「Sorosoro」: The Native Speaker's Signal to 'Make a Move'

Have you ever been at a company party (飲み会) or a get-together with friends, having fun but it's time to go home to catch the last train? 🍻😅

You're awkwardly wondering how to stand up without abruptly interrupting everyone's conversation?

This is where the 'secret weapon' 「そろそろ」(sorosoro) comes into play! ✨

More than just 'Soon'

In textbooks, you learn that「そろそろ」means 'soon', 'gradually', 'it's about time'. But in real communication, it's more than that. It's an extremely important social signal.

Saying「そろそろ」is not just about announcing your 'imminent departure', but it's also a way to 'break the ice' for your leaving. It's like turning on your turn signal before changing lanes. 🚗💨

Why is it so effective?

When you say a sentence containing「そろそろ」, for example:

「あ、すみません、そろそろ時間なので…」 (Ah, excuse me, it's about time for me to go, so...)

You are implicitly doing two things at once:

1. Planting the idea: You 'plant' the idea in the minds of those around you that: "Ah, this person is about to leave".
2. Creating a transition: You give everyone and yourself a short period of time (maybe a few minutes) to finish the current conversation, mentally prepare for farewell, and find a suitable moment for you to stand up and say goodbye without anyone feeling awkward.

Compared to abruptly standing up and saying 「帰ります！」 (I'm leaving!) - which sounds very blunt and unsubtle 🙅‍♂️,「そろそろ」is a perfect buffer.

'Standard' uses in real life

• When you want to leave a party early (the polite way):

  「すみません、明日早いので、そろそろ失礼します。」 (Excuse me, I have to be up early tomorrow, so I'll be leaving soon.)

• With close friends:

  「じゃ、そろそろ帰るわ！」 (Well, I'm gonna head out soon!)

• In a meeting, when time is almost up:

  「そろそろ時間ですね。まとめに入りましょうか。」 (It's about time, isn't it? Shall we move on to the summary?)

Conclusion

「そろそろ」is not just a word for time, but a subtle communication tool to initiate an ending. It shows that you are an observant person who respects the general atmosphere.

Try using it, and you'll find that 'making a graceful exit' from social gatherings in Japan becomes much easier and more elegant! 😉