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Learning Japanese: A Gateway into Culture

Learn the Language of the “Land of the Rising Sun.”

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LESSON (36)

Welcome to Japanese! Saying Words You Know

Learn the five vowel and 15 consonant sounds of Japanese, only two of which differ
significantly from English. But unlike the English alphabet, each Japanese
character can represent a syllable, not just a single sound. Begin to explore the
three Japanese writing methods—hiragana, katakana, and kanji.

35 min

Meeting People; Pronouns; Hiragana Start

As you practice introducing yourself in Japanese using your name and nationality,
you will also learn the polite, present, affirmative form of the verb “to be,” and
its location within a sentence. While you might also expect to learn all the
pronouns, you’ll find that Japanese speakers almost never use second-person
pronouns in their conversations. Begin learning to write hiragana.

28 min

Question Words and Identifying Objects

Get an introduction to the basic interrogatives that will help you when you’re in a
new culture, as well as the casual and more polite ways to say, “thank you.” Listen
to a conversation in which two people are discussing foods with vocabulary you have
just learned. You will also practice writing additional hiragana.

21 min

Telling Time; Polite Verbs; Kyoto

Learn to count to 99 and develop the vocabulary and sentence construction to speak
about time. Your grammar lesson will focus on the dictionary non-past-tense of some
ru and irregular verbs—always using the polite form of the verb. And, you’ll listen
to a conversation between two people as they take the bullet train to Kyoto.

27 min

Negatives; wa and o; Invitations; Harajuku

Learn how to ask positive and negative questions, extend an invitation, and
identify a direct object in a sentence. As you listen to this lesson’s dialogue,
you’ll learn about the famous Tokyo shopping district called Harajuku. You’ll also
practice writing new hiragana as you expand your vocabulary.
20 min

U Verbs; Directions and Getting Around Tokyo

Discover the U-verbs—those that are neither ru-verbs nor irregular—and the patterns
used to change them from their dictionary form into the polite form. In the
dialogue, you’ll hear two women asking for directions to a “cat café,” which is
very popular in Japan. You’ll also learn about the many wards of Tokyo.

33 min

Shopping; Colors; Big Numbers; Money

You will need this lesson if you plan to do any shopping in Japan! You’ll learn the
vocabulary for a variety of stores and restaurants, numbers related to money, and
how to speak about animate and inanimate objects—always in the politest forms.
You’ll also learn why Japanese school children write their largest numbers like
this: 1,0000,0000—with four digits to the right of the comma instead of three.

26 min

Adjectives and Restaurant Orders

Learn the meaning of numerous Japanese i- and na-adjectives, increasing your

vocabulary and ability to describe the people around you—again, always in the
politest terms. You’ll also learn the most appropriate ways to eat Japanese food,
whether with chopsticks or a renge, and you’ll have your final lesson in hiragana
as you learn the double consonants.

23 min

Suggestions; Appearances; Sakura; Kanji

Discover how to add new endings onto verbs you already know in order to create the
polite volitional form—the form used when suggesting that someone take a particular
action. Learn about the cultural importance of the cherry blossom, including a
Japanese song about the sakura, and begin writing your first kanji characters.

26 min

Likes and Dislikes; Manga

Explore the additional grammar and vocabulary necessary for you to describe in
detail if you like or don’t like a particular object or activity. By learning
conjunctions, you’ll be able to create more complicated sentence structures. And
with a cultural lesson on manga, you’ll see why these popular books appeal to
readers of all ages on a wide variety of topics.

24 min

Discussing Skills; Contrasts; Sumo

Learn how to give your opinion about an individual’s skill level on a particular
task, as well as the polite (always indirect) way to indicate that you personally
excel at something. You’ll also learn some vocabulary for baseball, the most
popular sport in Japan, and sumo wrestling, the official national sport.

25 min
The Past; the Week; the Edo Period; Katakana

In this lesson, you’ll engage with some verb forms for speaking about the past—as
well as vocabulary related to the weather, days of the week, and months—and then
use those tenses to learn about the historic Edo period. With your first lesson in
katakana, you’ll be writing and reading some familiar words.

22 min

Past Activities and Past Adjectives; Sushi

Discover additional ways to speak about the past by using the past-tense forms of
i-adjectives, and the aizuchi words that will help your conversation move along
more smoothly. You’ll also learn about sushi, from the Edo period up to the present
day—and why no one could have eaten the sushi of old with chopsticks.

29 min

Expressing a Desire; the Seasons

Learn how to express your desires using the tai desu form of the verb. You’ll also
learn the indirect way to convey that you don’t agree with someone’s suggestion; in
Japanese, it is not acceptable to bluntly say that you disagree. You will also
learn vocabulary related to the seasons, and all the remaining katakana.

25 min

Comparisons; wa versus ga; Mt. Fuji and Hakone

Learn how to change adjectives or adverbs into superlatives, and how to best use wa
and ga to emphasize the new information in your sentence, communicating more
effectively. In this lesson’s dialogue, you’ll learn about the town of Hakone and
its beautiful natural features—especially its view of Mt. Fuji.

28 min

Giving Detailed Descriptions; Kanazawa

In English, we use the single word “and” to connect many different parts of speech.
But in Japanese, you’ll learn the words for connecting nouns and those for
connecting adjectives. You’ll also learn the Japanese vocabulary for liking
something for the first time versus continuing to like it. You’ll discover the
beautiful Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa and begin your writing with kanji.

29 min

Explaining Procedures; Counting Things; Trains

Become familiar with additional verbs and verb forms you can use for better
conversational flow. Learn about Japanese descriptive counter words—words that let
the listener know exactly what class of object you’re counting. In the dialogue,
you’ll hear more about train stations, lines, and platforms. And you’ll practice
writing more words in kanji.

32 min

Polite Requests; Honorifics; Train Stations

Consider the many different degrees of being polite and gracious in Japanese
culture through this vocabulary lesson. While English speakers might use the single
word “please,” a Japanese speaker’s choice of polite or honorific words conveys
much more information. You’ll also learn more about train stations and you’ll
practice writing additional kanji.

31 min

Describing an Action Sequence; Ryokan

Grasp the important vocabulary you’ll need to express “from” and “to,” as well as
the appropriate sentence structure used to express a sequence of actions. Unlike
English sentences, which have more flexibility, Japanese sentences always begin
with whichever action happens first. Learn about the Japanese ryokan, a
traditional-style inn, and continue writing in kanji.

24 min

Ongoing Actions and a Shopping Street

Explore the differences between English and Japanese present-tense verbs and learn
the Japanese progressive form to describe actions that are happening right now.
With new dialogue, you’ll learn additional shopping vocabulary. You’ll also
practice writing kanji related to numbers, including the more complex form of kanji
that is still occasionally used today.

22 min

Asking Permission and Entering a Home

In Japan, it is appropriate to ask permission to perform many actions that non-

Japanese people might take for granted, such as looking closely at an item in a
store or even throwing trash in a trash can. Learn the appropriate vocabulary to
use each step of the way, so as not to seem pushy or rude. And be sure to use the
genkan whenever entering a home; always remove your shoes.

22 min

Family and Friends; Handling Compliments

Increase your vocabulary related to family, learning the polite and formal, and
modest and humble words for parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
Given that modesty is valued so highly in Japanese culture, learn how a Japanese
person might react to receiving a compliment on their appearance, achievements, or
even on their family’s achievements.

26 min

Keeping Pets; Wearing Clothes; Traffic Lights

Learn the counting words and verbs that apply to keeping small animals to increase
your vocabulary when talking about pets. While we use the verb “wear” to describe
any clothes or shoes, you’ll learn the specific Japanese verbs that refer to
clothes that cover specific parts of the body. You’ll also learn the words for
colors—and the special historic relationship between blue and green.

32 min

Describing Uncompleted Actions; Golden Week

Discover why naming the months is so much easier in Japanese than in English, but
why counting the days is so much more complicated. You’ll learn that Japanese verb
tenses are not about whether an action takes place in the past or present, but
whether the action has been completed. And you’ll discover the joys and challenges
of Golden Week.

32 min

Negative Requests; Casual Speech; Age; a Zoo

Explore the vocabulary and syntax for making polite negative requests, and the
difference between the easier ru-verbs and the more difficult u-verbs. You’ll also
discover some more casual conversational vocabulary, learning how it differs from
the more polite, and the circumstances in which casual use is acceptable. Learn
vocabulary related to a person’s age and to the zoo.

34 min

Casual Plain Forms; Obligations; Matcha

Further explore the casual plain forms of speech and their acceptable usage within
family and non-family relationships. While non-native speakers might imagine that
casual speech promotes friendliness, in Japanese culture it could be taken as
childish or even rude. You’ll also learn plain form vocabulary for expressing
obligation, discover the popularity of matcha tea, and practice writing the more
formal kanji for “America.”

28 min

Intentions; Counting People; Shabu-shabu

Although present tense is used when speaking of the future in Japanese, in this
lesson, you’ll learn specific vocabulary for speaking about future intentions and
plans. Learn the counter words for counting people—both casual and polite. And
you’ll increase your vocabulary related to food and restaurants.

25 min

Talking About Past Experiences; Pachinko

Develop the vocabulary and syntax to enable you to discuss past experiences,
starting with the past affirmative plain form of the verbs, and then adding the
negative. You’ll also learn about the role pachinko plays in Japanese culture, as
well as practice additional kanji.

26 min

Giving Advice; Anime and Akihabara

Learn an additional plain form that is used when expressing comparisons, either
between nouns or action verbs, and for giving advice in either the positive or
negative. You will also discover Akihabara—originally known as denki-gai or
“electric town”—an area in Tokyo known for selling anything related to anime,
manga, and video games.

31 min

Making Casual Suggestions; Furusato

Learn a new, plain volitional verb form used when making casual suggestions, as
well as vocabulary to actively encourage someone to act right now. You’ll also
practice the tonal pattern of specific words, when the tone can completely change
the meaning of the syllables. And you’ll learn the song Furusato, meaning “old
home,” used during the closing ceremony of the Nagano Olympics.

31 min

Stating Opinions; Kimono and Washoku

Focus on the specific vocabulary and verb forms for asking someone their opinion,
and for answering the question when you are asked—whether in the positive or the
negative. You’ll review the meaning of kimono, and learn how to describe general
Japanese, Eastern, and Western clothing, food, rooms, and even plumbing. And you’ll
practice several related kanji.

37 min

Conveying What Others Say; Tanabata Festival

Learn the correct vocabulary and verb tenses for describing what someone else has
said, including Japanese quotation marks. Learn about Tanabata, the Star Festival,
and how it has come to be held in either July or August. You’ll learn about how the
towns are decorated for the holiday, and the song Tanabata-sama.

31 min

Explanations with Feeling; New Year’s

It’s not uncommon for two Japanese people in a conversation to be aware of a

condition or situation that they do not want to mention directly. Discover the n
desu or n da vocabulary and syntax used in that situation. You’ll also learn how to
count months, and the many ways the New Year’s holiday is celebrated in Japan—with
special foods, decorations, and New Year’s postcards.

34 min

Weather, Conjectures, and Visiting Places

Learn to use deshou or darou when speaking of something you cannot be 100% sure
about—from tomorrow’s weather to the quality of food at tonight’s restaurant—as
well as other verbs and adjectives to describe what might happen in the future or
what might have happened in the past. Explore many beautiful places you might visit
on your trip to Japan.

33 min

Talking About What You Can Do; Hibachi

Learn the potential forms of verbs, the most common way to express an ability to do
something. You’ll learn how to ask the questions of someone else, how to answer
when someone asks about your own abilities, and how to work with a few verbs that
don’t have a potential form. You’ll also learn a bit about the differences between
hibachi and teppan-yaki.

29 min

A Review; Future Intentions; Liking Someone

Bring your Japanese language experience to an end with the volitional verb form—how
to talk about what you intend to do—in addition to reviewing the forms you’ve
already learned. Discover the appropriate vocabulary to use when you want to say
you like a person, which is different than the terms used to express appreciation
for an object or action. Learn to write kanjis for the four seasons—and this
course’s final kanji which means “to end.”

25 min

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