Learn the question "What's this?" in Japanese and how to answer it
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Janet: In each lesson of this 25 part series, you'll master a common question for Japanese learners, and then learn how to answer it like a native speaker. You'll learn how these key phrases work by breaking them down into each component. Then through repetition and new vocabulary, you'll expand your understanding of the question, its answers, and any variations. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Janet: In this lesson, you'll learn how to respond to the common question “What's this?” In Japanese this is |
| Kaori: これは何ですか。 |
| (これはなんですか。 Kore wa nan desu ka.) |
| Janet: The first word in the question is |
| Kaori: これ |
| (kore) |
| Janet: meaning “this” in English. |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) これ |
| (kore) |
| Janet: Listen again and repeat. |
| Kaori: これ |
| (kore) |
| {Pause} |
| Janet: This pattern of first introducing a word at natural speed, providing the translation, breaking it down, and then giving it again at natural speed will be repeated throughout the series. Try to speak aloud as often as possible. The next word in the question is |
| Kaori: は |
| (wa) |
| Janet: the topic marking particle. |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) は |
| (wa) |
| Janet: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: は |
| (wa) |
| {Pause} |
| Janet: Listen to the the first 2 words of the question and repeat. |
| Kaori: これ は |
| (kore wa) |
| {pause} |
| Janet: And next |
| Kaori: 何 |
| (なん nan) |
| Janet: meaning “what.” |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 何 |
| (なん nan) |
| Janet: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: 何 |
| (なん nan) |
| {Pause} |
| Janet: Listen to the the first 3 words of the question and repeat. |
| Kaori: これ は 何 |
| (これ は なん kore wa nan) |
| {pause} |
| Janet: And next |
| Kaori: です |
| (desu) |
| Janet: sentence ending particle meaning something like “is.” |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) です |
| (desu) |
| Janet: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: です |
| (desu) |
| {Pause} |
| Janet: Listen to the the first 4 words of the question and repeat. |
| Kaori: これ は 何 です |
| (これ は なん です kore wa nan desu) |
| {pause} |
| Janet: And after that |
| Kaori: か |
| (ka) |
| Janet: meaning (question marker). |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) か |
| (ka) |
| Janet: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: か |
| (ka) |
| {Pause} |
| Janet: Listen to the entire question and repeat. |
| Kaori: これ は 何 です か。 |
| (これ は なん です か。 Kore wa nan desu ka.) |
| {pause} |
| Janet: (You will hear this common question again and again throughout your studies.) Master the following pattern and responses to the question “What's this?” |
| Kaori: カメラです。 |
| (Kamera desu.) |
| Janet: "It's a camera.” Again, slowly. Repeat the phrase. |
| Kaori: (Slow) カメラです。 |
| (Kamera desu.) |
| {pause} |
| Janet: Let's break it down from the beginning. The first word: |
| Kaori: カメラ |
| (kamera) |
| Janet: means “camera.” |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) カメラ |
| (kamera) |
| Janet: Now repeat |
| Kaori: カメラ |
| (kamera) |
| {Pause} |
| Janet: And after that |
| Kaori: です |
| (desu) |
| Janet: sentence ending particle meaning something like “is.” |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) です |
| (desu) |
| Janet: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: です |
| (desu) |
| {Pause} |
| Janet: Listen to the speaker say, “It's a camera”, and then repeat. |
| Kaori: カメラです。 |
| (Kamera desu.) |
| {pause} |
| Janet: To expand on the pattern, replace “camera” with “computer”. |
| Kaori: パソコン |
| (pasokon) |
| Janet: computer |
| Kaori: (slow) パソコン(pasokon) |
| (regular) パソコン(pasokon) |
| Janet: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “computer” |
| Kaori: パソコンです。 |
| (Pasokon desu.) |
| Janet: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “camera” with “computer”. Say “It's a computer.” |
| {pause} |
| Kaori: パソコンです。 |
| (Pasokon desu.) |
| Janet: To use a different phrase, replace “computer” with “candy”. |
| Kaori: 飴 |
| (あめ ame) |
| Janet: candy |
| Kaori: (slow) 飴 |
| (あめ ame) (regular) 飴 |
| (あめ ame) |
| Janet: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “candy” |
| Kaori: 飴 です。 |
| (あめです。 Ame desu.) |
| Janet: To use a different phrase, replace “candy” with “green tea”. |
| {pause} |
| Kaori: 飴です。 |
| (あめです。 Ame desu.) |
| Janet: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “candy” with “green tea.” Say “It's green tea.” |
| Kaori: 緑茶 |
| (りょくちゃ ryokucha) |
| Janet: green tea |
| Kaori: (slow) 緑茶 |
| (りょくちゃ ryokucha) (regular) 緑茶 |
| (りょくちゃ ryokucha) |
| Janet: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “green tea” |
| Kaori: 緑茶です。 |
| (りょくちゃです。 Ryokucha desu.) |
| Janet: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “candy” with “green tea.” Say “It's green tea.” |
| {pause} |
| Kaori: 緑茶です。 |
| (りょくちゃです。 Ryokucha desu.) |
| QUIZ |
| Janet: Now it's time for a quiz. Imagine you are visiting Japan and someone asks you what something is. “It is a camera.” Respond to the question. |
| Kaori: これは何ですか。 |
| (これはなんですか。 Kore wa nan desu ka.) |
| (five seconds) カメラです。(Kamera desu.) |
| Janet: Now imagine that “it's a computer”. Respond to the question. |
| Kaori: これは何ですか。 |
| (これはなんですか。Kore wa nan desu ka.) |
| (five seconds) パソコンです。(Pasokon desu.) |
| Janet: Imagine that it's candy. . Answer the speaker's question. |
| Kaori: これは何ですか。 |
| (これはなんですか。Kore wa nan desu ka.) |
| (five seconds) 飴です。(あめです。 Ame desu.) |
| Janet: Imagine that it's green tea. Respond to the question. |
| Kaori: これは何ですか。 |
| (これはなんですか。Kore wa nan desu ka.) |
| (five seconds) 緑茶です。(りょくちゃです。 Ryokucha desu.) |
| Janet: You want to ask someone what something is. Ask the question |
| (5 seconds) |
| Kaori: これは何ですか。 |
| (これはなんですか。Kore wa nan desu ka.) |
| {pause} |
Outro |
| Janet: This is the end of Lesson 22 |
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