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Conversation 1
Q : Already received your birthday present? – Mō tanjōbi no purezento o moraimashita ka?
A : Yes. I got a cassette tape from Tony – Hai. Toni san ni wa kasettote-pu to sara no setto o moraimashita.

Q : Any other? – Hoka ni wa?
A : I got flowers from the teacher – Sensei ga, hana o kudasaimashita.
Meaning : Mō (Already), Tanjōbi (Birthday), Purezento (Present / Gift), Kasettote-pu (Cassette Tape), Hana (Flower)

Conversation 2
Q : Still haven’t water the flowers – Mada hana ni mizu o (yaru)yatteinai no
A : No, already done this morning – Uun, kesa wa mō yatta yo
Meaning : Mada (Still), Mizu (Water), Yaru (Do), Kesa (This Morning)

Conversation 3
Q : Very soon will be dad and mom’s wedding aniversary. Last year what dad gave to mom? – Mō sugu otōsan to okaasan no kekkon kinenbi ne. Otōsan wa kyonen, okaasan ni nani o ageta no?
A : A diamond ring – Daiyamondo no yubiwa da yo
Q : Wow, amazing – Waa-, sugoi.
Meaning : Sugu (Soon), Kekkon (Marriage / Wedding), Kinenbi (Aniversary), Kyonen (Last Year),Daiyomondo (Diamond), Yubiwa (Ring), Sugoi (Amazing / Wonderful)

Conversation 4
Q : What are you going to give to dad during christmas – Otōsan ni kurisumasu no purezento, nani ageru?
A : Oh ya. How about a tie? – Sō da na. Nekutai wa dō?

Q : That was given a year before last year – Sore wa ototoshi ageta wa
A : So, how about a wallet – Jaa, saifu wa?
Q : Hmm, let’s go for wallet. I will go and buy tomorrow – Sō ne, saifu ni shimashō. Watashi ga ashita katte kuru wa
Meaning : Kurisumasu (Christmas), Nekutai (Neck Tie), Ototoshi (A year before last year), Saifu (Wallet)

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Agemasu (Give) & Moraimasu (Take / Receive)

Give a pen
Pen o (ageru)agemasu (Normal Form)
Pen o sashi agemasu (Polite Form)
Tony has given a pen to Michael – Toni san wa, Maikeru san ni pen o agemashita

Receive a pen
Pen o (morau)moraimasu (Normal Form)
Pen o kuremasu (Impolite Form)
Pen o itadakimasu (Polite Form)
Michael has received a pen from Tony – Maikeru san wa Toni san kara(ni) pen o moraimashita

Polite form is normally use when you are giving or receiving something to / from someone who you should respect (ie. Teacher, Boss, etc)

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Today I will cover the use of “koto ga dekimasu” which means “can do something”.

Example
Can speak Japanese – Nihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu
Cannot speak Japanese – Nihongo wa hanasu koto ga dekimasen
Meaning : Hanasu (Speak)

The verb shall be the original form (third sound) and it has to be placed just before the “koto ga…”. In the example above “hanasu” (sa shi su se so).

Another Example
Q : Can you make Japanese food? – Nihon ryōri o tsukuru kota ga dekimasu ka?
A : Yes, I can make Japanese food – Hai, nihon ryōri o tsukuru koto ga dekimasu
A : No, I cannot make Japanese food – Iie, nihon ryōri wa tsukuru koto ga dekimasen
Meaning : Ryōri (Food), Tsukuru (Make)

It’s easy. Go on, practise it and you should be able to master the usage in a short time.

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Conversation 1
Q : Where are you going? – Doko, iku no?
A : Shibuya – Shibuya
Q : Shopping? – Kaimono?
A : No, metting friends – Uun, tomodachi ni au no
Meaning : Doko (Where), Shibuya (A place located in Tokyo), Kaimono (Shopping)

Conversation 2
Q : It’s crowded, can you see anything? – (Komu)Konde iru wa ne. Mieru?
A : No, I don’t see clearly – Uun, amari yoku mienai wa
Meaning : Komu (Crowd), Mieru (Can See), Amari (Not so)

Conversation 3
Q : Did you read the notice board today? – Kyō no keijiban, mita?
A : No, Still not yet? – Uun, mada dakedo
Q : It’s for the recruitment of partime workers? – Arubaito no boshū ga (kaku)kaite atta yo
A : Oh, So let me go and have a look? – Sō. Jaa, mitekuru yo
Meaning : Keijiban (Notice Board), Dakedo (Anyway / However), Arubaito (Part Time Job), Boshū (Recruitment)

Conversation 4
Q : Sleepy. I woke up at around 2 o’clock yesterday – Nemui wa. Kinō mo 2 ji goro made (okiru)okiteta
A : What have you done? – Nani (suru)shiteta no?
Q : Writing a letter to friend – Tomodachi ni, tegami (kaku)kaiteta
A : Posted already? – – Mō (dasu)dashita?
Q : No, I haven’t buy a stamp yet – Uun, mada kitte kattenai yo
Meaning : Nemui (Sleepy), Okiru (Wake Up), Kitte (Stamp), Dasu (Send / Issue)

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All this while, we have learned the usage of Verbs in polite form (ie. Nomimasu (Drink), etc). Today I will show you how to use verbs for social conversation (friend’s conversation)

Do you want to drink coffee
Ko-hi- o nomimasu ka? (Polite Form)
Ko-hi-, nomu? (Social Form)

Yes, I want coffee
Hai, Ko-hi- o nomimasu (Polite Form)
Un, nomu yo (Social Form)

Other examples
Q : Wanna cake? – Ke-ki, taberu?
A : Ya, sure – Un, taberu (yo) / (wa)
Q : Wanna tea? – Ocha, nomu
A : Nope, don’t want – Uun, nomanai (yo) / (wa)

The “yo”(for male) & “wa”(for female) is optional. “yo” & “wa” is only an expression.

Past Tense
Q : Did you drink fruit juice? – Kajū, nonda?
A : Ya, drank – Un, nonda (yo) / (wa)
Q : Drank Beer – Bi-ru, nonda?
A : Nope, I did not – Uun, nomanakatta (yo) / (wa)

Other Verbs

As shown above, the conversation is mainly depends on the last Hiragana character used. Read carefully and you will definately be able to master it. If you are not sure how to convert certain verb, please feel free to ask.

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I will cover the use of “~te arimasu” today. You should refer to my other lessons on “~te xxx”. This lesson ill be the end of Level 2 and I am going to start Level 3 Japanese Lesson in my next post.

“~te arimasu” means “something has been done” but past tense will not be used for this case.

Example
The window is closed – Mado ga (shimeru)shimete arimasu
The door is opened – Doa ga (akeru)akete arimasu
The pen is placed on the table – Pen ga teburu no ue ni (oku)oite arimasu
My name is written in the book – Hon ni namae ga (kaku)kaite arimasu

Stay Tune for Level 3 with more interesting lessons.

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Tony : May I come in – Gomen kudasai
Kobayashi : Yes, who is that? – Hai, Dochira sama desu ka?
Tony : I’m Tony – Toni desu.

Kobayashi : Oh, Tony, welcome. Please come in – Maa, Toni-san, irasshaimase. Dōzo oagari kudasai.
Tony : Sorry for disturbing – Hai, ojama shimasu

John : Please (go in first) – Osaki ni dōzo
Tony : Thanks – Dōmo

Tony : Excuse me – Shitsurei shimasu
John : Excuse me – Shitsurei shimasu

Kobayashi : Please take a seat – Dōzo okake kudasai
Tony : Thank you – Hai, arigatō gozaimasu

Tony : This is John from America – Kochira wa amerika kara no Jon-san desu
John : I’m John, nice to meet you. – Hajimemashite. Jon desu
Kobayashi : I’m Kobayashi, nice to meet you. Regards – Kobayashi desu. Hajimemashite. Dōzo yoroshiku.

Meaning : Gomen Kudasai (May I come in), Dochira Sama (Who – polite form), Irrashaimase (Welcome), Oagari (Rise, Come In – polite form), Ojama (Disturb), Osaki (First), Dōzo (Please), Dōmo (Thanks), Shitsurei (Excuse), Okake (Sit Down), Kochira (This), Kochira (This – for human – polite form), Hajimemashite (Nice to meet you), Yoroshiku (This is something like “All the best” or asking someone for a favor)

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Easy to read – (Yomu)Yomiyasui desu
Difficult to read – Yominikui desu

When converting to “~yasui” or “~nikui”, the hiragana at the end of the verb shall be changed to the “second sound (a i u e o). Yomu >> Yomiyasui, Kaku >> Kakiyasui. Special verbs such as Suru >> Shiyasui, Kuru >> Kiyasui, Miru >> Miyasui. For more information on how to change for other verbs that end with different hiragana words, please go to our Verbs Section.

It’s easier to study in a quiet room – Shizuka na heya wa benkyō (suru)shiyasui desu
Tofu is difficult to eat – Tōfu wa (taberu)tabenikui desu
It’s not difficult to watch in old television – Furui terebi wa (miru)minikuku arimasen

When you are using negative expression, as usual remove the “i” and change to “ku” follow by “arimasen”

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Kobayashi : How is it? – Ikaga desu ka?
Tony : Please shorten a little bit more – Mō sukoshi (mijikai)mijikaku shite kudasai.
Kobayashi : How short do you want? – Dono gurai mijikaku shimashō ka?
Tony : Please shorten for about 1 centimeter – Mō 1 senchi gurai mijikaku shite kudasai.
Meaning : Ikaga (How – to what extent), Mō (More, Already), Mijikai (Short), Gurai (About), Senchi (Centimeter)

Kobayashi : How many years have you study Japanese? – Nihongo o benkyō shite kara nan nen ni narimasu ka?
Tony : Already 3 years – Mō 3 nen ni narimashita.
Kobayashi : Is it still difficult? – Mada muzukashii desu ka?
Tony : Yes, very. But, it became gradually fun – Hai, tottemo. Demo dandan (omoshiroi)omoshiroku natte kimashita.
Meaning : Benkyō (Study), Mada (Still), Muzukashii (Difficult), Tottemo (Very), Demo (But, However), Dandan (Gradually), Omoshiroi (Fun)

Kobayashi : Your grandfather has been admitted for a week already, right? – Ojiisan ga nyūin shite kara sorosoro isshūkan ni narimasu ka?
Tony : No, 2 weeks but he is better already – Iie, nishūkan ni narimasu ga, mō yoku narimashita.
Kobayashi : Is it. Still haven’t discharge yet? – Sō desu ka. Mada taiin wa shimasen ka?
Tony : Ya, Still not discharge yet – Ee, mada taiin shimasen.
Meaning : Ojiisan (Grandfather), Nyūin (Admit Hospital), Sorosoro (Soon, Within a short time), Taiin (Discharge from Hospital)

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Sorry, it’s being a while since the last lesson as I was busy helping my wife taking care of my twin babies.

Today, I will cover “~ku narimasu” which means “become something”.

Example
Enpitsu ga nagai desu + Mijikaku shimasu = Mijikaku narimashita
Long pencil + Shorten it = Became Shorter

For adjective ends with “i”, “ku narimasu” should be used otherwise “ni narimasu” shall be used. For example :

Byōki >> Genki = Genki ni narimashita
Sick >> Fine / Well = Became well

Fuyu >> Haru = Haru ni narimashita
Winter >> Spring = Became (Changed) to Spring

Other Usage
I have already became 20 years old – Mō 20 sai ni narimashita
Still haven’t reach 20 years old – Mada 20 sai ni wa narimasen

As usual, for negative answer “ni wa” should be used instead of “ni”. For the ~ku narimasu, ~ku arimasen shall be used.

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