Lesson Dialogues
Situation
A dialogue between husband and wife.
PDF version is 
MP3 version is 妻：今日も一日お仕事お疲れ様。マッサージしてあげる。
妻(つま)：今日(きょう)も一日(いちにち)お仕事(しごと)お疲(つか)れ様(さま)。マッサージしてあげる。
Wife: Good job at work today. I'll give you a massage.
一日 いちにち one day; all day
お疲れ(様) おつかれ(さま) good job; expression used to thank someone for hard work; also used as a greeting)
マッサージ(する) massage; to massage
てあげる to do something for somebody
夫：ありがとう。ヨシコがいるから働けるんだよ。
夫(おっと)：ありがとう。ヨシコがいるから働(はたら)けるんだよ。
Husband: Thanks. I can work because you're here with me, Yoshiko.
ありがとう thank you; thanks
働く はたらく to work
妻：ふふ。嬉しいこと言ってくれるね。
妻(つま)：ふふ。嬉(うれ)しいこと言(い)ってくれるね。
Wife: Hehe. I'm happy to hear that.
ふふ haha (usually used by female speakers)
夫：痛い、痛い。
夫(おっと)：痛(いた)い、痛(いた)い。
Husband: Ow, ow.
痛い いたい painful, sore; embarrassing; ouch
妻：あぁ、ごめん。1年がもう終わっちゃうね。
妻(つま)：あぁ、ごめん。1年(ねん)がもう終(お)わっちゃうね。
Wife: Ahh, sorry. The year is just about over.
ごめん sorry; I'm sorry
年 ねん year
一年 いちねん one year
ちゃう colloquial form of てしまう; to do completely; to do without meaning to
夫：そうだね。1年早いなー。
夫(おっと)：そうだね。1年(ねん)早(はや)いなー。
Husband: Yeah. It was one fast year.
そうだね yeah; you're right
妻：早いよね。振り返ると1年いろいろあったけどね。あっという間に感じちゃう。
妻(つま)：早(はや)いよね。振(ふ)り返(かえ)ると1年(ねん)いろいろあったけどね。あっという間(ま)に感(かん)じちゃう。
Wife: It was fast. Looking back though, it was quite the eventful year. It felt like it was all over in an instant.
振り返る ふりかえる to turn one’s head; to look back
間 ま time; space; room
あっという間 あっというま a blink of time; the time it takes to say "Ah!"
夫：人生もあっという間に過ぎちゃうのかな。
夫(おっと)：人生(じんせい)もあっという間(ま)に過(す)ぎちゃうのかな。
Husband: I wonder if life will also pass by in an instant.
過ぎる すぎる to pass; to do excessively; too (much)
かな indicates uncertainty; softens a sentence
妻：そうなのかな。時が経つのが早すぎて怖いな。タケちゃんにはずっと健康でいてほしいな。私より先に死なないでよ。
妻(つま)：そうなのかな。時(とき)が経(た)つのが早(はや)すぎて怖(こわ)いな。タケちゃんにはずっと健康(けんこう)でいてほしいな。私(わたし)より先(さき)に死(し)なないでよ。
Wife: I wonder. It's scary how fast time passes. I hope you stay healthy forever, Take-chan. Please don't die before me.
経つ たつ to pass, to go by
怖い こわい scary, frightening; scared, frightened
健康 けんこう healthy
てほしい to want someone to do
夫：それは分かんないけど、今は健康、健康！
夫(おっと)：それは分(わ)かんないけど、今(いま)は健康(けんこう)、健康(けんこう)！
Husband: Well I don't know about that, but right now I'm healthy, very healthy!
分かんない わかんない colloquial form of わからない; not to understand
でも、ここ最近仕事大変そうだったよね。無理してるんじゃないかって心配だよ。
妻(つま)：でも、ここ最近(さいきん)仕事(しごと)大変(たいへん)そうだったよね。無理(むり)してるんじゃないかって心配(しんぱい)だよ。
Wife: But, work seems to have been really hard for you recently. I worry that you might be overdoing it.
ここ最近 ここさいきん recently; lately
そう seeming that..., appearing that...
無理(する) むり(する) being unreasonable, impossible, or forcible; to work too hard
じゃ colloquial form of "では (to be)"
心配(する) しんぱい(する) worry, concern, anxiety; to worry
夫：確かにここ最近はものすごい仕事があったからね。だんだん少なくなってきてるから大丈夫、大丈夫。
夫(おっと)：確(たし)かにここ最近(さいきん)はものすごい仕事(しごと)があったからね。だんだん少(すく)なくなってきてるから大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)、大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)。
Husband: Yeah, that's because there was a lot of work I had to do recently. But my workload is slowly decreasing, so I'm fine, really.
ものすごい adj. extreme; terrible / adv. extremely; terribly
だんだん gradually
てくる to become, to get; to do... and come back
大丈夫 だいじょうぶ safe; fine, alright; no thanks
妻：それならいいんだけど。
妻(つま)：それならいいんだけど。
Wife: I guess that's okay then.
それなら if so
夫：まあ、元気じゃないと仕事もできないからね。無理はしないようにしてるよ。
夫(おっと)：まあ、元気(げんき)じゃないと仕事(しごと)もできないからね。無理(むり)はしないようにしてるよ。
Husband: Well, I can't do my job unless I'm healthy. So I'm making sure that I'm not overdoing it.
まあ well, now; wow! (usually used by female speakers)
元気 げんき lively, energetic; in good health
ようにする to try to, to be sure to
妻：人生あっという間だから楽しまないとね。
妻(つま)：人生(じんせい)あっという間(ま)だから楽(たの)しまないとね。
Wife: Life is over before you know it, so we have to make sure we enjoy ourselves now.
楽しむ たのしむ to enjoy, to have a good time
ないと(いけない) to have to, must
夫：そうそう。楽しまないと！次の旅行はどこに行く？
夫(おっと)：そうそう。楽(たの)しまないと！次(つぎ)の旅行(りょこう)はどこに行(い)く？
Husband: Exactly. We've got to have some fun! Where shall we go for our next trip?
旅行(する) りょこう(する) trip, travel, journey, tour; to go on a trip
妻：いつ頃行くの？
妻(つま)：いつ頃(ごろ)行(い)くの？
Wife: When will we go?
夫：夏かな。
夫(おっと)：夏(なつ)かな。
Husband: Summer perhaps.
夏 なつ summer
妻：うーん、お花を見に行きたいな。きれいなお花を見に行こうよ！
妻(つま)：うーん、お花(はな)を見(み)に行(い)きたいな。きれいなお花(はな)を見(み)に行(い)こうよ！
Wife: Hmm, I want to go and see some flowers. Let's go and see some beautiful flowers!
(お)花 (お)はな flower
夫：お花ね。わかった。考えておこう。
夫(おっと)：お花(はな)ね。わかった。考(かんが)えておこう。
Husband: Flowers huh. Understood. I'll see what I can do.
妻：楽しみ！
妻(つま)：楽(たの)しみ！
Wife: I can't wait!
楽しみ たのしみ enjoyment, pleasure; looking forward to
夫：楽しいことたくさんするよー。そのためにも二人とも元気でいないとね。マッサージありがとう。
夫(おっと)：楽(たの)しいことたくさんするよー。そのためにも二人(ふたり)とも元気(げんき)でいないとね。マッサージありがとう。
Husband: We're going to do so many fun things. That's why we both have to stay healthy. Thanks for the massage.
妻：タケちゃんこそ、ありがとう。
妻(つま)：タケちゃんこそ、ありがとう。
Wife: And thank you, Take-chan.
こそ it is (me, you, etc.) that... ; for sure (emphasize preceding word)
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.
What’s the difference between 夫 and 主人？
In the 5th line from the top, what purpose does ちゃう serve?
In the 9th line, what purpose does より serve in 私より先に死なないでよ?
In the 14th line, what purpose does も serve in 仕事もできない? Why isn’t it は?
Also in the same line, how does “無理はしないようにしてるよ” translate to “I’m making sure that I’m not overdoing it?” Where is the “making sure” part in the sentence?
Also also, in that same place, there’s a definition of まあ, and it says “usually used by female speakers.” I didn’t know that. I’ve used まあ before in practice sentences, but I was never corrected. I suppose I didn’t use it wrongly then? But then when should I use it and when should I not use it?
Both mean “husband”, but 夫 is only used to call your own husband. Also, in a narration of drama or novels, they would call 夫 for a character’s husband.
主人 is used for both your own and another husband in daily life, but it’s better to call ご主人 for addressing another person’s husband to show respect.
ちゃう is a casual form of しまう. It usually conveys a sad feeling.
So the speaker feels a bit sentimental about the year is almost end.
より means “before”.
A literal translation would be “Don’t die before I do.”, but it actually means “You can’t die and leave me.”
仕事もできない
Here, も works as emphasizing. I “even” won’t be able to work in the first place.
無理はしないようにしてるよ
ようにしてる part can work as “make sure to”
The sentence means more like “I’m trying not to overdo it.”
If you use まあ, like “well” in English, it doesn’t sound feminine at all.
But the usage is not entirely the same with “well”, so it’s tricky.
If you use まあ when you are surprised or impressed, that sounds very feminine.
I think I understand everything you’ve explained except for より. The only uses of より I’m familiar with is in sentences like “[thing]より[thing]方がいい” and more recently, I’ve learned that it can mean “more [adjective].” But I don’t know if either of those definitions fit the way it was used in that sentence in line nine.
How about “Don’t die earlier than I do”? Would it make it easier to understand?
I understand that that’s the translation. What don’t understand is the use of より.
Hey, can you help me on those ?
少なくなってきてるから -> can’t you just say 少なくなってるから (removing くる) ? Because, in my mind, なる is all you need to express “it’ becoming”.
人とも元気でいないとね -> I didn’t get why you use negation here (if it’s negation). Can you break it down ?
Thanks for the courses 🙂
> 少なくなってきてるから -> can’t you just say 少なくなってるから (removing くる) ? Because, in my mind, なる is all you need to express “it’ becoming”.
Both are grammatically correct but they are not the same. The first one means it’s already getting less. Your sentence means it’s going to get less.
> 人とも元気でいないとね
This can be considered a contraction of いないといけないね (you have to ___) and ~とけいない connects to the negative form.