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?
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.
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”
It means “It seems participation is not mandatory.” or “It seems you can choose whether to participate or not.”
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
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.
わかりました。ありがとうございます。
行(い)かなくていいんじゃない?
I’m not hearing the ん
Pay attention to how the sound changes after the second い.
What is the difference between using な and ね at the end of a sentence?
~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).