Learn about wishing someone a happy new year
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Sakura: さくらです。(Sakura desu.) |
| Peter: Peter here and we are back with another lesson. Today we have a very special lesson for you. Today we are going to be bringing you New Year’s Eve vocabulary. What do you think about that, Sakura? |
| Sakura: Hmm yes it’s exciting. New Year is always exciting. |
| Peter: Yes, and also Japan shuts down for the New Year. That’s correct, right? |
| Sakura: Yes, yes. |
| Peter: How long is the usual vacation? |
| Sakura: Well usually shops close until the 2nd of January. |
| Peter: Yes. |
| Sakura: And start opening after that. |
| Peter: Yeah, so we have about 5 days of vacation, correct? |
| Sakura: Yes, right. |
| Peter: Well most people do. As always, me and Sakura are the ones who are always working on the holidays. Christmas Eve… |
| Sakura: Yes. |
| Peter: New Year, I am so sorry, Sakura. |
| Sakura: Okay. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Peter: Okay, so we are going to start off. We have New Year’s Eve vocabulary words. Let’s start with the first one. |
| Sakura: 大晦日 (ōmisoka) |
| Peter: Okay, and one more time nice and slow. |
| Sakura: (slow)おおみそか (ōmisoka) |
| Peter: Okay, and what does this word mean? |
| Sakura: It means New Year’s Eve. |
| Peter: New Year’s Eve. Okay, and now, can you break it down by syllable? |
| Sakura: Okay. (slow)おおみそか (ōmisoka) |
| Peter: And one time fast. |
| Sakura: 大晦日 (ōmisoka) |
| Peter: Okay, very, very nice. New Year’s Eve. Okay, so today is |
| Sakura: 大晦日 (ōmisoka) |
| Peter: Okay, okay. What about tomorrow? Is there – so this is New Year’s Eve. What about New Year’s Day? Is there a word for New Year’s Day? |
| Sakura: Yes, 正月 (shōgatsu) |
| Peter: Okay, very nice. New Year’s Day and one more time nice and slow. |
| Sakura: (slow)しょうがつ (shōgatsu) |
| Peter: Okay, and please, by syllables. |
| Sakura: (slow)しょうがつ (shōgatsu) |
| Peter: Okay, so this is New Year’s Day. |
| Sakura: Right. |
| Peter: Okay, so you got these two words. Now let’s get some more vocabulary. I know on New Year’s Eve which is |
| Sakura: 大晦日 (ōmisoka) |
| Peter: Yes. There is a television show that is quite famous. |
| Sakura: Oh yes. |
| Peter: Can you give us the name of this show? |
| Sakura: Okay it’s called 紅白歌合戦 (kōhaku utagassen) |
| Peter: Oh wow! Okay. |
| Sakura: Okay. |
| Peter: We are going to have to break this down a little bit. So why don’t you give us the short version which is |
| Sakura: 紅白 (kōhaku) |
| Peter: Okay, and what does this mean? |
| Sakura: It literally means 紅 (kō) is red. |
| Peter: Yes. |
| Sakura: And 白 (haku) is white. |
| Peter: Okay. |
| Sakura: So it's a competition between Red team and White team and it's a competition between singers. |
| Peter: Ah singers! |
| Sakura: Yes, very famous singers in Japan. |
| Peter: Oh wow! This is very, very interesting. We had the first part. Now maybe you can give us the proper name of this. |
| Sakura: Okay, 紅白歌合戦 (kōhaku utagassen). |
| Peter: Okay, so we remember we had the 紅白 (kōhaku) in the beginning which is Red and White. Now can you break down the rest of this for us? |
| Sakura: (slow)うたがっせん (utagassen) |
| Peter: Okay. And what does this mean? |
| Sakura: It is a competition of songs. |
| Peter: Yeah singing competition. |
| Sakura: Singing competition, right. |
| Peter: Okay, so break it down a little further. |
| Sakura: Okay. (slow)うた (uta) |
| Peter: Okay, and what does this mean? |
| Sakura: This is a song or songs. |
| Peter: Yes. So we have Red, White song and last word |
| Sakura: 合戦 (gassen) |
| Peter: Okay, and break this down for us. |
| Sakura: It is competition, you know that kind of meaning. |
| Peter: Yeah, competition or, like battle or something. |
| Sakura: Right. |
| Peter: So give it to us one more time. |
| Sakura: 紅白歌合戦 (kōhaku utagassen) |
| Peter: Okay, and again this is |
| Sakura: It’s a program shown by a National TV station. |
| Peter: Yes. |
| Sakura: Yes, and it has run for so many years. |
| Peter: Really? |
| Sakura: Yeah, generations. |
| Peter: Generations. |
| Sakura: Yes and the notable thing is that it has new – young singers and also you know like I can’t say old singers – well, you know like traditional singers. |
| Peter: They really run the whole gamut. If you want to put it into US standards, they would have on one team rap singers, country singers. |
| Sakura: That’s right. |
| Peter: And Oprah singers on one team. |
| Sakura: Yes. |
| Peter: And then the red team for example and then the white team, they would have different members. |
| Sakura: Right. |
| Peter: Now is there something, it’s not female and male, right? |
| Sakura: It’s – red is female and white is male. |
| Peter: I see. So while the genres, all the music genres can be mixed, the sexes are separate. |
| Sakura: Right. |
| Peter: So it’s kind of like a battle of the sexes. |
| Sakura: That’s right. |
| Peter: Singing battle. |
| Sakura: Yes, yes. |
| Peter: It’s very interesting. It’s worth seeing. It’s because you know they do have all the top stars in Japan singing in this competition. So it’s pretty – I’ve seen it a few times. It’s quite interesting. |
| Sakura: Yes. |
| Peter: Okay, so let’s move on to another word. |
| Sakura: 年越しそば (toshikoshi soba) |
| Peter: Okay. Let’s get it one more time. Now there is food in there that you should listen for. Okay I will give you a hint. It’s towards the end. So listen one more time and see if you can get the name of the food. |
| Sakura: 年越しそば (toshikoshi soba) |
| Peter: Very, very nice. Okay, what’s the name of the food? |
| Sakura: そば (soba) |
| Peter: Yes, and again for – this is like Japanese Spaghetti but it’s actually called Buckwheat. |
| Sakura: That’s right, yeah. |
| Peter: Buckwheat Spaghetti I believe or buckwheat noodles. |
| Sakura: Noodles. |
| Peter: Yes, right. I am sorry, I am so sorry Sakura. Yes, Buckwheat noodles, the word for Buckwheat noodles is そば (soba). Now what about the first part. Can you give us that slowly? |
| Sakura: Okay. (slow)としこし (toshikoshi) |
| Peter: Okay, and what does this mean? |
| Sakura: It’s going to next year, going to New Year. |
| Peter: Yes. |
| Sakura: Yes. So 年越し (toshikoshi) is usually used for things done just before New Year. |
| Peter: Yeah. |
| Sakura: Going into the New Year. |
| Peter: Yeah, going into the New Year. Going into the New Year noodles, correct? |
| Sakura: That’s right, yeah. |
| Peter: Yes okay, so one time nice and slow please. |
| Sakura: (slow)としこしそば (toshikoshi soba) |
| Peter: Okay, and please by syllable. |
| Sakura: (slow)としこしそば (toshikoshi soba) |
| Peter: Very, very nice and one time fast. |
| Sakura: 年越しそば (toshikoshi soba) |
| Peter: Okay. So it's a very unique custom for Japanese people to eat this. What’s behind this? |
| Sakura: Well, would you like to tell us, Peter? |
| Peter: I would like you to tell us, Sakura. |
| Sakura: Okay, I heard that noodles are long. So it’s kind of wishing for a long life. |
| Peter: Ah, very interesting. Okay so a typical Japanese household might spend the night at home watching |
| Sakura: 紅白歌合戦 (kōhaku utagassen) |
| Peter: Yes, or simply |
| Sakura: 紅白 (kōhaku) |
| Peter: Yes, and then eating |
| Sakura: 年越しそば (toshikoshi soba) |
| Peter: Yes. And this is of course on New Year’s Eve. |
| Sakura: Which is 大晦日 (ōmisoka) |
| Peter: Yes. Okay, are there any other words you would like to share with everybody? |
| Sakura: 除夜の鐘 (joya no kane) |
| Peter: Okay, one more time nice and slowly. |
| Sakura: (slow)じょやのかね (joya no kane) |
| Peter: Okay, and what is the meaning of this? |
| Sakura: There is a huge bell at temples and when we are going into the New Year, the temples hit the bell. |
| Peter: Ring the bell, yeah. |
| Sakura: Ring the bell, yes. And we often go to temples at night or shrines at night to give prayers. |
| Peter: Yes. Can you break this down for us? |
| Sakura: (slow)じょやのかね (joya no kane) |
| Peter: Okay, and syllables please. |
| Sakura: (slow)じょやのかね (joya no kane) |
| Peter: Okay, and isn’t there a custom to give children money on New Years? |
| Sakura: Hah yes. |
| Peter: Can you tell us what’s this and how do they get their money? |
| Sakura: They put it in this little envelope. |
| Peter: Yes. |
| Sakura: Yes and give it to you. |
| Peter: Okay, and is there a special name for this money? |
| Sakura: Yes, お年玉 (o-toshidama) |
| Peter: Ah okay and can you break this down one more time, please? |
| Sakura: (slow)おとしだま (o-toshidama) |
| Peter: Okay, so break this down by syllable please. |
| Sakura: Okay. (slow)おとしだま (o-toshidama) |
| Peter: Okay, and one time fast. |
| Sakura: お年玉 (o-toshidama) |
| Peter: Okay, okay. So I think that’s going to cover today’s lesson. We don’t want it to put too much stress on you. We know most of you are running out or maybe some of you will catch this next year but we just wanted to give you a rough idea of how Japanese New Year’s is spent. Okay, so let’s just give you the words one more time. |
| Sakura: 大晦日 (ōmisoka) |
| Peter: New Year’s Eve. |
| Sakura: 正月 (shōgatsu) |
| Peter: New Year’s Day. |
| Sakura: 年越しそば (toshikoshi soba) |
| Peter: Yes, and this is coming to the New Year Noodles. |
| Sakura: 紅白 (kōhaku) or 紅白歌合戦 (kōhaku utagassen) |
| Peter: Yes. Battle of the sexes seeing competition. |
| Sakura: Right. |
| Peter: And |
| Sakura: お年玉 (o-toshidama) |
| Peter: Yes. This is a kid's present which is money, served up in an envelope. So we have one more expression we would like to give to you which is |
| Sakura: よいお年を (yoi o-toshi o) |
| Peter: Okay, and a little bit slower please. |
| Sakura: よいお年を (yoi o-toshi o) |
| Peter: And what does this mean? |
| Sakura: It means have a good New Year. |
| Peter: Yes okay, and can you break it down by syllable. |
| Sakura: Okay. (slow)よいおとしを (yoi o-toshi o) |
| Peter: Okay, and when can you use this? |
| Sakura: And you can use it when you see somebody for the last time that year. |
| Peter: Yeah, and it means have a good year. Have a great year, right? |
| Sakura: Right. |
Outro |
|---|
| Peter: Okay, so from everybody here at japanesepod101.com, we would like to say |
| Sakura: よいお年を (yoi o-toshi o) |
| Peter: Yes, よいお年を (yoi o-toshi o) okay that’s going to be it. Have a great year everybody. See you next year. |
| Sakura: またね。(Mata ne.) |
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