Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Rebecca: Japanese that can take you to the four corners of the world.
Naomi:なおみです。 (Naomi desu.)
Rebecca:Rebecca here.
Naomi:こんにちは、みなさん。こんにちは、レベッカさん。 (Kon'nichiwa, mina-san. Kon'nichiwa, Rebekka-san.)
Rebecca: こんにちは (Kon'nichiwa), Naomi Sensei.
Naomi: よろしくお願いします。 (Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.)
Rebecca: よろしくお願いします。(Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.) So what are we going to be studying today?
Naomi: 今日は、北、南、西、東。 (Kyō wa, kita, minami, nishi, higashi.)
Rebecca: North, south, west and east.
Naomi: はい、そうです。 (Hai, sō desu.)
Rebecca: And also I think we are going to be looking at the polite nonpass form of verbs.
Naomi: そうです、そうです。なになに、どうしましたか。(Sō desu, sō desu. Nani nani, dō shimashita ka.) What happened しましたか (shimashita ka)?
Rebecca: Okay, so we will be looking at that later on in today’s lesson but now the conversation today that is between 西本秋、それからファブリツィオ (Nishimoto aki, sorekara faburizio). So 秋 西本 (Aki Nishimoto) and ファブリツィオ (Aki Nishimoto ando faburizio.)
Naomi: 二人は会社にいます。 (Futari wa kaisha ni imasu.)
Rebecca: They are at the office. So as in the previous lessons, we will be listening to them speak polite Japanese.
Naomi: はいそうです。 (Hai sō desu.)
Rebecca: Let’s listen to the dialogue.
DIALOGUE  
西本 秋: はぁ・・・。
Nishimoto Shū: Hā.
ファブリツィオ: どうしましたか?秋。元気が ありませんね。
Fabrizio: Dō shimashita ka? Aki. Genki ga arimasen ne.
西本 秋: ええ。ちょっと...。ファブリツィオは 元気ですね。
Nishimoto Shū: Ē. Chotto. ... Faburizio wa genki desu ne.
ファブリツィオ: はい。明日から、四国へ 行きます。四国は どんな所ですか。
Fabrizio: Hai. Ashita kara, Shikoku e ikimasu. Shikoku wa don'na tokoro desu ka.
西本 秋: いい所ですよ。うどん屋が たくさん ありますね。ゆうめいなお寺も
たくさんあります。
Nishimoto Shū: Ii tokoro desu yo. Udon-ya ga takusan arimasu ne. Yūmei na o-tera mo takusan arimasu.
ファブリツィオ: 四国は 広島の下に ありますね。
Fabrizio: Shikoku wa Hiroshima no shita ni arimasu ne.
西本 秋: 地図に 上と下は ないですよ...。四国は 広島の南…九州の西に ありま
す。...たぶん。はぁ・・・。
Nishimoto Shū: Chizu ni ue to shita wa nai desu yo. ... Shikoku wa Hiroshima no minami… Kyūshū no nishi ni arimasu.... Tabun. Hā.
Naomi: もう一度おねがいします。今度はゆっくりお願いします。(Mōichido onegai shimasu. Kondo wa yukkuri onegaishimasu.)
西本 秋: はぁ・・・。
Nishimoto Shū: Hā.
ファブリツィオ: どうしましたか?秋。元気が ありませんね。
Fabrizio: Dō shimashita ka? Aki. Genki ga arimasen ne.
西本 秋: ええ。ちょっと...。ファブリツィオは 元気ですね。
Nishimoto Shū: Ē. Chotto. ... Faburizio wa genki desu ne.
ファブリツィオ: はい。明日から、四国へ 行きます。四国は どんな所ですか。
Fabrizio: Hai. Ashita kara, Shikoku e ikimasu. Shikoku wa don'na tokoro desu ka.
西本 秋: いい所ですよ。うどん屋が たくさん ありますね。ゆうめいなお寺も
たくさんあります。
Nishimoto Shū: Ii tokoro desu yo. Udon-ya ga takusan arimasu ne. Yūmei na o-tera mo takusan arimasu.
ファブリツィオ: 四国は 広島の下に ありますね。
Fabrizio: Shikoku wa Hiroshima no shita ni arimasu ne.
西本 秋: 地図に 上と下は ないですよ...。四国は 広島の南…九州の西に ありま
す。...たぶん。はぁ・・・。
Nishimoto Shū: Chizu ni ue to shita wa nai desu yo. ... Shikoku wa Hiroshima no minami… Kyūshū no nishi ni arimasu.... Tabun. Hā.
Naomi: 今度は英語が入ります。 (Kondo wa eigo ga hairimasu.)
西本 秋: はぁ・・・。
Nishimoto Shū: Hā.
NISHIMOTO SHŪ: sigh…
ファブリツィオ: どうしましたか?秋。元気が ありませんね。
Fabrizio: Dō shimashita ka? Aki. Genki ga arimasen ne.
FABRIZIO: What's wrong with you? Shū, you don't sound too good.
西本 秋: ええ。ちょっと...。ファブリツィオは 元気ですね。
Nishimoto Shū: Ē. Chotto. ... Faburizio wa genki desu ne.
NISHIMOTO SHŪ: Nothing really. You look fine, Fabrizio.
ファブリツィオ: はい。明日から、四国へ 行きます。四国は どんな所ですか。
Fabrizio: Hai. Ashita kara, Shikoku e ikimasu. Shikoku wa don'na tokoro desu ka.
FABRIZIO: I'm going to Shikoku tomorrow. What kinda place is Shikoku?
西本 秋: いい所ですよ。うどん屋が たくさん ありますね。ゆうめいなお寺も
たくさんあります。
Nishimoto Shū: Ii tokoro desu yo. Udon-ya ga takusan arimasu ne. Yūmei na o-tera mo takusan arimasu.
NISHIMOTO SHŪ: It's a good place. There are many Udon shops. There are many
famous temples too.
ファブリツィオ: 四国は 広島の下に ありますね。
Fabrizio: Shikoku wa Hiroshima no shita ni arimasu ne.
FABRIZIO: Shikoku is below Hiroshima, right?
西本 秋: 地図に 上と下は ないですよ...。四国は 広島の南…九州の西に ありま
す。...たぶん。はぁ・・・。
Nishimoto Shū: Chizu ni ue to shita wa nai desu yo. ... Shikoku wa Hiroshima no minami… Kyūshū no nishi ni arimasu.... Tabun. Hā.
NISHIMOTO SHŪ: There's no above or below on the map...Shikoku is south of
Hiroshima and west of Kyushū...I guess...sigh…
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Naomi: It is called ためいき (tameiki) in Japanese.
Rebecca: ためいき (tameiki)
Naomi: Do you know what we say in Japanese? ためいきをつくと幸せが逃げる。 (Tameiki o tsuku to shiawase ga nigeru.)
Rebecca: I have never heard that. What does it mean?
Naomi: When you sigh, the happiness will run away or the happiness will leave.
Rebecca: Really? No, I have never heard that. When do you use it? Is it just a superstition?
Naomi: Yeah it’s a superstition and when you hear somebody sighs, you say ためいきは、ダメですよ。ためいきをつくと、幸せが逃げます。 (Tameiki wa, dame desu yo. Tameiki o tsuku to, shiawase ga nigemasu.)
Rebecca: Okay that’s the first time I have heard that. I don’t think we have anything like that in English. If our listeners can think of something, I’d be grateful but yeah I don’t know. I don’t think we say anything. We have no such superstition in English any way to do with sighing.
Naomi: By the way did I translate?
Rebecca: Well I think that’s a pretty good translation. ためいきをつくと幸せがにげる (Tameiki o tsuku to shiawase ga nigeru) we don’t have a matching phrase.
Naomi: はい。 (Hai.)
Rebecca: When you sigh the happiness runs away. Yeah that’s pretty much what it says in Japanese.
Naomi: ほんと (honto)
Rebecca: We do have a superstition to do with sneezing.
Naomi: なに、スニーズィング (Nani, sunīzuingu)
Rebecca: You know when someone sneezes and yeah and then you say bless you. I think people used to believe that if you sneeze, the devil could get in. So you have to say bless you as soon as someone sneezed.
Naomi: That person.
Rebecca: I think so. I don’t know. That’s just what I heard but I think so at the very least, it could mean that you are getting a cold. So you need to say bless you so that maybe you can get better or something like that.
Naomi: なるほどね。(Naruhodo ne.) We don’t usually say anything when we hear someone is sneezing.
Rebecca: No I’ve never had anyone say anything to me in Japanese for sneezing but sometimes like complete strangers when I am, you know, out in an English speaking country or like tourists, sometimes they say bless you. It’s kind of weird.
Naomi: Do you say bless you to the stranger?
Rebecca: Me no, I don’t.
Naomi: そうなんだ。面白いですね。(Sōna nda. Omoshiroi desu ne.) We might say お大事に (odaijini).
Rebecca: お大事に (Odaijini). Yeah like you’ve got a cold, take care お大事に.
Naomi: お大事に (Odaijini)
Rebecca: Right, So let’s look at the vocab for today.
VOCAB LIST
Rebecca:First item.
Naomi: 元気 (genki)
Rebecca: Fine, healthy. It’s a NA-Adjective.
Naomi:(slow) げんき (genki) (natural speed) 元気 (genki)
Rebecca: Next.
Naomi: ところ (tokoro)
Rebecca: Place.
Naomi:(slow) ところ (tokoro) (natural speed) ところ (tokoro)
Rebecca: Next.
Naomi: 有名 (yūmei)
Rebecca: Famous, NA-Adjective.
Naomi: (slow) ゆうめい (yū mei) (natural speed) 有名 (yūmei)
Rebecca: Next.
Naomi: 寺 (tera)
Rebecca: Temple.
Naomi: (slow) てら (tera) (natural speed) 寺 (tera)
Rebecca: Next item.
Naomi: 下 (shita)
Rebecca: Under or below.
Naomi: (slow)  した (shita) (natural speed) 下 (shita) 
Rebecca: Next.
Naomi: 上 (jō)
Rebecca: Up, above.
Naomi: (slow) うえ (ue) (natural speed) 上 (jō)
Rebecca: Next..
Naomi: 地図 (chizu)
Rebecca: Map.
Naomi: (slow) ちず (chizu) (natural speed) 地図 (chizu)
Rebecca: Next item.
Naomi: 南 (minami)
Rebecca: South.
Naomi: (slow) みなみ (minami) (natural speed) 南 (minami)
Rebecca: Next.
Naomi: 西 (nishi)
Rebecca: West.
Naomi: (slow) にし (nishi) (natural speed) 西 (nishi)
Rebecca: So in today’s vocabulary, we did the word 寺 (tera). I don’t actually hear that word very often. Usually we say お寺 (o-tera). Is that right?
Naomi: そうですね。(Sō desu ne.) お寺 (o-tera) prefix.
Rebecca: Is it kind of rude just to say 寺 (tera). It sounds like you are a bit uncouth.
Naomi: Bit masculine.
Rebecca: Yeah.
Naomi: 寺 (tera)
Rebecca: So it’s better to say お寺 (o-tera).
Naomi: そうですね。 (Sō desu ne.) To show your respect to the temple.
Rebecca: I see.
Naomi: They will be polite I guess.
Rebecca: So you are more likely to hear お寺 (o-tera) than 寺 (tera).
Naomi: そうですね。 (Sō desu ne.)
Rebecca: What’s our next item of vocab that we are going to look at in some more detail?
Naomi: Next one is actually a phrase. どうしましたか。 (Dō shimashita ka.)
Rebecca: What happened? So let’s break this down into its parts. What’s the first bit?
Naomi: どう (dō)
Rebecca: How
Naomi: しました (shimashita)
Rebecca: Past tense of します (shimasu) to do.
Naomi: か (ka)
Rebecca: Question marker. So this phrase literally means how did you do but you can translate it as what’s wrong or what’s the matter.
Naomi: そうですね。 (Sō desu ne.)
Rebecca: Or what happened. So to get the polite past tense of the verb like we see in しました か (shimashita ka) in the どうしましたか (dō shimashita ka) we changed ます (masu) to また (mashi).
Naomi: For example, いきます (ikimasu) becomes いきました (ikimashita).
Rebecca: いきます (Ikimasu) as you probably know is to go. いきました (Ikimashita) means went.
Naomi: あります (arimasu)
Rebecca: To exist.
Naomi: ありました (arimashita)
Rebecca: To have existed. There was….
Naomi: います (imasu)
Rebecca: To exist.
Naomi: いました (imashita)
Rebecca: To have existed, past form of the verb to exist for objects.
Naomi: 食べます (tabemasu) becomes 食べました (tabemashita).
Rebecca: Eat and ate. Can you just give us an example sentence?
Naomi: ラーメンを食べます。 (Rāmen o tabemasu.)
Rebecca: I eat Ramen, I will eat Ramen.
Naomi: ラーメンを食べました (rāmen o tabemashita)
Rebecca: I ate Ramen.
Naomi: そうですね。 (Sō desu ne.)

Lesson focus

Rebecca: Okay let’s move on to the grammar point. Today’s target grammar is we’d look at directions. Is this right the North, South, East, West? What’s the example sentence?
Naomi: 四国は九州の西にあります。 (Shikoku wa Kyūshū no nishi ni arimasu.)
Rebecca: Is that sentence right? Shikoku is located West of Kyushu. That sounds funny to me.
Naomi: そうですよね。 (Sō desu yo ne.) Yeah you are right. 四国は、九州の東ですよね。 (Shikoku wa, Kyūshū no higashi desu yo ne.)
Rebecca: Yeah Shikoku is located east of Kyushu.
Naomi:秋 (Qiū) said 多分 (tabun) at the end of the sentence.
Rebecca: Okay so he made a mistake because he was feeling down.
Naomi: 多分 (tabun)
Rebecca: Okay. So the correct sentence should be…
Naomi: 四国は九州の東にあります。 (Shikoku wa Kyūshū no higashi ni arimasu.)
VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE
Rebecca: Today’s grammar structure is something は (wa) somewhere にあります (ni arimasu) or います (imasu). That’s the sentence structure and for the somewhere we are going to put in North, South, East and West.
Naomi: そうですね。 (Sō desu ne.)
Rebecca: Can you tell us Naomi Sensei, what is the word for North.
Naomi: 北 (kita)
Rebecca: And South?
Naomi: 南 (minami)
Rebecca: West?
Naomi: 西 (nishi)
Rebecca: East?
Naomi: 東 (higashi). I am pretty sure you’ve heard these words in Nihongo Dojo series?
Rebecca: 西本 (nishimoto) and 夏見 (natsumi) 南 (minami) and this kind of thing. All their names are…
Naomi: そうです。 北川冬香 、東はるひと。 (Sō desu. Kitagawa Fuyuka, Higashi Haruhito.)
Rebecca: So are these often found in Japanese surnames then?
Naomi: はい、そう思いますね。 (Hai, sō omoimasu ne.)
Rebecca: Let’s look at another example sentence.
Naomi: 四国は広島の南にあります。 (Shikoku wa Hiroshima no minami ni arimasu.)
Rebecca: Shikoku is located south of Hiroshima.
Naomi: そうですね。 (Sō desu ne.)
Rebecca: So you will have noticed in this last example sentence. 四国は広島の南にあります。 (Shikoku wa Hiroshima no minami ni arimasu.) That we started the sentence with a は (wa) word. That’s a little different to what we’ve been doing so far.
Naomi: はい、そうですね。 (Hai, sō desu ne) We have been doing like トイレにゴキブリがいます (toire ni gokiburi ga imasu).
Rebecca: Yeah somewhere に (ni) something があります (ga arimasu) or います (imasu). In the case where we’ve got this は (wa) word, we are talking about the thing. The subject of the sentence is the main point. So 四国 (shikoku) is what we are talking about. So we start with Shikoku は (wa,) Hiroshima の南にあります (no minami ni arimasu) whereas in the Gokiburi the cockroach example where the important point is there is a cockroach in the toilet. We are not saying the cockroach is in the toilet. It’s coming at the end of the sentence.
Naomi: そうですね。 (Sō desu ne.) It’s like a new information probably.
Rebecca: Right.
Naomi: トイレにゴキブリがいます。 (Toire ni gokiburi ga imasu.)
Rebecca: There is a cockroach in the toilet.
Naomi: ゴキブリはトイレにいます。 (Gokiburi wa toire ni imasu.)
Rebecca: The cockroach is in the toilet. That’s the difference between the two.
Naomi: そうですね。 (Sō desu ne.)
Rebecca: This will probably become a little bit easier as we go on and look at more sentences in later lessons but for now, it’s just important to remember that you can say it either way depending on the nuance. So there are lots more example sentences in the PDF if you’d like to practice some of these before next time. Do check it out. Okay time for a geography test.
Naomi: Geography test.
Rebecca: Yeah. I know some of you who want to be accurate in say northeast or southeast or something like that but we are just going to simplify it to north, south, east, west because it’s a newbie lesson.
Naomi: Okay. 私が、カナダはアメリカの (Watashi ga, Kanada wa amerikano).
Rebecca: 上にあります (ue ni arimasu)
Naomi: 地図に上と下はありませんよ。 (Chizu ni ue to shita wa arimasen yo.)
Rebecca: Right. So that would be カナダはアメリカの北にあります。 (Kanada wa Amerika no kita ni arimasu.)
Naomi: そうです。 (Sō desu.) Except Alaska and Hawaii.
Rebecca: Right okay.
Naomi: じゃあ、次です。メキシコはアメリカの。 (Jā, tsugi desu. Mekishiko wa amerikano.)
Rebecca:南にあります。 (Minami ni arimasu.)
Naomi:そうです。次。デンマークはドイツの。 (Sō desu. Tsugi. Denmāku wa doitsu no.)
Rebecca:北にあります。 (Kita ni arimasu.)
Naomi:そうですね。最後です。リビアはエジプトの。 (Sō desu ne. Saigo desu. Ribia wa Ejiputo no.)
Rebecca:西にあります。 (Nishi ni arimasu.)
Naomi:すごい。 (Sugoi.) You are really good at geography.

Outro

Rebecca: 有難うございます。みなさんも、練習してください。 (Arigatō gozaimasu. Mina-san mo, renshū shite kudasai.)
Naomi: じゃあ、また。 (Jā, mata.)
Rebecca:またね。 (Mata ne.)
DIALOGUE  
西本 秋: はぁ・・・。
Nishimoto Shū: Hā.
ファブリツィオ: どうしましたか?秋。元気が ありませんね。
Fabrizio: Dō shimashita ka? Aki. Genki ga arimasen ne.
西本 秋: ええ。ちょっと...。ファブリツィオは 元気ですね。
Nishimoto Shū: Ē. Chotto. ... Faburizio wa genki desu ne.
ファブリツィオ: はい。明日から、四国へ 行きます。四国は どんな所ですか。
Fabrizio: Hai. Ashita kara, Shikoku e ikimasu. Shikoku wa don'na tokoro desu ka.
西本 秋: いい所ですよ。うどん屋が たくさん ありますね。ゆうめいなお寺も
たくさんあります。
Nishimoto Shū: Ii tokoro desu yo. Udon-ya ga takusan arimasu ne. Yūmei na o-tera mo takusan arimasu.
ファブリツィオ: 四国は 広島の下に ありますね。
Fabrizio: Shikoku wa Hiroshima no shita ni arimasu ne.
西本 秋: 地図に 上と下は ないですよ...。四国は 広島の南…九州の西に ありま
す。...たぶん。はぁ・・・。
Nishimoto Shū: Chizu ni ue to shita wa nai desu yo. ... Shikoku wa Hiroshima no minami… Kyūshū no nishi ni arimasu.... Tabun. Hā.

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