Chapter Four
prologue prologue |
In the previous chapter (chap. 3) Obaasan takes Frank to a sushi restaurant. All is well and dandy until Obaasan goes to the bathroom. Frank mistakes a piece of sushi for a person to talk to, and does just that. The clerk of the restaurant sees this and tries to explain to Frank that that is sushi. Frank now thinking he knows the little guy's name proceeds with his conversation. The chapter wraps up with the clerk explaining that sushi is not human and with Frank explaining that neither is he...
A TRIP TO THE SUSHI BAR PART 2
Chapter Four: Dialog
dialog dialog |
Click on any part of the kaiwa (dialog) to get an instant translation
FRANK AFTER REALIZING |
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SUSHI IS SOMETHING TO EAT |
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translation |
| FIRST
FROM CHAPTER 3: Obaasan - Well then, let's
go. AND FROM CHAPTER 4: <obaasan
returns; Frank is bowing to a piece of sushi> |
Chapter Four: Vocabulary
vocabulary vocabulary |
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
explanation explanation |
- 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!
QuizPRESS OK TO BEGIN!