Lesson Dialogues
Situation 1
Mai is asking a company over the phone how much the moving expenses will be.
マイ:お金結構かかりますか?
マイ:お金(かね)結構(けっこう)かかりますか?
Mai: Will it cost a lot?
- お金(かね) money
- 結構(けっこう) adv. quite, fairly; na-adj. good
- 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
- ~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
業者:家の中、見る必要がありますね。
業者(ぎょうしゃ):家(いえ)の中(なか)、見(み)る必要(ひつよう)がありますね。
Company staff: We need to take a look around your house.
- 家(いえ) house; home
- ~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
- 見(み)る to see; to look; to watch; to check; we use 観(み)る for things like sports or TV shows
- 必要(ひつよう) necessary
- 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
- ~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).
マイ:来てくれますか?
マイ:来(き)てくれますか?
Mai: Will you come over?
- 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
- ~てくれます ます form of ~てくれる; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- ~てくれる to do something as a favor: 学校(がっこう)に来(き)てくれる? Can you come to the school?; ~てくれない indicates that someone is not doing something even if you want them to: 鈴木(すずき)くんが学校(がっこう)に来(き)てくれない。Suzuki-kun is not coming to school (even though I want him to.)
業者:はい、行きますよ。
業者(ぎょうしゃ):はい、行(い)きますよ。
Company staff: Yes, we will go over.
- はい yes
- 行(い)きます ます form of 行(い)く; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- 行(い)く to go
- ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ!It's morning!
Situation 2
Mai is talking to a moving company over the phone.
業者:まず見てみますね。
業者(ぎょうしゃ):まず見(み)てみますね。
Company staff: We will take a look first.
- まず first; firstly
- 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…
- ~てみます ます form of ~てみる; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- ~てみる to try and _; to try something; to attempt to do something; 食(た)べてみる。I'll try eating.
マイ:ありがとうございます。
マイ:ありがとうございます。
Mai: Thank you very much.
- ありがとうございます thank you; ありがと is colloquial
業者:行く日、いつがいいですか?
業者(ぎょうしゃ):行(い)く日(ひ)、いつがいいですか?
Company staff: When is a good day for us to go over?
- 日(ひ) day; the sun
- いつ when
- 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.
- ~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.
マイ:日曜日がいいんですが。
マイ:日曜日(にちようび)がいいんですが。
Mai: Sunday would be good.
- 曜日(ようび) days of the week;月曜日(げつようび) Monday 火曜日(かようび) Tuesday 水曜日(すいようび) Wednesday 木曜日(もくようび) Thursday 金曜日(きんようび) Friday 土曜日(どようび) Saturday 日曜日(にちようび) Sunday
- ~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.
- ~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?
業者:ごめんなさい。土曜日はどうですか?
業者(ぎょうしゃ):ごめんなさい。土曜日(どようび)はどうですか?
Company staff: Sorry, how about Saturday?
- ごめんなさい I'm sorry
- 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?
マイ:分かりました。
マイ:分(わ)かりました。
Mai: Alright.
- 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
Situation 3
Mai is talking to Aki about moving.
アキ:えー、どこへ?
アキ:えー、どこへ?
Aki: Whoa, where (are you moving to)?
- えー expresses surprise or disappointment; えー、本当(ほんとう)? What? Really?
- どこ where
- ~へ indicates a destination; 学校(がっこう)へ行(い)く to go to school
マイ:同じ町の中だけどね。
マイ:同(おな)じ町(まち)の中(なか)だけどね。
Mai: Somewhere in the same town.
- 同(おな)じ same
- 町(まち) town; city
- けど but; however; although; though; a lot of people finish a sentence with (だ)けど because it makes the sentence less direct.
アキ:いつ?
アキ:いつ?
Aki: When?
マイ:もうすぐ。
マイ:もうすぐ。
Mai: Soon.
- 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?
- すぐ immediately; right away; soon
アキ:それはすごいニュースだね。みんな知ってるの?
アキ:それはすごいニュースだね。みんな知(し)ってるの?
Aki: That's great news. Does everyone know?
- それ that
- すごい i-adj. fantastic, wonderful, terrible; adv. awfully, very, immensely
- ニュース news
- みんな everyone (often みなさん); everything
- 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.
- ~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:アキが最初だよ。
マイ:アキが最初(さいしょ)だよ。
Mai: You're the first (to know).
- 最初(さいしょ) first
- ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ!It's morning!
Situation 4
Mai is saying that she will be moving.
アキ:何か問題あるの、今、住んでるとこ?
アキ:何(なに)か問題(もんだい)あるの、今(いま)、住(す)んでるとこ?
Aki: Is there something wrong with the place you're living at now?
- 何(なに)か something; things like …, or something like that …; conversation filler; なんか、寒(さむ)い。Well, it's cold.
- 問題(もんだい) problem; question
- 今(いま) now
- 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
- 所(ところ)、とこ 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.)
マイ:ううん、そうじゃないよ。今よりいいとこ、あったから。
マイ:ううん、そうじゃないよ。今(いま)よりいいとこ、あったから。
Mai: Nope, there isn't. (I'm moving) because I found somewhere better than my current place.
- ううん nuh-uh; no
- そう so; such; that is so; that's right
- ~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.
- あった past tense of ある
- ~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.
アキ:それはよかったね。
アキ:それはよかったね。
Aki: That's nice to hear.
- 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.
マイ:うん、よかった。
マイ:うん、よかった。
Mai: Yeah, I'm glad.
- うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
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.
Same as the question above:
For situation 1:
業者(ぎょうしゃ):家(いえ)の中(なか)、見(み)る必要(ひつよう)がありますね。
I want to confirm my understanding. Basically, in more literal terms, in the second part of the statement, the speaker is saying that: “…it is necessary to look.”
Without “がありま,” it would just be “necessary to look,” and that wouldn’t make sense.
Is my understanding correct?
>家の中を見る必要がありますね。I want to confirm my understanding. Basically, in more literal terms, in the second part of the statement, the speaker is saying that: “…it is necessary to look.”
ー In more literal terms, it means “There is a necessity that we should take a look at your house in person (to determine how much it will cost).”
※必要 – necessity
※ Aがある – there is A
※必要がある – there is a necessity
※あります – a polite form of ある.
That’s how we say particularly in business or formal situations in Japanese.
It actually means “We need to take a look at your house.”
Feel free to ask if you need further explanation.
For situation 1:
業者(ぎょうしゃ):家(いえ)の中(なか)、見(み)る必要(ひつよう)がありますね。
I want to confirm my understanding. Basically, in more literal terms, in the second part of the statement, the speaker is saying that: “…it is necessary to look.”
Without “がありま,” it would just be “necessary to look,” and that wouldn’t make sense.
Is my understanding correct?
Sorry, I do not understand your question. Could you explain more for me, please? Thanks.