2020-Nov-9 Level 1 ここから町がほとんど見えますよ。

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

While a tourist is sightseeing, there seems to be an observation deck farther above the place he is visiting.

ガイド：上まで行きますか？

ガイド：上(うえ)まで行(い)きますか？

Guide: Do you want to go up there?

• 上(うえ) top; above; up; on
• ～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.
• 行(い)きます ます form of 行(い)く; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 行(い)く to go
• ～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

観光客：はい。行きたいです。

観光客(かんこうきゃく)：はい。行(い)きたいです。

Tourist: Yes. I would like to go there.

• はい yes
• 行(い)きたい たい form of 行(い)く; ～たい expresses desire; I want to __
• ～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.

ガイド：上から町が見れますよ。

ガイド：上(うえ)から町(まち)が見(み)れますよ。

Guide: You can see the town from above.

• ～から from; after: 日本(にほん)から来(き)ました。I'm from Japan.
• 町(まち) town; city
• 見(み)れます ます form of 見(み)れる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 見(み)れる potential form of 見(み)る; ～れる expresses possibility; can; can be
• 見(み)る to see; to look; to watch; to check; we use 観(み)る for things like sports or TV shows
• ～よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ！It's morning!

観光客：いいですね。

観光客(かんこうきゃく)：いいですね。

Tourist: Sounds good.

• 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.
• ～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.
• ～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).

ガイド：高い所、好きですか？

ガイド：高(たか)い所(ところ)、好(す)きですか？

Guide: Do you like high places?

• 高(たか)い high; tall; expensive
• 所(ところ) place: 広(ひろ)い所(ところ) a big place; point: わからない所(ところ)ある？Is there anything you don't understand?; part; aspect: どんなところが好(す)き？ What part do you like?; area; explains the current situation: 食(た)べているところ I'm in the middle of eating; 食(た)べたところ I just finished eating (= at the point where I finished eating.)
• 好(す)き favorite; to like; to love

観光客：はい、結構好きです。

観光客(かんこうきゃく)：はい、結構(けっこう)好(す)きです。

Tourist: Yes, I like them quite a bit.

• 結構(けっこう) adv. quite, fairly; na-adj. good

Situation 2

A tourist looks out over the town from an observation deck while sightseeing.

観光客：いい所ですね。

観光客(かんこうきゃく)：いい所(ところ)ですね。

Tourist: This sure is a nice spot.

ガイド：ここから町がほとんど見えますよ。

ガイド：ここから町(まち)がほとんど見(み)えますよ。

Guide: You can almost see the whole town from here.

• ここ here
• 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.
• 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 able to be seen, to be in sight; to look, to seem, to appear

観光客：ほんとによく見えますね。

観光客(かんこうきゃく)：ほんとによく見(み)えますね。

Tourist: You really do get a good view.

• 本当(ほんとう)、ほんと truth; right; really
• よく good; well; often; 日本(にほん)によく行(い)きます。 I go to Japan often.

ガイド：でも、よく見えない日もあるんですよ。

ガイド：でも、よく見(み)えない日(ひ)もあるんですよ。

Guide: There are also days when the view isn't very good, though.

• 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.
• 見(み)えない negative form of 見(み)える
• 日(ひ) day; the sun
• ～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.
• ある to be (existence); to have (possession); to happen; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals
• ～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.

観光客：よく見える日でよかったです。

観光客(かんこうきゃく)：よく見(み)える日(ひ)でよかったです。

Tourist: I'm glad the view is clear today.

• ～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.
• よかった past 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.

Situation 3

Yutaka and Haru are about to go on a drive. They are talking about their car's gasoline.

ユタカ：今、ガソリンあんまり入ってないんだよ。

ユタカ：今(いま)、ガソリンあんまり入(はい)ってないんだよ。

Yutaka: There's not much gas in the car right now.

• 今(いま) now
• 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.
• ガソリン gas
• 入(はい)ってない negative form of 入(はい)っている
• 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
• ～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?
• ～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?

ハル：この前、いつ入れたの？

ハル：この前(まえ)、いつ入(い)れたの？

Haru: When did you last put some in?

• 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.
• いつ when
• 入(い)れた past tense of 入(い)れる
• 入(い)れる to put in; to include
• ～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.

ユタカ：ちょっと前。

ユタカ：ちょっと前(まえ)。

Yutaka: A little while ago.

• ちょっと (just) a little; a bit; (conversation filler)
• 前(まえ) forward; front; before

ハル：最初に入れる？

ハル：最初(さいしょ)に入(い)れる？

Haru: Do you want to put some in first?

• 最初(さいしょ) first
• ～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.

ユタカ：うん、そうだね。入れてから行くのがいいね。

ユタカ：うん、そうだね。入(い)れてから行(い)くのがいいね。

Yutaka: Yeah, I think so. It would be best to put some in before we go.

• うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
• そう so; such; that is so; that's right
• 入(い)れて te-form of 入(い)れる; 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…～から
• ～の の can make other words, such as verbs, function like a noun: 食(た)べるのはやめる。I will stop eating.

Situation 4

Yutaka and Haru refueled at a gas station before going on a trip by car.

ハル：どう？ガソリン、たくさん入った？

ハル：どう？ガソリン、たくさん入(はい)った？

Haru: Well? Did you put in a lot of gas (Was a lot of gas put in)?

• 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?
• たくさん many; much; a lot
• 入(はい)った past tense of 入(はい)る

ユタカ：かなり入ったよ。

ユタカ：かなり入(はい)ったよ。

Yutaka: I put in quite a bit (Quite a lot was put in).

• かなり very; considerably; rather; 今日(きょう)はかなり寒(さむ)い。It's very cold today.

ハル：もうほとんどなかったのかな？

ハル：もうほとんどなかったのかな？

Haru: I wonder if the tank was almost empty.

• 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?
• なかった past tense of ない
• ない There is no . . . ; no . . .
• ～かな indicates uncertainty; softens a sentence; ちょっと寒(さむ)いかな。I think it's a bit cold.

ユタカ：そうかも。

ユタカ：そうかも。

Yutaka: Seems like it.

• ～かも perhaps; maybe; 明日(あした)、雨(あめ)かもしれない。Maybe it will rain tomorrow.

ハル：最初に入れてよかったね。

ハル：最初(さいしょ)に入(い)れてよかったね。

Haru: Good thing we put some in before going.

ユタカ：ほんと。

ユタカ：ほんと。

Yutaka: For sure.

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