2021-May-31 Level 1 書くのが一番確かだよ。

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

Aki sees her elder sister, Haru, writing something on a Sunday morning and asks her about it.

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

ハルは____を書(か)いている。

A 今日(きょう)すること
B 頭(あたま)で覚(おぼ)えること
C 勉強(べんきょう)のこと
D 仕事(しごと)のこと

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アキ：何(なに)書(か)いてるの？

• 何なに what
• 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
• ～ている、～てる verb form to express continuation; 食たべる + ている = 食たべている eating; てる is a colloquial version of ている; some verbs such as 知しる uses this form to express the present situation 知しっている (I know) but uses the present native form to say the opposite: 知しらない (I don't know); often てん in spoken Japanese: それ、知しってんの？Do you know that?
• ～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.

ハル：今日(きょう)すること。

• 今日きょう today
• する to do; to make; to decide on; to choose
• 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)

アキ：例(たと)えば？

• 例たとえば for example; such as

ハル：自分(じぶん)の部屋(へや)きれいにするとか、はやく寝(ね)るとか。

• 自分じぶん oneself
• 部屋へや room
• きれい beautiful; pretty; clean
• ～とか such as; or something; and so on; something like; 家いえとか車くるまとか買かいたい。I want to buy things like cars or houses; people often add to soften a word: 車くるまとか買かいたい。I want to buy a car (とか doesn't have a lot of meaning.)
• 早はやい early; soon; 速はやい fast
• 寝ねる to sleep; to lie down; to go to bed

アキ：へー。でも、頭(あたま)で覚(おぼ)えられるじゃん。

• へー oh, yes?; really?
• 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?
• 頭あたま head; 頭あたまがいい smart; 頭あたまが悪わるい stupid
• 覚おぼえ(ら)れる potential form of 覚おぼえる; ～(ら)れる expresses possibility; can; can be; some people consider ～られる is a correct from, however, many people use ～れる in spoken Japanese
• 覚おぼえる to learn; to remember; to memorize
• 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; 今日きょう寒さむいじゃん。だから出でかけない。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、会社かいしゃ来きたじゃないですか？何なんでですか？ Suzuki-san came to work, right? Why?; expresses a slight surprise or emphasizes a remark: へえ、歌うた、うまいじゃん。Wow, you are a good singer.

Situation 2

Haru writes down the things she must not forget on a piece of paper, but Aki does not appear to.

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

ハルは、時間(じかん)がかかる、と言(い)いましたか？

A はい
B いいえ

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アキ：私(わたし)は書(か)かないな。

• 書かかない negative form of 書かく
• ～な expresses emotions; emphasises the emotion; softens the sentence; often なー: 日本(にほん)へ行(い)きたいな。I want to go to Japan; かわいいなー。It's so cute.

ハル：書(か)くのが一番(いちばん)確(たし)かだよ。

• ～の の can make other words, such as verbs or adjectives, function like a noun: 食たべるのはやめる。I will stop eating. 欲ほしいのはどれ？ Which is the one you want?
• 一番いちばん number one; first; most
• 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.
• ～よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence: 朝あさだよ！It's morning!

アキ：でも、書(か)く時間(じかん)、必要(ひつよう)じゃん。

• 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?
• 時間じかん time; hour: 一(いち)時間(じかん) one hour, 二時間(にじかん) two hours
• 必要ひつよう necessary

ハル：そんなに時間(じかん)かかんないよ。すぐに終(お)わっちゃうよ。

• 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.
• かかんない negative form of かかる
• かかる to take (time, resource); to cost; to hang
• すぐ immediately; right away; soon
• 終おわる to end; to finish
• ～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: 食たべちゃう to end up eating

Situation 3

Yamamoto-san takes a call for Sato-san. Sato-san's desk is a bit far from Yamamoto-san's desk.

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

佐藤(さとう)さんの電話(でんわ)は、どの電話(でんわ)ですか？

A 一番(いちばん)
B 二番(にばん)
C 一番(いちばん)と二番(にばん)
D わからない

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山本(やまもと)：佐藤(さとう)さん、電話(でんわ)です。

• 電話でんわ telephone, call; 電話でんわする to call (on the phone)

佐藤(さとう)：はい、どの電話(でんわ)ですか？　一番(いちばん)ですか？

• どの which; what; どの映画えいが見みる？What (which) film are we going to watch?

山本(やまもと)：いえ、二番(にばん)です。

• いえ no; colloquial version of いいえ

佐藤(さとう)：はい、分(わ)かりました。二番(にばん)とります。ありがとう。

• 分わかりました past form om 分わかります
• 分わかります ます form of 分わかる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 分わかる to understand; to see
• とります ます form of とる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 取とる to take; to get; to have; to pass; 撮とる to take (pictures, movies, etc.)

Situation 4

Sato-san and Tanaka-san are talking at work.

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

今日(きょう)は電話(でんわ)が多(おお)いですか？

A はい
B いいえ

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佐藤(さとう)：今日(きょう)、なんか電話(でんわ)多(おお)いですね。

• 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.
• 多おおい many; much; a lot of
• ～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、私(わたし)もそう思(おも)います。

• 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
• 思おもいます ます form of 思おもう; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 思おもう to think; to believe; to feel; to expect; ～と思おもう to think that: 明日あした、行いくと思おもう。I think I will go tomorrow.

佐藤(さとう)：朝(あさ)からよくかかってきますよね。

• 朝あさ morning
• ～から from; after: 日本にほんから来きました。I'm from Japan.
• よく good; well; often: 日本にほんによく行いきます。 I go to Japan often.
• かかって te-form of かかる; 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...
• ～てきます ます form of ～てくる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• ～てくる [1] go and ___; indicates that you will do something and come back to the original place; indicates you are doing something in addition to coming to a place: 学校がっこうに行いってくる。 I'll go to school (and come back.) [2] indicates a gradual process: 空そらが赤あかくなってくる。The sky is becoming red. [3] indicates something you've been doing in the past. 今いままで一人ひとりで仕事しごとしてきた。I've been working alone up until now.
• ～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.

田中(たなか)：なんでですかね。

• なんで why; how come

佐藤(さとう)：よく分(わ)かりませんね。

• 分わかりません negative form of 分わかります

Step 2 - Take the Quiz

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Step 3 - Writing Exercises (Optional)

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