Learn the question "How long have you been studying 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 How long have you been studying Japanese? In Japanese this is |
| Kaori: どのくらい日本語を勉強していますか。 |
| (どのくらいにほんごをべんきょうしていますか。 Donokurai nihongo o benkyoushiteimasu ka.) |
| Gabriella: The first word in the question is |
| Kaori: どのくらい |
| (donokurai) |
| Gabriella: meaning “how long,” “how many,” “how much” in English. |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) どのくらい |
| (donokurai) |
| Gabriella: Listen again and repeat. |
| Kaori: どのくらい |
| (donokurai) |
| {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: 日本語 |
| (にほんご nihongo) |
| Gabriella: meaning "Japanese language." |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 日本語 |
| (にほんご nihongo) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: 日本語 |
| (にほんご nihongo) |
| {Pause} |
| Gabriella: Listen to the the first 2 words of the question and repeat. |
| Kaori: どのくらい 日本語 |
| (どのくらい にほんご donokurai nihongo) |
| {pause} |
| Gabriella: And after that |
| Kaori: を |
| (o) |
| Gabriella: the object marking particle. |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) を |
| (o) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: を |
| (o) |
| {Pause} |
| Gabriella: Listen to the the first 3 words of the question and repeat. |
| Kaori: どのくらい 日本語を |
| （どのくらい にほんご を donokurai nihongo o） |
| {pause} |
| Gabriella: And after that |
| Kaori: 勉強しています |
| (べんきょうしています benkyoushiteimasu) |
| Gabriella: meaning "to have been studying" |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 勉強しています |
| (べんきょうしています benkyoushiteimasu) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: 勉強しています |
| (べんきょうしています benkyoushiteimasu) |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the the first 4 words of the question and repeat. |
| Kaori: どのくらい 日本語を 勉強しています |
| (どのくらい にほんご を べんきょうしています donokurai nihongo o benkyoushiteimasu) |
| {pause} |
| And next |
| 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: どのくらい 日本語を 勉強していますか。 |
| （どのくらい にほんご を べんきょうしています か。 Donokuari nihongo o benkyoushiteimasu ka.） |
| {pause} |
| Gabriella: Master the following pattern and responses to the question “How long have you been studying Japanese?” |
| Kaori: 一か月間です。 |
| （いっかげつかんです。 Ikkagetsukan desu.） |
| Gabriella: "For 1 month.” Again, slowly. Repeat the phrase. |
| Kaori: (Slow) 一か月間です。 |
| （いっかげつかんです。 Ikkagetsukan desu.） |
| {pause} |
| Gabriella: Let's break it down from the beginning. The first word: |
| Kaori: 一か月 |
| (いっかげつ ikkagetsu) |
| Gabriella: meaning "one month." |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 一か月 |
| (いっかげつ ikkagetsu) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat |
| Kaori: 一か月 |
| (いっかげつ ikkagetsu) |
| {Pause} |
| Gabriella: And after that |
| Kaori: 間 |
| (かん kan) |
| meaning something like "for" or "during" |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) 間 |
| (かん kan) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: 間 |
| (かん kan) |
| {Pause} |
| Gabriella: And next |
| Kaori: です |
| (desu) |
| Gabriella: Sentence ending particle meaning something like "is". |
| Kaori: (Slow, by syllable) です |
| (desu) |
| Gabriella: Now repeat. |
| Kaori: です |
| (desu) |
| {Pause} |
| Gabriella: Listen to the speaker say, “For 1 month.,” and then repeat. |
| Kaori: 一か月間です。 |
| (いっかげつかんです。 Ikkagetsukan desu.) |
| {pause} |
| Gabriella: To expand on the pattern, replace “1 month” with “2 years.” |
| Kaori: 二年 |
| (にねん ninen) |
| Gabriella: 2 years |
| Kaori: (slow) 二年 |
| (にねん ninen) (regular) 二年 |
| (にねん ninen) |
| Gabriella: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “2 years.” |
| Kaori: 二年間です。 |
| (にねんかんです。 Ninenkan desu.) |
| Gabriella: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “1 month” with “2 years.” Say “For 2 years.” |
| {pause} |
| Kaori: 二年間です。 |
| (にねんかんです。 Ninenkan desu.) |
| Gabriella: To expand on the pattern, replace “2 years” with “half a year.” |
| Kaori: 半年 |
| (はんとし hantoshi) |
| Gabriella: half a year |
| Kaori: (slow) 半年 |
| (はんとし hantoshi) (regular) 半年 |
| (はんとし hantoshi) |
| Gabriella: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “half a year.” |
| Kaori: 半年間です。 |
| (はんとしかんです。 Hantoshikan desu.) |
| Gabriella: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace the “2 years” with “half a year.” Say “For half a year.” |
| {pause} |
| Kaori: 半年間です。 |
| (はんとしかんです。 Hantoshikan desu.) |
| Gabriella: To expand on the pattern, replace “half a year” with “10 years.” |
| Kaori: 十年 |
| (じゅうねん Juunen) |
| Gabriella: 10 years |
| Kaori: (slow) 十年 |
| (じゅうねん juunen) (regular) 十年 |
| (じゅうねん juunen) |
| Gabriella: Listen to the phrase again, this time with 10 years |
| Kaori: 十年間です。 |
| （じゅうねんかんです。 Juunenkan desu.） |
| Gabriella: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “half a year” with “10 years.” Say “For 10 years.” |
| {pause} |
| Kaori: 十年間です。 |
| (じゅうねんかんです。 Juunenkan desu.) |
| QUIZ |
| Gabriella: Now it's time for a quiz. Imagine you are visiting Japan and someone asks you how long you have been studying Japanese. You have been studying it for 1 month. Respond to the question. |
| Kaori: どのくらい日本語を勉強していますか。 |
| (どのくらいにほんごをべんきょうしていますか。 Donokurai nihongo o benkyoushiteimasu ka.) |
| (five seconds) 一か月間です。 |
| (いっかげつかんです。 Ikkagetsukan desu.) |
| Gabriella: Imagine you've been studying it for 2 years. Respond to the question. |
| Kaori: どのくらい日本語を勉強していますか。 |
| (どのくらいにほんごをべんきょうしていますか。 Donokurai nihongo o benkyoushiteimasu ka.) |
| (five seconds) 二年間です。 |
| （にねんかんです。 Ninenkan desu.） |
| Gabriella: Imagine you've been studying it for half a year. Answer the speaker's question. |
| Kaori: どのくらい日本語を勉強していますか。 |
| (どのくらいにほんごをべんきょうしていますか。 Donokurai nihongo o benkyoushiteimasu ka.) |
| (five seconds) 半年間です。 |
| （はんとしかんです。 Hantoshikan desu.） |
| Gabriella: Imagine you've been studying it for 10 years. Respond to the question. |
| Kaori: どのくらい日本語を勉強していますか。 |
| (どのくらいにほんごをべんきょうしていますか。 Donokurai nihongo o benkyoushiteimasu ka.) |
| (five seconds) 十年間です。 |
| （じゅうねんかんです。 Juunenkan desu.） |
| Gabriella: Now you want to ask someone how long -they- have been studying Japanese. Ask the question |
| (5 seconds) |
| Kaori: どのくらい日本語を勉強していますか。 |
| (どのくらいにほんごをべんきょうしていますか。 Donokurai nihongo o benkyoushiteimasu ka.) |
| {pause} |
Outro |
| Gabriella: This is the end of Lesson 6 |
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