4.0 Bringing Japan Home (1)
‘Bringing Japan Home’ invites you on an exciting journey to immerse yourself in Japanese culture locally.
This chapter offers practical tips for engaging with your local Japanese community, including engaging in conversations with Japanese speakers and connecting with fellow language enthusiasts. By embracing these cultural opportunities, you will create a sense of ‘home’ and foster cross-cultural understanding, all while cultivating a deeper appreciation for Japanese language and culture.
embark on this adventure of bringing Japan home, right in your own community!
Learning goals
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Understand how katakana functions in sentences.
- Write or type your name in katakana.
- Use demonstrative pronouns to refer to objects for which you do not know a specific name.
- Use the question maker 何（なん）(nan: what) in the sentence pattern ‘X は Y です’ to ask what an object is.
- Count small items.
- Understand the difference between the conjunction それから (sorekara: and then) and the particle と (to: and) and apply them in sentences appropriately.
- Understand the ending particles ね (ne) and よ (yo), and how to apply them in sentences.
Words
| Japanese | Romaji | English | Notes |
| Nouns | |||
| カフェ（かふぇ） | kafe | café | The word ‘café’ is generally written in katakana as カフェ, as is the case for other imported concepts such as ‘menu’, ‘crêpe’ and ‘dollar’. The hiragana かふぇis only provided for reference. |
| メニュー （めにゅう） | menyuu | menu | |
| お茶（ちゃ） | ocha | tea | The word お茶 can be used as a general term for tea, but it usually used to refer specifically to Japanese green tea. |
| ほうじ茶 | houjicha | hojicha (roasted green) tea | ほうじ茶 is a type of roasted green tea with a unique, smoky aroma and a mild, slightly sweet flavour. Unlike traditional green teas, hojicha is roasted over high heat, which gives it its distinctive brown color and toasty taste. |
| ラテ（らて） | rate | latte | |
| コーヒー（こおひい） | koohii | coffee | |
| ケーキ（けえき） | keeki | cake | |
| プリン（ぷりん） | purin | crème caramel | プリン is a Japanese-style crème caramel or custard pudding, typically served with a caramel sauce. It has a smooth, creamy texture and is a popular dessert in Japan. |
| クレープ（くれえぷ） | kureepu |
crêpe | |
| まっ茶 | matcha | matcha | まっ茶 is a finely ground powder made from specially grown green tea leaves. Known for its vibrant green colour and slightly bitter taste, it is often used in traditional tea ceremonies and various sweets. |
| オレンジジュース（おれんじじゅうす） | orenji juusu | orange juice | |
| ごま | goma | sesame | |
| あんこ | anko |
sweet red bean paste | あんこ is a sweet paste made from red beans (azuki beans) and sugar. It’s widely used as a filling in Japanese desserts, including mochi, どらやき (dorayaki) and たいやき (taiyaki), adding a unique sweetness and texture to traditional treats. |
| ドル（どる） | doru |
dollar | |
| おすすめ | osusume |
recommendation | |
| テレビ（てれび） | terebi | TV | |
| リモコン（りもこん） | rimokon | remote (control) | リモコン is the Japanese term for a remote control, typically used for operating electronic devices such as TVs, air conditioners and audio equipment. It’s an abbreviation of ‘remote control’. |
| ウェブサイト（うぇぶさいと） | webusaito | website | |
| 学校（がっこう） | gakkou | school | 学校 is the general term for ‘school’ in Japanese, covering all educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools. However, it does not specifically refer to a university. |
| 家（いえ or うち） | ie/uchi | house/home | Both ie and uchi can mean ‘house’ or “home” in Japanese, but they have slightly different nuances: いえ (ie) refers to the physical structure of a ‘house’ and is used more formally. It’s often used when speaking objectively about a residence. うち (uchi) has a more personal and emotional nuance, commonly used to mean ‘home’ or ‘my place’. It implies a sense of belonging or familiarity and is often used informally to refer to one’s own home. |
| Demonstrative pronouns | |||
| これ | kore | this (one) | |
| それ | sore | that (one) | |
| あれ | are | that (one) over there | |
| どれ | dore | which (one) | |
| Adjectives | |||
| おいしい |
oishii | delicious | |
| あまい | amai | sweet | The word あまい is commonly used to describe food with a sweet taste. However, it also carries a figurative meaning, describing someone as overly indulgent or lenient. For example, to say ‘The teacher is indulgent towards their students’, you would use the phrase 先生（せんせい）は学生（がくせい）にあまいです (Sensei wa gakusei ni amai desu). Here, あまい conveys the idea of being too soft or forgiving. |
| Numbers (used to count small objects) |
|||
| 一（ひと）つ |
hitotsu | one (thing) | Please refer to Module 4.4 for more details. |
| 二（ふた）つ | futatsu | two (things) | |
| 三（みっ）つ | mittsu | three (things) | |
| 四（よっ）つ | yottsu | four (things) | |
| 五（いつ）つ | itsutsu | five (things) | |
| 六（むっ）つ | muttsu | six (things) | |
| 七（なな）つ | nanatsu | seven (things) | |
| 八（やっ）つ | yattsu | eight (things) | |
| 九（ここの）つ | kokonotsu | nine (things) | |
| 十（とお） | too | ten (things) |
Expressions and phrases
| Japanese | Romaji | English | Notes |
| 日本語（にほんご）で | Nihongo de | in Japanese | Please refer to the ‘Key grammar points’ section below for an explanation of the particle で (de). |
| 大丈夫（だいじょうぶ）です | Daijoubu desu | It’s okay | Polite/formal |
| Xをどうぞ | X o douzo | Please (have/take/do) X |
|
| Xをください | X o kudasai |
X, please |
While the expression をください is more direct and commonly used for simple requests, the expression をお願いします is more formal and polite, suitable for a broader range of requests, including favours or actions. For more information, please see Module 2.5. |
| X をお願（ねが）いします | X o onegai shimasu |
X, please | |
| そうです | Sou desu | That’s right | Polite/formal |
| わかりました | Wakarimashita |
All right/Certainly/I see | Polite/formal |
Key grammar points
| Japanese | Romaji | English | Notes |
| X は 何（なん）ですか | X wa nan desu ka | What is X? | Nouns should be placed in the position marked by X. |
| それから | sorekara |
and then | Conjunction |
| で | de |
by means of … | The particle で is used to indicate the means or method by which an action is performed. When used with a language, it specifies the language employed for writing, speaking or communication. For example, to say ‘in Japanese’, you would use 日本語（にほんご）で (Nihongo de). This indicates that the action, such as writing or speaking, is done using the Japanese language. |
| と | to |
and | Particle |
| ね | ne |
…, isn’t it? | Particle |
| よ | yo |
I’m telling you/you know | Particle |
Exercise 1
Model dialogue
Lina and Nao find themselves at a local Japanese café in Australia, excited to put their Japanese language skills into practice. They know that the café has Japanese-speaking staff, so they decide to challenge themselves by ordering their food in Japanese.
| Café staff: Hi, guys! | Hi guys! |
| Lina: あ、日本語（にほんご）で大丈夫（だいじょうぶ）です。 | A, Nihongo de daijoubu desu. |
| Staff: そうですか。じゃあ、日本語で。メニュー（めにゅう）をどうぞ。 | Sou desu ka . Jaa, Nihongo de! |
| Lina: ありがとうございます。あ、これはまっ茶（ちゃ）ケーキ（けえき）ですか。 | Arigatou gozaimasu. A, kore wa matcha keeki desu ka. |
| Staff: はい、そうです。おいしいですよ。 | Hai, soudesu. Oishii desu yo. |
| Lina: じゃあ、まっ茶ケーキをお願（ねが）します。それから、ほうじ茶ラテ（らて）もお願いします。なおさんは？ | Jaa, matcha keeki o onegai shimasu. Sorekara, houjicha rate mo onegai shimasu. Nao-san wa? |
| Nao: ええと…。 | Eeto… |
| Staff: ごまプリン（ぷりん）もおいしいですよ。 | Goma purin mo oishii desu yo. |
| Lina: ごまプリン？どれですか。 | Goma purin? Dore desu ka. |
| Staff: あ、これです。九（きゅう）ドル（どる）です。 | A, kore desu. Kyuu doru desu. |
| Nao: そうですか。これは何（なん）ですか。 |
Soudesuka. Kore wa nan desu ka. |
| Staff: それですか。それはあんこのクレープ（くれえぷ）です。 | Sore desu ka. Sore wa anko no kureepu desu. |
| Nao: 「あんこ」は何ですか。 | Anko wa nan desu ka. |
| Staff: あんこはred bean pasteです。あまいですよ。おすすめです。 |
Anko wa reddo biin peesuto desu. Amai desu yo. Osusume desu. |
| Nao: じゃあ、あんこのクレープをお願いします。それから、私（わたし）もほうじ茶ラテをください。 |
Jaa, anko no kureepu o onegai shimasu. Sorekara, watashi mo houji-cha rate o kudasai. |
| Staff: はい、わかりました。まっちゃケーキ*ひとつと、あんこのクレープひとつと、ほうじ茶ラテを二（ふた）つですね。*Since the kanji 一つ can be mistaken for the katakana long vowel mark ‘ー’ in certain fonts, it’s written in hiragana here to avoid confusion. | Hai, wakari mashita. Matcha keeki hitotsu to, anko no kureepu hitotsu to, houjicha rate o futatsu desu ne. |
| Lina and Nao: はい、そうです。ありがとうございます！ |
Hai, soudesu. Arigatou gozaimasu! |
English translation
| Staff: Hi guys! |
| Lina: Oh, Japanese is fine! |
| Staff: Okay, then in Japanese. Here’s a menu. |
| Lina: Thank you. Oh, is this a matcha cake? |
| Staff: Yes, that’s right. It’s delicious! |
| Lina: Well then, I’ll have the matcha cake, please. And also, a hojicha latte, please. How about you, Nao-san? |
| Nao: Well… |
| Staff: I would say sesame pudding is nice, too. |
| Lina: Sesame pudding? Which one is it? |
| Staff: Ah, this one is. It’s nine dollars. |
| Nao: Right. What is this one? |
| Staff: That one? That’s an anko crêpe. |
| Nao: What is ‘anko’? |
| Staff: It’s red bean paste. It’s sweet! I recommend it. |
| Nao: Then, I will have an anko crêpe. And also, I will have a hojicha latte, too. |
| Café staff: All right. One matcha cake, one anko crêpe and two hojicha lattes, is that right? |
| Lina and Nao: Yes. that’s right. Thank you! |
Exercise 2
Listen to the following audio files and repeat each Japanese phrase after. Each phrase is read twice, first at a slow pace and then at a natural pace.
Lina: あ、日本語（にほんご）で大丈夫（だいじょうぶ）です。
Staff: そうですか。じゃあ、日本語で。メニュー（めにゅう）をどうぞ。
Lina: ありがとうございます。あ、これはまっ茶（ちゃ）ケーキ（けえき）ですか。
Staff: はい、そうです。おいしいですよ。
Lina:じゃあ、まっ茶ケーキをお願（ねが）いします。それから、ほうじ茶ラテ（らて）もお願いします。なおさんは？
Nao: ええと…。
Staff: ごまプリン（ぷりん）もおいしいですよ。
Lina: ごまプリン？どれですか。
Staff: あ、これです。九（きゅう） ドル（どる）です。
Nao: そうですか。これは何（なん）ですか。
Staff: それですか。それはあんこのクレープ（くれえぷ）です。
Nao: 「あんこ」は何ですか。
Staff: あんこはred bean pasteです。あまいですよ。おすすめです。
Nao: じゃあ、あんこのクレープをお願いします。それから、わたしもほうじ茶ラテをください。
Staff: はい、わかりました。まっ茶ケーキひとつと、あんこのクレープひとつと、ほうじ茶ラテを二（ふた）つですね。
Lina and Nao: はい、そうです。ありがとうございます！
Discussion points
Let’s reflect on these points and share our observations and thoughts!
- Have you ever tried to communicate with someone at a shop in another language? Do you recall your first experience? What was it like?
- Imagine you are working at a local café in your hometown, and someone from outside the area attempts to place an order in the local language, but their fluency is limited. How would you feel about it?
Further resources
If you haven’t been to Japan yet and would like to know how ordering works at a restaurant, this resource created by Cakes with Faces will walk you through with some useful tips and expressions.
By the way, the producer of this video highlights an intriguing cultural aspect that may resonate with practices around the world. In Japan, pointing at people with one finger is viewed as impolite, much like in many other cultures. Instead, using the whole hand to point at objects or things is considered polite and professional in Japan:
Figures
1 “Tokyo Skytree Tower” (Low angle shot of the Tokyo Skytree) by Evgeny Tchebotarev. Pexels. Licensed under Pexels licence.
2 “Goal Icon” (untitled) by faisalovers. Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC by 3.0.
3 “Speech Bubble Icon” (untitled) by Geremy Good. Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC 0.
4 “Lightbulb Icon” (untitled) by Maxim Kulikov. Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC by 3.0.
References
Cakes with Faces. “Ordering Food at Restaurants in Japan—JAPLANNING.” YouTube video, 11.03. September 20, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E33w7KgWVPw.
