Learn intermediate Japanese with JapanesePod101.com! Ryuta and Satoko have reached Hokkaido and the clear, starry Sapporo night sky provides the perfect setting for a telling of the Tanabata legend. Tune in to hear about Orihime and Hikoboshi, the love they shared, and almost lost. In today’s grammar point, we introduce the ~ga yoi/ii Japanese grammar construction. Be sure to tune in, and leave us a post at JapanesePod101.com!
This entry was posted on Friday, July 7th, 2006 at 9:53 pm and is filed under Intermediate Lessons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
29 Responses to “Intermediate Lesson #21 - Tanabata”
Mark says:
July 7th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
::Sneaks in first post::
Hi Mina-san - hope everyone has great weekend! 
JapanesePod101.com says:
July 7th, 2006 at 9:58 pm
Mina-san,
How did you enjoy the story? Let us know if you have any Tanabata stories!
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu!
mikuji says:
July 7th, 2006 at 10:09 pm
Hi folks!
I have not yet listened to this episode but for all of you who had a hard time in lesson 20, I had a go at transcripting the informal conversation in that lesson.
It was a good excercise but tough.. I posted the kana -kanji transcript of what I could understand in the comments in Lesson 20.
Look forward to see how 21 goes..
Best
mikuji
Clienad says:
July 7th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
ahh so cute i love the story. However 
I can’t beleive I understand it without explanation. 
more surprising than even that I actually post a message on the same week/month as the file comes out.
usagi says:
July 7th, 2006 at 10:25 pm
Phew! Quite difficult in some parts! I think knowing the story beforehand helped me a lot. Have a great weekend evening and don´t forget to look at the Milky Way tonight 
usagi says:
July 7th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
Ooops, sorry about the typo!
I meant “have a great weekend everyone.”
I am going to re-read the story in one of my study books now. It´s a simple version. Also, don´t forget to wish for something nice Minna-san 
Vicky says:
July 8th, 2006 at 12:29 am
I have trouble hearing this morning….why so low??? Can you make it a bit louder??? I can’t hear….I’m getting old. 
Liz says:
July 8th, 2006 at 2:01 am
Vicky-san,
You must be getting old because the sound is great for me!
The Tanabata story is so nice! What a coincidence that Satoko-san and Ryuta-san happened to be together on this night!!
As a Beginner, I feel I need to go all the way back to the beginning of the lessons to pick up things I have missed along the way. Is anyone else doing this? It’s so easy to skim along without truly absorbing the vocabulary, etc.
Liz says:
July 8th, 2006 at 2:04 am
Vicky-san,
Sumimasen! This podcast really is softer. 
I just checked it out. Even in iTunes it’s softer than previous episodes. Hmmm…..Eran-san will have to explain. 
Daniel Beck says:
July 8th, 2006 at 5:12 am
Natsukoさん、
Just to let you know, we tend to use -さん when addressing one another.
Chigusaさん、
I heard it from a bird, who heard it from someone in your office, that you’re quite the hottie. Is this true? Can anyone confirm?
Why doesn’t JP101 have a actors photo gallery? You guys really should spice up the “About Us” page.
And why not make the blog a more casual, interactive blog, with “in the studio pics”?
Sorry for all the requests. Just thinking about how you all can keep improving. Keep up the good work!
-Daniel B
Vicky says:
July 8th, 2006 at 5:28 am
Daniel B-san, as we talked about a little bird thing….it is your mission now. Please do for us!!! Can’t wait. And, don’t forget to take T’s picture too!!! 
Liz says:
July 8th, 2006 at 5:29 am
Daniel Beck-san,
I agree about the photos. Since you’re in Japan why don’t you just go over to the studio and take some!
By the way, in regard to who’s cute, etc. aren’t you married, Beck-san? Somebody said that to me in these comments, sorry!
Vicky says:
July 8th, 2006 at 5:33 am
Liz-san and Daniel B-san, you guys are so funny. I will get trouble laugh so loud at work. I couldn’t stop laughing when I read you guys comments…. 
Now Liz-san’s turn to teast Daniel B-san…..
Chigusa….chigusa..chigusa-san..blah blah blah….
Daniel Beck says:
July 8th, 2006 at 5:50 am
Watch yourself there Vickster! I’ve got files on you.
T…T…T… Who is this T anyway? 
And you too Liz. Better watch your step. It’s one thing to wonder how cute someone is. Quite another to be acting like a groopie.
Hmm… if I make it over there and get pics, I think I can charge pay-per-view for a certain voice actor.
Oh, and by the way みなさん、
I’ve got some new posts on my blog. All Japan-related. Don’t forget to leave a comment on my JP101 review!
-Daniel B
Vicky says:
July 8th, 2006 at 7:49 am
Daniel B-san, you said….”we tend to use -san when addressing one another.” And, you forgot all about that on last your comments.
You guys are so funny. Made my day~~
Liz-san, would you stop by Daniel B-san’s web site as well? He is too shy to ask you. There is nice picture you might like to see…
Have a wonderful weekend Mina-san!!! 
Liz says:
July 8th, 2006 at 8:33 am
Mina-san,
Here is Daniel B-san’s web site:
http://web.mac.com/danielbeck/iWeb/Home/Home.html
(I don’t know what picture Vicky-san wants me to see, unless it’s one of Daniel B. himself!)
Daniel Beck says:
July 8th, 2006 at 8:45 am
Lizさん、
I’m not sure either. Certainly, I haven’t got a photo of Yoshiさま (yet!).
BTW, you can always access my site (or the site of anyone on this list if they enter it), just by clicking my name in my post).
And now, back to the lesson. Tanabata. Wouldn’t it be even more interesting if this day had a “significance” like Groundhog’s Day? You know, if you can see the Milky Way on 7/7, then つゆ is over. But, if not, 2 more weeks.
And talking of Groundhog’s Day. What a movie! Hmm… has there ever been a Japanese movie using Tanabata as a theme?
-Daniel B.
Vicky says:
July 8th, 2006 at 8:50 am
Liz-san, there is lot of cheese cake pictures. I thought you would like to see and leave some comments….I get hungry every time I visit his site.
I’m really running late for the Japanese class. I heard that I will be only one in that class. But still I’m going to class.
I will study hard who knows maybe be i will get some email from Take-san!!
Woops Daniel-san, I’ve said it.
JockZon says:
July 9th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
I am getting depressed when listening to the intermediate lesson… I don’t understand anything
Bob1 says:
July 10th, 2006 at 11:52 am
If it makes you feel better, JockZon, not everybody could understand this lesson without the explanation as Clienad could. And it was a revelation to me that 「天の川」(ama no gawa), literally “river of heaven”, means the Milky Way. I used to commute to work on bicycle, passing a place called ｢天川団地」(amakawa danchi) everyday. Now I know that the name of this housing complex (danchi) alluded to the Milky Way. I didn’t see any magpies, though; just crows.
Clienad says:
July 10th, 2006 at 5:04 pm
yeah with the benifit of reading the story before hand it help alot
Clienad says:
July 10th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
:ahem: I mean it was a peice of cake every one should beable to undestand it straight away no problem. he,he
I picked up a lot of Japanese literature a few months back for whatever reason. Frankly I couldn’t understand a damn thing but i did manage to plow through that story.
I also bought this book too and it’s got explanations below the text and English translation on the opposing page. which makes it pretty unique as far as getting a decent amount out of the book your reading in Japanese goes.
http://www.speaking-japanese.com/literature.html
p.s I found ten nights of dreams by Natsume Souseki (a series of short stories) paricularly interesting and advise anyone to read it if they fancy a challenge.
http://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000148/files/799_14972.html
However as it’s all in literary Japanese none of it is probably applicable to how the Japanese speak now. Think almost Shakespearian English. so youll be doing it for the funk of it.
Bob1 says:
July 10th, 2006 at 6:01 pm
「楽しい生活を送るようになりました。」
In this sentence, 「おくる」(okuru) is used with a very different meaning
than the one we are used to. Normally it means “to send”. In the context used here, it means “to spend a period of time” or “to live a life”. Since this is not the common meaning, it would have been helpful to include this in the vocabulary list. I found these additional meanings listed on Jim Breen’s web site.
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