Ah, Otsukaresama. Possibly the most anticipated, highly decorated, flattering compliment you have ever heard—in Japanese at least. Say it with me: “Otsukaresama.” To say the least, Americans are stubborn and this compliment would only provoke an angering emotion in English. Imagine yourself as a construction worker. No, no, not the guy who risks his life climbing towers and pounds in bolts to steady high-risers. You’re not him. You’re the guy who stands with a SLOW sign while your fellow friends slave away at breaking up concrete. Yep, you are THAT guy! You watch to make sure old grannies pass safely as you proudly and craftily hold that sign. Had it not been for you, all hell and chaos would unleash itself…right? Then, after feeling like you are the scum of the world (around noon-ish), you see a beat-up vehicle of teenagers who “slowly” pass by and shout, “You’re a hard worker (otsukaresama)!”
What is your initial response?
Murderous intentions? Anger? Hate? Well, all are possibilities.
And for that precise reason, “Otsukaresama” won’t work in English. We live in a world where one can’t distinguish sarcasm and compliment. Had you been in Japan, holding that SLOW sign, protecting innocent children as they crossed the sidewalk only meters away, “Otsukaresama” would be music to your ears. Had you seen an old-man, pushing a cart of apples in the local grocery mart and called him an “otsukaresama,” he would bow his head in acknowledgement and reply, “Doomo (thanks). I know I am. I AM an Otsukaresama.”
So there you have it. Otsukaresama. You ARE a hard worker.
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