Kotoba no Hibiki

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眠ねむそうだな斉藤さいとう……

斉藤さいとう、斎藤さいとう、齊藤さいとう、齋藤さいとう・・・

うん　さっきまで当直とうちょくだったから

先さきほどまで当直とうちょくだったんですよ

今いましがた当直とうちょく明あけたところですよ

ついさっき当直とうちょくが終おわったところですよ

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Advanced Tips

According to this article, there are 85 patterns for writing さいとう. It’s amazing, isn’t it?
To be honest, I don’t know the most of them.
I think the four above are the most common.
It was said that the name came from the Saigu-Ryo of Ise Shrine.

In Japanese, there are roughly two ways to say that you have just finished something.
These are close to the English phrase ‘I just got off my shift’.

今いましがた当直とうちょく明あけたところですよ

ついさっき当直とうちょくが終おわったところですよ

And these can be translated literally into English as ‘I was on my shift until a moment ago’.

うん　さっきまで当直とうちょくだったから

先さきほどまで当直とうちょくだったんですよ