Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

Intro

Risa: Imagine you're at a convenience store. You’ve made choices and it’s time to pay. How do you do it? こんにちは。りさです. Risa here. Buying something in Japanese is easy. In this lesson, you’ll learn how. Mark has stopped at a store to buy some foods and drink. Let’s watch!
Dialogue
Clerk: いらっしゃいませ。
Mark: こんにちは。
Mark: あ、これは、何ですか。
Clerk: それは、にくまんです。
Mark: いくらですか。
Clerk: 100 円です。
Mark: じゃ、これを2こください。
Clerk: はい、おかいけいは1200円です。
Clerk: 800円のおつりです。
Clerk: ありがとうございました。
Mark: ありがとう。
Risa: Now with English.
Clerk: Welcome.
Mark: Hello.
Mark: What's this?
Clerk: It's a steamed meat bun.
Mark: How much is it?
Clerk: 100 yen.
Mark: Okay, I'll have two of these.
Clerk: Okay, that'll be 1,200 yen.
Clerk: 800 yen is your change.
Clerk: Thank you.
Mark: Thank you.
Vocab
Risa: Here are the keywords from the scene.
Mark: にくまん
Kyoko: にくまん
Alisha: steamed meat bun
Kyoko: にくまん, にくまん
Mark: 円
Kyoko: 円
Alisha: yen
Kyoko: 円, 円
Mark: こ
Kyoko: こ
Alisha: piece
Kyoko: こ, こ
Mark: じゃ
Kyoko: じゃ
Alisha: then
Kyoko: じゃ, じゃ
Mark: かいけい
Kyoko: かいけい
Alisha: total amount
Kyoko: かいけい, かいけい
Mark: つり
Kyoko: つり
Alisha: change
Kyoko: つり, つり
Key Phrases
Risa: Here are the key phrases from the scene.
Alisha: In the scene, how did the shop clerk tell Mark the total amount of his purchase?
Clerk: おかいけいは1200円です。
Alisha: First is a word for "account, bill or total amount."
Kaori: おかいけい、おかいけい、おかいけい
Alisha: Let's break it down.
Kaori: お
Alisha: …is an honorific prefix.
Kaori: かいけい
Alisha: …means "account, bill or total amount."
Kaori: おかいけい。
Alisha: This is a word you often hear or use at shops or restaurants when you pay. Shop staff always speak to you formally, so they'll say…
Kaori: おかいけい
Alisha: …adding the honorific prefix…
Kaori: お
Alisha: …to the front of…
Kaori: かいけい。
Kaori: おかいけい。
Alisha: Next is the topic marking particle.
Kaori: は
Alisha: After this is the phrase for “1,200 yen."
Kaori: 1200円
Alisha: Last is the linking verb, "to be." In this case, “is.”
Kaori: です。
Alisha: “The total amount is 1200 yen.”
Kaori: おかいけいは1200円です。
Alisha: Now you try! Say the shop clerk's line after she puts the items into the plastic bag.
Clerk: おかいけいは1200円です。
Alisha: In the scene, how did the shop clerk tell Mark how much he would get back in change?
Clerk: 800円のおつりです。
Alisha: First is the phrase for "800 yen."
Kaori: 800円
Alisha: Next is the possession marking particle.
Kaori: の
Alisha: After this is the word for "change," as in "here is your change."
Kaori: おつり
Alisha: This…
Kaori: お
Alisha: …is also a honorific prefix.
Kaori: つり
Alisha: …means "change.”
Alisha: But Japanese people almost always say it together with the honorific prefix
Kaori: おつり
Alisha: …without any particular intention to say it politely.
Alisha: "Change of 800 yen" or "800 yen in change" is…
Kaori: 800円のおつり。
Alisha: "Here is 800 yen in change."
Kaori: 800円のおつりです。
Alisha: Now, let's take a closer look at the phrase…
Kaori: 800円のおつり。
Kaori: 800円の
Alisha: …modifies…
Kaori: おつり。
Alisha: The possession-marking particle…
Kaori: の
Alisha: …is used in a structure of [Noun A]
Kaori: の
Alisha: [Noun B.]
Alisha: The first noun, [Noun A] followed by…
Kaori: の
Alisha: …modifies the second noun, [Noun B]
Alisha: So, when you want to say the amount of change, you say the amount of money first, then add…
Kaori: の
Alisha: …and…
Kaori: おつり。
Alisha: So, "change of 800 yen" or "800 yen in change" is…
Kaori: 800円のおつり。
Alisha: Now you try! Say the shop clerk's line after she takes some money out from the register.
Clerk: 800円のおつりです。

Lesson focus

Risa: Now, the lesson focus. Here’s how to buy something at a convenience store. Ready?
Alisha: Do you remember how Mark asked what something was, when he saw it in a case next to the register?
Mark: これは、何ですか。
Alisha: This is similar to how you would say, "This is chocolate." Do you remember this from a previous lesson?
Kaori: これはチョコレートです。
Alisha: “This is a chocolate.” Now, to form a yes or no question, you simply
add…
Kaori: か
Alisha: …at the end of the sentence. So, "Is this chocolate?" would be…
Kaori: これはチョコレートですか。
Alisha: If you have no idea what something is, though, or simply want to ask "what is this," just replace…
Kaori: チョコレート
Alisha: …with the word for "what.”
Kaori: 何(なん)。
Alisha: Combined, this is…
Kaori: これは何ですか。
Alisha: “What is this?”
Alisha: The primary reading of this kanji is…
Kaori: なに
Alisha: …but, when it's used in this sentence…
Kaori: これはなんですか。
Alisha: …it's read as…
Kaori: なん
Alisha: “What is this?”
Kaori: これは何(なん)ですか。
Alisha: The sentence structure is [something you want to ask about]…
Kaori: は なん です か
Alisha: Now you try! Someone is holding something in their hand. Ask what that is.
Kaori: それは何(なん)ですか。
Alisha: Now, you see something in the distance, far from both you and the listener. Ask what that is over there.
Kaori: あれはなんですか。
Alisha: Do you remember how Mark asked for the price of the steamed meat bun in the video?
Mark: いくらですか。
Alisha: This common question follows a similar sentence pattern to “What is this?”
Kaori: これはなんですか。
Alisha: In this case, you just replace…
Kaori: なん
Alisha: …with the word for "how much.”
Kaori: いくら
Alisha: You'll get…
Kaori: これはいくらですか。
Alisha: “How much is this?”
Alisha: If it's very clear what you're asking about, as it is in this video, you can omit the word for "this…”
Kaori: これ
Alisha: …and the topic marking particle,
Kaori: は
Alisha: …and just say "how much is it?"
Kaori: いくらですか。
Alisha: The sentence structure is, [Something you want to ask for]
Kaori: は いくら ですか。
Alisha: Now you try! You want to buy a T-shirt, which is,
Kaori: Tシャツ、Tシャツ、Tシャツ
Alisha: Ask how much a T-shirt is.
Kaori: Tシャツはいくらですか。
Alisha: You are choosing a cake at a bakery. "Cake" is…
Kaori: ケーキ、ケーキ、ケーキ
Alisha: Ask how much the cake you are pointing at is.
Kaori: このケーキはいくらですか。
Alisha: Do you remember how Mark asked the shop clerk to give him 2 steamed meat buns?
Mark: これを2こください。
Alisha: Recall a phrase you use to ask for something. For example, the sentence for "Water, please," is…
Kaori: 水ください。
Alisha: You can also insert the object marking particle…
Kaori: を
Alisha: …and say…
Kaori: 水をください。
Alisha: So the sentence for "this, please" is…
Kaori: これをください。
Alisha: But what if you want to specify that you want two of the thing you are pointing at?Just add "2 pieces…”
Kaori: 2こ
Alisha: …before the word for "please."
Kaori: ください
Alisha: “Two pieces of this, please.”
Kaori: これを2こください。
Alisha: The sentence structure is, [the object you want] plus the object marking
particle…
Kaori: を
Alisha: …plus [the number of things you want], and finally…
Kaori: ください。
Alisha: Now you try. Say, "3 pieces of this, please."
Kaori: これを3こください。
Alisha: Say "5 bottles of water, please."
Kaori: みずを5本ください。
Practice
Risa: Now, it’s time to practice your new ability.
Alisha: You're at a convenience store, and you've found something you're interested in. Ready? Here we go. How do you ask, “What is this?”
Kaori: これはなんですか。
Clerk: それは、にくまんです。
Alisha: How do you ask how much it costs?
Kaori: いくらですか。
Clerk: 100円です。
Alisha: How do you tell the clerk that you want to buy two of them.
Kaori: これを2こください。
Clerk: はい、おかいけいは1200円です。
Alisha: Great job! You’ll follow the same pattern many times, so be sure to practice it.

Outro

Risa: よくできました! Now, watch the scene one more time. After that, if you are ever wondering what food is, just ask! じゃまたね!
Dialogue
Clerk: いらっしゃいませ。
Mark: こんにちは。
Mark: あ、これは、何ですか。
Clerk: それは、にくまんです。
Mark: いくらですか。
Clerk: 100 円です。
Mark: じゃ、これを2こください。
Clerk: はい、おかいけいは1200円です。
Clerk: 800円のおつりです。
Clerk: ありがとうございました。
Mark: ありがとう。

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