19679
From my Japanese reading, I've learned the word 冷やかし, but only in a negative
context, connoting that the window-shopper is wasting the salesperson's time.
Might it also be used in a positive way? For example, if a shop assistant
offers me help, can I decline by saying, 「冷やかしをします」(or maybe 「冷やかしです」; IDK
which is better), or does it sound like I'm winding them up? If a friend asks
me what I did in town, is 「冷やかしをしていました」 a reasonable answer, or is it
tantamount to saying "I went and pulled faces at all the shopkeepers"?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-26T20:39:58.020
19673
2014-11-27T01:38:12.310
3625
question
nuances
Is 冷やかし positive/negative/neutral?
冷やかし is basically negative, and saying "(私は)冷やかしです" to a shop staff is rude.
In reverse, if a staff said "冷やかしですか" to you, he must be strongly irritated.

Saying "冷やかしでお店に入った" to your friend can be acceptable depending on the
situation, though. Some shops have signs like "冷やかし大歓迎" so that people can
enter the shop freely.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-27T01:38:12.310
19679
2014-11-27T01:38:12.310
5010
19673
answer