2020-May-18 Level 1 最近、変わったね。

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

It is just past noon. Toshio and Ako are relaxing.

トシオ：何か食べたいなー。

トシオ：何(なに)か食(た)べたいなー。

Toshio: I want to eat something.

• 何(なに)か、なんか something; 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 __
• 食(た)べる to eat
• ～な expresses emotions; emphasises the emotion; softens the sentence; often なー; 日本(にほん)へ行(い)きたいな。I want to go to Japan; かわいいなー。It's so cute.

アコ：え？また、食べるの？

アコ：え？また、食(た)べるの？

Ako: Huh? You're going to eat again?

• え eh?; what?; well; yes
• また adv. additionally; moreover; conj. again; too; and
• ～の？ emphasises a question: 本当(ほんとう)にできるの？Can you really do it?

トシオ：うん。何か、作って。

トシオ：うん。何(なに)か、作(つく)って。

Toshio: Yeah. Make something.

• うん yes; yeah
• 作(つく)って te-form of 作(つく)る; te-form is often used to connect to other expressions; te-form may indicate a command; 食(た)べて！Please eat!
• 作(つく)る to make; to create; to cook

アコ：分かった。何がいい？

アコ：分(わ)かった。何(なに)がいい？

Ako: All right. What would be good?

• 分(わ)かった past tense of 分(わ)かる
• 分(わ)かる to understand; to see
• 何(なに) what
• 良(よ)い、いい good

トシオ：うーん。何がいいかな…。

トシオ：うーん。何(なに)がいいかな…。

Toshio: Hmm. What would be good…

• ～かな indicates uncertainty; softens a sentence; ちょっと寒(さむ)いかな。I think it's a bit cold.

Situation 2

Naomi and Mayu are talking while looking in the mirror in the bathroom.

ナオミ：マユ、最近、変わったね。

ナオミ：マユ、最近(さいきん)、変(か)わったね。

Naomi: Mayu, there's something different about you lately.

• 最近(さいきん) recently; lately
• 変(か)わった past tense of 変(か)わる
• 変(か)わる to change
• ～ね shares information or experiences; softens a sentence; expects an agreement; isn't it?; don't you?; 雨(あめ)だね。Oh, it's raining (as you can see).

マユ：え？そう？どこが？

マユ：え？そう？どこが？

Mayu: Huh? Really? which part?

• え eh?; what?; well; yes
• そう so; such; that is so; that's right
• どこ where

ナオミ：どこが？うーん…分かんない。

ナオミ：どこが？うーん…分(わ)かんない。

Naomi: Which part? Hmm... I don't know.

• 分(わ)かんない colloquial form of 分(わ)からない

マユ：えー！？

マユ：えー！？

Mayu: Eh!?

• えー expresses surprise or disappointment; えー、本当(ほんとう)？ What? Really?

ナオミ：でも、いい感じだよ。

ナオミ：でも、いい感(かん)じだよ。

Naomi: But it's something good.

• でも but; however; or something
• 感(かん)じ feeling; impression; atmosphere
• ～よ、～よー introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ！It's morning!

Situation 3

Naomi and Mayu happen to pass by a bakery.

ナオミ：ねえ、知ってる？

ナオミ：ねえ、知(し)ってる？

Naomi: Hey, do you know?

• ねえ hey
• 知(し)って te-form of 知(し)る; te-form is often used to connect to other expressions; te-form may indicate a command; 食(た)べて！Please eat!
• 知(し)る to know
• ～ている、てる verb form to express continuation; 食(た)べる + ている = 食(た)べている eating; てる is a colloquial version of ている; some verbs such as 知(し)る uses this form to express the present situation 知(し)っている (I know) but uses the present enative form to say the opposite: 知(し)らない (I don't know).

マユ：何？

マユ：何(なに)？

Mayu: Know what?

ナオミ：ここのドーナッツ。すごい大きいんだよ。

ナオミ：ここのドーナッツ。すごい大(おお)きいんだよ。

Naomi: The donuts here. They're really big.

• ここ here
• の of; in; at; for; by
• ドーナッツ donut
• すごい i-adj. fantastic; wonderful; terrible, adv. awfully; very; immensely
• 大(おお)きい big; large; great
• ～んだ often used in spoken Japanese as a colloquial ending; 食(た)べるんだ (I'll eat) is more colloquial than 食(た)べる (I'll eat); also can be used to express realisation: えっ、それ食(た)べるんだ！What? You eat that?

マユ：えー、食べたい！

マユ：えー、食(た)べたい！

Mayu: Really? I want to try one!

• 食(た)べたい たい form of 食(た)べる; ～たい expresses desire; I want to __

ナオミ：買う？

ナオミ：買(か)う？

Naomi: Should we buy some?

• 買(か)う to buy

マユ：うん！買う！買う！

マユ：うん！買(か)う！買(か)う！

Mayu: Yeah! Let's buy some!

Situation 4

Sachie is on the phone with Tomoko, who is in the United States.

サチエ：いつ、日本に来るの？

サチエ：いつ、日本(にほん)に来(く)るの？

Sachie: When are you coming to Japan?

• いつ when
• 日本(にほん) Japan
• に at; on; in; to; for; by; from
• 来(く)る to come

トモコ：まだ、分からないんだ。

トモコ：まだ、分(わ)からないんだ。

Tomoko: I don't know yet.

• まだ yet; still
• 分(わ)からない negative form of 分(わ)かる

サチエ：そっかー。

サチエ：そっかー。

Sachie: Oh.

• そっか a colloquial form of そうか; is that so?; I see; you're right

トモコ：明日、ボスに、聞いてみるよ。

トモコ：明日(あした)、ボスに、聞(き)いてみるよ。

Tomoko: I'll try asking my boss tomorrow.

• 明日(あした) tomorrow
• ボス boss
• 聞(き)いて te-form of 聞(き)く; te-form is often used to connect to other expressions; te-form may indicate a command; 食(た)べて！Please eat!
• 聞(き)く to hear; to listen; to ask; to obey
• てみる to try something out; to attempt to do something

サチエ：うん、分かった。

サチエ：うん、分(わ)かった。

Sachie: Mm, all right.

Step 2 - Take the Quiz

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Step 3 - Writing Exercises (Optional)

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