Chapter One: Dialog

The Meeting

Click on any part of the kaiwa (dialog) to get an instant translation

Chapter One: Vocabulary

Run through these a few times until you can recognize them in the dialog

こんにちは konnichi wa - Hello, Good afternoon [Used in the afternoon until the evening: You may have noticed the 'WA' is actually a hiragana 'HA' this is because it is used as a particle and an ancient Japanese wise man made it that way!]
だいじょうぶ daijoubu - OK, Alright [This is a VERY useful word in real Japanese]
です desu - (copula) to be, am, are, is [You'll see this one a lot!]
か ka - the question marker, ? [Makes a sentence a question - easy! MORE...]
え？ e - Huh? What? [Frank is a little suprised and unsure what the Obaasan said, so e comes out]
ええと。。。 eeto - Well, Let me see... [This is a filler; filling in the space while thinking of what to say]
はい hai - Yes [iie means 'no']
わたしは watashi wa - I [only watashi means 'I' the 'wa' (which is actually a hiragana 'ha') is a particle that marks the main topic -- we will talk on this more later :) ]
おばあさん obaasan - Grandmother, old woman [obaasan is often used when talking of or to old women. ojiisan is the male equalivant (NOTE: obasan (shorter without the extra 'a') means aunt (not old woman) be careful!)]
あなたは？ anata wa - You? [Again only anata means 'you' the wa is the topic particle again.]
フランク　 furanku - Frank [Foreign names are always written in Katakana]
さん san - Mr. Mrs. Ms. [This tag is placed after names but never used when speaking of oneself. Remember Daniel-san from karate kid.]
はじめまして hajimemashite - Nice to meet you [This is an idiom from the verb meaning 'to start']

Chapter One: Explanation

• こんにちは konnichi wa - (Good afternoon) Here we have our first greeting. It is used from the afternoon until evening. It really means 'this day' but is used idiomatically as a greeting. As mentioned before, the wa is a hiragana ha but is pronounced as wa when used as a particle (see below for more on wa)
• です desu - (copula, to be) When you want to say, "A = (or relates to) B" desu is used. For example, I am Clay. watashi wa kurei desu. That is a TV. kore wa terebi desu. More on this later!
• か ka - In most cases simply putting a ka at the end of a regular sentence turns it into a question. Consider this example: anata wa nihonjin desu. (You are Japanese.) - add ka - anata wa nihonjin desu ka? (Are you Japanese?) Presto! Instant questions! MORE ON THIS...
• ええと・・・ eeto - (let me see..., hmmm) eeto is used quite frequently by Japanese speakers. It is uttered to buy time while thinking of just what to say. Just like "uhmmm" it can be extend eeeeto
• は wa - Particles in Japanese are placed after the word it modifies. This one makes the word it modifies the 'over all topic.' I know this sounds confusing at first and it is still confusing at second too. But don't despair there is more to confuse you later... This is pronounced as wa even though it uses the hiragana ha
• 「WORDS」 - These are Japanese quotation marks (" ") used to mark what is said. During the Edo Period Japanese had no punctuation. 「」,。,、,,, were not used
• あなたは？ anata wa - Literally this means, "You" and sets "you" as the main topic [see above] Often in Japanese things are left out when the listener can understand what is meant. What the Obaasan means here is, "And you, what is your name?" But simply saying , "you?" is sufficient and more natural.
• さん san - As mentioned before this is not used when refering to oneself. Other titles for people include kun (usually with boys) chan (usually with girls) sama (usually with customers and kings)

Chapter One: Quiz

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Chapter Two: Dialog

Chapter Two: Vocabulary

じゃ ない。 ja nai - Not...; Negates whatever was before; Used at the end of sentences
なまえ namae - Name; sounds similar to the English 'name' (sort of!)
なん　です　か？ nan desu ka - What is it? This is a very useful expression
なん nan - What? Another way to write NAN is NANI
なにか nanika - Something; Notice there is a relation to NAN (what); the KA adds the unknown (SOMEthing)
のみます nomimasu - To drink; it can also mean, "I will drink."
はい、どぞ。 hai, dozo - Here you are; another very useful phrase used when offering things to guests
カルピス karupisu - Calpis - Japanese drink made from milk and water; This is spelled with katakana. This is a strange name. It is spelled "Calpis" but pronounced more or less as "cow piss" - pardon the low educational value of this entry... The very first day I came to Japan, I met a foreigner at the airport and he told me of this drink. Our conversation went as follows: "You know there is a drink here called Calpis." I answered, "No... really?" "Yes, it is spelled C-A-L-P-I-S but it's Calpis!"
そうか。 souka - really, is that so? I see ; This is said to show that you are still interested in what the speaker has to say and you are not sleeping. It also has the feel you have learned something new.

• だいじょうぶ　です　か？ daijoubu desu ka? - [Are you ok?] As we discussed in Chapter 1, adding a か ka to the end of a sentence makes it a question. Without the ka this would mean, "(I) am fine."
  daijoubu can mean "fine,ok, good, safe..."
• いいえ、だいじょうぶ　じゃ ない。 iie, daijoubu janai - [No, I am not fine.] Lit. "No, fine not." First comes the "No" which is iie. And lastly comes the negating factor which negates daijoubu. You can play tricks, by saying "daijoubu... [wait a few seconds] ja nai!" This is kind of similar to the movie "Wayne's World" where the character is always making his sentences negative by adding "NOT!" at the end. Only this is normal Japanese.
• なまえ は　なん　です　か？ namae wa nan desu ka? - [What is your name?]
  namae - name
  wa - particle which is after the main topic of the sentence; note it is pronounced as wa, not ha, when used as a particle
  nan - what
  desu - is
  ka - question marker
  "nan desu ka" [What is it?] is a very useful question. You can just point to an object and say, "nan desu ka" or you can start with "... wa nan desu ka?" [What is ...] as in the example
• わたし　の　なまえ　は　おばあさん　です。 watashi no namae wa obaasan desu - [My name is "Obaasan."]
  watashi no - [my] remember this as a one-word word. Remember the no is a possessive particle which shows relation between two things. So whenever you have watashi + no it always equals "my."
  This phrase is also very useful for introducing yourself. "watashi no namae wa ...[your name] desu."
• あなた　は　フランクさん　です　ね。 anata wa furanku san desu ne - [You are Mr. Frank, aren't you?]
  The ne here asks for confirmation--aren't you?
• はい。　わたし　は　フランク　です。 hai. watashi wa furanku desu. - [Yes, I am Frank.] An important point: When speaking of oneself, one never uses san
• なにか　のみます　か？ nanika nomimasu ka? - [Would you like something to drink] [lit. something to drink?]
  Would you like something to eat is "nanika tabemasu ka?"
  Would you like to see something (tv or movies) is "nanika mimasu ka?"
• はい。　のみます。 hai. nomimasu - [Yes, I will drink] This is a good example of how in Japanese repeated information is usually not repeated. We know the topic (something to drink) and we know the subject (I) so we don't have to say them again. In fact it is clumsy to do so.
• はい、どぞ。 hai, dozo - [Here you are] Remember these words together. The hai is 'yes' but in this case with dozo it means, "Here you are."
• なん　です　か？ nan desu ka? - [What is it?] We saw this before and we will see it again! What is it?
• カルピス　です。 karupisu desu - [It's Calpis] As mentioned before, Calpis is a popular Japanese milk-based drink.
• カルピス は なん　です　か？ karupisu wa nan desu ka? - [What is 'Calpis'?] Another way of asking what something is is "... tte nani?" The first way is more polite. (note there are 2 t's in tte this is because there is a short pause between what you are asking and the te)
• カルピス　は　のみもの　です。 karupisu wa nomimono desu. - [Calpis is a drink] Because the main topic of "Calpis" is known, you really don't have to say it. You could just say, "nomimono desu."
  nomimono - this is a compound word of nomi ('drink' from 'nomimasu') + mono (thing) = a drink thing or a drink
• そうか。 souka - [is that so?] As mentioned before, this is added to act like you are listening and interested in what the speaker has to say. It has a feeling of "Oh, I didn't know that! Thank you for informing me of that fact."

Chapter Four: Dialog

dialogdialog

Click on any part of the kaiwa (dialog) to get an instant translation

Chapter Four: Vocabulary

vocabularyvocabulary

Run through these a few times until you can recognize them in the dialog

何を　しています　か？ nani o shite imasu ka? - what are you doing? | this is a good sentence to memorize.
何 nani - what | same as nan || first studied in chapter 2
しています shite imasu - is doing | usually makes verbs into ING verbs -　Usage will be covered later
ともだちに tomodachi ni - to a friend | tomodachi (friend) is also good to know
はなして います hanashite imasu - speaking, talking
だれ？ dare? - who? | another important question word
たべもの tabemono - food | do you remember nomimono? drink - mono means "thing" so 'a thing to eat'
ほんとう？ hontou? - really? Are you sure? Are you kidding? | This is probably one of the top 10 most useful Japanese words!
はなしません。 hanashimasen - not speak, not talk - whenever you see the masen it is always negative

Chapter Four: Explanation

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• フランクさん、 何を　しています　か？ furanku san, nani o shiteimasu ka? - [Frank, what are you doing?] You can change the verb too!
  Example:
  nani o tabemasu ka? [What are you eating? or probably What do you want to eat.]
• ともだちに　はなして います　よ。 tomodachi ni hanashite imasu yo - [I'm talking to my friend.] || The particle ni is used often when 'to' is used. amerika ni iku. [I am going to America.] and anata ni ageru. [I will give something to you.]
  ~te imasu when added to verbs makes the ~ing form:
  tabete imasu - eating (tabemasu) || mite imasu - seeing (mimasu)
• ともだちは　だれ？ tomodachi wa dare? - [Who is the friend?] lit. 'friend who?' Very often words are dropped in Japanese if they are understood by the speaker and listener. Even the important desu verb isn't totally necessary. Of course the "correct" form would be, 'tomodachi wa dare desu ka?'
• これ　です。 kore desu - [It's this] || there isn't an 'it'
• それは　すし　です。　すしは　たべもの　です　よ。　ともだち　じゃない。 sore wa sushi desu. sushi wa tabemono desu yo. tomodachi janai - [That is sushi. Sushi is a food. Not a friend.] || Do you remember in Chapter 2 nomi mono (a drink)? Well tabe mono (a food) is related. Of course the tabe comes from the verb tabemasu (to eat) and nomi comes from the verb nomimasu (to drink), but what is mono? mono means 'thing.' So tabemono is 'eat thing.'
• ああ！ ほんとう？ aa! hontou? - [Ah! Really?!] Again this is casual speech so the ver (desu) is dropped. hontou is very, very useful! hontou desu yo.
• はい。 ほんとう です よ。 それは はなしません。 hai. hontou desu yo. sore wa hanashimasen. - [Yes, it's true. That doesn't talk.] || The yo is just added for stress, really it isn't necessary. hanashimasen means 'not speak' we will get to 'can't speak' soon... Stay tuned!

Chapter Four: Quiz

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Chapter Five: Dialog

dialogdialog

Click on any part of the kaiwa (dialog) to get an instant translation

Chapter Five: Vocabulary

vocabularyvocabulary

Run through these a few times until you can recognize them in the dialog
Some of these have already been studied in previous lessons. See vocabulary list to review all words learned.

いきましょう！ ikimashou! - Let's go! | The mashou always means "let's...".
どこに？ doko ni - Where to? || Just doko means "Where" and the ni shows direction
となり tonari - next, next door, next to | this can be used for anything that is next to something
の no - This is the possessive marker Like the apostrophe S --> 's
うち uchi - house, home
いいよ。 ii yo - ii means good and yo is added for stress. But ii yo can mean, "That sounds good, let's do that..."
こんばんは！ konban wa - Good evening | another important greeting
あら ara - not really a word, but a sound showing some state of surprise.
その人 sono hito - that person || hito is "person, people, man..."
だれ dare - who
と もうします to moushimasu - is called ~ || A very humble (& polite) way to introduce yourself
はじめまして hajimemashite - Nice to meet you
いらっしゃい！ irasshai - welcome! || This is often shouted when you enter any store
おじゃまします！ ojamashimasu - lit: I will be in the way || a polite way to enter someone's house
ね ne - ne is added to the end of ii desu to add stress, but there are also other meanings which we will see later
すわって suwatte - sit || the ~te form of suwaru (to sit)
ください。 kudasai - please || it actually means "give me" but when it follows a verb ending with a ~te it means 'please' is
どこでも。 dokodemo - wherever || demo (and see below) is added to some question words like ever is in English. (itsudemo - whenever || dokodemo - wherever
おちゃ ocha - Japanese green tea || a very common treat for guests.
でも demo - even, say (for example)
のみます nomimasu - drink
か？ ka - ? || makes a sentence a question.
ねえねえ nee nee - hey! listen up || again not a word, but a way to get people's attention when you have something good to say
山田さん yamada san - A very common name
こと koto - thing, matter, situation || Yamada's situation or what Yamada has done
きいた kiita - heard || past simple of kiku (to hear)
うそ！ uso - lie || this is often said in spoken Japanese, but saying it isn't as strong as calling someone a liar in English
ほんとう？ hontou? - really? Are you sure? Are you kidding? | This is probably one of the top 10 most useful Japanese words!

Chapter Five: Explanation

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• いきましょう！ ikimashou! - [Let's go!] We first saw this in Chapter 3, but it is ve
• ry useful. The plain "go" is ikimasu (normal - polite) or iku (normal). The first (ikimasu) is in what's called the -masu form because it ends in masu. (easy right?) The masu form is considered polite, but is used very often. Just plain iku (sometimes called dictionary form) is also used often. To say "LET'S ..." simply add mashou to the end of the masu form.
• どこに？ doko ni? - [Where to?] We saw doko (where) in Chapter 3, but now we have a strange little ni added after the doko. As you can see from the translation, the ni adds a direction (to). Obaasan said "Let's go" so Frank asks "Where TO?"
• となりのうちに。 tonari no uchi ni. - [To the next door neighbors' house.] 1st point: notice the ni is added again to show direction. 2nd point: to say next-door-neighbors, simply say "tonari no..." to say the "The Brown's next door" would be "tonari no buraun" OR to just say "neighbor" in general say "tonari no hito" (next's person = next door person) 3rd point: tonari can also be used for objects. kuruma no tonari (next to the car) || neko no tonari (next to the cat) but saying "tonari no neko" would mean "the next door's cat" -- do you follow?
• いいよ。 ii yo - [That's fine.] Often used when giving permission to do something. "May I eat your pizza?" "ii yo." || "May I have your car?" "ii yo."
• こんばんは！ konban wa - [Good evening.] This is a set phrase. It actually means "As for this night"
• こんばんは、 あら、 その人は だれですか？ konban wa, ara, sono hito wa dare desu ka? - [Good evening, oh and who is this person?] 1st point: The answer to konban wa is konban wa. 2nd point: ara is not a word, but a sound showing some level of surprise. Japanese uses a number of sounds like ara. eeto (let me think...) is another one that you have encountered. 3rd point: Do you remember sore (that) from Chapter 3. Both sono and sore are actually the same, but the usage is different. sore stands alone and is usually followed by wa (the topic particle "as for...") as in "sore wa sushi desu." (That is sushi) BUT!! sono is always connected with a noun. sono sushi wa oishi desu. (That sushi is delicious.) sono hito (that person) NOTE: sore's partner in crime, I mean, Japanese is kore (this (not that)) and kore's noun-brother is kono. kono hito (this person)
• フランクと もうします。　はじめまして。 furanku to moushimasu. hajimemashite. - [I am called "Frank." Nice to meet you.] 1st point: Think of the to as "quotation marks" 2nd point: moushimasu is a very humble (that means Frank is a nice guy) way of introducing oneself. You could also say more abruptly "furanku desu." (I'm Frank.) 3rd point: hajimemashite (nice to meet you - lit. Let's start...) is said when meeting for the first time.
• はじめまして、いらっしゃい！ hajimemashite, irasshai - [Nice to meet you, welcome.] 1st point: hajimemashite's answer is hajimemashite. 2nd point: irasshai is a shortened form of irasshaimase (welcome) - a good rule is the longer the word the more polite it becomes. Both irasshai and irasshaimase are yelled by store clerks at every supermarket, shop, and store when you enter their doors.
• おじゃまします！ ojamashimasu! - [Sorry for disturbing you] 1st point: jama means "thing in the way" "a bother" so literally you are saying "sorry for being a thing-in-your-way" 2nd point: the o added at the beginning is for politeness. You will see more of it later.
• いいうち です ね。 ii uchi desu ne. - [You have a nice house] 1st point: I put "you" in the translation, but in Japanese this is not natural. It is obvious the house belongs to "you" so it is not said. 2nd point: add ii to any noun that you like. "ii hito" (nice person) "ii neko" (nice cat) 3rd point: the ne is added for stress and to presupose that everyone would agree. ne has many usages and I don't think they can be explained well. If you listen to the different ways it is used, you will catch on.
• ねえねえ、 となり の 山田さん のことは きいた？ nee nee, tonari no yamada san no koto wa kiita? - [Hey, hey, did you hear about Mr. (or Mrs.) Yamada?] 1st point: nee nee isn't a word, but it is one of those sound things. The image is of someone saying "nee nee" while jabbing their elbow at another person to get their attention. "hey, listen up..." 2nd point:koto can mean a number of things. "thing, situation, happening" I guess the koto here would mean something like "Did you hear ABOUT THE THING Mr. Yamada did? 3rd point: kiita (heard) simple past tense of kiku (to hear)
• うそ！ uso - [Your kidding!] 1st point: This literally means "lie" but it has a feel of "You are kidding!" in English. Calling someone a liar in English isn't normal but in Japanese it is.
• ほんとうですよ。 hontou desu yo. - [It is true!] 1st point: hontou is the opposite of uso 2nd point: the yo is added to stress the fact that what was said is indeed true. I guess the yo here would be something like "You'd better believe it" in English. It is a shame we don't have something like yo or ne in English!

Chapter Five: Quiz

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