2021-Jun-28 Level 1 ラーメンは？

Lesson Dialogues

Situation 1

University students Yusuke and Kota are talking.

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

ユウスケとコウタは、____を食(た)べる。

A ピザ
B ラーメン
C パン
D パスタ

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ユウスケ：帰(かえ)る前(まえ)に、何(なに)か食(た)べてく？

• 帰かえる to return; to go home; to go back
• 前まえ forward; front; before
• 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.
• 食(た)べて te-form of 食(た)べる; 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...
• 食たべる to eat
• ～ていく、てく __ and go; describes an additional action along with the other action; may imply that you are leaving where you are; may imply continuity of action: ご飯はん食たべていく。 I'll eat (and go somewhere else.); indicates what you are going to do in the future: これから一人ひとりで仕事しごとしていきます。From now on, I'm going to work alone.

コウタ：うん。何(なに)食(た)べる？

• うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
• 何なに what

ユウスケ：ラーメンは？よく行(い)く店(みせ)があるんだよ。

• ラーメン ramen (Japanese noodle soup)
• よく good; well; often: 日本にほんによく行いきます。 I go to Japan often.
• 行いく to go
• 店みせ store; shop; restaurant
• ある to be (existence); to have (possession); to happen; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals
• ～のです、んです、のだ、んだ、の 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.
• ～よ introduces new information; emphasises a sentence: 朝あさだよ！It's morning!

コウタ：いいね！行(い)く、行(い)く！

• 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.
• ～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).

Situation 2

Students Yuki and Risa are talking.

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

リサは、友達(ともだち)に聞(き)いてきますか？

A はい
B いいえ

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ユキ：この問題(もんだい)、もう1時間(じかん)やってるけど、全然(ぜんぜん)わかんない。

• これ this, these; この this, these (possessive): この車くるま this car
• 問題もんだい problem; question
• 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?
• 時間じかん time; hour: 一(いち)時間(じかん) one hour, 二(に)時間(じかん) two hours
• やって te-form of やる; 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...
• やる to do; to give; often more casual than する
• ～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?
• けれど、けど but; however; although; though; a lot of people finish a sentence with (だ)けど because it makes the sentence less direct.
• 全然ぜんぜん (not) at all; utterly; completely; usually used with a negative form: 全然ぜんぜん分わからない。I don't understand at all; (a lot of people use it with affirmative forms lately): 全然ぜんぜんできるよ。I can easily do it.
• ～んない a colloquial form of ～らない; 分(わ)かんない = 分(わ)からない I don't understand
• わからない negative form of わ)かる 
• わかる to understand; to see

リサ：私(わたし)もだよー。

ユキ：やっぱり？

• 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

リサ：もう、わかんない！先生(せんせい)に聞(き)いてくる！

• 先生せんせい teacher; professor; doctor
• 聞(き)いて te-form of 聞(き)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...
• 聞きく to hear; to listen; to ask; to obey
• ～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.

Situation 3

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

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

佐藤さんは、____に会(あ)いたい。

A 仕事(しごと)
B 友達(ともだち)
C 子供(こども)
D 先生(せんせい)

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田中(たなか)：最近(さいきん)帰(かえ)るのはやいですね。

• 最近さいきん recently; lately
• ～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?
• 早はやい early; soon; 速はやい fast

佐藤(さとう)：はやく子供(こども)に会(あ)いたいから。

• 子供こども child
• 会(あ)いたい たい form of 会(あ)う; ～たい expresses desire; I want to __
• 会あう to meet; to see
• ～から because; since: 雨あめだから行いきません。I won't go because it's raining.; use だから with nouns and na-adjectives.

田中(たなか)：へー！やっぱりかわいいですか？

• へー oh, yes?; really?
• かわいい cute; nice; lovely

佐藤(さとう)：うん！すごいかわいいよー！

• すごい i-adj fantastic, wonderful, terrible; adv awfully, very, immensely

Situation 4

Ueno-san and Yamaguchi-san are talking.

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

上野(うえの)さんは、山口(やまぐち)さんの本(ほん)を読(よ)みたいですか？

A はい
B いいえ

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上野(うえの)：聞(き)きましたよ。本(ほん)を書(か)いたんですね！

• 聞(き)きました past form of 聞(き)きます
• 聞(き)きます ます form of 聞(き)く; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 本ほん book
• 書(か)いた past form of 書(か)く
• 書かく to write

山口(やまぐち)：はい。書(か)いてみました。

• 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...
• ～てみました past form of ～てみます
• ～てみます ます form of ～てみる; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• ～てみる to try and ___; to try something; to attempt to do something: 食たべてみる。I'll try eating.

上野(うえの)：僕(ぼく)、読(よ)みます！

• 僕ぼく I (used by male speakers)
• 読(よ)みます ます form of 読(よ)む; ～ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
• 読よむ to read

山口(やまぐち)：ほんとですか？ありがとうございます。

• 本当(ほんとう)、ほんと truth; right; really

Step 2 - Take the Quiz

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Take the quiz here.

Step 3 - Writing Exercises (Optional)

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