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Chapter Three: Explanation
Submitted by admin on Tue, 08/12/2008 - 12:34
explanation explanation |
- じゃあ、いきましょう。 jaa, ikimashou - [Well then, let's
go] || jaa is often used when parting. tatoeba [For example]: jaa ne [well then... (good
bye)] || mashou is a very useful ending for verbs. It means "Let's
..."
For example: tabemasu (to eat)
tabemashou (let's eat) - どこ？ doko? - [where?] Memorize these question words! ; The longer form with a verb is doko desu ka? (Where is it?) However, very often in Japanese things are dropped when it is repeated information. In this case only doko is fine.
- すし レストラン。 sushi resutoran - [sushi restaurant] | Notice there isn't a T sound at the end
- すしは なん だろう？ sushi wa nan darou? - [I wonder
what sushi is?] || To ask "What is sushi?" you
would say sushi wa nan desu ka? But here Frank
is talking to himself so he uses darou (I wonder):
tatoeba [For example]:
itsu darou? [I wonder when?]
ame darou? [I wonder if it is raining? lit. rain I wonder?] - まって！ matte! - [wait!] || very useful!
More polite:
matte kudasai [please wait] - こんにちは！ おげんき です か？ konnichi wa! ogenki desu ka? - [Hello! How are you?] Perhaps you are familiar with this. The O added before genki is there for honor. When speaking of / to others you can use O but when answering for oneself, you should always say, 'genki desu.']
- それは すし です よ。 sore wa sushi desu yo - [That is sushi.] In this sentence and the next are 2 very useful words, sore (that) and kore (this). When it is sore WA it is 'That is...' but it can also be an object in the sentence.
- ああ！ これは すし です。 aa! kore wa sushi desu. - [Oh! this
is sushi.] kore (this)
USEFUL:
kore wa nan desu ka? [What is this? (probably point to something nearby or holding the object]
sore wa nihongo no hon desu. [That is a Japanese book.] (probably something a little ways from the speaker)
kore - speaker is near or holding the object
sore - speaker is not near the object mentioned - こんにちは、 すしさん konnichi wa, sushi-san - [Hello, Mr. Sushi] Frank mistakes the sushi for someone to talk to.
- すみません。 それは すし です。 人げん じゃない。 sumimasen. sore wa sushi desu. ningen ja nai. - [Excuse me. That is sushi. It is not human.] You don't have to remember ningen just remember the kanji for people 人 It is easy! Usually the kanji is pronounced hito and means person.
- わたしも 人げん じゃない。 watashi mo ningen ja nai. - [I am also not human] || watashi (I, me) + mo (too, also) = Me too, I am also...
- あっそう。 それ なら どうぞ。 a sou. sorenara douzo. - [Well if that is the case, go ahead] a sou is simply a reactionary sound made to show a little surprise but acceptance of the truth of what is said. || sorenara is useful (it that is the case) sore means 'that' and nara means 'if'
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