OldClassicGamer wrote:Wait so all the time when I was in Japan when I used word sayonara I was using it in wrong purpose? But I checked this old question before visiting Japan for first time.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 230AAei6BK
Person that majored in japanese literature answered it could mean I can see person tomorrow so I just got used to use word "sayonara"
I know there are other ways like saying "see you" - Soredewa mata, but always liked "sayonara" best. Are you sure I really used it in wrong purpose and that it is considered incorrect?
Well, it's not incorrect. You can say "farewell" to everyone too, and of course literally it would just mean that you wish them well, but it's extremely formal and since there are so many expressions that are more commonly used, "farewell" now just sounds like you won't be seeing someone for a while. I haven't majored in Japanese literature, but from what I've learned, "sayonara" is almost exactly the same - you can say it to anyone but it's very formal and people just use different expressions for simply saying "see you".
Wikitionary says the same thing. Most Japanese courses also note that "sayonara" sounds final, like these: (
1 |
2).
That person is literally the first I see on the whole internet who explicitly said that "sayonara" does not imply some kind of finality.
For saying "see you" (informal, don't use it in formal situations), I suggest "ja mata ne" (well, again, okay?) "mata ne" (again, okay?), "ja mata" (shortened) or "ja ne" (shortened a lot, I personally use this one because I'm lazy - but it's also probably the least formal form
)
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