会話 Dialogue 3

On the train

 

単語 Vocabulary

Romanized Japanese	Hiragana	Other Japanese scripts	English
tsugi	つぎ	次	next
orimasu	おります	降ります	get off, alight
sore kara	それから		then, next
norikaemasu	のりかえます	乗り換えます	change, transfer (transportation)
tsukimasu	つきます	着きます	arrive
＋demasu	でます	出ます	leave
~goro	ごろ		around X, approximately
nan-ji goro	なんじごろ	何時頃	around what time
jup-pun mae	じゅっぷんまえ	十分前	ten minutes before the hour
＋sugi	すぎ	過ぎ	after
isogimasu	いそぎます	急ぎます	hurry
＋arukimasu	あるきます	歩きます	walk
＋hashirimasu	はしります	走ります	run

文法 Grammar Notes

なんじ
6-3-1 何時ごろApproximation of Naming Time

In 6-2-2 above, we saw that ~gurai combines with counting classifiers to indicate approximation of quantity. ~Goro on the other hand combines with naming time classifiers to indicate approximation of point in time. Thus, ichi-ji goro means ‘about one o’clock.’

We also saw in 6-1-3 that specific time expressions take particle にto indicate the specific time at which something happens. However, when these specific time expressions are followed by ~goro, the particle ni becomes optional. This may be because ~goro makes the expressions vague –without clear starting and ending points– like time expressions such as asa ‘morning’. In many situations, ~goro makes you sound softer and polite.

なんじ い
何時に行きますか。Nan-ji ni ikimasu ka.

What time are you going?

なんじ い
何時ごろ行きますか。Nan-ji goro ikimasu ka.

Around what time are you going?

It is also to be noted that in contemporary Japanese ~gurai has begun to combine with naming time classifiers. In another word, ~gurai is used like ~goro. However, in such cases, the particle にis required in order to avoid confusion:

げつようび
月曜日に帰ります。Getsuyoubi ni kaerimasu.

I’ll return on Monday.

げつようび
月曜日ごろ（に）帰ります。Getsuyoubi goro (ni) kaerimasu.

I’ll return around Monday.

げつようび
月曜日ぐらいに帰ります。Getsuyoubi gurai ni kaerimasu.

I’ll return around Monday.

じゅっぷん い
十 分ぐらい行きましょう。 Jup-pun gurai ikimashou.

Let’s go for about ten minutes. (counting)

じゅっぷん い
十 分ごろ行きましょう。Juppun goro ikimashou.

Let’s go around ten minutes (past the hour). (naming)

じゅっぷん い
十 分ぐらいに行きましょう。Jup-pun gurai ni ikimashou.

Let’s go around ten minutes (past the hour). (naming)

6-3-2- sugi/ maeMore about telling time

In 6-1-2 above, we saw that in telling clock time, the hour is followed by minutes (ku-ji jup-pun.) You may also hear minutes before the hour followed by mae ‘before’ or minutes after the hour followed by sugi ‘past’:

Japanese script	Romanized Japanese	English
ろくじごふんまえ 六時五分前	roku-ji go-fun mae	five minutes before/until 6:00
はいじじゅっぷんす 八時十分過ぎ	hachi-ji jup-pun sugi.	Ten minutes after/past 8:00
ひる まえ お昼ちょっと前	ohiru chotto mae	a little before noon
くじはん すこ 九時半少しすぎ	ku-ji han sukoshi sugi	a little past 6:30

When the hour has already been mentioned or understood, it is common not to mention it:

ろくじ

六時ですか．Roku-ji desuka.Is it six?

じゅっぷんまえ

いえ、十分前です。 Iie, jup-pun mae desu.No, it’s ten to.

6-3-3 Learning Verbs with Particles

Selecting the right particle is always a challenge to many learners of Japanese. As you expand your vocabulary, it’s recommended that you learn each new verb along with the particle that is typically used with it.

In this lesson we learn several verbs that are associated with transportation.

Notice that these verbs take different particles and it is hard to guess the right ones simply on the basis of their English translations.

の
バスに乗ります。 Basu ni norimasu. I’ll get on the bus.

お
バスを降ります。Basu o orimasu. I’ll get off the bus

のか

バスを乗り換えます。Basu o norikaemasu. I’ll change buses.

の か
バスに乗り換えます。Basu ni norikaemasu．I’ll transfer to a bus.

のか
バスから乗り換えます。Basu kara norikaemasu. I’ll transfer from a bus.

いえ で
家を出ました。Ie o demashita. I left home.

いえつ
家に着きました。Ie ni tsukimashita. I arrived home.