Lesson Dialogues
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Situation 1
Miyuki is talking to her friend Mao about the concert that she is going to tomorrow.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
1. ããĒã¯ããĢã¨ãŗãįĨãŖãĻããžããīŧ
A ã¯ã
B ããã
2. ãĢã¨ãŗã¯ã____ã
A įĩæ§æéããã
B ããŦãããããåĨŊã
C ããžãããŗãšãããžããĒã
D ãããããĻãããŗãšãããžã
ããĻãīŧææĨãŗãŗãĩãŧããĒãŽīŧčļ åŦããīŧ
ããĒīŧããããčĒ°ãŽãŗãŗãĩãŧãīŧ
ããĻãīŧãĢã¨ãŗãŖãĻããäēēãįĨãŖãĻãīŧ
ããĒīŧããããåããĻčãããæåīŧ
ããĻãīŧããŖãĄãæåã ãã
ããĒīŧã¸ãŧããĢã¨ãŗãŖãĻããäēēãŽãŠããåĨŊããĒãŽīŧ
ããĻãīŧčļ ãããããŽīŧãã¨ããŗãšãããŖãĄãããžãīŧ
ããĒīŧãããĒãã ãããŦããĢåēãĻãīŧ
ããĻãīŧãããããŦããĢãįĩæ§åēãĻããã
ããĒīŧã¸ãŧãįĨããĒããŖãã
ããĻãīŧãĢã¨ãŗãŽãŗãŗãĩãŧããåããĻčĻãĢčĄããã ã
ããĒīŧãŠãã§ãããŽīŧ
ããĻãīŧããããīŧæéããããŽã¨ããã
ããĒīŧããŧãįĩæ§æéããããã
ããĻãīŧã§ãčĻãĢčĄãããŽãåŦããã
ããĒīŧãããĒãĢåĨŊããĒãã ãã
ããĻãīŧããããããåĨŊãīŧ
ããĒīŧææĨæĨŊããã§ããĻãã
ããĻãīŧæĨŊããã§ããīŧãããã¨ãīŧ
Situation 2
Takumi, who is studying in the classroom at cram school after a lesson, was spoken to by a teacher.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
1. ãŋã¯ãã¯____ååŧˇããĻããã
A īŧæé
B īŧæĨé
C īŧīŧæé
D īŧīŧæĨé
2. å įã¯ãŋã¯ããčģã§éããžããīŧ
A ã¯ã
B ããã
å įīŧååŧˇé åŧĩãŖãĻãžããããã¤ãæåžãžã§æŽãŖãĻã
ãŋã¯ãīŧæŽãŖãĻååŧˇããĒãã¨ãčĻããããĒããĻã
å įīŧé åŧĩããŽã¯ãããã¨ã§ãã
ãŋã¯ãīŧãããã¨ãããããžãã
å įīŧã§ãäŧãŋãåããŽã大åã§ããã
ãŋã¯ãīŧįĸēããĢãäŧãŋåããĒãã§ã3æéããĻãžããã
å įīŧãã3æéãīŧ
ãŋã¯ãīŧäŧãŋåæåžãŽããšããĒãŽã§ãé åŧĩããããĻã
å įīŧããã§ãããã
ãŋã¯ãīŧ大åãĒããšãã§ããã
å įīŧã§ããŋã¯ãããããã9æã§ããã
ãŋã¯ãīŧãããããĒæéã§ããīŧ帰ããĒãã¨ã
å įīŧčģã§éããžãããå įããã帰ããŽã§ã
ãŋã¯ãīŧããéãŖãĻããããã§ããīŧããŋãžããã
å įīŧãããããæŠã帰ããžãããã
ãŋã¯ãīŧã¯ãīŧãã¤ããããã¨ãããããžãã
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Take the quiz here.
Step 3 - Writing Exercises (Optional)
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Hi,
in the first dialogue Mao says: ã¸ãŧããĢã¨ãŗãŖãĻããäēēãŽãŠããåĨŊãĒãŽīŧ–> translation: “I see. What do you like about this person called Kayoko?” –> I don’t really understand why ãŠã is translated as “what” in this dialogue because it’s usually translated as “where”. Can you help me with that ? Thanks!
ãŠã isn’t used just to ask for a location.
It’s used for a place or situation that can’t be clearly indicated, so it can be translated as “which part” or “what part” as well.
Example:
æ¨æĨãŽããšãã¯ããŠããéŖãããŖãã§ããīŧ
ãŧ What was difficult about yesterday’s test?/ Which part was difficult in yesterday’s test?
I understand. I’m beginning to notice that rather than trying to find an exact translation for a word, it’s much more important to get a feel for how a certain word works within a language. Translating Japanese sentences/ words back into English might not be a useful strategy for learning Japanese in the long run because by doing that you’re not allowing yourself to fully understand a language or to fully assimilate into the language.
Yes, that’s right.
English is helpful to explain meanings, but it also causes misunderstandings since both languages are very different in many ways.
Oh yeah, for some sentences that I don’t understand checking the english translation is very useful. But ultimately you have to understand a word in the context of it’s own language because a word only makes sense in it’s own language. And Japanese works very differently than English. Sometimes the way Japanese sentences are built reminds me of mathematic equations. It seems very logical to me.
I also keep noticing this with German and English. I’m from Germany and many German people are always consciously or subconsciously trying to understand an English word from a German perspective and it just doesn’t really work. If you really want to learn another language beyond a surface level, you’ll have to leave the comfort zone of your native language. It’s a great effort at the beginning but it’s possible and anyone can do it I think.
Sorry for the long message haha.
Yes, you need to know not only grammar and vocabulary but also culture and way of thinking since we say things differently depending on them.
Also, one word can’t always be translated as the same word since we use different words depending on the situation.
So the background is important as well.
Yes, language is not a robotic thing.
I like how learning a new language shows you how open you are to the world and it also makes your brain more “flexible” I think.
I’m impressed by how much Japanese is a context/ background based language. A conversation that relies on the context, kind of “forces” you to pay attention and to actually listen to the other person. I love it!
Yes, we basically have a culture of guessing from context and situation. In the past, this tendency was stronger. Today, under the influence of Western culture, it is preferred to clearly express oneself in words, though.
Well maybe, in some situations guessing can be useful and in other situation it might be more effective to choose a more straightforward communication, so the best of both worlds combined đ
Yes. It would be nice to be able to guess particularly when someone is in trouble without having them say it in words.
That’s true. Because when you’re stressed finding the right words can stress you even more haha. Also you feel understood by the other person if you don’t have to tell them in words đ
Yes, my favorite word is: ããäģĨä¸ãč¨ããĒããĻãã (Say no more.), implying I totally understand what you’d like to say. đ
I feel like, this will come in handy when I finally talk to Japanese people in Japan. It will become my standard sentence haha đ
That’s great. It can be used between friends or siblings.
I often say it in the samurai way as a joke: ãŋãĒãžã§č¨ããĒ.
People laugh when I say it.
Actually, i just started studying Japan studies at freie Universität of Berlin and tomorrow we will have a games evening with japanese exchange students. I might try this.
I’ve already met them today and we actually spoke in non keigo to each other. I was surprised đ
That sounds exciting! I hope you’ll enjoy talking with them.
People who are not familiar with samurai shows or movies might not understand the fun of the phrase, though. In that case, you can teach them that. đ
It was soo exciting and the good thing is that the Japanese exchange students all speak German, so if I didn’t know how to say a thing I could ask them in German haha. They’re actually doing this really cool thing called “tandem-partner program” where a Japanese and a German university student partner up and work together and help each other to learn the other one’s language.
I tried saying that sentence in a deep cliche samurai voice and they thought it was pretty funny đ
That’s great to hear! đ I’m glad that you got the moment!
I think that language exchange is a great way to learn languages.
I’ve done that several times, too.
Interestingly, I found myself learning when I taught:
When I was explaining Japanese grammar, I was more aware of the differences between Japanese and English, and as a result, I could understand English better.
That’s very interesting. I think I’ll try that as well đ
Great! I hope you’ll enjoy it, too! đ
I think I will đ