Absolute Pimsleur's Japanese I - Lesson 8 Transcript

It's been a few days since my last post, but don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. These take a bit of time to transcribe, type up and format. As the title says, this is Absolute Pimsleur's Japanese I - Lesson 8. Hopefully no one is running into any major problems with the lessons as of yet.

The format of my translations has been changing ever so gradually as I get further into this. I'm starting to use '[ ]' to enclose words that could be substituted into the sentence to flesh it out in a proper English translation, but are technically not part of the given translation for those words. I'm also using more and more '/' to list separate readings where word order could be swapped around in English or a slightly different meaning of a word could be used instead. If the translations are becoming too cluttered, let me know and I'll tone it down a bit.

Intro Conversation

たなかさんいまたべますか。

Tanaka-san, are you going to eat now?

いいえけっこです。でもなにかのみます。

No, thank you, I'm fine. But I'm going to drink something / But I'll have something to drink.

なにをのみますか。

What are you going to drink?

わかりません。おさけ。いいえビール。

I don't know. Sake? No, beer.

わたしもビールがほしいです。*signals waiter* すみません。

I'm want [to have / a] beer, too. *signals waiter* Excuse me!

はい。おさけ。

Sir? / Yes? / Polite response that the waiter is acknowledging you. [Would you like] Sake?

いいえビール。

No, beer.


Previous Lesson's Vocabulary

たべます

eat, going to eat

のみます

drink, going to drink

なにか

something

いま

now

で

at

レストラン

restaurant

さけ

sake

ビール

beer

ほしい

I want

なに

what


New Vocabulary

-さん

Mr./Mrs./Ms. (see Notes)

さとうさん

Sato-san

ひるごはん

lunch / dinner / noon time meal (see Notes)

ひるごはんをたべます。

I am going to eat lunch / dinner.

いつひるごはんをたべますか。

When are you going to have lunch / dinner?

二 (kanji) or に

two

ほん

counter for long slender object (see Notes)

にほん

two bottles (see Notes)

ビールにほん

two [bottles of] beer

おねがい

favour

おねがいします

please / could you please [do me a favour]

ビールにほんおねがいします。

Two [bottles of] beer [could you] please.

おさけおねがいします。

sake [could you] please

か

or (see Notes)

ビールかおさけ

beer or sake

たなかさんビールかおさけおのみますか。

Tanaka-san, are you going to drink beer or sake? (Tanaka-san could be placed at the beginning or end of this sentence. Tanaka is also a woman for reference.)

します

to do

なにをしますか。

What are you going to do?

ホテル。

hotel

かいます

to buy / going to buy

なにかかいます。

I am going to buy something.

ビールをかいます。

I am going to buy [some] beer.

ビールがほしいです。

I want [some] beer.

いまほしくありません。

I don't want any / it now.

だれ

who

と

with (see Notes)

だれと。

who with?/with whom?

あなたと。

with you

さとうさんと。

With Sato-san.


Closing Conversation

こんにちは。

Good day / afternoon.

こんにちは。

Good day / afternoon.

いまなにをしますか。

What are you going to do now?

いま。ひるごはんをたべます。あなたは。

Now? I'm going to eat lunch / dinner. And you [What / how about you?]?

なにかかいます。

I'm going to buy something.

ビールかおさけ。

Beer or sake.

あなたもひるごはんをたべませんか。

Won't you eat your lunch / dinner with me?

ええいいですね。

Yes, sounds good / that's fine.

いま。

Now?

ええいま。

Yes / ya, now.

どこで。ホテルで。

Where at? [At] The hotel?

いいえなんばんてで。

No, at Nanbante.

なんばんてはどこですか。

Where's Nanbante [at]?

わかりますか。

Do you know?

ええわかります。

Yes / Ya, I know.


Closing Conversation 2

*at the restaurant*

なにをのみますか。ビールかおさけ。

What are you going to drink? Beer or sake?

わたしはビールをのみます。

I am going to have / drink [a] beer.

ビールにほんおねがいします。

One [bottle of] beer, please.

なにかたべますか。

Are you going to eat something?

ええ。でもあとで。

Ya, but [not until] later.

*leaving restaurant*

なにかかいます。おさけかビール。

I'm going to buy something. Sake or beer.

じゃまた。

Good bye.


Notes

-さん

This, along with several other honourifics, are used at the end of names in Japanese to show various levels of politeness or the relationship you have with someone. In general, most use -さん for everyone they are not close, personal friends with, including colleagues, strangers and just about anyone they'd run into in their daily life.

While a basic definition could label this as "Mr, Mrs or Ms", I don't like to think of it as such because I don't call every person I meet Mr or Mrs So and So. While in an office setting or business meeting I might translate it into that, in everyday life I just think of it as being respectful to the person by using -さん.

This is just my personal opinion on the matter because Japan is a lot different from us. First names are kind of taboo for people to say unless they are using the last name with it or are extremely close to the person. You wouldn't call me Kirk or Kirby. You'd call me Warren-さん-さん or Mr Warren, even if we know each other by name. Doesn't really translate that well if you ask me. I wouldn't keep saying "pass the ketchup Mr Smith" and "pass the salt Mr Smith" for every single thing at a table in our society unless under very specific circumstances. So, I'll be translating as -san from now on in the English sections. If you want to read it as Mr or Mrs or what have you, by all means, do so. Just know I'll be leaving it open to interpretation from now on.


ひるごはん

Where I come from, we use lunch and dinner interchangably to represent the noon time (or thereabouts) meal. We also use dinner and supper in the same way for the evening meal. Ya, it's very confusing without context or if you're from a different area that doesn't do this, so I wanted to explain why I have both listed for this word.


ほん

This is a counter for long, slender objects, which can also be bottles. It'll probably take some getting used to to ascertain which object gets which counter in Japanese, but if you are ever in doubt, a simple number followed by the object should be enough to make the person understand you. There's also a generic counter word you can use for counting objects, but I'll won't bother with useless information. ほん also means book in Japanese and Pimsleur's will get into that in later lessons.


にほん

This is not the same as the word for Japan. You'd need context to differentiate the two kana readings of this, but in reality, this would be obvious because of the different kanji both words would use.


か

As they say in the lesson, this means 'or' and it is the same as the spoken '?' we learned in earlier lessons and have been using regularly ever since. This one comes between two nouns and the other version comes at the end of sentences, so it's easy to differentiate between them. There is another form of 'or' that we will learn about in upcoming lessons that is used at the beginning of sentences, but I'll let Pimsleur introduce the other version at the appropriate time.


と

This is used as 'with' in the above translations. Probably beating a dead horse, but it, like everything else, has multiple meanings and uses. A more common use is 'and' and is used between two nouns (you and me, dog and cat, etc). There are two or three other uses I could list off the top of my head, but I'm going to leave it at that for now. Just letting you know not to get comfortable with words having single uses.

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