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(ほん)()いますか?

A はい
B いいえ


アキ:タイミング(わる)かったね。

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

ジュン:ほんと。はやいよ、なくなるの。

  • ほんと truth; right; really
  • はや early; soon; はや fast
  • ~よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence: 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: べるのはやめる。I will stop eating.

アキ:今日(きょう)は、もう(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、かえろうよ Like, let's go home already?
  • かえ to return; to go home; to go back

ジュン:うん、そうだね。また、()るよ。

  • 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
  • また adv additionally; moreover; conj. again; too; and: また()ます。I'll come here again.
  •  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.
  • 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)()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: あめだしかない。/かない、あめだし。 I won't go. Besides, it's raining.
  • (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.
  • 世界せかい world
  • わった past form わる
  • わる to end; to finish
  • ~みたい like; it seems that...; as if...: 明日あしたあめみたい。 it seems like it's raining tomorrow.

ジュン:うん、(たし)かに。そんな気持(きも)ちかも。

  • 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.
  • 気持きも feeling; sensation; mood; 気持きもちがいい feeling good; 気持きもちがわるい feeling bad, feeling sick
  • ~かも perhaps; maybe: 明日あしたあめかもしれない。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)(はなし)は____。

A (わる)
B はやい
C (あたら)しい
D 面白(おもしろ)


佐藤(さとう)()びたい先生(せんせい)、いますか?

  • びたい たい form of ぶ; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __ 
  •  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、(はなし)()きたい先生(せんせい)、いるんです。

  • はなし story; talk
  • きたい たい form of ; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
  •  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/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?; ~なんだ with nouns, na-adjectives, and adverbs: 明日あしたあめなんだ。It will rain tomorrow.

佐藤(さとう)(はなし)面白(おもしろ)いんですか?

  • 面白おもしろ interesting; fun; funny

田中(たなか):はい。面白(おもしろ)くていい(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 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.

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(ひと)ですか?

  • どんな what kind of: どんな音楽おんがくき?What kind of music do you like?
  • 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)先生(せんせい)です。

  • 大学だいがく university; college

佐藤(さとう)(わたし)()らないんですが。

  • らない negative form of
  •  to know; use the te-form to say "I know": そのアニメってるよ。I know that anime.
  • ~が but: あめですがきます。It's raining but I'll go; used for introductory phrases: イベントがありますがきますか? 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)(ほん)()いてます。(いま)、その(ほん)()(ひと)(おお)いんですよ。

  • ほん book
  • いて te-form of ()く; 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 write
  • いま now
  • その that
  •  to buy
  • おお 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.

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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.

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