Lesson Dialogues
Situation 1
A singer that Aki and Sachi like released a new song.
アキ:ねえ、もう聞いた?
アキ:ねえ、もう聞(き)いた?
Aki: Hey, have you listened to it already?
- ねえ hey
- 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?
- 聞(き)いた past tense of 聞(き)く
- 聞(き)く to hear; to listen; to ask; to obey
サチ:うん、聞いた、聞いた。すごく良かった。
サチ:うん、聞(き)いた、聞(き)いた。すごく良(よ)かった。
Sachi: Yeah, I have, I have. It's really good.
- 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
- 良(よ)かった past tense of 良(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.
アキ:良かったよね。この前よりさらにいいよね。
アキ:良(よ)かったよね。この前(まえ)よりさらにいいよね。
Aki: It is, isn't it? It's even better than the previous one.
- ~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 and expect the other person to agree
- この前(まえ) some time ago; recently; lately; the other day; この前(まえ)車(くるま)買(か)ったよ。I bought a car the other day.
- ~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.
- さらに again; still more; moreover; さらに人(ひと)が来(き)た。Even more people came.
サチ:やっぱり。私もそう思った。
サチ:やっぱり。私(わたし)もそう思(おも)った。
Sachi: I knew it. I thought so too.
- やっぱり as (one) expected; still; either way; after all; nonetheless; やっぱり and やっぱ are colloquial versions of やはり
- ~も too; also; 私(わたし)も行(い)く! I'll go too!; but: 頑張(がんば)っても出来(でき)なかった。I tried my best, but I couldn't do it.
- そう so (as in "I think so"); そう思(おも)う。 I think so. ; そうなんだ。 I see.
- 思(おも)う to think; to believe; to feel; to expect; ~と思(おも)う I think that: 明日(あした)、行(い)くと思(おも)う。I think I will go tomorrow.
Situation 2
This is a conversation between someone who is looking for a house to rent and a real estate agent.
不動産屋:この家はどうですか?
不動産屋(ふどうさんや):この家(いえ)はどうですか?
Real estate agent: How about this house?
- この this
- 家(いえ) house; home
- 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
客:少し大きいですね。
客(きゃく):少(すこ)し大(おお)きいですね。
Customer: It's a little big, isn't it?
- 少(すこ)し a little; a few
- 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).
不動産屋:でもあんまり高くないですよ。
不動産屋(ふどうさんや):でもあんまり高(たか)くないですよ。
Real estate agent: But it isn't very expensive.
- 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.
- あまり、あんまり あまり n. the rest; あまり、あんまり 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.
- 高(たか)くない negative form of 高(たか)い
- 高(たか)い high; tall; expensive
- ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ!It's morning!
客:大きい家は必要ないです。
客(きゃく):大(おお)きい家(いえ)は必要(ひつよう)ないです。
Customer: I don't need a big house.
- 必要(ひつよう) necessary
- ない There is no . . . ; no . . .
不動産屋:必要ありませんか?
不動産屋(ふどうさんや):必要(ひつよう)ありませんか?
Real estate agent: You don't need one?
- ありません negative form of あります
- あります ます form of ある; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- ある to be (existence); to have (possession); to happen; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals
客:はい、一人で住むんで。
客(きゃく):はい、一人(ひとり)で住(す)むんで。
Customer: Yes, because I'll be living alone.
- はい yes
- 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.
- 住(す)む to live
- ~んで as; because; since; 疲(つか)れたんで帰(かえ)ります。I'll go home because I'm tired.
Situation 3
Aki and Sachi are talking about the test that they took a short while ago.
アキ:問題、すごく多かったよね。
アキ:問題(もんだい)、すごく多(おお)かったよね。
Aki: There were a lot of problems, weren't there?
- 問題(もんだい) problem; question
- 多(おお)かった past tense of 多(おお)い
- 多(おお)い many; much; a lot of
サチ:うん。ほんと多かった。
サチ:うん。ほんと多(おお)かった。
Sachi: Yeah. There were really many.
- 本当(ほんとう)、ほんと truth; right; really
アキ:どこまでできた?
アキ:どこまでできた?
Aki: How far did you make it?
- どこ where
- ~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.
- できた past tense 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
サチ:終わらなかった。
サチ:終(お)わらなかった。
Sachi: I didn't finish it.
- 終(お)わらなかった negative form of 終(お)わった
- 終(お)わった past tense of 終(お)わる
- 終(お)わる to end; to finish
アキ:私も。時間、なかったよね。
アキ:私(わたし)も。時間(じかん)、なかったよね。
Aki: Me neither. There wasn't enough time, was there?
- 時間(じかん) time
- なかった past tense of ない
サチ:うん、みんなも同じだよね。
サチ:うん、みんなも同(おな)じだよね。
Sachi: No, it's the same for everyone, isn't it?
- みんな everyone (often みなさん); everything
- 同(おな)じ same
Situation 4
They are talking about a movie that has been the talk of the town recently.
佐藤:見た人、多いみたいですね。
佐藤(さとう):見(み)た人(ひと)、多(おお)いみたいですね。
Sato: It seems like a lot of people have seen it, right?
- 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
- 人(ひと) person; people; human being
- ~みたい like; it seems that…; as if…
田中:私もこの前見ましたよ。
田中(たなか):私(わたし)もこの前(まえ)見(み)ましたよ。
Tanaka: I saw it recently too.
- 見(み)ました past tense of 見(み)ます
- 見(み)ます ます form of 見(み)る; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
佐藤:私はまだなんです。どうでしたか?
佐藤(さとう):私(わたし)はまだなんです。どうでしたか?
Sato: I haven't seen it yet. How was it?
- まだ yet; still; まだ帰(かえ)れない。I can't go home yet.
- ~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.
- ~でした past tense of ~です
田中:私は好きです、あの感じ。また見たいです。
田中(たなか):私(わたし)は好(す)きです、あの感(かん)じ。また見(み)たいです。
Tanaka: I like that sort of movie. I want to see it again.
- 好(す)き favorite; to like; to love
- あの that; those
- 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.
- また adv. additionally; moreover; conj. again; too; and; また来(き)ます。I'll come here again.
- 見(み)たい たい form of 見(み)る; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
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.
– In a previous lesson, I learned that 聞く is used for general purposes, while 聴く is used for music. Does it mean 聞く can still be used in situation #1 even if it is about music?
– 必要 can be either noun or な-adjective, right?
– In situation #4, did 田中 use あの感じ instead of その感じ because she introduced her impression of the movie?
Thanks.
– In a previous lesson, I learned that 聞く is used for general purposes, while 聴く is used for music. Does it mean 聞く can still be used in situation #1 even if it is about music?
→ the differences between 聞く and 聴く are
「聞く」→even though you are not trying, you hear or listen naturally (音を聞く、声を聞くetc)
「聴く」→ you are actively trying to listen (音楽を聴く,ラジオを聴く, etc)
but 「聞く」 can actually cover two meanings. 「音楽を聞く」 is often used.
– 必要 can be either noun or な-adjective, right?
-> Yes you are right.
– In situation #4, did 田中 use あの感じ instead of その感じ because she introduced her impression of the movie?
-> when recalling the memory(including emotion or felling), 「あの」should be used. As you mentioned, because 田中さんis talking about her impression of the movie, she used あの
Situation 4 line 3: 佐藤(さとう):私(わたし)はまだなんです。どうでしたか? What does なんです (actually なん) means? Is it a filler word?
I think the な acts as a a modifier for the noun-adjective relationship here. I’m still pretty new to japanese but this is what I think the case is.
なんです is used to show the reason, because まだ acts as a noun you need to add な for verbs and i-adjectives use んです. The speaker in the example is explaining she’s already watched the movie.
まだなんです」means basically very similar to まだです。「~んです」 is used when you want to explain and emphasis your situation to the listener.
「んです」becomes 「なんです」when it modifies a noun,なadjective and adverb
ex)日本人なんです
For situation 2 line 3, でもあんまり高(たか)くないですよ。あんまり means (not) very and 高(たか)くない means (not) expensive, so wouldn’t that mean its not very not expensive or very expensive? Thanks!
I think that the japanese sentence structure is just different from the english one. If I’m not mistaken, ない goes with あんまち, not with 高く, so the translation would be “not very expensive”/ “affordable”.
But I’m still learning too so I might be wrong.
KARIMBENHALLAM21656 Yes, exactly you are right! あんまり(あまり)is used only in negative sentences. あんまり and ないalways have to be together.
ex)あんまり高くない. not very expensive/ あんまりおもしろくない not very interesting /あんまりかわいくない not very cute
Thank you for your response! So 高かい was conjugated to its negative form but the -ない applies to the あんまり?
高くない is a negative form of 高い and あんまり always have to be with ない