About cutting the sentences short


I've been told during my Japanese classes, and I've also observed in anime and
Japanese dramas & movies, that sometimes when talking Japanese people tend to
stop halfway and omit the end of sentence especially when the sentence has
some negative connotation (e.g refusal etc). For example:

> 鈴木: これをもっと安くしませんかねえ。  
>  田中: それはちょっと。。
>
> Suzuki: kore wo motto yasuku shimasen ka nee.  
>  Tanaka: sore ha chotto ..

Another example:

> 鈴木: ブラウンさんの日本語はなかなか上手ですねえ。  
>  ブラウン: いや、私はまだまだ。。
>
> Suzuki: buraun-san no nihongo ha naka naka jouzu desu nee.  
>  Brown: iya, watashi ha mada mada ..

So is there a cultural reason for this behavior? What is term for it? And how
should non-Japanese interpret or react if our questions or invitations are
replied with such responses?

Meta note: I notice myself that the last question is a bit subjective. Should
we or should we not allow this kind of subjective questions in Japanese SE?




Omission of syntax to allow the user to infer meaning (for politeness or
whatever reason) is one of the many characteristics of Japanese. What remains
unsaid is often stronger than what is actually said. The Japanese abhor
"spelling things out" for you, because it is not "harmonious" and puts them in
a position of having to be direct. If you've read こころ by 夏目漱石, you may recall
a passage where the narrator feels revulsion for a Westerner he met, in part
because the man does not understand the Japanese feeling that what can be said
in a look may be vulgar to put into words, etc




Omission of syntax to allow the user to infer meaning (for politeness or
whatever reason) is one of the many characteristics of Japanese. What remains
unsaid is often stronger than what is actually said. The Japanese abhor
"spelling things out" for you, because it is not "harmonious" and puts them in
a position of having to be direct. If you've read こころ by 夏目漱石, you may recall
a passage where the narrator feels revulsion for a Westerner he met, in part
because the man does not understand the Japanese feeling that what can be said
in a look may be vulgar to put into words, etc

