2020-Jul-6 Level 1 なんか、日本風のもの。

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

Mayu and Naomi are at a pottery class.

マユ：何作る？

マユ：何(なに)作(つく)る？

Mayu: What are you going to make?

• 何(なに) what
• 作(つく)る to make; to create; to cook

ナオミ：なんか、日本風のもの。

ナオミ：なんか、日本(にほん)風(ふう)のもの。

Naomi: Something with a Japanese style.

• なんか such as; like; things like …; or something like that; (conversation filler)
• 日本(にほん) Japan
• 風(ふう) style; type; way; like; ヨーロッパ風(ふう)の部屋(へや) European-style room
• ～の indicate possession: 私(わたし)の子供(こども) my child; その車(くるま)、私(わたし)の。That car is mine; 私(わたし)の食(た)べる？Do you want to eat mine?
• もの thing; object; stuff

マユ：日本風のものねー。

マユ：日本(にほん)風(ふう)のものねー。

Mayu: I see, something with a Japanese style.

• ～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).

ナオミ：マユは何作る？

ナオミ：マユは何(なに)作(つく)る？

Naomi: Mayu, what are you going to make?

マユ：私はなんか使えるもの。

マユ：私(わたし)はなんか使(つか)えるもの。

Mayu: I'm going to make something I can use.

• 使(つか)える potential form of 使(つか)う; ～える expresses possibility; can; can be
• 使(つか)う to use; to handle

ナオミ：使えるもの、いいね。

ナオミ：使(つか)えるもの、いいね。

Naomi: Something you can use, that's nice.

• 良(よ)い、いい good; 映画(えいが)よかった！ The film was great!; you may use this to indicate your preference or choice; 私(わたし)、ラーメンがいい。I'd like to choose ramen; いいね is the Japanese version of "like" on social media.

Situation 2

Toshio and Ako are shopping.

アコ：オリーブオイルって、もう買っちゃった？

アコ：オリーブオイルって、もう買(か)っちゃった？

Ako: Did you already buy olive oil?

• オリーブオイル olive oil
• ～って about; as for: 名前(なまえ)って何(なん)ですか？What's your name?; in spoken Japanese, people use って very often instead of は; ラーメンって好(す)きですか？Do you like ramen? (instead of ラーメンは好(す)きですか？)
• もう already; soon; again; strengthens expression of an emotion
• 買(か)っ connects to ちゃった; You can make this form by removing て from the te-form 買(か)って
• 買(か)って te-form of 買(か)う; te-form is often used to connect to other expressions; te-form may indicate a command; 食(た)べて！Please eat!; it's common to end a sentence with a te-form. Japanese people often don't finish a sentence completely: 昨日(きのう)学校(がっこう)行(い)って、勉強(べんきょう)して。。。I went to school yesterday, studied, and…
• 買(か)う to buy
• ちゃった past tense of ちゃう
• ～てしまう、ちゃう to end up doing ＿＿

トシオ：まだ買ってない。

トシオ：まだ買(か)ってない。

Toshio: I haven't bought olive oil yet.

• まだ yet; still; まだ帰(かえ)れない。I can't go home yet.
• てない negative form of てる
• ～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 native form to say the opposite: 知(し)らない (I don't know)

アコ：よかった。

アコ：よかった。

Ako: That's good.

• よかった past tense of よい

トシオ：え？一つ買おうよ。

トシオ：え？一(ひと)つ買(か)おうよ。

Toshio: What? Let's buy a bottle of olive oil.

• え、えー expresses surprise or disappointment; えー、本当(ほんとう)？ What? Really?
• 一(ひと)つ one (a way of counting); ラーメン一(ひと)つください. One ramen please.
• 買(か)おう ou form of 買(か)う; ～ou expresses suggestion; let's __; 食(た)べよう。 let's eat; 行(い)こう。 let's go; 遊(あそ)ぼう。 let's play; 作(つく)ろう。let's make.
• ～よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ！It's morning!

アコ：もう家に一つあるじゃん。

アコ：もう家(いえ)に一(ひと)つあるじゃん。

Ako: But we already have a bottle at home, right?

• 家(いえ) house; home
• ～に indicates a destination, place or point of attention: 日本(にほん)に行(い)く to go to Japan; 友達(ともだち)に話(はな)す to talk to a friend; indicates the result or goal of an action: 大人(おとな)になる to become an adult; indicates an actor in a passive sentence: 先生(せんせい)に見(み)つかった。I was found by a teacher.
• ある to be (existence); to have (possession); to happen; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals
• ～じゃん common way of ending a sentence mainly in Kanto region; a colloquial form of じゃない; isn't it

Situation 3

Naomi and Takeshi are trying to ride a roller coaster.

ナオミ：あんまり乗りたくないな。

ナオミ：あんまり乗(の)りたくないな。

Naomi: I don't really want to ride it.

• 余(あま)り、あんまり n. the rest; adv. (not) much; 仕事(しごと)があまりない。I don't have a lot of work.
• 乗(の)りたくない negative form of 乗(の)りたい
• 乗(の)りたい たい form of 乗(の)る; ～たい expresses desire; I want to __
• 乗(の)る to ride; to get on; to take (the train, bus etc.)
• ～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.

タケシ：えー！一緒に乗ろうよ。

タケシ：えー！一緒(いっしょ)に乗(の)ろうよ。

Takeshi: Hey! Let's ride it together.

• 一緒(いっしょ) together; with
• 乗(の)ろう ou form of 乗(の)る; ～ou expresses suggestion; let's __; 食(た)べよう。 let's eat; 行(い)こう。 let's go; 遊(あそ)ぼう。 let's play; 作(つく)ろう。let's make.

ナオミ：タケシ、一人で乗って。

ナオミ：タケシ、一人(ひとり)で乗(の)って。

Naomi: Takeshi, ride it alone.

• 一人(ひとり) one person; alone
• ～で in; at; from; by: indicates means (methods) or places; フォークで食(た)べる to eat with a fork; 家(いえ)で食(た)べる to eat at home; may make a noun adverbial: 短(みじか)い時間(じかん)で食(た)べる eating fast; indicates a choice: じゃあビールで。Then, I choose beer.
• 乗(の)って te-form of 乗(の)る; te-form is often used to connect to other expressions; te-form may indicate a command; 食(た)べて！Please eat!; it's common to end a sentence with a te-form. Japanese people often don't finish a sentence completely: 昨日(きのう)学校(がっこう)行(い)って、勉強(べんきょう)して。。。I went to school yesterday, studied, and…

タケシ：分かった。一人で乗るよ。

タケシ：分(わ)かった。一人(ひとり)で乗(の)るよ。

Takeshi: Alright. I'll ride it alone.

• 分(わ)かった past tense of 分(わ)かる
• 分(わ)かる to understand; to see

ナオミ：ごめんね。

ナオミ：ごめんね。

Naomi: I'm sorry.

• ごめん、ごめんなさい I'm sorry

Situation 4

Naomi and Mayu are choosing cakes.

ナオミ：どうする？

ナオミ：どうする？

Naomi: What should we do?

• どう how; what; どう思(おも)う？What do you think?
• する to do; to make; to decide on; to choose
• どうする？ What should we do?

マユ：これにする！

マユ：これにする！

Mayu: I'm going to choose this one!

• これ this

ナオミ：いいね。私はこれにする。

ナオミ：いいね。私(わたし)はこれにする。

Naomi: That's nice. I'm going to choose this one.

マユ：あ、これの方が大きい。やっぱりこれにする！

マユ：あ、これの方(ほう)が大(おお)きい。やっぱりこれにする！

Mayu: Ah, this one is bigger. I'm going to choose this one after all!

• 方(ほう) direction; way; side; 方(ほう) is also used to make a comparison: 日本(にほん)よりカナダの方(ほう)が大(おお)きい。Comapred to Japan, Canada is bigger; 日本(にほん)のほうがいい Japan is better
• 大(おお)きい big; large; great
• やっぱり as (one) expected; still; either way; after all; nonetheless

ナオミ：私も！

ナオミ：私(わたし)も！

Naomi: Me too!

も too; also; 私(わたし)も行(い)く！ I'll go too!

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.