2021-Apr-12 Level 1 かわいいですよ。プレゼントですか?

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

Yutaka is looking at broaches in a show case.

Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)

ユタカは____を()ている。

A 映画(えいが)
B プレゼント
C ケーキ
D (ほん)

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ユタカ:これ、いいですね。

  • これ this, these; この this, these (possessive): このくるま this car
  • 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: 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.
  • ~ね shares information or experiences; softens a sentence; expects an agreement; isn't it?; don't you?: あめだね。Oh, it's raining (as you can see).

店員(てんいん)()してみましょうか?

  • して te-form of ; te-form is often used to connect to other expressions; te-form may indicate a command; ()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(きのうがっこうい)って、勉強(べんきょう)して。。。I went to school yesterday, studied, and...
  •  to take out; to pay; to send (a letter)
  • ~てみましょう ましょう form of ~てみる; ~ましょう is a keigo form of ~よう which expresses desire; let's __
  • ~てみる to try and ___; to try something; to attempt to do something: べてみる。I'll try eating.

ユタカ:はい、よく()たいです。

  • よく good; well; often: 日本にほんによくきます。 I go to Japan often.
  • たい たい form of る; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
  •  to see; to look; to watch; to check; we use る for things like sports or TV shows

店員(てんいん):かわいいですよ。プレゼントですか?

  • かわいい cute; nice; lovely
  • ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence: あさだよ!It's morning!
  • プレゼント present; gift

ユタカ:はい。そうなんです。

  • そう so (as in "I think so"): そうおもう。 I think so. ; そうなんだ。 I see.; that is so, that's right
  • ~んです actually, as a matter of fact: 明日あした映画えいがたいんですよね/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: なんで明日あした会社かいしゃないんですか/こないの? Why are you not coming to work tomorrow?; used to confirm or react to your observation: もうかえるんですか/かえるの? Are you going home already?; emphasizes discontentment or anger: なにってんだよ/んですか。 what the heck are you talking about?

Situation 2

Yutaka is looking at a number of items to find a present to buy.

Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)

店員てんいんは、「これは、(たか)いです。」と()いましたか?

A はい
B いいえ

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ユタカ:(ほか)(なに)かありますか?

  • ほか other; another; else; ほかひと other people
  • なにか、なんか something; things like ..., or something like that ...; conversation filler: なんか、さむい。Well, it's cold; emphasises noun, often in a deprecating way: さかななんかきらい。I don't like something like fish.
  • あります ます form of ある; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
  • ある to be (existence); to have (possession); to happen; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals

店員(てんいん):そうですね。(たと)えば、こんなのもありますよ。

  • たとえば for example; such as
  • こんな so; such; like that; こんなに may indicate a great degree of quality or quantity: こんなにべたの? Did you eat this much?
  • thing; object; stuff

ユタカ:あー、これもきれいですね。

  • きれい beautiful; pretty; clean

店員(てんいん):はい、これ、そんなに(たか)くないんですよ。

  • そんな that; such: そんなことはできない。I can't do such a thing; そんなに so much; so; like that; often そんなに~ない: そんなにべれない。I can't eat that much.
  • たかくない negative form of たかい 
  • たか high; tall; expensive

Situation 3

Haru and Yuka are in a fashion building on their way home from work.

Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)

「あの」(ひと)」は____のとこにいた。

A 学校(がっこう)
B (みせ)
C レストラン
D エスカレーター

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ユカ:あ、あの(ひと)

  • あの that; those
  • ひと person; people; human being

ハル:え、どの(ひと)

  •  expresses surprise or disappointment: えー、本当ほんとう? What? Really?
  • どの which; what; どの映画えいがる?What (which) film are we going to watch?

ユカ:(いま)、エスカレーターのとこにいる(ひと)。ハルの友達(ともだち)じゃない?

  • いま now
  • エスカレーター escalator
  • (ところ)、とこ place: ひろところ a big place; point: わからないところある?Is there anything you don't understand?; part; aspect: どんなところがき? What part do you like?; area; explains the current situation: べているところ I'm in the middle of eating; べたところ I just finished eating (= at the point where I finished eating.)
  • いる to be; to exist; to stay; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals
  • 友達ともだち friend
  • じゃない、じゃん じゃん: common way of ending a sentence mainly in Kanto region, a colloquial form of じゃない; isn't it; 今日きょうさむいじゃん。だからかけない。It's cold today, right? So I won't go out; You know I don't have money, right?; 鈴木すずきさん、会社かいしゃたじゃないですか?なんでですか? Suzuki-san came to work, right? Why?; expresses a slight surprise or emphasizes a remark: へえ、うた、うまいじゃん。Wow, you are a good singer.

ハル:え、どこ?わかんない。

  • どこ where
  • ~んない a colloquial form of ~らない; かんない = からない I don't understand
  • わからない negative form of わかる
  • わかる to understand; to see

ユカ:あー、(うえ)()っちゃった。

  • うえ top; above; up; on
  •  to go
  • ~ちゃった past form of ~ちゃう
  • ~ちゃう to end up doing; to do accidentally; to do without meaning to; to happen to do; to connect a verb to ちゃう, simply remove た from the paste form: べちゃう to end up eating

Situation 4

Yuka was walking with Haru. She says she just saw one of Haru's friends.

Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)

「あの(ひと)」は一人(ひとり)でしたか?

A はい
B いいえ

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ユカ:あの(ひと)、ハルの友達(ともだち)()えたけど。

  • えた past form of える
  • える to be seen, to be able to be seen, to be in sight; to look, to seem, to appear
  • けど but; however; although; though; a lot of people finish a sentence with (だ)けど because it makes the sentence less direct.

ハル:ほんと?(わたし)全然(ぜんぜん)わかんなかった。

  • ほんと truth; right; really
  • 全然ぜんぜん (not) at all; utterly; completely; usually used with a negative form: 全然ぜんぜんからない。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.
  • わかんなかった  past form of わかんない

ユカ:でも、(たし)かにそうだったよ。

  • でも but; however: でも、日本にほんきたい。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: おちゃでもどう?How about tea?; ラーメンでもべる?Do you want to eat (things like) ramen?
  • たし adj. sure, certain, reliable; adv maybe, probably, if I remember rightly, it's my understanding that; たしかに surely, certainly; you're right: たしかに天気てんきわるいね。The weather is certainly bad.

ハル:一人(ひとり)だった?

  • 一人ひとり one person; alone

ユカ:うん、そう()えたけど。

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    4 Comments
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    Daniel
    Daniel
    4 years ago

    In situation 3, it seems that the Japanese expression is missing for this example in the bullet about じゃんない、じゃん: “You know I don’t have money, right?”

    Would this be the way to say it?:
    お金を持てじゃん。

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

    お金持ってないじゃん。(I don’t have money)

    Luciano
    Luciano
    4 years ago

    「ユカ:今いま、エスカレーターのとこにいる人ひと」
    so, it is really normal to say 「とこ」 instead of 「ところ」 when refering to a place in natural spoken language?
    only in formal spoken/written language i should use 「ところ」?

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

    Some Japanese people say とこ. ところ is not only for written Japanese.
    ところ is used in both informal and formal conversations.Many Japanese use ところ.

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