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| INTRODUCTION |
| Natsuko: ナツコです。(Natsuko desu.) |
| Sachiko: Sachiko here. So Natsuko-san, today’s conversation is pretty simple, isn’t it? |
| Natsuko: Yes, I think so but it includes both the polite Japanese and the casual Japanese, doesn’t it? |
| Sachiko: Right, and it’s really, really important to distinguish between these two when you are speaking Japanese because you don’t want to be rude to a person that you’ve met for the first time or a person who is older than you. |
| Natsuko: Yes, so. |
| Sachiko: Exactly. Yeah just a little bit of attention right there. |
| Natsuko: Yes. So notice that when the conversation takes place between the members of a family, it’s the casual Japanese. |
| Sachiko: Right. |
| Natsuko: But when you are calling someone outside the family, you switch to polite form. Exactly. |
| Sachiko: Right. This concept is a little bit hard for people to understand perhaps but within the group that you belong to, it will be casual. |
| Natsuko: Yes, yes. |
| Sachiko: But to outsiders… |
| Natsuko: Or just someone very intimate. |
| Sachiko: Right. |
| Natsuko: So just pay a little attention to that change of style. |
| Sachiko: Yep. So here we go. |
| DIALOGUE |
| 夫 (otto) : 今何時だ？(Ima nan-ji da?) |
| 妻 (tsuma) : １０:１１。(Jū-ji jū ippun.) |
| 夫 (otto) : あの子はまだか。(Ano ko wa mada ka.) |
| 妻 (tsuma) : まだ？藤原さんに電話するわ。。。(Mada? Fujiwara-san ni denwa suru wa…) |
| 藤原 (Fujiwara) : もしもし、藤原です。(Moshimoshi, Fujiwara desu.) |
| 妻 (tsuma) : 高橋ですが、すみません。智子はそちらにいますか。(Takahashi desu ga, sumimasen. Tomoko wa sochira ni imasu ka.) |
| 藤原 (Fujiwara) : いいえ。こちらにはいませんよ。(Iie. Kochira ni wa imasen yo.) |
| 妻 (tsuma) : ありがとうございます。(Arigatō gozaimasu.) |
| 藤原 (Fujiwara) : はい、失礼します。(Hai, shitsurei shimasu.) |
| 妻 (tsuma) : あの子はどこ？(Ano ko wa doko?) |
| もう一度お願いします。ゆっくりお願いします。(Mō ichi-do onegai shimasu. Yukkuri onegai shimasu.) |
| 夫 (otto) : 今何時だ？(Ima nan-ji da?) |
| 妻 (tsuma) : １０:１１。(Jū-ji jū ippun.) |
| 夫 (otto) : あの子はまだか。(Ano ko wa mada ka.) |
| 妻 (tsuma) : まだ？藤原さんに電話するわ。。。(Mada? Fujiwara-san ni denwa suru wa…) |
| 藤原 (Fujiwara) : もしもし、藤原です。(Moshimoshi, Fujiwara desu.) |
| 妻 (tsuma) : 高橋ですが、すみません。智子はそちらにいますか。(Takahashi desu ga, sumimasen. Tomoko wa sochira ni imasu ka.) |
| 藤原 (Fujiwara) : いいえ。こちらにはいませんよ。(Iie. Kochira ni wa imasen yo.) |
| 妻 (tsuma) : ありがとうございます。(Arigatō gozaimasu.) |
| 藤原 (Fujiwara) : はい、失礼します。(Hai, shitsurei shimasu.) |
| 妻 (tsuma) : あの子はどこ？(Ano ko wa doko?) |
| 次は英語が入ります。(Tsugi wa Eigo ga hairimasu.) |
| 夫 (otto) : 今何時だ？(Ima nan-ji da?) |
| HUSBAND: What time is it now? |
| 妻 (tsuma) : １０:１１。(Jū-ji jū ippun.) |
| WIFE: It's 10:11. |
| 夫 (otto) : あの子はまだか。(Ano ko wa mada ka.) |
| HUSBAND: That kid's not back yet? |
| 妻 (tsuma) : まだ？藤原さんに電話するわ。。。(Mada? Fujiwara-san ni denwa suru wa…) |
| WIFE: Not yet? I'll call the Fujiwaras. |
| 藤原 (Fujiwara) : もしもし、藤原です。(Moshimoshi, Fujiwara desu.) |
| FUJIWARA: Hello, It's Fujiwara. Good evening. |
| 妻 (tsuma) : 高橋ですが、すみません。智子はそちらにいますか。(Takahashi desu ga, sumimasen. Tomoko wa sochira ni imasu ka.) |
| WIFE: It's Takahashi. Excuse me, is Tomoko there? |
| 藤原 (Fujiwara) : いいえ。こちらにはいませんよ。(Iie. Kochira ni wa imasen yo.) |
| FUJIWARA: No, she isn't here. |
| 妻 (tsuma) : ありがとうございます。(Arigatō gozaimasu.) |
| WIFE: Thank you. |
| 藤原 (Fujiwara) : はい、失礼します。(Hai, shitsurei shimasu.) |
| FUJIWARA: Sure, goodbye. |
| 妻 (tsuma) : あの子はどこ？(Ano ko wa doko?) |
| WIFE: Where is that kid? |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Sachiko: So Natsuko-san, what did you think? |
| Natsuko: I am a bit worried with this, Tomoko. |
| Sachiko: Yeah, so it’s kind of worrisome that the parents don’t know where the daughter is. I am wondering how old she is. |
| Natsuko: Umm |
| Sachiko: Because that would really bother me. |
| Natsuko: Very concerning. |
| Sachiko: ですね。(Desu ne.) I remember when I was a high school kid, I had a curfew of 11 PM and so 11:01 comes and I am not home, they would freak out. My parents would start calling everybody. So let’s look at today’s vocabulary. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Sachiko: ナツコさん、お願いします。(Natsuko-san, onegai shimasu.) |
| Natsuko: 何時 (nan-ji) |
| Sachiko: What time? |
| Natsuko: (slow) なんじ (nan-ji) (natural speed) 何時 (nan-ji) |
| Sachiko: So this consists of two letters, right? 何 (nan) is what. It can also be read なに (nani). |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Sachiko: And 時 (ji) is the character for hour or time. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Sachiko: 時間 (jikan) |
| Natsuko: Right. |
| Sachiko: So together it means what time. |
| Natsuko: Yes, pretty simple. |
| Sachiko: Okay, next word, please. |
| Natsuko: 電話 (denwa) |
| Sachiko: Telephone. |
| Natsuko: (slow) でんわ (denwa) (natural speed) 電話 (denwa) |
| Sachiko: Yes, there are so many types of telephones now. |
| Natsuko: Right. |
| Sachiko: Aren’t there? So what’s the most common form of phone used in Japan right now? |
| Natsuko: Yes, it’s 携帯電話 (keitai denwa). |
| Sachiko: Cell phone and what does 携帯 (keitai) mean in Japanese? |
| Natsuko: It means to carry with you. |
| Sachiko: So it just means portable phone or a mobile phone. |
| Natsuko: Right. |
| Sachiko: What’s the word for a regular landline? |
| Natsuko: 固定電話 (kotei denwa) |
| Sachiko: So 固定 (kotei) means fixed or fixed line phone. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Sachiko: I hardly use that anymore. |
| Natsuko: Yes, but... me neither. |
| Sachiko: 次お願いします。(Tsugi onegai shimasu.) |
| Natsuko: 失礼 (shitsurei) |
| Sachiko: Excuse me, goodbye. |
| Natsuko: (slow) しつれい (shitsurei) (natural speed) 失礼 (shitsurei) |
| Sachiko: In what kind of situation would you use this? |
| Natsuko: Just like a casual “excuse me” or it’s starting a conversation with someone to attract someone’s attention. This word actually means no courtesy. So it’s like you know excuse me if this is rude. |
| Sachiko: Ah, so you are sort of apologizing in advance for what you are about to do. |
| Natsuko: Very typical Japanese. |
| Sachiko: Apologize before you do anything. |
| Natsuko: Yes, apologizing first. |
| Sachiko: So you are apologizing for intruding on their conversation if you are about to cut someone off or maybe you are going to ask them to move out of the way, step out of the way so you just want to say hey sorry, I have to ask you this. |
| Natsuko: Yes, exactly. |
| Sachiko: Very Japanese. |
| Natsuko: Yes. And also very polite. |
| Sachiko: Next word, please. |
| Natsuko: どこ (doko) |
| Sachiko: Where. |
| Natsuko: (slow) どこ (doko) (natural speed) どこ (doko) |
| Sachiko: Now in the conversation, where does that come up? |
| Natsuko: あの子はどこ？(Ano ko wa doko?) |
| Sachiko: Where is she or where is that kid, literally. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Sachiko: Can you give us a sample sentence? |
| Natsuko: 今どこですか。(Ima doko desu ka.) |
| Sachiko: Where are you now? |
| Natsuko: That’s a conversation you hear a lot on a mobile phone. |
| Sachiko: Oh definitely because you never know where they are at and 今どこですか (ima doko desu ka) is the polite form, isn’t it? |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Sachiko: Because it says ですか (desu ka) instead of just 今どこ？(Ima doko?) |
| Natsuko: Right. So among friends, you can just ask 今どこ？(Ima doko?) |
| Sachiko: Last word, please. |
| Natsuko: まだ (mada) |
| Sachiko: Yet. |
| Natsuko: (slow) まだ (mada) (natural speed) まだ (mada) |
| Sachiko: So this is to say that something hasn’t occurred yet. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Sachiko: Could you use that in a sentence, please? |
| Natsuko: まだ何もしてません。(Mada nani mo shite masen.) |
| Sachiko: I haven’t done anything yet. |
| Natsuko: I think you shouldn’t use this in business. |
| Sachiko: Yeah, that would be a big no, no. I haven’t done anything yet. |
| Natsuko: You don’t have to be that honest. |
| Sachiko: Just say, 頑張ってます (ganbatte masu), which means I am trying really hard. |
| Natsuko: Yes, that would be much better. |
| Sachiko: Yeah, better response. |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| Sachiko: Okay, let’s look at today’s grammar point. So today’s grammar point is different ways of saying here, there in casual Japanese and in polite Japanese. So let’s look at a couple of examples, shall we? |
| Natsuko: ここ (koko) |
| Sachiko: So ここ (koko) is the normal way. The usual way of saying it here in Japanese. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Sachiko: And there is a different way of saying this? |
| Natsuko: こちら (kochira) |
| Sachiko: That’s a little bit more polite and a little bit more vague. |
| Natsuko: Yes, it can mean this way or this direction. |
| Sachiko: Right. |
| Natsuko: Instead of pinpointing to one location which the word ここ (koko) would do. |
| Sachiko: Yes, ここ (koko) is more like a direct point. |
| Natsuko: Right. |
| Sachiko: Here right here. |
| Natsuko: One point on the map. |
| Sachiko: Yes, true. So that’s why こちら (kochira) is used in a more polite conversation. People like to not directly pointing out to someone. |
| Natsuko: Right. |
| Sachiko: But kind of vaguely hinting at a direction. That’s true. Let’s look at the word there. |
| Natsuko: そこ (soko) |
| Sachiko: Which is the normal way of saying it and |
| Natsuko: そちら (sochira) |
| Sachiko: Again like こちら (kochira), it’s a little bit more vague and a little bit more polite. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Sachiko: Great. What about over there? |
| Natsuko: あそこ (asoko) |
| Sachiko: Is the normal way. What’s the polite way? |
| Natsuko: あちら (achira) |
| Sachiko: And what’s the word for where? |
| Natsuko: どこ (doko) |
| Sachiko: The normal way and the polite way is |
| Natsuko: どちら (dochira) |
| Sachiko: I see. So there is a pattern. The polite form or the more vague way of saying it, all have ちら (chira) on it. |
| Natsuko: Yes, ちら (chira). |
| Sachiko: こちら (kochira), そちら (sochira), あちら (achira), どちら (dochira). |
| Natsuko: Yes. So you take the first syllable for each of the normal ways. |
| Sachiko: So ここ (koko) would be こ (ko). |
| Natsuko: And add ちら(chira). |
| Sachiko: And it makes こちら (kochira). |
| Natsuko: Right. Very simple. So just remember the normal pattern and ちら (chira). |
| Sachiko: Right. |
| Natsuko: And you know how to say it more politely. |
| Sachiko: Right. Or if you are really lost and you don’t know where they are going, you can be more vague. You can be vague and polite at the same time. Kills two birds with one stone. |
| Natsuko: Very convenient. |
| Sachiko: Yes. |
| Natsuko: So this vague and polite expression is often used for a person. |
| Sachiko: Ah that’s true when you are introducing people. |
| Natsuko: Yes. In a very polite way. こちら (kochira) can mean this person. |
| Sachiko: Right. |
| Natsuko: そちら (sochira), that person. あちら(achira), the person over there. |
| Sachiko: A little bit further away from you. |
| Natsuko: And どちら (dochira) may mean who. |
| Sachiko: So the polite way of saying who on earth are you would be |
| Natsuko: どちら様ですか。(Dochira-sama desu ka.) |
| Sachiko: Who are you? Big difference, isn’t there? |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
Outro |
|---|
| Sachiko: Yeah. |
| Natsuko: それじゃ、また来週。(Soreja, mata raishū.) |
| Sachiko: See you next week. |
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