Lesson Dialogues
Situation 1
Haru and Yutaka are hiking.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
ハルとユタカは、____を飲んだ。
A ジュース
B 水
C ビール
D ワイン
ハル:ねえ、上まで、まだかなりある?
- 上 top; above; up; on
- ~まで to, as far as:日本まで行った。I went to (as far as) Japan; till, until: 朝まで仕事した。I worked until morning.
- まだ yet; still: まだ帰れない。I can't go home yet.
- かなり very; considerably; rather: 今日はかなり寒い。It's very cold today.
- ある to be (existence); to have (possession); to happen; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals
ユタカ:うん、そうだね。
- うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
- そう so (as in "I think so"): そう思う。 I think so. ; そうなんだ。 I see.; that is so, that's right
- ~ね shares information or experiences; softens a sentence; expects an agreement; isn't it?; don't you?: 雨だね。Oh, it's raining (as you can see).
ハル:じゃあ、ちょっとストップ。お水飲むから。
- じゃあ well, so, then; if: 雨じゃ外で遊べないね。If it's raining, we can't play outside.
- ちょっと (just) a little; a bit; (conversation filler)
- ストップ stop
- (お)水 water
- 飲む to drink
- ~から because; since: 雨だから行きません。I won't go because it's raining.; use だから with nouns and na-adjectives.
ユタカ:あー、それがいいね。僕もそうするよ。
- それ that; those
- 僕 I (used by male speakers)
- する to do; to make; to decide on; to choose
- ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence: 朝だよ!It's morning!
Situation 2
Haru and Yutaka are drinking water while taking a break midway through their hike.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
ハルとユタカは、たくさん歩きましたか?
A はい
B いいえ
ハル:あー、お水がおいしい。
- おいしい delicious; tasty
ユタカ:ほんと。おいしいね。
- ほんと truth; right; really
ハル:普通のお水なんだけど。今日は特においしい。
- 普通 normal; regular; ordinary; common
- ~んだ、~んです actually, as a matter of fact: 明日、映画見たいんですよね/だよね。I actually want to watch a movie tomorrow; often used with けど: すいません、トイレに行きたいんですけど/だけど。。。Excuse me, I'd like to go to the bathroom; used to ask for a reason: なんで明日、会社来ないんですか/こないの? Why are you not coming to work tomorrow?; used to confirm or react to your observation: もう帰るんですか/帰るの? Are you going home already?; emphasizes discontentment or anger: 何言ってんだよ/んですか。 what the heck are you talking about?; ~なんだ with nouns, na-adjectives, and adverbs: 明日雨なんだ。It will rain tomorrow.
- けど but; however; although; though; a lot of people finish a sentence with (だ)けど because it makes the sentence less direct.
- 今日 today
- 特に especially; particularly
ユタカ:たくさん歩いたからだね。
- たくさん many; much; a lot
- 歩いた past form of 歩く
- 歩く to walk
Situation 3
Haru walks past someone coming down as she is going up the mountain path.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
その人は、上は____と言った。
A おいしい
B 広い
C 高い
D 気持ちいい
ハル:こんにちは。
下山する人:こんにちは。上は気持ちがいいですよ。
- 気持ち feeling; sensation; mood; 気持ちがいい feeling good; 気持ちが悪い feeling bad, feeling sick
ハル:わー、そうですか?
下山する人:あともう少しですから。
- あと after; later; the rest; also; in addition; from now: あと三分あります。We have 3 minutes left (from now).
- もう already; soon; again; more; strengthens expression of an emotion; filler word: なんか、もう、帰ろうよ Like, let's go home already?
- 少し a little; a few
ハル:ありがとうございます。
Situation 4
Haru crosses in front of a person who is taking a picture.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
ハルは写真をとりましたか?
A はい
B いいえ
ハル:あ、ごめんなさい。
写真撮影中の人:あー、いいんですよ。
ハル:写真、とってるの、全然知らなくて。
- 写真 picture; photo
- とって te-form of 撮る ; te-form is often used to connect to other expressions; te-form may indicate a command; 食べて!Please eat!; it's common to end a sentence with a te-form. Japanese people often don't finish a sentence completely: 昨日学校行って、勉強して。。。I went to school yesterday, studied, and...
- 取る to take; to get; to have; to pass; 撮る to take (pictures, movies, etc.)
- ~て(い)る verb form to express continuation; 食べる + ている = 食べている eating; てる is a colloquial version of ている; some verbs such as 知る uses this form to express the present situation 知っている (I know) but uses the present native form to say the opposite: 知らない (I don't know); often てん in spoken Japanese: それ、知ってんの?Do you know that?
- 全然 (not) at all; utterly; completely; usually used with a negative form: 全然分からない。I don't understand at all; (a lot of people use it with affirmative forms lately): 全然できるよ。I can easily do it.
- 知らなくて negative form of 知って
- 知って te-form of 知る; te-form is often used to connect to other expressions; te-form may indicate a command; 食べて!Please eat!; it's common to end a sentence with a te-form. Japanese people often don't finish a sentence completely: 昨日学校行って、勉強して。。。I went to school yesterday, studied, and...
- 知る to know; use the te-form to say "I know": そのアニメ知ってるよ。I know that anime.
写真撮影中の人:いえ、また撮りますから。問題ないですよ。
- いえ no; colloquial version of いいえ
- また adv additionally; moreover; conj. again; too; and: また来ます。I'll come here again.
- 撮ります ます form of 撮る; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- 問題 problem; question
- ない There is no . . . ; no . . .
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.
Could you explain the first part of the dialogue in Situation 1? I don’t understand how the sentence translates into the English version provided. I don’t understand how ある translates to “to be a long way.” Thanks!
ハル:ねえ、上うえまで、まだかなりある?
In this context, ある expresses “there is, there are”
There is a long way(distance) to go.
In conversation 1:
Haru says, お水飲むから.
Could you also say, お水飲みたいから ?
Is one way more natural / preferred / correct than the other?
Haru says, お水飲むから.
Could you also say, お水飲みたいから ?
Yes, you can say so. But, お水のむから expresses stronger will( determination).
Both expressions are often used in this context.
i often hear japanese athletes saying “気持ち” when they win a competition or something like that… is it implicity that when they say “気持ち” it is usually “気持ちがいい” and that in casual talk you can say only “気持ち”?
気持ちがいい(feel good, feel comfortable)
As you know, in this context(lesson), 上は気持ちがいいですよ is a polite form.
If you want to say気持ちがいい to somebody else casually,
気持ちがいいよ。
Take out です, and addよ