Learn about thanking someone and making polite requests
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Peter: おはよう Tokyo. My name is Peter Galante and I am here with |
| Natsuko: Natsuko Kawamoto. |
| Peter: And we are bringing you basics in Japanese, in practical Japanese. We are coming to you from |
| Natsuko: Akasaka. |
| Peter: Akasaka, downtown Tokyo. |
| Natsuko: It’s actually the center of Tokyo. |
| Peter: Ah sorry about that. We are located right next to the diet, the National Diet. |
| Natsuko: Yeah, about a 10 minutes’ walk or something. |
| Peter: Yep and also there is a shrine nearby. Is that right? |
| Natsuko: Yes. It’s called Hie Jinja. |
| Peter: Hie Jinja, Hie shrine. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Peter: So okay now, we got a great lesson today. Umm and we are going to bring you today a show – the first show is going to be survival phrases. |
| Natsuko: That sounds nice. |
| Peter: And these phrases, with these phrases that we are going to teach you, we are going to about to give it to you, you would... I lasted one month. You could pretty much, I know people who have lasted years with just these phrases. |
| Natsuko: Pretty useful. That’s for sure. |
| Peter: Okay so without further ado, let’s jump right in. So let’s have the first phrase and the way our format is going to run umm, I am going to do my best. Well there’s good news and bad news. Would you like to hear the good news first? |
| Natsuko: Hmm go on. |
| Peter: Okay the good news is, you are usually not going to have to listen to my Japanese. However the bad news is that today, our third member, we have Natsuko and we have one more member who is not here today. So the problem is that I am going to have to do the Japanese today. So I apologize for that but the good news is that you will feel very confident about your Japanese because you get to hear my poor Japanese. |
| Natsuko: Well your Japanese is good. So be assured. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Peter: Okay so back to the format. Now, umm we are going to have Natsuko read the phrases and then we are going to break them down and explain them to you. So here we go. |
| Natsuko: ください |
| Peter: Okay one more time please. |
| Natsuko: ください |
| Peter: Okay. Now what does this word mean? |
| Natsuko: This word only means give me something. |
| Peter: Okay. |
| Natsuko: But when combined with other words, it means like please or when you want to be more polite, you usually use this word. |
| Peter: I see. |
| Natsuko: Something, something ください. That’s more polite. |
| Peter: I see. Okay right now, we will just concentrate on the first one. So, can you just break it down into the four syllables? |
| Natsuko: Okay く・だ・さ・い |
| Peter: Okay one more time. |
| Natsuko: く・だ・さ・い |
| Peter: Okay and I know, the best way to learn this stuff is to repeat it out loud. I know some of you might be listening on a train or something, but it might be difficult but do your best to say it under your breath because that’s the way you are going to get very good, very fast. Okay so now we have this word. Now we will give you a sample way that you can use it. It’s very useful. When I first came and I didn’t know how to order, I would go to a restaurant and point and what could I say? |
| Natsuko: ください |
| Peter: Yes. So you take the menu and the Japanese menus have lots of pictures. You find a lovely nice picture and point and… |
| Natsuko: ください |
| Peter: And then the food will be coming. So now we have this one. Now we are going to introduce one more phrase that has similar meaning. Could you please give us this phrase? |
| Natsuko: お願いします |
| Peter: Yes. One more time please? |
| Natsuko: お願いします |
| Peter: Okay and this also roughly translates to please correct? |
| Natsuko: Yes. But it’s – I think it’s more generally used than ください. |
| Peter: Yeah. |
| Natsuko: Yes it’s used when you ask someone a favour. |
| Peter: Ah yes. Oh that’s a very nice way of saying it. Now it’s two words. So what we are going to do is we are going to break these into two words and get the syllables for you. So please Natsuko? |
| Natsuko: お願い・します |
| Peter: Okay two words. Give us the first word please broken down into syllables. |
| Natsuko: お・ね・が・い・し・ま・す |
| Peter: Okay you have two words. Okay and how about I notice sometimes in a restaurant, you can use the ください to get the food, order it but when you want to get the attention of someone, you can use this word? |
| Natsuko: Of course お願いしまーす |
| Peter: Yes this is a very popular way to call somebody when you are ready to order. |
| Natsuko: Right. |
| Peter: Okay. |
| Natsuko: お願いしまーす |
| Peter: Yes. |
| Natsuko: Like that. |
| Peter: Very, very nice, okay. Now we are going to move on to the next phrase and this next phrase is the Swiss army knife as we call it of Japanese. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Peter: Wait! What did you call it, the magical word? |
| Natsuko: Yeah. You can, like, go anyway. You can go through any situation in just one phrase. |
| Peter: And this is the one phrase. If you know one phrase, if you just know one phrase, this is the phrase you want to know. Please listen. |
| Natsuko: どうも |
| Peter: Again |
| Natsuko: どうも |
| Peter: Okay now good luck with this question but can you give us a rough kind of translation or… |
| Natsuko: Umm ど、どうも… yeah it can mean thank you. |
| Peter: Thank you. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Peter: That could be the most popular. |
| Natsuko: Yes. And it can also mean hi. |
| Peter: Yeah. |
| Natsuko: And it can mean sometimes it can mean excuse me. So it’s kind of a general word when you want to talk to someone or you want to collect someone’s attention. |
| Peter: Yeah. So yeah those are the primary uses. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Peter: So now can you break it down for us? |
| Natsuko: ど・う・も |
| Peter: Yes okay one more time please. |
| Natsuko: ど・う・も |
| Peter: All of you out there, better be repeating this out loud. Okay so for example, umm let’s go back to our previous example. Say you – let’s do it like a restaurant situation. |
| Natsuko: Okay. |
| Peter: So you want to get the attention of the waiter. |
| Natsuko: お願いしまーす |
| Peter: Okay. The waiter comes over and you want to order and you point and |
| Natsuko: ください |
| Peter: Okay. Then your food comes and they put the food down. |
| Natsuko: どうも |
| Peter: There you go. You see how these words just all come together. Okay. So I know some of you out there are saying you know we need something else with どうも yes there is a very common expression that usually どうも goes with something else and that word is |
| Natsuko: ありがとう |
| Peter: Okay and what does this word mean? |
| Natsuko: That means thank you. |
| Peter: Okay. So can you just give us the word for thank you, two times please. |
| Natsuko: ありがとう |
| Peter: Good. |
| Natsuko: ありがとう |
| Peter: Okay very good and again thank you. So now just break it down into the syllables please. |
| Natsuko: あ・り・が・と・う |
| Peter: Yes okay one more time. |
| Natsuko: あ・り・が・と・う |
| Peter: Okay and then how about giving those phrases together. |
| Natsuko: どうもありがとう |
| Peter: Yes. So actually when you get your food, it would be more polite to say |
| Natsuko: どうもありがとう It sounds like thank you very much. So it’s more polite. |
| Peter: Yeah and yes, as you find out later, the society is very polite. Okay let’s get the next phrase. |
| Natsuko: はい、いいえ |
| Peter: Okay and I am sure most of you know what these words mean but one more time. |
| Natsuko: はい |
| Peter: Yes. |
| Natsuko: いいえ |
| Peter: No. Okay you will hear these phrases all the time. Okay and now could you just break it down by syllables? We will start with the S. |
| Natsuko: は・い |
| Peter: Yes. One more time. |
| Natsuko: は・い |
| Peter: Okay very nice and also now we will get the one for no. |
| Natsuko: い・い・え |
| Peter: Yes. You kind of have to hold the first いー right. Is that correct? |
| Natsuko: Yeah like you know pronounce it longer like いいえ like that. |
| Peter: Very, very nice. Okay and the last word, we are going to bring it to you today. We are going to give you daily doses of Japanese in ten minute frames. So the last phrase we have for today? |
| Natsuko: すみません |
| Peter: Okay and now this one again, this is not quite the Swiss army knife but again this is multiple situations. |
| Natsuko: Yes. You can – you hear it everywhere. It – it slightly means I am sorry but not stronger like that but more like excuse me or - |
| Peter: Yeah very, very nice way to explain it. So can you give it to us twice please? |
| Natsuko: うーん…●(08:58) |
| Peter: Very nice. One more time please? |
| Natsuko: すみません |
| Peter: Kind of like excuse me. Okay now could you break it down into the syllables for us? |
| Natsuko: す・み・ま・せ・ん |
| Peter: Very, very nice. One more time. |
| Natsuko: す・み・ま・せ・ん |
| Peter: Okay and now this also when you order, |
| Natsuko: すみません（↗） |
| Peter: Instead of the お願いします you can use this phrase |
| Natsuko: すみません（↘） |
| Peter: Or if you need to apologize for something. |
| Natsuko: すみません（↗） |
| Peter: Yeah if you bump somebody or something like this or you need to get someone’s attention right. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Peter: This would be the attention getter. |
| Natsuko: Yes maybe すみません（↗）） |
Outro |
| Peter: Yeah. Okay so I think that’s going to wrap it up for our first session today. |
| Natsuko: Yes and I am sure you can use these words in any situation all the time. |
| Peter: Yes and for those of you coming to Japan, these are the words you want to memorize. |
| Natsuko: Don’t forget. |
| Peter: Okay have a great day. |
| Natsuko: Thank you bye bye. |
| Peter: Bye bye. Be sure to stop by japanesepod101.com and check out the premium learning center. Inside we have material to bring everything you learned in the lesson together. Flash cards, quizzes, really consolidate what you learn in today’s lesson. Stop by, say hi and be sure to leave us a post. |
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