Lesson Dialogues
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MP3 version is Situation 1: A teacher and a student are studying.
先生：わかる？この問題。
生徒：わかんない。
先生：えーと、これは？
生徒：わかんない。
先生：あー、わかる問題ある？
生徒：ほとんどない。
先生：ない？それは大変だ…。
先生(せんせい)：わかる？この問題(もんだい)。
生徒(せいと)：わかんない。
先生(せんせい)：えーと、これは？
生徒(せいと)：わかんない。
先生(せんせい)：あー、わかる問題(もんだい)ある？
生徒(せいと)：ほとんどない。
先生(せんせい)：ない？それは大変(たいへん)だ…。
Teacher: Do you understand this question?
Student: Nope.
Teacher: Hmm, what about this one?
Student: Nope.
Teacher: Ahh, are there any that you do understand?
Student: Almost none.
Teacher: None? That is a problem…
わかる to understand; to see
この this
問題 もんだい problem; question
ない not; nonexistent; not being (there)
わかんない a colloquial form of わからない=わかる＋ない; not to understand
えーと well; let me see
これ this
は TOPIC
あー er; uh; um; hmm; ah; oh
ある to be (existence); to have (possession); to happen; to occur (used for objects)
ほとんど almost; nearly; mostly
それ that
大変 たいへん serious; terrible; hard; difficult
だ COPULA; be; is
Situation 2: Emi seems to want to visit Yuka's house.
エミ：ユウカの家行きたい！
ユウカ：いいよ。すぐそこ。
エミ：どこ？
ユウカ：あー、ここ。
エミ：えー！ここ？！
ユウカ：そうだよ。
エミ：すごい！こんなに大きいんだ！
エミ：ユウカの家(いえ)行(い)きたい！
ユウカ：いいよ。すぐそこ。
エミ：どこ？
ユウカ：あー、ここ。
エミ：えー！ここ？！
ユウカ：そうだよ。
エミ：すごい！こんなに大(おお)きいんだ！
Emi: I want to go to your house, Yuka!
Yuka: Sure. It's just over there.
Emi: Where?
Yuka: Err, here.
Emi: What!? Here!?
Yuka: That's right.
Emi: Wow! It's so big!
の POSSESSIVE
家 いえ house; home
行く いく to go; to come
たい to want to; to like to
いい good
よ ASSERTION; REMINDING (colloquial)
すぐ immediately; right away; directly; soon
そこ there; then、すぐそこ=right there
どこ where
ここ here
えー eh?; what?; well; yes
そう so; such; that is so
すごい fantastic; wonderful; terrible
こんなに such; like that
大きい おおきい big; large; great
んだ ASSERTION; a colloquial form of のだ
Situation 3: Sayaka and Akira have come to a convenience store.
サヤカ：なんか食べたい…。
アキラ：なんか買う？
サヤカ：あーでも…。
アキラ：僕が出すよ、お金。
サヤカ：本当！？えーと、これと、これと…。
アキラ：あー結構食べるね…。
サヤカ：なんか食(た)べたい…。
アキラ：なんか買(か)う？
サヤカ：あーでも…。
アキラ：僕(ぼく)が出(だ)すよ、お金(かね)。
サヤカ：本当(ほんとう)！？えーと、これと、これと…。
アキラ：あー結構(けっこう)食(た)べるね…。
Sayaka: I want to eat something…
Akira: Want to buy something?
Sayaka: Well, but…
Akira: I'll pay.
Sayaka: Really!? Hmm, I want this, and this…
Akira: Wow, you eat a lot, don't you…
なんか a colloquial form of 何(なに)か; something
食べる たべる to eat
買う かう to buy
でも but; however
僕 ぼく I (used by male speakers)
が ADVERSATIVE
出す だす to take out; to pay; to send
(お)金 （お)かね money
本当 ほんとう truth; right
と and; or; with
結構 けっこう quite; fairly
ね shares information or experiences; soften a sentence; expects an agreement
Situation 4: A husband and wife have come looking for a new home.
夫：あーいい家だね。ここ。
妻：本当。日も入るし。
夫：そして大きいし。
妻：ここが一番かも。今までで。
夫：あー、ここに住みたいね！
妻：私も思った！ここにしよう！
夫(おっと)：あーいい家(いえ)だね。ここ。
妻(つま)：本当(ほんとう)。日(ひ)も入るし。
夫(おっと)：そして大(おお)きいし。
妻(つま)：ここが一番(いちばん)かも。今(いま)までで。
夫(おっと)：あー、ここに住(す)みたいね！
妻(つま)：私(わたし)も思(おも)った！ここにしよう！
Husband: Wow, this is a nice house.
Wife: It really is. It even gets a lot of sunlight.
Husband: And it's big.
Wife: This might be the best one so far.
Husband: Yeah, it would be great if we could live here!
Wife: I thought so too! Let's choose this place!
日 ひ day; the sun
も too, also
入る はいる to enter; to come in; go in
し and; besides
そして and; so
一番 いちばん number one; first; most
かもしれない perhaps; maybe
今 いま now
まで to; till; until
で in; at; from; by
住む すむ to live
私 わたし I
思う おもう to think; to believe; to feel; to expect
た PAST; did; (have) done
する to do; to make; to decide on; to choose
よう INDUCEMENT、しよう＝する＋よう、ここにしよう; Let's take this
Step 2 - Take the Quiz
Let's see how many words you remember.
Take the quiz here.
Step 3 - Writing Exercises (Optional)
Let's practice what you learned here.
If 「ここにしよう」means “let’s take this”, could one use a similar phrase if they were ordering something from a restaurant, for example? Would something like 「とんかつラーメンにしよう」make sense or be acceptable, or would 「とんかつラーメンをください」 be better?
しよう here is an invitation form, which means “let’s do.”
The standard form of しよう is する (do). So its meaning depends on the context.
ここにしよう can be translated as “Let’s decide to live here” as well.
とんこつラーメンにしよう can work. It means “Let’s have Tonkotsu ramen.”
The speaker invites the other person to order and eat Tonkotsu ramen together.
[noun]をください is used when you make an order or request something.
とんこつラーメンをください literally means “Please give me Tonkotsu ramen.”
It means “I’ll have Tonkotsu ramen,” or “I’d like Tonkotsu ramen.”
Is 今までで supposed to mean “within the ones we’ve seen up to now”?
That’s right.
They have already looked at several houses and think this is the best place they’ve seen so far.
ありがとう、ハナ先生
どういたしまして。^ ^
I’m sorry! Could you elaborate more on this? I understand 今まで up until now what I don’t understand is why add the extra で I’m not sure how で means within I thought 中 would be, thank you!
で here is used to determine a range of time or quantity.
It indicates the range will not be exceeded.
The sentence means:
“This house is probably the best (we’ve seen) so far.”
I’m sorry im still having trouble understanding. I have looked in the dictionary saying it expressing something that last up until a certain time but I’m not understanding it in this context. 今まで already means up until now
「今まで」can be translated as “have always” or “until now”.
今まで多くの人に助けられてきた。
– I have always been helped by many people.
そのことは今まで知らなかった。- I didn’t know about that until now.
xxxで as in “今まで” limits the period (or range).
The wife says the house is the best among the houses they’ve seen until that point. They might find a nicer place later, but that is not counted.
If someone askes you: 家族の中で一番料理が上手なのは誰ですか？(Who is the best cook in your family?), you are expected to choose someone in your family even if someone else such as your uncle or cousin is the best because the question only asks about your family by using で.