Lesson Dialogues
Situation 1
A couple, Yuji and Aya, are talking while looking at a car.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
ユウジの車は、結構____。
A かわいい
B 高い
C 大きい
D 小さい
アヤ:この車、すごい!買ったの?
- これ this, these; この this, these (possessive): この車 this car
- 車 car; wheel
- すごい i-adj fantastic, wonderful, terrible; adv awfully, very, immensely
- 買った past form of 買う
- 買う to buy
- ~の emphasises a sentence or question: 本当にできるの?Can you really do it?; できるの!I can do it!; may sound feminine in some cases; 私、できるの。 sounds feminine.
ユウジ:うん。買ったんだ。
- うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
- ~のです、んです、のだ、んだ actually, as a matter of fact: 明日、映画見たいんですよね/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、会社来ないんですか/来ないの? Why are you not coming to work tomorrow?; used to confirm or react to your observation: もう帰るんですか/帰るの? Are you going home already?; emphasizes discontentment or anger: 何言ってんだよ/んですか。 What the heck are you talking about?; ~なんだ with nouns, na-adjectives, and adverbs: 明日雨なんだ。It will rain tomorrow.
アヤ:結構、高い車じゃない?
- 結構 adv. quite, fairly; na-adj. good
- 高い high; tall; expensive
- ~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; 今日寒いじゃん。だから出かけない。It's cold today, right? So I won't go out; 私、お金ないじゃん?You know I don't have money, right?; 鈴木さん、会社来たじゃないですか?何でですか? Suzuki-san came to work, right? Why?; expresses a slight surprise or emphasizes a remark: へえ、歌、うまいじゃん。Wow, you are a good singer.
ユウジ:うん、まあ。わかる?
- まあ well; I think: まあ、そうだよね。Well, that's right.
- わかる to understand; to see
アヤ:やっぱり!
- やはり、やっぱり as (one) expected; still; either way; after all; nonetheless; やっぱり and やっぱ are colloquial versions of やはり
Situation 2
Risako, a senior, and Maiko, a junior, are talking in a restaurant.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
リサコは、おいしかった、と言いましたか?
A はい
B いいえ
リサコ:よく食べたね。
- よく good; well; often: 日本によく行きます。 I go to Japan often.
- 食べた past form of 食べる
- 食べる to eat
- ~ね shares information or experiences; softens a sentence; expects an agreement; isn't it?; don't you?: 雨だね。Oh, it's raining (as you can see).
マイコ:もう何も食べれないです。
- もう already; soon; again; more; strengthens expression of an emotion; filler word: なんか、もう、帰ろうよ。 Like, let's go home already?
- 何も anything; nothing: 何もない。There's nothing: 何も食べれない。 I can't eat anything.
- 食べ(ら)れない negative form of 食べ(ら)れる
- 食べ(ら)れる potential form of 食べる; ~(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
リサコ:ほんと。でも、おいしかった。
- ほんと truth; right; really
- でも but; however: でも、日本に行きたい。But, I want to go to Japan; even: プロでも出来ない。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: お茶でもどう?How about tea?; ラーメンでも食べる?Do you want to eat (things like) ramen?
- おいしかった past form of おいしい
- おいしい delicious; tasty
マイコ:このお店、いい感じですね。また来ましょう!
- (お)店 store; shop; restaurant
- いい good: 映画よかった! The film was great!; you may use this to indicate your preference or choice: 私、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.
- 感じ feeling; impression; atmosphere; often used to express your impression: この部屋いい感じ。 This room looks good.
- また adv additionally; moreover; conj. again; too; and: また来ます。I'll come here again.
- 来ましょう ましょう form of 来る; ~ましょう is a keigo form of ~よう which expresses desire; let's __
- 来る to come
Situation 3
Sato-san and Tanaka-san are talking at the office.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
田中さんは、家から会社まで____くらいかかる。
A 1時間
B 1日
C 1週間
D 1分
佐藤:田中、家から会社まで歩いて来てるの?
- 家 house; home
- ~から from; after: 日本から来ました。I'm from Japan.
- 会社 company; firm
- ~まで to, as far as:日本まで行った。I went to (as far as) Japan; till, until: 朝まで仕事した。I worked until morning.
- 歩いて te-form of 歩く; te-form is often used to connect to other expressions; te-form may indicate a command; 食べて!Please eat!; it's common to end a sentence with a te-form. Japanese people often don't finish a sentence completely: 昨日学校行って、勉強して。。。I went to school yesterday, studied, and...
- 歩く to walk
- 来て(い)る progressive from of 来る: まだ、食べてる。I'm still eating.
- 来る to come
田中:はい!
佐藤:結構、時間かかるよね?
- 時間 time; hour: 一時間 one hour, 二時間 two hours
- かかる to take (time, resource); to cost; to hang
- ~よね shares mutual sentiments; confirms some information: 寒いよね。 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:1時間くらいですね。
- ~くらい about; around; as ... as ...; like; to there point where: 時間を忘れるくらい楽しかった。It was so fun that I almost forgot time.
佐藤:1時間? よく歩くな。
- ~な expresses emotions; emphasises the emotion; softens the sentence; often なー: 日本へ行きたいな。I want to go to Japan; かわいいなー。It's so cute.
Situation 4
A couple, Seiji and Eri, are talking at home while watching a movie.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
エリは、昔の映画が好きですか?
A はい
B いいえ
セイジ:これ、結構前の映画?
- 前 forward; front; before
- 映画 movie
エリ:うん。私、昔の映画、好きなんだ。
- 昔 the past; in the past; once (in the past)
- 好き favorite; to like; to love
セイジ:この映画、音楽がいいね。
- 音楽 music
エリ:わかる? 私、この音楽が特に好きなの。
- 特に 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.