2021-Apr-19 Level 1 セミナーの先生のことですね？

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

At the office, it looks like Tanaka-san wants to discuss something with Sato-san.

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

田中(たなか)さんは今いま、佐藤(さとう)さんと話(はな)したいですか？

A はい
B いいえ

---

田中(たなか)：今(いま)、ちょっと話(はな)せますか？

• 今いま now
• ちょっと (just) a little; a bit; (conversation filler)
• 話(はな)せます ます form of 話(はな)せる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 話(はな)せる potential form of 話(はな)す; ～せる expresses possibility; can; can be
• 話はなす to talk; to tell; to speak

佐藤(さとう)：もちろん、いいですよ。何(なん)ですか？

• もちろん of course; needless to say
• 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.
• ～よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence: 朝あさだよ！It's morning!
• 何なに what

田中(たなか)：少(すこ)し話(はな)したいことがありまして。

• 少すこし a little; a few
• 話(はな)したい たい form of 話(はな)す; ～たい expresses desire; I want to __
• こと thing: 大事だいじなこと an important thing; こと converts a sentence into a massive noun: 明日あした、日本にほんに行いくことは難むずかしい。 It's difficult to go to Japan tomorrow. ("明日あした、日本にほんに行いくこと" works like a big chunk of noun)
• ありまして te-form of あります; 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...
• 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

佐藤(さとう)：え、何(なに)かあったんですか？

• え expresses surprise or disappointment: えー、本当ほんとう？ What? Really?
• 何なにか something; things like ..., or something like that ...; conversation filler: なんか、寒さむい。Well, it's cold; emphasises noun, often in a deprecating way: 魚さかななんか嫌きらい。I don't like something like fish.
• ～のです、～んです、～のだ、～んだ 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/だよね。I actually want to watch a movie tomorrow; often used with けど: すいません、トイレに行いきたいんですけど/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、会社かいしゃ来こないんですか/こないの？ Why are you not coming to work tomorrow?; used to confirm or react to your observation: もう帰かえるんですか/帰かえるの？ Are you going home already?; emphasizes discontentment or anger: 何なに言いってんだよ/んですか。 what the heck are you talking about?; ～なんだ with nouns, na-adjectives, and adverbs: 明日あした雨あめなんだ。It will rain tomorrow.

Situation 2

Tanaka-san is drawing up a list of instructors for the seminar that is going to be held soon.

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

田中(たなか)さんは、今度(こんど)の____のことを話(はな)したい。

A 会社かいしゃ
B レッスン
C セミナー
D 問題もんだい

---

田中(たなか)：今度(こんど)のセミナーのことですが…

• 今度こんど next time; sometime; this time
• セミナー seminar
• ～が but: 雨あめですが行いきます。It's raining but I'll go; used for introductory phrases: イベントがありますが行いきますか？ There's an event. Do you want to go?; もう八時(はちじ)ですが。。。It's already 8 but (shouldn't we be going?).

佐藤(さとう)：あー、セミナーの先生(せんせい)のことですね？

• 先生せんせい teacher; professor; doctor
• ～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).

田中(たなか)：はい。ちょっと考(かんが)えてみたんです。

• 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...
• 考かんがえる to think
• ～てみた past form of ～てみる
• ～てみる to try and ___; to try something; to attempt to do something: 食たべてみる。I'll try eating.

佐藤(さとう)：誰(だれ)かいい人(ひと)、いましたか？

• 誰だれか someone; somebody
• 人ひと person; people; human being
• いました past form of います
• います ます form of いる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• いる to be; to exist; to stay; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals

Situation 3

Just when Jun is about to go home from school, her friend Aki starts talking to her.

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

ジュンは何なにを買(か)いたいですか？

A スマホ
B 食(た)べる物(もの)
C 水(みず)      
D 本(ほん)

---

アキ：もう帰(かえ)る？

• 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?
• 帰かえる to return; to go home; to go back

ジュン：うん、帰(かえ)るよ。

アキ：一緒(いっしょ)に帰(かえ)ろう。

• 一緒いっしょ together; with
• 帰かえろう ou form of 帰かえる; ～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.

ジュン：うん、いいよ。でも、私(わたし)、本(ほん)、買(か)いたいんだよね。いい？

• 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?
• 本ほん book
• 買かいたい たい form of 買かう; ～たい expresses desire; I want to __
• 買かう to buy
• ～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、一緒(いっしょ)に行(い)くよ。

• 行いく to go

Situation 4

Jun says she wants to go and buy a book on the way home.

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

ジュンはエッセイが好(す)きですか？

A はい
B いいえ

---

アキ：本(ほん)ってどんな？何(なん)の本(ほん)？

• って about; as for: 名前なまえって何なんですか？What's your name?; in spoken Japanese, people use って very often instead of は; ラーメンって好すきですか？Do you like ramen? (instead of ラーメンは好すきですか？)
• どんな what kind of: どんな音楽おんがくが好すき？What kind of music do you like?

ジュン：エッセイ。好(す)きなんだよね、書(か)いた人(ひと)。

• エッセイ essay
• 好すき favorite; to like; to love
• 書かいた past form of 書かく
• 書かく to write

アキ：じゃあ、その人(ひと)の本(ほん)、よく買(か)うの？

• じゃあ well, so, then; if: 雨あめじゃ外そとで遊あそべないね。If it's raining, we can't play outside.
• その that; those
• よく good; well; often: 日本にほんによく行いきます。 I go to Japan often.
• ～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.

ジュン：うん。最近(さいきん)、特(とく)にね。

• 最近さいきん recently; lately
• 特とくに especially; particularly

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.