2020-Aug-10 Level 1 ここに行きたいんですが。

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

Haru is giving her mother a massage.

ハル：どう？

ハル：どう？

Haru: How is it?

• どう how; what; どう思(おも)う？What do you think?; how about: ラーメンどう？How about (eating) ramen?

お母さん：いい気持ち。

お母(かあ)さん：いい気持(きも)ち。

Mother: Feels good.

• 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.
• 気持(きも)ち feeling; sensation; mood

ハル：ここは？

ハル：ここは？

Haru: How about here?

• ここ here

お母さん：そこも。特にそこ、気持ちいい。

お母(かあ)さん：そこも。特(とく)にそこ、気持(きも)ちいい。

Mother: There too. Especially that spot, it feels good.

• そこ there
• ～も too; also; 私(わたし)も行(い)く！ I'll go too!
• 特(とく)に especially; particularly

ハル：よかった。

ハル：よかった。

Haru: I'm glad.

• よかった paste tense of よい・いい; "what a relief": 元気(げんき)でよかった。It's good (I'm relieved) that you are fine.

お母さん：ありがとう。

お母(かあ)さん：ありがとう。

Mother: Thanks.

• ありがとう thank you

ハル：また、やるね。

ハル：また、やるね。

Haru: I'll do it again.

• また adv. additionally; moreover; conj. again; too; and; また来(き)ます。I'll come here again.
• やる to do; to give
• ～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).

Situation 2

Tanaka-san is showing a passer-by a map and asking for directions.

田中：あのー、ちょっと聞いていいですか？

田中(たなか)：あのー、ちょっと聞(き)いていいですか？

Tanaka: Excuse me, may I ask you something?

• ちょっと (just) a little; a bit; (conversation filler)
• 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!; 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…
• 聞(き)く to hear; to listen; to ask; to obey
• です polite ending; use this polite form, called "keigo," when you talk to strangers, people who are older than you, and in business situations.
• ～か？ makes a sentence a question; usually used with keigo sentences in spoken Japanese; textbooks often drop the question mark, but it's common to use a question mark in real-life situations

通行人：はい。いいですよ？

通行人(つうこうにん)：はい。いいですよ？

Passer-by: Sure. Why not?

• はい yes

田中：ここに行きたいんですが。

田中(たなか)：ここに行(い)きたいんですが。

Tanaka: I want to go here.

• ～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.
• 行(い)きたい たい form of 行(い)く; ～たい expresses desire; I want to __
• 行(い)く to go
• んです commonly used when you explain something; 実(じつ)は日本人(にほんじん)なんです。 In fact, I'm Japanese.

通行人：あ、すぐそこです。ここから見えますよ。

通行人(つうこうにん)：あ、すぐそこです。ここから見(み)えますよ。

Passer-by: Oh, it's right there. You can see it from here.

• すぐそこ right there
• から from; 日本(にほん)から来(き)ました。I'm from Japan.
• 見(み)えます ます form of 見(み)える; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 見(み)える to be seen, to be in sight; to look, to seem, to appear
• ～よ、～よー introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ！It's morning!

田中：えー、そうなんですか？

田中(たなか)：えー、そうなんですか？

Tanaka: Huh, really?

• えー expresses surprise or disappointment; えー、本当(ほんとう)？ What? Really?
• そう so; such; that is so; that's right; そう思(おも)う。 I think so. ; そうなんだ。 I see;

通行人：はい。見えてますよ。

通行人(つうこうにん)：はい。見(み)えてますよ。

Passer-by: Yes. You can see it. (We are already seeing it right there.)

• 見(み)えてます ます form of 見(み)えて(い)る; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 見(み)えて 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…
• ～て(い)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); often てん in spoken Japanese: それ、知(し)ってんの？Do you know that?

Situation 3

A patient is telling the doctor his symptoms.

患者：気持ちが悪いです。

患者(かんじゃ)：気持(きも)ちが悪(わる)いです。

Patient: I feel sick.

• 悪(わる)い bad

医者：いつからですか？

医者(いしゃ)：いつからですか？

Doctor: When did it start?

• いつ when

患者：少し前からです。

患者(かんじゃ)：少(すこ)し前(まえ)からです。

Patient: A little while ago.

• 少(すこ)し a little; a few
• 前(まえ) forward; front; before

医者：ずっとですか？

医者(いしゃ)：ずっとですか？

Doctor: Was it continuous?

• ずっと all the time; for a long time; forever

患者：はい、ずっとです。

患者(かんじゃ)：はい、ずっとです。

Patient: Yes, continuously.

医者：何か食べましたか？

医者(いしゃ)：何(なに)か食(た)べましたか？

Doctor: Did you eat anything?

• 何(なに)か something; things like …, or something like that …; conversation filler; なんか、寒(さむ)い。Well, it's cold.
• 食(た)べました past tense of 食(た)べます
• 食(た)べます ます form of 食(た)べる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 食(た)べる to eat

患者：ほとんど何も食べてません。

患者(かんじゃ)：ほとんど何(なに)も食(た)べてません。

Patient: I ate almost nothing.

• ほとんど almost; nearly; mostly; usually used with a negative form: ほとんど人(ひと)がいない。There are almost nobody.
• 何(なに)も anything; nothing; 何(なに)もない。There's nothing; 何(なに)も食(た)べれない。 I can't eat anything.
• 食(た)べてません negative form of 食(た)べて(い)ます
• 食(た)べて(い)ます ます form of 食(た)べて(い)る; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 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…

Situation 4

Sisters Haru and Aki are at the department store choosing a necktie as a Father's Day present.

アキ：これ、どう？

アキ：これ、どう？

Aki: How does this look?

• これ this

ハル：あんまり好きじゃない。

ハル：あんまり好(す)きじゃない。

Haru: I don't really like that.

• あまり、あんまり n. the rest; adv. (not) much; often; あまり～ない: 仕事(しごと)があまりない。I don't have a lot of work.
• 好(す)き favorite; to like; to love

アキ：これは？

アキ：これは？

Aki: This one?

ハル：あ、いい感じ。

ハル：あ、いい感(かん)じ。

Haru: Oh, looks good.

アキ：いいよね。でも、結構、高いけど？

アキ：いいよね。でも、結構(けっこう)、高(たか)いけど？

Aki: Nice, isn't it? It's quite expensive, though.

• ～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; 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.
• でも but; however; or something; でも、日本(にほん)に行(い)きたい。But, I want to go to Japan; even: プロでも出来(でき)ない。Even professionals can't do it.
• 結構(けっこう) adv. quite, fairly; na-adj. good
• 高(たか)い high; tall; expensive
• けど but; however; although; though; a lot of people finish a sentence with (だ)けど because it makes the sentence less direct.

ハル：でも、それがいいよ。二人で買うんだし。

ハル：でも、それがいいよ。二人(ふたり)で買(か)うんだし。

Haru: But I want that. We're buying it together, anyways.

• それ that
• 二人(ふたり) two people
• ～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.
• 買(か)う to buy
• ～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?
• ～し and; besides; because, since; 雨(あめ)だし行(い)かない。／行(い)かない、雨(あめ)だし。 I won't go. Besides, it's raining.

Step 2 - Take the Quiz

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Step 3 - Writing Exercises (Optional)

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