Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Natsuko: 夏子です。 (Natsuko desu.)
Peter: Peter here. Patriotic duties. 夏子さん。 (Natsuko-san.)
Natsuko: はい。 (Hai.)
Peter: What are we talking about today?
Natsuko: Patriotic duties. I don’t know, I don’t have any idea.
Peter: When I say patriotic duties, what kind of pops into your mind?
Natsuko: Army.
Peter: Yeah something with armed services or something along in this line.
Natsuko: Yeah but there aren’t any armies in Japan.
Peter: Yeah so what we are actually talking about today is paying money for the national television service.
Natsuko: I got it.
Peter: So it is always patriotic, okay.
Natsuko: Okay, okay.
Peter: Okay great conversation today. Three voices at this plus you have to get the bonus track again.
Natsuko: Again.
Peter: Again. Now the studio was out of control this week. Really out of control. So we actually had a crazy time recording. We have some wild, wild even more than normal wild conversations and they are available in the bonus track.
Natsuko: Wow.
Peter: So Natsuko-san, can you tell us a little bit about this. First, what is the name?
Natsuko: NHK.
Peter: And what does it stand for?
Natsuko: 日本放送教会 (Nihonhōsōkyōkai)
Peter: Okay.
Natsuko: Japan Broadcasting Association.
Peter: Got it. Now what channel is this on regular TV?
Natsuko: In Tokyo, it’s channel 1 and 3.
Peter: Now how big is this? Over in the US, we have three or four major stations that are seen across the country. How big is NHK? Seen across the country?
Natsuko: Yes throughout.
Peter: Throughout the country. How big is it compared to the other stations? We know there is TBS which is another huge station. How does it compare to that?
Natsuko: Oh, it's the largest. It’s simply the largest in Japan.
Peter: The largest.
Natsuko: Yes.
Peter: And what shows do they do?
Natsuko: Various, well anything.
Peter: Educational shows.
Natsuko: News show, comedy, drama, anything.
Peter: So they do it all?
Natsuko: Uhoo…
Peter: Okay and who pays for this?
Natsuko: Those who watch the TV.
Peter: So it’s free TV. I am watching it every day. How do they get the money?
Natsuko: They come at your door knock, knock. Please pay for NHK.
Peter: Yes they actually come door-to-door and collect money. And for a year, how much is it?
Natsuko: Like $1200. I am sorry, ¥1200.
Peter: ¥1200, no way, more than that.
Natsuko: ¥12000
Peter: Yeah about $100. So this is quite a steep price.
Natsuko: Yeah for a year. So yeah like ¥1000 a month.
Peter: Well yeah if you put it that way, yeah not too bad. You, you should work for them.
Natsuko: Maybe.
Peter: Yeah that’s not too bad but anyway, they come door-to-door and they ask for about $100. So with that said, please listen to today’s conversation between a married couple and the person at the door. Here we go.
DIALOGUE
夫: (ベルが鳴る)誰かな?ちょっと見てくる。 ([Beru ga naru] Dare kana? Chotto mite kuru.)
NHKの人: すいませーん。NHKでーす。受信料の徴収に伺いました。 (Suimasen. NHK desu. Jushinryō no chōshū ni ukagaimashita.)
妻: どうしたの? (Dōshita no?)
夫: 静かにして! (Shizuka ni shite!)
妻: 誰が来たの? (Dare ga kita?)
夫: NHKの人だ。 (NHK no hito da.)
妻: また?? (Mata??)
夫: うん、受信料を取りにきた。 (Un, jushinryō o tori ni kita.)
妻: いつまで隠れるのよ? (Itsu made kakureru no yo?)
夫: 引っ越すまで、絶対支払わない!! (Hikkosu made, zettai shiharawanai!)
もう一度、お願いします。今度は、ゆっくりお願いします。 (Mōichido, onegaishimasu. Kondo wa, yukkuri onegaishimasu.)
夫: (ベルが鳴る)誰かな?ちょっと見てくる。 ([Beru ga naru] Dare kana? Chotto mite kuru.)
NHKの人: すいませーん。NHKでーす。受信料の徴収に伺いました。 (Suimasen. NHK desu. Jushinryō no chōshū ni ukagaimashita.)
妻: どうしたの? (Dōshita no?)
夫: 静かにして! (Shizuka ni shite!)
妻: 誰が来たの? (Dare ga kita?)
夫: NHKの人だ。 (NHK no hito da.)
妻: また?? (Mata??)
夫: うん、受信料を取りにきた。 (Un, jushinryō o tori ni kita.)
妻: いつまで隠れるのよ? (Itsu made kakureru no yo?)
夫: 引っ越すまで、絶対支払わない!! (Hikkosu made, zettai shiharawanai!)
次はピーターさんの英語が入ります。 (Tsugi wa pītā-san no eigo ga hairimasu.)
夫: (ベルが鳴る)誰かな?ちょっと見てくる。 ([Beru ga naru] Dare kana? Chotto mite kuru.)
Peter: Who could that be? I will answer it.
NHKの人: すいませーん。NHKでーす。受信料の徴収に伺いました。 (Suimase ̄n. NHK de ̄ su. Jushin-ryō no chōshū ni ukagaimashita.)
Peter: Hello. I am from NHK and came to collect viewing fees.
妻: どうしたの? (Dō shita no?)
Peter: What’s the matter?
夫: 静かにして! (Shizukani shite!)
Peter: Be quiet.
妻: 誰が来たの? (Dare ga kita no?)
Peter: Who has come?
夫: NHKの人だ。 (NHK no hitoda.)
Peter: It’s NHK.
妻: また?? (Mata??)
Peter: Again.
夫: うん、受信料を取りにきた。 (Un, jushin-ryō o tori ni kita.)
Peter: Yeah they came to collect viewing fees.
妻: いつまで隠れるのよ? (Itsu made kakureru no yo?)
Peter: How long are we going to hide?
夫: 引っ越すまで、絶対支払わない!! (Hikkosu made, zettai shiharawanai! !)
Peter:Until we move out, I am never paying.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Peter: .夏子さん、今日の会話、どう思いますか? (Natsukosan, kyō no kaiwa, dōomoimasuka?)
Natsuko: うん、こういう人、多いと思います。 (Un, kōiu hito, ōi to omoimasu.)
Peter: Yeah I think there are a lot of people like this too.
Natsuko: Yes.
Peter: Are you one?
Natsuko: Why not move on to vocab?
VOCAB LIST
Peter: All right. First one.
Natsuko: 誰か (dareka)
Peter: Somebody else.
Natsuko: (slow)だれか (dare ka) (natural speed) 誰か (dareka)
Peter: So here we have the interrogative 誰 (dare) plus か (ka). Attached they become somebody, someone. Now this pattern of taking an interrogative and then attaching か (ka) appears in other places too. Natsuko-san what is 何か (nani ka)?
Natsuko: Something.
Peter: How about いつか (itsuka)?
Natsuko: Some day.
Peter: Yeah this is a pattern that repeats itself.
Natsuko: Yes.
Peter: Next we have
Natsuko: NHK.
Peter: And as we said.
Natsuko: 日本放送教会 (Nihonhōsōkyōkai)
Peter: Can you just break that down for us?
Natsuko: (slow)エヌエイチケイ (enueichikei) (natural speed) NHK
Peter: Followed by
Natsuko: 受信料 (jushin-ryō)
Peter: License fee for TV or a radio.
Natsuko: Actually 受信 (jushin) means to receive the wave.
Peter: Yeah on the cell phone when I get an email and it’s processing.
Natsuko: Oh yes.
Peter: It says
Natsuko: 受信中 (jushin-chū)
Peter: In the middle of receiving.
Natsuko: Yes.
Peter: So this translates literally to receiving a fee but I think to put it into context in English, its licensing fee in this case.
Natsuko: Yes. (slow)じゅしんりょう (ji ~yushinryou) (natural speed) 受信料 (jushin-ryō)
Peter: Next.
Natsuko: 徴収 (chōshū)
Peter: Collection, levy.
Natsuko: (slow)ちょうしゅう (chō shū) (natural speed) 徴収 (chōshū)
Peter: Some very interesting kanji characters here. Stop by japanesepod101.com and check these out because they are very interesting. Next we have.
Natsuko: 伺う (ukagau)
Peter: To visit, to ask, to enquire. So this is polite Japanese for all of these meanings. To ask, to enquire.
Natsuko: To visit.
Peter: Yeah so it’s very, very interesting. Usually on the phone, when I call a place I don’t know, I start off with ちょっと伺いたいんですが (Chotto ukagaitai n desu ga). I want to inquire.
Natsuko: Yes.
Peter: A little.
Natsuko: ちょっと (chotto)
Peter: Yeah a little but yeah really I have something really important to ask but this is kind of like I have something I’d like to enquire about or something along these lines.
Natsuko: Yes.
Peter: So can you just give us that expression?
Natsuko: ちょっと伺いたいんですが。 (Chotto ukagaitai ndesuga.)
Peter: Natsuko-san. Do you use this one often?
Natsuko: Yes very often.
Peter: Yeah pretty straightforward when you call into a place of business or hotel or something checking on like reservations.
Natsuko: Yes.
Peter: Nice way to start off. Well it’s very, very nice.
Natsuko: Yes, very polite.
Peter: Very polite. Now what about using it, I visited someone. I am thinking of going to see somebody or how would I use it there? I noticed that to visit the verb isn’t here. How can – can you give us a sample of that?
Natsuko: ちょっとお宅に伺いたいんですけど。 (Chotto otaku ni ukagaitai n desu kedo.)
Peter: So I would like to visit your house. A little again.
Natsuko: Yeah.
Peter: Notice that ちょっと (chotto) and this word going together kind of softening it. All right, next we have.
Natsuko: 隠れる (kakureru)
Peter: To hide, to be hidden.
Natsuko: (slow)かくれる (kakureru) (natural speed) 隠れる (kakureru)
Peter: And this word, we can find in tag like hide and go seek which is
Natsuko: かくれんぼ (kakurenbo)
Peter: With this word when someone is in a hidden state, when they are hiding, we are actually using the present progressive.
Natsuko: Yes and notice this word also means to hide yourself.
Peter: Yeah.
Natsuko: To hide something else, you use a different verb.
Peter: Which is
Natsuko: 隠す (kakusu)
Peter: Okay. When someone’s concealing themselves, we use
Natsuko: 隠れる (kakureru)
Peter: All right. Next we have
Natsuko: 引っ越す (hikkosu)
Peter: To move.
Natsuko: (slow)ひっこす (hikkosu) (natural speed) 引っ越す (hikkosu)
Peter: Followed by
Natsuko: 絶対 (zettai)
Peter: Absolutely without a doubt.
Natsuko: (slow)ぜったい (zettai) (natural speed) 絶対 (zettai)
Peter: And finally
Natsuko: 支払う (shiharau)
Peter: To pay.
Natsuko: (slow)しはらう (shiharau) (natural speed) 支払う (shiharau)
Peter: Now today’s grammar point is the auxiliary verb 来る (kuru). 来る (kuru) means to come but in this case we have in the first line
Natsuko: 見てくる (mitekuru)
Peter: To go, look and come back. So it’s to go, do it in action but then return.
Natsuko: Yes.
Peter: So here it’s acting as an auxiliary verb.

Outro

Peter: Again more about this inside the PDF. Today we are running out of time but this is a very important concept explained in detail inside the PDF. That’s going to do it for today.
Natsuko: じゃ、また明日ね。 (Ja, mata ashita ne.)

Kanji

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