Mina-san, has your neighborhood/neighbourhood gone overboard with the security?

Belton-san! Very good point! So good that I included your spelling of neighbourhood even though Firefox’s spell check tries to correct me. Yes, we should definitely mention that next time. Thanks for pointing that out. I like your suggestion so much, that I’m thinking of deleting it and taking it as my own! Please consider this the highest form of flattery!

Peter-san, you could reply Belton-san’s comment. But you couldn’t answer my lesson request from yesterday? I look stupid there asking for a special lesson.

Alain-san,

No need to apologize. In fact, we’re the ones that should I have corrected the link and audio iPod files for 378 and 379.

Thanks,

Eran

It’s great to see the passive form making an appearance, as I’ve been trying to get to grips with it for a while now, not completely successfully. In particular any helpful tips in distinguishing the ichidan passive and potential forms would be a great help.

So where is todays story going to go after today? Are we having the prison episode. Which japanesepod101 staffer is doing the research for this

On a more serious note, the premium feed looks a great idea and could save much mouse clicking & password typing.

Alan

JP101 Crew and Listeners!

Great episode has always! Lets keep it up ok!

Vicky-san

Here’s the Guns N Roses Video “Don’t Cry” like I did with Mikuji-san when she was crying too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ns59Bmqpms

By the way Mikuji-san we miss you too!

I’m sure Peter-san saw your lesson request and they are making it specially for you so there’s no need to reply ok!

Pauloさん、　
　　　Class one and Class two are called godan and ichidan respectively. I don’t have the answer for irregulars.

Class I (五段） verbs: godan ごだん
Class 2 (一段) verbs: ichidan いちだん

I pulled the information below from the web. “Class 1″ verbs are known in Japanese as godan or “five step” because there are five different conjugations for a, i, u, e, o. “Class 2″ verbs are known as ichidan or “one step” because there is only one type of conjugation.
Thanks
John

* Five Vowels Regular Conjugation (五段正格活用)
* Vowel I Regular Conjugation (上一段正格活用)
* Vowel E Regular Conjugation (下一段正格活用)
* Consonant K Irregular Conjugation (カ行変格活用)
* Consonant S Irregular Conjugation (サ行変格活用)

５（ご）だん どうし (u-verb) roots change in FIVE basic forms as in the order of [a], [i], [u], [e], [o]. For example, a ５（ご）だんverb 「わかる (to understand)」 changes as わから、わかり、わかる、わかれ、わかろ. (See Verb Conjugation Table.)

１（いち）だん どうし (ru-verb) root does not change. Therefore they are used in ONE form. For example, an １（いち）だん verb 「たべる (to eat)」 conjugates as たべ, たべ, たべ, たべ, たべ.

皆さん、げんき？
John C. Briggsさん、thanks for the explanation of the 五段、一段and etc, I ‘ve been wondering about that for a while too.

These beginner lessons are actually quite hard for me, I’m just trying my best to catch up with the previous lesson. If only I knew this site a year earlier!

Btw, the twist in the story is really a surprise.

日本語をちゃんと勉強します。頑張ります！
よろしくお願いします！

Alanさん、

the i-verb stem is used in several JLPT 2kyu grammar patterns, and is also used as a way of connecting sentences rather than -te.

When I write in Japanese, I like the way that the -i stem looks better than the -te. I’m not sure if I was taught that one way is better than the other, or if it’s just personal preference.

Bob1_san!

That’s all what I felt when I saw JP101 and Windows Vista for the first time WOW!

If you wanna see my WOW picture click on my Japanese name.

Finally I know how my name looks in Japanese! S_R_C

あっ、びっくりした！
この二人は泥棒とは全然思ってなかった！

Thanks for the set phrases that one could use to respond to news of someone passing away. There seem to be so many set phrases in Japanese (especially in business culture). Interestingly, I’ve had Japanese friends ask me what the English equivalent to such-and-such a phrase, and I’ve had to tell them that we really don’t have a lot of set phrases that everyone uses (or if they exist, most English-speakers aren’t conscious of them as set phrases per se).

A few more in Japanese (if anyone’s interested):
Note, although you say “set phrases,” they often come in several variations and levels of formality…

ご安産でおめでとうございます (goanzan de omedetou gozimasu): Congratulations on the birth of your child

心ばかりの品ですが．．． (kokoro bakari no shina desu ga…): This is just a small token of my appreciation (for gift-giving)

いつでも心にかけていただいて、ありがとうございます (itsumo kokoro ni itadaite, arigatou gozaimsu): You’re always really thoughtful. I appreciate it

or more informally, いつもいつも、すみません (itsumo itsumo, sumimasen): You’re always so generous. I can’t thank you enough.

では、気をつけて (dewa, ki wo tsukete): Well, take care (relatively informal, used when parting with someone)

ちょっといいですか (chotto iie desu ka): Have you got a moment? (casual way to get somone’s attention, usually to ask a question)

ご無沙汰いたしました (gobusata itashimashita): I’ve let too much time pass since I saw you last (way to greet someone you haven’t seen for a while, more formal than お久しぶりです and しばらくでした)

お待ちしておりました (omachi shite orimashita): I’ve been looking forward to seeing you (polite)

そろそろ．．． (sorosoro…): equivalent to looking at one’s watch and saying “why, look at the time….”

いつもお世話になります (itsumo wo sewa ni narimasu): I’m forever in your debt (standard phrases used by business people to greet patrons or to thank neighbors for being neighbors… not as heart-felt as the English translation implies) Also いつもお世話になっております

大変お待たせしました (taihen omatase shimashita): I’m realy sorry to have kept you waiting (standard business phrase when you’ve made someone wait for whatever reason)

ただいま席をはずしております (tadaima seki wo hazeshite orimasu): He/she’s away from his/her desk at the moment (business phrase often used on the phone when a customer asks to speak to an employee who’s stepped out)