2021-Apr-26 Level 1 なんか世界が終わったみたい。

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

Aki and Jun are at a bookstore. It seems that the book that Jun wanted sold out a short while ago.

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

ジュンは、今日きょう、本(ほん)を買(か)いますか?

A はい
B いいえ


アキ:タイミング悪(わる)かったね。

  • タイミング timing
  • 悪わるかった past form of 悪わるい
  • 悪わるい bad
  • ~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).

ジュン:ほんと。はやいよ、なくなるの。

  • ほんと truth; right; really
  • 早はやい early; soon; 速はやい fast
  • ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence: 朝あさだよ!It's morning!
  • 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:今日(きょう)は、もう帰(かえ)る?

  • 今日きょう today
  • 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、そうだね。また、来(く)るよ。

  • 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
  • また adv additionally; moreover; conj. again; too; and: また来(き)ます。I'll come here again.
  • 来くる to come

Situation 2

It seems that the book that Jun wanted sold out and Jun is disappointed.

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

ジュンは、よくしゃべっていますか?

A はい
B いいえ


アキ:そんなにショック?

  • そんな that; such: そんな事ことはできない。I can't do such a thing; そんなに so much; so; like that; often そんなに~ない: そんなに食たべれない。I can't eat that much.
  • ショック shock

ジュン:なんで?

  • なんで why; how come

アキ:あんまりしゃべらないし。なんか世界(せかい)が終(お)わったみたい。

  • あまり n the rest; あまり、あんまり adv (not) much; often; あまり~ない: 仕事しごとがあまりない。I don't have a lot of work.
  • しゃべらない negative form of しゃべる
  • しゃべる to talk, to chat; more casual and colloquial than はなす
  • ~し and; besides; because, since: 雨あめだし行いかない。/行いかない、雨あめだし。 I won't go. Besides, it's raining.
  • 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; 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.
  • 世界せかい world
  • 終おわった past form 終おわる
  • 終おわる to end; to finish
  • ~みたい like; it seems that...; as if...: 明日あした雨あめみたい。 it seems like it's raining tomorrow.

ジュン:うん、確(たし)かに。そんな気持(きも)ちかも。

  • 確たしか adj. sure, certain, reliable; adv maybe, probably, if I remember rightly, it's my understanding that; 確たしかに surely, certainly; you're right: 確たしかに天気てんきが悪わるいね。The weather is certainly bad.
  • 気持きもち feeling; sensation; mood; 気持きもちがいい feeling good; 気持きもちが悪わるい feeling bad, feeling sick
  • ~かも perhaps; maybe: 明日あした、雨あめかもしれない。Maybe it will rain tomorrow.

Situation 3

Sato-san is asking Tanaka-san who he is going to pick for this session's seminar lecturer.

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

その先生(せんせい)の話(はなし)は____。

A 悪(わる)い
B はやい
C 新(あたら)しい
D 面白(おもしろ)い


佐藤(さとう):呼(よ)びたい先生(せんせい)、いますか?

  • 呼よびたい たい form of 呼よぶ; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __ 
  • 呼よぶ to call; to invite
  • 先生せんせい teacher; professor; doctor
  • 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

田中(たなか):はい、話(はなし)、聞(き)きたい先生(せんせい)、いるんです。

  • 話はなし story; talk
  • 聞ききたい たい form of 聞きく; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
  • 聞きく to hear; to listen; to ask; to obey
  • ~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/来こないの? 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.

佐藤(さとう):話(はなし)が面白(おもしろ)いんですか?

  • 面白おもしろい interesting; fun; funny

田中(たなか):はい。面白(おもしろ)くていい話(はなし)なんですよ。

  • 面白おもしろくて te-form of 面白おもしろい
  • 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.

Situation 4

Sato-san is asking Takana-san about this session's seminar lecturer.

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

春野先生(はるのせんせい)は、____の先生(せんせい)だ。

A 大学(だいがく)
B 子供(こども)
C 英語(えいご)
D 写真(しゃしん)


佐藤(さとう):どんな人(ひと)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?
  • 人ひと person; people; human being

田中(たなか):春野(はるの)先生(せんせい)です。大学(だいがく)の先生(せんせい)です。

  • 大学だいがく university; college

佐藤(さとう):私(わたし)は知(し)らないんですが。

  • 知しらない negative form of 知しる
  • 知しる to know; use the te-form to say "I know": そのアニメ知しってるよ。I know that anime.
  • ~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?).

田中(たなか):本(ほん)も書(か)いてます。今(いま)、その本(ほん)買(か)う人(ひと)多(おお)いんですよ。

  • 本ほん book
  • 書かいて te-form of 書(か)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...
  • 書かく to write
  • 今いま now
  • その that
  • 買かう to buy
  • 多おおい many; much; a lot of

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.

Subscribe
Notify of
devin
8 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Joshua
Joshua
3 years ago

If I wanted to say I don’t know about him or her. Could I say ( 知しらないんですが。) without saying watashi since I’m already referring to myself anyways?

Also because this translates to “What kind of person is she?” (どんな人ですか?) Could I also use this as a way of saying “What kind of person is he or she?” since the 人 kanji is referring to someone your asking about?

Hana-Sensei
Editor
Hana-Sensei
3 years ago
Reply to  Joshua

You could. Usually, we omit 私は, but tend to mention “about him or her” part:
その先生のことは知らないんですが or その先生のことは知りません.
※ その先生のこと ー about that lecturer, about the lecturer

You’re right. Unless we hear the person’s full name, we can’t know if it’s she or he.

Joshua
Joshua
3 years ago
Reply to  Hana-Sensei

Thank you very much.

Hana-Sensei
Editor
Hana-Sensei
3 years ago
Reply to  Joshua

No problem! Those were good questions.

austin-david
austin-david
4 years ago

For Situation 1, how could we ask the bookseller to order a book that’s sold out?
Is it, この本を注文してくれる?
And since we are a customer we can use informal speech?
Thanks.

Ladd-sensei
Ladd-sensei
4 years ago
Reply to  austin-david

Yes, you can say この本を注文してくれる?

And since we are a customer we can use informal speech?

→It is not necessary to use an informal form. If you are familiar with the shop staff, an informal one is fine. However, we usually use a formal style to show respect.
Shop staff will be happier than being said informally, too.

Fedsi
Fedsi
4 years ago

In this sentence その本買う人多いんですよ, why aren’t we translating その?

The correct translation should be ”there are a lot of people that want to buy that book”, am I wrong?

Hana-Sensei
Editor
Hana-Sensei
4 years ago
Reply to  Fedsi

Yes, it’s a bit confusing.
I think it should be translated as “She has also written a book. There are a lot of people who buy the book now.” (The book is selling well now.)

※”want to buy” means 買いたがる or 買いたいと思う.

Furigana On/Off