2020-Sep-7 Level 1 一人で生活してるの？

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

This is a conversation between Aki and Mai, who have recently become close.

アキ：一人で生活してるの？

アキ：一人(ひとり)で生活(せいかつ)してるの？

Aki: Do you live on your own?

• 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.
• 生活(せいかつ)して te-form of 生活(せいかつ)する; 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…
• 生活(せいかつ) life; 生活(せいかつ)する to live
• ～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); often てん in spoken Japanese: それ、知(し)ってんの？Do you know that?
• ～の emphasises a sentence or question: 本当(ほんとう)にできるの？Can you really do it?; できるの！I can do it!; may sound feminine in some cases; 私(わたし)、できるの。 sounds feminine.

マイ：ううん、友達と一緒。

マイ：ううん、友達(ともだち)と一緒(いっしょ)。

Mai: No, with a friend.

• ううん nuh-uh; no
• 友達(ともだち) friend
• ～と and; or; with; if; 友達(ともだち)と私(わたし) my friends and I
• 一緒(いっしょ) together; with

アキ：二人で？

アキ：二人(ふたり)で？

Aki: Just the two of you?

• 二人(ふたり) two people

マイ：うん、二人で住んでる。

マイ：うん、二人(ふたり)で住(す)んでる。

Mai: Yeah, the two of us live together.

• うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
• 住(す)んで te-form of 住(す)む; 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…
• 住(す)む to live

アキ：一人よりいい？

アキ：一人(ひとり)よりいい？

Aki: Is it better than living alone?

• ～より than; from; カナダは日本(にほん)より大(おお)きい。 Canada is bigger than Japan.
• 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.

マイ：うん。例えば話ができるし。ごはんも一緒に食べれるから。

マイ：うん。例(たと)えば話(はなし)ができるし。ごはんも一緒(いっしょ)に食(た)べれるから。

Mai: Yeah. For example, we can talk. We can also eat together.

• 例(たと)えば for example; such as
• 話(はなし) story; talk
• 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
• 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.
• ごはん rice; meal
• ～も too; also; 私(わたし)も行(い)く！ I'll go too!
• 食(た)べ(ら)れる potential form of 食(た)べる; ～(ら)れる expresses possibility; can; can be; some people consider ～られる is a correct from, however, many people use ～れる in spoken Japanese
• 食(た)べる to eat
• ～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

Tanaka-san is placing the painting on the wall and is having Sato-san look at its position.

田中：どうですか？

田中(たなか)：どうですか？

Tanaka: 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?
• ～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

佐藤：少し上に上げて。

佐藤(さとう)：少(すこ)し上(うえ)に上(あ)げて。

Sato: Lift it up a little bit.

• 少(すこ)し a little; a few
• 上(うえ) top; above; up; on
• ～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.
• 上(あ)げて te-form of 上(あ)げる; 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…
• 上(あ)げる to raise; to lift

田中：こうですか？

田中(たなか)：こうですか？

Tanaka: Like this?

• こう like this; this way; こうしよう。Let's do this way.

佐藤：もう少し上。

佐藤(さとう)：もう少(すこ)し上(うえ)。

Sato: A little higher.

• もう already; soon; again; more; strengthens expression of an emotion; filler word: なんか、もう、帰(かえ)ろうよ: Like, let's go home already?

田中：これくらいですか？

田中(たなか)：これくらいですか？

Tanaka: About this high?

• これ this
• くらい about; around; as … as …; like

佐藤：いい感じ。そこがいいですね。

佐藤(さとう)：いい感(かん)じ。そこがいいですね。

Sato: It looks good. That's a good position.

• 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.
• そこ there
• ～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 3

Haru received a birthday present from Aki.

ハル：ありがとう。何が入ってるのかな？

ハル：ありがとう。何(なに)が入(はい)ってるのかな？

Haru: Thank you. What's inside?

• ありがとう thank you; ありがと is colloquial
• 何(なに) what
• 入(はい)って te-form of 入(はい)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…
• 入(はい)る to enter; to come in; to go in
• ～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：分かる？

アキ：分(わ)かる？

Aki: Can you guess?

• 分(わ)かる to understand; to see

ハル：分かんない。

ハル：分(わ)かんない。

Haru: I've no idea.

• 分(わ)かんない negative form of 分(わ)かる

アキ：結構考えたんだよ、買う物。

アキ：結構(けっこう)考(かんが)えたんだよ、買(か)う物(もの)。

Aki: I thought about what I'm going to buy quite a bit.

• 結構(けっこう) adv. quite, fairly; na-adj. good
• 考(かんが)えた past tense of 考(かんが)える
• 考(かんが)える to think
• ～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?
• ～よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ！It's morning!
• 買(か)う to buy
• 物(もの) thing; object; stuff

ハル：中、見ていい？

ハル：中(なか)、見(み)ていい？

Haru: Can I have a look inside?

• 中(なか) inside; in; into
• 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

アキ：うん、見て。

アキ：うん、見(み)て。

Aki: Yeah, go ahead and look.

Situation 4

Tanaka-san is asking Sato-san how to commute to the office.

田中：家から会社まで、時間かかりますか？

田中(たなか)：家(いえ)から会社(かいしゃ)まで、時間(じかん)かかりますか？

Tanaka: Does it take you a long time to get from your house to the office?

• 家(いえ) house; home
• ～から from; 日本(にほん)から来(き)ました。I'm from Japan.
• 会社(かいしゃ) company; firm
• ～まで to, as far as:日本(にほん)まで行(い)った。I went to (as far as) Japan. till; until; 朝(あさ)まで仕事(しごと)した。I worked until morning.
• 時間(じかん) time
• かかります ます form of かかる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• かかる to take (time, resource); to cost; to hang

佐藤：そんなにかかりませんよ。

佐藤(さとう)：そんなにかかりませんよ。

Sato: It doesn't take much time.

• そんなに so much; so; like that; often そんなに～ない: そんなに食(た)べれない。I can't eat that much.
• かかりません negative form of かかります

田中：何で来ていますか？

田中(たなか)：何(なに)で来(き)ていますか？

Tanaka: How do you commute?

• 来(き)て te-form of 来(く)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…
• 来(く)る to come
• ～ています ます form of ～ている; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence

佐藤：バスです。

佐藤(さとう)：バスです。

Sato: By bus.

• バス bus

田中：バスはすぐ来ますか？

田中(たなか)：バスはすぐ来(き)ますか？

Tanaka: Does the bus come quickly?

• すぐ immediately; right away; soon
• 来(き)ます ます form of 来(く)る; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence

佐藤：結構来ますよ。

佐藤(さとう)：結構(けっこう)来(き)ますよ。

Sato: They come quite quickly.

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