In this lesson two friends talk about where to find the subway. The conversation is in casual japanese, and is the first lesson to be released for a bit more advanced users.

Conversation

This conversation is an example of two adults, the close friends Taro and Jiro, walking around in an area they don’t know so well.

たろう:
 つかれた。ちかてつ　は　どこ？
じろう:
 えっと、その　おおきい　みち　で　みぎ　に　まがって、　
まっすぐ　４００　メートル　ぐらい　あるいたら　みえる　はず。
たろう:
 ええ？　そんな　に　とおい の？
じろう:
 バス　も　ある　けど。
たろう:
 じゃ、バス　に　しよう　か。
じろう:
 いいよ。

Romaji:

Tarou:
tsukareta. chikatetsu wa doko?
Jirou:
 etto, sono ookii michi de migi ni magatte, massugu 400 me-toru gurai aruitara mieru hazu.
Tarou:
ee? sonna ni tooi no?
Jirou:
basu mo aru kedo
Tarou:
ja, basu ni shiyou ka.
Jirou: iiyo.

English:

Taro:
I’m  tired. Where is the subway?
Jiro: Well, if you/we turn right at that big street and walk about 400 meter I think you/we will see it.
Taro: What, is it that far?
Jiro: There is a bus too though.
Taro: Then, let’s take the bus.
Jiro: Okay.

Vocabulary

疲れた つかれた tsukareta being tired, exhausted
地下鉄 ちかてつ chikatetsu subway
えっと etto well (said while thinking)
大きい おおきい ookii big
道 みち michi street
右 みぎ migi right
曲る まがる magaru turn (dictionary form)
曲って まがって magatte turn (using -te form, connecting it to the next part of the sentence)
まっすぐ massugu straight forward
歩く あるく aruku walk (dictionary form)
(あるい)たら arui-tara then if walking (connecting conditional form, similar to -eba described in the grammar)
ぐらい gurai about
はず hazu should be, is expected
ええ？ ee? (expression of surprise)
そんな　に sonna ni that (much/far/ etc.)
遠い とおい tooi far
バス basu bus
に　しよう ni shiyou let’s do

Notes

In this lesson, we have looked at a casual conversation between two friends. In this case, both are men, but the language is neutral and could be used for both men and women.

  • の？
    Some people may however note that the ending no in the sentence “ee, sonna ni tooi no?” is often used by women. While this is true, it is perfectly ok for men to use it when asking a question. Without the ending no in this sentence, it would sound more like he is questioning that it is far, instead of making it a rhetorical question as in this case.

User Comments

Maz corrected the dialogue and sent in some comments regarding the use of “shiyou ka” versus “shiyou ne”. He said that we could note that “… shiyou ne(e)” or “… shimasyou ne(e)” would be used from an adult to a child, mostly to one who’s not entered an elementary school yet. In the following case the teacher is asking the child to do something (but the adult may not carry out the task together with the child though).

  • “Haai, oekaki shimashou nee”
  • Okay, let’s draw the pictures.

Another possibility [using -you ne] is from a child to his/her friend. Again, the
children are small. Probably smaller than 7 or so. However, this time
he or she wants to do something together with the friend and asking
for the agreement. Here is an example:

  • A-kun: “Ashita wa kouen ni ikou ne!”
  • B-kun: “Un!”

 

  • A: “Let’s go to the park tomorrow!” (since we didn’t today — this is implied by “wa”)
  • B: “Yep!”

Mai comments that if the dialogue ended as follows, then it would sound like Taro is older/higher than Jiro, because it sounds like Taro already decided to take the bus without asking Jirou.

Jirou:
basu mo aru kedo
Tarou:
ja, basu ni shiyou ne.
Jirou: iiyo.

That’s it for this time. Please send me your comments in the forum.

Cheers,
Johan

Related posts:

  1. Free Japanese Lesson: Getting through an Airport
  2. Casual Japanese Verbs
  3. Free Japanese Lesson: Telling Time
  4. Free Japanese Lesson: Where are you from?
  5. Free Japanese Lesson: Greetings and Phrases