9497
Consider:

  * I am expected to use polite forms when speaking to someone socially above me. Let's take for example, a teacher.

If our relationship improves, and it becomes permissible for me to speak
casually to the teacher, then if I speak to that teacher in the presence of
another party. How should I behave?

**(Question)** Is the politeness determined by accountability to the person
I'm addressing, or is it accountable to external societal pressures?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-18T16:18:55.277
9493
2012-11-19T20:46:48.960
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
542
question
politeness pragmatics
Situational acceptability of politeness and/or honorific use
Basing on my experience it depends more by the context rather than the two
interlocutors and their relationship. I am going to tell you my experiences,
and what my teachers told me.

### At work

When I was at work I was the (saying it not badly) the very last one in the
hierarchy I would say. I worked in one of the 4 biggest research facilities of
one of the biggest Communication and Technology companies in Japan. There I
always addressed people in my group (superiors and sempai, but not necessary
older) using polite style (ます-form actually). They all used the ます-form.

Once I befriended another guy who was younger than me (another university
student). Like me he was having a traineeship over there. At the beginning we
started with ます, but then we became friends (more) and I was allowed to talk
with him using first names and plain style. But when we were together with our
team leader or supervisors, we used ます-form with each other. The same goes for
welcome parties and so on. At work, when we were alone, we used plain style.

My superiors always used ます-form with me. But when we went together drinking
and partying (something very important in work contexts in Japanese society),
they were sometimes quite straightforward with me, sometimes they used plain
style, but after the mood got really up and easy. Back to work, of course back
to ます-form.

### At work, sport activities and recreational activities

When I was together with my team colleagues (I was the youngest), we went
together for some trips and nice activities. We used plain style there. Back
during work, especially during meetings, we were all using ます-form. When we
went for some activity which involved our superiors, we addressed each other
using family names and ます-form. However some superiors were really nice people
and allowed us to be free to use plain style. They say that these people are
喋{しゃべ}りやすい or 話{はな}しやすい => Easy to talk with.

During that time I also used to practice sports. During those activities it
was me and many other people from my company and other companies nearby. All
together, while playing, we were really plain! No ます-form at all. So easy and
nice. Just straight to first names. Maybe at the beginning it was a little
hard, but after two times together they get used to you. Consider also that
using plain style is quite easy when there are 外人 (gaijin: foreigners).
Japanese people are encouraged to use plain style.

### Teachers

I addressed my teachers always by their family names. Knew their given names
only in the very last days of school ahah. Always using ます-form. I only used
plain form when practicing it! The teacher actually started saying: "ok, now I
am your friend... let's talk...".

## Conclusions

From my experience, conversation styles are driven by context, not just the
two interlocutors. You can be friend with someone and talk plain with him, but
if the contexts enlarges and embraces people higher in the hierarchy
(especially at work), then, no matter your relationship with that person, you
must change the language level and adapt it accordingly.

### Just one more last thing...

When it comes to politeness using 敬{けい}語{ご} and 尊{そん}敬{けい}語{ご} (honorific
languages), this is quite obvious to see for those who live in Japan. I mean,
consider コンビニ (Convenience stores). In those places, personnel are compelled
to use honorific language when speaking to guests (お客{きゃく}様{さま}). Many times I
was paying and the desk and it happened that the man in front of me said
something to his colleague. They were the same age and none was a supervisor
or something... just normal コンビニ people probably working there as a part time.
Often when talking to each other in front of me (one giving some advice or
similar) they used ます-form and sometimes the honorific language. Rarely I
heard them talk plain in fornt if me...

Hope I could be helpful...
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-18T19:30:13.103
9497
2012-11-19T20:46:48.960
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
12
9493
answer