Intermediate Japanese Language

Lunch-time sessions at PCCBy Peter Missen

Session 4

Abilities

Objectives for this session

AbilitiesGrammar

with particleat particle

Building basic sentences – some tipsCulture – Japanese holidays July & August Counters

PeopleCommunities of Practice for Public Service

Abilities

Jouzu 上手 good at, skillful, clever

(2Kanji: up + hand)

heta 下手 poor at, unskillful, clumsy

(2Kanji: down + hand)

wakarimasu 分かります to understand

Ability sentence examples

watashi wa dansu ga jouzu desu.

私はダンスが上手です。I am good at dancing.dansu = dance (in katakana)

watashi wa e ga heta desu.

私は絵が下手です。I am poor at drawing.e = picture/drawing

Ability sentence example

watashi wa nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu.

私は日本語が少し分かります。

I understand Japanese a little.

go = language (Kanji: language)

sukoshi = a little (Kanji: little)

Ability sentences – a question

[anata wa] itariago ga wakarimasu ka.

[ あなたは ]イタリア語が分かりますか。 Do you understand Italian?

itaria = Italy (in katakana)

Ability sentences – some replies

hai, wakarimasu.

はい , 分かります。Yes I understand.

sukoshi wakarimasu.

少し分かります。I understand a little.

Ability sentences – some replies

iie, wakarimasen.

いいえ , 分かりますせん。No I don’t understand.

zenzen wakarimasen.

全然分かりますせん。No I don’t understand at all.

zenzen = completely/at all (2Kanji: all + as it is)

Grammar – more on the de で particle

Previously we have seen that de で can be used as a “by mode of transport” particle

de で can also be used to indicate:

The method with which you do something. e.g. eat a meal “using” chopsticks

The place where an action takes place. e.g. buy a newspaper “at” the train station

で particle – “using” sentence

watashi wa

ohashi de

gohan

(w)o

tabemasu.

私はお箸でご飯を 食べます。

で particle - new words

hashi = chopstickso shows honour gohan = meal/boiled ricego shows honour

で particle – “at” sentence

watashi wa

eki de

shinbun

(w)o

kaimasu.

私は駅で新聞を 買います。

で particle - new words

shinbun = newspaper

(2Kanji: latest + listen)

kaimasu = to buy (polite form)

Building basic sentences – some tips

Start with small steps!

Take a known sentence and amend it.Change a word or location or verb…

e.g. watashi wa ashita rondon e ikimasu.

私は明日ロンドンへ行きます。Tomorrow I’m going to London.

watashi wa ashita pari e ikimasu.

私は明日パリへ行きます。Tomorrow I’m going to Paris.

Building basic sentences – examples

watashi wa ashita densha de rondon e ikimasu.

私は明日電車でロンドンへ行きます。

Tomorrow I’m going to London by train.

watashi wa ashita hikouki de pari e ikimasu.

私は明日飛行機でパリへ行きます。Tomorrow I’m going to Paris by plane.

Building basic sentences – examples

watashi wa densha de rondon e ikimasu.

私は電車でロンドンへ行きます。I’m going to London by train.

watashi wa densha de rondon e ikimashita.

私は電車でロンドンへ行きました。I went to London by train.

Building basic sentences – examples

watashi wa ashita hikouki de pari e ikimasu.

私は明日飛行機でパリへ行きます。Tomorrow I’m going to Paris by plane.

watashi wa ashita tomodachi to hikouki de pari e ikimasu.

私は明日友達と飛行機でパリへ行きます。Tomorrow I’m going to Paris with a friend by plane.

Culture section – holidays & festivalsJuly and August National holidays:

Third Monday of July. Ocean Day (umi no hi): A recently introduced national holiday to celebrate maritime

Japan. Ocean day marks the return of Emperor Meiji from a boat trip to Hokkaido in 1876.

Ocean day was declared a national holiday in 1995 as a day of gratitude for the blessings of the oceans and to hope for the economic prosperity of maritime Japan.

Ocean day was first observed on July 20th 1996, when

“Happy Monday” ( ハッピーマンデー ) legislation moved the date from July 20th to the third Monday of July.

Culture section – holidays & festivalsJuly and August Non-national holidays:July/August 13th-15th Obon: Obon is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one's ancestors. It

is believed that each year during Obon, the ancestors' spirits return to this world in order to visit their relatives. Traditionally, lanterns are hung in front of houses to guide the ancestors' spirits, Obon dances (bon odori) are performed, graves are visited, and food offerings are made at house altars and temples.

At the end of Obon, floating lanterns are put into rivers, lakes and seas in order to guide the spirits back into their world. The actual customs followed do vary from region to region.

Obon is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th day of the 7th month of the year, which is July according to the solar calendar. However, since the 7th month of the year roughly coincides with August according to the formerly used lunar calendar, Obon is still celebrated in mid August in many regions of Japan, while it is celebrated in mid July in other regions.

The Obon week in mid August is one of Japan's 3 major holiday seasons, which means intensive domestic and international travel activities and increased accommodation rates!

Culture section – holidays & festivalsJuly and August Non-national holidays:July/August 7th Star Festival (tanabata):

According to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet.

The same deal applies to Tanabata as to Obon and is celebrated on July 7th in some regions of Japan, and on August 7th in other regions.

One popular Tanabata custom is to write one's wishes on a piece of paper, and hang that piece of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree, in the hope that the wishes become true.

Colourful Tanabata festivals are held across Japan in either early July or August. Among the biggest and most famous ones are the Tanabata Festivals of Sendai in August and Hiratsuka near Tokyo in July.

Counting – People (nin 人 )The first 2 numbers in counting people are irregular, as is 4.

1 is hitori 2 is futari 3 is san nin 4 is yo nin 5 is go nin 6 is roku nin 7 is shichi nin 8 is hachi nin 9 is kyuu nin10 is juu nin

一人二人三人四人五人六人七人八人九人十人

Communities of Practice for Public Service

Language Learning & Development – Portsmouth City Council.

Any feedback?

What would you like to see there?

It’s for all of us to use…

Homework

Nothing compulsory

Suggestions

– Work on making a few sentences

– Great if you can practice with a colleague

Questions

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