Lesson Two - Bamen Ni: Ima nan-ji desu ka

Lesson Two- Vocabulary

nan-ji (nahn-jee) - What time?

ima (ee-mah) - Now.

Ima nan-ji desu ka - What time is it now?

ichi-ji (ee-chee-jee) - One o'clock. Ichi means "one," and the suffix -ji added to a number means "o'clock."

ni (nee) - Two.

san (sahn) - Three.

yon (yohn) - Four. There is also another form, shi (shee), but yon/yo is used when telling time.

yo-ji (yoh-jee) - Four o'clock. The word for four is yon, but it drops the final -n when telling the time.

go (goh) - Five.

roku (roh-koo) - Six.

shichi (shee-chee) - Seven. You may also come across the alternative form, nana (nah-nah).

hachi (hah-chee) - Eight.

ku (koo) - Nine. Also has an alternative form, kyuu (kyooo), but ku is used when telling the time.

juu (jooo) - Ten.

juu-ichi (jooo-ee-chee) - Eleven. Literally: ten-one. All the numbers up to nineteen are formed in this way, i.e. juu-ni, juu-san, juu-yon, juu-go, juu-roku, juu-shichi, juu-hachi, juu-ku.

ne (nay) - isn't it? This can be used for all the many different tags which come at the end of English sentences, such as, "don't they?," "aren't you?," "wasn't she?," "didn't he?" etc.

konnichiwa (kohn-nee-chee-wah) - Hello, good day.

jikan (jee-kahn) - Hour, time.

ee (Aay) - Eh? What?

ii (eee) - Good, fine.

ii desu ne (eee dess nay) - As used in the below lesson: "You're doing well, aren't you!" Literally "It's good, isn't it."

tsugi (tsue-gee) - Next.

sumimasen (sue-mee-mah-sin) - I'm sorry, excuse me.

geemu (gaay-moo) Game. All Japanese words end with a vowel, or n, so when foreign words are said in Japanese, a vowel sound is added to theend if they don't already have one.

kiite kudasai (keee-tay koo-dah-sigh) - Please listen.

nan (nahn) - What? The alternative form nani is used in some situations.

kuruma (koo-roo-mah) - Car.

tokei (toh-kaye) - Watch, clock.

denwa (den-wah) - Telephone.

rajio (rah-jee-oh) - Radio. From the English.

terebi (tay-ray-bee) - Television. This is a shortened form of terebijon (tay-ray-bee-jone), the Japanese pronunciation of "television."

konpyuutaa (kone-pyoo-taah) - Computer.

teepu rekoodaa (taay-poo re-kooh-daah) - Tape recorder.

soo desu ne (soh dess nay) - So it is, you're right.

moshi moshi (moe-shee moe-shee) Hello? Only used to answer the telephone.

Miitingu (meee-teen-goo) - Meeting.


Lesson Two Dialogue

Pascal: Konnichiwa, Hiru san.
Hill: Aa, Pasukaru san, konnichiwa. Aa, ni-ji desu. Nihongo no kurasu wa ni-ji kara desu ne.
Pascal: Hai, soo desu. Aa, sensei desu.
Sensei: Mina san, konnichiwa.
Pascal/Hill: Konnichiwa.
Sensei: Sa, ni-ji desu ne. Nihongo no kurasu no jikan desu. Ee? Harison san wa doko desu ka?

Sensei: Hiru san, ima [Harrison enters the room] ...Harison san!
Harrison: Sumimasen, sensei!
Sensei: Harisonsan, ima nan-ji desu ka.
Harrison: San-ji desu.
Sensei: Hai, san-ji desu ne. Kurasu wa nan-ji kara desu ka.
Harrison: Ni-ji kara desu.
Sensei: Soo desu ne. Ni-ji kara desu.
Harrison: Sumimasen.
Sensei: Sa, doozo.

Sensei: Mina san, geemu desu. Kiite kudasai. [recording of car noises plays] Nan desu ka.
Hill: Kuruma?
Sensei: Hai, soo desu. Kuruma desu ne. Hai, tsugi. [ticking sounds] Nan desu ka.
Pascal: Tokei desu.
Sensei: Hai, tokei desu. Tsugi. [telephone ringing] Nan desu ka.
Hill: Denwa desu ne.
Sensei: Hai, soo desu. Denwa desu. Hai, tsugi. [clacking noises, like buttons being pressed] Nan desu ka.
Harrison: Rajio desu ka.
Sensei: Iie, chigaimasu.
Harrison: Terebi desu ka.
Sensei: Chigaimasu.
Harrison: Konpyuutaa desu ka.
Sensei: Chigaimasu, chigaimasu! Hiru san?
Hill: Teepu rekoodaa desu ka.
Sensei: Hai, soo desu. Teepu rekoodaa desu. Arigatoo.

[Phone rings]
Harrison: Denwa desu.
Sensei: Hai, soo desu. Denwa desu.
Harrison: Iie, iie! Sensei, doozo, denwa desu.
Sensei: Aa, soo desu ne, sumimasen! Hai, moshi moshi?... Aa, Yamada san, konnichiwa. ... Miitingu desu ka. Hai. Nan-ji? ... Yo-ji? Sumimasen. Ima Nihongo no kurasu desu. Kurasu no owari wa yo-ji desu. ... Go-ji? Hai, go-ji desu ne. Doko? ... Hai, hai. Arigatoo.

End of Lesson Two