Question
I’m working part-time at a supermarket. We usually have many customers crowding around the cooked food section during lunch and dinner time.
Now with the COVID-19 situation, crowding is strongly discouraged. My supervisor wants me to make an announcement in Japanese to advise customers to keep at least 2m apart from one another.
How do I say this in Japanese?
Answer by Professional Japanese Teacher
1. 周(まわ)りの人(ひと)と、できるだけ２メートルの距離(きょり)をとりましょう。
Mawari no hito to, dekirudake ni meetoru no kyori o torimashoo
Let’s keep a distance of 2 metres apart from others as far as possible.
2. 周(まわ)りのお客(きゃく)様(さま)と、2メートルの距離(きょり)をとっていただけますようお願(ねが)い申(もう)し上(あ)げます。
Mawari no okyakusama to, ni meetoru no kyori o totteitadakemasu yoo onegaimooshiagemasu
Please kindly keep a distance of 2 metres apart from other customers.
The first expression uses a soft tone to request people to keep the 2 metre distance from one another. The word “dekirudake” means “as far as possible”, thereby not making it sound compulsory.
The second expression is more formal and the ending part (~itadakemasu yoo onegaimooshiagemasu) is usually used when you are requesting customers to do something.
Since you would be addressing customers in an announcement, the second expression would be more suitable.
