相槌

Japanese

Etymology

This entry lacks etymological information. If you are familiar with the origin of this term, please add it to the page as described here.

Noun

相槌 (hiragana あいづち, romaji aizuchi)

1. Customary signals made during a conversation to indicate comprehension or attentiveness.

Usage notes

相槌 refers to a custom in Japanese culture wherein it is considered polite and necessary to indicate while listening that you are in fact listening. This is usually done through terse comments (such as "I see"), affirmative grunts and other noises, and gesticulations, such as a slight nodding of the head. While it is common to do this in the U.S., it is not as clearly defined a custom. Thus, it is not generally considered impolite when a person doesn't make 相槌, and there no single word to describe it.

Derived terms

• 相槌を打つ (あいづちをうつ, aizuchi o utsu) to respond agreeably