Lesson Dialogues
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* Hover over or tap words to see definitions:
Situation 1
A supervisor, Matsui-san, and a subordinate, Yamada-san, came to have a meal at a restaurant.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
このお店は、すごく____。
A 高い
B 安い
C 楽しい
D 美味しい
山田：初めて来ました。このお店。
松井：ほんと？すごく美味しいよ、ここ。
山田：そうなんですか。
松井：どれ食べる？
山田：私、これにしてみます。
Situation 2
At night, a mother is talking to a father, who just came from work.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
父は、今日やる事が多かったですか？
*父 father
A はい
B いいえ
母：今日は仕事どうだった？
父：かなり大変だったよ。
母：やる事多かった？
父：うん。なかなか終わらなかったよ。
母：そっか。お疲れ。
Situation 3
Hiroto is talking with his junior, Rika.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
リカはコーヒーを____。
A 毎日飲む
B ちょっと飲む
C あんまり飲まない
D 全然飲まない
ヒロト：何飲んでるの？
リカ：コーヒーですよ。
ヒロト：コーヒー好きなの？
リカ：はい。毎日飲みます。
ヒロト：へー。
リカ：ヒロトさんは？
ヒロト：俺はあんまり。
Situation 4
At home, Ami is talking with her older sister, Kaori.
Comprehension Quiz (Skip if you don't understand the conversation yet)
英語の本は、テーブルの上にありますか？
A はい
B いいえ
アミ：そこにある本取って。
カオリ：え、本？どれ？
アミ：その英語の本。
カオリ：英語の本？どこ？
アミ：テーブルの上。無い？
カオリ：これか。はい。
Step 2 - Take the Quiz
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Step 3 - Writing Exercises (Optional)
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In situation 4 it says そこにある本取って。Is the に and ある necessary here or can you just say そこの本取って?
Yes, you can just say そこの本取って.
そこにある本取って。 – Pass me the book that is over there.
そこの本取って。- Pass me that book.
Both can be used, but the former one is more descriptive.
What is the difference between そうですか?
And そうなんですか?
Does the “なん” part indicate that the speaker is expecting more of an explanation/information?
That’s a good question, but it is a little tricky to explain because native Japanese speakers use it without being consciously aware of its nuances.
It depends on the situation, but generally speaking,
そうですか？ can mean “Is that so?”, and it often implies “I doubt it.” or “I’m not fully convinced.”
So, if you use it with a superior or someone you respect, it may come across as rude.
The affirmative form そうですか, by the way, can mean “I see.”, but it can also imply “I’m not fully convinced or satisfied,” making it sound somewhat reluctant.
On the other hand, 「そうなんですか？」 can express surprise or indicate that something is unexpected. It implies “I didn’t know that.”
The standard form is 「そうだ」
「だ」 changes to 「な」 when connecting to a noun.
「ん」 is a casual form of 「の」, which is a formal noun.
A more literal translation of 「そうなんですか？」 would be “Is that how it is?” or “Is that what it is?”
うん。なかなか終おわらなかったよ。
So, did he finish his work?
Yes, he did.
The sentence means “I had a hard time finishing up work.” or “It took me a while to finish work.”
It also implies “but I finally got it done.”
If he hadn’t finished his work, he would have said something like 仕事がまだ終わってない (I haven’t finished work yet).