2021-Feb-22 Level 1 今日、クロワッサンないんですか？

Lesson Dialogues

We are going to use a new list of words from this lesson. Therefore, you might see words that you didn’t see in the previous lessons for the same level.

Situation 1

Scaffolding for construction has been put up in a corner of a shopping street.

ハル：ここ、前(まえ)、何(なに)があった？

Haru: What was here previously?

• ここ here
• 前まえ forward; front; before
• 何なに what
• あった past form of ある
• ある to be (existence); to have (possession); to happen; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals

アキ：えー、何(なに)があったかな？

Aki: Uh, I wonder what was here.

• えー expresses surprise or disappointment: えー、本当ほんとう？ What? Really?
• ～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：この前(まえ)、あれ、なかったよね？

Haru: Previously, huh? That wasn’t here, was it?

• 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.
• あれ that
• なかった past form of ない
• ない There is no . . . ; no . . .
• ～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

アキ：うん、なかったよ。

Aki: No, that wasn’t here.

• うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
• ～よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence; 朝あさだよ！It's morning!

ハル：そうだよね。何(なに)ができるのかな？

Haru: That's right, isn't it? I wonder what is going to be built.

• そう so (as in "I think so"): そう思(おも)う。 I think so. ; そうなんだ。 I see.; that is so, that's right
• 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
• ～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.

Situation 2

Haru and Aki are unable to remember what was previously at the location where a new building is being constructed.

ハル：お店(みせ)だったかな？

Haru: Was it a store?

• 店みせ store; shop; restaurant
• だった past form of nouns and na-adjectives; 雨(あめ)だった。 It was raining.

アキ：たぶん。

Aki: Probably.

• たぶん probably; perhaps; maybe

ハル：でも、何(なん)のお店(みせ)？

Haru: But what store was it?

• でも but; however: でも、日本(にほん)に行(い)きたい。But, I want to go to Japan; even: プロでも出来(でき)ない。Even professionals can't do it.; or something; things like; how about; often used to soften a word and doesn't have a lot of meanings: お茶(ちゃ)でもどう？How about tea?; ラーメンでも食(た)べる？Do you want to eat (things like) ramen?

アキ：全然(ぜんぜん)わかんない。覚(おぼ)えてない。

Aki: I have no idea. I can't remember.

• 全然ぜんぜん (not) at all; utterly; completely; usually used with a negative form: 全然ぜんぜん分わからない。I don't understand at all; (a lot of people use it with affirmative forms lately): 全然ぜんぜんできるよ。I can easily do it.
• わかんない、分わからない negative form of 分わかる
• 分わかる to understand; to see
• 覚おぼえて te-form of 覚(おぼ)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...
• 覚おぼえる to learn; to remember; to memorize
• ～てない negative form of ～てる
• ～てる、～ている 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?

ハル：私(わたし)も。ここ、よく歩(ある)いてるけど。

Haru: Me too. Even though I passed by (walk) here often.

• ここ here
• よく good; well; often: 日本にほんによく行いきます。 I go to Japan often
• 歩(ある)いて te-form of 歩(ある)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...
• 歩あるく to walk
• 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：そうだよね。

Aki: Yeah.

Situation 3

In the evening, Aki went to a bakery.

アキ：今日(きょう)、クロワッサンないんですか？

Aki: Do you not have any croissants today?

• 今日きょう today
• クロワッサン croissant
• ～んです actually, as a matter of fact: 明日あした、映画えいが見みたいんですよね。I actually want to watch a movie tomorrow; often used with けど: すいません、トイレに行いきたいんですけど。。。Excuse me, I'd like to go to the bathroom; used to ask for a reason: なんで明日あした、会社かいしゃ来こないんですか？ Why are you not coming to work tomorrow?; used to confirm or react to your observation: もう帰かえるんですか？ Are you going home already?; emphasizes discontentment or anger

店員(てんいん)：ごめんなさい。もう、ありません。

Employee: I'm sorry. There are none left.

• 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?
• ありません negative form of あります
• あります ます form of ある; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence

アキ：買(か)う人(ひと)、多(おお)いんですね。

Aki: There are many people who buy them, aren't there?

• 買かう to buy
• 人ひと person; people; human being
• 多おおい many; much; a lot of
• ～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).

店員(てんいん)：はい、二時(にじ)には全部(ぜんぶ)なかったんですよ。

Employee: Yes, by two o'clock, we had sold them all.

• 時とき time, when: 子供こどもの時とき when I was a child; 時(じ) o'clock
• 全部ぜんぶ all; whole; entire

Situation 4

Aki's favorite popular bread is sold out for today.

アキ：この前(まえ)はあったんですけど。この時間(じかん)に。

Aki: But the last time I came, you still had them. At this time.

• この this, these (possesive) この車くるま this car
• 時間じかん time

店員(てんいん)：今日(きょう)は特(とく)にはやかったんです。なくなるの。

Employee: It was particularly quick today. They were all snapped up.

• 特とくに especially; particularly
• はやかった past form of はやい
• 早はやい early; soon; 速はやい fast
• なくなる to disappear; to be gone
• ～の の can make other words, such as verbs, function like a noun: 食たべるのはやめる。I will stop eating.

アキ：そうなんですね。今度(こんど)はもう少(すこ)し早(はや)い時間(じかん)に来(き)ます。

Aki: I see. Next time, I'll come a little earlier.

• 今度こんど next time; sometime; this time
• 少すこし a little; a few
• 来(き)ます ます form of 来くる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 来くる to come

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.