We're really moving through these Absolute Pimsleur’s Japanese I lessons now. I might slow down in pushing these out as we move along. There's a lot of information to digest and I'm sure many are still repeating earlier lessons to make sure they fully comprehend the new words and dialogue. For now though, I think it's safe to pump out the first half a dozen in the span of a couple weeks.
Intro Conversation
すみません。
Excuse me.
はいなにか。
Yes, what?, Yes, what is it?, Yes, you want / need something?
上野（うえの）こえんはどこですか。
Where is Ueno Park?
あそこです。
Over there.
上野（うえの）えきは。
And Ueno Station?
ここです。
It's here.
Previous Lesson's Vocabulary
ええ
yes (casual)
えき
station
こえん
park
新宿（しんじゅく）
Shinjuku
上野（うえの）
Ueno
どこ
where
ここ
here
あそこ
over there
New Vocabulary
なにか
something
わかります。
I know. (see Notes)
わかりません。
I don't know. (see Notes)
わかりますか。
Do you know? (see Notes)
たべます
eat, going to eat
たべません
don't eat, not going to eat
たべますか。
Are you going to eat?
なにかたべます。
I am going to eat something. (the 'I am' is understood)
たべませんか。
Won't you eat?
なにかたべませんか。
Won't you eat something?
のみます。
drink, going to drink
のみません。
don't drink, not going to drink
のみますか。
Are you going to drink?
なにかのみますか。
Are you going to drink something?
のみませんか。
Won't you drink?
いいえけっこです。
No, thank you, I'm fine.
そうですね
Let me see, stalling for time, thinking out loud (see Notes)
Notes
わかります, わかりません & わかりますか
Again, this probably doesn't warrant a huge explanation, but the meaning of two new words just changed on us despite using the exact same sentences as we did before. As well as meaning, "I understand.", "I don't understand." and "Do you understand?", these words can mean, "I know.", "I don't know." and "Do you know?" when used in replies to basic questions. Many English words have multiple meanings under different contexts and Japanese is no different. Where English uses "understand" and "know", Japanese treats them as the same word and it's up to the user to distinguish, based on its useage, which meaning is being used.
そうですね
Yet another sentence we know from previous lessons that has a new meaning. This time, you must drag out each syllable, as if you are thinking about the answer to the question just asked. Think of it as the Japanese, "uhhhh", "ahhhh" or "ummm", that many English speakers substitute in when they can't think of an answer. It could also pass as, "Let me see....", and other variations if you wanted an actual word to go in its place.
たべますか。vs. たべませんか。
Early on, I found myself always mixing these two up when the speaker would say, "ask him if he is going to eat" or "invite him to eat" and I think one or two other variations of this.
Simplest way to remember which one to use when is that たべますか is used when you are asking someone directly if they are physically going to eat. I think of it as someone asking, "Are you going to eat the rest of that?", even though that's not the official useage. But for remembering, that helps me out.
たべませんか is used when you are inviting or asking someone indirectly to eat with you or to eat something. Think of it as your friends inviting you to come out to eat after an exam or movie like, "Aren't you coming to eat with us?" or "Won't you come out for something to eat?". It's not telling or asking them to come out. It's much more polite and indirect than simply saying, "Do you want to come eat with us?". たべませんか allows the person to decline much easier, due to the politeness and indirect / passive questioning, than a direct question, which is something you'll see a lot of in Japanese.
This was a lot longer than I thought it would be, but the short answer is たべますか is for asking if they are going to eat and たべませんか is for inviting them to eat with you.
すみません。
Excuse me.
はいなにか。
Yes, what?, Yes, what is it?, Yes, you want / need something?
上野（うえの）こえんはどこですか。
Where is Ueno Park?
あそこです。
Over there.
上野（うえの）えきは。
And Ueno Station?
ここです。
It's here.
Previous Lesson's Vocabulary
ええ
yes (casual)
えき
station
こえん
park
新宿（しんじゅく）
Shinjuku
上野（うえの）
Ueno
どこ
where
ここ
here
あそこ
over there
New Vocabulary
なにか
something
わかります。
I know. (see Notes)
わかりません。
I don't know. (see Notes)
わかりますか。
Do you know? (see Notes)
たべます
eat, going to eat
たべません
don't eat, not going to eat
たべますか。
Are you going to eat?
なにかたべます。
I am going to eat something. (the 'I am' is understood)
たべませんか。
Won't you eat?
なにかたべませんか。
Won't you eat something?
のみます。
drink, going to drink
のみません。
don't drink, not going to drink
のみますか。
Are you going to drink?
なにかのみますか。
Are you going to drink something?
のみませんか。
Won't you drink?
いいえけっこです。
No, thank you, I'm fine.
そうですね
Let me see, stalling for time, thinking out loud (see Notes)
Notes
わかります, わかりません & わかりますか
Again, this probably doesn't warrant a huge explanation, but the meaning of two new words just changed on us despite using the exact same sentences as we did before. As well as meaning, "I understand.", "I don't understand." and "Do you understand?", these words can mean, "I know.", "I don't know." and "Do you know?" when used in replies to basic questions. Many English words have multiple meanings under different contexts and Japanese is no different. Where English uses "understand" and "know", Japanese treats them as the same word and it's up to the user to distinguish, based on its useage, which meaning is being used.
そうですね
Yet another sentence we know from previous lessons that has a new meaning. This time, you must drag out each syllable, as if you are thinking about the answer to the question just asked. Think of it as the Japanese, "uhhhh", "ahhhh" or "ummm", that many English speakers substitute in when they can't think of an answer. It could also pass as, "Let me see....", and other variations if you wanted an actual word to go in its place.
たべますか。vs. たべませんか。
Early on, I found myself always mixing these two up when the speaker would say, "ask him if he is going to eat" or "invite him to eat" and I think one or two other variations of this.
Simplest way to remember which one to use when is that たべますか is used when you are asking someone directly if they are physically going to eat. I think of it as someone asking, "Are you going to eat the rest of that?", even though that's not the official useage. But for remembering, that helps me out.
たべませんか is used when you are inviting or asking someone indirectly to eat with you or to eat something. Think of it as your friends inviting you to come out to eat after an exam or movie like, "Aren't you coming to eat with us?" or "Won't you come out for something to eat?". It's not telling or asking them to come out. It's much more polite and indirect than simply saying, "Do you want to come eat with us?". たべませんか allows the person to decline much easier, due to the politeness and indirect / passive questioning, than a direct question, which is something you'll see a lot of in Japanese.
This was a lot longer than I thought it would be, but the short answer is たべますか is for asking if they are going to eat and たべませんか is for inviting them to eat with you.
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