Learn the question "Do you speak Japanese?" in Japanese and how to answer it
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Gabriella: 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 |
|---|
| Gabriella: In this lesson, you'll learn how to respond to the common question “Do you speak Japanese?” In Japanese this is |
| Kaori: 日本語を話せますか。 |
| (にほんごをはなせますか。 Nihongo o hanasemasu ka.) |
| The first word in the question is |
| Kaori: 日本語 |
| (にほんご nihongo) |
| Gabriella: meaning "Japanese language" in English. |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 日本語 |
| (にほんご nihongo) |
| Gabriella: Listen again and repeat. |
| Kaori: 日本語 |
| (にほんご nihongo) |
| {Pause} |
| Gabriella: 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: を |
| (o) |
| Gabriella: the object marking particle. |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) を |
| (o) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: を |
| (o) |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the the first 2 words of the question and repeat. |
| Kaori: 日本語を |
| （にほんごを nihongo o） |
| {pause} |
| And after that |
| Kaori: 話せます |
| (はなせます hanasemasu) |
| Gabriella: meaning "to be able to speak". |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 話せます |
| (はなせます hanasemasu) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: 話せます |
| (はなせます hanasemasu) |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the the first 3 words of the question and repeat. |
| Kaori: 日本語を 話せます |
| （にほんご を はなせます nihongo o hanasemasu） |
| {pause} |
| And after that |
| Kaori: か |
| (ka) |
| Gabriella: the question marking particle. |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) か |
| (ka) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: か |
| (ka) |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the entire question and repeat. |
| Kaori: 日本語を 話せますか。 |
| （にほんご を はなせます か。 Nihongo o hanasemasu ka.） |
| {pause} |
| Gabriella: Master the following pattern and responses to the question "Do you speak Japanese?" |
| Kaori: はい、ちょっと話せます。 |
| (はい、ちょっとはなせます。 Hai. chotto hanasemasu.) |
| Gabriella: "Yes, I speak a little.” Again, slowly. Repeat the phrase. |
| Kaori: (Slow) はい、ちょっと話せます。 |
| （はい、ちょっとはなせます。 Hai. chotto hanasemasu.) |
| {pause} |
| To say "no", in a simple way, just say: |
| Kaori: いいえ、話せません。 |
| (いいえ、はなせません。 iie, hanasemasen.) |
| Gabriella: Which is like saying "No, I don't." in English. Let's hear it slowly. |
| Kaori: (Slowly) いいえ、話せません。 |
| （いいえ、はなせません。 iie, hanasemasen.） |
| Gabriella: And one more time at normal speed: |
| Kaori: いいえ、話せません。 |
| (いいえ、はなせません。 iie, hanasemasen.) |
| Gabriella: Let's break our first response down from the beginning. The first word: |
| Kaori: はい |
| (hai) |
| Gabriella: meaning “yes.” |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) はい |
| (hai) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat |
| Kaori: はい |
| (hai) |
| {Pause} |
| Gabriella: And after that |
| Kaori: ちょっと |
| meaning "a little" |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable)ちょっと |
| Gabriella: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: ちょっと |
| (ちょっと chotto) |
| {Pause} |
| Gabriella: And next |
| Kaori: 話せます |
| (はなせます hanasemasu) |
| meaning "to be able to speak." |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 話せます |
| (はなせます hanasemasu) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: 話せます |
| (はなせます hanasemasu) |
| {Pause} |
| Gabriella: Listen to the speaker say, “Yes, I speak a little,” and then repeat. |
| Kaori: はい、ちょっと話せます。 |
| （はい、ちょっとはなせます。 Hai. chotto hanasemasu.) |
| {pause} |
| Gabriella: To expand on the pattern, replace “a little” with “kind of” |
| Kaori: まあまあ |
| (maamaa) |
| Gabriella: meaning something like “kind of” or “so so.” |
| Kaori: (slow) まあまあ (maamaa) |
| (regular) まあまあ (maamaa) |
| Gabriella: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “kind of” |
| Kaori: はい、まあまあ話せます。 |
| （はい、まあまあはなせます。 Hai. maamaa hanasemasu.) |
| Gabriella: Now, Say "Yes, I can kind of speak Japanese." |
| {pause} |
| Kaori: はい、まあまあ話せます。 |
| （はい、まあまあはなせます。 Hai. maamaa hanasemasu.) |
| Gabriella: To make another phrase, replace “kind of” with “fluently.” |
| Kaori: 流暢に |
| (りゅうちょうに ryuucho ni) |
| Gabriella: fluently |
| Kaori: (slow) 流暢に |
| (りゅうちょうに ryuuchou ni) (regular) 流暢に |
| (りゅうちょうに ryuuchou ni) |
| Gabriella: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “fluently.” |
| Kaori: はい、流暢に話せます。 |
| （はい、りゅうちょうにはなせます。 Hai, ryuuchou ni hanasemasu.） |
| Gabriella: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “kind of” with “fluently.” Say “Yes, I speak fluently.” |
| {pause} |
| Kaori: はい、流暢に話せます。 |
| (はい、りゅうちょうにはなせます。 Hai, ryuuchou ni hanasemasu.) |
| Gabriella: To expand on the pattern, replace “fluently” with “not at all.” |
| Kaori: 全然 |
| (ぜんぜん zenzen) |
| Gabriella: not at all |
| Kaori: (slow) 全然 |
| (ぜんぜん zenzen) (regular) 全然 |
| (ぜんぜん zenzen) |
| Gabriella: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “not at all.” Make sure you choose the verb in negative form as well. |
| Kaori: いいえ、全然話せません。 |
| （いいえ、ぜんぜんはなしません。 Iie. zenzen hanashimasen.） |
| Gabriella: Now, Say "No, I don’t speak any at all." |
| {pause} |
| Kaori: いいえ、全然話しません。 |
| （いいえ、ぜんぜんはなしません。 iie, zenzen hanashimasen.） |
| QUIZ |
| Now it's time for a quiz. Imagine you are visiting Japan and someone asks if you speak Japanese. You want to answer that you speak a little. Respond to the question. |
| Kaori: 日本語を話せますか。 |
| (にほんごをはなせますか。 Nihongo o hanasemasu ka.) |
| (five seconds) はい、ちょっと話せます。 |
| （はい、ちょっとはなせます。 Hai. chotto hanasemasu.) |
| Gabriella: You want to answer that you can kind of speak Japanese. Answer the speaker's question. |
| Kaori: 日本語を話せますか。 |
| (にほんごをはなせますか。 Nihongo o hanasemasu ka.) |
| (five seconds) はい、はい、まあまあ話せます。 |
| （はい、まあまあはなせます。 Hai. maamaa hanasemasu.) |
| Gabriella: You want to answer that you speak fluently. Answer the speaker's question. |
| Kaori: 日本語を話せますか。 |
| (にほんごをはなせますか。 Nihongo o hanasemasu ka.) (five seconds) はい、流暢に話せます。 |
| （はい、りゅうちょうにはなせます。 Hai, ryuuchou ni hanasemasu.） |
| Gabriella: Now you want to answer that you don’t speak any at all. Respond to the question. |
| Kaori: 日本語を話せますか。 |
| (にほんごをはなせますか。 Nihongo o hanasemasu ka.) (five seconds) いいえ、全然話せません。 |
| （いいえ、ぜんぜんはなせません。 iie, zenzen hanasemasen.） |
| Gabriella: Now you want to ask someone if they speak Japanese. Ask the question |
| (5 seconds) |
| Kaori: 日本語を話せますか。 |
| (にほんごをはなせますか。 Nihongo o hanasemasu ka.) |
| {pause} |
| Gabriella: Now it's time to answer the question with actual information about yourself. |
| Kaori: 日本語を話せますか。 |
| (にほんごをはなせますか。 Nihongo o hanasemasu ka.) |
| {pause} |
Outro |
| Gabriella: This is the end of Lesson 5 |
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