'Aizuchi' - The Japanese art of grunting your way through conversations

Chances are, if you’ve ever had a conversation in Japanese – or even any other language – with a native Japanese person, you might have been slightly disconcerted by their constant interjections.

That’s because nodding along, saying things like “I see” ("naruhodo"), “Oh really?” ("so desu ka?") and just plain grunting is considered a polite way to indicate to a speaker that you’re following along in a conversation.

This technique is called “aizuchi” in Japanese and, sure, it seems common sense in any culture to occasionally give a nod of the head or look up from your riveting game of Candy Crush Saga to indicate you have at least a passing interest in what’s being said, but the Japanese really turn it into an art form.

We’ll let YouTuber and Japan resident Micaela give you a sample of what it sounds and feels like below and then give our thoughts on this uniquely Japanese phenomena.

Micaela is generally absolutely right in that "aizuchi" can seem a little annoying to foreigners who aren’t used to it, but in reality, it isn’t, strictly speaking, always used to show a listener you’re following along. Like in other cultures, depending on tone and body language, "aizuchi" can also be used to indicate you want the speaker to get to the point or just wrap it up with the whole talking thing.

So, when a Japanese person says, “aa, so,” he/she could be indicating that they’re interested in what you’re saying, but it could also be a polite way of telling you, “Hey, I’m sure whatever you’re saying is very interesting, but right now I’m a little more interested in this delicious meatball sub, so could you come back later?”

Micaela’s point about conversations in Japanese tending to revolve around the listener’s obsession with your foreignness is also something that longtime foreign Japan residents can probably identify with.

If you’re learning Japanese, getting used to both hearing "aizuchi" and using them yourself is a great and pretty easy way to make your Japanese sound more natural and cut down on misunderstandings.

Here are a few suggestions (along with rough translations, but you’re better off learning how to use them by mimicking those around you) for great borderline-grunting sounds you can use to customize your "aizuchi." Say them with an upward intonation to indicate intense interest, or in a flat monotone and with a blank, uninterested expression if you just want the speaker to shut up:

“Eeeeeeeeh!” (“Whaaaat?”/”No way!”)

“So nan da!” (“Oh, that’s right!”/”Right, I get it!”)

“Naruhodo ne” (“Ah, so that’s how it is.”/”Right, I see.”)

“Nnnnnnnn” (A deep and meaningful “I’m considering what you’re saying.”)

“Fuuuuuuun” (“I’m listening, and it’s intriguing!”)

“Un un un!” (“Right, right right!”)

We hope you find these useful, Japanese learners.

Source: Kotaro Blog

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