2021-Jan-4 Level 1 先生、すぐ分かりましたか？

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

Haru and Mari received some information on a high school class gathering.

ハル：どうする？行く？

ハル：どうする？行(い)く？

Haru: What are you doing about this? Are you going?

• 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?
• する to do; to make; to decide on; to choose
• 行(い)く to go

マリ：考えてるとこ。ハルはどうするの？

マリ：考(かんが)えてるとこ。ハルはどうするの？

Mari: I'm still considering it. What about you, Haru?

• 考(かんが)えて te-form of 考(かんが)える; 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…
• 考(かんが)える to think
• ～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?
• 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.)

ハル：私も考えてる。どうしよう。

ハル：私(わたし)も考(かんが)えてる。どうしよう。

Haru: I'm still considering it too. What should we do?

• ～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.
• どうしよう what should I do?

マリ：ユタカは行くのかな？

マリ：ユタカは行(い)くのかな？

Mari: I wonder if Yutaka is going.

• ～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.
• ～かな indicates uncertainty; softens a sentence; ちょっと寒(さむ)いかな。I think it's a bit cold.

ハル：分からない。聞いてみる。

ハル：分(わ)からない。聞(き)いてみる。

Haru: I don't know. I'll try asking him.

• 分(わ)からない negative form of 分(わ)かる
• 分(わ)かる to understand; to see
• 聞(き)いて te-form of 聞(き)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…
• 聞(き)く to hear; to listen; to ask; to obey
• ～てみる to try and _; to try something; to attempt to do something; 食(た)べてみる。I'll try eating.

Situation 2

Haru and Yutaka are talking about whether they are attending the high school class gathering.

ハル：行く？

ハル：行(い)く？

Haru: Are you going?

ユタカ：あー、あのパーティー？

ユタカ：あー、あのパーティー？

Yutaka: Oh, that party?

• あの that; those
• パーティー party

ハル：うん。私、この前から考えてるんだけど。

ハル：うん。私(わたし)、この前(まえ)から考(かんが)えてるんだけど。

Haru: Yeah. I've been considering it for some time.

• うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
• 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.
• ～から from; after: 日本(にほん)から来(き)ました。I'm from Japan.
• けど but; however; although; though; a lot of people finish a sentence with (だ)けど because it makes the sentence less direct.

ユタカ：僕、その日、仕事だから行けないんだよ。

ユタカ：僕(ぼく)、その日(ひ)、仕事(しごと)だから行(い)けないんだよ。

Yutaka: I can't go because I have work on that day.

• 僕(ぼく) I (used by male speakers)
• その that
• 日(ひ) day; the sun
• 仕事(しごと) work, job; 仕事(しごと)する to work
• ～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.
• 行(い)けない negative form of 行(い)ける
• 行(い)ける potential form of 行(い)く
• ～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?
• ～よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ！It's morning!

ハル：あー、そうなんだね。

ハル：あー、そうなんだね。

Haru: Oh, I see.

• そう so (as in "I think so"); そう思(おも)う。 I think so. ; そうなんだ。 I see.
• ～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).

Situation 3

Haru met his teacher for the first time in a long time at the high school class gathering.

ハル：先生、こんにちは。

ハル：先生(せんせい)、こんにちは。

Haru: Hello, Sensei.

• 先生(せんせい) teacher; professor; doctor
• こんにちは hello; good afternoon

先生：えーと、誰だったかな？

先生(せんせい)：えーと、誰(だれ)だったかな？

Teacher: Umm, who are you again?

• 誰(だれ) who
• だった past tense of nouns and na-adjectives; 雨(あめ)だった。 It was raining.

ハル：分かりませんか？

ハル：分(わ)かりませんか？

Haru: Don't you recognize me?

• 分(わ)かりません negative form 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
• ～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…

先生：いや、ジョークだよ。

先生(せんせい)：いや、ジョークだよ。

Teacher: Nah, I was joking.

• いや no; oh
• ジョーク joke

ハル：本当ですか？

ハル：本当(ほんとう)ですか？

Haru: Really?

• 本当(ほんとう) truth; right; really
• ～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.

先生：本当だよ。ハルさんだよね。

先生(せんせい)：本当(ほんとう)だよ。ハルさんだよね。

Teacher: I was really just joking. Haru-san, right?

Situation 4

Mari, who is attending the high school class gathering, came over to her teacher's side.

先生：あー、マリさんかな？

先生(せんせい)：あー、マリさんかな？

Teacher: Oh, you're Mari-san, right?

マリ：はい。先生、すぐ分かりましたか？

マリ：はい。先生(せんせい)、すぐ分(わ)かりましたか？

Mari: Yes. Sensei, did you recognize me immediately?

• はい yes
• すぐ immediately; right away; soon
• 分(わ)かりました past tense of 分(わ)かります

先生：ほとんど変わってないからね。

先生(せんせい)：ほとんど変(か)わってないからね。

Teacher: Because you haven't changed much at all.

• 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.
• 変(か)わって te-form of 変(か)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…
• 変(か)わる to change
• ～てない negative form of ～てる

マリ：えー、そう見えますか？

マリ：えー、そう見(み)えますか？

Mari: Oh, do I look like I haven't?

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

先生：顔を見て、すぐ分かったよ。

先生(せんせい)：顔(かお)を見(み)て、すぐ分(わ)かったよ。

Teacher: I saw your face and recognized you immediately.

• 顔(かお) face
• 見(み)る to see; to look; to watch; to check; we use 観(み)る for things like sports or TV shows
• 分(わ)かった past tense of 分(わ)かる

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