In this Fun Friday edition of the podcast I talk to my good friend and long time resident of Japan, Andy. We discussed how Japan has been affected by the Coronavirus and subsequent curfews and travel restrictions. We also make our predictions about how this will permanently change Japan in the future.
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In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you some useful phrases to talk about people’s appearance in natural and fluent Japanese. You’ll learn some useful adjectives to describe body size and shape as well as clothes. Listen to the example dialogue to get an idea of how to talk about what someone looks like in native level Japanese.
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Listen to just the Japanese Dialogues
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In this episode, I interview Niko from NativShark, a comprehensive Japanese language learning app.
In this episode we talked about Niko’s journey to becoming fluent in Japanese, why a lot of Japanese study materials suck and the art of making flash cards and other topics.
If you are interested in trying out the NativShark app for yourself check out this link for a free 2 week trial.
For more podcasts on Japan and learning Japanese go to: Learn Japanese Pod
In this lesson Ami Sensei and Alex teach you motivational Japanese phrases.
Everyone struggles from time to time and a word of encouragement can always mean a lot to someone. And in Japan, where teamwork is seen as a virtue, motivating other members in your group to do their best is an important part of building relationships.
You’ll find motivational phrases in manga, anime, J-pop and also in casual conversation with your friends.
So listen to the podcast and audio drills and download the PDF grammar notes to learn about motivational phrases in Japanese.
Main Dialog 1 – Motivational Japanese Phrases
A: どうしたの？元気なさそうだね。
B: 最近日本語が全然上達しないんだ。
A: 日本語上手じゃん！
B: いや、思うように話せないんだよね。もうだめだ。
A: 大丈夫、大丈夫。塵も積もれば山となる、だよ。
B: それどういう意味？
A: 少しずつ頑張って行けば願いは叶うという意味だよ。
B: わかった！頑張るよ！
Main Dialog 1 – Motivational Japanese Phrases (Pronunciation)
A: Dōshita no? Genki nasasō da ne.
B: Saikin, Nihongo ga zenzen jōtatsu shinain da.
A: Nihongo jōzu jan!
B: Iya, omou yō ni hanasenain da yo ne. Mō dame da.
A: Daijōbu, daijōbu. Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru da yo.
B: Sore dōiu imi?
A: Sukoshi zutsu gambatte ikeba negai wa kanau toiu imi da yo.
B: Wakatta! Gambaru yo!
Main Dialog 1 – Motivational Japanese Phrases (English)
A: What’s the matter. You don’t seem very well/happy.
B: Recently my Japanese hasn’t improved at all.
A: Your Japanese is great!
B: No, I can’t express myself the way I want to. It’s no good.
A: It’s OK, it’s OK. Even dust when piled up becomes a mountain.
B: What does that mean?
A: It means if you try little by little you can realize your dreams.
B: Got it. I’ll give it a shot!
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In this podcast lesson you’ll learn about 相槌 Aizuchi, which are words used to show interest during a conversation. In English you might say things like “Uh-huh” and “really?” during a conversation to show you are listening to the speaker. Japanese is no exception and has a lot of these Aizuchi which are used frequently in conversation. So if you can learn and use these when speaking to your friends, your conversations will go more smoothly and you’ll sound a lot more natural in Japanese.
Main Dialog (Japanese)
A: ね、お茶の入れ方教えてくれる？
B: まず、急須に茶葉をいれる。
A: うん
B: で、沸騰したお湯を湯呑みにいれる。
A: 本当？湯呑みにいれるのか。
B: そう、温度を下げるのがポイントだよ。
A: そうなんだ。
B: 渋みがとれるから。
A: ヘェ〜。
B: 次に湯呑みのお湯を急須にいれる。
A: ふぅん。
B: 30秒後お茶を注ぐ。
A: なるほどね。お茶って奥が深いよね。
B: まあね。
Main Dialog (Pronunciation)
A: Ne, ocha no irekata oshiete kureru?
B: Mazu, Kyuusu ni chaba o ireru.
A: Un.
B: De futtō shita oyu o yunomi ni ireru.
A: Hontō? Yunomi ni ireru no ka.
B: Sō, ondo o sageru no ga point da yo.
A: Sō nan da.
B: Shibumi ga toreru kara.
A: Heeh.
B: Tsugi ni yunomi no oyu o kyuusu ni ireru.
A: Fuun.
B: Sanjuu byō go ocha o sosogu.
A: Naruhodo ne. Ocha te oku ga fukai yo ne.
B: Maa ne.
Main Dialog (English)
A: Hey, will you teach me how to make tea?
B: First put tea leaves in the teapot.
A: Uh huh.
B: Then put boiling water in the tea cups.
A: Really? You put it in the tea cups?
B: That’s right. The trick is to lower the temperature.
A: Oh really.
B: You can take away the bitterness.
A: Ahh.
B: Next, put the water from the cups into the teapot.
A: Uh huh.
B: Pour the tea after 30 seconds.
A: I see. Tea’s really deep.
B: Yeah, I guess so.
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In this podcast I interview Katheryn Gronauer of Thrive Tokyo. She is a cross cultural coach and trainer helping foreigners to improve their relationships and life in Japan. She is author of Confessions of a Yo-Yo Dieter and an expert in diet and wellness.
We had a fascinating discussion on topics including cross cultural miscommunication in the workplace, settling into life into Japan, being a vegan and the Japanese diet amongst other other topics.
Let us know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a comment below!
Do you want to visit Japan? Have you already visited? In this lesson we teach you a short, fun, conversation with a friend about a trip to Japan. You’ll learn how to tell your friend what you did and how it was.
Main Dialog (Japanese)
A: 日本の旅行はどうだった？
B: 超楽しかったよ。
A: 何をしたの？
B: 東京と京都で観光してきた。
A: 食べ物はどうだった？
B: 寿司が美味しかったけど…
A: 高かった？
B: いや、そうじゃなくて、メニューが読めなかったんだよね。
A: 食べたい物に指差して、「これください」そう言えばいいじゃん。
B: そうだね。覚えとく。
Main Dialog (Pronunciation)
A: Nihon no ryokō wa dō datta?
B: Chō tanoshikatta yo.
A: Nano o shita no?
B: Tōkyō to kyōto de kankō shitekita.
A: Tabemono wa dō datta?
B: Sushi wa oishikatta kedo…
A: Takakatta?
B: Iya, sō janakute, menyuu ga yomenakattan da yo ne.
A: Tabetai mono ni yubi sashite, kore kudasai sō ieba ii jan.
B: Sō da ne. Oboetoku.
Main Dialog (English)
A: How was your trip to Japan?
B: It was so fun.
A: What did you do?
B: I did some sightseeing in Tokyo and Kyoto.
A: How was the food?
B: The sushi was delicious but…
A: It was too expensive?
B: No, not that. I couldn’t read the menu you know.
A: Just point at the food you want and say “this please”.
B: Right. I’ll remember that!
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In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you how to make dinner plans with your friends in natural fluent Japanese. You’ll learn how to invite someone at a specific time to a restaurant or bar that you often go to.
Main Dialog (Japanese)
A: もしもし
B: もしもしアレックス、明日夜ご飯食べに行かない？
A: ごめん、明日はちょっと無理なんだ。土曜日なら行けるよ。
B: じゃあ土曜日の７時にいつものお寿司屋さんで！
A: あみは本当にお寿司飽きないねー！
Main Dialog (Pronunciation)
A: Moshi moshi
B: Moshi moshi, Arekkusu, ashita yoru gohan tabe ni ikanai?
A: Gomen, ashita wa chotto muri nan da. Doyōbu nara ikeru yo.
B: Jaa, doyōbi no shichi ji itsumo no osushi ya san de.
A: Ami wa hontō osushi ni akinai ne.
Main Dialog (English)
A: Hello?
B: Hi, Alex, do you wanna go out to eat dinner tomorrow?
A: Sorry, tomorrow’s not possible. If it’s Saturday I can go.
B: OK then, Saturday at 7 o’clock at the usual sushi place.
A: Ami, you never get sick of sushi do you!?
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This is the Fun Friday edition of Learn Japanese Pod. Fun Friday is where we temporarily put down our Japanese textbooks and talk to cool people doing cool things in Japan.
In this episode we talk to Japan veteran and my very good friend Andy. We talk about what life is like in Japan during the Coronavirus pandemic.
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In this podcast you will learn useful Japanese phrases for shopping at a convenience store. Understanding the polite language used by convenience store staff can be a little confusing at
first. However, if you learn common set phrases it’s not that hard to understand.
Main Dialog (Japanese)
A: いらっしゃいませ、お次の方どうぞ.
B: ファミチキを一つとハッシュポテトを一つお願いします。
A: こちら温めますか。
B: はい、お願いします
A: お箸をお付けしますか。
B: はい、お願いします。
A: 袋お分けしますか。
B: 大丈夫です。
A: ポイントカードはお持ちですか。
B: はい。
A: 1500円になります。1万円からでよろしいですか。
B: はい
A: ありがとうございました。
Main Dialog ( Japanese pronunciation)
A: Irasshaimase, otsugi no kata dōzo.
B: Famichiki o hitotsu to Hasshu potato o hitotsu onegaishimasu.
A: Kochira atatamemasu ka.
B: Hai, onegai shimasu.
A: Ohashi o otsuke shimasu ka.
B: Hai, onegai shimasu.
A: Fukuro owake shimasu ka.
B: Daijōbu desu.
A: Pointo kaado wa omochi desu ka.
B: Hai.
A: Sen gohyaku ni narimasu. Ichi man en kara yoroshii desu ka.
B: Hai
A: Arigatō gozaimasu.
Main Dialog (English)
A: Welcome, next customer please.
B: One Famichiki (fried Family Mart chicken) and one hashed potato please.
A: Would you like it heated?
B: Yes, please.
A: Would you like chopsticks with that?
B: Yes, please/
A: Would you like to use seperate bags?
B: No, that’s fine.
A: Do you have a point card?
B: Yes.
A: That’ll be 1500 yen. Shall I give you change from this 10,000 yen bill?
B: Yes.
A: Thanks.
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In this podcast you will learn how to talk about your New Year’s resolutions, your plans, goals and hopes for the coming year. Check out the dialogues and audio to get an idea how to talk about your plans in natural, fluent Japanese.
Main Dialog (Japanese)
A: ね、新年の抱負はなに？
B: そうだね。やっぱり、日本語を上達させたいからもっと本を読むよ。後、もっと健康的になりたいな。あみは？
A: 私も本をもっと読みたい！後、音楽活動をもっと頑張りたいな。
B: なるほどね。
A: やる気があれば、なんでもできるよ。
B: よし！
Main Dialog ( Japanese pronunciation)
A: Ne, shinnen no hōfu wa nani?
B: Sō da ne. Yappari, nihongo o motto jōtatsu sasetai kara motto hon o yomu yo. Ato, motto kenkōteki ni naritai na. Ami wa?
A: Watashi mo motto hon o yomitai! Ato, ongaku katsudō o motto gambaritai na.
B: Naruhodo ne.
A: Yaruki ga areba nandemo dekiru yo.
B: Yosh!
Main Dialog (English)
A: Hey, what’s your New Year’s resolution?
B: Well, let’s see. I guess I want to improve my Japanese and read more books. Also, I want to be more healthy. How about you Ami?
A: I also want to read more books. Also, I want to go for it with my music.
B: I see.
A: If you have motivation you can do anything.
B: Let’s do this!
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In this Fun Friday episode of Learn Japanese Pod, I interview Miku Sensei of Miku Real Japanese. Miku Sensei is a prolific creator of fun, educational Japanese language learning videos on Youtube and Instagram.
She is an international traveler and linguist who speaks fluent English and Spanish. Through her travels she has discovered her own effective techniques for teaching and learning languages.
In the podcast we talk about her journey to become a Japanese teacher and her advice on how to become more fluent in Japanese.
You can find here videos at Miku Real Japanese and her Patreon page here.
Download the podcast here: Podcast download
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One really common topic of conversation in Japanese is about work. When meeting people for the first time it is common to ask them about what they do for a living.
In this lesson you’ll learn how to ask and answer questions about work and some useful everyday phrases you can use in the office.
Main Dialog 1 – Talking about your job (Japanese)
A: お仕事は何をしてるの？
B: ウェブデザインの仕事してるよ。
A: そうなんだ。楽しい？
B: そうだね。毎日大変だけど楽しいよ。
A: 楽しいのはよかったね。何年ぐらいやってるの？
B: ７年ぐらいかな。
A: ヘェ〜、すごいな。俺はすぐ転職しちゃうからさ。
B: まじで？！
Main Dialog 1 – Talking about your job (Pronunciation)
A: Oshigoto wa nani o shiteru no?
B: Uebu dezain no shigoto shiteru yo.
A: Sō nan da. Tanoshii?
B: Sō da ne. Mainichi taihen dakedo tanoshii yo.
A: Tanoshii no wa yokatta ne. Nan nen gurai yatteru no?
B: Nana nen gurai kana.
A: Hee, sugoi na. Ore wa sugu tenshoku shichau kara sa.
B: Maji de?!
Main Dialog 1 – Talking about your job (English)
A: What do you do for work?
B: I do web design work.
A: Really? Is it enjoyable?
B: Well, everyday is tough but it’s fun.
A: That’s good it’s enjoyable. How long have you been doing that?
B: About 7 years I guess.
A: Wow. I’m always changing jobs.
B: Seriously?!
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If there is one thing Japanese love to talk about, it’s the weather. Apart from discussing the forecast, it’s quite common to mention the weather in small talk or when striking up a conversation with someone you don’t know so well. Also, as you’ll probably be checking the weather on a daily basis, it makes sense to study related vocabulary and grammar as it’s so useful. Simply listen to the podcast and read along with the dialogues below. To study in a little more detail you can download the full show notes in PDF format. Enjoy!
Main Dialogue (Japanese)
A: 今日暑いよね。
B: そうだね。超ジメジメしてるね。
A: 今週の天気予報は？
B: 今週はずっと３５度だよ。
A: うそ！マジで？！もう我慢できない。
B: だけど週末は雨が降りそう。
A: あ、良かった、こんな猛暑だと北極に引っ越ししたくなるな。
Main Dialogue (Pronunciation)
A: Kyō atsui yo ne.
B: Sō da ne. Chō jime jime shiteru ne.
A: Konshuu no tenki yohō wa?
B: Konshuu was zutto sanjuu go do da yo.
A: Uso! Majide? Mō gaman dekinai.
B: Dakedo, shuumatsu wa ame ga furi sō.
A: A, yokatta, konna mōsho da to hokkyoku ni hikkoshi shitakunaru na.
Main Dialogue (English)
A: It’s hot today isn’t it?
B: It sure is. It’s so hot and sticky.
A: What the weather forecast for this week?
B: It’s going to be 35 degrees all week.
A: No way! Seriously?! I can’t take this anymore.
B: But it looks like it might rain on the weekend.
A: Ah good. This kind of heat makes me want to move to the Arctic!
In this podcast we’ll be teaching you how to express your preference for something and compare it to other things. This is very useful as you use it all the time in Japanese conversation. You can use it to talk about your favorite things and why you like them.
Main Dialogue Japanese
A: ね、お寿司とたこ焼きどっちが好き？
B: そうだね。やっぱり、お寿司の方が好きかな。
A: なるほどね。でもなんで？
B: 味が好きだから。あみは？
A: もちろんたこ焼きの方が好き。
B: あみは典型的な大阪人だよね。
A: せやで！
Main Dialogue Pronunciation
A: Ne, osushi to takoyaki docchi ga suki?
B: Sō da ne. Yappari, osushi no hō ga suki kana.
A: Naruhodo ne. Demo nande?
B: Aji ga suki dakara. Ami wa?
A: Mochiron takoyaki ga suki
B: Ami wa tenkeiteki na Ōsaka jin da yo ne.
A: Seyade!
Main Dialogue English
A: Hey, which do you like better sushi or Takoyaki?
B: Well, let’s see. I guess I like sushi better.
A: I see but why?
B: Because I like the taste. How about you Ami?
A: Of course I like Takoyaki
B: Ami, you’re a typical Osakan aren’t you?
A: That’s right!
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In this podcast you’re going to learn useful verbs to talk about your daily routine. These verbs are very commonly used in casual conversation throughout the day so they are well worth learning. You will also study a little grammar related to plain form verbs and -TE form verbs which are the most common type of verb used in casual speech. You will also learn how they are used together when describing actions in a sequence.
Also, the dialogue in this lesson will teach you particles which are sounds that usually go at the end of sentences to change the nuance of what you are saying. Learning these will help you sound a lot more natural when speaking Japanese.
Main Podcast Dialogue
A: Amiの平日の過ごし方を教えて！
B: ７時に起きて、顔を洗って、朝ごはんを食べるよ。
その後着替えて、メイクして、仕事に行くよ。
A: 休憩時間は？
B: 休憩時間はお弁当を食べて、携帯で時間を潰すよ。
A: 仕事が終わったら？
B: うちに帰って、晩御飯を食べて、お風呂に入るよ。
A: その後は何をするの？
B: 寝る！
A: Amiは忙しいね！
B: まあね！
Podcast Dialogue (Pronunciation)
A: Ami no heijitsu no sugoshikata oshiete!
B: Shichi ji ni okite, kao o aratte, asagohan o taberu. Sono ato kigaete, meiku shite, shigoto ni iku yo.
A: Kyuukei jikan wa?
B: Kyukeijikan wa obentō o tabete keitaii de jikan o tsubusu yo.
A: Shigoto ga owattara?
B: Uchi ni kaette, bangohan o taberu, ofuro ni hairu yo.
A: Sono ato nani suru no?
B: Neru!
A: Ami wa isogashii ne.
B: Maa ne.
Podcast Dialogue (English)
A: Ami, how do you spend your weekdays?
B: I wake up at 7, I wash my face and eat breakfast. After that I get dressed, put on my makeup and go to work.
A: What about your break time?
B: During my break time I eat a bento and kill time with my mobile phone.
A: And when work finishes?
B: I go home, I eat dinner and have a bath.
A: What do you do after that?
B: Sleep!
A: Ami, you’re busy!
B: I guess so.
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In this podcast you’re going to learn about how to use adverbs of frequency in daily speech. In other words, you’ll learn how to ask and answer questions about how often you do things in Japanese. You’ll learn how to ask questions such as “How often do you…”. You’ll also be able to reply that you do something never, occasionally, sometimes, often and always. This kind of grammar and vocabulary comes up often in daily conversation as well as the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam so it’s well worth learning.
Main Dialog 1 – Adverbs of frequency – (Japanese)
A: アレックスはどれくらい*運動するの？
B: 全然しないよ。 時間がないからさ。
A: そうなんだ。
A: 昔はよくしてただけどね。あみは？
B: 時々ジョギングするよ。たまに水泳もするよ。
A: じゃ、もうすぐオリンピックだから毎日 運動しよう。
Main Dialog 1 – Adverbs of frequency – (English)
A: Arekkusu wa dore kurai undō suru no.
Alex, how often do you exercise?
B: Zenzen shinai yo. Jikan ga nai kara sa.
Never. It’s cos I don’t have any time, you know.
A: Sō nan da.
Really?
B: Mukashi wa yoku shiteta kedo ne. Ami wa?
I used to however. How about you Ami?
A: Tokidoki jogingu suru yo. Tama ni suiei mo suru yo.
I sometimes go jogging. I occasionally also go swimming.
B: Ja, mō sugu orinpikku dakara mainichi undō shiyō.
Well, it’s almost time for the Olympics so exercise everyday!
Particles used in this dialog:
Wa – Sentence subject marker (As for so and so…)
Ga – Similar to Wa and is often used in sentences about having or not having something
No – Turns sentence into a question (Casual)
Yo – Emphasizes the statement
Ne – Means isn’t it or right?
Sa – Means something like “You know?” or “You see what I mean”
Extra example sentences
Zenzen – Not at all
1: どれくらいお寿司食べるの？ ぜんぜん食べないよ。
Dore kurai osushi taberu no? Zenzen tabenai yo.
How often do you eat sushi? I never eat it.
2: どれくらい映画を見るの？ ぜんぜん見ないよ。
Dore kurai eiga o miru no? Zenzen minai yo.
How often do you watch movies? I never watch them.
Metta ni – Hardly ever (01:11)
1: どれくらいお寿司食べるの？ 滅多に食べないよ。
Dore kurai osushi taberu no? Metta ni tabenai yo.
How often do you eat sushi? I hardly ever eat it.
2: どれくらい映画を見るの？ 滅多に見ないよ。
Dore kurai eiga o miru no? Metta ni minai yo.
How often do you watch movies? I hardly ever watch them.
Tama ni – Occasionally (01:38)
1: どれくらいお寿司食べるの？ たまに食べるよ。
Dore kurai osushi taberu no? Tama ni taberu yo.
How often do you eat sushi? I occasionally eat it.
2: どれくらい映画を見るの？ たまにに見るよ。
Dore kurai eiga o miru no? Tama ni miru yo.
How often do you watch movies? I occasionally watch them.
Tokidoki – Sometimes (02:03)
1: どれくらい運動するの？ ときどきするよ。
Dore kurai undō suru no? Tokidoki suru yo.
How often do you exercise? I sometimes exercise.
2: どれくらいカラオケに行くの？ ときどき行くよ。
Dore kurai karaoke iku no? Tokidoki iku yo.
How often do you go to Karaoke? I sometimes go.
Yoku – Often (02:29)
1: どれくらい運動するの？ よく運動するよ。
Dore kurai undō suru no? Yoku undō suru yo.
How often do you exercise? I often exercise.
2: どれくらいカラオケに行くの？ よく行くよ。
Dore kurai karaoke iku no? Yoku iku yo.
How often do you go to Karaoke? I often go.
Itsumo – Always (02:53)
1: どれくらいゲームやるの？ いつもやってるよ。
Dore kurai geemu yaru no? Itsumo yatteru yo.
How often do you play video games? I’m always playing them
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In this episode, Ami and Alex teach you how to speak Osaka dialect which is called Osaka Ben in Japanese. And for this lesson Ami sensei is our secret weapon as she is a native of Osaka city.
Sometimes this is referred to as Kansai Ben however, Kansai is the larger region located in central Japanese that includes Osaka city, Kyoto, Nara, Wakayama, Shiga, Mie and Hyogo. And in turn, each of those areas have their own dialects. However, Ami sensei is from Osaka, and Osaka Ben is the dominant dialect that influences all the surrounding areas. Therefore we decided to go with Osaka Ben.
Of course this lesson is not a comprehensive guide to Osaka Ben as that would fill a few books. However, this lesson will teach you the most common phrases, speech patterns and intonation that you will hear on the streets of Osaka.
The main dialog is recorded by natives from Osaka including Ami so you’ll learn the authentic accent. We also included a dialog in standard Japanese so you can compare. Enjoy!
Main Dialog – Osaka Ben (Japanese)
A: めっちゃ久しぶりやん。最近どないしてんの?
B: 相変わらずやで。そっちは?
A: ぼちぼちやな。ま、頑張ってるで。
B: そうなんや。うちなんか全然あかんわ。
A: なんでなん?
B: 彼氏と別れてん。
A: え、そうなん?知らんかった。俺やって全然彼女できへんで。
B: 付き合おか。 A: なんでやねん!
Main Dialog – Osaka Dialect (English and pronunciation)
A: Meccha hisashiburi yan. Saikin donain shiten no? –It’s been ages. How have you been recently?
B: Aikawarazu ya de. Socchi wa? –Same as usual. About about you?
A: Bochi bochi ya na. Ma, gannbatteru de. – So so I guess. Well, doing my best.
B: Sō nan ya. Uchi nanka zenzen akan wa. – Really? I’m not good at all.
A: Nande nan? – Why?
B: Kareshi to wakareten. –I split up with my boyfriend.
A: E? Sō nan? Shirankatta. Boku yatte, zenzen kanojo dekihen de. – Eh? Really? I didn’t know. I can never get a girlfriend.
B: Tsuki aoka? –Wanna date?
A: Nande yanen! – What the heck!
Main Dialog – Standard Dialect Version
Here is the same dialog written in standard Japanese. Can you spot the differences?
A: めちゃめちゃ久しぶりじゃん。最近どうしてるの?
Meccha hisashiburi jan. Saikin dō shiteru no.
It’s been ages. How have you been recently?
B: 相変わらずだよ。そっちは?
Aikawarazu da yo. Socchi wa?Same as usual.
About about you?
A: 普通かな。ま、頑張ってるよ。
Futsuu ka na. Ma gambatteru yo.
Same as usual. About about you?
B: そうなんだ。私なんか全然だめだよ。
Sō nan da. Watashi nanka zenzen dame da yo.
Really? I’m not good at all.
A: どうして?
Dō shite?
Why?
B: 彼氏と別れたの。
Kareshi to wakareta no.
I split up with my boyfriend.
A: え、そうなの?知らなかった。俺だって全然彼女できないよ。
E sō na no? Shiranakatta. Boku datte, zenzen kanojo dekinai yo.
Eh? Really? I didn’t know. I can never get a girlfriend.
B: 付き合おっか。
Tsuki aokka?
Wanna date?
A: なんでだよ!
Nande da yo!
What the heck!
Extra Osaka Ben Phrases
ちゃう – Chau – No / That’s not right
ええ – Ee – Good / OK (ええやん、ええで、ええよ)
アホ – Aho – Stupid
なおす – Naosu – Put something away (Standard Japanese = to fix something)
Random Phrase of the Week
This week’s random phrase of the week is:
ちゃうちゃう、チャウチャウちゃうんちゃう?
Chau chau, chau chau chaun chau.
No no, that’s not a Chow chow is it?! Let’s break it down like this…
ちゃうちゃう 、 チャウチャウ ちゃうん ちゃう?
No no, a chow chow dog , it is not , is it?
Or in more natural English “No no, it’s not a Chow chow is it?!”
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In this podcast, Ami and Alex answer all your Japanese study related questions. If you would like to get your question answered on the podcast go to Questions and fill in the form. It’s super quick and easy! Once you submit your question, we will try to answer it in the following “Ask us anything” podcast.
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Have you been scratching your head trying to work out what “Yappari” means? Well, scratch your head no more! In this podcast Ami sensei and I (Alex) attempt to explain what Yappari means. We teach you the three main meanings of Yappari and how to use it naturally and fluently in conversation with your Japanese friends. For more information keep reading, listen to the podcast and download the show notes.
1. Yappari – I knew it!
One common use of yappari expresses the fact that your assumptions or predictions were proved to be correct. It also means you were not surprised by a particular outcome. It might be translated into English as “I knew it”, “As I suspected…” or “…but of course…” Another way to think of it is as a phrase that emphasises IS or WAS, as in “It WAS you” or “He IS the culprit!”
Here’s an example of how it can be used in conversation.
Dialog 1
| A: | ねえ、最後のクッキー食べた？ | Ne, saigo no kukkii tabeta? | Hey, did you eat the last cookie? |
| B: | え… | E… | Um… |
| A: | ほら！何これ？クッキーでしょう？！ | Hora! Nani kore? Kukki deshō?! | Look! What’s this? It’s a cookie isn’t it?! |
| B: | だって、お腹減ってたから。 | Datte, onaka heteta kara. | But, I was hungry. |
| A: | やっぱり。 | Yappari. | I knew it! |
| B: | ごめんね。 | Gomen ne. | Sorry. |
Here are some other examples that express the yappari in the same way.
Kare wa hannin da to zutto omottete, yappari sō datta.
I thought he was the criminal, and I knew it, he was.
Mō ichido yatte mita kedo, yappari muri datta.
I tried one more time, but as I suspected, it was impossible.
Yappari kanojo konakatta.
I knew it, she didn’t come.
2. Yappari – Indeed it is!
Another use of yappari emphasises the strength of your opinion. For example, I really do think that something is true. やっぱり温泉が好き Yappari onsen ga suki means I really do indeed love hot springs. English translations might include “indeed” or “of course”.
Dialog 2
| A: | 日本で何が一番好き？ | Nihon de nani ga ichiban suki? | What do you most like about Japan? |
| B: | やっぱり温泉が好き。あみは？ | Yappari onsen ga suki. Ami wa? | I really do love hot springs. How about you Ami? |
| A: | たこ焼きかな。 | Takoyaki kana? | Takoyaki I guess. |
| B: | やっぱりね。 | Yappari ne. | I knew it. |
Note: In this conversation we have two different examples of how yappari is used. Yappari onsen ga suki is the 2nd use of yappari which emphasises the point that the speaker does indeed like hot springs. After Ami says she likes Takoyaki, the reply is yappari which in this case is means “I knew it” as we learned with dialog 1.
Here are some more examples of how yappari is used to mean “indeed” or “of course”:
2.1 やっぱり毎日日本語を勉強しなきゃ。
Yappari mainichi nihongo o benkyō shinakya.
Of course, you have to study Japanese everyday.
2.2 やっぱり彼女が好き。
Yappari, kanojo ga suki.
I DO like her / I do indeed like her / Of course, I like her.
2.3 和食と言えばやっぱり刺身。
Washoku to ieba yappari sashimi.
If you are talking about Japanese food, of course it’s gotta be Sashimi.
3. Yappari – Ah, you know what? I changed my mind.
The final use of yappari is used when you change your mind. It means something like “Ah, you know what? I changed my mind” or “Actually, let’s not”. Here’s an example in dialog form:
Dialog 3
| A: | 明日なにする？ | Ashita nani suru? | What are you doing tomorrow? |
| B: | 公園に行くよ。やっぱりやめる。明日雨だ。 | Kōen ni iku yo. Yappari, yameru. Ashita ame da. | I’m going to the park. Actually, I won’t. It’s going to rain tomorrow. |
Here are a couple of other examples:
3.1. やめようかな。やっぱりもうちょっと頑張る。
Yameyō kana. Yappari, mō chotto gambaru.
I give up. You know what? I’ll try a little more.
3.2. ケーキ食べたい。やっぱりやめる、ダイエットしなきゃ。
Keeki tabetai. Yappari yameru, dietto shinakya.
I want to eat a cake. Nope, I need to diet.
Random Phrase of the Week
In every podcast we tech a random phrase to amuse and delight your Japanese friends. Here is this week’s random phrase:
ウケる – Ukeru – That’s so funny.
Ex.1 あのテレビ番組超ウケる
Ano terebi bangumi chō ukeru.
That TV program is so funny.
Ex. 2 あの漫才ウケる
Ano manzai ukeru
That comedy duo is so funny.
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