OOOOOOPPPPPSSSS

This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 6 2005, 11:07 AM

LESSON 5: O-shigoto wa nan desu ka = What is your occupation?

Introduction
In this lesson, a common sentence pattern is introduced - a 'person/item' is 'something'. For example:
- An-san wa Igirisujin desu = Anne is English.
- Kore wa tokei desu = This is a watch.

The pattern in Japanese is: noun wa noun desu.

Vocabulary list
Occupations
shigoto = work
sensei = teacher
kaisha-in = company worker/employee
gakusei = student
seito = pupil
shufu = housewife
isha = doctor
haisha = dentist
ten'in = shop assistant
hisho = secretary

Kazoku Own family
haha = mother
chichi = father
ani = older brother
otōto = younger brother

Interests
shumi = hobby
supōtsu = sports
sakkā = football (soccer)
sukī = ski
gorufu = golf
dokusho = reading
suiei = swimming
dansu = dancing

Counting people
nan-nin = how many people?
hitori = one person, alone
futari = two people
san-nin = three people
yo-nin = four people
nan (sometimes nani) = what?

Useful phrases
mōichido itte kudasai = please say it again
yukkuri itte kudasai = please say it more slowly

Sample conversation
Anne and her fellow classmates have brought in photos of their homestay families and real families to show to the class. Anne is talking about the Yamaguchi family.
Anne: Kore wa Yamaguchi Masaki-san desu. Yamaguchi san wa kaisha-in desu. Shumi wa sukī to gorufu desu.
Tani: (pointing photo) Kore wa donata desu ka.
Anne: Ano, Takeshi-kun desu. Takeshi wa seito desu. Shumi wa suiei desu.
Heidi: Go-kazoku wa zembu de nan-nin desu ka.
Anne: Zembu de yo-nin desu.
Scott: Sumimasen, mōichido itte kudasai. Nan-nin desu ka.
Anne: Yo-nin desu.

Next Tani passes round photos of her own family and holds up one to discuss.
Tani: Kono hito wa haha desu. Haha wa isha desu. Shumi wa dokusho desu. Kono hito wa Henri desu. Henri wa ani desu. Shumi wa sakkā desu.
Han: (points to another photo) Kore mo Henri-san desu ka.
Tani: (blushing) Iie, Henri ja arimasen. Watashi no bōifurendo desu.
Scott: Nani...? Yukkuri itte kudasai.

Extras
to = and
donata = who
go-kazoku = someone else's family
zembu de = altogether
kono hito = this person
mo = also, too
ja arimasen = is not
bōifurendo = boyfriend

Explanations
1. Takeshi wa seito desu Takesi is a (school) pupil
This is an example of the pattern that was introduced in the beginning of this lesson. In the conversation, more ways of using this pattern is encountered i.e. talking about jobs and hobbies. For example:
- Kono hito wa haha desu = This (person) is my mother
- Haha wa isha desu = My mother is a doctor
- Shumi wa dokusho desu = (Her) hobby is reading

From lesson 4, we learnt that wa is used to highlight the word that is the subject. It can sometimes be translated as "as for". For example:
- Shumi wa dokusho desu = As for her hobby, it is reading
- Shigoto wa isha desu = As for her job, she is a doctor

2. Kore wa donata desu ka Who is this?
Donata means who and is a more polite version of the question word dare which also means who. Donata would be used on more formal occasions. In English this phrase might be translated as: Might I ask who this is? Tani is asking about a photo but if the person is present you use kochira instead of kore for this.

3. Kore mo Henri-san desu ka Is this also Henri? (Is this Henri as well?)
Mo means also and is used as follows:
- Tani: Watasi wa gakusei desu (I am a student)
Anne: Watashi mo gakusei desu (I am also a student)

- Satō-sensei wa Nihonjin desu (Mrs Satō is Japanese)
Takeshi-kun mo Nihonjin desu (Takeshi is Japanese as well)

- Ani wa kaisha-in desu (My older brother is a company worker)
Otōto mo kaisha-in desu (My younger brother is a company worker as well)

You can also use mo this way:
- An-san mo Tani-san mo gakusei desu = Both Anne and Tani are students
- Takeshi-kun mo Satō-sensei mo Nihonjin desu = Both Takeshi and Mrs Sato are Japanese.

4. Kono hito wa haha desu This person is my mother
Japanese people show respect for other people outside their family by using polite words and phrases. For example, in previous lessons you learnt how san was attached to a name when you are addressing someone else, or how o is attached to certain words when talking to other people (o-namae - your name).

In contrast, Japanese people use words which are more 'humble' (or modest) when talking about themselves or members of their own family. Therefore Tani doesnt say kochira wa ... (this person) when talking about her own mother. Instead she says kono hito which is a more everyday word for this person. She could also use kore wa (this).

5. Iie, Henri ja arimasen No, he's not Henri.
To say is not, am not, are not, etc., in Japanese, you use ja arimasen or the more polite version, dewa arimasen. For example:
- Tokei ja arimasen = It is not a watch
- Ichigatsu ja arimasen. Nigatsu desu = It is not January. It's February.

To say was or were (in other words, past tense) in Japanese, you change desu to deshita. For example:
- Chichi wa haisha deshita = My father was a dentist
- Sensei wa Furansujin deshita = My teacher was French

And to say wasn't or weren't you use ja arimasen deshita (or dewa arimasen deshita). Here is a list of these expressions which you can refer back to.


6. Haha mo chichi mo isha desu Both my mother and father are doctors
There is an important difference between Japanese and English. In English we say one doctor and two doctors, in other words we have a singular and a plural. But generally in Japanese there is no difference between one or more than one of something, and as you saw in Explanation 5 above, desu covers all the different words we use in English (is, are, am).

7. Nan-nin desu ka. Yo-nin desu How many people are there? There are four people
When counting people, you add the numbers ichi, ni, san, etc. to the word nin. Nin means person/people, therefore san-nin would mean three people.

However, when saying one person you use hitori, and for two people you use futari. Also, the word four (yon) is shortened to yo.

To ask how many people? you say nan-nin desu ka. Nan means what but better translates to how many in this case.

8. Mōichido itte kudasai Please say it again
If you didnt catch what was said to you, this phrase is a polite way of asking the person to repeat what was said. You could also use yukkuri itte kudasai to get the speaker to speak a little slower. Also, you could add sumimasen to the beginning of the sentence to be even more polite. For example:
- Sumimasen, mōichido itte kudasai = Excuse me but would you mind saying that again please?

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LESSON 5 PRACTISE - click me!

This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 6 2005, 03:24 PM

Yup, that's why the heading is kazoku which translates to 'your own family'

And I intentionally left out some words (like sister), which will be covered in future lessons.

Regarding gakusei and seito, I'm wondering the exact same thing!

LESSON 5 - Practise
1. Below are a few names of people, their occupation, and their hobbies and interests. How would you introduce them to someone else? The first one is done as an example.
a. Steven, student, likes sports.
Kochira wa Steven-san desu. Steven-san wa gakusei desu. Shumi wa supōtsu desu.

b. Andrew, shop assistant, football.


c. Peter, doctor, golf


2. Your friend asks you, "Secretary wa nihongo de 'seito' desu ka." What did your friend say? How would you reply?


3. Make the pair of sentences given into one sentence using the word mo. An example is given.
a. Takeshi-kun wa seito desu. Jun-kun wa seito desu.
Takeshi-kun mo Jun-kun mo seito desu.

b. An-san wa gakusei desu. Haidi-san wa gakusei desu.


c. Haha wa haisha desu. Chichi wa haisha desu.


4. How would you say in Japanese, "I am not a teacher. I am student"?


5. How would you ask someone to:
a. repeat what was said?


b. speak more slowly?


This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 6 2005, 02:43 PM

Dammit I typed a response complete with kana and kanji, but damned IE messed up and I lost everything. DAMN YOU IE. I'm not allowed to install Firefox in the office T_T

Thanks for explaining the 'r' sound, although I've already done so in Lesson 2 (ryosuke fails for not reading that beforehand >_>).

I dont know if you pronounce it as onii-chan and onē-chan in Japanese, cause actually it's oniisan and onēsan. But hey, I'm gonna leave it at that, cause it's for the upcoming lesson.

[edit] First post updated with a link to a directory of Japanese language schools in Malaysia, for those who are interested in taking up lessons.

This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 6 2005, 03:42 PM

LESSON 6: Sūji = Numbers (Part 1)

A short, but necessary lesson prior to lesson 7.

Vocabulary list
Numbers 1-12
ichi = one
ni = two
san = three
shi (yon) = four
go = five
roku = six
shichi (nana) = seven
hachi = eight
ku (kyū) = nine
jū = ten
jū-ichi = eleven
jū-ni = twelve

Numbers 21-99
ni-jū = twenty
san-jū = thirty
yon-jū = fourty
go-jū = fifty
roku-jū = sixty
nana-jū = seventy
hachi-jū = eighty
kyū-jū = ninety

So any 21, 22, etc., you simply add ichi, ni, san, etc., after ni-jū. Same goes for other numbers. For example:
- 21 = ni-jū-ichi
- 22 = ni-jū-ni and so on.

You will notice that a dash (-) is placed between the different words to give you a sense of how to it is made up. From now on, whenever numbers are being mentioned, the dash will not be used.

Months
Numbers are very useful in Japanese and are used in a number of different ways. When saying months, the word "-gatsu" is added after the numbers 1-12 to signify the twelve different months of the year.

ichi-gatsu = january
ni-gatsu = february
san-gatsu = march
shi-gatsu = april
go-gatsu = may
roku-gatsu = june
shichi-gatsu = july
hachi-gatsu = august
ku-gatsu = september
jū-gatsu = october
jū-ichi-gatsu = november
jū-ni-gatsu = december

Denwa-bangō Phone numbers
Phone numbers are said using the individual digits ichi, ni, ...ku. A dash between groups of numbers is usually spoken using no. 0 is pronounced zero or rei (the ze of zero rhymes with he of the name 'Helen'). For example:
- 020-8776-7333 = zero-ni-zero-no-hachi-nana-nana-roku-no-nana-san-san-san

You usually use nana (not shichi) for 7, yon (not shi) for 4, and kyū (not ku) for 9, when saying phone numbers.

Also, you might notice that there are two words for number in this lesson: sūji and bangō. Sūji is used for numbers that you can count - 1, 2, 3, etc. Bangō on the other hand is used for numbers that describe items or information e.g. phone, bus, and room numbers.

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LESSON 6 PRACTISE - click me!

This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 8 2005, 02:48 PM

LESSON 6 PRACTISE
1. Pronounce these phone numbers in Japanese
a. 03-3276-5453


b. 03-8893-3221


2. Do the math and answer the questions. Speak the answers in Japanese.
a. 19 - 3 = ?


b. 53 - 21 = ?


c. 34 + 64 = ?


3. Match the months with their Japanese names
a. January = (ichigatsu/shigatsu/hachigatsu)?


b. September = (rokugatsu/kugatsu/jūgatsu)?


c. Rokugatsu = (April/June/October)?


d. Hachigatsu = (August/September/October)?

LESSON 7: Kazoku wa gonin desu = There are five people in my family

Introduction
The Japanese distinguish between the group they belong to, the 'in-group' (family, company, etc.) and the 'out-group' (other families, companies, foreigners, etc.). When referring to the in-group, they use language which expresses humility, and when referring to the out-group they use language which expresses politeness and deference.

This is illustrated well in the words used for family members. For example, when you talk to someone outside your family about your mother you use the humble word haha, whereas when you talk about someone else's mother you use the polite word okāsan. And when you talk of your own family you say kazoku, but for someone else's family you add the respect word go and say go-kazoku.

However, when Japanese people talk directly to their family they use the polite word rather than the humble words.

Vocabulary list
Own family
family = kazoku      
husband = shujin      
wife = kanai        
daughter = musume      
son = musuko      
parents = ryōshin  
mother = haha      
father = chichi      
older brother = ani  
older sister = ane    
younger sister = imōto  
younger brother = otōto

Someone else's family
family = go-kazoku
husband = go-shujin
wife = okusan
daughter = musume-san
son = musuko-san
parents = go-ryōshin
mother = okāsan
father = otōsan
older brother = oniisan
older sister = onēsan
younger sister = imōto-san
younger brother = otōto-san

nansai desu ka = how old are you?
gojusai = 50 years old
tanjōbi = birthday

Sample conversation
Anne is telling the Yamaguchis' about her family and showing them some photos
Reiko: (studying a photo) Otōsan desu ka.
Anne: Ē, sō desu.
Reiko: Wakai desu ne.
Anne: Sō desu ka. Chichi wa gojusai desu.
Emi: Kore wa donata desu ka.
Anne: Imōto desu. Imōto wa gakusei desu.
Emi: Kawaii desu ne. Imōto-san wa nansai desu ka.
Anne: Jūroku-sai desu. Are, tanjōbi wa shichigatsu deshita. Jūnana-sai desu.
Takeshi: Kore wa okāsan desu ka.
Anne: Ē, so desu. Haha wa nijūni-sai desu.
Takeshi: Are! Okāsan wa nansai desu ka. Mōichido itte kudasai.
Anne: Nijūni-sai desu.
Takeshi: Demo ... An-san mo nijūni-sai ne?
Anne: (amidst laughter) Takeshi-kun! Jōdan desu yo.

Extras
ē = yes (softer than hai)
wakai = (looks) young
kawaii = pretty, cute
are = (expression of suprise)
demo = but
jōdan = joke

Explanations
1. Imōto-san wa nansai desu ka How old is your sister?
In previous lessons you learnt nan desu ka (what is it?). Nan means what, and if you attach sai to it, you form the question nansai - what age? or how old? In the same way, you can ask people what month is it? (nangatsu desu ka) and how many people (nannin desu ka).

To answer, you simply attach the number to sai: I am 14 = watashi wa jūyon-sai desu. However, be careful with ages which end in 1, 8 or 10, for example 11, 18, 30. The numbers are shortened to:

11 = jūisai
18 = jūhasai
28 = nijūhasai
10 = jūsai
30 = sanjūsai, etc.

Also, the age of 20 (when Japanese people come of age) has its own special word: hatachi.
- Example: Jane-san wa hatachi desu.

2. Watashi no tanjōbi wa nigatsu jūhachi-nichi desu My birthday is February 18th
In previous lessons you learnt how to say months in Japanese. To say the dates, you add the word nichi (day) to the number.
11th = jūichi-nichi    
12th = jūni-nichi        
13th = jūsan-nichi        
14th = jūyokka            
15th = jūgo-nichi        
16th = jūroku-nichi      
17th = jūshichi-nichi    
18th = jūhachi-nichi
19th = jūku-nichi
20th = hatsuka
21st = nijūichi-nichi
22nd = nijūni-nichi
23rd = nijūsan-nichi
24th = nijūyokka
25th = nijūgo-nichi
26th = nijūroku-nichi
27th = nijūshichi-nichi
28th = nijūhachi-nichi
29th = nijūku-nichi
30th = sanjū-nichi
31st = sanjūichi-nichi

Notice that 14th, 20th and 24th are different. And if you're wondering where the 1st - 10th are, you will learn them in the next lesson because they follow a different rule to the one above.

When you say a date in Japanese, you always say the month first before the date. For example, 13th May = gogatsu, jūsan-nichi

3. Go-kazoku wa nannin desu ka How many people are in your family?
Anne comes from a family of 5. Besides her parents, she has an older sister and a younger sister. She would introduce her family as below:
- Kozoku wa gonin desu. Haha to chichi to ane to imōto to watashi desu.

Instead of saying "Haha to chichi to...", Anne could have also said "ryōshin to". Remember, to = and; and you usually mention yourself last. Men can use boku instead of watashi.

If you have two brothers, three sisters, ..., put the people counter after the family word like this:
- ani ga futari = two older brothers
- ane ga sannin = three older sisters
- musuko ga futari = two sons

Dont worry about the particle ga for now.

You can then expand this by giving information on their age:
- ane wa nijūgo-sai desu = my older sister is 25
- watashi wa yonjūgo-sai desu = i am 45.

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PRACTISE FOR LESSON 7: click me!

This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 16 2005, 11:19 AM

Lol it's in the next lesson actually.

W00t pinned! Do i win anything? XD

LESSON 7 - Practise
1. How do you say these birthday dates in Japanese? The first one is done for you as an example. Remember the pronounciation for the special dates marked with *.

a. Anne, February 18th
An-san no tanjōbi wa nigatsu jūhachi-nichi desu.

b. Scott, May 11th


c. Tani, August 21st


d. Heidi, November 20th*


e. Takeshi, January 14th*


2. These are the family trees of Scott, Tani and Mr Yamaguchi. Take the place of these characters and describe 'your' family tree as it is given below. The first one is done for you as an example.

a. Mother, father, older sister, younger sister, Anne.
Kazoku wa gonin desu. Haha to chichi to ane to imōto to watashi desu.

b. Mother, father, younger brother, Scott.


c. Mother, older brother, Tani.


d. Mr. Yamaguchi, wife, daughter, son.


This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 12 2005, 10:51 AM

LESSON 8: Ima nanji desu ka = What time is it?

Introduction
In this lesson you will learn:
- how to tell the time.
- some useful shopping phrases.
- saying this and that.
- opening and closing times.

In previous lessons you learnt that nan is attached to words to make questions e.g. nansai desu ka (how old (what age) are you?). Similarly, when you attach nan to ji you form the question nanji desu ka (what time is it?). To answer, you replace nan with a number, for example goji desu means it is 5 o'clock.

You are also going to use a new word, kudasai which means may I (have). For example, hon o kudasai (may I have the book?).

Vocabulary list
... o kudasai = may i have ... (or '... please')
... o misete kudasai = please may i see ...
kore = this one/these ones
kono = this/these
sore = that one/those ones
sono = that/those
are = that one over there/those ones over there
ano = that over there/those over there
dore = which one(s)
dono = which
ōkii = big
chiisai = small
chōdo ii = just right
chotto = a little, a bit
motto = more
motto chiisai = smaller
irasshaimase = welcome! (said by shop assistants and traders)
shōshō omachi kudasai = please wait a moment (very formal)
dewa (sometimes shortened to ja) = right! (when you've made up your mind)
kara = from
made = until
depāto = department store
sūpā = supermarket
menyū = menu

Sample conversation
Reiko has taken Anne and Emi shopping in a Tokyo department store. Anne needs a new watch.
Assistant: Irasshaimase!
Anne: (points to display in front of assistant) Sono tokei o misete kudasai.
Assistant: Hai, dōzo.
Anne: (tries on watch) Chotto ōkii desu. (points to the window display) Ano tokei mo misete kudasai.
Assistant: Shōshō omachi kudasai. (returns with watch) Dōzo. (Anne tries on watch)
Emi: Sore wa chiisai desu ka.
Anne: Iie, chōdo ii desu.
Emi: Sono tokei wa suteki desu ne.
Anne: So desu ne. Dewa, kore o kudasai.
Assistant: Hai, arigatō gozaimasu.

Later they are having lunch in a coffee shop.
Reiko: An-san, nihongo no kurasu wa nanji desu ka.
Anne: Ni-ji kara desu.
Emi: Ima nanji desu ka.
Anne: (looks proudly at watch) Ichi-ji han desu... Are! Kurasu wa mō sugu desu.
Reiko: An-san! Hayaku!

Extras
suteki = smart, fashionable
mō sugu = soon
hayaku = quick, hurry up

Explanations
1. Irasshaimase Welcome! (May I help you?)
Japanese shop assistants will use very formal phrases when dealing with customers, as seen in the passage above i.e. irasshaimase and shōshō omachi kudasai. You dont have to use these phrases, but you may hear them if you go to Japan.

2. Sono tokei That watch
You will notice two main points about saying this and that in Japanese. Firstly, there are two sets of words. For example, both kore and kono mean this. Think of kore as meaning this one. Anne says Dewa, kore o kudasai (Right! I'll have this (one) please). Kono, on the other hand, is followed directly by the item it describes: kono tokei o kudasai means may i have this watch please. Similarly, sore means that (one) and sono means that. Here are some examples to further illustrate these subtle differences:

- Sore o misete kudasai = Please show me that (one)
Sono hon o misete kudasai = Please show me that book

Also note:
- Are o kudasai = I'll have that (one) over there
Ano tokei o kudasai = I'll have that watch over there

This last example takes us on to the second point. Whereas in English we have two words, this and that, in Japanese there is a third - are (or ano), meaning that one over there. For example: in English you would use this when you are holding onto something, but that when you are pointing towards something which is near you. When using are (or ano), the item in this case is at a distance from the person speaking and the person being spoken to.

To ask which one (which watch?) you say dore (dono tokei)? and this is the same for all three positions.

3. ... o kudasai/... o misete kudasai May I have/may I see ...
These are two useful and easy-to-use Japanese phrases for shopping (and for other situations too). You simply put the object at the beginning of the phrase:
- kōhī o kudasai = may i have some coffee?
- eigo no shimbun o kudasai = may i have an English newspaper?
- shashin o misete kudasai = may i see the photo please?

4. Ima nanji desu ka What time is it (now)?
The times of the day are pronounced as follows:
- ichiji = 1 o'clock
- niji = 2 o'clock
- sanji = 3 o'clock
- yoji = 4 o'clock (note that you use yo, not yon or shi)
- goji = 5 o'clock
- rokuji = 6 o'clock
- shichiji = 7 o'clock (use shichi not nana)
- hachiji = 8 o'clock
- kuji = 9 o'clock (use ku not kyū)
- jūji = 10 o'clock
- jūichiji = 11 o'clock
- jūniji = 12 o'clock

5. Ichiji han desu It's half-past one
Saying half-past is straightforward too; just add han (half-past) after ji. For example: 2:30 = niji han desu, 4:30 = yoji han desu.

6. Niji kara desu (It's) from 2 o'clock
Kara means from (you met this in previous lessons) and made means to/until. They can take on the meaning of starts/opens at and finishes/closes at. For example:
- nihongo no kurasu wa niji kara goji made desu = the japanese class is from 2 o'clock until 5 o'clock.
- depāto wa kuji kara rokuji made desu = the department store opens at 9 and closes at 6.

Kara and made are not just used with the time of day. For example, you can say:
- nigatsu kara rokugatsu made = from February to June (time of year)
- Igirisu kara Nihon made = from England to Japan (place)

7. Gozen/gogo a.m./p.m.
If you want to distinguish between a.m. and p.m. when saying the time, use gozen (a.m.) and gogo (p.m.). These are spoken before the time:
- ima gozen hachiji desu = it's now 8 a.m.
- shigoto wa gogo goji han made desu = my work finishes at 5.30 p.m.

Finally, gogo also means afternoon (after midday):
- Nihongo no kurasu wa gogo desu = the Japanese class is in the afternoon.

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LESSON 8 PRACTISE - click me!

This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 13 2005, 03:39 PM

Nah...it's alright. However, there's a mistake in your explanation though. You don't need a question mark after the word ka (か).

So instead of:
今何時ですか？(ima nan ji desu ka?),

it should just be:
asking time,
今何時ですか(ima nan ji desu ka)

This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 12 2005, 01:48 PM

LESSON 8 - PRACTISE

1. Say the following times in Japanese:
a. 6pm


b. 8am


c. 10am


d. 11 o'clock


e. 7.30


f. 4.30


2. Look at the timetable below and say what time each class starts and finishes. Example: Rekishi wa kuji kara jūji made desu.

09:00 - 10:00 = History (rekishi)
10:00 - 11:00 = Japanese
11.30 - 12.30 = French
01.30 - 02:30 = English
03:00 - 04:00 = Tennis club (tenisu kurabu)



3. How would you say in Japanese...
a. May I see the menu please?


b. May I have this please?


c. Please show me that watch.


d. May I see that watch over there?


e. Which one?

LESSON 9: Ikura desu ka = How much is it?

Introduction
In this lesson you will learn:
- how to count in units of 100 and 1,000
- how to ask about and say prices of things
- ways of counting objects
- how to ask for something in a shop
- shop names

In this unit you will learn to count in 100s (hyaku) and 1,000s (sen). For example, 400 is yonhyaku and 5,000 is gosen.

Vocabulary list
Take note that some of the numbers may be pronounced slightly differently from what you are used to up till now. For example: 300 = sambyaku not san.

100 = hyaku
200 = nihyaku
300 = sambyaku
400 = yonhyaku
500 = gohyaku
600 = roppyaku
700 = nanahyaku
800 = happyaku
900 = kyūhyaku

1,000 = sen
2,000 = nisen
3,000 = sanzen
4,000 = yonsen
5,000 = gosen
6,000 = rokusen
7,000 = nanasen
8,000 = hassen
9,000 = kyūsen

en = yen (Japanese currency)
ikura desu ka = how much is it?
... ga arimasu ka = do you have ... ?
hon ga arimasu ka = do you have a book?

kyokuin = postmaster/assistant
hagaki = postcard
kitte = stamp(s)
tegami = letter
mai = counter for flat items
hon (pon/bon) = counter for cylindrical items
jū-mai = ten (stamps, tickets, etc.)
ni-hon = two (bottles, pens, etc.)
koko = here (this place)
soko = there (that place)
asoko = over there (that place over there)
kippu = ticket

Sample conversation
Anne has gone to the local post office (yūbinkyoku) to post some letters home.
Anne: Sumimasen, kono tegami wa Igirisu made ikura desu ka.
Kyokuin: (weighs the letter) Nihyaku jū-en desu.
Anne: Ano... hagaki wa Igirisu made ikura desu ka.
Kyokuin: Nanajū go-en desu.
Anne: Ja, nanajū go-en kitte o jū-mai kudasai.
Kyokuin: Hai. Ijō de yoroshii desu ka.
Anne: Ē to, hagaki ga arimasu ka.
Kyokuin: Ē, soko desu...Ichi-mai gojū-en desu.
Anne: Ja, kono hagaki o jū-mai kudasai.
Kyokuin: Arigatō gozaimasu. Zembu de... (he works it out on his abacus) sen yonhyaku rokujū-en desu.

Extras
yūbinkyoku = post office
ijō de yoroshii desu ka = is that all?

Explanations
1. Counting above 100
As you may have noticed, some numbers are pronounced differently when combined with hyaku (100) or sen (1,000):
- 300 (sambyaku)
- 600 (roppyaku)
- 800 (happyaku)
- 3,000 (san zen)
- 8,000 (hassen)

(Note that issen = 1,000 whereas sen = a 1,000 - you can use either.)

There is a further category of number once you reach 10,000. Whereas in English we count in 1,000s until we reach 1 million, the Japanese have another unit called man used for counting in 10,000s. You add the numbers ichi, ni, san, etc. to the word man. For example: ichiman = 10,000 (1 x 10,000) and niman = 20,000 (2 x 10,000). Utilising this category of numbers, the following numbers will be pronounced as:
- 45,000 = yonman, gosen
- 56,500 = goman, rokusen, gohyaku
- 82,450 = hachiman, nisen, yonhyaku, gojū

2. O-kane Money
The yen is the Japanese unit of currency. Here is the range of coins and notes:

coins: ichi-en (1 yen), go-en (5 yen), jū-en (10 yen), gojū-en (50 yen), hyaku-en (100 yen), gohyaku-en (500 yen).
notes: sen-en (1,000 yen), nisen-en (2,000 yen), gosen-en (5,000 yen), ichiman-en (10,000 yen).

3. Hagaki wa Igirisu made ikura desu ka How much is a postcard to England?
You ask how much something is using the phrase ... wa ikura desu ka. For example:
- kitte wa ikura desu ka = how much is a stamp?
- kippu wa ikura desu ka = how much is a ticket?

If you want to state the destination, put made (to) (you met this in the previous lesson) after the name of the city or country. For example:
- kono tegami wa Amerika made ikura desu ka = how much is this letter to the USA?
- kippu wa Kyōto made ikura desu ka = how much is a ticket to Kyoto?

4. Hagaki ga arimasu ka Do you have any postcards?
If you want to enquire whether a shop or person has the thing you are looking for, use the phrase ... ga arimasu ka. For example:
- eigo no shimbun ga arimasu ka = do you have any English newspapers?
- kitte ga arimasu ka = do you have any stamps?

If you want to say that you have or possess something, use ... ga arimasu. For example:
- uchi ga arimasu = i own a house
- o-kane ga arimasu = i have money
- shimbun ga arimasu = i've got a newspaper

5. More about numbers
In the following examples you will notice that two different words are used to say one, and also that it is not enough in Japanese simply to say ichi when talking about numbers of items.

- ichi-mai hyaku-en desu = one (postcard) is 100 yen
- hitotsu sambyaku-en desu = one (coffee, etc.) is 300 yen

There are actually two different ways in Japanese of counting. They shall be referred to as System A and System B from now on.

System A
You have already learnt to count using ichi, ni, san, etc. When you talk about numbers of items you need to attach a special word - called a counter - after the number. In Bahasa Melayu, this is equivalent to a penjodoh bilangan e.g. sekuntum bunga, sebaris orang, etc. In English, the examples of counters that are sometimes used are for example, a loaf of bread, two slices of bread, etc.

In this unit you will learn two counters (out of many others) which are used with ichi, ni, san, etc. Now look at these examples below:
@ mai is a counter for flat objects - stamps, tickets, paper, cards, etc.
- 1 = ichi-mai
- 2 = ni-mai,
- 3 = san-mai, etc.

@ hon (pon, bon) is a counter for long or cylindrical objects - bottles, pens, umbrella, etc.
- 1 = ippon
- 2 = nihon
- 3 = sambon

There are many more special counters in Japanese for counting different groups of items, for example, birds, animals, books, machines. However, the two examples given now is enough at this stage.

System B
The second set of numbers is used for the many items which don't have a special counter. You could use this system for counting any object, even those which have a special 'System A' counter. Although in some cases you might sound a little childish to a Japanese listener, you will be able to make yourself understood.

1 = hitotsu
2 = futatsu
3 = mittsu
4 = yottsu
5 = itsutsu
6 = muttsu
7 = nanatsu
8 = yattsu
9 = kokonotsu
10 = tō

After tō you use jūichi (11), jūni (12), etc., just as you learnt to count in previous lessons.

6. Kitte o jūmai kudasai May I have ten stamps, please?
We learnt ... o kudasai (may i have ...) in the previous lesson. When you want to say an amount you put the number (plus counter if necessary) between o and kudasai. For example:
- kōhī o futatsu kudasai = may i have two coffees, please? (System B)
- bīru o ippon kudasai = may i have a (bottle of) beer, please? (System A)
- bīru o hitotsu kudasai = may i have a beer, please? (System B)
- kitte o gomai kudasai = may i have five stamps, please? (System A)

You could also say:
- kitte o isutsu kudasai = may i have five stamps, please? (System B),

but gomai sounds more sophisticated, as explained in explanation number 5.

7. Nanajūgo-en no kitte o jūmai kudasai May I have 10 x 75 yen stamps, please?
You can add information about the price, using no. You were introduced to the word no before. It is used to show a relationship between two items/people. For example, sensei no hon means the teacher's book. In the examples below, you could think of no as meaning priced, for example:
- hyaku-en no kitte = a 100 yen priced stamp
- nihyaku-en no pen o nihon kudasai = may i have 2 x 200 yen priced pens, please?
- sambyaku-en no aisukuriimu o mittsu kudasai = may i have 3 x 300 yen priced ice-creams, please?

8. Asoko desu It's over there
In previous lessons you learnt the words kore, sore and are for this one, that one, and that one over there (also kono, sono and ano). Similarly, here/this place, there/that place, and over there/that place over there also follow the same pattern using the words koko, soko and asoko. For example:
- koko wa Tōkyō desu = this place is Tokyo
- hagaki wa asoko desu = the postcards are over there

The question word is doko (where) and you will meet this in the coming lessons.

9. Shop names
Ya in Japanese means shop/store, and you add this to the end of words to make shop names. For example:
- hana (flower) + ya = hanaya (florist's)

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LESSON 9 PRACTISE - click me!

This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 21 2005, 09:35 AM

I've noticed that vowels with the macron sign (-) will not appear when it's type out with the [code] tag. >.<''''

Therefore I removed this tag in lesson 7 and 9 so that you can actually read the words.

Funny how no one mentioned about it cause lesson 7's been out for quite some time.

Nan means what in English, so I'm assuming that if you combine that with the question word ka, you'll end up with Nani ka which means What is it?.

No (の) is a possesive particle, and it is used to show that something belongs to someone/something. So yes, watashi no tokoro de (at my house) is correct.

Mo is correct. It means also in English.

Hmm...actually, I dont know.

I think what you meant is nani ga which means something. What is it should be nan ka.

[edited]

This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 19 2005, 10:43 AM

LESSON 9 - PRACTISE

1. Below are some examples of prices of journeys from Tokyo by Japan Railways. Say the destination and prices in Japanese. The first one has been done as an example:
a. Yohohama = 440 yen
Tōkyō kara Yokohama made yonhyaku yonjū-en desu.

b. Narita = 2,890 yen


c. Kyoto = 12,970 yen


d. Nagasaki = 23,510 yen


e. Sapporo = 21,380 yen


2. Ask for the items below as in the example. The counter system to use is in the brackets.
a. Two cups of coffee
Kōhī o futatsu kudasai

b. Three postcards (mai)

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Hagaki o sanmai kudasai.

c. One bottle of beer (hon)

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Bīru o ippon kudasai.

d. Two glasses of milk (miruku) (System B)

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e. Six pens (hon)

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Pen o roppon kudasai.

f. Three x 200 yen cakes (System B)

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Nihyaku-en no kēki o mittsu kudasai.

g. Two x 1,000 yen tickets (mai)

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Sen-en no kippu o nimai kudasai.

3. How do you say "How much is it to Shinjuku" in Japanese?

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Shinjuku made ikura desu ka.

4. How do you say "Do you have any English newspapers" in Japanese?

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Eigo no shimbun ga arimasu ka.

5. From question 4, if you do have an English newspaper, what do you reply?

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Eigo no shimbun ga arimasu.

6. If you dont have the newspaper, what do you say?


This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 21 2005, 09:36 AM

The first part of the lessons have already concluded. Before you guys proceed to the next lessons, please make sure that you've really had a decent grasp of what's been covered up to this point.

I suggest that you guys re-read what's been posted up till this point to refresh your memories.

Next lesson will be posted up later today.

LESSON 10: Yūbinkyoku wa doko desu ka = Where is the post office?

Introduction
In this lesson you will learn:
- how to ask for directions
- how to give directions
- how to say exactly where places are

You've learn that kudasai meant please or may I have. This word is also used when giving directions: (please) go straight ahead, (please) turn left.

Also, we've talked about question words (nan/i, what?; nanji, what time?; nansai, how old? etc.).

In this lesson you are going to learn a new question word doko (where?) to ask where something is. For example, yūbinkyoku wa doko desu ka Where is the post office?). Notice the sentence order: place wa doko desu ka.

Recap
Imagine you need to stop someone to ask them for directions. How do you:
a. catch their attention? (excuse me)


b. ask where a bank (ginkō) is?


c. ask them to repeat something?


d. say thank you?

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu.

Vocabulary list
To go straight on
... itte kudasai = (please) go ...
massugu = straight on
chotto = a little way
massugu itte kudasai = please go straight on
chotto itte kudasai = please go on a little way

To turn
...magatte kudasai = (please) turn ...
migi = right
hidari = left
migi ni magatte kudasai = please turn (to the) right
hidari ni magatte kudasai = please turn (to the) left

Orientation points
shingō = traffic lights
kōsaten = crossroads
kado = corner
michi = road
tsugi no ... = the next ...
tsugi no shingō = the next traffic lights
nibanme no ... = the second ...
nibanme no kōsaten = the second crossroads

Giving directions
shingō o* massugu itte kudasai = go straight at the traffic lights
kōsaten o* migi ni magatte kudasai = turn right at the crossroads
tsugi no kado o* hidari ni magatte kudasai = turn left at the next corner

*Think of o in this case as meaning at. Note that it comes after the word e.g. shingō o (at the traffic lights). You will learn more about o in the next lesson.

Some useful phrases
ginkō = bank
eki = station
eigakan = cinema

Exact location
tonari = next to
chikaku = near to
ichiban chikai = the nearest
mukaigawa = opposite (side)
mae = in front of
hidarigawa = left-hand side
migigawa = right-hand side
... no tonari = next to the ...
ginkō no tonari = next to the bank
yūbinkyoku wa ginkō no tonari desu = the post office is next to the bank

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Information*
You have now met two meanings for the word itte:
- say as in mōichido itte kudasai (please say it again)
- go as in massugu itte kudasai (please go straight on)

You will always know the meaning from the situation, so dont worry. There are lots of English words with more than one meaning too, e.g. bank, light, post.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sample conversation
Scott is going to visit Anne's host family and he is looking for Shibuya train station.
Scott: Sumimasen, Shibuya eki wa doko desu ka.
Passer-by: Ā, sumimasen, watashi wa eigo ga dekimasen. (he runs off)
Scott: Ē! (sees another passer-by) Sumimasen, Shibuya eki wa doko desu ka.
Passer-by: Shibuya eki desu ka. Ēto, kono michi o massugu itte, tsugi no shingō o hidari ni ... Aa, sumimasen, tsugi no shingō o migi ni magatte kudasai. Sorekara, nibanme no kōsaten o hidari ni magatte kudasai. Shibuya eki wa Tōkyō ginkō no mukaigawa desu.
Scott: Sumimasen, kono michi o massugu o itte ... sorekara? Mōichido itte kudasai.
Passer-by: Sorekara, tsugi no shingō o migi ni magatte kudasai.
Scott: Wakarimashita. Soshite, nibanme no kōsaten o hidari ni magatte ...
Passer-by: Hai, sō desu. Nihongo ga jōzu desu ne!
Scott: Iie, mada mada desu. Dōmo arigato gozaimashita.

Extras
ā! ē! = (expressions of suprise)
dekimasen = can't
sorekara, soshite = and, and then
wakarimashita = I understand
jōzu = good at
iie, mada mada desu = no, i'm not good yet

Explanations
1. ... wa doko desu ka Where is ...
The pattern here is fairly straightforward. You put the name of the place you want to go to at the beginning of the phrase. Place wa doko desu ka means Where is place?. To be more polite, say excuse me (sumimasen) before you ask. For example:
- sumimasen, ginkō wa doko desu ka = excuse me, where is the bank?

You might want to specify which bank, supermarket, etc. In this case, put the name first. For example:
- sumimasen, Jusco sūpā wa doko desu ka = excuse me, where is Jusco supermarket?

If you want to ask where the nearest one is, put ichiban chikai before the place. For example:
- sumimasen, ichiban chikai depāto wa doko desu ka = excuse me, where is the nearest department store?

2. Understanding and giving directions
In this lesson you have been introduced to two important phrases for giving directions: ... itte kudasai means please go ..., and ... magatte kudasai means please turn ... .

Once you have mastered some of the vocabulary in this unit you can gradually build up from fairly simple directions to more complex ones. Practise saying these build-up phrases, and when you feel more confident, try looking at the English phrase and try giving the Japanese phrase without looking at it.

massugu itte kudasai = please go straight ahead
kōsaten o massugu itte kudasai = please go straight on at the crossroads
tsugi no kōsaten o massugu itte kudasai = please go straight on at the next crossroads
nibanme no kōsaten o massugu itte kudasai = please go straight on at the second crossroads
hidari ni magatte kudasai = please turn left
migi ni magatte kudasai = please turn right
shingō o hidari ni magatte kudasai = please turn left at the traffic lights
shingō o migi ni magatte kudasai = please turn right at the traffic lights
tsugi no shingō o migi ni magatte kudasai = please turn right at the next traffic lights
nibanme no shingō o hidari ni magatte kudasai = please turn left at the second set of traffic lights

You can link two directions simply by leaving out the first kudasai. Thus, massugu itte kudasai + shingō o migi magatte kudasai becomes:
- massugu itte, shingō o migi ni magatte kudasai = please go straight on and turn right at the traffic lights

3. Giving the exact location
Ginkō no mukaigawa desu means (it's) opposite the bank. The word order is important here. In English, the word opposite comes before bank; in Japanese opposite comes after bank, with no in between. You could think of it as meaning the bank's opposite.

- yūbinkyoku no chikaku desu = (it's) near the post office
- eki no mae desu = (it's) in front of the station
- migigawa desu = (it's) on the right-hand side.

If you want to specify a place, you put it at the beginning of the sentence followed by the particle wa.

- depāto wa ginkō no mukaigawa desu = the department store is opposite the bank
- sūpa wa eki no tonari desu = the supermarket is next to the station
- eigakan wa hidarigawa desu = the cinema is on the left-hand side

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LESSON 10 PRACTISE - click me!

This post has been edited by jhcj: Dec 23 2005, 10:51 AM