Gohoushi Sasete Itadakimasu ~!!!

(Originally posted on Wednesday, 26 March 2008)
Preface to the Repopulation Edition:

• This is one of my favourite posts posted in the old webhost, in which Mr. Preston Toh, Esq. also gave his input in the comments box during that time, which I include here too, as part of this repopulated post, in-line.

• Apart from that, before that, the old blog did not have capability to display Japanese characters in the comment box... which we found out in a WTF! moment. Ah yes... that was the era when Joomla plugins were plentiful, but immature X3

Now on with the post!

---

gohoushi sasete itadakimasu

"Please let me receive the favour of serving you"

This brings back fond memories of the anime Hanaukyo Maids :) ... and is also the main theme of the opening song. Yes folks, it's that kind of story where all the girls gravitate towards one insignificant guy ... who happens to be allergic to girls.

 

Lots of maid uniforms and gratituous subservience ~!

 

Here's the opening theme -

Today's Lesson:

 

• itadaku is the polite form of morau
• itadakimasu = moraimasu = 'to receive'

It is most frequently heard being said before starting a meal.

 

• ...sasete = 'please let me' / 'please allow me to ... '
• E.g. yasumasete - please allow me to ...take a holiday.
  
• ...sasete morau = 'to ask very politely for permission'
• ...sasete itadakimasu

Example:

• I have been allowed to take three days off work by the section chief.

kachou ni mikkakan shigoto wo yasumasete itadakimashita.

• 課長に 三日間 仕事 を 休ませて 頂きました。

section chief (from) three days work (wo) rest(allowed) (received).

Gohoushi... gohoushi ~     ^__^



And the following is the discussion thread:

Preston   - Finally.           |218.111.152.xxx  |2008-05-28 19:25:08

Hi hi, finally track down your Gohousi article. Via ur explanation, can't fully catch the usage of "sasete". Yesterday was the last day of my intermediary class and i finally understood, it is a ji e ki kei form!! From the Youtube click, "sa...sa...sa...sete" very catchy songs indeed.

ultrabeast   - Gohoushi... gohoushi...              |2008-05-28 22:29:57

hhmm, your comment made me look up the true meaning of that phrase again.

Quote:

芳志させていただきます

芳志 【ほうし】 (n) (your) kindness

させて頂く 【させていただく】 (exp,v5k) (hum) to have the privilege of doing


More literally, it seems like
"Please let me receive your kindness".

Which is a bit odd in *this* anime's context, as the speaker is the one who is eager to do the 'serving'... but still says it as: "Please let me receive your kindness"... that is, your kindness of letting me serve you. Go figure. ^^

In other words, she is saying "Please let me receive your kindness... (of allowing me extend(actually,force) my kindness (サービス) on you)" ... XD

ultrabeast   - ブログコメント              |2008-05-28 22:42:42

Kono BUROGU ni Nihongo de コメント koto ima wa dekimasu! [/size]

カキコ(P); かきこ (n) (See 書き込み) (abbr) (sl) post (to a BBS); comment (on a blog); (P)

書き込み(P); 書込み 【かきこみ】 (n,vs) writing; entry (e.g. to a form); posting; (P)



[size=large]その他 :

ブログコメント (n) blog comment

ブログ; ヴログ (n) blog; weblog

ウェブログ (n) (See ブログ) weblog; blog; (P)

その他(P); その外(P); 其の他 【そのほか(P); そのた】 (n-adv,conj) (そのた is more the written form) etc.; otherwise; besides; in addition; the rest; the others; and so forth; (P)

(reminiscence of the background of this comment: This was previously because the blog's comment box was not set by default to encode characters in UTF-8... thus resulting in Japanese characters being displayed as: ????????? :D )


Preston   - Finally           |2008-06-12 21:06:16

Terribly sorry for the late reply due to self-initiate confusion - as always :p.

させます。
Force on something. In this case, "force" to do something.

させて　下さい。
Please let me do rather than "force" as the ”て” form is used.

させて　頂きます。
Please let me do, however is used on upper level people i.e. 部長、課長、差長、お客様　なら。

Did I answer your question? thank you :) .

ultrabeast   - Thanks for the info - Japanese Language           |2008-06-13 09:11:38

Hi Preston,

Many thanks for the info. I glanced through at it once, will have to look at it again to properly digest it

Cheers!

Which, I might add, to his credit, his input was most informative... Cheers! :D