Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Naomi: 直美です。 (Naomidesu.)
Peter: Peter here.How Does Your Japanese Compare? Hello and welcome back to japanesepod101.com, the fastest, easiest and most fun way to learn Japanese. I am joined in the studio by
Naomi: Hello everyone. Naomi here.
Peter: In the previous lesson, an old man was asking how to get to Narita station at Tokyo station. In this lesson, you will learn how to
Naomi: Compare two things.
Peter: The conversation is between
Naomi: おじいさんと駅員さん。 (Ojīsan to ekiin-san.)
Peter: An old man and a station worker. The conversation takes place at
Naomi: 日暮里駅。 (Higuresatoeki.)
Peter: Nippori station. Now since they don’t know each other, they are going to speak…
Naomi: Formal Japanese.
Peter: Okay let’s have a listen to the conversation.
DIALOGUE
(日暮里駅) ((Nippori-eki))
老人 (Rōjin): あのぉ、すみません。これは 京成線ですか。 (Anō, sumimasen. Kore wa Keisei-sen desu ka.)
駅員 (Ekiin): はい、京成スカイライナーです。 (Hai, Keisei-Sukairainā desu.)
老人 (Rōjin): 京成スカイライナー?これは成田へ行きますか。 (Keisei-Sukairainā? Kore wa Narita e ikimasu ka.)
駅員 (Ekiin): ええ、行きますよ。 (Ē, ikimasu yo.)
老人 (Rōjin): 普通の京成線と 京成スカイライナーと どちらのほうが 安いですか。 (Futsū no Keisei-sen to Keisei-Sukairainā to dochira no hō ga yasui desu ka.)
駅員 (Ekiin): 京成線のほうが ずっと 安いですよ。京成線は 750円、京成スカイライナーは 1670円です。 (Keisei-sen no hō ga zutto yasui desu yo. Keisei-sen wa 750-en, Keisei-sukairainā wa 1670-en desu.)
老人 (Rōjin): どちらのほうが速いですか。 (Dochira no hō ga hayai desu ka?)
駅員 (Ekiin): もちろん、京成線より京成スカイライナーのほうが速いですよ。 (Mochiron, Keisei-sen yori Keisei-Sukairainā no hō ga hayai desu yo.)
(ベル) ((beru))
駅員 (Ekiin): 乗りますか。乗りませんか。 (Norimasu ka. Norimasen ka.)
老人 (Rōjin): あ、乗ります!乗ります! (A, norimasu! Norimasu!)
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.)
老人 (Rōjin): あのぉ、すみません。これは 京成線ですか。 (Anō, sumimasen. Kore wa Keisei-sen desu ka.)
駅員 (Ekiin): はい、京成スカイライナーです。 (Hai, Keisei-Sukairainā desu.)
老人 (Rōjin): 京成スカイライナー?これは成田へ行きますか。 (Keisei-Sukairainā? Kore wa Narita e ikimasu ka.)
駅員 (Ekiin): ええ、行きますよ。 (Ē, ikimasu yo.)
老人 (Rōjin): 普通の京成線と 京成スカイライナーと どちらのほうが 安いですか。 (Futsū no Keisei-sen to Keisei-Sukairainā to dochira no hō ga yasui desu ka.)
駅員 (Ekiin): 京成線のほうが ずっと 安いですよ。京成線は 750円、京成スカイライナーは 1670円です。 (Keisei-sen no hō ga zutto yasui desu yo. Keisei-sen wa 750-en, Keisei-sukairainā wa 1670-en desu.)
老人 (Rōjin): どちらのほうが速いですか。 (Dochira no hō ga hayai desu ka?)
駅員 (Ekiin): もちろん、京成線より京成スカイライナーのほうが速いですよ。 (Mochiron, Keisei-sen yori Keisei-Sukairainā no hō ga hayai desu yo.)
駅員 (Ekiin): 乗りますか。乗りませんか。 (Norimasu ka. Norimasen ka.)
老人 (Rōjin): あ、乗ります!乗ります! (A, norimasu! Norimasu!)
今度は、英語が入ります。 (Kondo wa, eigo ga hairimasu.)
(日暮里駅) ((Nippori-eki))
(NIPPORI STATION: platform)
老人 (Rōjin): あのぉ、すみません。これは 京成線ですか。 (Anō, sumimasen. Kore wa Keisei-sen desu ka.)
OLD MAN: Um, excuse me. Is this the Keisei line?
駅員 (Ekiin): はい、京成スカイライナーです。 (Hai, Keisei-Sukairainā desu.)
STATION ATTENDANT: Yes, this is the Keisei Skyliner.
老人 (Rōjin): 京成スカイライナー?これは成田へ行きますか。 (Keisei-Sukairainā? Kore wa Narita e ikimasu ka.)
OLD MAN: Keisei Skyliner? Does it go to Narita?
駅員 (Ekiin): ええ、行きますよ。 (Ē, ikimasu yo.)
STATION ATTENDANT: Yes, it does.
老人 (Rōjin): 普通の京成線と 京成スカイライナーと どちらのほうが 安いですか。 (Futsū no Keisei-sen to Keisei-Sukairainā to dochira no hō ga yasui desu ka.)
OLD MAN: Which is cheaper, the regular Keisei line or the Keisei Skyliner?
駅員 (Ekiin): 京成線のほうが ずっと 安いですよ。京成線は 750円、京成スカイライナーは 1670円です。 (Keisei-sen no hō ga zutto yasui desu yo. Keisei-sen wa 750-en, Keisei-sukairainā wa 1670-en desu.)
STATION ATTENDANT:The regular Keisei line is much cheaper. The Keisei line costs 750 yen. The Skyliner costs 1670 yen.
老人 (Rōjin): どちらのほうが速いですか。 (Dochira no hō ga hayai desu ka?)
OLD MAN: Which is faster?
駅員 (Ekiin): もちろん、京成線より京成スカイライナーのほうが速いですよ。 (Mochiron, Keisei-sen yori Keisei-Sukairainā no hō ga hayai desu yo.)
STATION ATTENDANT:Of course, the Skyliner is faster than the regular line.
(ベル) ((beru))
(train departure bell)
駅員 (Ekiin): 乗りますか。乗りませんか。 (Norimasu ka. Norimasen ka.)
STATION ATTENDANT:Are you getting on or not?
老人 (Rōjin): あ、乗ります!乗ります! (A, norimasu! Norimasu!)
OLD MAN: I'm getting on! I'm getting on!
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Naomi: 日暮里から成田まで、大体一時間くらいです。 (Nippori kara Narita made, daitai ichi-jikan kuraidesu.)
Peter: そうですね。 (Sōdesu ne.) It takes about an hour to Narita from Nippori and that would be 電車で (Densha de) right?
Naomi: Yeah.
Peter: By train.
Naomi: Do you go to Narita airport by train?
Peter: Yes そうですね。 (Sōdesu ne.)
Naomi: Not limousine bus?
Peter: ああ。たまにバスで行きますけど、普段電車で行きます。 (Ā. Tamani basu de ikimasukedo, fudan densha de ikimasu.) So sometimes I go by bus but I usually go by train. 成田エクスプレス。 (Narita ekusupuresu.)
Naomi: ああ、はいはいはいはい。 (Ā, hai hai hai hai.)
Peter: So I take that Narita express.
Naomi: That’s the line this old man is going to take right?
Peter: Well I think he is going to take the Keisei line.
Naomi: あれ?成田エクスプレスとスカイライナーは違うの? (Are? Narita ekusupuresu to sukairainā wa chigau no?)Are they different?
Peter: 違いますよ。 (Chigaimasu yo.)
Naomi: へぇ。知らなかった。 (He~e. Shiranakatta.) I didn’t know that.
Peter: Okay we have some studying to do. We will put a link up but yeah, I think they are two different things.
Naomi: へぇ~! (He~e ~!)
Peter: では (Dewa) Vocabulary
Naomi: え、あ、はい。びっくり。勉強になりました! (E, a, hai. Bikkuri. Benkyō ni narimashita!)
VOCAB LIST
Peter: Okay the first word is
Naomi: 普通 (futsū)
Peter: Normal, ordinary.
Naomi: (slow)ふつう (futsū) (natural speed) 普通 (futsū)
Peter: Next
Naomi: どちら (dochira)
Peter: Which.
Naomi: (slow)どちら (dochira) (natural speed) どちら (dochira)
Peter: Next.
Naomi: 安い (yasui)
Peter: Cheap.
Naomi: (slow)やすい (yasui) (natural speed) 安い (yasui)
Peter: Next.
Naomi: ずっと (zutto)
Peter: By far, all along.
Naomi: (slow)ずっと (zutto) (natural speed) ずっと (zutto)
Peter: Next.
Naomi: 速い (hayai)
Peter: Fast, quick.
Naomi: (slow)はやい (hayai) (natural speed) 速い (hayai)
VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE
Peter: Let’s have a closer look at the usage for some of the words and phrases from this lesson. Naomi Sensei, what do we have first?
Naomi: ずっと (Zutto)
Peter: By far. Now it’s an adverb of degree and it's often used in comparative sentences like in this dialogue, what do we have?
Naomi: ずっと安いですよ。 (Zutto yasuidesu yo.)
Peter: By far cheaper but ずっと (Zutto) has another meaning.
Naomi: そうです、そうです。例えば、今週私はずっと忙しい。(Sōdesu,-sōdesu. Tatoeba, konshū watashi wa zutto isogashī.)
Peter: I have been busy this whole week. In this case, it’s all along or the whole time, for an extended period of time. So if you want to say I am busier this week than last, what can we say?
Naomi: 先週より今週のほうがずっと忙しい。 (Senshū yori konshū no hō ga zutto isogashī.)
Peter: I am by far busier this week than last week.
Naomi: Yeah this grammar point will be covered in the grammar section.

Lesson focus

Peter: So the focus of this lesson is comparative sentences which compare two quantities or qualities. In the dialogue we had.
Naomi: 京成線と京成スカイライナーと、どちらのほうが安いですか? (Keisei-sen to Keisei sukairainā to, dochira no hō ga yasuidesu ka?)
Peter: Which is cheaper going by the Keisei line or the Keisei Skyliner. Now can you repeat the first part?
Naomi: 京成線と京成スカイライナーと (Keisei-sen to Keisei sukairainā to)
Peter: Now we have the Keisei line or the Keisei Skyliner. Literally though you have the Keisei Line, then the particle.
Naomi: と (To)
Peter: Which is and. Then we have the second.
Naomi: 京成スカイライナーと (Keisei sukairainā to)
Peter: Notice how both nouns are followed by
Naomi: と (To)
Peter: And this is specific to the どちら (Dochira) sentences or questions. So A と (To) B と (To) first noun or first thing being compared followed by と (To). Second thing being compared followed by と (To). After that, we have
Naomi: どちらのほうが (Dochira no hō ga)
Peter: Which means which one of the two. Which of A or B followed by
Naomi: 安いですか (Yasuidesu ka)
Peter: Is cheap. So when we put it altogether
Naomi: 京成線と京成スカイライナーとどちらのほうが安いですか? (Keisei-sen to Keisei sukairainā to dochira no hō ga yasuidesu ka?)
Peter: Which is cheaper? Going by the Keisei Line or the Skyliner? Notice only to English, there is only or but remember in Japanese, you need the と (To)、と (To). Let’s take a look at the latter part. どちらのほうが (Dochira no hō ga) Adjective so which is something, something.
Naomi: For example, どちらのほうが高いですか? (Dochira no hō ga takaidesu ka?)
Peter: Which is more expensive?
Naomi: どちらのほうが速いですか? (Dochira no hō ga hayaidesu ka?)
Peter: Which is faster? So in Japanese, basically you give the choices first.
Naomi: 水とガソリンとどちらのほうが安いですか? (Mizu to gasorin to dochira no hō ga yasuidesu ka?)
Peter: Which is cheaper? Water or gasoline but in Japanese, it’s reversed. 水 (Mizu) water followed by the particle と (To). Then we have
Naomi: ガソリン (Gasorin)
Peter: Gasoline followed by the particle.
Naomi: と (To)
Peter: A と (To) B と (To)。 And then we have the set phrase.
Naomi: どちらのほうが (Dochira no hō ga)
Peter: Adjective.
Naomi: 安いですか。 (Yasuidesu ka.)
Peter: Cheaper and in this case, the adjective is cheap.
Naomi: じゃあピーターさん。水とガソリンとどちらのほうが大切ですか?大切 (Jā pītā-san. Mizu to gasorin to dochira no hō ga taisetsudesu ka? Taisetsu) is important. It’s na-ending adjective.
Peter: So what’s more important? Water or gasoline.
Naomi: What do you think?
Peter: いい質問ですね。 (Ī shitsumondesu ne.)
Naomi: That’s quite obvious right?
Peter: This is 相槌でしょう. そうですね。(Aidzuchideshou. Sōdesu ne.) 相槌 (Aidzuchi) meaning I am repeating to buy myself some time. そうですね。うーん。 (Sōdesu ne.U ̄n.)
Naomi: Come on Peter. We are running out of time.
Peter: もう一度お願いします。 (Mōichido onegaishimasu.) It was a joke. It was buying more time. 水のほうが大切ですね。 (Mizu no hō ga taisetsudesu ne.) Water is more important. かな?どう…わかんないです。 (Ka na? Dō… wakan'naidesu.)
Naomi: え、水のほうが大切ですよ。 (E, mizu no hō ga taisetsudesu yo.) No one can live without water right? で、 (De,) Speaking of どちらのほうが (Dochira no hō ga). One of my friends was asked a question from his wife 私と仕事と、どちらのほうが大切? (Watashi to shigoto to, dochira no hō ga taisetsu?)
Peter: What’s more important, me or your work? その質問のほうが簡単です。(Sono shitsumon no hō ga kantandesu.)
Naomi: ふーん。その質問のほうが簡単です。 (Fu ̄n. Sono shitsumon no hō ga kantandesu.)
Peter: That question is easier. 同点です。 (Dōtendesu.) It’s a tie.
Naomi: ちょっとピーター。奥さんのほうが大切でしょう? (Chotto pītā. Okusan no hō ga taisetsudeshou?)
Peter: そうですね。同点です。 (Sōdesu ne. Dōtendesu.)
Naomi: I feel so sorry for your wife Peter.
Peter: I think we will wrap it up here. Naomi Sensei, I am just giving you an example もちろん奥さんのほうが大切です。 (Mochiron okusan no hō ga taisetsudesu.)
Naomi: そうですね。 (Sōdesu ne.)
Peter: はい。そうですね。 (Hai. Sōdesu ne.)
Naomi: Good to hear that.

Outro

Peter: That’s going to do for today.
Naomi: じゃあ、また。 (Jā, mata.)

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