Dialogue

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Vocabulary

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Lesson Notes

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Gabriella: In each lesson of this 25 part series, you'll master a common question for Japanese learners, and then learn how to answer it like a native speaker. You'll learn how these key phrases work by breaking them down into each component. Then through repetition and new vocabulary, you'll expand your understanding of the question, its answers, and any variations.

Lesson focus
Gabriella: In this lesson, you'll learn how to respond to the common question “What do you do?” In Japanese this is...
Kaori: 仕事は何ですか。
(しごとはなんですか。 Shigoto wa nan desu ka.)
The first word in the question is
Kaori: 仕事
(しごと shigoto)
Gabriella: meaning "work" or "job" in English.
Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 仕事
(しごと shigoto)
Gabriella: Listen again and repeat.
Kaori: 仕事
(しごと shigoto)
{Pause}
Gabriella: This pattern of first introducing a word at natural speed, providing the translation, breaking it down, and then giving it again at natural speed will be repeated throughout the series. Try to speak aloud as often as possible. The next word in the question is
Kaori: は
(wa)
Gabriella: subject-marking particle meaning something like "is".
Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) は
(wa)
Gabriella: Now repeat.
Kaori: は
(wa)
{Pause}
Listen to the the first 2 words of the question and repeat.
Kaori: 仕事は
（しごとは Shigoto wa）
{pause}
And after that
Kaori: 何
(なん nan)
Gabriella: meaning “what.”
Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 何
(なん nan)
Gabriella: Now repeat.
Kaori: 何
(なん nan)
{Pause}
Listen to the the first 3 words of the question and repeat.
Kaori: 仕事は 何
（しごと は なん　Shigoto wa nan）
{pause}
And next
Kaori: です
(desu)
Gabriella: sentence ending particle meaning something like “is.”
Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) です
(desu)
Gabriella: Now repeat.
Kaori: です
(desu)
{Pause}
Listen to the the first 4 words of the question and repeat.
Kaori: 仕事は 何です
（しごと は なん です　Shigoto wa nan desu）
{pause}
And next
Kaori: か
(ka)
Gabriella: the question marking particle
Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) か
(ka)
Gabriella: Now repeat.
Kaori: か
(ka)
{Pause}
Gabriella: Listen to the entire question and repeat.
Kaori: 仕事は 何ですか
（しごと は なん です か。　Shigoto wa nan desu ka.）
{pause}
Gabriella: You will hear this common question again and again throughout your studies. Master the following pattern and responses to the question “What do you do?”
Kaori: 教師です。
(きょうしです。 Kyoushi desu.)
Gabriella: "I'm a teacher.. Again, slowly. Repeat the phrase.
Kaori: (Slow) 教師です。
(きょうしです。 Kyoushi desu.)
{pause}
Gabriella: Let's break it down from the beginning. The first word:
Kaori: 教師
(きょうし kyoushi)
Gabriella: meaning “teacher.”
Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 教師
(きょうし kyoushi)
Gabriella: Now repeat
Kaori: 教師
(きょうし kyoushi)
{Pause}
Gabriella: And after that
Kaori: です
(desu)
Gabriella: sentence ending particle meaning something like “is.”
Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) です
(desu)
Gabriella: Now repeat.
Kaori: です
(desu)
{Pause}
Gabriella: Listen to the speaker say, “I'm a teacher.,” and then repeat.
Kaori: 教師です。
(きょうしです。 Kyoushi desu.)
{pause}
Gabriella: To expand on the pattern, replace “teacher” with “company employee.”
Kaori: 会社員
(かいしゃいん kaishain)
Gabriella: a company employee
Kaori: (slow) 会社員
(かいしゃいん kaishain) (regular) 会社員
(かいしゃいん kaishain)
Gabriella: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “company employee.”
Kaori: 会社員です。
（かいしゃいんです。　Kaishain desu.）
Gabriella: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “teacher” with “company employee.” Say “I'm a company employee.”
{pause}
Kaori: 会社員です。
（かいしゃいんです。　Kaishain desu.）
Gabriella: To use a different phrase, replace “company employee” with “lawyer.”
Kaori: 弁護士
(べんごし bengoshi)
Gabriella: lawyer
Kaori: (slow) 弁護士
（べんごし bengoshi）
(regular) 弁護士
（べんごし bengoshi）
Gabriella: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “lawyer.”
Kaori: 弁護士です。
（べんごしです。　Bengoshi desu.）
Gabriella: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “company employee” with “lawyer.” Say “I'm a lawyer.”
{pause}
Kaori: 弁護士です。
(べんごしです。Bengoshi desu.)
Gabriella: To expand on the pattern, replace “lawyer” with “bank worker.”
Kaori: 銀行員
(ぎんこういん ginkouin)
Gabriella: bank worker
Kaori: (slow) 銀行員
(ぎんこういん ginkouin) (regular) 銀行員
(ぎんこういん ginkouin)
Gabriella: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “bank worker.”
Kaori: 銀行員です。
（ぎんこういんです。　Ginkouin desu.）
Gabriella: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “lawyer” with “bank worker.” Say “I'm a bank worker.”
{pause}
Kaori: 銀行員です。
（ぎんこういんです。　Ginkouin desu.）
QUIZ
Now it's time for a quiz. Imagine you are visiting Japan and someone asks what you do. You are a teacher. Respond to the question.
Kaori: 仕事は何ですか。
(しごとはなんですか。 Shigoto wa nan desu ka.) (five seconds) 教師です。
(きょうしです。 Kyoushi desu.)
Gabriella: Imagine you are a company employee. Respond to the question.
Kaori: 仕事は何ですか。
(しごとはなんですか。 Shigoto wa nan desu ka.) (five seconds) 会社員です。
（かいしゃいんです。　Kaishain desu.）
Gabriella: Imagine you are a lawyer. Answer the speaker's question.
Kaori: 仕事は何ですか。
(しごとはなんですか。 Shigoto wa nan desu ka.) (five seconds) 弁護士です。
（べんごしです。　Bengoshi desu.）
Gabriella: Imagine you're bank worker. Respond to the question.
Kaori: 仕事は何ですか。
(しごとはなんですか。 Shigoto wa nan desu ka.) (five seconds) 銀行員です。
（ぎんこういんです。　Ginkouin desu.）
Gabriella: You want to learn what that person does. Ask the question.
(5 seconds)
Kaori: 仕事は何ですか。
(しごとはなんですか。 Shigoto wa nan desu ka.)
{pause}
Gabriella: Now it's time to answer the question with actual information about yourself.
Kaori: 仕事は何ですか。
(しごとはなんですか。 Shigoto wa nan desu ka.)
{pause}

Outro
Gabriella: This is the end of Lesson 4

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