How to Ask for Clarification

Dialogue

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Vocabulary (Review)

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Lesson Transcript

Welcome to Can-Do Japanese by JapanesePod101.com.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to ask for clarification in Japanese.

For example, "One more time, please. Slowly, please." is

もういちどおねがいします。ゆっくり　おねがいします。 (Mō ichi-do onegai shimasu. Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

Rin Sasaki meets her neighbor, Shin Ishikawa, for the first time in the lobby of their building.

Shin introduces himself, but Rin doesn't catch his name and asks for clarification.

Before you hear the conversation, let's preview some of its key components,

もういちど (mō ichi-do)

"one more time"

もういちど (enunciated)

もういちど

ゆっくり (yukkuri)

"slowly"

ゆっくり (enunciated)

ゆっくり

Listen to the conversation, and focus on Rin's request.

Ready?

はじめまして。いしかわです。(Hajimemashite. Ishikawa desu.)

すみません、もういちど　おねがいします。ゆっくり　おねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu. Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

い・し・か・わ・です。(Ishikawa desu.)

Once more with the English translation.

はじめまして。いしかわです。(Hajimemashite. Ishikawa desu.)

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ishikawa."

すみません、もういちど　おねがいします。ゆっくり　おねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu. Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

"Excuse me, one more time, please. Slowly, please."

い・し・か・わ・です。(Ishikawa desu.)

"I'm I-shi-ka-wa."

Let's break down the conversation.

Do you remember how Shin introduces himself?

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ishikawa."

はじめまして。いしかわです。 (Hajimemashite. Ishikawa desu.)

First is はじめまして, meaning, "Nice to meet you." はじめまして。

Next is the sentence, いしかわです, translating as, "I'm Ishikawa." いしかわです。

First is Shin Ishikawa's family name: いしかわ (Ishikawa) い-し-か-わ. いしかわ。

In Japanese, it's common for people to introduce themselves with just their family name.

Last is です. In this case, it's like the "am" in "I am." It's a linking verb. で-す. です.

Together, it's いしかわです, "I'm Ishikawa."

This is the shortened version of わたしはいしかわです。

The first part, わたしは, meaning, "As for me…" is omitted since the context is clear, as Shin, the speaker, is introducing himself.

All together, it's はじめまして。いしかわです meaning, "Nice to meet you. I'm Ishikawa."

はじめまして。いしかわです。 (Hajimemashite. Ishikawa desu.)

Do you remember how Rin says,

"Excuse me. One more time, please. Slowly, please."

すみません、もういちどおねがいします。ゆっくりおねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu. Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

First is すみません, meaning "excuse me," in this context. す-み-ま-せ-ん. すみません.

Here, Rin intends to ask Shin to say his name again, so she starts with すみません, "excuse me," before asking him to do so.

Next is もういちどおねがいします or "One more time, please." もういちどおねがいします。

This expression has several parts.

First is もう, meaning, "more" in this context. も-う. もう.

After this is いちど, "one time." いちど.

いち "one." いち. And ど, "time." ど.

Together, もういちど, "One more time." もういちど.

Last is the phrase おねがいします, "please." お-ね-が-い-し-ま-す. おねがいします.

All together, it's もういちどおねがいします。Literally, this means, "More one time, please," but it translates as "One more time, please."

もういちど　おねがいします。(Mō ichi-do onegai shimasu.)

The next sentence is ゆっくりおねがいします, "Slowly, please." ゆっくりおねがいします。

First, ゆっくり "slowly." ゆっ-く-り. ゆっくり.

Pronunciation note: The small つ in ゆっくり, is not pronounced as つ, but it indicates a pause. Listen again to the pronunciation&ゆっくり. ゆっくり.

Next is おねがいします, "please." おねがいします.

Together, ゆっくりおねがいします "Slowly, please."

ゆっくりおねがいします。(Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

All together, すみません、もういちどおねがいします。ゆっくりおねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu. Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

Excuse me. One more time, please. Slowly, please.

Do you remember how Shin repeats his name slowly?

い・し・か・わ・です。(Ishikawa desu.)

いしかわです。

Let's look at the expressions once more.

Listen and repeat.

すみません。(Sumimasen.)

"Excuse me."

すみません。

もういちどおねがいします。(Mō ichi-do onegai shimasu.)

"One more time, please."

もういちどおねがいします

ゆっくりおねがいします。(Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

"Slowly, please."

ゆっくりおねがいします。

すみません、ゆっくりおねがいします。(Sumimasen, yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

"Excuse me, slowly please."

すみません、ゆっくりおねがいします。

すみません、もういちどおねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu. )

"Excuse me, one more time, please."

すみません、もういちどおねがいします。

すみません、もういちどおねがいします。ゆっくりおねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu. Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

"Excuse me, one more time, please. Slowly, please."

すみません、もういちどおねがいします。ゆっくりおねがいします。

わかりません。(Wakarimasen.)

"I don't understand."

わかりません。

かいてください。(Kaite kudasai.)

"Please write it down."

かいてください。

Did you notice the new expressions we used?

わかりません。(Wakarimasen.) かいてください。(Kaite kudasai.)

First is わかりません。(Wakarimasen.)

"I don't understand." わ-か-り-ま-せ-ん. わかりません。

Next is かいてください。(Kaite kudasai.)

"Please write it down." か-い-て-く-だ-さ-い。. かいてください。

For now, please remember わかりません。and かいてください。as a set phrases.

わかりません。(Wakarimasen.) "I don't understand." わかりません。

かいてください。"Please write it down." かいてください。

Let's review.

Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation.

Ready?

Do you remember how to say,

"Excuse me."

すみません.

And how to say,

"One more time."

もういちど.

Do you remember how to say,

"please."

おねがいします.

Do you remember how Rin says,

"Excuse me. One more time, please."

すみません、もういちど　おねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu.)

Do you remember how to say, "slowly?"

ゆっくり.

Do you remember how Rin says,

"Slowly, please."

ゆっくりおねがいします。(Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

Do you remember how to say "Nice to meet you?"

はじめまして。

Do you remember how Shin Ishikawa introduces himself?

はじめまして。いしかわです。(Hajimemashite. Ishikawa desu.)

Do you remember how to say,

"Please write it down."

かいてください。(Kaite kudasai.)

Let's practice.

Imagine you're Haruto Sasaki. Shin Ishikawa introduces himself, but you don't catch his name. Start with "Excuse me," and ask him to say it one more time.

Ready?

はじめまして。いしかわです。(Hajimemashite. Ishikawa desu.)

すみません、もういちどおねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu.)

Listen again and repeat.

すみません、もういちどおねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu.)

Let's try another.

Imagine you're Shin Ishikawa. Ask Megumi to say it one more time, and slowly, please.

Don't forget, "Excuse me."

Ready?

はじめまして。ささきめぐみです。(Hajimemashite. Sasaki Megumi desu.)

すみません、もういちどおねがいします。ゆっくりおねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu. Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

Listen again and repeat.

すみません、もういちどおねがいします。ゆっくりおねがいします。(Sumimasen, mō ichi-do onegai shimasu. Yukkuri onegai shimasu.)

Let's try one more.

Imagine you're Shin Ishikawa. Start with "Excuse me," and ask Rin Sasaki to "please write it down."

Ready?

はじめまして。ささきりんです。(Hajimemashite. Sasaki Rin desu.)

すみません、かいてください。(Sumimasen, kaite kudasai.)

Listen again and repeat.

すみません、かいてください。(Sumimasen, kaite kudasai.)

Well done! This is the end of this lesson.

In this lesson, you learned how to ask for clarification in Japanese. This plays an essential role in the larger skill of getting clarification on things when you're speaking Japanese.

Remember, these Can Do lessons are about learning practical language skills.

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