Vocabulary
Nouns
週末[しゅうまつ]⓪ Weekend, noun
週末は友達と映画を見に行きます。
Shūmatsu wa tomodachi to eiga o mi ni ikimasu.
I go to watch movies with friends on weekends.
休みの日 Day off, noun
休みの日は家でゆっくりします。
Yasumi no hi wa ie de yukkuri shimasu.
I relax at home on my days off.
スケート⓪ Skating, noun
冬になるとスケートをします。
Fuyu ni naru to sukēto o shimasu.
I go skating in winter.
スキー Skiing, noun
スキーは冬のスポーツです。
Sukī wa fuyu no supōtsu desu.
Skiing is a winter sport.
味[あじ]⓪ Taste, noun
この料理の味はどうですか。
Kono ryōri no aji wa dō desu ka.
How does this dish taste?
毎回[まいかい]⓪ Every time, noun
毎回同じミスをします。
Maikai onaji misu o shimasu.
I make the same mistake every time.
通勤[つうきん]⓪ Commuting, noun
通勤時間が長いです。
Tsūkin jikan ga nagai desu.
Commuting time is long.
通勤バス Commuter bus, noun
通勤バスで会社に行きます。
Tsūkin basu de kaisha ni ikimasu.
I go to work by commuter bus.
船[ふね]① Ship, noun
船で島に行きます。
Fune de shima ni ikimasu.
I go to the island by ship.
船便[ふなびん] Shipping by sea, noun
船便で荷物を送ります。
Funabin de nimotsu o okurimasu.
I send luggage by sea.
生地[きじ]① Fabric, noun
この生地は柔らかいです。
Kono kiji wa yawarakai desu.
This fabric is soft.
地味[じみ]⓪ Plain, adjective
彼女の服はいつも地味です。
Kanojo no fuku wa itsumo jimi desu.
Her clothes are always plain.
卒業式[そつぎょうしき]③ Graduation ceremony, noun
卒業式は来週です。
Sotsugyōshiki wa raishū desu.
The graduation ceremony is next week.
～式[しき] ~Ceremony, noun
結婚式は来月です。
Kekkonshiki wa raigetsu desu.
The wedding is next month.
結婚式[けっこんしき] Wedding ceremony, noun
結婚式に招待されました。
Kekkonshiki ni shōtai saremashita.
I was invited to the wedding.
入学式[にゅうがくしき] Entrance ceremony, noun
入学式は4月です。
Nyūgakushiki wa shigatsu desu.
The entrance ceremony is in April.
Verbs
違います[ちがいます] To differ, verb
意見が違います。
Iken ga chigaimasu.
Opinions differ.
間違います[まちがいます] To make a mistake, verb
答えを間違いました。
Kotae o machigaimashita.
I made a mistake in the answer.
込みます[こみます] To be crowded, verb
電車が込んでいます。
Densha ga konde imasu.
The train is crowded.
決まります[きまります] To be decided, verb
予定が決まりました。
Yotei ga kimari mashita.
The plan has been decided.
決めます[きめます] To decide, verb
旅行の日を決めます。
Ryokō no hi o kimemasu.
I decide the date for the trip.
知らせます[しらせます] To inform, verb
母にメールで知らせます。
Haha ni mēru de shirasemasu.
I inform my mom by email.
確かめます[たしかめます] To confirm, verb
もう一度確かめてください。
Mō ichido tashikamete kudasai.
Please confirm once more.
Adjectives
濃い[こい]① Dark (color); strong (taste), adjective
濃い青が好きです。
Koi ao ga suki desu.
I like dark blue.
薄い[うすい]③ Light (color); mild (taste); thin, adjective
味が薄いです。
Aji ga usui desu.
The taste is mild.
早い[はやい]② Early; fast, adjective
朝早く起きます。
Asa hayaku okimasu.
I wake up early in the morning.
遅い[おそい]③ Late; slow, adjective
帰りが遅いです。
Kaeri ga osoi desu.
I come back late.
Other Related Words
たぶん① Probably, adverb
たぶん雨が降るでしょう。
Tabun ame ga furu deshō.
It will probably rain.
～によって Depending on..., adverb
結婚式のやり方は国によって違います。
Kekkonshiki no yarikata wa kuni ni yotte chigaimasu.
The way weddings are held differs depending on the country.
Grammar Points
1. ～たり、～たりします
Imagine you're chatting with a friend and describing your weekend activities. You might say, "On weekends, I go shopping, take walks, and do other things." In this case, you can use 「～たり、～たりします」 to express this.
| Grammar | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Verb た-form + たり、Verb た-form + たりします | Lists some actions, implying there are others |
| Verb た-form + たり、Verb た-form + たりします | Alternating actions, indicating two actions are repeated |
Examples
- 昨日は買い物に行ったり、散歩したりしました。
- Kinō wa kaimono ni ittari, sanpo shitari shimashita.
- Yesterday, I went shopping and took a walk.
- バスの中で立ったり座ったりしないでください。
- Basu no naka de tattari suwattari shinaide kudasai.
- Please don't stand and sit repeatedly on the bus.
2. ～たり～たりです
When you want to describe multiple states of something, such as "This fabric's color is sometimes dark and sometimes light," you can use 「～たり～たりです」.
| Grammar | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Adjective 1 (remove い) + かったり | Lists multiple states or alternating states |
| Noun/Adjective 2 + だったり | Lists multiple states or alternating states |
Examples
- 日本語の先生は中国人だったり、日本人だったりです。
- Nihongo no sensei wa Chūgokujin dattari, Nihonjin dattari desu.
- The Japanese teacher is sometimes Chinese, sometimes Japanese.
- 飛行機のチケットは季節によって高かったり安かったりです。
- Hikōki no chiketto wa kisetsu ni yotte takakattari yasukattari desu.
- Airplane tickets are sometimes expensive and sometimes cheap depending on the season.
3. Embedded Questions with か
When you want to embed a question within a sentence, such as "Do you know when Xiao Li will return to China?", you can use 「疑問詞小句+か」.
Clause (plain form) + か, embedding a question within another sentence
Examples
- 李さんはいつ中国へ帰るか知っていますか。
- Ri-san wa itsu Chūgoku e kaeru ka shitte imasu ka.
- Do you know when Xiao Li will return to China?
- 昨日何を食べたか忘れました。
- Kinō nani o tabeta ka wasuremashita.
- I forgot what I ate yesterday.
4. ～かどうか (Whether or not...)
When you want to express uncertainty, such as "I don't know whether I'll return to Beijing," you can use 「～かどうか」.
Clause (plain form) + かどうか, expressing uncertainty
Examples
- 北京へ帰るかどうか分かりません。
- Pekin e kaeru ka dō ka wakarimasen.
- I don't know whether I'll return to Beijing.
- 窓を閉めたかどうか確かめてください。
- Mado o shimeta ka dō ka tashikamete kudasai.
- Please check whether the window is closed.
Dialogue Practice
Basic
A: 週末は何をしますか。
A: Shūmatsu wa nani o shimasu ka.
A: What do you do on weekends?
B: 散歩したり、買い物に行ったりします。
B: Sanpo shitari, kaimono ni ittari shimasu.
B: I take walks and go shopping.
A: 昨日は何をしましたか。
A: Kinō wa nani o shimashita ka.
A: What did you do yesterday?
B: 映画を見たり、友達と食事をしたりしました。
B: Eiga o mitari, tomodachi to shokuji o shitari shimashita.
B: I watched a movie and had a meal with friends.
Workplace
A: 会議の時間は決まりましたか。
A: Kaigi no jikan wa kimari mashita ka.
A: Has the meeting time been decided?
B: まだ決まっていません。午後になるかどうか確認します。
B: Mada kimatte imasen. Gogo ni naru ka dō ka kakunin shimasu.
B: It hasn't been decided yet. I'll check whether it will be in the afternoon.
Daily Life
A: この生地はどうですか。
A: Kono kiji wa dō desu ka.
A: How is this fabric?
B: 色が濃かったり薄かったりです。好みによりますね。
B: Iro ga kokuattari usukattari desu. Konomi ni yorimasu ne.
B: The color is sometimes dark and sometimes light. It depends on your preference.
Cultural Knowledge
Japanese Lifestyle Habits
Activities on Days Off: Japanese people enjoy outdoor activities on their days off, such as walking, shopping, or participating in sports.
Commuting Culture: Commuting times in Japan are long, and many people use this time to read or listen to music.
Social Etiquette
Importance of Confirmation: In Japan, confirming details is very important, especially in work and social settings.
Indirect Expressions: Japanese people often use indirect ways to express uncertainty or refusal, such as using 「～かどうか」.
Summary and Key Points
This lesson focused on expressing lists of actions (～たり、～たりします), used to describe multiple actions or alternating states. Additionally, we learned how to use embedded questions (～か) and expressions of uncertainty (～かどうか), which can be flexibly applied in conversations. We also expanded our vocabulary related to days off, commuting, and fabrics, enriching our ability to express ourselves in daily life.