Lesson 9 家族 Family
Lesson 9.4
Dialogue 4
Yamamoto: Ojii-dan to obaa-san wa ogenki desu ka.
げんき
おじいさんとおばあさんはお元気ですか．
Is your grandparents well?
Michael: Sofu wa mou nakunarimashita kedo, sobo wa mada pinpin shite imasu.
そふ そぼ
祖父はもうなくなりましたけど、祖母はまだピンピンしています
My grandfather has already passed away, but my grandmother is still well.
Yamamoto: Hitori-gurashi desu ka.
ひとり-ぐ
一人暮らしですか．
Does she live alone?
Michal: Ie, uchi no ryoushin to issho ni sunde imasu.
りょうしん-いっしょ す
いえ、うちの両親と一緒に住んでいます．
No, she lives with my parents.
Yamamoto: Sore wa anshin desu nee.
あんしん
それは、安心ですねえ。That’s nice (worry-free).
Vocabulary
| ojiisan おじいさん grandfather (formal)
obaasan おばあさん grandmother (formal) genki (na) げんき（な） 元気 healthy; spirited; energetic ogenki おげんき Polite version of genki ＋byouki びょうき 病気 sick; disease ＋gobyouki ごびょうき ご病気 sofu そふ 祖父 grandfather; my grandfather (plain) mou もう already nakunaru なくなる pass away ＋shinu しぬ 死ぬ die sobo そぼ 祖母 grandmother; my grandmother(plain) mada まだ still pinpin shite iru ピンピンしている full of life; very much alive hitori gurashi ひとりぐらし 一人暮らし living alone ＋kurasu くらす 暮らす live (everyday life) issho いっしょ together sumu すむ 住む live; take residence sunde iru すんでいる 住んでいる live; be in residence anshin あんしん 安心 relief; feel at ease ＋shinpai しんぱい 心配 worry; feel worried ＋petto ペット pet ＋inu いぬ 犬 dog ＋neko ねこ 猫 cat ojiisan おじいさん grandfather (formal) obaasan おばあさん grandmother (formal) genki (na) げんき（な） 元気 healthy; spirited; energetic ogenki おげんき Polite version of genki ＋byouki びょうき 病気 sick; disease ＋gobyouki ごびょうき ご病気 sofu そふ 祖父 grandfather; my grandfather (plain) mou もう already konsarutanto コンサルタント consultant jaanarisuto ジャーナリスト journalist enjinia エンジニア engineer weetoresu ウェイトレス waitress |
Japanese words for the English verb ‘live’
There are several Japanese words that are translated as ‘live’ in English. Distinguish the subtle differences among them.
sumu take a residence
住む typically preceded by a location + particle ni
Nihon ni sunde imasu. I live in Japan.
Eki no soba ni sumitai n desu kedo. I’d like to live near the station.
kurasu spend everyday; refers to life-styles
暮らす preceded by description of how one spends everyday or does daily chores preceded by a location + particle de
Amerika de tanoshiku kurashite imasu. I’m living a fun life in America.
Tanoshiku kurashite imasu. I’m living happily.
ikiru spend one’s life; stay alive; opposite of shinu ‘die’
生きる
Hyaku-sai made ikimashita. She lived up to age 100.
Mada ikite imasu. He is still alive.
Shinu ka ikiru ka. It’s a matter of life or death.
seikatsu(-suru) make a living; lead a life of certain social-economic level;
生活する handle daily activities (similar to kurasu )
Kono shigoto de wa seikatsu dekimasen. You cannot live on this job.
Nihon no seikatsu ga suki desu. I like the life (style) in Japan.
Motto ii seikatsu ga shitai. I want a better standard of living.
Grammar Notes
9-4-1 Mou and Mada: A Change or No Change in Status
Earlier, we learned that when complemented on our language skills, we might respond by saying Mada mada desu. This is a humble response saying “not yet not yet” and implying that there is still a long way to go.
Mada is often translated as ‘still’, or ‘(not) yet’ in a negative sentence. Its basic meaning is that there is no significant change in the situation.
Wakarimashita ka. Did you understand it?
Ie, mada wakarimasen. No I still don’t get it.
Oda-san, kaerimasita ka. Has Ms. Oda gone home?
Ie, mada imasu. No, she is still here.
Basu, kimashita ka. Did the bus come?
Ie, mada kite imasen. No, it hasn’t come yet. or Mada desu. No yet.
As you can see in the last example above, when the context is clear, you can just say
mada alone.
Mou, on the other hand, indicates that there is a change in the situation, and is often translated as ‘already’, or ‘(not) any longer’ in a negative sentence.
Hirugohan, tabemasen ka. Won’t you eat lunch?
Mou tabemashita. I’ve already eaten.
Keeki mada arimasu ka. Is any of the cake still left?
Ie, mou arimasen. No, there is no more.
Do not confuse this mou with the other mou meaning ‘more.’ Note the contrast of the rising and falling intonation.
Mo-U hito-tsu arimasu. We have one more. (with a rising intonation) MO-u hito-tsu arimasu. We already have one. (with a falling intonation)
Mou and mada carry a clear implication regarding a prior situation, and therefore they are not superfluous. Compare the following.
Yasui desu. It’s cheap. (No implication regarding how it was before)
Mada yasui desu. It’s still cheat. (It was also cheap before.)
Mou yasui desu. It’s cheap now. (It was not cheap before.)
Also note how mou and mada express different perspectives. This is similar to whether you see a glass half full or half empty. Consider the difference in the following.
Mou 25-sai desu. I’m already 25 years old. (I’m old.)
Mada 25-sai desu. I’m still 25 years old. (I’m young.)
Drills and Excercises
Cue and Response
Cue: バス、もう来ましたか． Has the bus already come?
Response: いえ、まだ来ていません。 No, it hasn’t come yet.
Cue: 昼ご飯、もう食べましたか。 Have you already eaten lunch?
Response: いえ、まだ食べていません。 No, I haven’t eaten yet.
Cue: 病気ですか。 Is he sick?
Response: いえ、元気ですよ。 No, he is well.
Cue: おじいさんですか。 Is it his grandfather?
Response: いえ、おばあさんですよ。 No, it’s his grandmother.
Say it in Japanese
You’ve been asked how your families are.
- My grandfather is still alive and well, but grandmother passed away last year.
- My little sister was sick last week but is well now. I’m relieved!
- My father passed away and my mother is living alone. I’m worried.
- Both my big brother and big sister work for Google and live together in California.
- My pet dog, Lucky, is now 15 years old, but is still full of life.
Yuuki, a friend, asked you what sports you are interested in.
- I no longer play any sports.
- I still do not play any sports.
- I’m still playing baseball every weekend.
- I already did all the traditional sports, but I like Kendo the best.
- I haven’t seen Sumo yet. Have you?
Act in Japanese
- You’ve bumped into an old friend after not seeing her for a long time. Find out a) if everyone in her family is well, b) where they live, c) what they do (for a living.)
- Find out if a friend has already eaten lunch.
- Ask friends if they have any pets. Find out their names and ages.
- A friend looks worried. Find out what he is worrying about.
You’ve been informed that a co-worker has just had a baby. Congratulate her and find out if it’s a baby girl.
