Downgrader in Japanese Command Situation

In speech act situation, a command is a speech with high face threatening act. Delivering a command is considered as a threat of freedom for addressee. This principal is related to a concept of command. The concept defines that a command is only uttered by addressers with higher power position. Another basic concept of command is the addressee must perform the activity concerning to the command. In several context of situation, command is also related to the ‘anger’ of addresser to addressee. This situation is commonly related to a command.

The form of command utterance in Japanese can be reflected from its lexicogrammatical unit. There are several forms of lexicogrammatical in Japanese command namely the form of imperative meirei kei, the form of ~nasai, the form of na, and the form of tamae (Makino & Tsutsui (1986), Lambers (2004), Yamaguchi (2007), Lee & Ogi (2017)). The usage indicates that the addressers have more power than adressee. At the same time, it is also common that addressers add some specific language features with the use of its lexicogrammatical. These features are called downgrader. Downgrader is specific language features that are used to soften the face threat of command. Jarkey (2017) said that one of ways to soften the face threat in command is by accompanying reasons or giving explanations to other speakers. This can be seen in the example of utterance (1) ashita wa hayai dakara sassato nero! (since tomorrow you have to wake up early, go sleep!). The command form in utterance (1) can be found in the form of verb meirei (naked imperative) nero (go sleep!). When it is spoken individually, the imperative form nero (go sleep!) has a strong imperative form. As a result, it also considers to create angry situation. However, the situation can be reduced by the addressers by giving reason in stating the command. The reason is reflected in the utterance of ashita wa hayai dakara (because tomorrow you have to wake up early). The use of downgrader can also be applied with additional of adverb like chotto (one moment). This adverb functions to have an excuse from other speakers. The adverb chotto is known as marker of hesitant.

Besides an adverb, downgrader in command can also show in the use of sentence final particle yo to ‘softened’ the command. In this situation, yo shows the feeling of addressers like hesitant, wonder, and other feelings. The utterance (2) is example of downgrader with adverb and sentence final particle yo. The utterance is chotto anta kowashita ori no shuuridai o harainasai yo! (pay the cost of cage fixing that you have broken!). In this utterance, the command lies in verb of nasai in hairanasai (pay!). The verb of nasai is polite imperative that is generally applied by a mother to her child or teacher to student. Meanwhile adverb chotto and sentence final particle yo are the speaker’s effort to create relation harmony with addressees. In this case, speaker always tries to be careful in telling addressee to take responsibility of their utterance’s attitude. ***

Note. This article based on research project entitled Kajian Leksikogramatikal dan Sosiopragmatik Tuturan Perintah Bahasa Jepang funded by DIPA PNBP Udayana University, in 2019 with research contract number: 1905/UN14.2.1/LT/2019, date: 23^rd April 2019.