Friendly to Senior
Care · Conversation
若い頃、よく読まれていた本や作家さんはいらっしゃいましたか？ — Were there books or authors you used to read often when you were young? (Care · Conversation, Friendly to Senior, JLPT N4)
You
若い頃、よく読まれていた本や作家さんはいらっしゃいましたか？
わかいころ、よくよまれていたほんやさっかさんはいらっしゃいましたか？
Were there books or authors you used to read often when you were young?
Romaji: Wakai koro, yoku yomarete ita hon ya sakka-san wa irasshaimashita ka? / Reply Romaji: Aa, ne. Souseki to ka Tanizaki, Kawabata… yoku yondeta nee.
Reply
ああ、ね。漱石とか谷崎、川端…よく読んでたねえ。
ああ、ね。そうせきとかたにざき、かわばた…よくよんでたねえ。
Ah, yes. Soseki, Tanizaki, Kawabata… I read them often.
Gesture & etiquette
Calm receptive expression. Lean in slightly with interest. If they mention an author you know, share a brief honest comment ('watakushi mo ichido yonda koto ga arimasu' = I've read them once); if unknown, ask sincerely ('donna ohanashi desu ka?' = what's the story about?). Cultural transmission across generations.
Literary memories often reveal a senior's intellectual life and the era of their formation. Asking about youthful reading opens conversation about classic Japanese authors (Soseki, Tanizaki, Mishima, Kawabata) and the personal meaning their works held. 'Yomarete ita' uses the honorific passive — respectful for the act of reading. Be ready for long, thoughtful responses if reading was central to their life.