木村：大学の前にできたレストラン行って見ましたか。
佐藤：ええ、一度だけね。
木村：どうでした？
佐藤：そうですね。味はまあまあですが、値段がちょっとね。
Maa-maa
Kimura: Daigaku no mae ni dekita resutoran itte mimashita ka.
Sato: Ee, ichido dake ne.
Kimura: Doo deshita?
Sato: Soo desu ne. Aji wa maa-maa desu ga, nedan ga chotto ne.
Kimura: Have you been to that restaurant that opened up in front of the college?
Sato: Yeah. Just once, though.
Kimura: How was it?
Sato: Yeah, well, the taste wasn't bad. The price though....
* * *
Maa-maa is an extremely common everyday expression. It's said Japanese are fond of ambiguous expres- sions. Maa-maa is a good example. Let's look at some of its uses.
1) Company employees are talking about the new division chief: "What do you think of him?" "Maa-maa ne (Not so bad)." Butwhat is it that's notso bad? It's not clear. If the listener is satisfied with the ambiguous answer the interpretation might be that they think the chief seems to be qualified for the job.
2) A friend asks you about a woman he's just introduced you to: "Do you like her?" "Soo da ne.
Garufurendo to shite wa maa-maa dakedo, tsuma ni wa ne... (Hmm, yeah as a girlfriend she wouldn't be so bad. But as a wife, well...)." If you were to express this feeling more directly, your friend would be hurt.
It's possible to avoid this by using maa-maa.
3) I have a friend whose hobby is oil painting. If she says about one of her new works, "Jibun de wa maa- maa ja nai ka toomotte imasu (I don't think it's too bad myself)," she is quite proud of it. I encourage her even more by saying, "Maa-maa nante, tondemonai (Not too bad! Come on. I think it's wonderful)." 4) "Mom, how are you?" "Is work going well?" "Did you pass the test?" "Were your negotiations with the client a success?" "How did the interview turn out? " To all of these questions the simple expression, "Maa-maa deshita" is an appropriate response. In the present tense use "...desu." If you're talking with a close friend, end with "...yo" (for women) or "da yo" (for men).
5) Here's one more: You're at a party and want to leave. Someone says "Maa-maa" and tries to get you to stay. This could be translated, "Come now." You've just finished a meal with someone and go to pay the bill. Your dining partner says, "Maa-maa, kyoo wa watashi ni harawasete kudasai (Come now. Let me pay today)." A division chief says to one of his section chiefs who has just chewed out a staff member: "Maa-maa, kono ba wa yurushite yatte kudasai (There, there, come now. Forgive her this time)." Learn to use this short expression. I'm sure you'll find it very useful.