Japanese for Dummies

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 Ja  J apanese FOR

DUMMIES

‰

 Au  A udio Se Set  t  by Eriko Sato, PhD

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Japanese For Dummies ® Audio Set Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774  www.wiley.com   www.wiley.com 

Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, Publisher, or a uthorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01 923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/ permissions . Trademarks: Wiley, Wiley, the Wiley logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other c ountries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY  MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR  WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit  www.wiley.com/techs  www.wiley.com/techsupport upport . Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com  . For more information about Wiley products,  www.wiley.com . visit  www.wiley.com  ISBN: 978-0-555-03813-0 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

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Japanese For Dummies ® Audio Set Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774  www.wiley.com   www.wiley.com 

Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, Publisher, or a uthorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01 923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/ permissions . Trademarks: Wiley, Wiley, the Wiley logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other c ountries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY  MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR  WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit  www.wiley.com/techs  www.wiley.com/techsupport upport . Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com  . For more information about Wiley products,  www.wiley.com . visit  www.wiley.com  ISBN: 978-0-555-03813-0 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

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 About  About the Autho Author  r  Eriko Sato

earned her PhD in linguistics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and also teaches Japanese in the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies there. She has authored multiple books on the Japanese language.

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Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at  www.dummies.com/register/ . Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:  Acquisitions, Editorial, and   Media Development 

Project Editor: Chad R. Sievers Acquisitions Editor: Lindsay Lefevere Copy Editor: Vicki Adang Editorial Program Coordinator: Erin Calligan Mooney Technical Editor: Atsushi Fukada, PhD Audio Produced by: Her Voice Unlimited, LLC ( [email protected] ) Media Project Supervisor: Laura Moss-Hollister

Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker Editorial Assistants: Leeann Harney, David Lutton, Joe Niesen Cartoons: Rich Tennant (  www.the5thwave.com  ) Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Lynsey Osborn Layout and Graphics: Stacie Brooks, Melissa K. Jester Stephanie D. Jumper Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico Proofreader: Todd Lothery

Media Development Specialist: Kit Malone

 Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Executive Publisher David Palmer, Associate Publisher Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director  Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

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Table of Contents  Introduction .................................................1 About This Audio Set.................................................1 Conventions Used in This Audio Set .......................2 Foolish Assumptions .................................................2 How This Audio Set Is Organized.............................3 Where to Go from Here..............................................3 Romanization ..............................................................3 Punctuation.................................................................6 Pitch Accents..............................................................6

Lesson 1:1: Welcome and Overview of CD1: The Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Lesson 1:2: Personal Pronouns and Formalities . . . . . 10 Respectful titles........................................................11

Lesson 1:3: Saying “Hello” and “Goodbye”. . . . . . . . . 12 Lesson 1:4: Saying and Replying to “How Are You?” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Lesson 1:5: Introducing Yourself and Talking about Where You’re From . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Lesson 1:6: Indispensable Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 People ........................................................................16 Places.........................................................................16 Emergency.................................................................17 Important items........................................................17

Lesson 1:7: Useful Expressions and Phrases . . . . . . . 18 Lesson 1:8: Question Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Lesson 1:9: Useful Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Lesson 1:10: An Overview of Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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Japanese For Dummies Audio Set Lesson 1:11: Talking about Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Asking about time ....................................................24 Time-related terms ...................................................24

Lesson 1:12: The Calendar and Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The days of the week ...............................................25 The months...............................................................25 The days of the month ............................................26 Month and date-related questions and answers..........................................................27

Lesson 1:13: Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Lesson 2:1: Introduction and Overview of CD2: The Nitty-Gritty: Language Structure . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Lesson 2:2: Nouns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Things in your room ................................................30 Locations...................................................................30 Transportation .........................................................31 Animals......................................................................31 Foods and beverages ...............................................31

Lesson 2:3: Plain and Polite Family Terms. . . . . . . . . . 32 Older family members .............................................32 Younger family members.........................................33 Spouse .......................................................................33 Extended family members ......................................33

Lesson 2:4: Counters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Lesson 2:5: Demonstratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Lesson 2:6: Adjectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Preference and desire ..............................................39 Colors.........................................................................40 Nationalities..............................................................40

Lesson 2:7: Degrees of Adjectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Lesson 2:8: To Be or Not to Be: A Very Important Verb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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Table of Contents

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Lesson 2:9: Verbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Irregular verbs ..........................................................45 Ru-verbs ....................................................................45 U-verbs.......................................................................45 Desu ...........................................................................46

Lesson 2:10: Verb Tenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Plain ...........................................................................47 Polite..........................................................................48 Desu ...........................................................................48 Example sentences...................................................48

Lesson 2:11: Negatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Lesson 2:12: Particles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Particles for subjects and direct objects ..............52 Example sentences...................................................52

Lesson 2:13: Conjunctions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Example phrases and sentences using conjunctions...............................................53

Lesson 2:14: Forming Simple Sentences . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Lesson 2:15: Introducing More Complete Sentences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Lesson 3:1: Introduction and Overview of CD3: Real-World Situations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Lesson 3:2: At the Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 People around the office .........................................58 Office activities.........................................................58 Example sentences...................................................59

Lesson 3:3: On the Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Occupations..............................................................60 Work-related verbs ...................................................61 Example sentences...................................................61

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viii  Japanese For Dummies Audio Set Lesson 3:4: Making Small Talk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Lesson 3:5: Making Appointments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Lesson 3:6: Arranging Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Lesson 3:7: Asking for Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Lesson 3:8: Asking for and Getting Help. . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Lesson 3:9: At the Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Lesson 3:10: At the Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Lesson 3:11: At the Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Lesson 3:12: At the Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Mini-Dictionary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Japanese-English Mini-Dictionary ..........................75 English-Japanese Mini-Dictionary ..........................82

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Introduction

O 

ur planet has become wonderfully diverse, and our world has become smaller than ever. We enjoy a variety of foods, arts, and fashions, and take advantage of amazing new technologies and products. When you speak the language of people in other countries and understand their culture, you can appreciate these experiences more fully. When you speak their language, you can connect these wonderful things to your own life to develop new ideas, broaden your horizons, and widen your career opportunities. When you speak their language, you have unlimited opportunities to find life-changing friendships. Are you ready for the reallife adventure? If you’re ready to start speaking Japanese, Japanese For   Dummies Audio Set is the most effective, convenient, and friendliest tool you can use. The CDs give you a good start to successfully studying a new foreign language.

 About This Audio Set   Japanese For Dummies Audio Set enables you to quickly familiarize yourself with the Japanese language and begin communicating on a basic level with other Japanese speakers. By listening to the hour-long CDs and following along in this booklet, you can set your own pace and explore the topics that interest you. CD1 gives you the very basics of Japanese; CD2 covers the language’s structure; and CD3 presents the language in real-world situations.

By the way, you can play the CDs in this audio set on any CD player, so you can listen in your car, on your home stereo, or on your computer.

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Conventions Used in This Audio Set  So that you can easily follow along with the CDs and this booklet, I stuck to a few conventions: 

The lesson numbers in this booklet correspond to the track numbers on the CDs. So Lesson 1:3 corresponds to the third track of CD1, and Lesson 3:10 corresponds to the tenth track of CD3. Track 1 of each CD is an introduction, which you can skip if you want.



On the CDs, the narrator presents words and phrases in English. Then a native Japanese speaker says the words and phrases in Japanese. A pause gives you time to say the word or phrase yourself. Then the Japanese speaker repeats the word or phrase and pauses to give you another chance to repeat the word or phrase.



Japanese terms are set in italics in the booklet to make them stand out. The Tip icon indicates helpful information that aids in your understanding of pronunciation, grammar, and other elements of the language.

Foolish Assumptions  In producing this audio set, I had to make some assumptions about who you are and what you know: 

You know no Japanese — or if you took Japanese in school, you don’t remember very much of it.



You’re not looking for a product that will make you fluent in Japanese; you just want to know some words, phrases, and sentence constructions so you can communicate basic information in Japanese.



You don’t want to memorize a bunch of boring grammar rules.



You want to have fun and learn a little bit of Japanese at the same time.

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How This Audio Set Is Organized  The booklet is divided into four parts, and the first three parts each correspond to one of the CDs. 

CD1: The Basics: This CD presents greetings, indispensable words and phrases, useful questions, an overview of numbers and dates, and other basic Japanese information.



CD2: The Nitty-Gritty Language Structure: This CD introduces nouns, verbs, adjectives, counters, and other parts of speech so you can develop an understanding of how Japanese sentences are put together.



CD3: Real-World Situations: On this CD, you’re introduced to vocabulary, phrases, and sentences that you’ll find useful while working, traveling, eating out, shopping, banking, and more.



Mini-Dictionary: The fourth part of this booklet is a handy Japanese/English dictionary for quick reference on the go.

Where to Go from Here Pop any of the CDs into your player and start listening and repeating. CD1 is the place to begin if you know nothing about Japanese. If you know a little bit (or just feel adventurous), check out the Table of Contents and jump to any lesson that catches your eye, even if it happens to be on CDs 2 or 3. Listen to the tracks that interest you, and discover Japanese at your own pace.

Romanization Modern Japanese is written horizontally or vertically by combining two sets of syllabic alphabets called kana ( hiragana and katakana ) and Chinese characters called kanji . Each kana character represents a unique syllable sound, and each kana system has 46 characters. By contrast, each kanji character

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represents a unique meaning (or meanings), and an average Japanese person knows about 2,000 of them. That’s a lot, isn’t it? It takes some people days or weeks to learn kana and some people months or years to learn kanji. It’s important to learn kana and kanji, but the main objective of Japanese For   Dummies Audio Set is to help you speak some Japanese with authentic pronunciation today! Accordingly, this booklet uses romanization rather than kana and kanji.  ) sys  maji  There are a number of different romanization ( r∂ tems in Japan, and which one is used depends on the situations, purposes, or preferences. Some systems faithfully reflect the kana system, but they frequently misrepresent the actual pronunciation. Other systems may not be faithful to the kana system, but they succeed in representing the actual sounds pretty closely. This booklet employs the latter type, a version of the popular Hepburn system with some modifications. Long vowels are marked with macrons (that cute little line), as in ok≈san (mother), ot ∂s≈n (father), and y ∆binkyoku (post office). Two identical vowels in a row indicate a separation because of internal structural reasons. For example, the adjective ureshii (happy) ends with ii rather than with i-  because the second i changes depending on the form, as in ureshiku and ureshikatta. Another diacritic convention you should know is the apostrophe right after n. If the consonant n appears between two vowels, it may or may not form a syllable with the following vowel. If n doesn’t form a syllable with the following vowel, an apostrophe comes right after n to mark the separation between them. For example, the Japanese word that means “prohibition of smoking” is spelled as kin’en (pronounced keen-ehn ), but the word that means “commemoration” is spelled as kinen (pronounced kee-nehn). For Japanese, n’ is a syllable, or a mora, more precisely, and is represented by one kana character.

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Introduction

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The romanization system adopted in this booklet represents what you hear on the audio CDs, but you need to be aware of some puzzling cases: 

If you see a set of two identical consonants — for example, pp, bb, and ss — pronounce the consonant a moment longer, just once. Don’t pronounce the same consonant twice. The letters sound like a single consonant preceded by a brief pause. For example, try saying “school” in Japanese, gakk∂ (pronounced gahk-kohh).



The Japanese r may sound like l, d, or something between l and r to you. The Japanese r is made by tapping the tip of the tongue behind the upper teeth. It is similar to the brief flap sound in “lettuce” or “letter” in American English. Make sure not to pronounce the Japanese r like English r — no curled tongue! What is the number “six” in Japanese? It’s roku (pronounced roh-koo)!



The Japanese f may sound a bit too soft to you, because it is pronounced without using the upper teeth. Pronounce it by bringing the upper lip and the lower lip close to each other, and blowing air between them gently. Note that the Japanese f  occurs only before the vowel u, as in Fujisan (Mount Fuji).



The sequence ts at the beginning of a word may be hard for you to hear or pronounce because this sequence never starts a word in English, but it does in Japanese. Try pronouncing the Japanese word tsukue (desk; pronounced tsoo-koo-eh). If it is hard, say the English word “cats” in your head. When you’re about to finish saying ts in “cats,” start pronouncing tsukue. I hope you succeeded!



You may not be able to hear the vowels i and u clearly. These vowels tend to be whispered or devoiced when they are between two voiceless consonants such as p, t, k, s, sh, ch, ts, and h, or when they are at the end of a word and preceded by a

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Japanese For Dummies Audio Set voiceless consonant. This happens quite frequently, especially in fast or normal-speed speech. For example, ashita (tomorrow; pronounced ahshee-tah) may sound like ashta to you, and Ii desu (It’s fine; pronounced ee-ee deh-soo) may sound like Ii des to you. 

The sequence of vowels ei usually sounds like a long vowel ( √ ). For example, the word sensei  (teacher; pronounced sehn-sehh) usually sounds like sens√.

The consonant g sometimes sounds nasalized, especially when it occurs between vowels, as in  Ikaga desu ka (How is it?; pronounced ee-kah-gah deh-soo kah). It is more common among women than among men. Don’t think that the Japanese person has a cold when you hear a nasalized g.





The consonant n may sound like m when followed by p, b, or another m. For example, tenpura (tempura; pronounced ten-poo-rah) sounds like tempura. Similarly, the n followed by k or g, as in gink∂ (bank; pronounced geen-kohh), sounds like it’s being articulated back in the mouth.

Punctuation In this booklet, the question mark (?) and the exclamation mark (!) aren’t used except when they help you understand short phrases. Other punctuation systems employed in this booklet, including capitalization, periods, and commas, are pretty much like in English.

Pitch Accents  Japanese words don’t have a stress accent, and Japanese phrases and sentences may sound pretty plain or monotone to you because of that. However, Japanese words can have a  pitch accent. If a word has an accent on one of the syllables (or moras — units that coincide with kana characters), the

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pitch abruptly falls from high to low right after it. For example, the word anata (you; pronounced ah-nah-tah) has an accent on the second syllable na, and the entire pitch pattern is low-high-low. By contrast, the word watashi (I; pronounced wah-tah-shee) doesn’t have an accent, so the entire pitch pattern of this word is low-high-high. Because pitch accents vary depending on the dialect, you don’t need to be too conscious about it. Just listen to the CDs and imitate the general overall intonation of each phrase and sentence.

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Lesson 1:1

Welcome and Overview of CD1: The Basics

W 

elcome to Japanese For Dummies Audio Set. This set consists of three audio CDs for you to have fun while learning Japanese. You can listen to this audio-based program while driving, walking, relaxing, or any time that is convenient for you. You can take your time, repeat words and phrases, and repeat any track until you feel comfortable. On each lesson you’ll hear a word or phrase in English, then the Japanese version, then a pause for you to repeat and practice. Then you’ll hear another repetition of the Japanese version with another pause for you to practice again. On disc one, you start off with essential words and phrases that you can’t live without. Master their pronunciations and use them for getting around your favorite Japanese towns or for making small talk with your Japanese friends in your neighborhood. We encourage you to listen, repeat, and have fun.

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Lesson 1:2

Personal Pronouns and Formalities

T 

he personal pronouns in Japanese are

I

watashi 

you (singular)

anata

he

kare

she

kanojo

we

watashi-tachi 

you (plural)

anata-tachi 

they (masculine)

karera

they (feminine)

kanojora

they (masculine, feminine, or mixed group)

karera

In Japanese conversations, pronouns are often dropped, and the use of anata especially is avoided. If anata can’t be dropped, it’s replaced by the person’s name. For example, instead of saying, “Hey, Ken. Is this your book?”, the Japanese say something like, “Hey, Ken. Is this Ken’s book?” It may sound strange to you, but it is perfectly fine and is preferred for Japanese.

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Lesson 1:2

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Respectful titles  polite/neutral respectful title

san

Mr. Smith

 Sumisu-san

Michael

 Maikeru-san

Ms. Tanaka

Tanaka-san

Sandra

 Sandora-san

formal respectful title

sama

Mr. Smith

 Sumisu-sama

Ms. Tanaka

Tanaka-sama

Place a respectful title after other people’s names, but not after your own name. San is the most commonly used respectful title placed after other people’s family names or given names, regardless of their gender or marital status. Sama is a formal respectful title that you use after family names of your clients, customers, or those to whom respect is due. When addressing your superiors, place their job titles, if available, after their family name, instead of using respectful titles. Some job-related titles can be placed after a person’s name instead of a generic respectful title such as san. For example, if Mr. Brown is your teacher, address him as Buraun-sensei. Sensei  means “teacher.”

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Lesson 1:3

Saying “Hello” and “Goodbye” Good morning. (formal)

Ohay ∂ gozaimasu.

Good morning. (informal)

Ohay ∂.

Good afternoon, or Hi.

 Konnichiwa.

Good evening.

 Konbanwa.

Say Ohay ∂ gozaimasu to your superior instead of Ohay ∂. Don’t forget to bow when you greet him. See you tomorrow.

 Mata ashita.

Goodbye.

 Say ∂nara.

Good night.

Oyasumi nasai.

Say Shitsurei shimasu when you’re parting from your superior. Its literal meaning is “I will be rude.” The idea in this context is “Excuse my rudeness of leaving you.”

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Lesson 1:4

Saying and Replying to “How Are You?”

T 

he Japanese phrase equivalent to “How are you?” is Genki desu ka, which literally means “Are you well?”

How are you? (formal)

O-genki desu ka.

How are you? (informal)

Genki? 

Yes, I’m fine.

 Hai, genki desu.

Well, so-so.

 , m≈m≈ desu. π 

How about you, Mike?

 Maiku-san wa? 

Yes, I’m fine, too.

 Hai, watashi mo genki desu.

The particle mo in Watashi mo genki desu means “also.”

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Lesson 1:5

Introducing Yourself and Talking about Where You’re From How do you do?

 Hajimemashite.

I am Mr. Smith.

Watashi wa Sumisu desu.

It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

Nice to meet you.

Yoroshiku.

Likewise.

 Kochira koso.

What is your name?

O-namae wa nan desu ka.

Your name?

O-namae wa? 

My name is John Brown.

Watashi no namae wa Jon  Buraun desu.

Where are you from?

 Dochira kara desu ka.

I’m from San Francisco.

 San Furanshisuko kara desu.

Where were you born?

Go-shusshin wa? 

I was born in Tokyo.

 Shusshin wa T ∂ky ∂ desu.

I grew up in Osaka.

≥saka de sodachimashita.

Where do you live?

 Doko ni sunde imasu ka.

I live in Boston.

 Bosuton ni sunde imasu.

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Lesson 1:6

Indispensable Words Yes.

 Hai.

Yes, it is.

 Hai, s∂ desu.

Yes, I agree with you.

 Hai, s∂ desu ne.

Of course!

 Mochiron.

Maybe.

Tabun.

No.

≤ e.

No, it isn’t.

≤ e, s∂ ja arimasen.

Oh, I see.

∑ , s∂ desu ka.

 Hai shows agreement, and  ≤ e shows disagreement. They correspond to “yes” and “no” in English if the question is affirmative, but they become reversed when the question is negative. Please.

 D∂ zo.

Please come in.

 D∂ zo haitte kudasai.

You can just say D∂ zo to encourage someone to do something understood in the context. Thank you very much.  D∂mo arigat ∂ gozaimasu. Thanks. (informal) Oh, it’s nothing. You’re welcome. No, thank you.

 Arigat ∂. ≤ e.

 D∂ itashimashite. ≤ e, ii desu.

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CD1: The Basics

Sorry!

Gomennasai.

I’m sorry.

 Sumimasen.

Excuse me.

Chotto sumimasen.

Chotto literally means “a little,” but it’s used to soften the expression in Chotto sumimasen.

People friend

tomodachi 

family

kazoku

relative

shinseki 

adult

otona

child

kodomo

man

otoko no hito

boy

otoko no ko

woman

onna no hito

girl

onna no ko

baby

akachan

Places  airport

k∆k∂

bank

 gink∂

bus stop

basu-tei 

cafe

kissaten

consulate

ry ∂ jikan

embassy

taishikan

hospital

by ∂in

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Lesson 1:6

hotel

hoteru

house

ie

library

toshokan

pharmacy

 yakkyoku

police station

keisatsusho

post office

 y ∆binkyoku

restaurant

resutoran

restroom

otearai 

school

 gakk∂

store

mise

train station

eki 

travel agency

ryok∂-gaisha

Emergency police officer

keisatsukan

doctor

isha

nurse

kangoshi 

Please help.

Tasukete kudasai.

Thief!

 Dorob∂.

 Important items  passport

 pasup∂to

money

o-kane

credit card

kurejitto k≈do

ID

mibun-sh∂meisho

driver’s license

unten-menkyosh∂

17 

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Lesson 1:7

Useful Expressions and Phrases I don’t understand Japanese.

 Nihongo ga wakarimasen.

I don’t speak Japanese  Nihongo ga amari hanasemasen. well. Can you say it again?

 M ∂ ichido itte kudasai.

One more time, please.  M ∂ ichido onegai shimasu. Slowly, please.

Yukkuri onegai shimasu.

Help me, please.

Chotto tasukete kudasai.

Do you understand English?

 Eigo ga wakarimasu ka.

How do you say “train” “Train” wa Nihongo de nan desu ka. in Japanese? I don’t know.

Chotto wakarimasen.

Wakarimasen can mean either “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand.” When you mean I don’t know, add chotto to soften it. Are you all right?

 Daij ∂bu desu ka.

Yes, I’m all right.

 Hai, daij ∂bu desu.

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Lesson 1:8

Question Words Who?

 Dare? 

What?

 Nani? 

Where?

 Doko? 

Why?

 D∂shite? 

When?

 Itsu? 

How?

 D∂? 

How much?

 Ikura? 

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Lesson 1:9

Useful Questions

 A

ll the Japanese questions end in the particle ka regardless of whether it is a content question or a yes-no question. Who is that person over there?

 Ano hito wa dare desu ka.

What is this?

 Kore wa nan desu ka.

What is that over there?

 Are wa nan desu ka.

Is that Mount Fuji?

 Are wa Fujisan desu ka.

What is your name?

O-namae wa nan desu ka.

Where is the restroom?

Otearai wa doko desu ka.

Where are you from?

 Dochira kara kimashita ka.

When is your birthday?

Tanj ∂bi wa itsu desu ka.

When will you go (there)?  Itsu ikimasu ka. What time do you close?

 Nan-ji ni shimarimasu ka.

At what time does the train leave?

 Densha wa nan-ji ni  demasu ka.

When is checkout time?

Chekkuauto wa nan-ji desu ka.

How much is this?

 Kore wa ikura desu ka.

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Lesson 1:10

An Overview of Numbers 1

ichi 

2

ni 

3

san

4

shi 

5

 go

6

roku

7

shichi 

8

hachi 

9

ky ∆

10

 j ∆

11

 j ∆ichi 

12

 j ∆ni 

13

 j ∆san

14

 j ∆shi 

15

 j ∆ go

16

 j ∆roku

17

 j ∆shichi 

18

 j ∆hachi 

19

 j ∆ky ∆

20

nij ∆

21

nij ∆ichi 

22

nij ∆ni 

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CD1: The Basics

23

nij ∆san

30

sanj ∆

31

sanj ∆ichi 

32

sanj ∆ni 

40

 yonj ∆

50

 goj ∆

60

rokuj ∆

70

nanaj ∆

80

hachij ∆

90

ky ∆ j ∆

99

ky ∆ j ∆ky ∆

100

hyaku

999

ky ∆hyakuky ∆ j ∆ky ∆

1,000

sen When you read the numbers one after another in order, you commonly use this pronunciation of numbers. However, the number 4 can be read as shi or yon, and the number 7 can be read as shichi  or nana. Likewise, the number 14 can be read as  j ∆shi or j ∆ yon, the number 17 can be read as  j ∆shichi or j ∆nana, and the number 19 can be read  j ∆ky ∆ or j ∆ku. Furthermore, when the numbers are followed by suffixes (counters) such as ji (o’clock) and mai (sheets of), many numbers are often read differently, as shown in Lesson 1:11 and Lesson 2:4. The Japanese number system is quite logical. For example, 11 is j ∆-ichi , which is 10 (   ).  j ∆ ) plus 1 ( ichi  21 is ni-j ∆-ichi , which is 2 ( ni   ) times 10 (   j ∆ ) plus 1 ( ichi   ). 999 is ky ∆-hyaku-ky ∆-j ∆-ky ∆, which is 9 ( ky ∆ ) times 100 ( hyaku ), plus 9 ( ky ∆ ) times 10 (   j ∆ ), plus 9 ( ky ∆ ).

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Lesson 1:11

Talking about Time o’clock

 ji 

hour

 jikan

minute

fun  Fun (minute) alternates with pun when following certain numbers including 1 and 3.

second

by ∂

half past (of time)

han

a.m.

 gozen

p.m.

 gogo

1 o’clock

ichi-ji 

2 o’clock

ni-ji 

3 o’clock

san-ji 

4 o’clock

 yo-ji 

5 o’clock

 go-ji 

6 o’clock

roku-ji 

7 o’clock

shichi-ji 

8 o’clock

hachi-ji 

9 o’clock

ku-ji 

10 o’clock

 j ∆-ji 

11 o’clock

 j ∆ichi-ji 

12 o’clock

 j ∆ni-ji 

7:15

shichi-ji j ∆ go-fun

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CD1: The Basics

 j ∆ichi-ji go-fun mae

10:55 (5 minutes to 11) 11 a.m.

 gozen j ∆ichi-ji  The 24-hour clock is used in timetables for trains  j ∆ yo-ji  in Japan. For example, 2:15 p.m. is 14:15 (   j ∆ go-fun ).

 Asking about time What time is it now?

 Ima nan-ji desu ka.

It’s 11:15.

 J ∆ichi-ji j ∆ go-fun desu.

From what time?

 Nan-ji kara desu ka.

Until what time?

 Nan-ji made desu ka.

It’s from 2 to 5.

 Ni-ji kara go-ji made desu.

At what time are you leaving?

 Nan-ji ni demasu ka.

I’ll leave at 3.

 San-ji ni demasu.

How many hours does it take?

 Nan-jikan kakarimasu ka.

It takes two hours.

 Ni-jikan kakarimasu.

Time-related terms  morning

asa

noon

hiru

evening

ban

night

 yoru

afternoon

 gogo

today

ky ∂

tomorrow

ashita

yesterday

kin∂

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Lesson 1:12

The Calendar and Dates The days of the week All of the days of the week in Japanese end in y ∂bi. Monday

 getsuy ∂bi 

Tuesday

kay ∂bi 

Wednesday

suiy ∂bi 

Thursday

mokuy ∂bi 

Friday

kiny ∂bi 

Saturday

doy ∂bi 

Sunday

nichiy ∂bi 

The months  All of the months in Japanese end in gatsu, which follows numbers from 1 to 12. January

ichi-gatsu

February

ni-gatsu

March

san-gatsu

April

shi-gatsu

May

 go-gatsu

June

roku-gatsu

July

shichi-gatsu

August

hachi-gatsu

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CD1: The Basics

September

ku-gatsu

October

 j ∆-gatsu

November

 j ∆ichi-gatsu

December

 j ∆ni-gatsu

The days of the month The days of the month in Japanese are full of irregularities. the first

tsuitachi 

the second

futsuka

the third

mikka

the fourth

 yokka

the fifth

itsuka

the sixth

muika

the seventh

nanoka

the eighth

 y ∂ka

the ninth

kokonoka

the tenth

t ∂ka

the 11th

 j ∆ichi-nichi 

the 12th

 j ∆ni-nichi 

the 13th

 j ∆san-nichi 

the 14th

 j ∆ yokka

the 15th

 j ∆ go-nichi 

the 16th

 j ∆roku-nichi 

the 17th

 j ∆shichi-nichi 

the 18th

 j ∆hachi-nichi 

the 19th

 j ∆ku-nichi 

the 20th

hatsuka

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Lesson 1:12

the 21st

nij ∆ichi-nichi 

the 22nd

nij ∆ni-nichi 

the 23rd

nij ∆san-nichi 

the 24th

nij ∆ yokka

the 25th

nij ∆ go-nichi 

the 26th

nij ∆roku-nichi 

the 27th

nij ∆shichi-nichi 

the 28th

nij ∆hachi-nichi 

the 29th

nij ∆ku-nichi 

the 30th

sanj ∆-nichi 

the 31st

sanj ∆ichi-nichi 

 Month and date-related  questions and answers  What is today’s date?

 Ky ∂ wa nan-nichi desu ka.

Today is the 16th.

 Ky ∂ wa j ∆roku-nichi desu.

What day is it today?

 Ky ∂ wa nany ∂bi desu ka.

It’s Monday.

Getsuy ∂bi desu.

27 

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Lesson 1:13

Directions far

t ∂i 

close

chikai 

next to

tonari 

in front of

mae

behind

ushiro

nearby

chikaku

east

higashi 

west

nishi 

south

minami 

north

kita

right

migi 

left

hidari 

intersection

k∂saten

street, road

michi 

corner

kado

bridge

hashi 

to go straight

massugu iku

to turn right

migi ni magaru

to turn left at the intersection

k∂saten o hidari ni magaru

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Lesson 2:1

Introduction and Overview of CD2: The Nitty-Gritty: Language Structure

W 

elcome to Japanese For Dummies Audio Set, disc two. On this CD, you’ll hear Japanese nouns, verbs, adjectives, and other important words, and learn how to put them together to make a sentence.

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Lesson 2:2

Nouns

 J 

apanese nouns are very simple. They don’t have a singular/plural distinction or a masculine/feminine distinction. In addition, they don’t have to be preceded by articles like a or the. You may wonder how the Japanese would know whether there is a dog or there are multiple dogs when they hear Inu (dog). Actually, they just have to guess from the context, or they just have to ask how many.

Things in your room bed

beddo

book

hon

TV

terebi 

clock

tokei 

sofa

sof ≈

table

t √buru

newspaper

shinbun

Locations  town

machi 

country

kuni 

village

mura

neighborhood

kinjo

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Lesson 2:2

Transportation airplane

hik∂ki 

boat

fune

bus

basu

car

kuruma

subway

chikatetsu

taxi

takush∫ 

train

densha

 Animals  bird

tori 

cat

neko

cow

ushi 

dog

inu

fish

sakana

pig

buta

Foods and beverages  apple

ringo

black tea

k∂cha

bread

 pan

coffee

k∂h∫ 

cooked rice

 gohan

egg

tamago

pizza

 piza

soup

s∆ pu

31

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Lesson 2:3

Plain and Polite Family Terms

F 

amily terms have a plain form and a polite form. Use the plain form to refer to your own family members in front of others. Use the polite form to refer to someone else’s family members. For example, “my father” would be watashi  no chichi and “Ms. Yamada’s father” would be Yamada-san no ot ∂san. Chichi is the plain form and ot ∂san is the polite form. “My father met Ms. Yamada’s father” would be Watashi  no chichi wa Yamada-san no ot ∂san ni aimashita. Plain forms and polite forms are also called humble forms and respectful  forms.

Older family members  father (plain)

chichi 

father (polite)

ot ∂san

mother (plain)

haha

mother (polite)

ok≈san

older brother (plain)

ani 

older brother (polite)

on∫ san

older sister (plain)

ane

older sister (polite)

on√san

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Lesson 2:3

33

Younger family members  younger brother (plain)

ot ∂to

younger brother (polite)

ot ∂tosan

younger sister (plain)

im∂to

younger sister (polite)

im∂tosan

son (plain)

musuko

son (polite)

musukosan

daughter (plain)

musume

daughter (polite)

musumesan

child (plain)

kodomo

child (polite)

okosan

 Spouse husband (plain)

otto

husband (polite)

 goshujin

wife (plain)

tsuma

wife (polite)

okusan

In conversations, shujin is often used instead of otto to refer to one’s own husband, and kanai is often used instead of tsuma to refer to one’s own wife.

Extended family members  grandfather (plain)

sofu

grandfather (polite)

oj ∫ san

grandmother (plain)

sobo

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CD2: The Nitty-Gritty: Nitty-Gritty: Language Structure Structure

grandmother (polite)

ob≈san

uncle (plain)

oji 

uncle (polite)

ojisan

aunt (plain)

oba

aunt (polite)

obasan

When addressing your older family members (other than your spouse), use the polite form. When addressing your younger family members or your spouse, use their first name or nickname. Wives often address their husbands with anata, which literally means “you,” but actually means something like “honey” or “dear” in English. You really have to understand the difference between “addressing” and “referring;” otherwise, what’s discussed here becomes contradictory to what was stated earlier in this section. “Addressing” is when you’re talking to the person and calling him or her, her, mostly to get attention. “Referring” “Referrin g” is when you aren’t talking to the person, but talking about him or her to someone else.

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Lesson 2:4

Counters

T 

he quantity of an item i tem is expressed by a numeral and a short suffix, suffix, called a counter. A counter in Japanese is equiva equivalent lent to to a word like like “sheet “sheet,” ,” as in “a sheet sheet of paper paper”  in English. Interestingly, Interestingly, you need a counter even for counting books, pens, people, and animals. For example, “there are two books and two pens” means Hon ga ni-satsu to means “two” “two” for bound bound  pen ga ni-hon arimasu. Ni-satsu means items like books, and ni-hon means “two” for long long cylincylindrical items like like pens. Of course, course, ni means means “two “two.” .” The following are some common counters with the numerals one, two, and three. Watch out for some irregular sound changes. one, two, three . . . for flat items like paper

ichi-mai, ni-mai, san-mai . . .

one, two, three . . . for mechanical items like cars

ichi-dai, ni-dai, san-dai . . .

one, two, three . . . for bound items like books

is-satsu, ni-satsu, san-satsu . . .

one, two, three . . . for long cylindrical items like pens

ip-pon, ni-hon, san-bon . . .

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CD2: The Nitty-Gritty: Nitty-Gritty: Language Structure Structure

one, two, three . . . for animals like dogs

ip-piki, ni-hiki, san-biki . . .

one, two, three . . . for people

hito-ri, futa-ri, san-nin . . .

one, two, three . . . for a variety of items like apples and erasers

hito-tsu, futa-tsu, mit-tsu . . .

Most counters follow numerals with Chinese origin as in ichi-mai and ichi-dai, but some follow native Japanese numerals as in hito-tsu and hito-ri.

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Lesson 2:5

Demonstratives

F 

or referring to visible items, you can use the demonstrative adjectives kono, sono, and ano along with the common noun. Kono is for an item near the speaker, sono is for an item near the listener, and ano is for an item far from both the speaker and the listener. this book

kono hon

that book (near you)

sono hon

that book (over there)

ano hon

this dog

kono inu

that person (over there)

ano hito

that wallet (near you)

sono saifu

this building

kono tatemono

For referring to things and animals without using a specific common noun, use the following demonstrative pronouns. this one

kore

that one near you

sore

that one over there

are

When referring to people, don’t use the demonstrative pronouns kore, sore, and are, but use the demonstrative adjective along with a common noun, as in ano gakusei (that student) and kono hito (this person).

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Lesson 2:6

Adjectives

 J 

apanese has two types of adjectives: i-type and na-type. When they’re placed right before a noun, i-type adjectives end in i, and na-type adjectives end in na. For example,  yasashii hito means “a kind person” and kireina hito means “a pretty person.” In both cases, an adjective is followed by a noun hito (person), and you can easily tell that yasashii is an i-type adjective and kireina is a na-type adjective. When they aren’t followed by a noun, but by desu to form a sentence predicate, i remains, but na must be removed. For example, Ano hito wa yasashii desu means “That person is kind,” and Ano hito wa kirei desu means “That person is pretty.” In this example, it’s not as easy to see whether the adjective is i-type or na-type. The following are adjectives listed in the latter form, which is more frequently used in simple conversations. For your convenience, na-type adjectives are marked in the parentheses. big

∂kii desu

small

ch∫ sai desu

expensive

takai desu

inexpensive/cheap

 yasui desu

easy

kantan desu (na-type)

difficult

muzukashii desu

fast

hayai desu

slow

osoi desu

good

ii desu

bad

warui desu

happy

ureshii desu

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Lesson 2:6 sad

kanashii desu

hot

atsui desu

cold (weather)

samui desu

delicious

oishii desu

awful (taste)

mazui desu

interesting

omoshiroi desu

boring

tsumaranai desu

long

nagai desu

short

mijikai desu

pretty

kirei desu (na-type)

ugly

minikui desu

quiet

shizuka desu (na-type)

loud

urusai desu

short (for a person)

se ga hikui desu

tall (for a person)

se ga takai desu

young

wakai desu

39

Japanese has an adjective that means “old,” which is furui, but it only applies to objects as in furui ie (old house) and furui kutsu (old shoes), but doesn’t apply to people or animals. If you want to say someone is old, use the verb phrase, toshi ga itte imasu (old/aged).

Preference and desire A person’s preferences and desires are most commonly expressed by adjectives rather than verbs in Japanese. to like

suki desu (na-type)

to dislike

kirai desu (na-type)

to want

hoshii desu

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Colors  Some colors are expressed by adjectives, although others are expressed by nouns. black

kuroi desu

blue

aoi desu

red

akai desu

white

shiroi desu

yellow

kiiroi desu

 Nationalities  Japanese

 Nihonjin

American

 Amerikajin

British

 Igirisujin

Chinese

Ch∆ gokujin

French

 Furansujin

Spanish

 Supeinjin

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Lesson 2:7

Degrees of Adjectives

 J 

apanese adjectives don’t have comparative or superlative forms, like smaller and smallest in English. To show a comparative idea, just add the adverb motto (more) or add the item being compared along with the particle yori (than). To show a superlative idea, just add the adverb ichiban (the most). cheaper

motto yasui 

cheaper than pizza

 piza yori yasui 

cheapest

ichiban yasui 

more expensive

motto takai 

more expensive than sushi

sushi yori takai 

most expensive

ichiban takai 

more difficult than French

 Furansugo yori muzukashii 

most difficult

ichiban muzukashii 

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Lesson 2:8

To Be or Not to Be: A Very Important Verb

T 

he English verb to be expresses either identification (John is a student) or existence (There is a book). “To be” in the sense of identification in English corresponds to desu in Japanese. To say “A is B,” say A wa B desu, in which wa is the topic particle.

I’m American.

Watashi wa Amerikajin desu.

My mom is Japanese.

 Haha wa Nihonjin desu.

I’m a student.

Watashi wa gakusei desu.

My dad is a lawyer.

Chichi wa bengoshi desu.

They are busy.

 Karera wa isogashii desu.

Japanese is easy.

 Nihongo wa kantan desu.

English is hard.

 Eigo wa muzukashii desu.

This is a dictionary.

 Kore wa jisho desu.

“To be” in the sense of existence in English corresponds to arimasu or imasu in Japanese. Arimasu is for an inanimate item, and imasu is for an animate item.

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Lesson 2:8 There is a pen.

 Pen ga arimasu.

There is a cat.

 Neko ga imasu.

There are many students.

Gakusei ga takusan imasu.

43

“Ga” in the previous three sentences is the subject marking particle. See Lesson 2:12 for more details. Mount Fuji is in Japan.

 Fujisan wa Nihon ni arimasu.

John is at the restaurant.

 Jon wa resutoran ni imasu.

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Lesson 2:9

Verbs

 J 

apanese sentence predicates take either a plain form or a polite form depending on the formality of the context. The plain form is short and is used in an informal context. The polite form is slightly longer and is used in a polite or neutral speech-style context. Accordingly, verbs have plain forms and polite forms among other forms. But don’t think that you don’t need to know the plain form if you’re speaking only in polite-neutral speech style. The verbs in the plain form must be used even in polite contexts if certain elements such as modals follow them. So, it’s important to know both the plain form and the polite form for each verb. The plain form (present affirmative) or the dictionary form ends in a syllable: ru, ku, gu, su, tsu, u, mu, nu, or bu, as in taberu (eat). The polite form (present affirmative) ends in the polite suffix masu, as in tabemasu (eat). Verbs are classified into irregular verbs, which are suru (do) and kuru (come) , and regular verbs, which are either ruverbs or u-verbs. If the verb’s dictionary form ends in ru, try removing ru from the plain form and masu from its polite counterpart. If the remaining portions are identical, it is a ru-verb. Otherwise, it’s a u-verb. If the verb’s dictionary form doesn’t end in ru, it’s a u-verb without any question. Now, you’ll hear both the plain form and the polite form of each verb. Listen and pronounce two forms one after the other.

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Lesson 2:9

45 

 Irregular verbs  do

suru (plain), shimasu (polite)

come

kuru (plain), kimasu (polite)

Ru-verbs  eat

taberu (plain), tabemasu (polite)

exist/be (animate)

iru (plain), imasu (polite)

look

miru (plain), mimasu (polite)

sleep

neru (plain), nemasu (polite)

U-verbs  buy

kau (plain), kaimasu (polite)

carry

hakobu (plain), hakobimasu (polite)

drink

nomu (plain), nomimasu (polite)

exist/be (inanimate)

aru (plain), arimasu (polite)

go

iku (plain), ikimasu (polite)

listen

kiku (plain), kikimasu (polite)

read

 yomu (plain), yomimasu (polite)

run

hashiru (plain), hashirimasu (polite)

speak

hanasu (plain), hanashimasu (polite)

swim

oyogu (plain), oyogimasu (polite)

understand

wakaru (plain), wakarimasu (polite)

wait

matsu (plain), machimasu (polite)

work

hataraku (plain), hatarakimasu (polite)

write

kaku (plain), kakimasu (polite)

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Many verbs are created by adding the verb suru (do) after a word of Chinese origin. study

benky ∂ suru (plain), benky ∂ shimasu (polite)

invite

sh∂tai suru (plain), sh∂tai shimasu (polite)

graduate

sotsugy ∂ suru (plain), sotsugy ∂ shimasu (polite)

get married

kekkon suru (plain), kekkon shimasu (polite)

Desu  Desu (to be), introduced in Lesson 2:8, is very different from other verbs. For example, unlike other verbs, desu can never be pronounced independently without being preceded by another word. Just know that desu is the polite form, and its plain counterpart is da.

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Lesson 2:10

Verb Tenses

V 

erbs in the present form express habitual or future actions, and verbs in the past form express past actions.

Plain Verbs in the plain affirmative present form all end in the vowel u, but their past counterparts all end in the syllable ta or da. eat or will eat

taberu

ate

tabeta

drink or will drink

nomu

drank

nonda

write or will write

kaku

wrote

kaita

buy or will buy

kau

bought

katta

do or will do

suru

did

shita

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CD2: The Nitty-Gritty: Language Structure

Polite Verbs in the polite affirmative present form end in masu, but their past counterparts end in mashita. eat or will eat

tabemasu

ate

tabemashita

drink or will drink

nomimasu

drank

nomimashita

do or will do

shimasu

did

shimashita

Desu The past tense of desu (to be) is deshita, and its plain counterparts are da and datta.

Example sentences  I will go to the library tomorrow.

Watashi wa ashita toshokan ni ikimasu.

I went to the library yesterday.

Watashi wa kin∂ toshokan ni ikimashita.

Emily bought shoes yesterday.

 Emir ∫-  san wa kin∂ kutsu o kaimashita.

Ken played tennis yesterday.

 Ken-san wa kin∂ tenisu o shimashita.

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Lesson 2:11

Negatives

 N 

egative verbs and adjectives have masen in their polite form and nai in their plain form. The following examples are all in the polite form. Note that pronouns are commonly dropped in Japanese. (I) don’t know.

Wakarimasen.

(I) can’t.

 Dekimasen.

(I) can’t swim.

Oyogemasen.

(I) am not going (there).

 Ikimasen.

(I) couldn’t go (there).

 Ikemasendeshita.

(I) will not work tomorrow.

 Ashita wa hatarakimasen.

(It) is not delicious.

Oishiku arimasen.

(I) don’t like (it).

 Suki ja arimasen.

(I) am not American.

 Amerikajin ja arimasen.

 Ja that appears before arimasen in negative sentences can be dewa. For example, the above two sentences can be Suki dewa arimasen or  Amerikajin dewa arimasen. (I) don’t eat meat.

 Niku wa tabemasen.

(I) don’t have money.

Okane ga arimasen.

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Lesson 2:12

Particles

E 

nglish prepositions are placed before a noun, as in “to Tokyo.” Their Japanese counterparts are placed after the noun, as in T ∂ky ∂ ni. So, they are actually postpositions and are generally called particles. Unfortunately, there is no one-to-one correspondence between English prepositions and Japanese particles. In addition, a simple English preposition may have to be expressed by a combination of a few elements in Japanese. from

kara

(I’m) from America.

Amerika kara desu.

on

ni 

(I’ll) go (there) on Monday.

Getsuy ∂bi ni ikimasu.

on; above

no ue ni 

(It’s) on the table.

T √buru no ue ni arimasu.

for

no tame ni 

(I’ll) study for the exam.

 Shiken no tame ni benky ∂ shimasu.

to

ni 

(I’ll) go to Tokyo.

T ∂ky ∂ ni ikimasu.

in

ni 

(He) is in Tokyo.

T ∂ky ∂ ni imasu.

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Lesson 2:12

51

in

de

(I’ll) study in Tokyo.

T ∂ky ∂ de benky ∂-shimasu.

at

de

(I’ll) eat at the restaurant.

 Resutoran de tabemasu.

at

ni 

(He) arrived at Boston.

 Bosuton ni tsukimashita.

by

de

(I) went there by bus.

 Basu de ikimashita.

with

de

(I) eat with chopsticks.

 Hashi de tabemasu.

with

to

(I’ll) study with Mike.

 Maiku-san to benky ∂-shimasu.

of

no

(This) is the key of the car.

 Kuruma no kagi desu.

As you can see in these examples, one-to-one correspondence between English prepositions and Japanese particles is rarely attainable. You must think about the relation between the relevant item and the action. For example, “in Tokyo” can be either T ∂ky ∂ ni or T ∂ky ∂ de depending on whether someone is just being there or someone is doing something there. If someone is doing something at/in some location, the particle de is used. If someone/something is being somewhere, the particle ni  is used. If someone is involved in some moving action such as “going,” “coming,” and “arriving,” the destination of the movement is also marked by the particle ni, which would be “to” or “at” in English. If someone is using something as a method or tools for the given action, the item being used is marked by the particle de in Japanese, which would be either by or with in English.

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CD2: The Nitty-Gritty: Language Structure

Particles for subjects and direct objects  The particle for the subject is ga, and the particle for the direct object is o. There is no English translation for them. Emily invited Tom.

 Emir ∫-  san ga Tomu-san o sh ∂tai shimashita.

Rachelle bought a car.

 Reicheru-san ga kuruma o kaimashita.

The subject particle ga is often replaced by the topic particle wa because the subject usually also functions as the topic of the sentence when there is no other phrase functioning as the topic.

Example sentences  Because every noun phrase is marked by some particle, the order among them in a sentence can be free. Susan broke the camera.

 Kamera o S ∆ zan-san ga kowashimashita.

I will go to Boston on Monday. Watashi wa getsuy ∂bi ni  Bosuton ni ikimasu. I ate sushi with Mike.

Watashi wa Maiku-san to sushi o tabemashita.

John is a student of Japanese.  Jon-san wa Nihongo no  gakusei desu.

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Lesson 2:13

Conjunctions and

to

or

ka

not only/but also

dakedewa naku...mo

because

kara

but

 ga

although

keredomo

if

moshi...tara

unless

nai kagiri 

Example phrases and sentences using conjunctions  the boy and the girl

otoko no ko to onnano ko

the soup or the salad

s∆ pu ka sarada

Not only students but also professors

Gakusei dakedewa naku ky ∂ ju mo

Because it’s expensive, I won’t buy it.

Takai desu kara, kaimasen.

It’s expensive, but I’ll buy it.

Takai desu ga, kaimasu.

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Lesson 2:14

Forming Simple Sentences The sky is blue.

 Sora wa aoi desu.

I am going home.

Watashi wa uchi ni kaerimasu.

The restroom is on your right.

Otearai wa migi ni arimasu.

The coffee is very hot.

 K ∂h∫  wa totemo atsui desu.

This suitcase is heavy.

 Kono s∆tsuk√su wa omoi desu.

That boy is my cousin.

 Ano otoko no ko wa watashi no itoko desu.

Sandra is pretty.

 Sandora-san wa kirei desu .

Tom didn’t come to class.

Tomu-san wa kurasu ni kimasendeshita.

I like sushi.

Watashi wa sushi ga suki desu.

I want money.

Watashi wa okane ga hoshii desu.

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Lesson 2:15

Introducing More Complete Sentences The library is new, pretty, and spacious.

Toshokan wa atarashikute, kireide, hiroi desu.

Let’s shop for two hours and then go to a movie.

 Ni-jikan kaimono o shite, eiga o mimash∂.

We will be eating dinner at 7 o’clock.

 Bangohan wa shichi-ji ni tabemasu.

This restaurant is the best restaurant in this town.

 Kono resutoran wa kono machi de ichiban ii resutoran desu.

I would like to buy this sweater.

 Kono s√t ≈ o kudasai.

I need to clean today.

 Ky ∂ wa s∂ ji o shinakute wa ikemasen.

May I go home?

Uchi ni kaette mo ii desu ka.

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Lesson 3:1

Introduction and Overview of CD3: Real-World Situations

W 

elcome to Japanese For Dummies Audio Set, disc three. On this disc, you discover authentic Japanese phrases and expressions commonly used in a variety of daily-life contexts, like at the office, on the street, at the bank, and at the restaurant.

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Lesson 3:2

At the Office chair

isu

computer

 pasokon

desk

tsukue

notebook

n∂to

office

 jimusho

pen

 pen

pencil

enpitsu

telephone

denwa

People around the office president

shach∂

general manager

buch∂

manager

kach∂

boss

 j ∂shi 

colleague

d ∂ry ∂

subordinate

buka

secretary

hisho

Office activities  appointment

 yakusoku

attachment

tenpu

conference

kaigi 

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Lesson 3:2

deadline

shimekiri 

e-mail

m√ru

estimate

mitsumori 

meeting

uchiawase

proposal

teian

Web site

uebusaito

to discuss

hanashi-au

to solve

kaiketsu suru

59

Example sentences  We’re going to have a conference call at 2 o’clock.

 Ni-ji ni denwa kaigi o shimasu.

May I borrow a pen and notebook?

 Pen to n∂to o karitemo ii desu ka.

Give me a piece of paper, please.

 Kami o ichi-mai kudasai.

Where is the conference room?  Kaigishitsu wa doko desu ka. Is that person Mr. Yamada?

 Ano hito wa Yamada-san desu ka.

The printer isn’t working.

 Purint ≈ ga kosh∂ shite imasu.

Please make a copy of this.

 Kore o kop∫  shite kudasai.

Send me an e-mail.

 M √ru o okutte kudasai.

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Lesson 3:3

On the Job Occupations  bartender

b≈tend ≈

carpenter

daiku

doctor

isha

driver

untenshu

electrician

denkigishi 

firefighter

sh∂b∂shi 

flight attendant

furaitoatendanto

gardener

niwashi 

journalist

 j ≈narisuto

lawyer

bengoshi 

nurse

kangoshi 

police officer

keisatsukan

professor

ky ∂ ju

singer

kashu

tailor

t √r ≈

teacher

ky ∂shi 

waiter

ueit ≈

waitress

ueitoresu

writer

sakka

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Lesson 3:3

61

Some occupation terms have a plain form and a polite form. The plain form is used for you or your family’s occupation, while the polite form is used for other people’s occupation. For example, isha (doctor) is a plain form, but oishasan (doctor) is a polite form.

Work-related verbs  to build

tateru

to clean

s∂ ji-suru

to deliver

haitatsu-suru

to drive

unten-suru

to plant

ueru

to repair

sh∆ri-suru

Example sentences  Police officers can help.

 Keisatsukan ga tasukete kuremasu.

That nurse was very kind.

 Ano kangoshi-san wa totemo shinsetsu deshita.

Will you recommend an electrician?

 Denkigishi o sh∂kai-shite kuremasen ka.

I do not need a gardener.

 Niwashi wa irimasen.

I want to become a doctor in the future.

 Sh∂rai isha ni nari-tai desu.

My father is a teacher.

Watashi no chichi wa ky ∂shi desu.

Do you know a good lawyer?  Ii bengoshi o shirimasen ka.

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Lesson 3:4

Making Small Talk What is your profession?

Oshigoto wa nan desu ka.

How old are you?

 Nan-sai desu ka.

What do you like to do for fun?

 Shumi wa nan desu ka.

Do you play sports?

 Sup∂tsu wa shimasu ka.

I play golf.

Gorufu o shimasu.

Really?

 Hont ∂ desu ka.

I play soccer.

 Sakk≈ o shimasu.

Are you Mr. Brown?

 Buraun-san desu ka.

Yes, I’m Mr. Brown.

 Hai, Buraun desu.

My name is Mark.

Watashi no namae wa M ≈ku desu.

I’m from the United States.  Amerika kara desu. Where in the United States  Amerika no dochira kara desu ka. are you from? I am from Florida.

 Furorida kara kimashita.

I’m from Montreal, Canada.  Kanada no Montori ∂ru kara desu. I am a student.

Watashi wa gakusei desu.

When is your wedding anniversary?

 Kekkon-kinenbi wa itsu desu ka.

It is February 14th.

 Ni-gatsu j ∆ yokka desu.

How many children do you have?

Okosan wa nan-nin irasshaimasu ka.

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Lesson 3:4

63

I have one child.

Watashi wa kodomo ga hito-ri imasu.

What is your child’s name?

Okosan no o-namae wa nan desu ka.

How is your mother? (formal)

Ok≈sama wa o-genki desu ka.

The O in O-genki desu ka is a polite prefix. The replies to O-genki desu ka (How are you?) aren’t usually super-positive, but relatively positive, slightly negative, or modest, especially in adults’ conversations in Japanese. Yes, thanks to everyone’s help.

 Hai, okagesama de.

What kind of food do you like?

 Donna tabemono ga suki desu ka.

This restaurant is my favorite.

 Kono resutoran wa watashi no okiniiri desu.

I am very sorry.

 D∂mo sumimasen.

I will see you later.

 Dewa, mata.

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Lesson 3:5

Making Appointments Will you be free tonight?

 Konban wa hima desu ka.

Yes, I’ll be free.

 Hai, hima desu.

Will you be available tomorrow afternoon?

 Ashita no gogo wa aite imasu ka.

I have a class tomorrow afternoon.

 Ashita no gogo wa kurasu ga arimasu.

I’m a bit busy tomorrow.

 Ashita wa chotto isogashii desu.

Can we do it on a different day?

Chigau hi ni dekimasen ka.

I am available this afternoon.

 Ky ∂ no gogo wa aiteimasu.

Do you want to go to the movies on Friday?

 Kiny ∂bi ni eiga o mini ikimasen ka.

I am not free on Friday.

 Kiny ∂bi wa tsug ∂ ga warui desu.

How about Sunday?

 Nichiy ∂bi wa d ∂ desu ka.

Can we schedule the meeting for 10:00 Wednesday morning?

 Suiy ∂bi no asa j ∆-ji ni uchiawase o shitemo ii desu ka.

We should all go to the park tomorrow.

 Ashita wa minna de k∂en ni iku beki desu.

Let’s have dinner together on Saturday.

 Doy ∂bi ni isshoni bangohan o tabemash∂.

Please come to pick me up at 6 o’clock.

 Roku-ji ni mukaeni kite kudasai.

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Lesson 3:5

Why don’t we meet at the lobby?

 Rob∫  de machiawase shimasen ka.

I would like to make an appointment to see you.

 Menkai no o-yakusoku o itadakitai n-desu ga.

65 

When expressing your desire, you can end your sentence with n-desu ga, as in the previous example. The last syllable ga is actually the conjunction particle “but” discussed on CD2. Make sure to pronounce it with a prolonged falling intonation. Ending a sentence with n-desu ga is useful for naturally eliciting a response from the other person.

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Lesson 3:6

Arranging Travel I would like to reserve a ticket.

Chiketto o yoyaku shitai n-desu ga.

How about a 7 o’clock flight?

 Shichi-ji no bin wa d ∂ desu ka.

I would like to purchase two tickets to Tokyo.

T ∂ky ∂ made no chiketto o ni-mai onegaishimasu.

We have three suitcases and two handbags.

 S ∆tsuk√su ga mit-tsu to handobaggu ga futa-tsu arimasu.

I do not have any excess baggage.

Ch∂ka tenimotsu wa arimasen.

Can this be a carry-on?

 Kore wa kinai mochikomi tenimotsu ni dekimasu ka.

Do you have any discounts for students?

Gakusei waribiki wa arimasu ka.

How early should I arrive?

 Dore gurai mae ni tsukanakute wa ikemasen ka.

How far is the hotel from the train station?

 Hoteru wa eki kara dore gurai t ∂i desu ka.

Which hotel is cheaper?

 Dono hoteru ga yasui desu ka.

How much does the ticket cost?

Chiketto wa ikura desu ka.

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Lesson 3:7

Asking for Directions May I ask you for directions?  Michi o kiite mo ii desu ka. Where is the hotel?

 Hoteru wa doko desu ka.

Where is the ATM?

 ATM wa doko desu ka.

(It’s) over there.

 Asoko desu.

Do you know the restaurant called Benten?

 Benten to iu resutoran o shirimasen ka.

What street is the movie theater on?

 Eigakan wa dono t ∂ri ni arimasu ka.

Is the school far from here?

Gakk∂ wa koko kara t ∂i desu ka.

How many minutes by taxi approximately?

Takush∫  de nan-pun gurai desu ka.

Can we go there by subway?

Chikatetsu de ikemasu ka.

How do I get to the museum?  Hakubutsukan ni wa d ∂ yatte iku n-desu ka. Could you repeat that, please?

 M ∂ ichido onegaishimasu.

Could you speak slower, please?

Yukkuri onegaishimasu.

The movie theater is on your right.

 Eigakan wa migi ni arimasu.

Where is Sakura Hotel located?

 Sakura Hoteru wa doko desu ka.

The hotel is next to the train station.

 Hoteru wa eki no tonari desu.

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CD3: Real-World Situations

(It) is north of the university.

 Daigaku no kita desu.

(It) is south of the university.  Daigaku no minami desu. (It) is between the bank and the post office.

Gink∂ to y ∆binkyoku no aida desu.

The museum is about one kilometer from here.

 Koko kara hakubutsukan made yaku ichi-kirom√toru desu.

The measurement units used in Japan are different than those used in the United States. For expressing the distance between two locations, Japanese commonly uses kirom√toru (kilometer) instead of mile. One kilometer is 0.621 miles. Turn right, and it is the first street on your left.

 Migi ni magatte, hidari no hito-tsu-me no michi desu.

Go straight and you will find it.

 Massugu iku to arimasu.

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Lesson 3:8

Asking for and Getting Help Will you help me?

Tasukete kudasasimasen ka.

Help!

Tasukete! 

Do you have any aspirin?

 Asupirin wa arimasu ka.

I have a headache.

 Atama ga itai desu.

I cannot breathe.

 Iki ga dekimasen.

She fell down the stairs.

 Kanojo wa kaidan kara ochimashita.

He is feeling sick and has a high fever.

 Kare wa kibun ga warukute, netsu ga arimasu.

Where is the hospital?

 By ∂in wa doko desu ka.

Which hospital is the closest?

 Dono by ∂in ga ichiban chikai desu ka.

Please call the ambulance.

 Ky ∆ky ∆sha o yonde kudasai.

We are lost and can’t find the hotel.

 Mayotte shimatte, hoteru ga mitsukarimasen.

I am staying at the Jackson Hotel.

 Jakuson hoteru ni tomatte imasu.

I’ve been robbed.

 Hittakuri ni aimashita.

Thief!

 Dorob∂! 

Fire!

 Kaji! 

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Please call the police.

 Keisatsu o yonde kudasai.

Where is the consulate?

 Ry ∂ jikan wa doko desu ka.

What is the embassy’s phone number?

Taishikan no denwa bang ∂ wa nan-ban desu ka? 

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Lesson 3:9

At the Restaurant What would you like to order?

Go-ch∆mon wa.

I would like to have sukiyaki, please.

 Sukiyaki o onegaishimasu.

How about a beverage?

O-nomimono wa.

Beer, please.

 B∫ ru o onegaishimasu.

Do you serve orange juice?

Orenji j ∆su wa arimasu ka.

I would like some water, please.

O-mizu o kudasai.

What kind of vegetables do you have?

 Donna yasai r y ∂ri ga arimasu ka.

What kind of fish is available?  Donna sakana r y ∂ri ga arimasu ka. What is today’s special?

 Ky ∂ no supesharu wa nan desu ka.

I will have ice cream for dessert.

 Dez ≈to wa aisukur ∫m   uo onegaishimasu.

Please eat.

 D∂ zo meshiagatte kudasai.

May I have some more?

 M ∂ sukoshi onegaishimasu.

I would like milk and sugar for my coffee.

 K ∂h∫  ni wa miruku to sat ∂ o onegaishimasu.

Is it okay?

 Ii desu ka.

Yes, it’s fine.

 Hai, ii desu.

I would like to make a reservation.

Yoyaku o shitai n-desu ga.

Check please.

O-kanj ∂ onegaishimasu.

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Lesson 3:10

At the Hotel What rooms do you have available?

 Donna taipu no heya ga arimasu ka.

I’d like a single room.

 Shinguru r ∆mu o onegaishimasu.

I’d like a full bed.

 Furu saizu no beddo o onegaishimasu.

Does it have air conditioning?  Eakon wa arimasu ka. You need to check out by 12 o’clock.

Chekku-auto wa j ∆ni-ji made desu.

We want to cancel our reservation.

Yoyaku o kyanseru shitai n-desu ga.

Where is the gym located?

 Jimu wa doko ni arimasu ka.

What time does the restaurant close?

 Resutoran wa nan-ji ni shimarimasu ka.

Room service, please.

 R∆mu s≈bisu o onegaishimasu.

I’d like to order a sandwich.

 Sandoicchi o onegaishimasu.

The concierge will be down shortly.

 Konsheruju ga mamonaku mairimasu.

We don’t have any rooms available right now.

Tadaima k∆shitsu wa  gozaimasen.

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Lesson 3:11

At the Bank What is the exchange rate today?

 Ky ∂ no kawase r √to wa ikura desu ka.

Today’s exchange rate is 122 yen for 1 dollar.

 Ky ∂ no kawase r √to wa ichi-doru hyaku-nij ∆-ni-en desu.

How much can I change?

 Ikura kaeraremasu ka.

I would like to exchange $100.

 Hyaku-doru ry ∂ gae shitai n-desu ga.

I would like to open a savings account.

 Futs∆ yokin k∂ za o hirakitai n-desu ga.

Personal checks are rarely used in Japan. So, if you’re going to Japan, you’re very likely to open a regular savings account rather than a checking account. How many branches do you have?

 Shiten wa ikutsu arimasu ka.

Do you have any branches in the U.S.?

 Amerika ni wa shiten ga arimasu ka.

I would like to buy traveler’s checks.

Toraber ≈ zu chekku o kaitai n-desu ga.

I’d like to cash this traveler’s check.

 Kono toraber ≈ zu chekku o  genkin ni shitai n-desu ga.

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Lesson 3:12

At the Store Welcome!

 Irasshaimase! 

What are you looking for?

 Nani o o-sagashi desu ka.

I am looking for a black dress.

 Kuroi doresu o sagashite imasu.

How about this one?

 Kore wa ikaga desu ka.

 Ikaga is the polite version of the question word d ∂ (how).

I like that one over there.

 Are ga ii desu.

May I try it on?

 Kite mite mo ii desu ka.

Where is the fitting room?

 Shichakushitsu wa doko desu ka.

This one is too small.

 Kore wa ch∫ sasugimasu.

This one is too big.

 Kore wa ∂kisugimasu.

Do you have this in size large?

 Kore no eru-saizu wa arimasu ka.

I’ll take this one.

 Kore o kudasai.

This one, please.

 Kore o onegai shimasu.

How much is this shirt?

 Kono shatsu wa ikura desu ka.

I would like to purchase this skirt.

 Kono suk≈to o kudasai.

This watch is expensive.

 Kono tokei wa takai desu.

May I pay by credit card?

 Kurejitto k≈do de haratte mo ii desu ka.

May I return this item?

 Kore o henpin shite mo ii desu ka.

When will the sale start?

 S √ru wa itsu kara desu ka.

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Mini-Dictionary  Japanese-English Mini-Dictionary aida (ah-ee-dah): between

basu (bah-soo): bus

aisu kur   ∫mu (ah-ee-soo kooreee-moo): ice cream

beddo (behd-doh): bed

aka (ah-kah): red akeru (ah-keh-roo): to open ame (ah-meh): rain

bengoshi (behn-goh-shee): lawyer benky∂ suru (behn-kyohh soo-roo): to study

Amerika (ah-meh-ree-kah): America

b ∫ru (beee-roo): beer

Amerikajin (ah-meh-reekah-jeen): American person

burausu (boo-rah-oo-soo): blouse

b∂shi (bohh-shee): hat

anata (ah-nah-tah): you

butaniku (boo-tah-nee-koo): pork

ao (ah-oh): blue

by∂in (byohh-een): hospital

ap≈ to (ah-pahh-toh): apartment

by∂ki (byohh-kee): illness

are (ah-reh): that one over there

chikaku (chee-kah-koo): near

arigat∂ (ah-ree-gah-tohh): thanks aruku (ah-roo-koo): to walk

chairo (chah-ee-roh): brown

chikatetsu (chee-kah-tehtsoo): subway

asa (ah-sah): morning

chiketto (chee-keht-toh): ticket

ashi (ah-shee): foot

chippu (cheep-poo): tip

ashita (ah-shee-tah): tomorrow

ch ∫sai (cheee-sah-ee): small

asoko (ah-soh-koh): over there

ch ∫zu (cheee-zoo): cheese

chizu (chee-zoo): map

atama (ah-tah-mah): head

ch∂shoku (chohh-shohkoo): breakfast

atarashii (ah-tah-rah-sheee): new

ch∆shoku (chooo-shohkoo): lunch

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daidokoro (dah-ee-doh-kohroh): kitchen

getsuy∂bi (geh-tsoo-yohhbee): Monday

daigaku (dah-ee-gah-koo): university

gink∂ (geen-kohh): bank

dare (dah-reh): who dareka (dah-reh-kah): somebody

go (goh): five go-gatsu (goh-gah-tsoo): May

deguchi (deh-goo-chee): exit

gohan (goh-hahn): cooked rice

demo (deh-moh): but

gorufu (goh-roo-foo): golf

densha (dehn-shah): train

gy∆niku (gyooo-nee-koo): beef

denwa (dehn-wah): telephone denwa-bang∂ (dehn-wahbahn-gohh): telephone number dep≈ to (deh-pahh-toh): department store dez≈ to (deh-zahh-toh): dessert d∂ (dohh): how doko (doh-koh): where dore (doh-reh): which one d∂ry∂ (dohh-ryohh): co-worker doy∂bi (doh-yohh-bee): Saturday eiga (ehh-gah): movie eigo (ehh-goh): English Furansu (foo-rahn-soo): France furui (foo-roo-ee): old gakk∂ (gahk-kohh): school gekij∂ (geh-kee-johh): theater genkin (gehn-keen): cash

gy∆ny∆ (gyooo-nyooo): milk hachi (hah-chee): eight hachi-gatsu (hah-chee-gahtsoo): August hairu (hah-ee-roo): to enter haisha (hah-ee-shah): dentist hakubutsukan (hah-kooboo-tsoo-kahn): museum hana (1) (hah-nah): flower hana (2) (hah-nah): nose hanasu (hah-nah-soo): to speak harau (hah-rah-oo): to pay hataraku (hah-tah-rah-koo): to work heya (heh-yah): room hi (hee): day hidari (hee-dah-ree): left higashi (hee-gah-shee): east hik∂ki (hee-kohh-kee): airplane hisho (hee-shoh): secretary hiza (hee-zah): knee

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77 

hon (hohn): book

 j∆go (jooo-goh): fifteen

hoshii (hoh-sheee): to want

 j∆gy∂in (jooo-gyohh-een): employee

hoteru (hoh-teh-roo): hotel hyaku (hyah-koo): hundred ichi (ee-chee): one ichi-gatsu (ee-chee-gahtsoo): January ie (ee-eh): house ii (eee): good iku (ee-koo): to go ikura (ee-koo-rah): how much ima (ee-mah): now im∂to (ee-mohh-toh): younger sister inaka (ee-nah-kah): countryside inu (ee-noo): dog iriguchi (ee-ree-goo-chee): entrance iro (ee-roh): color isha (ee-shah): physician itoko (ee-toh-koh): cousin itsu (ee-tsoo): when itsumo (ee-tsoo-moh): always  jaketto (jah-keht-toh): jacket  jiko (jee-koh): accident  j ∫nzu (jeeen-zoo): jeans  jitensha (jee-tehn-shah): bicycle  j∆ (jooo): ten  j∆-gatsu (jooo-gah-tsoo): October

 j∆hachi (jooo-hah-chee): eighteen  j∆ichi (jooo-ee-chee): eleven  j∆ichi-gatsu (jooo-ee-cheegah-tsoo): November  j∆ky∆ (jooo-kyooo): nineteen  j∆ni (jooo-nee): twelve  j∆ni-gatsu (jooo-nee-gahtsoo): December  j∆roku (jooo-roh-koo): sixteen  j∆san (jooo-sahn): thirteen  j∆shi (jooo-shee): fourteen  j∆shichi (jooo-shee-chee): seventeen  j∆sho (jooo-shoh): address  j∆su (jooo-soo): juice kaban (kah-bahn): bag kaeru (kah-eh-roo): to return kagi (kah-gee): key kaisha (kah-ee-shah): company kaishain (kah-ee-shah-een): company employee kaku (kah-koo): to write kami (1) (kah-mee): hair kami (2) (kah-mee): paper kangoshi (kahn-goh-shee): nurse kanojo (kah-noh-joh): she

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kantan (kahn-tahn): easy kao (kah-oh): face kare (kah-reh): he karend≈ (kah-rehn-dahh): calendar

k∂saten (kohh-sah-tehn): intersection kotoshi (koh-toh-shee): this year kubi (koo-bee): neck

kasa (kah-sah): umbrella

kuchi (koo-chee): mouth

kau (kah-oo): buy

kudamono (koo-dah-mohnoh): fruit

kay∂bi (kah-yohh-bee): Tuesday keisatsu (kehh-sah-tsoo): police

ku-gatsu (koo-gah-tsoo): September k∆k∂ (kooo-kohh): airport

kin∂ (kee-nohh): yesterday

kuni (koo-nee): country

kiny∂bi (keen-yohh-bee): Friday

kurai (koo-rah-ee): dark

kirei (kee-rehh): beautiful

kurejitto k≈ do (koo-reh-jeettoh kahh-doh): credit card

kiiro (keee-roh): yellow

kuro (koo-roh): black

kita (kee-tah): north

kuru (koo-roo): to come

kitte (keet-teh): stamp

kuruma (koo-roo-mah): car

kodomo (koh-doh-moh): child

kusuri (koo-soo-ree): medicine

k∂en (kohh-ehn): park

kutsu (koo-tsoo): shoe

k∂h ∫ (kohh-heee): coffee

ky∂ (kyohh): today

k∂k∂ (kohh-kohh): high school

ky∂kai (kyohh-kah-ee): church

koko (koh-koh): here

kyonen (kyoh-nehn): last year

konban (kohn-bahn): tonight

ky∆ (kyooo): nine

kongetsu (kohn-geh-tsoo): this month

ky∆ky∆sha (kyooo-kyoooshah): ambulance

konnichiwa (kohn-nee-cheewah): hello/good afternoon

mae (mah-eh): front

konsh∆ (kohn-shooo): this week kore (koh-reh): this one

matsu (mah-tsoo): to wait me (meh): eye midori (mee-doh-ree): green migi (mee-gee): right

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Japanese-English Mini-Dictionary mikan (mee-kahn): mandarin orange mimi (mee-mee): ear

niku (nee-koo): meat nimotsu (nee-moh-tsoo): luggage

minami (mee-nah-mee): south

nishi (nee-shee): west

mise (mee-seh): store

oboeru (oh-boh-eh-roo): to remember

mizu (mee-zoo): water mizuumi (mee-zoo-oo-mee): lake mokuy∂bi (moh-koo-yohhbee): Thursday moshimoshi (moh-shee-mohshee): hello (telephone) mune (moo-neh): chest mura (moo-rah): village muzukashii (moo-zoo-kahsheee): difficult

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nomu (noh-moo): to drink

o-cha (oh-chah): tea odoru (oh-doh-roo): to dance ohay∂ (oh-hah-yohh): good morning o-kane (oh-kah-neh): money ok≈ san (oh-kahh-sahn): mother ∂kii (ohh-keee): big

namae (nah-mah-eh): name

o-kome (oh-koh-meh): uncooked rice

nana (nah-nah): seven

oku (oh-koo): to put

nani (nah-nee): what

omoshiroi (oh-moh-sheeroh-ee): interesting

nanika (nah-nee-kah): something neko (neh-koh): cat neru (neh-roo): to sleep netsu (neh-tsoo): fever ni (nee): two nichiy∂bi (nee-chee-yohhbee): Sunday ni-gatsu (nee-gah-tsoo): February Nihon (nee-hohn): Japan Nihongo (nee-hohn-goh): Japanese language Nihonjin (nee-hohn-jeen): Japanese person

on√san (oh-nehh-sahn): older sister on ∫san (oh-neee-sahn): older brother onna (ohn-nah): female onna no hito (ohn-nah noh hee-toh): woman osoi (oh-soh-ee): late ≥sutoraria (ohh-soo-toh-

rah-ree-ah): Australia

otoko (oh-toh-koh): male otoko no hito (oh-toh-koh noh hee-toh): man ot∂san (oh-tohh-sahn): father

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ot∂to (oh-tohh-toh): younger brother owaru (oh-wah-roo): to end oyasuminasai (oh-yah-soomee-nah-sah-ee): good night pan (pahn): bread pasup∂to (pah-soo-pohhtoh): passport raigetsu (rah-ee-geh-tsoo): next month rainen (rah-ee-nehn): next next year year raish∆ (rah-ee-shooo): next next week week resutoran (reh-soo-tohrahn): restaurant ringo (reen-goh): apple roku (roh-koo): six roku-gatsu (roh-koo-gahtsoo): June ry ∂ jikan (ryohh-jee-kahn): consulate ryok∂ (ryoh-kohh): trip ry ∂ri (ryohh-ree): cooking ry ∂sh∆sho (ryohh-shoooshoh): receipt saifu (sah-ee-foo): wallet sakana (sah-kah-nah): fish sakk≈ (sahk-kahh): soccer san (sahn): three san-gatsu (sahn-gah-tsoo): March sarada (sah-rah-dah): salad sat∂ (sah-tohh): sugar

say∂nara (sah-yohh-nahrah): goodbye sengetsu (sehn-geh-tsoo): last month sensei (sehn-sehh): teacher sensh∆ (sehn-shooo): last last week week s√t≈ (sehh-tahh): sweater shach∂ (shah-chohh): company president shashin (shah-sheen): photograph shatsu (shah-tsoo): shirt shi (shee): four shichi (shee-chee): seven shichi-gatsu (shee-chee-gahtsoo): July shi-gatsu (shee-gah-tsoo): April shinbun (sheen-boon): newspaper shiro (shee-roh): white shitsumon (shee-tsoomohn): question shizuka (shee-zoo-kah): (shee-zoo-kah): quiet shokuji (shoh-koo-jee): meal shomei (shoh-mehh): signature sh∆ (shooo): week shumi (shoo-mee): hobby shuppatsu (shoop-pahtsoo): departure soko (soh-koh): there near you sore (soh-reh): that one near you

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Japanese-English Mini-Dictionary soto (soh-toh): outside suiy∂bi (soo-ee-yohh-bee): Wednesday suk≈ to to (soo-kahh-toh): skirt suki (soo-kee): to like s∆p≈ m≈ ketto ketto (sooo-pahhmahh-keht-toh): supermarket suru (soo-roo): to do s∆tsu (sooo-tsoo): suit s∆tsuk√su (sooo-tsoo-kehhsoo): suitcase suwaru (soo-wah-roo): to sit down taberu (tah-beh-roo): to eat taishikan (tah-ee-sheekahn): embassy taiy∂ (tah-ee-yohh): sun takai (tah-kah-ee): expensive takush ∫ (tah-koo-sheee): taxi te (teh): hand tegami (teh-gah-mee): letter terebi (teh-reh-bee): TV t∂i (tohh-ee): far tomodachi (toh-moh-dahchee): friend tonari (toh-nah-ree): next next door door toriniku (toh-ree-nee-koo): chicken toru (toh-roo): to take totemo (toh-teh-moh): very tsukau (tsoo-kah-oo): to use tsuku (tsoo-koo): to arrive

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tsukuru (tsoo-koo-roo): to make ude (oo-deh): arm uma (oo-mah): horse umi (oo-mee): ocean unten suru (oon-tehn sooroo): to drive uru (oo-roo): to sell urusai (oo-roo-sah-ee): (oo-roo-sah-ee): noisy ushiro (oo-shee-roh): behind utau (oo-tah-oo): to sing wain (wah-een): wine wanp ∫su (wahn-peee-soo): dress warui (wah-roo-ee): bad watashi (wah-tah-shee): I yama (yah-mah): mountain yasai (yah-sah-ee): vegetable yasui (yah-soo-ee): cheap yasumi (yah-soo-mee): vacation yomu (yoh-moo): to read yoyaku (yoh-yah-koo): reservation yubi (yoo-bee): finger y∆binkyoku (yooo-beenkyoh-koo): post office yuki (yoo-kee): snow y∆shoku (yooo-shoh-koo): dinner zenzen (zehn-zehn): not at all zubon (zoo-bohn): pants

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English-Japanese Mini-Dictionary accident: jiko (jee-koh)

behind: ushiro (oo-shee-roh)

address: j∆sho (jooo-shoh)

between: aida (ah-ee-dah)

airplane: hik∂ki (hee-kohhkee)

bicycle: jitensha (jee-tehnshah)

airport: k∆k∂ (kooo-kohh)

big: ∂kii (ohh-keee)

always: itsumo (ee-tsoomoh)

black: kuro (koo-roh)

ambulance: ky∆ky∆sha  (kyooo-kyooo-shah) America: Amerika (ah-mehree-kah) American person: Amerikajin (ah-meh-reekah-jeen)

to (ah-pahhapartment: ap≈ to toh) apple: ringo (reen-goh) April: shi-gatsu (shee-gahtsoo)

blouse: burausu (boo-rahoo-soo) blue: ao (ah-oh) book: hon (hohn) bread: pan (pahn) breakfast: ch∂shoku (chohh-shoh-koo) brother, younger: ot∂to (ohtohh-toh) brother, older: on ∫san (ohneee-sahn) brown: chairo (chah-ee-roh)

arm: ude (oo-deh)

bus: basu (bah-soo)

arrive: tsuku (tsoo-koo)

but: demo (deh-moh)

August: hachi-gatsu (hahchee-gah-tsoo)

buy: kau (kah-oo)

Australia: ≥sutoraria (ohhsoo-toh-rah-ree-ah)

calendar: karend ≈ (kahrehn-dahh) car: kuruma (koo-roo-mah)

bad: warui (wah-roo-ee)

cash: genkin (gehn-keen)

bag: kaban (kah-bahn)

cat: neko (neh-koh)

bank: gink∂ (geen-kohh)

cheap: yasui (yah-soo-ee)

beautiful: kirei (kee-rehh)

cheese: ch ∫zu (cheee-zoo)

bed: beddo (behd-doh)

chest: mune (moo-neh)

beef: gy∆niku (gyooo-neekoo)

chicken: toriniku (toh-reenee-koo)

beer: b ∫ru (beee-roo)

child: kodomo (koh-dohmoh)

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church: ky∂kai (kyohh-kahee)

dessert: dez≈ to (deh-zahhtoh)

coffee: k∂h ∫ (kohh-heee)

dinner: y∆shoku (yoooshoh-koo)

color: iro (ee-roh) come: kuru (koo-roo) company: kaisha (kah-eeshah) company employee: kaishain (kah-ee-shah-een) company president: shach∂ (shah-chohh)

difficult: muzukashii (moozoo-kah-sheee) do: suru (soo-roo) dog: inu (ee-noo) dress: wanp ∫su (wahn-peeesoo) drink (v.): nomu (noh-moo)

consulate: ry ∂ jikan (ryohhjee-kahn)

drive (v.): unten suru (oontehn soo-roo)

cooking: ry∂ri (ryohh-ree)

ear: mimi (mee-mee)

country: kuni (koo-nee)

east: higashi (hee-gah-shee)

countryside: inaka (ee-nahkah)

easy: kantan (kahn-tahn)

cousin: itoko (ee-toh-koh)

eight: hachi (hah-chee)

co-worker: d∂ry∂ (dohhryohh) credit card: kurejitto k≈ do (koo-reh-jeet-toh kahhdoh) dance (v.): odoru (oh-dohroo) dark: kurai (koo-rah-ee) day: hi (hee) December: j∆ni-gatsu (jooonee-gah-tsoo) dentist: haisha (hah-ee-shah) department store: dep≈ to (deh-pahh-toh) departure: shuppatsu (shoop-pah-tsoo)

eat: taberu (tah-beh-roo) eighteen: j∆hachi (jooo-hahchee) eleven: j∆ichi (jooo-ee-chee) embassy: taishikan (tah-eeshee-kahn) employee: j∆gy∂in (jooogyohh-een) end (v.): owaru (oh-wah-roo) English: eigo (ehh-goh) enter: hairu (hah-ee-roo) entrance: iriguchi (ee-reegoo-chee) exit: deguchi (deh-goochee) expensive: takai (tah-kah-ee) eye: me (meh)

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face: kao (kah-oh) far: t∂i (tohh-ee) father: ot∂san (oh-tohhsahn)

good night: oyasuminasai (oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sahee) green: midori (mee-doh-ree)

February: ni-gatsu (nee-gahtsoo)

hair: kami (kah-mee)

female: onna (ohn-nah)

hat: b∂shi (bohh-shee)

fever: netsu (neh-tsoo)

he: kare (kah-reh)

fifteen: j∆go (jooo-goh)

head: atama (ah-tah-mah)

finger: yubi (yoo-bee)

hello: konnichiwa (kohnnee-chee-wah)

fish: sakana (sah-kah-nah)

hand: te (teh)

flower: hana (hah-nah)

hello (telephone): moshimoshi (moh-shee-mohshee)

foot: ashi (ah-shee)

here: koko (koh-koh)

four: shi (shee)

high school: k∂k∂ (kohhkohh)

five: go (goh)

fourteen: j∆shi (jooo-shee) France: Furansu (foo-rahnsoo)

hobby: shumi (shoo-mee)

Friday: kiny∂bi (keen-yohhbee)

hospital: by∂in (byohh-een)

friend: tomodachi (toh-mohdah-chee)

horse: uma (oo-mah) hotel: hoteru (hoh-teh-roo) house: ie (ee-eh)

front: mae (mah-eh)

how: d∂ (dohh)

fruit: kudamono (koo-dahmoh-noh)

how much: ikura (ee-koorah)

go: iku (ee-koo)

hundred: hyaku (hyah-koo)

golf: gorufu (goh-roo-foo)

I: watashi (wah-tah-shee)

good: ii (eee)

ice cream: aisu kur   ∫mu (ahee-soo koo-reee-moo)

good afternoon: konnichiwa  (kohn-nee-chee-wah)

illness: by∂ki (byohh-kee)

goodbye: say∂nara (sahyohh-nah-rah)

interesting: omoshiroi (ohmoh-shee-roh-ee)

good morning: ohay∂ (ohhah-yohh)

intersection: k∂saten (kohhsah-tehn)

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English-Japanese Mini-Dictionary jacket: jaketto (jah-keht-toh) January: ichi-gatsu (ee-cheegah-tsoo) Japan: Nihon (nee-hohn) Japanese language: Nihongo (nee-hohn-goh) Japanese person: Nihonjin (nee-hohn-jeen) jeans: j ∫nzu (jeeen-zoo)

85 

lunch: ch∆shoku (choooshoh-koo) make: tsukuru (tsoo-kooroo) male: otoko (oh-toh-koh) man: otoko no hito (oh-tohkoh noh hee-toh) map: chizu (chee-zoo)

juice: j∆su (jooo-soo)

March: san-gatsu (sahn-gahtsoo)

July: shichi-gatsu (sheechee-gah-tsoo)

May: go-gatsu (goh-gahtsoo)

June: roku-gatsu (roh-koogah-tsoo)

meal: shokuji (shoh-koo-jee)

key: kagi (kah-gee)

medicine: kusuri (koo-sooree)

kitchen: daidokoro (dah-eedoh-koh-roh) knee: hiza (hee-zah) lake: mizuumi (mee-zoo-oomee) last month: sengetsu (sehngeh-tsoo) last week: sensh∆ (sehnshooo) last year: kyonen (kyohnehn) late: osoi (oh-soh-ee) lawyer: bengoshi (behn-gohshee) left: hidari (hee-dah-ree) letter: tegami (teh-gah-mee) like: suki (soo-kee) luggage: nimotsu (nee-mohtsoo)

meat: niku (nee-koo)

milk: gy∆ny∆ (gyooo-nyooo) Monday: getsuy∂bi (gehtsoo-yohh-bee) money: o-kane (oh-kah-neh) morning: asa (ah-sah) mother: ok≈ san (oh-kahhsahn) mountain: yama (yah-mah) mouth: kuchi (koo-chee) movie: eiga (ehh-gah) museum: hakubutsukan (hah-koo-boo-tsoo-kahn) name: namae (nah-mah-eh) near: chikaku (chee-kahkoo) neck: kubi (koo-bee) new: atarashii (ah-tah-rahsheee)

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newspaper: shinbun (sheenboon)

paper: kami (kah-mee)

next door: tonari (toh-nahree)

passport: pasup∂to (pahsoo-pohh-toh)

next month: raigetsu (rahee-geh-tsoo)

pay: harau (hah-rah-oo)

next week: raish∆ (rah-eeshooo) next year: rainen (rah-eenehn) nine: ky∆ (kyooo) nineteen: j∆ky∆ (joookyooo)

park: k∂en (kohh-ehn)

photograph: shashin (shahsheen) physician: isha (ee-shah) police: keisatsu (kehh-sahtsoo) pork: butaniku (boo-tahnee-koo)

noisy: urusai (oo-roo-sah-ee)

post office: y∆binkyoku (yooo-been-kyoh-koo)

north: kita (kee-tah)

put: oku (oh-koo)

nose: hana (hah-nah)

question: shitsumon (sheetsoo-mohn)

not at all: zenzen (zehnzehn) November: j∆ichi-gatsu (jooo-ee-chee-gah-tsoo)

quiet: shizuka (shee-zookah) rain: ame (ah-meh)

now: ima (ee-mah)

read: yomu (yoh-moo)

nurse: kangoshi (kahn-gohshee)

receipt: ry∂sh∆sho (ryohhshooo-shoh)

ocean: umi (oo-mee)

red: aka (ah-kah)

October: j∆-gatsu (jooo-gahtsoo) old: furui (foo-roo-ee) one: ichi (ee-chee) open: akeru (ah-keh-roo) orange (mandarin orange): mikan (mee-kahn) outside: soto (soh-toh) over there: asoko (ah-sohkoh) pants: zubon (zoo-bohn)

remember: oboeru (oh-boheh-roo) reservation: yoyaku (yohyah-koo) restaurant: resutoran (rehsoo-toh-rahn) return: kaeru (kah-eh-roo) rice, cooked: gohan (gohhahn) rice, uncooked: o-kome (ohkoh-meh)

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English-Japanese Mini-Dictionary right: migi (mee-gee) room: heya (heh-yah) salad: sarada (sah-rah-dah) Saturday: doy∂bi (dohyohh-bee) school: gakk∂ (gahk-kohh) secretary: hisho (hee-shoh) sell: uru (oo-roo) September: ku-gatsu (koogah-tsoo) seven: shichi (shee-chee) seventeen: j∆shichi (joooshee-chee) she: kanojo (kah-noh-joh) shirt: shatsu (shah-tsoo)

87 

somebody: dareka (dah-rehkah) something: nanika (nah-neekah) south: minami (mee-nahmee) speak: hanasu (hah-nah-soo) stamp: kitte (keet-teh) store: mise (mee-seh) study: benky∂ suru (behnkyohh soo-roo) subway: chikatetsu (cheekah-teh-tsoo) sugar: sat∂ (sah-tohh) suit: s∆tsu (sooo-tsoo)

shoe: kutsu (koo-tsoo)

suitcase: s∆tsuk√su (soootsoo-kehh-soo)

signature: shomei (shohmehh)

sun: taiy∂ (tah-ee-yohh)

sing: utau (oo-tah-oo) sister, older: on√san (ohnehh-sahn) sister, younger: im∂to (eemohh-toh ) sit down: suwaru (soo-wahroo) six: roku (roh-koo) sixteen: j∆roku (jooo-rohkoo) skirt: suk≈ to (soo-kahh-toh) sleep: neru (neh-roo)

Sunday: nichiy∂bi (neechee-yohh-bee) supermarket: s∂p≈ m≈ ketto (sooo-pahh-mahh-kehttoh) sweater: s√t≈ (sehh-tahh) take: toru (toh-roo) taxi: takush ∫ (tah-koo-sheee) tea: o-cha (oh-chah) teacher: sensei (sehn-sehh) telephone: denwa (dehnwah)

snow: yuki (yoo-kee)

telephone number: denwabang∂ (dehn-wah-bahngohh)

soccer: sakk≈ (sahk-kahh)

ten: j∆ (jooo)

small: ch ∫sai (cheee-sah-ee)