Max : 「マギーの家に行くけれども一緒に行く？　」

Maggie no ie ni iku keredomo issho ni iku?

I’m going to Maggie’s house. Do you wanna come with me?

Cookie : 「ちょっと遠慮しておくよ。」

Chotto enryo shite okuyo.

Well, I’d rather not.

皆さん、今日は！(Minasan konnichiwa! )

Hello, everyone!

Today I will teach you this word, enryo(suru). (→enryo is a noun. enryo suru is a verb.)

The original meaning is to behave with modesty, to be reserved or humble or to hesitate.

For example, when serving snacks or food to guests or offer a present to someone who is reluctant to receive, you can say:

♦「どうぞ、遠慮なさらずに。」Douzo, enryo nasarazu ni.（formal suru<nasaru)

♦「どうぞ、遠慮しないで下さい。」Douzo, enryo shinaide kudasai.

♦「遠慮しないで、どうぞ！」 Enryo shinaide douzo! （between friends)

meaning “Please help yourself ! “ “Please don’t hesitate! “”No need for formalities!”

♦「遠慮なくおたずねください。」 Enryo naku otazune kudasai . Please do not hesitate to ask. (formal)

♦「遠慮しないで何でも聞いて！」Enryo shinai de nandemo kiite. Please don’t hesitate to ask me anything. (casual)

If somebody offers you something, you take it saying,

♦「遠慮なく頂きます。」Enryo naku itadakimasu. Don’t mind if I do.

Meanwhile, if you see someone who is very blunt and says things or receives things without any reservation, you can describe this person by saying,

♦ あの人は遠慮がない(です）。Anohito wa enryo ga nai (desu).

Literally: “That person has no reservation.” Of course, we would never say that in English, but you might say, “He sure has a lot of nerve.” Or you might sarcastically say, “He sure is shy.”

Sometimes you say jokingly to this kind of people,

♦「ちょっと、遠慮したら！」 Chotto enryo shitara! Be more considerate to others!

Now, please take a look at the picture for today.

Someone asked Cookie if he wants to go visit Maggie and Cookie doesn’t want to go so he declined saying,

「ちょっと遠慮しておくよ。」Chotto enryo shite okuyo. (“okuyo” is usually for boys. Girls would say “okuwa”.

Formal Japanese is ”遠慮しておきます。” Enryo shite okimasu. This can be said both by women and men.)

It means “No thank you.” in a kind of roundabout way.

「ちょっと」(chotto) is “a little” but it is used when you don’t want to say things too cleary. It makes things sound softer.

ちょっと困ります。 chotto komarimasu. I am in trouble. or This is a problem.（Don’t trouble me.)

ちょっと出来ないです。 chotto dekinai desu. I can’t do that.

Cookieへ　：私は全く遠慮しないであんたの家にいつでも遊びに行くわよ！

Cookie e : watashi wa mattaku enryo shinai de annta no ie ni itsudemo asobi ni ikuwayo!

To Cookie : I will come over your house anytime without any hesitation!