Lesson Dialogues
Situation 1
Haru is talking to her friend Yuka.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
ハルは、そのバックをかなり前に買いましたか?
A はい
B いいえ
ハル:そのバッグ、いいね。
- その that
- バッグ bag
- よい、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.
- ~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).
ユカ:え?これ?
- えー、え expresses surprise or disappointment: えー、本当? What? Really?
- これ this, these; この this, these (possessive): この車 this car
ハル:うん。すごくかわいい。
- うん (casual, non-keigo) yes; yeah
- すごく adverbial form of すごい
- すごい i-adj fantastic, wonderful, terrible; adv awfully, very, immensely
- かわいい cute; nice; lovely
ユカ:ありがとう。
ハル:いつ買ったの?
- いつ when
- 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.
ユカ:いつだったかな?かなり前なんだよ。
- だった past form of nouns and na-adjectives: 雨だった。 It was raining.
- ~かな indicates uncertainty; softens a sentence: ちょっと寒いかな。I think it's a bit cold.
- かなり very; considerably; rather: 今日はかなり寒い。It's very cold today.
- 前 forward; front; before
- ~のです、んです、のだ、んだ、の 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.
- ~よ、~よー introduces new information; emphasises a sentence: 朝だよ!It's morning!
Situation 2
Haru is talking to her friend Yuka.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
ハルが____見える。
A 大きく
B きれいに
C 長く
D 大変に
ユカ:私、ハルのそのスカート、好き。
- スカート skirt
- 好き favorite; to like; to love
ハル:そう?私も好きなんだよね。
- そう so (as in "I think so"): そう思う。 I think so. ; そうなんだ。 I see.; that is so, that's right
- ~よね、よな 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.
ユカ:なんかハル、きれいに見えるよ。
- 何か、なんか something; things like ..., or something like that ...; conversation filler: なんか、寒い。Well, it's cold; emphasises noun, often in a deprecating way: 魚なんか嫌い。I don't like something like fish.
- きれい beautiful; pretty; clean
- 見える to be seen, to be able to be seen, to be in sight; to look, to seem, to appear
ハル:ほんと?いいこと言うじゃん。
- 本当、ほんと truth; right; really
- 事 thing: 大事なこと an important thing; こと converts a sentence into a massive noun: 明日、日本に行くことは難しい。 It's difficult to go to Japan tomorrow. ("明日、日本に行くこと" works like a big chunk of noun)
- 言う to say; to speak; to talk; to mean: どういう意味?What does it mean? 暑いっていう意味。It means "hot".
- ~じゃん、じゃない、じゃないですか 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.
Situation 3
Aki is at the beauty salon.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
アキは、____を持って来た。
A お金
B バッグ
C 写真
D スマホ
美容師:どんなヘアスタイルにしますか?
- どんな what kind of: どんな音楽が好き?What kind of music do you like?
- ヘアスタイル hairstyle
- します ます form of する; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- する to do; to make; to decide on; to choose
アキ:写真、持って来たんですが。
- 写真 picture; photo
- 持って te-form of 持つ; 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...
- 持つ to have; to take; to hold
- ~てきた past form of ~てくる
- ~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: 学校に行ってくる。 I'll go to school (and come back.) [2] indicates a gradual process: 空が赤くなってくる。The sky is becoming red. [3] indicates something you've been doing in the past. 今まで一人で仕事してきた。I've been working alone up until now.
- ~が but: 雨ですが行きます。It's raining but I'll go; used for introductory phrases: イベントがありますが行きますか? There's an event. Do you want to go?; もう八時ですが。。。It's already 8 but (shouldn't we be going?).
美容師:この写真みたいにしたいんですね。
- ~みたい like; it seems that...; as if...: 明日雨みたい。 it seems like it's raining tomorrow.
- したい たい form of する; ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
アキ:はい、こんな感じにできますか?
- こんな so; such; like that; こんなに may indicate a great degree of quality or quantity: こんなに食べたの? Did you eat this much?
- 感じ feeling; impression; atmosphere; often used to express your impression: この部屋いい感じ。 This room looks good.
- できます ます form of できる; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- できる to be able to do, to be good at; to be ready; to be made: 彼女ができる=to find a girlfriend; 友達ができる=to make a friend
Situation 4
The hairdresser is confirming the hairstyle that Aki wants.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
アキは、たくさんカットしたいですか?
A はい
B いいえ
美容師:結構たくさんカットしますよ。
- 結構 adv. quite, fairly; na-adj. good
- たくさん many; much; a lot
- カットします ます form of カットする; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- カットする to cut; to cut off
アキ: 全然問題ありません。
- 全然 (not) at all; utterly; completely; usually used with a negative form: 全然分からない。I don't understand at all; (a lot of people use it with affirmative forms lately): 全然できるよ。I can easily do it.
- 問題 problem; question
- ありません negative form of あります
- あります ます form of ある; ~ます makes a keigo (polite) sentence
- ある to be (existence); to have (possession); to happen; use ある for objects and いる for people and animals
美容師:かなりたくさんですよ。
アキ:はい。もう長いのやめたいんです。
- 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?
- 長い long
- ~の の can make other words, such as verbs or adjectives, function like a noun: 食べるのはやめる。I will stop eating; 欲しいのはどれ? Which is the one you want?
- やめたい たい form of やめる(止める); ~たい expresses desire; I want to __
- 止める to stop, to give up; 辞める to quit (a job)
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.