Lesson Dialogues
Situation 1
Haru and Aki are talking at the front door, looking at a package that has arrived.
ハル:大きいね。
ハル:大(おお)きいね。
Haru: It's big, isn't it.
- 大(おお)きい big; large; great
- ~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).
アキ:うん、すごく大きいよね。
アキ:うん、すごく大(おお)きいよね。
Aki: Yeah, it's very big.
- うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
- すごく adverbial form of すごい
- すごい i-adj. fantastic, wonderful, terrible; adv. awfully, very, immensely
- ~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 the speaker is certain about the statement.
ハル:一人で持てないよね。
ハル:一人(ひとり)で持(も)てないよね。
Haru: One person can't carry it.
- 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.
- 持(も)てない negative form of 持(も)てる
- 持(も)てる potential form of 持(も)つ; ~てる expresses possibility; can; can be;
- 持(も)つ to have; to take; to hold
アキ:うん、二人で持とう。
アキ:うん、二人(ふたり)で持(も)とう。
Aki: Yeah. Let's carry it together.
- 二人(ふたり) two people
- 持(も)とう ou form of 持(も)つ; ~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.
ハル:そうだね。そこ、持って。私、ここ、持つから。
ハル:そうだね。そこ、持(も)って。私(わたし)、ここ、持(も)つから。
Haru: Okay. Hold it there. I'll hold it here.
- そう so; such; that is so; that's right
- そこ there
- 持(も)って te-form of 持(も)つ; 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…
- ここ here
- ~から because; since: 雨(あめ)だから行(い)きません。I won't go because it's raining.; use だから with nouns and na-adjectives.
Situation 2
Aki's mother is looking for her glasses.
お母さん:どこかな?知らない?
お母(かあ)さん:どこかな?知(し)らない?
Mom: Where are they? Don't you know?
- どこ where
- ~かな indicates uncertainty; softens a sentence; ちょっと寒(さむ)いかな。I think it's a bit cold.
アキ:知らないよ。
アキ:知(し)らないよ。
Aki: I don't know.
- 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.
- ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ!It's morning!
お母さん:どこにあるかな。見なかった?
お母(かあ)さん:どこにあるかな。見(み)なかった?
Mom: Where are they? Haven't you seen them?
- ~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
- 見(み)なかった negative form of 見(み)た
- 見(み)た past tense of 見(み)る
- 見(み)る to see; to look; to watch; to check; we use 観(み)る for things like sports or TV shows
アキ:見なかったよ。
アキ:見(み)なかったよ。
Aki: I haven't seen them.
お母さん:どうしよう。何もできないよ。
お母(かあ)さん:どうしよう。何(なに)もできないよ。
Mom: What should I do? I can't do anything.
- どうしよう what should I do?
- 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.
- できない negative form of できる
- できる to be able to do; to be ready; to be made; to be good at; e.g. 彼女(かのじょ)ができる=to find a girlfriend、 友達(ともだち)ができる=to make a friend
Situation 3
Haru is choosing a handbag at a department store.
店員:これ、どうですか?
店員(てんいん):これ、どうですか?
Salesperson: How about this?
- これ this
- 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?
- 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
ハル:物、たくさん入りますか?
ハル:物(もの)、たくさん入(はい)りますか?
Haru: Do a lot of things came in (can it hold many things)?
- 物(もの) thing; object; stuff
- たくさん many; much; a lot
- 入(はい)ります ます form of 入(はい)る; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- 入(はい)る to enter; to come in; to go in
店員:はい、入りますよ。
店員(てんいん):はい、入(はい)りますよ。
Salesperson: Yes, they do.
- はい yes
ハル:そんな風に見えませんね。
ハル:そんな風(ふう)に見(み)えませんね。
Hare: It doesn't appear that way.
- そんな that; such; そんな事(こと)はできない。I can't do such a thing.
- 風(ふう) style; type; way; like; ヨーロッパ風(ふう)の部屋(へや) European-style room
- 見(み)えません negative form of 見(み)えます
- 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
店員:でもたくさん入りますよ。
店員(てんいん):でもたくさん入(はい)りますよ。
Salesperson: But a lot come in.
- 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.
Situation 4
Haru is experiencing pottery making.
ハル:今からできますか?
ハル:今(いま)からできますか?
Haru: Can I do it now?
- 今(いま) now
- ~から from; 日本(にほん)から来(き)ました。I'm from Japan.
- できます ます form of できる; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
先生:できますよ。やりますか?
先生(せんせい):できますよ。やりますか?
Teacher: You can. Would you like to do it?
- やります ます form of やる; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- やる to do; to give
ハル:はい。やります。前からやりたかったんですよ。
ハル:はい。やります。前(まえ)からやりたかったんですよ。
Hull: Yes. I'll do it. I've always wanted to do it.
- 前(まえ) forward; front; before
- やりたかった past tense of やりたい
- やりたい たい form of やる; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
- ~のです、~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.
先生:分かりました。まず、私がやります。よく見てくださいね。
先生(せんせい):分(わ)かりました。まず、私(わたし)がやります。よく見(み)てくださいね。
Teacher: I see. First, I'll do it. Please watch carefully.
- 分(わ)かりました past tense of 分(わ)かります
- 分(わ)かります ます form of 分(わ)かる; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- 分(わ)かる to understand; to see
- まず first; firstly;
- よく good; well; often; 日本(にほん)によく行(い)きます。 I go to Japan often.
- 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…
- ~てください please _; 食(た)べてください。Please eat.
ハル:はい。そうします。
ハル:はい。そうします。
Hull: Okay. I will.
- します ます form of する; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- する to do; to make; to decide on; to choose
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.
Hi. How is the particle に used in 「そんな風に見えませんね。」? As indicator for destination or something else?
It’s not for a destination.
~に見える looks like __
~に思える seems like __/makes me think like ___
What’s the difference between those two?
に見える (looks like) is an apparent (visual) impression.
Example:
姉の家は大きくて、お城のように見える。
– My sister’s house is big and looks like a castle.
に思える (seems) involves your impression, guess, or speculation.
Example:
今日の講義は退屈で、1時間が10時間に思えた。
- Today’s lecture was so boring that an hour seemed like ten hours.