keigoLesson 13

Describing Your Strengths — Department manager

Situation

Where
A job interview
Who
You and the department manager
Goal
To describe a strength with a concrete example.

Conversation

Show

A

What do you think your strengths are?

B

It's that I can solve problems tenaciously.

A

Do you have a specific example?

B

Once, I spent a week identifying and fixing a bug with an unknown cause.

Vocabulary (10)

gojishin

yourself (polite)

Polite "you/yourself."

tsuyomi

strength

Opposite: 弱み (weakness).

nebarizuyoi

tenacious / persistent

A strong, valued trait to claim.

kaiketsu

resolving / solving

問題を解決する = "to solve a problem."

fuguai

defect / malfunction

Common word for a bug or fault.

tokutei

identifying / pinpointing

原因を特定する = "to identify the cause."

yoroshikuonegaishimasu

thank you in advance

Closes most requests and emails; sets a cooperative tone.

kakunin

confirmation / check

Daily-use word: ご確認お願いします means "please check."

shouchishimashita

understood (polite)

Politer than 分かりました; use with managers and clients.

houkoku

report

Part of 報連相 (report, contact, consult) — core Japanese work etiquette.

Grammar

Plain form + ところ

Names a trait/aspect: 解決できるところ = "the part where I can solve."

Time + かけて

Over (a span): 一週間かけて = "over a week."

Verb stem + し

Lists actions formally: 特定し、解決しました.

Cultural Notes

Workplace etiquette

Back every strength with a concrete example (具体的な例). Claims without evidence sound empty.

Common mistake

Don't list five strengths. Pick one and prove it with a story.

Formality level

Full keigo. ご自身 and です/ます throughout.

Quiz

What does "ご自身" mean?

What does "強み" mean?

What does "粘り強い" mean?

What does "解決" mean?

What does "不具合" mean?

What does "特定" mean?

How is the pattern "〜ところ" used?

How is the pattern "〜かけて" used?

How is the pattern "〜し、〜" used?

What is the goal of this conversation?

Flashcards

Turn this lesson into flashcards

Save all 10 vocabulary items to your deck and review them later with spaced repetition.