A note on Japanese understatement

Yesterday morning, we had a presentation from one of our Japanese hosts on some of the peculiarities of Japanese culture. Specifically, he talked about the Japanese tendency to understate just about everything. If someone compliments you, it is rude to accept the compliment without downplaying it. For example: "You are very good at tennis" should be responded to with "No, I am actually quite clumsy".

Things get a little dicier when you start talking about more personal matters. Do you have a beautiful wife? If so, you'd better start referring to her as dumb and ugly, lest you appear arrogant. In fact, one of the standard Japanese appelations for one's wife is "gu sai", which literally translates to "stupid wife". Likewise, one's son is their "stupid son". Do you have a couple of kids? They are your "pig children".

This may all seem a bit one-sided in favour of the husband, but there is some balance. One of the phrases used to denote a woman's husband when he is not around literally translates to "the bloodsucker who lives in my house".