Lesson Dialogues
Situation 1
Mayu is running late to meet Naomi, and gives her a call.
マユ:ナオミ?ごめん!まだ行けない!
マユ:ナオミ?ごめん!まだ行(い)けない!
Mayu: Naomi? I'm sorry! I can't go there yet.
- ごめん, ごめんなさい I'm sorry
- まだ yet; still
- 行(い)けない negative form of 行(い)ける
- 行(い)ける potential form of 行(い)く; ~ける expresses possibility; can; can be;
- 行(い)く to go; to come
ナオミ:え?今、どこ?
ナオミ:え?今(いま)、どこ?
Naomi: Huh? Where are you right now?
- え eh?; what?; well; yes
- 今(いま) now
- どこ where
マユ:…それが…まだ家にいるの…。
マユ:…それが…まだ家(いえ)にいるの…。
Mayu: ...Well... I'm still at home...
- それが well yes, actually, now that you mention it; well, in fact
- 家(いえ) house; home
- に at; on; in; to; for; by; from
- いる to be; to exist; to stay (used for people)
- ~の feminine ending; 食(た)べるの。 (I'll eat) sounds feminine compared to 食(た)べる。; However, の? in a question sentence does not always sound feminine.
ナオミ:えー!?
ナオミ:えー!?
Naomi: What!?
- えー expresses surprise or disappointment; えー、本当(ほんとう)? What? Really?
マユ:…ほんと、ごめん…。
マユ:…ほんと、ごめん…。
Mayu: ...I'm so sorry…
- 本当(ほんとう)、ほんと truth; right; really
Situation 2
It's dinnertime. Ako is late getting home, and Toshio has started eating without her.
アコ:えー!?一人でこんなに食べたの!?
アコ:えー!?一人(ひとり)でこんなに食(た)べたの!?
Ako: Whoa! How did you eat so much by yourself!?
- 一人(ひとり) one person; alone
- で in; at; from; by
- こんなに so; such; like that
- 食(た)べた past tense of 食(た)べる
- 食(た)べる to eat
トシオ:うん。なんか、まだ食べたい感じ。
トシオ:うん。なんか、まだ食(た)べたい感(かん)じ。
Toshio: Yeah, I feel like I could still keep on eating.
うん yes; yeah
なんか such as; like; things like …; or something like that
食(た)べたい たい form of 食(た)べる; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
感(かん)じ feeling; impression; atmosphere
アコ:それ、結構、すごいかもしれない…。
アコ:それ、結構(けっこう)、すごいかもしれない…。
Ako: That's actually kind of impressive…
- それ that
- 結構(けっこう) adv. quite, fairly; na-adj. good
- すごい fantastic; wonderful; terrible
- かもしれない perhaps; maybe
トシオ:そう?
トシオ:そう?
Toshio: You think so?
- そう so; such; that is so; that's right
Situation 3
Toshio and Ako are a married couple. Right now, they're having a talk over tea.
トシオ:次は、どこに行きたい?
トシオ:次(つぎ)は、どこに行(い)きたい?
Toshio: Where do you want to go next?
- 次(つぎ) next; following; coming
- どこ where
- 行(い)きたい たい form of 行(い)く; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
アコ:日本で?
アコ:日本(にほん)で?
Ako: In Japan?
日本(にほん) Japan
トシオ:うん、日本の中で。
トシオ:うん、日本(にほん)の中(なか)で。
Toshio: Yeah, in Japan.
- の of; in; at; for; by
- 中(なか) inside; in; into
アコ:えーと、どこがいいかなー。
アコ:えーと、どこがいいかなー。
Ako: Let's see... what would be a good place...?
- えーと well; let me see
- いい good
- ~かな indicates uncertainty; softens a sentence
トシオ:いろいろ、行きたいよねー。
トシオ:いろいろ、行(い)きたいよねー。
Toshio: There's so many places to visit, right?
- いろいろ various
- ~よね、よな shares mutual sentiments; confirms some information: 寒(さむ)いよね。 It's cold, right?; よな is sometimes used by male speakers; note: かわいいよ。 may imply she might not know that she's cute, かわいいね。 may imply you expect her to notice it too, and かわいいよね。implies that it's an obvious fact.
Situation 4
Mayu is holding a small, wrapped box.
ナオミ:それ、何?
ナオミ:それ、何(なに)?
Naomi: What's that?
- 何(なに) what
マユ:ふふふ、何だと思う?
マユ:ふふふ、何(なん)だと思(おも)う?
Mayu: Heh heh, what do you think it is?
- 思(おも)う to think; to believe; to feel; to expect
ナオミ:えー、分かんない。
ナオミ:えー、分(わ)かんない。
Naomi: Oh... I dunno!
- 分(わ)かんない colloquial form of 分(わ)からない
- 分(わ)からない negative form of 分(わ)かる
- 分(わ)かる to understand; to see
マユ:とてもいい物だよ。知りたい?
マユ:とてもいい物(もの)だよ。知(し)りたい?
Mayu: It's something really good! You want to know?
- とても very
- 物(もの) thing; object; stuff
- ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ!It's morning!
- 知(し)りたい たい form of 知(し)る; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
- 知(し)る to know
ナオミ:知りたい!知りたい!
ナオミ:知(し)りたい!知(し)りたい!
Naomi: I do, I do!
Step 2 - Take the Quiz
Let's see how many words you remember.
Take the quiz here.
Step 3 - Writing Exercises (Optional)
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Hi I have a question concerning the fourth dialogue: Mayu says: ”ふふふ、なんだと思う?” –> why did she say ”なんだ” and not ”なに”, like: ”ふふふ、なにと思う?”.
なんだ and なにだ are the same.
However, なん is mainly used for conversation.
I hope this helps!
Ohh okay, it does ! Ever since I started learning Japanese I was wondering about that. Piece by piece the mystery of Japanese language reveals itself to me haha.
Is there any difference between “かも” and “かもしれない”, or can they be used interchangeably?
We often use かも to often a sentence. We don’t かもしれない for that. Also, かもしれない is more literary than かも so it’s less common in spoken Japanese.
Can you somehow provide the difference and how it’s used in a context between かなり and 結構 , their meaning is very similar (quite, fairly)
To me かなり sounds more enthusiastic
Questions on situation #2:
1. How did the meaning こんなに turn from “so; such; like that” to “that much”? How is it usually used?
2. Is なんか used as the object of 食べたい?
1. Yes, it’s a common way of using it. こんなに may indicate a great degree of quality or quantity
2. No, in this case, it’s more like a conversation filler.
そうですか。ありがとうございました!
About situation 1. I’m having difficulty understand why マユさん used まだ to say that she won’t be able to make it. I thought she’s saying, “I cannot go yet.” Can you help me understand how まだ is used here?
You aren’t wrong. The translation was a bit misleading so I fixed it.
I see. That’s a relief to know. Thanks!