2021-Jan-11 Level 1 日本風の家が好きなんだね。

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

Hiroshi and Emiko are shopping together at a store.

エミコ:なにか買いたいものある?

エミコ:なにか買(か)いたいものある?

Emiko: Is there anything you want to buy?

  • 何(なに)か、なんか something; things like …, or something like that …; conversation filler; なんか、寒(さむ)い。Well, it's cold.
  • 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)、~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

ヒロシ:これ買いたいけど、少し高いよね。

ヒロシ:これ買(か)いたいけど、少(すこ)し高(たか)いよね。

Hiroshi: I want to buy this, but it's a little expensive.

  • これ this
  • けど but; however; although; though; a lot of people finish a sentence with (だ)けど because it makes the sentence less direct.
  • 少(すこ)し a little; a few
  • 高(たか)い high; tall; expensive
  • ~よね shares mutual sentiments; confirms some information: 寒(さむ)いよね。 It's cold, right?; よな is sometimes used by male speakers; かわいいよ。 may imply she might not know that she's cute, かわいいね。 may imply you expect her to notice it too, and かわいいよね。implies that the speaker is fairly certain about the statement and expect the other person to agree

エミコ:ちょっと高いかなー、ほかの買う?

エミコ:ちょっと高(たか)いかなー、ほかの買(か)う?

Emiko: It seems a little expensive. Do you want to buy something else?

  • ちょっと (just) a little; a bit; (conversation filler)
  • ~かな indicates uncertainty; softens a sentence; ちょっと寒(さむ)いかな。I think it's a bit cold.
  • ほか other; another; else; 他(ほか)の人(ひと) other people

ヒロシ:これなんかどう?

ヒロシ:これなんかどう?

Hiroshi: How about this?

  • 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?

エミコ:それいいじゃん。

エミコ:それいいじゃん。

Emiko: That looks good, isn’t it.

  • それ that
  • 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.
  • ~じゃん common way of ending a sentence mainly in Kanto region; a colloquial form of じゃない; isn't it

Situation 2

Hiroshi and Kenta make a dinner appointment after work.

ヒロシ:もう仕事終わった?

ヒロシ:もう仕事(しごと)終(お)わった?

Hiroshi: Have you finished working already?

  • 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?
  • 仕事(しごと) work, job; 仕事(しごと)する to work
  • 終(お)わった past tense of 終(お)わる
  • 終(お)わる to end; to finish

ケンタ:もう終わったよ、みんなも終わったみたい。

ケンタ:もう終(お)わったよ、みんなも終(お)わったみたい。

Kenta: I'm finished. Everyone seems to have finished.

  • ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝(あさ)だよ!It's morning!
  • みんな everyone (often みなさん); everything
  • ~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.
  • ~みたい like; it seems that…; as if…

ヒロシ:このあと、一緒に食べに行こう。

ヒロシ:このあと、一緒(いっしょ)に食(た)べに行(い)こう。

Hiroshi: After this, let's go eat together.

  • この this; these
  • 後(あと) after; later; the rest; also; in addition; from now: あと三分(さんふん)あります。We have 3 minutes left (from now).
  • 一緒(いっしょ) together; with
  • 食(た)べに the same inflection as the masu form 食(た)べ[ます]
  • 食(た)べる to eat
  • 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.
  • 行(い)く to go

ケンタ:いいね、僕の家に来る?

ケンタ:いいね、僕(ぼく)の家(いえ)に来(く)る?

Kenta: Great. Would you like to come to my house?

  • ~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?
  • 家(いえ) house; home
  • 来(く)る to come

ヒロシ:家どこ?

ヒロシ:家(いえ)どこ?

Hiroshi: Where is your house?

  • どこ where

ケンタ:すぐそこだよ。

ケンタ:すぐそこだよ。

Kenta: It's just over there.

  • すぐそこ right there

Situation 3

Kenta and Yuji are talking about each other's jobs.

ケンタ:先生の仕事、大変?

ケンタ:先生(せんせい)の仕事(しごと)、大変(たいへん)?

Kenta: Is work as a teacher difficult?

  • 先生(せんせい) teacher; professor; doctor
  • 大変(たいへん) serious; terrible; hard; difficult

ユウジ:大変だよ、子供の問題とかね。

ユウジ:大変(たいへん)だよ、子供(こども)の問題(もんだい)とかね。

Yuji: It's hard. The children's problems and stuff.

  • 子供(こども) child
  • 問題(もんだい) problem; question
  • とか such as; or something; and so on; something like; 家(いえ)とか車(くるま)とか買(か)いたい。I want to buy things like cars or houses; people often add to soften a word: 車(くるま)とか買(か)いたい。I want to buy a car (とか doesn't have a lot of meaning.)

ケンタ:へぇ、いろいろあるんですね。

ケンタ:へぇ、いろいろあるんですね。

Kenta: Ah, there are all kinds of things, aren't there.

  • へぇ oh, yes?; really?
  • いろいろ various, different kinds; いろいろ食(た)べた。 I ate many different kinds of food.
  • ~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.

ユウジ:会社のほうはどう?

ユウジ:会社(かいしゃ)のほうはどう?

Yuji: How are things at the company?

  • 会社(かいしゃ) company; firm
  • 方(ほう) direction; way; side; 方(ほう) is also used to make a comparison: 日本(にほん)よりカナダの方(ほう)が大(おお)きい。Compared to Japan, Canada is bigger; 日本(にほん)のほうがいい Japan is better

ケンタ:特に問題ないですよ。

ケンタ:特(とく)に問題(もんだい)ないですよ。

Kenta: There's no particular problem.

  • 特(とく)に especially; particularly
  • ない negative form of ある (to exist), nonexistent, not being (there); not: 明日(あした)行(い)かない I won't go tomorrow
  • ~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.

ユウジ:それはよかったね。

ユウジ:それはよかったね。

Yuji: That's good.

  • 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 4

Hiroshi shows his house to Emiko.

ヒロシ:ここが僕の家だよ。

ヒロシ:ここが僕(ぼく)の家(いえ)だよ。

Hiroshi: This is my house.

  • ここ here

エミコ:なんかいいね、私もこんな家に住みたい。

エミコ:なんかいいね、私(わたし)もこんな家(いえ)に住(す)みたい。

Emiko: It seems nice. I want to live in a house like this.

  • こんな so; such; like that; こんなに may indicate a great degree of quality or quantity: こんなに食(た)べたの? Did you eat this much?
  • 住(す)みたい たい form of 住(す)む; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
  • 住(す)む to live

ヒロシ:へぇ、日本風の家が好きなんだね。

ヒロシ:へぇ、日本(にほん)風(ふう)の家(いえ)が好(す)きなんだね。

Hiroshi: Huh. You like Japanese-style houses, don't you.

  • 日本(にほん) Japan
  • 風(ふう) style; type; way; like; ヨーロッパ風(ふう)の部屋(へや) European-style room
  • 好(す)き favorite; to like; to love
  • ~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?

エミコ:この前、そう言ったじゃん。

エミコ:この前(まえ)、そう言(い)ったじゃん。

Emiko: I said that the other day.

  • 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.
  • そう so; such; that is so; that's right
  • 言(い)った past tense of 言(い)う
  • 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".

ヒロシ:そうだった?ごめん。

ヒロシ:そうだった?ごめん。

Hiroshi: Is that so? Sorry.

  • だった past tense of nouns and na-adjectives; 雨(あめ)だった。 It was raining.
  • ごめん I'm sorry

Step 2 - Take the Quiz

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Take the quiz here.

Step 3 - Writing Exercises (Optional)

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John
John
4 years ago

I don’t quite understand how to use なんか. Can you explain me how to use “なんか”?
And also とか too.

Ladd-sensei
Ladd-sensei
4 years ago
Reply to  John

なんか
something; things like …, or something like that …;
conversation filler: なんか、寒い=Well, it’s cold;
emphasises noun, often in a deprecating way:
魚なんか嫌い。=I don’t like something like fish.

とか:
such as; or something; and so on; something like:
家とか車とか買いたい。=I want to buy things like cars or houses;
people often add とか to soften a word:
車とか買いたい。=I want to buy a car
(とか here doesn’t always have a lot of meaning depending on the context).

Hope it helps!

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