"Aye,aye,sir.

[hbrsvl]

Hi- A curiosity question. Did the IJN use the subject phrase as a response to orders?

I'm a Navy vet , have read extensively about WWII, especially in the Pacific and wonder how the IJN did this.

Anybody?

Thanks, Hugh Browne

[AcePylut]

When I watched the Yamato movie, all the recruits said was "hai" when given an order.

[Nikademus]

Aye Aye Sir would be considered Anglo slang so there'd be no equivilent in Japanese.

"Hai" is generally considered an acceptible way of saying yes, as long as it's done in proper context (like including the formalized bow to show respect)
Also in the way its inflected. It seems melodramatic to us but i'm sure "Aye Aye Sir" is just as paculiar sounding to Japanese.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Aye Aye Sir would be considered Anglo slang so there'd be no equivilent in Japanese.

Not true, at least in the USN. "Aye, aye" has legal meaning not imparted by "Yes." I'm 90% certain this has been confirmed in courts martial and is/was a key point pounded into us at OCS in 1980.

An order or command (those are not interchangable words either; they have different legal meaning) is given to someone under command of the order-giver. (By rank, by duty station, by watch, etc.) A response of "Yes, sir" means, legally, "I acknowledge hearing you. I can't deny I heard you. The words were not garbled. I am not asleep or unconscious."

However, a response of "aye aye, sir" means, legally "I have heard the order/command, I understand it, and I WILL COMPLY." IOW, I accept the "contract." I won't later argue that it was an illegal order, or that I didn't know or understand the time limits imposed by it, and I understand my authority limits vis a vis my duty to execute it, and in all respects the order-giver can move on to the next order of business. If any of the preceeding are not true it is incumbent on the order-recipient to NOT respond "aye aye, sir" but to say something along the lines of "I don't understand" or "Sir, I consider that to be an illegal order."

Movies and TV get this wrong all the time. They think "Aye aye, sir" just sounds so salty or something when in fact the words have legal meaning which could come up later and bite the person who responded with them but then did not understand and/or execute.

[Nikademus]

Salty would be "Arrrrr Matey....the Word be Given!"

[:)]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Salty would be "Arrrrr Matey....the Word be Given!"

[:)]

To my knowledge there is no courts martial precedent on that one. Maybe in the RN. [:)]

[sprior]

I never heard anyone say "aye, aye sir" in the RN. Not once, not never.

Mostly:

Are you sure sir? Okaaaay

Really sir? If you say so.

[Nikademus]

"There seems to be something wrong with our bloody servers today"

[Grfin Zeppelin]

Thats easy, obviously they say " Hai Hai Sama !!

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Aye Aye Sir would be considered Anglo slang so there'd be no equivilent in Japanese.

"Hai" is generally considered an acceptible way of saying yes, as long as it's done in proper context (like including the formalized bow to show respect)
Also in the way its inflected. It seems melodramatic to us but i'm sure "Aye Aye Sir" is just as paculiar sounding to Japanese.

I spent the last fourteen years working for a Japanese firm. They made it very clear that Hai does not mean yes. It means I understand you.

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: hbrsvl
Hi- A curiosity question. Did the IJN use the subject phrase as a response to orders?

I'm a Navy vet , have read extensively about WWII, especially in the Pacific and wonder how the IJN did this.

Anybody? Thanks, Hugh Browne

As some people have said, the Japanese used "Hai' as a response. It wasn't a word as much as a cough, it could be 'Hai', it could be 'Hoh'; anything close. The Japanese order response was in body posture. Much like a Regimental Seargent Major, who marches in, stamps to attention and hoists a salute that quivers for seconds above his brow, your Japanese private soldier or naval rating will come to attention, lower his eyes, bend his waist a few degrees, and bend his head a few more. When he answers 'Hoh', his entire body tenses momentarily in that posture.

If one is a high officer, or a recognized peer, one may omit the lowering of the eyes, and the bowing of the head, but if so, one must always maintain eye contact with the superior. Body language must conform to obligations.

That's how the Japanese manual puts it. Whoots gazoots. Ciao. John

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Aye Aye Sir would be considered Anglo slang so there'd be no equivilent in Japanese.

"Hai" is generally considered an acceptible way of saying yes, as long as it's done in proper context (like including the formalized bow to show respect)
Also in the way its inflected. It seems melodramatic to us but i'm sure "Aye Aye Sir" is just as paculiar sounding to Japanese.

I spent the last fourteen years working for a Japanese firm. They made it very clear that Hai does not mean yes. It means I understand you.

Hmmm, then what is Japanese for "yes"?

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: USS America
Hmmm, then what is Japanese for "yes"?

That would be 'hai'.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Aye Aye Sir would be considered Anglo slang so there'd be no equivilent in Japanese.

"Hai" is generally considered an acceptible way of saying yes, as long as it's done in proper context (like including the formalized bow to show respect)
Also in the way its inflected. It seems melodramatic to us but i'm sure "Aye Aye Sir" is just as paculiar sounding to Japanese.

I spent the last fourteen years working for a Japanese firm. They made it very clear that Hai does not mean yes. It means I understand you.

Is there a phrase that translates that means, "I understand you and will carry out your instructions [superior]"?

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: USS America

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Aye Aye Sir would be considered Anglo slang so there'd be no equivilent in Japanese.

"Hai" is generally considered an acceptible way of saying yes, as long as it's done in proper context (like including the formalized bow to show respect)
Also in the way its inflected. It seems melodramatic to us but i'm sure "Aye Aye Sir" is just as paculiar sounding to Japanese.

I spent the last fourteen years working for a Japanese firm. They made it very clear that Hai does not mean yes. It means I understand you.

Hmmm, then what is Japanese for "yes"?

[:D] LOL
I can't say I ever heard it. The closest I ever got was " I think so" (So dis ney). You never heard "no" either. What you got was a tilted head, an intake of breath through clenched teeth and the statement " Very difficult I think".

The only word I got used to hearing was Qu Kay. Break time.

[Disco Duck]

Just a funny story about working with a bunch of Japanese.
We were always getting Japanese engineers coming over for work or training. We were constantly getting e-mails saying "Please welcome Kawasaki-san from the Osaka factory. He is an excellent engineer." yada yada yada. Well one day the sender got in a hurry, mistyped excellent and was betrayed by the spell checker. It came out excrement engineer. A few minutes after the first email we got this hugely apologetic e-mail correcting what was said. The Americans though the whole thing was funny. The Japanese did not.[:D]

[AW1Steve]

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck

ORIGINAL: USS America

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck



I spent the last fourteen years working for a Japanese firm. They made it very clear that Hai does not mean yes. It means I understand you.

Hmmm, then what is Japanese for "yes"?

[:D] LOL
I can't say I ever heard it. The closest I ever got was " I think so" (So dis ney). You never heard "no" either. What you got was a tilted head, an intake of breath through clenched teeth and the statement " Very difficult I think".

The only word I got used to hearing was Qu Kay. Break time.

I was always taught that when the Japanese suck their breath in through their teeth and say "it is very difficult" you could always translate that to "No way in hell you dog-breathed Gajin(barbarian) bastard!". [:D]

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Aye Aye Sir would be considered Anglo slang so there'd be no equivilent in Japanese.

"Hai" is generally considered an acceptible way of saying yes, as long as it's done in proper context (like including the formalized bow to show respect)
Also in the way its inflected. It seems melodramatic to us but i'm sure "Aye Aye Sir" is just as paculiar sounding to Japanese.

I spent the last fourteen years working for a Japanese firm. They made it very clear that Hai does not mean yes. It means I understand you.

Is there a phrase that translates that means, "I understand you and will carry out your instructions [superior]"?

"So it shall be said .. so it shall be done .." [:D]

[hbrsvl]

To all responders- Wow!! What a response. Thanks to all. It is responses like this that are the very soul of our forum.

Again, thanks to all and thanks for giving me insights I didn't have. HB

[jmalter]

from my reading of Western language, the Italian "sisignore" & the German "jawohl" are equivalent to the American "Aye Aye, Sir!" - meaning, "I understand & will obey!"

so it's interesting that the Japanese language doesn't seem to include a similar phrase. as a Western guy, i thought of Japanese society as it evolved into the 40's as being excessively compliant & obedient. but as i've read more about WWII history, there are lots of examples where low-rank Japanese officers altered national policy, ignored orders from higher command, & steered action to suit themselves.

perhaps it was partly due to the fact that their language didn't have an exact equivalent to 'Yes, Sir!'