The best "transcreation" I can think of is "nani o sureba ii ka wakatte imasu ne".
Of course, it's not a polite phrase.
Anyway, the most common message of voice mail would be:
- tadaima denwa ni deru koto ga dekimasen.
(I can't answer the phone right now.)
- hasshin on no ato ni messeeji o rokuon shite kudasai.
(Please record your message after the beep.)
- hasshin on no ato ni onamae, goyouken o ohanashi kudasai.
(Please leave your name and message after the beep.)
If it's a landline, instead of "denwa ni deru koto ga dekimasen", it can also be "rusu ni shite imasu",
which means you're not at home.
Now, since I'm a little evil joke lover (
), I'd like to offer funny version, like "you know what to do"
It's not the same meaning, but how about...
- tadaima denwa ni deraremasen. messeeji yoroshikuuuu~.
(I can't answer the phone right now. Thanks for leaving the message!)
- ima isogashii node, youken wa rusuden ni douzo.
(I'm busy now, so please go ahead to tell your message to the machine.)
If you're in Japan, people would expect the polite message on your voicemail, unless you're 100% sure that
there's no possible formal call from anyone and all the calls are from your close friends and/or family.
We use the polite message because we never know who'd call us; perhaps you'll receive a job offer from the company
you applied for, and you don't want to let them hear jokie rude message to HR people, right?
Those lines I suggested is very casual, but still not too rude or too blunt.
Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com