So, you folks with mad skillz in the 日本語, what are typical Japanese answering machine messages like? That is, "Hello, this is the so-and-so residence, we're not home right now, please leave a message at the beep... ", et cetera. If you have 'official' sentences/audio, I'd be much obliged... (Yes, I'm going to record my own Japanese message just for kicks...)

This should do for most situations including formal ones.

http://hisazin-up.dyndns.org/up/src/95859.mp3

ネスターです。　ただいまでんわにでることができません。
はっしんおんのあとに　メッセージをおねがいします。

I've never used/owned a landline phone in Japan

Thanks masaman! Jarvik, I'm not surprised, you're just a gaijin. j/k, There's a reason I used 'voice mail' in the subject line.

Interesting - heard this a million times, but didn't catch the exact breakdown.

Is はっしんおん written like 発信音 - transmission sound or something, which I assume means beep/tone?

Jarvik7 Wrote:I've never used/owned a landline phone in Japan

I have, but I wasn't silly enough to attempt a Japanese message on its voice-mail.

In any case, mobile (cell) phones also have voice-mail. As you know.

You bet Nest0r! you might want to say いま電話にでられません instead if it's not for work. I almost bit my tongue :/

haplology Wrote:Is はっしんおん written like 発信音 - transmission sound or something, which I assume means beep/tone?

It's actually 発振音. 発振 is a technical term for oscillation in electrical engineering(I think), and I guess beep is produced by electrical oscillators, hence the name.

onafarm Wrote:

Jarvik7 Wrote:I've never used/owned a landline phone in Japan

I have, but I wasn't silly enough to attempt a Japanese message on its voice-mail.

In any case, mobile (cell) phones also have voice-mail. As you know.

Yeah, I only ever got one on my keitai though. Everyone just used mail.

When I went back to Japan last year, I didn't have a cell phone and my friends treated me like a second class human being. "WHAT? you don't have 携帯？ You don't have メアド？ How the hell can I contact you? Landline? you must be kidding right??"

They're crazy...

haplology Wrote:Is はっしんおん written like 発信音 - transmission sound or something, which I assume means beep/tone?

Normally voice mail messages just say "ビー" or a variation. I don't think はっしんおん is too common.

yea, maybe I wouldn't say 発振音 if it's my own message. [マサです。今でれません。メッセージ入れといてください。(beep)] for friends, and, [はい、xxx会社、マサです。申し訳ありませんがただいま席を外しております。戻りしだいかけ直しますので、メッセージをお願いいたします。(beep)] or something like that for work. But 発振音 sounds much more professional than, say, ピーッと鳴ったら.

I think.....