Genki I Integrated Elementary Japanese Course (with Bookmarks)

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AN INTEGRATED COURSE IN
ELEMENTARY JAPANESE

SECOND EDITION

Eri Banno
Yoko Ikeda
Yutaka Ohno
Chikako Shinagawa
Kyoko Tokashiki

^ H The JapanTimes

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Note on the accompanying disk

The disk that comes with this book contains digital audio files in MP3 format.

The files can be played on computers or digital audio players, but not on CD players.

Copyright ©2011 by Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda, Yutaka Ohno, Chikako Shinagawa, and Kyoko Tokashiki.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

First edition: May 1999
Second edition: March 2011
8th printing: May 2012

Illustrations: Noriko Udagawa and Reiko Maruyama
English translations and copyreading: 4M Associates, Inc., and Umes Corp.
Narrators: Miho Nagahori, Yumiko Muro, Tomoki Kusumi, Tsuyoshi Yokoyama,
and Kit Pancoast Nagamura
Recordings: TBS Service, Inc.

Typesetting: guild

Cover art and editorial design: Nakayama Design Office

Gin-o Nakayama and Akihito Kaneko
Printing: Tosho Printing Co., Ltd.

Published by The Japan Times, Ltd.

5-4, Shibaura 4-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0023, Japan

Phone: 03-3453-2013

Website: http://bookclub.japantimes.co.jp/

Genki-Online: http://genki.japantimes.co.jp/

ISBN978-4-7890- 1440-3

Printed in Japan

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Preface

This is a revised edition of the textbook GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary
Japanese , which was published in 1999. Since it first came out, GENKI has become
widely used by teachers and students of Japanese and has gone through numerous
reprintings. Such wide acceptance led to the decision to publish this revised edition.

In 1999, our aim was to develop a textbook that teachers would find convenient
and helpful, and one that students could easily use. We thus wrote the book based
on a survey of students needs and refined it through many test-teaching situations.
Originally meant as a text for foreign students studying in Japan, GENKI gained
popularity among those studying in other countries as well. As use increased, we
began to hear from those who wanted “more information on culture” and “audio
aids appended to the text.” It’s also been more than ten years since GENKI was
originally published, and the passage of time has required revisions to vocabulary
and expressions.

While retaining the ease-of-use quality for teachers, we have added new content
and revisions that reflect our experiences and the voices of those who have used the
text. The task of revision took two years to complete. We believe that this effort has
resulted in a book that instructors and students will find even easier to use and learn
from.

The opinions of the teachers and students who have used GENKI have been a major
driving force in the preparation of this revised edition. We are truly grateful to those
who have provided this input. The authors would also like to express their sincere
appreciation to the following: Noriko Udagawa, our illustrator, whose work has
become a GENKI trademark; the staff of The Japan Times; and particularly to Chiaki
Sekido of the Publications Department of The Japan Times, who has worked tirelessly
with us on this project since its inception.

It is our hope that students of the language will find additional pleasure in learning
Japanese by using this new edition of GENKI.

The Authors
January 2011

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18

Introduction

I Aim and purpose

GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese is a textbook for beginners in the study
of the Japanese language. Students can complete the elementary-level study of Japanese in
the 23 lessons of this text, which is divided into two volumes. The book is designed mainly
for use in university courses, but is also effective for high school students and adults who are
beginning to learn Japanese either at school or on their own. Hopefully, students will have at
least a basic knowledge of English, because grammar explanations are given in English.

GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese is a comprehensive approach to
developing the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), which
aims to cultivate overall Japanese-language ability. Emphasis has been placed on balancing
accuracy, fluency, and complexity so that students using the material will not end up speak-
ing accurately yet in a stilted manner, or fluently but employing only simple grammatical
structures.

Q Revised edition

The revised edition features changes in four major areas.

1 . Addition of Culture Notes

Each lesson now contains a “Culture Note,” which is designed to enhance students’ knowl-
edge of Japan through information on Japanese culture and daily life.

2. Audio material bundled with text and workbook

Audio aids, which had previously been sold separately, have now been added to the textbook
and workbook in MP3 format. The addition of audio material for the workbook’s “Listen-
ing Comprehension” exercises is especially convenient. We have also recorded the readings
from the Reading and Writing section of the book.

3. Vocabulary and expressions

We rigorously reviewed the vocabulary and expressions to replace words, such as “cassette

Introduction ►►► 19

tape” and “LL” that are no longer in common use, with words and phrases that students will
encounter more frequently.

4. Grammar, practice and readings

While no changes were made to the grammatical topics introduced in each lesson, we sup-
plemented the text and/or made the necessary corrections to make the material even easier
to understand.

In the revised edition, we have replaced the negative forms of adjective and noun phrases
-ku arimasen/-ja arimasen and -nakucha ikemasen , meaning “must,” with the -ku nai desu/
-ja nai desu and -nakereba ikemasen/ -naky a ikemasen forms, which are more commonly used
in everyday life.

We also increased communicative practice material — mainly dialogues — so that students
would be given sufficient opportunity to practice the grammar that they learn. Moreover, we
have updated the readings in the Reading and Writing section to make them more relevant
to the Japan of today.

QI Structure of the textbook

This textbook basically consists of three sections: Conversation and Grammar, Reading and
Writing, and the Appendix. A detailed explanation of each part follows.

A ► Conversation and Grammar

The Conversation and Grammar section aims at improving students’ speaking and listening
abilities by having them learn basic grammar and by increasing their vocabulary. The Con-
versation and Grammar section of each lesson is organized as follows:

# Dialogue

The dialogues revolve around the lives of foreign students living in Japan and their friends
and families, presenting various scenes that students are likely to face in their daily lives. By
practicing natural expressions and aizuchi (responses that make conversations go smoothly),
students are able to understand how sentences are connected and how some phrases are
shortened in daily conversation. Because the Dialogue section of each lesson covers a lot
of new grammar and vocabulary, students may feel it is too difficult to understand at first.
Don’t be overly concerned, however, because the grammar and vocabulary will gradually
take root with practice.

Students can listen to dialogues on the accompanying audio aids (in MP3 format).
Students are encouraged to practice regularly by listening to the audio and carefully noting
pronunciation and intonation.

20

# Vocabulary

The Vocabulary section presents all the new words encountered in both the Dialogue and
Practice sections of each lesson. Words that appear in the Dialogue are marked with an as-
terisk ( * ). Words are listed according to their function in Lessons 1 and 2, and by parts of
speech in Lesson 3 and all subsequent lessons. In addition, all words presented in the text
are also found in the Index at the end of each volume.

Words found in the Vocabulary section of each lesson appear frequently in subsequent
lessons, thus encouraging students to learn little by little each day. The new words, along
with their English translations, also appear in the audio material, which enables students to
absorb through listening. Starting with Lesson 3, the Vocabulary section also gives the kanji
rendering, but students are not required to memorize the kanji orthography.

This textbook does not indicate a word’s accents. The accent of a Japanese word varies
considerably, depending on region, the speaker’s age (including the generation gap between
speakers), the word’s inflections, and its connection with other words in the sentence.
Therefore, there is no need to be overly concerned about accent, but try to imitate as closely
as possible the intonation heard on the accompanying audio aids.

# Grammar

Easy-to-understand grammar explanations are provided so that even those studying on their
own can easily follow. Students at school should read the explanations before each class.

All grammar items covered in the lesson’s Practice section are explained in the Grammar
section. Grammar and vocabulary that require explanation but are not practiced are sum-
marized in the Expression Notes section at the end of each Grammar section.

# Practice

For each grammar point covered, Practice sections provide drills that advance in stages from
basic practice to application. The intent is to enable students to gain a grasp of Japanese
naturally by completing the drills in the order presented.

Basic exercises that call for a single predetermined answer are marked with a Q and re-
corded with their answers on the audio aids, thus allowing students to practice and learn on
their own.

The last part of the Practice section contains Review Exercises that help summarize what
has been learned. For example, some exercises combine various topics covered in the lesson,
while others require students to create dialogues by applying what was learned in the Dia-
logue section.

# Culture Note

We have integrated a Culture Note section into each lesson, where we explain aspects of the
culture and everyday life of Japan. These notes cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from

Introduction ►►► 21

matters closely linked to language, such as kinship terms, to information deeply ingrained
in daily life, such as the Japanese climate. Our hope is that these comments will serve as a
springboard for students to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture even further by
taking steps of their own, such as by gathering information from the Internet or by discuss-
ing the topics with their Japanese friends.

# Useful Expressions

When necessary, we include sections on Useful Expressions at the end of the lessons in or-
der to present supplementary vocabulary and phrases. These sections list expressions that
are related to the lesson’s topic (as in “Time and Age” in Lesson 1) or to particular situations
(as in “At the Station” in Lesson 10). The vocabulary introduced in Useful Expressions is
also listed in the index of each volume.

B ► Reading and Writing

The Reading and Writing section aims to foster comprehension and writing ability throug
the study of Japanese characters and through practice in both reading and writing. After
learning hiragana in Lesson 1 and katakana in Lesson 2, students begin studying kanji in
Lesson 3. Each lesson after Lesson 3 is organized as follows:

# Kanji list

The list contains the new kanji introduced in each lesson. Students are exposed to about
new characters in each lesson. Since it is probably not feasible to learn all of these at once,
we encourage students to tackle a few each day. We have formatted each kanji list as follows.

(1) serial number

(2) kanji

(3) reading

(5) compounds that include the kanji

► li/C

book H ^-(ICliA/) Japan

£

g Japanese language

Mr./Ms. Yamamoto

T

(book; basis)

(5) — -f t ^ ^

(4) meaning

(7) stroke order

(6) stroke count

The ► mark appearing next to readings in item (3) indicates the on-yomi, or the reading of
the character that was imported from China. The t> mark indicates the kun-yomi, or the
native Japanese reading. The sound of on-yomi and kun-yomi may change when the kanji
is used in certain words. For example, the ordinary pronunciation of $ is gaku, but this
becomes gak when the kanji is used in the word ( gakkoo ). Such derivative readings are

also included in the readings section.

22

Although some kanji have many readings, we include principally those readings that are
appropriate for an elementary level course.

Readings and words that are shaded should be memorized. The others are for reference,
so students don't need to memorize them. The Reading and Writing section of the work-
book includes practice sheets for the kanji learned in each lesson. Students should practice
writing the kanji repeatedly, following the stroke order shown on the kanji list in the text-
book.

# Practice

GENKI I consists of kanji practice, readings for comprehension, questions about the content
of the readings, and writing practice. Kanji practice is aimed at getting students accustomed
to kanji through practice in various forms, such as reconstructing kanji from their compo-
nent parts or making new words by combining kanji. Readings for comprehension are gen-
erally short and deal with subjects familiar to the students. They assume knowledge of the
vocabulary and grammar that the student has learned in the Conversation and Grammar
section. New words that appear in the readings are listed. At the end of each Practice sec-
tion, we suggest topics for students to write on.

GENKI II contains readings for comprehension, questions about the content of the read-
ings, and writing practice. The readings introduce Japanese as it is used in a variety of areas,
ranging from letters and fables to essays and advertisements. They assume knowledge of
the vocabulary and grammar that the student has encountered in the lesson so far, and with
each lesson the readings become longer and more difficult. New words in the readings are
listed in the order in which they appear. At the end of each Practice section, we suggest top-
ics for students to write on.

We provide recordings of these readings in both Volumes I and II of the revised edition.
These are denoted by a Q mark. Students can listen to them through the accompanying
audio aids (in MP3 format).

C ►Appendix

The Appendix of Volumes I and II contains an Index. The Japanese-English Index, in hira-
gana order, lists words and expressions from the Vocabulary and Useful Expression sections
of each lesson (the index does not contain the vocabulary used in Culture Notes). The num-
ber next to a word indicates the lesson in which the word was introduced. In the English-
Japanese Index, English equivalents to Japanese words are arranged in alphabetical order. In
both indexes of this revised edition, verbs are indicated with [ru] [u\ [irr.], to show which
verb group they belong to.

Also included in the Appendix are a map of Japan with the names of all the prefectures, a
table of changes in the sounds of numbers and counters, and a table of verb conjugations.

Introduction ►►►23

IV Orthography and font

The basic text is written in kanji and hiragana. In the case of kanji, we follow the official Joyo
Kanji list. However, hiragana is used instead when the Joyo Kanji equivalent is deemed un-
necessary for beginning students of Japanese.

The pronunciation of every kanji in the Conversation and Grammar section is indicated
in hiragana so that this section can be studied alone. To lessen the burden on the students
and allow them to study on their own, however, the “Greetings” unit and Lessons 1 and 2
are written in hiragana and katakana , alongside which the same statement is presented in
romanization. The romanizations are purely for supplemental purposes and students should
avoid relying on them too much. Students study hiragana and katakana in Lessons 1 and 2,
respectively, of the Reading and Writing section.

Students begin studying kanji in Lesson 3 of the Reading and Writing section. To encour-
age students to maintain a firm grasp of the kanji they have learned, the Reading and Writ-
ing section does not provide hiragana readings for kanji that have already been introduced.

The Japanese in the basic text is set mainly in the Textbook font, which resembles hand-
writing and serves as a good model for students. Students will encounter a variety of fonts
used for Japanese materials, however, and should be aware that the shape of some characters
differs considerably, depending on the font used. Note especially that in certain fonts two
separate strokes may merge into a single stroke because they mimic the characters produced
by a writing brush.

Example: Textbook font

Mincho font

Gothic font

Handwriting

A

$

£

A'

$

§

A

u

D

'j

b

b

5

b

z

<

<Z

K 9

*

24

Japanese Writing System

There are three kinds of characters in Japanese: hiragana, katakana, and kanji . 1 All three
characters can be seen in a single sentence.

t~ U hi £ JL i ~f 0 I watch television.

katakana kanji hiragana

Hiragana and katakana, like the alphabet, represent sounds. As you can see in the above ex-
ample, hiragana has a roundish shape and is used for conjugation endings, function words,
and native Japanese words not covered by kanji. Katakana, which has rather straight lines, is
normally used for writing loanwords and foreign names. For example, the Japanese word for
“television” is written in katakana as f kb ( terebi ). Kanji, or Chinese characters, represent
not just sounds but also meanings. Mostly, kanji are used for nouns and the stems of verbs
and adjectives.

(T)H i r a g a n a

1 . Basic Hiragana Syllables

There are forty-six basic hiragana syllables, which are listed below. Once you memorize this
chart, you will have the skill to transcribe all of the Japanese sounds.

h

1

X

a

i

u

e

0

*

<

It

ka

ki

ku

ke

ko

*

s— .

L

i-

*

sa

*shi

su

se

so

tz

%

o

r

E

ta

*chi

*tsu

te

to

\z

&

n

<D

na

ni

nu

ne

no

li

U

O'

11

ha

hi

fu

he

ho

i

There is another writing system called romaji (Roman letters) which is used for station names, signs, and so on.

Japanese Writing System ►►►25

L

n

* The syllables L , £>, and are
romanized as shi , chi , tsu , and/w, re-
spectively, to closely resemble English
pronunciation.

* * £ is also pronounced as “wo.”

The romanization is given for general pronunciation reference.

2. Hiragana with Diacritical Marks

You can transcribe 23 additional sounds by adding diacritic marks. With a pair of short
diagonal strokes ( " ), the unvoiced consonants k, s, t, and h become voiced consonants g , z,
d, and b, respectively. The consonant h changes to p with the addition of a small circle ( ° ).

7^'

<"

If

8 a

gi

g u

g e

go

V

t

-r

?

za

ji

zu

ze

zo

tz

%

*o

T

da

ji

zu

de

do

If

If

> ''
O'

•<

If

ba

bi

bu

be

bo

If

\ O

O'

K

If

pa

Pi

pu

pe

po

* £> (ji) and o ( zu ) are pronounced the
same as U (ji) and "f - (zu), respec-
tively, and have limited use.

3. Transcribing Contracted Sounds

Small and J; follow after letters in the second column (z- vowel hiragana , except t ')

and are used to transcribe contracted sounds. The contracted sound represents a single syl-
lable.

26

* *

kya

* rp

kyu

Z X

kyo

Lv

sha

L Yp

shu

L Jt

sho

cha

t) yp

chu

% X

cho

1- *

nya

IC rp

nyu

IC Jt

nyo

U?

hya

th tp

hyu

ux

hyo

A

mya

Yp

myu

^ ct

myo

U *

rya

l ) YP

ryu

‘ ) X

ryo

H'yp

* X

m

gy»

gy°

IT*

C Yp

i: J:

ja

ju

jo

U K*

bya

byu

tfx

byo

V*

pya

U°YP

pyu

U° X

pyo

4. Transcribing Double Consonants

There is another small letter, which is used when transcribing double consonants such as
tt and pp.

Examples: tz katta (won) cf. ti'tz kata (shoulder)

sakka (writer)

(1 0 11° happa (leaf)

*5 o L zasshi (magazine)

Note double consonant ns as in sannen (three years) are written with L + a hiragana with
an initial n sound (tc, 1C, <&, fa, and <7)).

Examples: * ^ fa L sannen (three years)

*>L+£\' armai (guide)

5. Other Issues Relating to Transcription and Pronunciation
A. Long Vowels

When the same vowel is placed one right after the other, the pronunciation of the vowel
becomes about twice as long as the single vowel. Be sure to hold the sound long enough,
because the length of the vowel can change one word to another.

Japanese Writing System ►►►27

aa

L

obaasan

(grandmother)

cf. io (1 *5 obasan (aunt)

ii

In U t U

ojiisan

(grandfather)

cf. L "5 L ojisan (uncle)

uu

■f 1 C

suuji

(number)

ee

The long ee sound is usually transcribed by adding an t ' to an e-vowel hiragana.

There are a few words, however, in which 1L

is used instead of v \

eega

(movie)

$ L

oneesan

(big sister)

oo The long oo sound is in most cases transcribed by adding an 1 to an o-vowel

hiragana. There are, however, words in which the long vowel is transcribed with
an io, for historical reasons.

(Ib 'Jo hooritsu (law)

Y. In too (ten)

B. Pronunciation of K>

L “n” is treated like a full syllable, in terms of length. Its pronunciation varies, however,
depending on the sound that follows it. Japanese speakers are normally not aware of the
different sound values of L. Therefore, you do not need to worry too much about its pronun-
ciation. 2

C. Vowels to Be Dropped

The vowels i and u are sometimes dropped when placed between voiceless consonants (k, s, t,
p, and h ), or at the end of an utterance preceded by voiceless consonants.

Example: $ T"i~ s(u)kides(u) (I like it.)

D. Accent in the Japanese Language

Japanese has pitch accent: all syllables are pronounced basically either in high or low pitch.
Unlike English stress accent in which stressed syllables tend to be pronounced longer and
louder, in Japanese each syllable is pronounced approximately in equal length and stress.
The pitch patterns in Japanese vary greatly, depending on the region of the country.

2 One variety of the L pronunciation merits discussing here. When it is followed by a vowel or at the end of an
utterance, L indicates that the preceding vowel is long and nasalized. (Nasalized vowels are shown here with a
tilde above vowel letters. You hear nasalized vowels in French words such as “bon,” or the English interjection
“uh-uh,” as in “no.”)

ex. ft (Cio reai (romance) If /C ho (book)

Followed by n, t, d, s, and z sounds, L is pronounced as “n.” ex. f? U 1 j.' onna (woman)

Followed by m, p, and b sounds, L is pronounced as “m.” ex. "5 Ulf sampo (stroll)

Followed by k and g sounds, L is pronounced as “ng” as in “song.” ex. i U’i* matjga (comics)

28

Examples: & •$

a

sa

ma e

(morning)

tt'i i

na

(name)

ka

ta i

(high)

(i)K a t a k a n a

T

7

JL

*

a

i

u

e

0

tj

Y

7

Y

0

ka

ki

ku

ke

ko

Y

V

X

-fe

7

sa

*shi

su

se

SO

7

Y

V

7~

h

ta

*chi

*tsu

te

to

i~

. —

X

/

na

ni

nu

ne

no

/ \

t

7

*

ha

hi

fu

he

ho

-7

A

/

Y

ma

mi

mu

me

mo

Y

ZL

3

ya

yu

yo

■7

'J

)l

V

a

ra

ri

ru

re

ro

7

7

wa

0

y

n

if

Y

7"

Y

3"

g a

gi

g u

ge

go

Y

> ''

V

X

Y

V"

za

P

zu

ze

zo

* The syllables -f-, '7 , and ~7 are

romanized as shi , chi, tsu, and /«, re-
spectively, to closely resemble English
pronunciation.

Japanese Writing System ►►► 29

7

— V*

7“

F

da

P

zu

de

do

/ \

t:

X

X

ba

bi

bu

be

bo

t°

X

o

"S.

*

pa

P*

pu

pe

po

* ^ (ji) and "/ ( zu ) are pronounced the
same as V (ji) and X ( zu ), respec-
tively, and have limited use.

X 3.

X 3

^ ''

ja

X rz.

ju

j°

kya

*=L

kyu

3

kyo

sha

> 3.

shu

> 3

sho

cha

XL

chu

X 3

cho

— +

nya

— XL

nyu

— 3

nyo

t -V

hya

t 3.

hyu

t 3

hyo

- dr

mya

^ XL

myu

i 3

myo

rya

') a.

ryu

') 3

ryo

bya

tf 3-

byu

if 3

byo

pya

t°3.

pyu

k° 3

pyo

The pronunciation of katakana and its combinations are the same as those of hiragana , ex-
cept for the following points.

(1) The long vowels are written with — .

Examples: 7 —

kaa

(car)

keeki

(cake)

X * —

sukii

(ski)

booru

(ball)

x — y

suutsu

(suit)

When you write vertically, the — mark needs to be written vertically also.

*

Example:

30

(2) Additional combinations with small vowel letters are used to transcribe foreign sounds
which originally did not exist in Japanese.

Examples: ^7 ^

/nc7 7 4 — y

harowiin

(Halloween)

7 X

' S 'f ^X'f

haiwee

(highway)

$ ^7 )\ / *> * — 7 —

mineraruwootaa

(mineral water)

i/ x

'> x 7

shefu

(chef)

Z/ x

i/ X — A X

jeemusu

(James)

& X

■f" x y 9

chekku

(check)

7 T

7 r y 'y 3 y

fasshon

(fashion)

7 A

7 4 ') 'ey

firipin

(Philippine)

7 x

t)7 x

kafe

(cafe)

7 t

7 * — 7

fooku

(fork)

f* >r

'*— 7-4 —

paatii

(party)

-r 4 X — — 7 7 K

Dizuniirando

(Disneyland)

X n.

■r xl X >y h

dyuetto

(duet)

1 The sound “v” is sometimes written with r >". For example, the word
times written as t : — X X or 7 4 — i~ X .

“Venus” is some-

(m)K a n j i

Kanji are Chinese characters which were introduced to Japan more than 1,500 years ago
when the Japanese language did not have a writing system. Hiragana and katakana evolved
later in Japan based on the simplified Chinese characters.

Kanji represents both meanings and sounds. Most kanji possess multiple readings, which
are divided into two types: on-yomi (Chinese readings) and kun-yomi (Japanese readings).
On-yomi is derived from the pronunciations used in China. Some kanji have more than one
on-yomi due to temporal and regional variances in the Chinese pronunciation. Kun-yomi are
Japanese readings. When people started to use kanji to write native Japanese words, Japanese
readings ( kun-yomi ) were added to kanji.

By the time of high school graduation, Japanese are expected to know 2,136 kanji (called
Joyo kanji), which are designated by the Ministry of Education as commonly used kanji. A
total of 1,006 kanji are taught at the elementary school level, and most of the remainder are
taught in junior high school.

There are roughly four types of kanji based on their formation.

Japanese Writing System ►►►SI

(1) Pictograms

Some kanji are made from pictures:

(tree)

|s|

B

(day; sun)

(2) Simple ideograms

Some kanji are made of dots and lines to represent numbers or abstract concepts.
— -*• (three) . * -*• P (up)

(3) Compound ideograms

Some kanji are made from the combination of two or more kanji.
Q (day; sun) + (moon) — ► (bright)

A (person) + A (tree) - A (to rest)

(4) Phonetic-ideographic characters

Some kanji are made up of a meaning element and a sound element.

Meaning element
y (water) +

Q (day; sun) +

Sound element
sei (blue)

yjf sei (blue)

On-yomi
sei (clean)

sei (clear sky)

fr'U to iS\hj IS 5 / Vu

Conversation and Grammar Section

3 d 0 ^© Greetings 34

» 1 » aBfcSUUtfcfcfS New Friends 38

Shopping 58

m 3 X — h©ft^] 5 ^ Making a Date 84

*><*<

$ 4 R ffl&Z(DT— h The First Date 102

A Trip to Okinawa 128

33£»fcD«>:!:5

31 6 □ A — Sc^f/u© — B A Day in Robert’s Life 146

UV5 Id'S

m 7 IS ^S^©^K Family Picture 166

6' ?< Uv> LA,

A' — — Barbecue 186

* 9 ® fr'/ 3 \ 3 : Kabuki 208

mlOtS $f'fc<fr© : P/E’ Winter Vacation Plans 228

^llii fod}(D&<tl After the Vacation 250

*>T

if§12tS ^ S Feeling III

If *5 £

266

34 ► ► ► IzsceS * 3£>2 a!§

Ml KOO-G

Greetings

&l± X 1 o

Ohayoo.

Good morning.

Ohayoo gozaimasu.

Good morning, (polite)

^ Aj 1 1~> li o

Konnichiwa.

Good afternoon.

3 XJf/Clio

Konbanwa.

Good evening.

^ X 1 f X b o

Sayoonara.

Good-bye.

v') 0

Oyasumi(nasai).

Good night.

& ') !)*£ 1 0

Arigatoo.

Thank you.

#> ‘J

Arigatoo gozaimasu.

Thank you. (polite)

"t" <& i -tt /C 0

Sumimasen.

Excuse me.; I’m sorry.

lie.

No.; Not at all.

''oTJ i ”t” o

Ittekimasu.

I’ll go and come back.

''oTbo L '(’I'o

Itterasshai.

Please go and come back.

/c^'io

Tadaima.

f m home.

IJ (t'^')o

Okaeri(nasai).

Welcome home.

^/;/:'$ito

Itadakimasu.

Thank you for the meal,
(before eating)

3"^^ * i (T L 7c) 0

Gochisoosama(deshita).

Thank you for the meal,
(after eating)

l± Ui6i L To

Hajimemashite.

How do you do?

X6 l < fc^'oLJto

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

Nice to meet you.

36 >•>•>• £15

Expression Notes 1

D tj'ilZ) ► Ohayoo is used between friends and family members,
while ohayoo gozaimasu is used between less intimate acquaintances, similarly
with arigatoo and arigatoo gozaimasu. The rule of thumb is: if you are on the
first-name basis with someone, go for the shorter versions. If you would address
someone as Mr. or Ms., use the longer versions.

Ohayoo is the greeting used before noon, but some people use it in casual
settings in the afternoon or even at night when they see their classmates or co-
workers for the first time that day.

There are several good-bye expressions in Japanese, the choice
among which depends on the degree of separation. Sayoonara indicates that the
speaker does not expect to see the person spoken to before she “turns a page in
her life”; not until a new day arrives, or until fate brings the two together again.

It sounds dramatic and ritualistic, and its daily use is largely restricted to school
children taking leave of their teachers.

itzo Jaa, mata.

(between friends, expecting to see each other again fairly soon)

Lotfiv* L S to Shitsureeshimasu.

(taking leave from a professor’s office, for example)

Sumimasen means (1) “Excuse me,” to get another person’s atten-
tion, (2) “I’m sorry,” to apologize for the trouble you have caused, or (3) “Thank
you,” to show appreciation for what someone has done for you.

IMA*. ► lie is primarily “No,” a negative reply to a question. In the dialogue, it is
used to express the English phrase “Don’t mention it,” or “You’re welcome,” with
which you point out that one is not required to feel obliged for what you have
done for them.

I Ittekimasu and
itterasshai is a common exchange used at home when a family member leaves.

The person who leaves says ittekimasu , which literally means “I will go and come
back.” And the family members respond with itterasshai , which means “Please go
and come back.”

Tadaima and okaeri are used when a person comes home. The person who ar-
rives home says tadaima (I am home right now) to the family members, and they
respond with okaerinasai (Welcome home).

r

0*5

iiy-h i\

&Uc!r:3»>37

Tl/uUtfO Practice

Act out the following situations with your classmates.

1. You meet your host family for the first time. Greet them.

2. It is one o’clock in the afternoon. You see your neighbor Mr. Yamada.

3. You come to class in the morning. Greet your teacher. Greet your friends.

4. On a crowded train, you stepped on someone’s foot.

5. You dropped your book. Someone picked it up for you.

6. It is eight o’clock at night. You happen to meet your teacher at the convenience store.

7. You are watching TV with your host family. It is time to go to sleep.

8. You are leaving home.

9. You have come back home.

10. You are going to start eating.

1 1 . You have finished eating.

C ulture(Jj30

Greetings and Bowing

Aisatsu to ojigi

Japanese people greet each other by bowing, which has many
other functions, such as expressing respect, gratitude, or apologies.
There are different ways of bowing, ranging from a small nod of the
head to a 45-degree bend at the waist. Generally, the longer and
the deeper you bow, the more formal and respectful it appears to
others.

Many Japanese tend to feel uncomfortable with physical contact, although handshaking is
becoming quite common in business situations, especially those involving foreigners.

When meeting someone in a business situation for the first time,
it is customary to exchange meeshi (business cards) with a small
bow. Etiquette guides list a vast number of rules and pointers, but
just remember that the important thing is to clearly show your
respect when exchanging meeshi.

38 • SCSI!

\

SsJ_B

/£l\ tb

L

E

S

S

0

N

1

New Friends

fc'Uto D

Q

o g u e

Mary, an international student who just arrived in Japan, talks to a Japanese student.

© L|i K01-01/02

» * i) i>

1 yru-

Mearii

2 tz 1+ L :

Takeshi

tb $> b

3 /T'J-

Mearii

4 tz It L :

Takeshi

■fAiHfAo v'£

Sumimasen. Ima nanji desu ka.

t d> *7 b U liX,Ti" 0

Juuniji han desu.

Arigatoo gozaimasu.

lie.

HI 111 >■>■>• 39

KOI -03/04

1 tz 111 :
Takeshi

) 6 * i) V'

2 / T >J - :

Mearii

3 Tclt L :
Takeshi

* u i'

4 y r >J - :

Mearii

£(7), r)> -9^< J>'o

Ano, ryuugakusee desu ka.

U, f'iv4/c'V'^<<7) 7j<<

Ee, Arizona daigaku no gakusee desu.

•?- 1 -Ur/L 3 ti ^'/CT'-f ©o

Soo desu ka. Senkoo wa nan desu ka.

uii/Cr'T-fo /C -tt v 'tto

Nihongo desu. Ima ninensee desu.

©

Mary: Excuse me. What time is it now?

Takeshi: Its half past twelve.

Mary: Thank you.

Takeshi: You’re welcome.

®

Takeshi: Um ... are you an international student?
Mary: Yes, I am a student at the University of Arizona.
Takeshi: I see. What is your major?

Mary: Japanese. I am a sophomore now.

40>>>£i£'3££St

Tc hu cZr

Vocabulary

K01-05

h<r>

ano

ima

X. V ' w

eego

L X.

ee

< -t+v '

gakusee

. . .go

z l Z i

kookoo

z z

gogo

r'-tfx

gozen

. . . sai

~ $ L

. . . san

~c

. . . ji

~ c ^

. . . jin

-tir/C 3 ^

senkoo

H± V '

sensee

* 9 T-f

soo desu

9 Ti*

soo desu ka

<

daigaku

X Lb

denwa

tomodachi

Li L

namae

LL/LL

nan/nani

izliL

Nihon

. . . nensee

liv '

hai

han

liXZ'9

bangoo

‘j H> 9 -ttv '

ryuugakusee

btz l

watashi

um . . .
now

English (language)
yes

student

. . . language ex. I C ( I L 3'

( nihongo ) Japanese language
high school

P.M.

A.M.

. . . years old
Mr./Ms. . . .
o’clock

ex. v ' % U ( ichiji ) one o’clock
. . . people ex. I - ( I L U L
(nihonjin) Japanese people
major

teacher; Professor . . .

That’s right.

I see.; Is that so?

college; university

telephone

friend

name

what

Japan

. . . year student ex. v ' £> faX -t f v '
( ichinensee ) first-year student
yes

half ex. IZ C (i/C (niji han) half

past two

number

international student
I

* Words that appear in the dialogue

ADDITIONAL VOCABULARY

K01-06

Countries

r / 'j fi

& tb ij i)'

T ¥') x

V' S* ij t

*-X h -7 'J T

« b -r t e> i) *

tf'/CZ <
x x.—T'y

■f 9 k. x. "C A,

^i:'<

Amerika

Igirisu

Oosutoraria

Kankoku

Suweeden

Chuugoku

U.S.A.

Britain

Australia

Korea

Sweden

China

Majors

kagaku

science

TS'TIt/C* rj» -7

i> u h

ajia kenkyuu

Asian studies

l+v '

keezai

economics

3 < * 'tJ'/CI+v '

kokusaikankee

international relations

3 y £

Z. k> Xf *P *? tz $>

konpyuutaa

computer

L/C£v>^<

jinruigaku

anthropology

seeji

politics

fcf v T X

rtf l* 4^ -4-

bijinesu

business

Cr U 9

.S/U«<

bungaku

literature

L

rekishi

history

ccupation

s

L 3"L

shigoto

job; work; occupation

\ ' L K 1

isha

doctor

kaishain

office worker

3 *5 3

kookoosee

high school student

L n> .)>

shufu

housewife

/c'v 'J* < v, 'X,-th '

daigakuinsee

graduate student

7c' V < -|+\. '

daigakusee

college student

^3"l

bengoshi

lawyer

a m i 1 y

*5^'* -25

okaasan

mother

& L 9 ^

otoosan

father

fc fc X. is L

oneesan

older sister

1- ^ ' ■J X/

oniisan

older brother

V ' 1 9 £

imooto

younger sister

fcL 9 £

otooto

younger brother

42 •£:>£■

Grammar

M x&YTrr

“It is 12:30.” “I am a student.” “My major is the Japanese language.” These sentences will all
be translated into Japanese using an appropriate noun and the word desu.

o Itis...

U 2 I- U ll/CT'-fo (It) is half past twelve.

Juuniji han desu.

() < ( -if t ' o (I) am a student.

Gakusee desu.

I C ( I L Z' T"~t o (My major) is the Japanese language.

Nihongo desu.

Note that none of these sentences has a “subject,” like the “it,” “I,” and “my major,” found in
their English counterparts. Sentences without subjects are very common in Japanese; Japa-
nese speakers actually tend to omit subjects whenever they think it is clear to the listener
what or who they are referring to.

What are we to do, then, when it is not clear what is being talked about? To make explicit
what we are talking about, we can say:

( i 1 2 ( i /C Z o is the Japanese language.

wa nihongo desu.

Where stands for the thing that is talked about, or the “topic,” which is later in the

sentence identified as nihongo. For example,

-tf /C Z 9 (i iZtl/CZ' T"i~ 0 (My) major is the Japanese language.

Senkoo wa nihongo desu.

Similarly, one can use the pattern X wa Y desu to identify a person or a thing X as item Y.

X IS Y Trlfo X is Y. As for X, it is Y.

btz b l± X - • 4-AT-fo

Watashi wa Suu Kimu desu.

I am Sue Kim.