7.0 Expanding Your Japanese Toolkit (2)
Learning goals
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Learn the basic kanji for numbers from 1 (一) to 10 (十), as well as the kanji for hour (時) and minute (分).
- Tell time and ask others about the time.
- Use で to indicate where actions happen and what tools, methods or transportation you use.
- Ask and answer ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions using verbs in their polite form.
- Use から to give reasons and link your ideas together.
Why these skills matter
Cognitive benefits:
- Reading these kanji helps you improve your ability to spot patterns.
- Using で sharpens your thinking about where actions happen and the tools, methods or transportation involved.
- Practising から enhances your ability to explain your thoughts clearly.
Real-life benefits:
- Gain confidence in how time is expressed and discussed in Japanese.
- Clearly convey where you do things and what you use to do them.
- Have more meaningful conversations by asking thoughtful questions and explaining your reasons.
Words
| Japanese | Romaji | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ru-verbs |
|||
| 起（お）きる | okiru | to wake up | Dictionary form |
| 寝（ね）る | neru | to go to sleep | Dictionary form |
| U-verb | |||
| 始（はじ）まる | haji(maru) | to start | Dictionary form: The subject particle が is typically used with this verb to emphasise what specifically is starting. For example, ‘the class starts’ is クラスが始まります (kurasu ga hajimari masu) in the polite form. |
| 終（お）わる | o(waru) | to end | Dictionary form: The subject particle が is typically used with this verb to emphasise what specifically is ending. For example, ‘the class ends’ is クラスが終わります (kurasu ga owari masu) in the polite form. |
| 話（はな）す | hanasu | to speak | Dictionary form |
| 聞（き）く | kiku | to listen/hear | Dictionary form: The verb can be used to mean ‘to listen/hear’ or ‘to ask’. The particle を is often used with this verb to indicate what is being listened to. For example, 音楽（おんがく）を聞く means ‘to listen to music’. |
| 聞（き）く | kiku | to ask (someone) | Dictionary form: The particle に is often used with this verb to indicate the person being asked. For example, 先生（せんせい）に聞く means ‘to ask the teacher’. |
| 撮（と）る | toru | to take (a photo) | Dictionary form. The particle を is often used with this verb to indicate the object (i.e. photo or photos). |
| Nouns | |||
| 時（じ） | ji | o’clock | 時 is a counter used to refer to hours of the day. Please refer to Module 7.2 for more information. |
| 何時（なんじ） | nan-ji | what time | Please refer to Module 7.2 for more information. |
| 今（いま） | ima | now | |
| センター（せんたあ） | sentaa | centre | |
| 朝食（ちょうしょく） | chou shoku | breakfast | 朝食 can be used interchangeably with 朝（あさ）ごはん (asa gohan), but the former is slightly more formal than the latter. |
| 昼食（ちゅうしょく） | chuu shoku | lunch | 昼食 can be used interchangeably with 昼（ひる）ごはん (hiru gohan), but the former is slightly more formal than the latter. |
| 夕食（ゆうしょく） | yuu shoku | dinner | 夕食 can be used interchangeably with 晩（ばん）ごはん (ban gohan), but the former is slightly more formal than the latter. |
| 携帯電話（けいたいでんわ） | keitai denwa | mobile phone | 携帯電話 literally means ‘mobile telephone’. 電話 on its own means ‘telephone’. 携帯電話 is preferred to abbreviated terms in more formal contexts or when greater clarity is needed. |
| 携帯（けいたい） | keitai | mobile (phone) | 携帯 literally means ‘mobile’. It is commonly used in casual conversation as an informal shorthand for 携帯電話. It originates from the verb 携帯する (keitai suru), meaning ‘to carry with you’ or ‘to have on hand’. Additionally, スマホ (sumaho), an abbreviation of スマートフォーン (smartphone), is often used in colloquial settings to refer to a smartphone. |
| 場所 | basho | place | |
| アルバイト（あるばいと） | arubaito |
part-time job | アルバイト is borrowed from the German word Arbeit, meaning ‘work’. It refers to part-time work that students or others might do alongside their primary activities. |
| バイト（ばいと） | baito | part-time | バイト can be used informally to refer to part-time work in everyday conversation. It is an abbreviation of アルバイト, which is the term used in official documents and more formal settings. |
| オーナー（おうなあ） | ounaa |
owner | オーナー is often used to refer to an owner of a restaurant or bar. |
| 写真 | shashin | photos | To say ‘take a photo’, use 写真を撮る (shashin o toru) in the dictionary form or 写真を撮ります (shashin o tori masu) in the polite form. |
| インターネット | intaanetto | internet | |
| バス | basu | bus | |
| 電車（でんしゃ） | densha | train | |
| 文化（ぶんか） | bunka | culture | |
Expressions and phrases
| Japanese | Romaji | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ところで | tokorode | by the way | |
| ごろ | goro |
about/approximately | ごろ is used to express when something is expected to happen or to estimate a time. The structure ‘Time + ごろ’ indicates that the event or action is expected to occur approximately at the given time. For example, 九時（くじ）ごろ (ku-ji goro) means ‘around 9 o’clock’. Please see Module 7.2 for more information. |
| みんなで | minna de |
together / with everyone | みんなで is used to express doing something together as a group or with everyone. |
| もう一人（ひとり） | mou hitori |
one more person / another person | もう is used to indicate an additional quantity or another instance of something. It can be applied to other nouns as well. For example, もう一（ひと）つ (mou hitotsu) means ‘one more thing’ or ‘another item’. Please see Module 4.4 for more information on how to count small items. |
Key grammar points
| Japanese | Romaji | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| で | de |
at/in | The particle で is used to mark places or locations where activities take place. See Module 7.3 for more information. |
| で | de | by means of | The particle で can also mean ‘by means of’ when indicating a tool, method, or mode of transportation used to perform an action. For example, ペンで書（か）きます means ‘I (will) write with my mobile’. Please refer to Module 7.4 for more information. |
| から | kara | because/so/therefore | This conjunction is placed after a reason or cause and followed by the result, effect or consequence. Please refer to Module 7.6 for more information. |
Kanji
| Number | 一 (one), 二 (two), 三 (three), 四 (four), 五 (five), 六 (six), 七 (seven), 八 (eight), 九 (nine) and 十 (ten) |
|---|---|
| Time | 分 (minute / divided portion) and 時 (hour/time) |
NOTE: The kanji will be further explored in Module 7.1.
Exercise 1
What does this mean in English? Click the ‘Turn’ button to check the answer.
Model dialogue
This conversation continues from Module 6.0, where Kevin and Ren delve into the details of the Japanese Club’s event. Kevin is keen to learn more about the schedule and venue, but as their discussion progresses, an unexpected revelation comes to light. Discover the surprising twist and the intriguing connection as their conversation unfolds!
| Kevin: ところで、イベント（いべんと）は何時（なんじ）に始（はじ）まりますか。 | Tokorode, ibento wa nan-ji ni hajimari masu ka. |
| Ren: 午後（ごご）四時半（よじはん）です。七時（しちじ）ごろ終（お）わります。 NOTE: The subject of the verb 終わります is イベント, but it’s omitted for clarity and to avoid redundancy, as the listener can easily understand it from the context. |
Gogo yo-ji-han desu. Shichi-ji goro owari masu. |
| Kevin: そうですか。イベントはどこですか。 | Sou desu ka. Ibento no wa doko desu ka. |
| Ren: 学生（がくせい）センター（せんたあ）です。それから、みんなでレストラン（れすとらん）に行（い）きます。一緒（いっしょ）に夕食（ゆうしょく）を食（た）べます。 | Gakusei sentaa desu. Sorekara, minna de resutoran ni iki masu. Issho ni yuushoku o tabe masu. |
| Kevin: 誰（だれ）が来（き）ますか。 | Dare ga ki masu ka. |
| Ren: 僕（ぼく）とリナ（りな）さんとなおさんです。ケビン（けびん）さんも来ますか。 | Boku to Rina-san to Nao-san desu. Kebin-san mo ki masu ka. |
| Kevin: 行きます！レストランの名前（なまえ）は何（なん）ですか。 | Iki masu! Resutoran no namae wa nan desu ka. |
| Ren: ええと、名前は…。ちょっと携帯（けいたい）で見（み）ます。あ、これです。「チャチャ（ちゃちゃ）」です。 NOTE: The subject of これです (i.e., the ‘name’ being looked up) is omitted because it’s clear from the context that Ren is referring to the name they just checked on their phone. |
Eeto, namae wa … Chotto keitai de mi masu. A, kore desu. ‘Chacha’ desu. |
| Kevin: えっ「チャチャ」？僕のバイト（ばいと）の場所（ばしょ）ですよ！ | E? ‘Chacha’? Boku no baito no basho desu yo! |
| Ren: そうですか！？オーナー（おうなあ）は日本（にほん）の人（ひと）ですよね。 | Sou desu ka!? Oonaa wa Nihon no hito desu yo ne. |
| Kevin: そうです。まこさんですよね。いつも日本語（にほんご）で話（はな）します。僕のもう一人（ひとり）の日本語の先生（せんせい）です。 |
Sou desu. Mako-san desu yo ne. Itsumo Nihongo de hanashi masu. Boku no mou hitori no Nihongo no sensei desu. |
| Ren: へえ、そうですか。ケビンさんの日本語はすごいですよ。 | Hee, sou desu ka. Kebin-san no Nihongo wa sugoi desu yo. |
| Kevin: ありがとう。先生がいいですから！ NOTE: The particle が is used instead of は here to emphasise the subject, 先生 (the teacher or teachers), highlighting that it is specifically his teachers who are ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. |
Arigatou. Sensei ga ii desu kara! |
English translation
| Kevin: By the way, what time does the event start? |
| Ren: Umm, at 4:30 pm. It ends around 7:00 pm. |
| Kevin: Where is the event? |
| Ren: It’s at the Student Centre. After that, we’ll go to a restaurant. We’ll have dinner together. |
| Kevin: Who’s going? |
| Ren: It’s me, Lina-san and Nao-san. Will you come too, Kevin? |
| Kevin: I’ll come! What’s the name of the restaurant? |
| Ren: Hmm, the name is … let me check on my phone. Ah, here it is. It’s ‘Cha-Cha’. |
| Kevin: Huh, ‘Cha-Cha’? That’s where I work. |
| Ren: Is that so!? The owner is Japanese, right? |
| Kevin: Yes, that’s right. It’s Mako-san. He always speaks Japanese. He’s another one of my Japanese teachers. |
| Ren: Oh, really? Kevin, your Japanese is impressive. |
| Kevin: Thanks. It’s because my teachers are good! |
Exercise 2
Listen to the following audio files and repeat each Japanese phrase after the recording. Each phrase is read twice, first at a slow pace and then at a natural pace.
Kevin: ところで、イベント（いべんと）は何時（なんじ）に始（はじ）まりますか。
Ren: 午後（ごご）四時半（よじはん）です。七時（しちじ）ごろ終（お）わります。
Kevin: イベントはどこですか。
Ren: 学生（がくせい）センター（せんたあ）です。それから、レストラン（れすとらん）に行（い）きます。一緒（いっしょ）に夕食（ゆうしょく）を食（た）べます。
Kevin: 誰（だれ）が来（き）ますか。
Ren: 僕（ぼく）とリナ（りな）さんとなおさんです。ケビン（けびん）さんも来ますか。
Kevin: 行きます！レストランの名前（なまえ）は何（なん）ですか。
Ren: ええと、名前は…。ちょっと携帯（けいたい）で見（み）ます。あ、これです。「チャチャ（ちゃちゃ）」です。
Kevin: えっ「チャチャ」？僕のバイト（ばいと）の場所（ばしょ）ですよ。
Ren: そうですか！？オーナー（おうなあ）は日本（にほん）の人（ひと）ですよね。
Kevin: そうです。まこさんですよね。いつも日本語（にほんご）で話（はな）します。僕のもう一人（ひとり）の日本語の先生（せんせい）です。
Ren: へえ、そうですか。ケビンさんの日本語はすごいですよ。
Kevin: ありがとう。先生がいいですから！
Discussion points
Let’s reflect on the following points and share your observations and thoughts!
- Discuss when to use 行きます and 来ます. Share your thoughts on why Kevin chose to use 来ますか, not 行きますか, when asking Ren who is going to the event. And why did he use 行きます, not 来ます, in response to Ren’s invitation? How do these verbs differ in usage in English and Japanese?
- Observe how Kevin and Ren utilise short responses, or あいづち (aizuchi), throughout their conversation. Discuss the role of あいづち in Japanese communication and consider situations where you might use similar responses to maintain the flow of conversation or show engagement in English. How do these brief interjections contribute to the overall tone and understanding of the dialogue?
Figures
1 “Temple in Osaka Among Trees” by AXP Photography. Pexels. Licensed under Pexels licence.
2 “Goal Icon” by faisalovers. Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC by 3.0.
3 “Speech Bubble Icon” by Geremy Good. Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC 0.
4 “Lightbulb Icon” by Maxim Kulikov. Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC by 3.0.
