# とんでもないです



## handlez

what's the meaning of とんでもないです? and what occasion could I use it?and how does it differ from ”恐縮です”


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## Arui Kashiwagi

"とんでもないです" is a conventional phrase often used by office workers, and it originally means like "Absolutely not".
When someone said thank you or apologized to you, you can answer with "とんでもないです" in the meaning of "*You're welcome*" or "*No problem*".

On the contrary, "恐縮です" is similar to "*Sorry to bother you*". It's a phrase used for when you want to ask someone (in the form of "恐縮ですが、..."), or to express your thanks/apology for someone's favor. An equivalent is "恐れ入ります".


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## yokaze

Example of とんでもないです:
A: あなたのおかげで無事にイベントが成功しました。
B: とんでもないです。みなさんのおかげです。

Example of 恐縮です:
A: お忙しいところ恐縮ですが、明日までにこの書類をご提出ください。
B: はい、わかりました。
or
teacher: あなたの論文を読みました。すばらしい内容でした。
student: 恐縮です。私はまだ未熟なので、これからも努力します。

The second example of 恐縮です is similar to とんでもないです. Their nuance is "It's too much admiration for me".


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## handlez

Arui Kashiwagi said:


> "とんでもないです" is a conventional phrase often used by office workers, and it originally means like "Absolutely not".
> When someone said thank you or apologized to you, you can answer with "とんでもないです" in the meaning of "*You're welcome*" or "*No problem*".
> 
> On the contrary, "恐縮です" is similar to "*Sorry to bother you*". It's a phrase used for when you want to ask someone (in the form of "恐縮ですが、..."), or to express your thanks/apology for someone's favor. An equivalent is "恐れ入ります".


 

Thank you!!


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## handlez

yokaze said:


> Example of とんでもないです:
> A: あなたのおかげで無事にイベントが成功しました。
> B: とんでもないです。みなさんのおかげです。
> 
> Example of 恐縮です:
> A: お忙しいところ恐縮ですが、明日までにこの書類をご提出ください。
> B: はい、わかりました。
> or
> teacher: あなたの論文を読みました。すばらしい内容でした。
> student: 恐縮です。私はまだ未熟なので、これからも努力します。
> 
> The second example of 恐縮です is similar to とんでもないです. Their nuance is "It's too much admiration for me".


 


I don't think i understand the first example of 恐縮です.Could you explicate more about the use of 恐縮です in the first situation?


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## Ilmen

Hello world. 
I have also seen this expression (とんでもない), but in a more colloquial situation. It seems to not match any of the case you have given, it's why I'll quote it here.
The context is: the speaker just waked the trainees up because they will be late to an important meeting. Here is the quote:
「いそげ！　しゅうごうに　おくれると　とんでもないことに　なるぞ！」

What this means exactly in such a context?
Thank you in advance.


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## yokaze

handlez said:


> I don't think i understand the first example of 恐縮です.Could you explicate more about the use of 恐縮です in the first situation?



The first situation of 恐縮です means like "Sorry to bother you" as Arui Kashiwagi wrote. "I guess you are busy, I'm sorry for bothering you, but please send me this document until tomorrow.".

another example:
・お疲れのところ恐縮ですが、さっそく会議を始めたいと思います。
I guess you are tired, I'm sorry for bothering you, but I'd like to start the conference now.

・暑い部屋で恐縮ですが、しばらくここでお待ちください。
This room is feverish, I'm sorry for paining you, but please stay here for a while.

Maybe my English sub is not perfect... but the nuance would be OK.


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## handlez

According to what you have said so far, I think it's close to "sorry for treating people in a not desirable way.It can be used for any saturation when the case refers to the subject brings trouble to someone. is that correct?


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## yokaze

That's almost right. It's handy phrase to treat someone. But they are not always in a undesirable way. The examples I noted above, if they are not so busy or tired, if that room is not so feverish, it's not a problem. Because it's a expression to show the spirit of 謙譲 (modesty).


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## Wishfull

"Not at all" is translated as とんでもないです.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but........" is translated as 恐縮ですが・・・・

I don't know the each component of とん で も ない.
Does anybody know about とん？


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## mikun

Hi,
「とんでもない」is a changed form of 「途方もない」, means unexpected, never thought or never should do.
It is used in several situations such as 'when someone showed unexpected great appreciation after small help', or 'when someone do evil things after receiving other peoples assistance'.
「恐縮する」 means 'my body is shrinking because I am afraid of making bothersome to upper persons by my personal matter', and used mainly to ask or to show gratitude something to upper position peoples.


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## Ilmen

So, about the sentence 「急げ！集合に遅れるととんでもないことになるぞ！」, "とんでもないことになる" means something like "you will get in trouble" or "it will be outrageous"?
What do you think about that?


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## mikun

Ilmen said:


> So, about the sentence 「急げ！集合に遅れるととんでもないことになるぞ！」, "とんでもないことになる" means something like "you will get in trouble" or "it will be outrageous"?
> What do you think about that?


 
Hi,
Yes, you are right.
If you are late to the group, some unexpected disaster will fall on you, for example 'cannot catch the bus and must remain here for more than 2hours', 'The producer will angry about you and you will never have a chance to get the job from him', 'The lunch box will be eaten up and you will miss 1 free lunch.


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## Ilmen

OK, thank you to have confirmed my thoughts. 
ご確認ありがとうございました。～♪


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## Aoyama

In fact *とんでもないです *(the original question) should be taken as having two kinds of meanings :
the first "set" would be "outrageous, unacceptable, ridiculous", a strong way to refuse, reject, criticize something (a proposition, a price, a condition)
the second "set" would be a _polite word_ to minimize one's position, role, action, as explained in #2 and #3
use of the same word will then be different, and the meaning will also be different.


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## avalucky

One note on とんでもないです:

I say that word a lot of times when I'm at work. When somebody says to me "I'm sorry I had to take your time to ask about this", I would say, "いえいえ、とんでもないです." (It's okay. Never mind.)

But there is a guy from the U.S. I work with, and he's been in Japan for a long time.
Hearing what I had said like that, he taught me this:
'Hey, you know what? とんでもないです is a wrong usage. It's supposed to be said "とんでもないことです", "とんでもないことでございます" or "とんでものうございます".

He was right but nobody says like "とんでもないことです", "とんでもないことでございます" or "とんでものうございます". 

Still, "とんでもないです" is the only and most popular expression, although it is not really correct.

You may want to refer to the Yahoo Japan's Q&A column on that:
http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1418696709


You could talk about this if there is a chance to speak with a Japanese fellow when he or she has said it. This should be impressive to the person (because they had never doubted the word was incorrect), which might involve even more Japanese guys around the spot. They love to talk about that sort of thing. You might be able to get closer to them.


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## xiaolijie

I think the following example is good for remembering one of the differences between the two words:
とんでもない時間に訪問して恐縮です : Sorry for turning up at this (inconvenient) time.


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