Episode 10 – Japanese Made Easy

Full Episode Audio (download link is to the right of the volume icon)

Exercises Only

Welcome to Japanese Made Easy Episode #10. Today we’re going to have you play the role of interpreter.

Aside from being fun practice, this is also pretty realistic. After all, you’re probably the only person in your group or family who speaks Japanese, now.

So, they’ll need you to interpret for them if they go with you to Japan, or if a Japanese speaking friend or relative comes to visit.

Ok, let’s dive in. Please translate the following:

A friend points something out saying…

コーヒーがありますよ。(Kōhī ga arimasuyo.) 

Means: There’s coffee. Or they have coffee.

A person asks…

クッキーがありますか？ (Kukkī ga arimasuka?)  Are there cookies?

A person confirms that Mayumi-chan is at the party. How would you translate this?

うん、いるよ。(Un, iruyo.) Yeah, she’s here.

Asking if there is a bathroom in a location, how would you translate this answer?

はい、ありますよ。(Hai, arimasuyo.)  Yes, there is.

Two groups of people from different countries are at a party. How would you translate this?

カナダ人(じん)と日本人(にほんじん)がいます。(Kanada-jin to nihon-jin ga imasu.) 

There are Canadians and Japanese.

And at the party a person points out that…

ピザとサンドイッチがあります。(Piza to sandoicchi ga arimasu.)  There are sandwiches and pizza.

ドーナツがありません。(Dōnatsu ga arimasen.)  There aren’t any donuts. Moving outdoors…

コンビニない。(Konbini nai.)  There isn’t a convenience store.

A friend mentions to you that Dr. Matsumoto isn’t where Dr. Matsumoto was expected to be, saying…

松本（まつもと）先生(せんせい)いない。(Matsumoto sensei inai.) 

Dr. Matsumoto isn’t here.

I used Doctor because it’s important to get used to the variety of ways

せんせい (sensei)  is used. It’s not just for teachers. It’s also for those who specialize, such as doctors.

In Japan, your friend insists on going to a cat café, as there simply is nothing better than having a cats tail in your face or under your nose as you sip your coffee.

You walk in and overhear another customer say…

猫(ねこ)がいません… (Neko ga imasen.) There isn’t a cat, or there aren’t any cats.

Parting ways with your neighbor, you mention…

スーパーに行(い)きます。(Sūpā ni ikimasu. )

I’m going to the grocery store, or supermarket.

We could have heard just

スーパー行く。(Sūpā iku.)  and the translation would be the same…

You go to a friend’s house and their dog named Momo, doesn’t come to the door to greet you. Translate this question…

ももちゃんはどこ？ (Momo chan wa doko?)  Where’s momo?

At the grocery store, you can’t find something you need… so you ask.

マヨネーズはどこですか？ (Mayonēzu wa doko desuka?) translates as.. Where’s the mayonnaise?

Literally, regarding mayonnaise.. where is?

Later at an electronics shop you have a question.. how would you translate this?

すみません。 ノートパソコンはどこですか？ (Sumimasen. Nōtopasokon wa doko desuka?) 

Excuse me, or sorry to bother… Where are the laptop computers?

Keisuke is a common guys name in Japan, so using that..　Emi calls and asks what you are doing later. Translate your reply…

啓介(けいすけ)とバーガーキングに行くよ。(Keisuke to bāgākingu ni ikuyo. ) 

I’m going to Burger King with Keisuke.

She didn’t hear the place, and clarifies asking…

どこ行くの？ (Doko ikuno?) Where are you going?

A friend mentions going on a trip with Kenji. Emi clarifies, asking “With Kenji?” How would you translate this reply?

うん。健司(けんじ)と。(Un, kenji to.) Yeah, with Kenji.

———————————- Tip Of The Day

To really maximize your practice time, I recommend hitting pause now and again, and treating the phrase you heard as a construction. Then quickly input a few different content words. For example, let’s translate this first…

どこに行くんですか？ (Doko ni ikundesuka?) Where are you going?

We could also ask the question this way…

どこ行くの？(Doko ikuno?) 

The content word is doko… that’s the word you can take out to insert other words. So you might ask:

スペインに行くの？ (Supein ni ikuno?) So you what you want to do is hit the pause and substitute other places as well.

———————————- Tip Of The Day

Moving on… Jerry mentions where he went saying…

日本(にほん)に行った。(Nihon ni itta.) 

I went to Japan. Sachiko asks..

日本に行ったの？ (Nihon ni ittano?)  You went to Japan?

Then if asking if he went to a specific place, using polite Japanese for practice…

東京(とうきょう)に行きましたか？ (Tōkyō ni ikimashitaka?)  Did you go to Tokyo?

How would you translate this longer version…

鈴木(すずき)さんと京都(きょうと)に行きましたか？(Suzuki san to Kyōto ni ikimashitaka?) 

Did you go to Kyoto with Suzuki-san.

For this next one, pay attention to how the translation of “と” changes

大阪(おおさか)と札幌(さっぽろ)に行きましたか？(Ōsaka to Sapporo ni ikimashitaka?) 

Did you go to Osaka and Sapporo.

Ok enough of the travel constructions.

Mrs. Yamashita says what she drinks in the morning…

コーヒーとオレンジジュース飲む(のむ)。(Kōhī to orenji jyūsu nomu.) 

I drink coffee and orange juice. So one morning she looks in the fridge then says…

え？ジュースがない？？(E? Jyūsu ga nai?)  How would you translate that? Huh.. No Juice?

え？ジュースがない？？(E? Jyūsu ga nai? ) 

When asked about his plans for the weekend, Seichiro says…

映画(えいが)見る(みる)。 (Eiga miru.) 

I’m gonna watch a movie. And a person near by asks…

誰(だれ)と？(Dare to? ) 

Who with? He answers…

ゆりこと映画見る。(Yuriko to eiga miru.) 

I’m going to watch a movie with Yuriko.

And just a couple more. How would you translate this question.

今(いま)、どこにいる？(Ima, doko ni iru?) 

Literally… Now, where is the location, exist?

More naturally, Where are you right now?

今、どこにいる？ (Ima, doko ni iru?) …and the answer.

今。。。デパートにいるよ。(Ima, depāto ni iruyo.) 

I’m at the department store right now. Or that could have been…

Right now, I’m at the department store.

今。。。デパートにいるよ。(Ima, depāto ni iruyo.) 

So, how’d you do with all these? If you got most or all of them right, then you’re doing great.

This episode was kind of a mid-term, so we’re getting out of class early today.

But today’s exercisesare longer. What I did for the download exercises was take today’s translation practice and flip it around.

So, for homework, you need to say each of today’s phrases in Japanese. So be sure to download those, and I’ll see you in the next episode.