2020-Jul-13 Level 1 行かなくていいんじゃない?

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

Mayu and Naomi are talking about a party.

マユ:行きたくないなー。

マユ:行(い)きたくないなー。

Mayu: I don't really want to go.

  • 行(い)きたくない negative form of 行(い)きたい
  • 行(い)きたい たい form of 行(い)く; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
  • 行(い)く to go
  • ~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.

ナオミ:行かなくていいんじゃない?

ナオミ:行(い)かなくていいんじゃない?

Naomi: You know you don't have to go, right?

  • 行(い)かなくて negative form of 行(い)って
  • 行(い)って te-form of 行(い)く; 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…
  • ~ていい it's OK to __; 食(た)べていいよ。You can eat (it's OK to eat); 食(た)べなくていいよ。You don't have to eat (It's OK not to eat)
  • ではない、じゃない it is not the case that …; isn't it?

マユ:え?そうなの?行かなくていいの?

マユ:え?そうなの?行(い)かなくていいの?

Mayu: What? Really? I don't have to go?

  • えー、え expresses surprise or disappointment; えー、本当(ほんとう)? What? Really?
  • そう so; such; that is so; that's right
  • ~の? emphasises a question: 本当(ほんとう)にできるの?Can you really do it?

ナオミ:うん。行かなくていいみたい。

ナオミ:うん。行(い)かなくていいみたい。

Naomi: Yeah, it seems it isn't mandatory.

  • うん yes; yeah
  • みたい like; it seems that…; as if…

マユ:よかった。

マユ:よかった。

Mayu: Thank goodness.

  • よかった past tense of よい
  • 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

Mayu is pointing out to Tanaka a mistake in a document.

マユ:ちょっといい?

マユ:ちょっといい?

Mayu: Do you have a second?

  • ちょっと (just) a little; a bit; (conversation filler) (just) a little; a bit; (conversation filler)

田中:いいよ。なに?

田中(たなか):いいよ。なに?

Tanaka: Yes, what is it?

  • ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ!It's morning!
  • なに what

マユ:これ見て。ここ、ミスじゃない?

マユ:これ見(み)て。ここ、ミスじゃない?

Mayu: Look here. Isn't this a mistake?

  • これ this
  • 見(み)て te-form of 見(み)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…
  • 見(み)る to see; to look; to watch; to check; we use 観(み)る for things like sports or TV shows
  • ここ here
  • ミス mistake

田中:どこ?

田中(たなか):どこ?

Tanaka: Where?

  • どこ where

マユ:ここ。

マユ:ここ。

Mayu: Here.

田中:あ、ほんとだ!ありがとう。

田中(たなか):あ、ほんとだ!ありがとう。

Tanaka: Oh, you're right! Thanks.

  • あー、あ er; uh; um; hmm; ah; oh
  • 本当(ほんとう)、ほんと truth; right; really
  • ありがとう、ありがとうございます thank you

Situation 3

Ako and Toshio are talking about an actor while watching television.

アコ:この人、いいよね。

アコ:この人(ひと)、いいよね。

Ako: This person is nice, huh?

  • この this
  • 人(ひと) person; people; human being
  • よね 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.

トシオ:うん。いい感じの人だね。

トシオ:うん。いい感(かん)じの人(ひと)だね。

Toshio: Yeah, he seems nice.

  • 感(かん)じ feeling; impression; atmosphere; often used to express your impression: この部屋(へや)いい感(かん)じ This room looks good.
  • ~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).

アコ:なんていう人?

アコ:なんていう人(ひと)?

Ako: What's his name?

  • ~という、ていう、つう called; named; スズキという人(ひと) a person called Suzuki

トシオ:知らない。

トシオ:知(し)らない。

Toshio: I'm not sure.

  • 知(し)らない negative form of 知(し)る
  • 知(し)る to know; use the te-form to say "I know": そのアニメ知(し)ってるよ。I know that anime.

アコ:え?知らないの?

アコ:え?知(し)らないの?

Ako: Wait, you don't know?

トシオ:知らないよ。

トシオ:知(し)らないよ。

Toshio: No, I don't.

Situation 4

Mayu and Naomi are eating lunch together.

ナオミ:あんまり食べないね。

ナオミ:あんまり食(た)べないね。

Naomi: You're not eating very much.

  • 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.
  • 食(た)べない negative form of 食(た)べる
  • 食(た)べる to eat

マユ:なんかちょっと気持ち悪い。

マユ:なんかちょっと気持(きも)ち悪(わる)い。

Mayu: I'm not feeling very well.

  • なんか such as; like; things like …; or something like that; (filler word)
  • 気持(きも)ち feeling; sensation; mood
  • 悪(わる)い bad

ナオミ:食べなくていいんじゃない?

ナオミ:食(た)べなくていいんじゃない?

Naomi: You don't have to eat, you know?

  • 食(た)べなくて negative form of 食(た)べて
  • 食(た)べて te-form of 食(た)べる; 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…

マユ:あと少しだけ食べる。

マユ:あと少(すこ)しだけ食(た)べる。

Mayu: I'll have just a little more.

  • あと after; later; the rest; also; in addition
  • 少(すこ)し a little; a few
  • だけ only; alone; merely

ナオミ:そう?

ナオミ:そう?

Naomi: Are you sure?

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Bruno
Bruno
2 years ago

Is the “mandatory” implied in the sentence 「行かなくていいみたい。」? my understanding was “it seems like you not going is fine”

Hana-Sensei
Editor
Hana-Sensei
2 years ago
Reply to  Bruno

It means “It seems participation is not mandatory.” or “It seems you can choose whether to participate or not.”

Jack
Jack
4 years ago

I’m having trouble trying to understand how Iku gets conjugated, is it just Iku sometimes and Iki other times and I just have to learn the all the situations or is there an easy way to tell?

ありがとうございます。

行(い)きたくない negative form of 行(い)きたい
行(い)きたい たい form of 行(い)く; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
行(い)く to go

Ladd-sensei
Ladd-sensei
4 years ago
Reply to  Jack

行くis u-verb but

Te-form 行ってand short past行った are exceptions.

Apart from that, you can follow the u-verb’s rule.

Jack
Jack
4 years ago
Reply to  Ladd-sensei

わかりました。ありがとうございます。

kovachlong121
kovachlong121
5 years ago

行(い)かなくていいんじゃない?
I’m not hearing the ん

Yuta
Yuta
5 years ago
Reply to  kovachlong121

Pay attention to how the sound changes after the second い.

kovachlong121
kovachlong121
5 years ago

What is the difference between using な and ね at the end of a sentence?

Yuta
Yuta
5 years ago
Reply to  kovachlong121

~な expresses emotions; emphasises the emotion; softens the sentence; often なー; 日本へ行きたいな。I want to go to Japan; かわいいなー。It’s so cute.
~ね hares information or experiences; softens a sentence; expects an agreement; isn’t it?; don’t you?; 雨だね。Oh, it’s raining (as you can see).

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