Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hello and welcome to this Bizmates words and phrases video series for Japanese businesspeople.
And today's phrase is I'm just playing devil's advocate.
Wow, this is a difficult one. Yes, but actually the meaning is not so difficult.
OK, but we will learn this today. OK, so first let's do a little test.
So tell me what still needs a bit of tweaking? Remember we learned tweaking?
Well tell me, what needs a bit of tweaking? An email you've written, a report, a project, a product?
What needs a bit of tweaking?
OK, so let's go on to today's phrase, I'm just playing devil's advocate.
The devil, OK, it doesn't sound too good. An advocate is like someone who supports.
So, I'm supporting the devil. What does this mean?
Supporting the devil? OK, well let's see.
Well imagine Taro is my boss or my colleague, OK, and then I make a proposal or something.
And he's asking me all these difficult questions. Taro is asking well what about this, well what about this?
And I'm getting a little bit frustrated, a little angry. And I say, Taro, why are you asking me such difficult questions?
OK, why are you picking on me? Why are you asking these difficult questions?
And he says, yeah... Hika, I'm challenging you so you can make good logic.
You're challenging me so I can make good logic. So you're purposely asking me all these difficult question,
so I can create good logical answers when I meet my customer. OK, OK, so he's helping me, I get it.
But if he says this, it's kind of difficult to understand. Yeah, OK.
But I... I think it's important to ask challenging questions to help the other person,
but there's a better way of saying this. OK and it's like this.
So if Taro's asking me all these difficult questions and I'm getting fed up. I'm frustrated.
And I say, why are you asking me such difficult questions? And he says, Hika I'm just playing devil's advocate.
OK, so you're helping me so that I can come up or create my logic better. I see, thank you.
So, if you could say this phrase, the other person would see it as really positive thing.
OK, you're helping me. Yeah, it's great. It's used in meetings a lot.
You know, you have someone that has an idea and everyone is saying it's a great idea,
and one person asks difficult questions and he says, hey... don't get angry, I'm just playing devil's advocate.
And everyone will say, Oh... OK, yeah. Of course, of course, please help us.
OK, all right, let's look at pronunciation. I'm jus playin devil's advocate.
OK, and it's not just playing g... But it's I'm jus playing devil'sadvocate, devil'sadvocate.
OK, you try.
Good, OK. Let's try it with the question. So why are you asking me such difficult questions?
OK, did you get that ? If you could use that, it's great.
OK, so for homework next time I'm gonna say, why are you asking me such difficult questions?
And you just say, Hika, I'm just playing devil's advocate. OK, So I'll see you in the next video lesson. Thank you.