Dialogue

Lesson Transcript

Do you know how to talk about health in Japanese?
You'll learn how in just a moment.
Hi, my name is Emiri, and this is Three Step Japanese by JapanesePod101.com.
In this lesson, you'll learn how to talk about health through a quick conversation.
Let's look at the dialogue.
As you listen, pay attention to how they ask about the topic and how the other person responds.
はるとくん、かおいろが わるいですね。 どうしましたか。
Haruto-kun, kaoiro ga warui desu ne. Dō shimashita ka.
あたまが いたいです。 おなかも いたいです。
Atama ga itai desu. Onaka mo itai desu.
ねつが ある?
Netsu ga aru?
わかりません。
Wakarimasen.
じゃ、いえに かえる?
Ja, ie ni kaeru?
はい、そうします。
Hai, sō shimasu.
Let's break it down.
はるとくん、かおいろが わるいですね。 どうしましたか。
Haruto-kun, kaoiro ga warui desu ne. Dō shimashita ka.
Haruto, you don’t look well. What’s wrong?
あたまが いたいです。 おなかも いたいです。
Atama ga itai desu. Onaka mo itai desu.
My head hurts. My stomach hurts too.
First is the phrase, あたまが いたいです。 (atama ga itai desu), or "My head hurts." あたまが いたいです。 This starts with the word, あたま (atama), meaning "head." あたま . あたま.
Next is が (ga), the subject-marking particle.
After this is いたい (itai), meaning "hurts." いたい . いたい.
Last is です (desu), a polite sentence-ending particle. です . です.
All together, it's あたまが いたいです。 (atama ga itai desu). "My head hurts." あたまが いたいです。
Next is the phrase, おなかも いたいです。 (onaka mo itai desu), or "My stomach also hurts." おなかも いたいです。 This starts with the word, おなか (onaka), meaning "stomach." おなか . おなか.
Next is も (mo), the particle indicating "also."
After this is いたい (itai), meaning "hurts." いたい . いたい.
Last is です (desu), a polite sentence-ending particle. です . です.
All together, it's おなかも いたいです。 (onaka mo itai desu). "My stomach also hurts." おなかも いたいです。
All together, it’s あたまが いたいです。 おなかも いたいです。 (atama ga itai desu. onaka mo itai desu). "My head hurts. My stomach also hurts." あたまが いたいです。 おなかも いたいです。
ねつが ある?
Netsu ga aru?
Do you have a fever?
わかりません。
Wakarimasen.
I don’t know.
じゃ、いえに かえる?
Ja, ie ni kaeru?
Then, shall we go home?
はい、そうします。
Hai, sō shimasu.
Yes, let’s do that.
Let's look at the sentence pattern.
This pattern is the structure that all of our examples will follow.
[Person] は [noun] が いたいです。
([Person] wa [noun] ga itai desu.)
[Person]'s [noun] hurts.
Let’s see how a line from the dialogue follows this pattern.
あたまが いたいです。
(Atama ga itai desu.)
'My head hurts.'
Notice how あたま (atama), meaning “head,” is followed by the subject marking particle が (ga). The phrase is then followed by いたいです (itai desu), which means “hurts.”
So, あたまが いたいです。 shows how the noun (the body part) is marked as the subject with が, and いたいです expresses that it hurts.
This is how the pattern [Person] は [noun] が いたいです。 is used to describe pain in a specific body part.
There are two more patterns which can be used to describe health conditions.
[Person] は [noun] が でます。 ([Person] wa [noun] ga demasu.)
This translates literally to "Something comes out of [Person]'s [Noun]." You can use it to describe things like a runny nose.
Next is
[Person] は [noun] が あります。
([Person] wa [noun] ga arimasu.)
[Person] has a [noun].
You use this pattern when saying a person has a specific illness, like a cold or fever.
Now let's look at some speaking examples.
むすこは ねつが あります。 (Musuko wa netsu ga arimasu.)
My son has a fever.
Can you see how the patterns apply here?
Let's break it down:
First is "むすこは" (musuko wa) - むすこ means "son," and は marks it as the topic of the sentence. "ねつ" means fever, and が marks it as the subject of the sentence. Finally, "あります" means "has." All together, it's "My son has a fever," and it follows the "Person wa noun ga arimasu" pattern.
Here's another example
せきと くしゃみが でます。 (Seki to kushami ga demasu.)
I have a cough and I'm sneezing.
せきと くしゃみが でます。 (Seki to kushami ga demasu.)
I have a cough and I'm sneezing.
Let's try one more,
きのうから のどが いたいです。 (Kinō kara nodo ga itai desu.)
My throat has been hurting since yesterday.
きのうから のどが いたいです。 (Kinō kara nodo ga itai desu.)
My throat has been hurting since yesterday.
Another one.
せんしゅうから おなかが いたいです。 (Senshū kara onaka ga itai desu.)
My stomach has been hurting since last week.
せんしゅうから おなかが いたいです。 (Senshū kara onaka ga itai desu.)
My stomach has been hurting since last week.
One last example.
おなかが いたいです。 あたまも いたいです。 ()
My stomach hurts. My head hurts too.
おなかが いたいです。 あたまも いたいです。 (Onaka ga itai desu. Atama mo itai desu.)
My stomach hurts. My head hurts too.
Let's review.
Do you remember how to say "head"?
あたま (atama)
あたま (atama)
And what the subject marking particle is?
が (ga)
が (ga)
Do you remember how to say "it hurts"?
いたいです (itai desu)
いたいです (itai desu)
And how to say "my head hurts"?
あたまが いたいです (atama ga itai desu)
あたまが いたいです (atama ga itai desu)
Do you remember how to say "stomach"?
おなか (onaka)
おなか (onaka)
And how to say "too"?
も (mo)
も (mo)
Do you remember how to say "my stomach hurts too"?
おなかも いたいです (onaka mo itai desu)
おなかも いたいです (onaka mo itai desu)
And how to say "My head hurts. My stomach hurts too."?
あたまが いたいです。 おなかも いたいです。 (atama ga itai desu. onaka mo itai desu.)
あたまが いたいです。 おなかも いたいです。 (atama ga itai desu. onaka mo itai desu.)
Now you know how to talk about health in Japanese.
...and you can move on to the practice.
またね (mata ne)!

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