2020-Dec-21 Level 1 ラーメンがいいかな。

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

Natsu and her brother are talking about supper.

ナツ:なんか食べたいな。

ナツ:なんか食(た)べたいな。

Natsu: I want to eat something.

• なんか something; things like …, or something like that …; conversation filler; なんか、寒(さむ)い。Well, it's cold.
• 食(た)べたい たい form of 食(た)べる; ～たい expresses desire; I want to __
• 食(た)べる to eat
• 〜な expresses emotions; emphasises the emotion; softens the sentence; often なー; 日本(にほん)へ行(い)きたいな。I want to go to Japan; かわいいなー。It's so cute.

兄:何が食べたい？

兄(あに):何(なに)が食(た)べたい？

Brother: What do you want to eat?

• 何(なに) what

ナツ:ラーメンがいいかな。

ナツ:ラーメンがいいかな。

Natsu: I'll probably have ramen.

• ラーメン ramen: Japanese noodle soup
• 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.
• 〜かな indicates uncertainty; softens a sentence; ちょっと寒(さむ)いかな。I think it's a bit cold.

兄:いいね。僕のも作って。

兄(あに):いいね。僕(ぼく)のも作(つく)って。

Brother: Nice. Make it for me too.

• ～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).
• 僕(ぼく) I (used by male speakers)
• 〜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?
• 〜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.
• 作(つく)って te-form of 作(つく)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…
• 作(つく)る to make; to create; to cook

ナツ:えー、この前も私が作ったじゃん。

ナツ:えー、この前(まえ)も私(わたし)が作(つく)ったじゃん。

Natsu: What? Didn't I make it the last time too?

• えー expresses surprise or disappointment; えー、本当(ほんとう)？ What? Really?
• 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.
• 作(つく)った past tense of 作(つく)る
• 〜じゃん common way of ending a sentence mainly in Kanto region; a colloquial form of じゃない; isn't it

兄:そうだった？

兄(あに):そうだった？

Brother: Did you?

• そう so; such; that is so; that's right
• だった past tense of nouns and na-adjectives; 雨(あめ)だった。 It was raining.

ナツ:そうだよ。

ナツ:そうだよ。

Natsu: I did.

• 〜よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ！It's morning!

兄:わかった、わかった。僕が作るよ。

兄(あに):わかった、わかった。僕(ぼく)が作(つく)るよ。

Brother: Okay, okay. I'll make it then.

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

Situation 2

Natsu ran into her friend Yukari and is talking to her.

ナツ:こんばんは！ユカリ。

ナツ:こんばんは！ユカリ。

Natsu: Good evening, Yukari!

• こんばんは good evening

ユカリ:あ、ナツ！こんばんは。

ユカリ:あ、ナツ！こんばんは。

Yukari: Oh, Natsu! Good evening.

ナツ:今まで仕事？

ナツ:今(いま)まで仕事(しごと)？

Natsu: Were you working until now?

• 今(いま) now
• 〜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.
• 仕事(しごと) work, job; 仕事(しごと)する to work

ユカリ:うん。今終わって、帰るとこ。

ユカリ:うん。今(いま)終(お)わって、帰(かえ)るとこ。

Yukari: Yeah. I just finished work and I'm going home.

• うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
• 終(お)わって te-form of 終(お)わる; 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…
• 終(お)わる to end; to finish
• 帰(かえ)る to return; to go home; to go back
• 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.)

ナツ:仕事、大変だったの？

ナツ:仕事(しごと)、大変(たいへん)だったの？

Natsu: Did you have a hard time at work?

• 大変(たいへん) serious; terrible; hard; difficult
• 〜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.

ユカリ:ううん。時間はかかったけど、ほとんど問題なく終わった。

ユカリ:ううん。時間(じかん)はかかったけど、ほとんど問題(もんだい)なく終(お)わった。

Yukari: Nope. My work took a while but I finished it with almost no problems.

• ううん nuh-uh; no
• 時間(じかん) time
• かかった past tense of かかる
• かかる to take (time, resource); to cost; to hang
• けど but; however; although; though; a lot of people finish a sentence with (だ)けど because it makes the sentence less direct.
• 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.
• 問題(もんだい) problem; question
• なく adverbial form of ない
• ない negative form of ある (to exist); 明日(あす)行(い)かない I won't go tomorrow; not; nonexistent; not being (there)
• 終(お)わった past tense of 終(お)わる

ナツ:そっか。よかったね。

ナツ:そっか。よかったね。

Natsu: I see. That's great.

• そっか a colloquial form of そうか; is that so?; I see; you're right
• 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

Natsu and her brother are talking. Her brother is going out.

兄:おはよう、ナツ。

兄(あに):おはよう、ナツ。

Brother: Good morning, Natsu.

• おはよう good morning

ナツ:おはよう。仕事に行くの？

ナツ:おはよう。仕事(しごと)に行(い)くの？

Natsu: Good morning. Are you going to work?

• 行(い)く to go

兄:ううん、仕事じゃない。街に行く。買いたい物があるから。

兄(あに):ううん、仕事(しごと)じゃない。街(まち)に行(い)く。買(か)いたい物(もの)があるから。

Brother: Nope, not work. I'm going to the city because there's something I want to buy.

• 街(まち) town; city
• 買(か)いたい たい form of 買(か)う; ～たい expresses desire; I want to __
• 買(か)う to buy
• 物(もの) thing; object; stuff: ～の can replace 物(もの) if it's after na-adjective: いろんなのがある＝いろんな物(もの)がある。
• ある to be (existence); to have (possession); to happen; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals
• 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.

ナツ:私も買いたい物があるんだ。一緒に行っていい？

ナツ:私(わたし)も買(か)いたい物(もの)があるんだ。一緒(いっしょ)に行(い)っていい？

Natsu: There's also something I want to buy. Can we go together?

• 〜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?
• 一緒(いっしょ) together; with
• 行(い)って te-form of 行(い)く; 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…

兄:うん、いいよ。一緒に行こう。

兄(あに):うん、いいよ。一緒(いっしょ)に行(い)こう。

Brother: Yeah, sure. Let's go together.

• いいよ sure; ok
• 行(い)こう ou form of 行(い)く; ～ou expresses suggestion; let's __; 食(た)べよう。 let's eat; 行(い)こう。 let's go; 遊(あそ)ぼう。 let's play; 作(つく)ろう。let's make.

Situation 4

A staff member at the clinic and an old (male) patient are talking.

スタッフ:次はこの日でいいですか？

スタッフ:次(つぎ)はこの日(ひ)でいいですか？

Staff: Will this day be fine for your next visit?

• 次(つぎ) next; following; coming
• この this; these
• 日(ひ) day; the sun
• 〜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: 日本人(にほんじん)ですか？ Are you Japanese?; 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; making a remark to yourself: 雨(あめ)か。。。It's raining…

老人:何曜日？

老人(ろうじん):何曜日(なんようび)？

Old patient: What day of the week is it?

• 曜日(ようび) days of the week;月曜日(げつようひ) Monday 火曜日(かようひ) 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

スタッフ:火曜日です。

スタッフ:火曜日(かようび)です。

Staff: It is a Tuesday.

老人:火曜日だね。ここに書いてくれる？

老人(ろうじん):火曜日(かようび)だね。ここに書(か)いてくれる？

Old patient: Oh, Tuesday. Can you write it here?

• 〜だね 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).
• ここ here
• 書(か)いて te-form of 書(か)く; 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…
• 書(か)く to write
• 〜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.)

スタッフ:はい。書きましたよ。

スタッフ:はい。書(か)きましたよ。

Staff: Sure. I have written it.

• はい yes
• 書(か)きました past tense of 書(か)きます
• 書(か)きます ます form of 書(か)く; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence

老人:目が悪くて、よく見えないんだよ。悪いけど、もう少し大きく書いてくれる？

老人(ろうじん):目(め)が悪(わる)くて、よく見(み)えないんだよ。悪(わる)いけど、もう少(すこ)し大(おお)きく書(か)いてくれる？

Old patient: I have bad eyesight and I can't see very well. I'm sorry, but can you write it a little bigger?

• 目(め) eye; ordinal number suffix (-th)
• 悪(わる)くて te-form of 悪(わる)い
• 悪(わる)い bad
• よく good; well; often; 日本(にほん)によく行(い)きます。 I go to Japan often.
• 見(み)えない negative form of 見(み)える
• 見(み)える to be seen, to be able to be seen, to be in sight; to look, to seem, to appear
• 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?
• 少(すこ)し a little; a few
• 大(おお)きく adverbial form of 大(おお)きい
• 大(おお)きい big; large; great

スタッフ:このくらいでいいですか？

スタッフ:このくらいでいいですか？

Staff: Is this big enough?

• くらい about; around; as … as …; like

老人:あー、よく見える。ありがとう。

老人(ろうじん):あー、よく見(み)える。ありがとう。

Old patient: Ah, I can see it properly now. Thanks.

• ありがとう thank you; ありがと is colloquial

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