Repeated Sumimasen?

[ruthgrant016467]

Hi all,

I was just wondering, in this lesson Masoto says sumimasen before each individual query. I was thinking, in English, it would be typical to say excuse me once before the whole conversation - is it common practice in Japanese then to use sumimasen before each of several independent queries, even if they follow on one after the other?

Thanks...

[mmmason8967]

I don't know for sure. However, in British English that particular conversation would follow the same pattern, so I imagine the underlying ideas are similar.

In the UK it's fine to say 'Excuse me' and ask a question. It's also fine to ask follow-up questions for the purpose of verification or clarification, but it's not OK to follow up with other questions. If you do, it's like you don't want to let the other person go: they agreed to answer a question but they weren't expecting The Spanish Inquisition. So if you need to ask a further question, you have to try and make it clear that you know you're imposing on the other person and you have to be quite apologetic about it.

マイケル

[community.japanese]

ruthgrant016467-san, マイケルsan,
I'd say it's common in Japanese.
It's very interesting that the underlying ideas are similar in some countries!

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com