2020-Nov-23 Level 1 これ、もう食べれる？ – Japanese Vocabulary: The Shortcut

Lesson Dialogues

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Situation 1

Tanaka-san is having a barbecue with his son Hiroki.

ヒロキ：これ、もう食べれる？

ヒロキ：これ、もう食(た)べれる？

Hiroki: Can this be eaten already?

これ this
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?
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

田中：まだ。

田中(たなか)：まだ。

Tanaka: Not yet.

まだ yet; still; まだ帰(かえ)れない。I can't go home yet.

ヒロキ：えー、まだなの？

ヒロキ：えー、まだなの？

Hiroki: Oh, not yet?

え、えー expresses surprise or disappointment; えー、本当(ほんとう)？ What? Really?
～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.

田中：うん、もう少し。

田中(たなか)：うん、もう少(すこ)し。

Tanaka: Nope, it's almost ready.

うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
少(すこ)し a little; a few

ヒロキ：食べたいよー。

ヒロキ：食(た)べたいよー。

Hiroki: I want to eat it.

食(た)べたい たい form of 食(た)べる; ～たい expresses desire; I want to __
～よ、よー introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ！It's morning!

田中：もうちょっと。

田中(たなか)：もうちょっと。

Tanaka: Wait a little more.

ちょっと (just) a little; a bit; (conversation filler)

ヒロキ：できたとき、言ってね。

ヒロキ：できたとき、言(い)ってね。

Hiroki: Tell me when it's ready.

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
時(とき) time; when; o'clock
言(い)って te-form of 言(い)う; 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…
言(い)う to say; to speak; to talk; to mean: どういう意味(いみ)？What does it mean? 暑(あつ)いっていう意味(いみ)。It means "hot".
～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).

田中：わかったよ。

田中(たなか)：わかったよ。

Tanaka: Sure.

わかった past tense of わかる
わかる to understand; to see

Situation 2

They are talking about whether they add sugar to their coffee.

田中：入れないんですか？

田中(たなか)：入(い)れないんですか？

Tanaka: You don't add sugar?

入(い)れない negative form of 入(い)れる
入(い)れる to put in; to include
～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.
～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：はい、入れません。

佐藤(さとう)：はい、入(い)れません。

Sato: No, I don't.

はい yes
入(い)れません negative form of 入(い)れます
入(い)れます ます form of 入(い)れる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence

田中：いつからですか？

田中(たなか)：いつからですか？

Tanaka: When did that start?

いつ when
～から from; after: 日本(にほん)から来(き)ました。I'm from Japan.
～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.

佐藤：最近ですね。田中さんは？

佐藤(さとう)：最近(さいきん)ですね。田中(たなか)さんは？

Sato: Recently. What about you?

最近(さいきん) recently; lately

田中：入れますよ。少しだけですが。必要なんです。

田中(たなか)：入(い)れますよ。少(すこ)しだけですが。必要(ひつよう)なんです。

Tanaka: I add sugar to mine, but just a little. I need some.

～だけ only; alone; merely
～が but; 雨(あめ)ですが行(い)きます。It's raining but I'll go; used for introductory phrases: イベントがありますが行(い)きますか？ There's an event. Do you want to go?
必要(ひつよう) necessary

Situation 3

A tourist is asking a tour guide to take a group picture at a sightseeing spot.

ガイド：みんな、もう少し前へ。

ガイド：みんな、もう少(すこ)し前(まえ)へ。

Tour guide: Everyone, move forward a little.

みんな everyone (often みなさん); everything
前(まえ) forward; front; before
～へ indicates a destination; 学校(がっこう)へ行(い)く to go to school

客：これくらいですか？

客(きゃく)：これくらいですか？

Tourist: Something like this?

～くらい about; around; as … as …; like

ガイド：はい、そうです。

ガイド：はい、そうです。

Tour guide: Yes, that's right.

そう so; such; that is so; that's right

客：みんな、フレームの中に入ってますか？

客(きゃく)：みんな、フレームの中(なか)に入(はい)ってますか？

Tourist: Is everyone in the frame?

フレーム frame
～の indicates possession: 私(わたし)の子供(こども) my child; その車(くるま)、私(わたし)の。That car is mine; 私(わたし)の食(た)べる？Do you want to eat mine?
中(なか) inside; in; into
～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.
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
～います ます form of ～ている; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
～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?

ガイド：入ってますよ。はい、いい感じです。

ガイド：入(はい)ってますよ。はい、いい感(かん)じです。

Tour guide: Everyone is in the frame. Yes, this is great.

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.
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.

Situation 4

Aki and Jun were chatting while walking when they passed someone.

アキ：あの人、なんか私の顔見た。

アキ：あの人(ひと)、なんか私(わたし)の顔(かお)見(み)た。

Aki: That person looked at my face for some reason.

あの that; those
人(ひと) person; people; human being
なんか something; things like …, or something like that …; conversation filler; なんか、寒(さむ)い。Well, it's cold.
～の indicates possession: 私(わたし)の子供(こども) my child; その車(くるま)、私(わたし)の。That car is mine; 私(わたし)の食(た)べる？Do you want to eat mine?
顔(かお) face
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

ジュン：知ってる人？

ジュン：知(し)ってる人(ひと)？

Jun: Is he someone you know?

知(し)って te-form of 知(し)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…
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.

アキ：知らない。

アキ：知(し)らない。

Aki: I don't know him.

知(し)らない negative form of 知(し)る

ジュン：アキは知らないけど、あの人はアキを知ってるかも。

ジュン：アキは知(し)らないけど、あの人(ひと)はアキを知(し)ってるかも。

Jun: You may not know him, but that person may know you.

～けど but; however; although; though; a lot of people finish a sentence with (だ)けど because it makes the sentence less direct.
～かも perhaps; maybe; 明日(あした)、雨(あめ)かもしれない。Maybe it will rain tomorrow.

アキ：えー、そんなことないよ。

アキ：えー、そんなことないよ。

Aki: Hmm, I doubt that's possible.

そんな that; such; そんな事(こと)はできない。I can't do such a thing; 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.
こと thing; こと converts a sentence into a massive noun: 明日(あした)、日本(にほん)に行(い)くことは難(むずか)しい。 It's difficult to go to Japan tomorrow. ("明日(あした)、日本(にほん)に行(い)くこと" works like a big chunk of noun.)
ない There is no . . . ; no . . .

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