Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Notes

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Lesson Transcript

Intro

Jessi: Hi everyone, ジェシーです (Jeshī desu)。Jessi here!
Motoko: こんにちは (Kon'nichiwa)、Motoko です (desu)。
Jessi: Spending Time on Japanese Public Transportation. Thanks again for joining us for this lesson! Motoko, could you remind us what we learned in the last lesson, Lesson 15?
Motoko: はい (Hai)。In the last lesson, we learned how to say something or someone is NOT here. For example, ATMはここにありません (ATM wa koko ni arimasen)。
Jessi: There is no ATM here. And in this lesson, you'll learn how to talk about means of transportation. For example, I go to [place] by bus, or by train.
Motoko: Jessi, what's happening in this conversation?
Jessi: In the conversation, Taylor is asking Masato about how they are going to get to Masato's house.
Motoko: Okay! Let's listen to the conversation.
Dialogue
テイラー: なに で まさとさん の うち に いきますか。くるま で いきますか。
Taylor: Nani de Masato-san no uchi ni ikimasu ka. Kuruma de ikimasu ka?
まさと: でんしゃ で いきます。それから、バス と あるき で いきます。
Masato: Densha de ikimasu. Sorekara, basu to aruki de ikimasu.
テイラー: でんしゃ と バス と あるき…?とおい です ね。
Taylor: Densha to basu to aruki...? To oidesu ne.
Jessi: Let’s listen to the conversation again slowly.
テイラー: なに で まさとさん の うち に いきますか。くるま で いきますか。
Taylor: Nani de Masato-san no uchi ni ikimasu ka. Kuruma de ikimasu ka?
まさと: でんしゃ で いきます。それから、バス と あるき で いきます。
Masato: Densha de ikimasu. Sorekara, basu to aruki de ikimasu.
テイラー: でんしゃ と バス と あるき…?とおい です ね。
Taylor: Densha to basu to aruki...? To oidesu ne.
Jessi: Now let’s listen to it with the translation.
テイラー: なに で まさとさん の うち に いきますか。
Taylor: Nani de Masato-san no uchi ni ikimasu ka.
Jessi: How are we going to your house, Masato?
テイラー: くるま で いきますか。
Taylor: Kuruma de ikimasu ka?
Jessi: Are we going by car?
まさと: でんしゃ で いきます。
Masato: Densha de ikimasu.
Jessi: We're going by train.
まさと: それから、バス と あるき で いきます。
Masato: Sorekara, basu to aruki de ikimasu.
Jessi: Then, we'll go by bus, and on foot.
テイラー: でんしゃ と バス と あるき…?
Taylor: Densha to basu to aruki...?
Jessi: Train and bus and on foot...?
テイラー: とおい です ね。
Taylor: Tōi desu ne.
Jessi: It's far, isn't it...
Vocabulary and Phrase Usage
Jessi: Wow, so they have to take a train, and then a bus, and then they have to walk to Masato's house!
Motoko: It sounds pretty far!
Jessi: I think so... I don't think it's all that rare, though. It's really common to use trains and buses to get to places in Japan.
Motoko: Yes, especially in big cities.
Jessi: Right. But that's partly because they're so convenient! Trains and buses are almost always on time in Japan.
Motoko: Yes, I think they are famous for that.
Jessi: Hmm. I think the fact that they're always punctual is pretty incredible compared to other countries. So now let's take a look at some of the words and phrases from our conversation. The first one is...
Motoko: それから (sorekara)
Jessi: それから (sorekara). This phrase means "then", or "and then", and it's used to talk about an event following another event in time. So, for example, you would have AそれからB (A sorekara B) which would mean “A, and then, B”.
Motoko: Masato used it in his sentence. He said でんしゃ で いきます (Densha de ikimasu)。
Jessi: We'll go by train.
Motoko: それから、バス と あるき で いきます。 (Sorekara, basu to aruki de ikimasu.)
Jessi: Then, we'll go by bus, and on foot. So it's clear that they take the train first, and THEN they take a bus, and then walk.
Motoko: そうです (Sō desu)!That's right.
Jessi: So if you're talking about one event happening after another, you can use this それから (sorekara) to connect them. Okay, let's take a look at the other one.
Motoko: OK. とおい (tōi)
Jessi: とおい (Tōi) which is far. Of course this means far as in distance. At the end of the dialogue, Taylor said
Motoko: とおいですね (tōi desu ne)
Jessi: “It's far, isn't it…” And this is とおい + ですね (tōi + desu ne). And, since we're covering "far", why don't we learn how to say "near" or "close", too?
Motoko: Sure. "Near" is ちかい (chikai).
Jessi: ちかい (Chikai). Near, or close.
Motoko: Right.
Jessi: So one more time, those two words are...?
Motoko: とおい (Tōi). (Jessi: Far. Please repeat.) とおい (tōi)
[pause]
Jessi: And...
Motoko: ちかい (Chikai). (Jessi: Near. Please repeat.) ちかい (chikai)
[pause]
Jessi: Great! Now, onto the lesson focus.
Grammar Point
Jessi: In this lesson, you'll learn how to talk about means of transportation. In other words, how you get somewhere.
Motoko: Like trains, buses, walking, and so on.
Jessi: So, first, let's take a look at our structure asking HOW someone is going to get somewhere. It's a little long, so please listen closely. We also recommend you follow along with the lesson notes.
Motoko: [Person] は なに で [place] に いきますか。 ([Person] wa nani de [place] ni ikimasu ka.)
Jessi: [Person] は なに で [place] に いきますか ([Person] wa nani de [place] ni ikimasu ka)。 Okay! Let's break that down, shall we?
Motoko: Sure. [Person] は (wa) (Jessi: person) なにで (nani de) (Jessi: how) [place] に (ni) (Jessi: to place) いきますか (ikimasu ka) (Jessi: goes, question?)
Jessi: So literally, “person - how - to place - goes?” Of course it means "How will [person] get to [place]?" Motoko, could you give us an example?
Motoko: Sure. Jessi, I'll ask you a question.
Jessi: OK.
Motoko: ジェシーさんは、なにで うちに いきますか。 (Jeshī-san wa, nani de uchi ni ikimasu ka.)
Jessi: Ah, なにで うちに いきますか (Nani de uchi ni ikimasu ka)。 なにで (Nani de) (how) うちに (uchi ni) (home, plus に [ni]) いきますか (ikimasu ka) (goes?) So this means Jessi, how will you get home?
Motoko: That's right! Hear it one more time. ジェシーさんは、なにで うちに いきますか。(Jeshī-san wa, nani de uchi ni ikimasu ka.)
Jessi: The sentence we had in the dialogue also asked about going home. Let's hear that one.
Motoko: Taylor said なに で まさとさん の うち に いきますか (nani de masato-san no uchi ni ikimasu ka)。
Jessi: How are we going to your house, Masato? Let's break it down.
Motoko: なに で (Nani de) (Jessi: how) まさとさん の うち に (Masato-san no uchi ni) (Jessi: Masato's house plus に [ni]) いきますか (ikimasu ka)。 (Jessi: goes?)
Jessi: So again, that is “How are we going to your house, Masato?” Here, the "we" part is left out, because it's obvious who Taylor is talking about.
Motoko: Yes.
Jessi: All right, so now let's talk about answering this question.
Motoko: It's not hard.
Jessi: Nope. Just replace なに (nani), what, with the means of transportation. And you also don't need the か (ka) at the end, that’s only used for questions. So our pattern is...?
Motoko: [person] は (wa) [means of transportation] で (de) [place] に いきます (ni ikimasu)。
Jessi: So one more time, that is, [person] は (wa) [means of transportation] で (de) [place] に いきます (ni ikimasu)。Some examples, please?
Motoko: はい (Hai)!Here's the first one. わたしは バスで うちに いきます。(Watashi wa basu de uchi ni ikimasu.)
Jessi: Let’s break it down.
Motoko: わたしは (Watashi wa) (Jessi: I) バス で (basu de) (Jessi: by bus) うちに (uchi ni) (Jessi: to home) いきます (ikimasu) (Jessi: go)。
Jessi: So... I'll go home by bus?
Motoko: That's right.
Jessi: Listeners, please repeat. We'll break it up for you.
Motoko: わたしはバスで (Watashi wa basu de)
[pause]
Motoko: うちに いきます (Uchi ni ikimasu)
[pause]
Jessi: I'll go home by bus. All right. So, let's look at our examples from the dialogue. Taylor asked Masato how they were getting to his house, and Masato says
Motoko: でんしゃで いきます。 (Densha de ikimasu.)
Jessi: でんしゃで (Densha de) (by train) いきます (ikimasu) (will go)。"We're going by train." Motoko, this sentence is so short, though, compared to our other ones!
Motoko: Yes it is, because we don't need the subject, or the place.
Jessi: It's pretty obvious that they are talking about themselves, and also, since Taylor mentioned Masato's house, まさとのうち (Masato no uchi), Masato doesn't need to say it again in his response.
Motoko: Right, he can just say the necessary information. でんしゃで いきます。 (Densha de ikimasu.)
Jessi: でんしゃで いきます。 (Densha de ikimasu.) "We're going by train." And, what does he say next?
Motoko: それから、バスと あるきで いきます。 (Sorekara, basu to aruki de ikimasu.)
Jessi: "Then, we'll go by bus, and on foot." So, let's take a closer look at this one.
Motoko: それから (sorekara) (Jessi: then)、バス (dasu) (Jessi: bus) と (to) (Jessi: and) あるきで (aruki de) (Jessi: walking) いきます (ikimasu) (Jessi: will go)。
Jessi: Hmm, was that a tough one?? We had a new word, あるき (aruki).
Motoko: あるき (Aruki).
Jessi: Which is walking, or by foot.あるき (Aruki). Okay, so let's hear the sentence one more time.
Motoko: それから、バスと あるきで いきます。 (Sorekara, basu to aruki de ikimasu.)
Jessi: "Then, we'll go by bus, and on foot."
Motoko: Great.
Jessi: Let's have the listeners practice now with some simpler sentences.
Motoko: Sure. Uh...how about this: でんしゃで うちに いきます。 (Densha de uchi ni ikimasu.)
Jessi: I go home by train. Here, we're leaving off the わたしは (watashi wa)。Listeners, please repeat.
Motoko: でんしゃで うちに いきます。 (Densha de uchi ni ikimasu.)
[pause]
Jessi: Great, how about one more?
Motoko: あるきで うちに いきます。 (Aruki de uchi ni ikimasu.)
Jessi: I go home on foot. Listeners, please repeat.
Motoko: あるきで うちに いきます。 (Aruki de uchi ni ikimasu.)
[pause]

Outro

Jessi: All right, how did that go? If you didn't follow along with the lesson notes while listening, be sure to check them out for review.
Motoko: Seeing the pattern is a big help.
Jessi: Yes, being able to visualize it will help you remember it. Okay, well I think that's all for this lesson!
Motoko: Thanks everyone!
Jessi: We'll see you all next time.
Motoko: じゃあまた! (Jā mata!)

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