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Minna no Nihongo, lesson 21

Lesson 21:

Lesson 21 of Minna no Nihongo, “Saying what you think and what others said”, teaches 6 grammar patterns, including , , , and 38 words. Here is every word with romaji and English, the grammar explained with examples, and 49 example sentences.

Updated

Grammar

I think (guessing)

Put what you think in the plain form before と おもいます: あした あめが ふると おもいます (I think it'll rain tomorrow). It softens a guess, and たぶん (probably) or きっと (surely) often come with it. To guess that something won't happen, make the part before と negative: こないと おもいます (I don't think he'll come), not くると おもいません.

  • Ashita ame ga furu to omoimasu. I think it'll rain tomorrow.
  • Miraa-san wa mou uchi e kaetta to omoimasu. I think Mr. Miller has already gone home.
  • Tereeza-chan wa tabun kono kotoba o shiranai to omoimasu. I don't think Teresa knows this word.

Asking and giving opinions

〜に ついて どう おもいますか asks what someone thinks about something. Answer with the plain form + と おもいます. A noun or a な-adjective keeps だ before と: べんりだと おもいます. An い-adjective doesn't take だ: おもしろいと おもいます. To agree, say わたしも そう おもいます (I think so too).

  • Nihon no koutsuu ni tsuite dou omoimasu ka. What do you think of transport in Japan?
  • Benri da to omoimasu. I think it's convenient.
  • Watashi mo sou omoimasu. I think so too.

Saying what someone said

To give someone's exact words, put them in 「 」 before と いいます. To report what someone said in your own words, use the plain form before と: ミラーさんは あした くると いいました (Mr. Miller said he'd come tomorrow). なんと いいますか asks what something is called or what someone said.

  • Neru mae ni, "oyasuminasai" to iimasu. Before going to bed, you say "oyasumi nasai".
  • Miraa-san wa ashita kuru to iimashita. Mr. Miller said he'd come tomorrow.
  • Kore wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka. What do you call this in Japanese?

Right? (asking someone to agree)

Said with a rising voice after a plain form, でしょう? checks that the listener agrees or knows: つかれたでしょう? (you must be tired). A noun or a な-adjective drops だ: じょうずでしょう?, not じょうずだでしょう?

  • Ashita paatii ni iku deshou? You're going to the party tomorrow, aren't you?
  • Hokkaidou wa samukatta deshou? It was cold in Hokkaido, wasn't it?
  • Karina-san wa e ga jouzu deshou? Karina is good at drawing, isn't she?

Events taking place

With an event, such as a party, a match, a festival or a meeting, あります means it takes place. The place takes で, not に: こうえんで まつりが あります. Compare: こうえんに いけが あります (there's a pond in the park).

  • Doyoubi ni kouen de matsuri ga arimasu. There's a festival in the park on Saturday.
  • Shiai wa doko de arimasu ka. Where is the match being held?
  • Oosaka de arimasu. In Osaka.

At a meeting, a beer or something, I have to

で after an occasion says when something happened: かいぎで (at the meeting). でも after a noun makes an invitation softer, as if it were one example: ビールでも のみませんか. 〜ないと after the ない-form is short for 〜なければ なりません: もう かえらないと (I have to go home now).

  • Kaigi de nanika iken o iimashita ka. Did you give your opinion at the meeting?
  • Chotto biiru demo nomimasen ka. How about a beer or something?
  • Mou kaeranaito. I have to go home now.

Vocabulary: 38 words

Verbs

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
omoimasu thinkWhat you think comes before と in the plain form: あした あめが ふると おもいます (I think it'll rain tomorrow). Plain forms: おもう, おもわない, おもった.
iimasu sayWhat is said comes before と: ミラーさんは あした くると いいました. Its て-form いって and plain past いった sound like those of いきます.
kachimasu winしあいに かちます (win a match). Its て-form かって sounds like that of かいます (buy).
makemasu lose, be beatenしあいに まけます (lose a match).
arimasu take place, be held (an event)Where it happens takes で: こうえんで まつりが あります (there's a festival in the park).
yaku ni tachimasu be usefulこの じしょは やくに たちます (this dictionary is useful).
ugokimasu move, work (a machine)とけいが うごきません (the clock isn't working).
ki o tsukemasu be careful, take care, watch outWhat you watch out for takes に: くるまに きを つけて ください (watch out for cars).
ryuugakushimasu study abroadWhere you go to study takes に: アメリカに りゅうがくします.

Adjectives

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
muda wasteful, a waste (な-adjective)むだな かいぎ (a meeting that's a waste of time).
fuben inconvenient (な-adjective)The opposite of べんり.
sugoi amazing, great; terrible (says you're impressed or shocked)An い-adjective: すごい ゆき (a huge amount of snow).
hontou true, the truthほんとうです (it's true). The opposite of うそ.

People and things

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
uso a lieうそを いいます (tell a lie). うそでしょう? (you're joking, right?)
jidousha car, motor vehicleA more formal word than くるま: じどうしゃの かいしゃ (a car company).
koutsuu traffic, transportとうきょうは こうつうが べんりです (getting around Tokyo is easy).
nyuusu the news
anime anime, animated films
manga manga, comics
dezain design
yume dream
tensai genius
shiai match, game
iken opinionいけんを いいます (give your opinion).
hanashi talk, what someone says; storyせんせいの はなし (what the teacher said).
chikyuu the earth
tsuki the moon

Phrases and other words

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
saikin recently, these days
tabun probably, perhapsOften with 〜と おもいます: たぶん こないと おもいます (I don't think he'll come).
kitto surely, I'm sureSurer than たぶん.
hontouni really, truly
sonnani (not) that, (not) so muchWith a negative: そんなに たかくないです (it isn't that expensive).
~ni tsuite about, on (a subject)にほんの こうつうに ついて どう おもいますか (what do you think about transport in Japan?)
shikata ga arimasen It can't be helped.
shibaraku desu ne Long time no see.
~demo … or something (makes a suggestion softer)After a noun: ビールでも のみませんか (how about a beer or something?)
~naito I have to …, I must … (short for 〜なければ なりません)After the ない-form: もう かえらないと (I have to go home now).
mochiron of course

Example sentences

  • Ashita ame ga furu to omoimasu. I think it'll rain tomorrow.
  • Miraa-san wa mou uchi e kaetta to omoimasu. I think Mr. Miller has already gone home.
  • Tereeza-chan wa tabun kono kotoba o shiranai to omoimasu. I don't think Teresa knows this word.
  • Yamada-san wa kitto kuru to omoimasu. I'm sure Mr. Yamada will come.
  • Dochira ga katsu to omoimasu ka. Which side do you think will win?
  • Tabun burajiru ga katsu to omoimasu. I think Brazil will probably win.
  • Nihon no koutsuu ni tsuite dou omoimasu ka. What do you think of transport in Japan?
  • Benri da to omoimasu. I think it's convenient.
  • Nihon no anime ni tsuite dou omoimasu ka. What do you think of Japanese anime?
  • Totemo omoshiroi to omoimasu. I think it's really interesting.
  • Watashi mo sou omoimasu. I think so too.
  • Ano hito wa tensai da to omoimasu. I think he's a genius.
  • Kono kaigi wa muda da to omoimasu. I think this meeting is a waste of time.
  • Neru mae ni, "oyasuminasai" to iimasu. Before going to bed, you say "oyasumi nasai".
  • Miraa-san wa ashita kuru to iimashita. Mr. Miller said he'd come tomorrow.
  • Kore wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka. What do you call this in Japanese?
  • Buchou wa raishuu isogashii to iimashita. The head of department said he'd be busy next week.
  • Kaigi de nanika iken o iimashita ka. Did you give your opinion at the meeting?
  • Hai. Muda na kaigi ga ooi to iimashita. Yes. I said there are too many pointless meetings.
  • Uso o iwanaide kudasai. Please don't tell lies.
  • Ashita paatii ni iku deshou? You're going to the party tomorrow, aren't you?
  • Ee, ikimasu. Yes, I am.
  • Hokkaidou wa samukatta deshou? It was cold in Hokkaido, wasn't it?
  • Iie, sonnani samukunakatta desu. No, it wasn't that cold.
  • Karina-san wa e ga jouzu deshou? Karina is good at drawing, isn't she?
  • Tsukareta deshou? You must be tired.
  • Uso deshou? You're joking, right?
  • Hontou desu yo. It's true.
  • Doyoubi ni kouen de matsuri ga arimasu. There's a festival in the park on Saturday.
  • Shiai wa doko de arimasu ka. Where is the match being held?
  • Oosaka de arimasu. In Osaka.
  • Chotto biiru demo nomimasen ka. How about a beer or something?
  • Mou kaeranaito. I have to go home now.
  • Shibaraku desu ne. Ogenki desu ka. Long time no see. How are you?
  • Mochiron ikimasu. Of course I'll go.
  • Nihon ga shiai ni kachimashita. Japan won the match.
  • Burajiru wa makemashita. Shikata ga arimasen. Brazil lost. It can't be helped.
  • Kono jisho wa yaku ni tachimasu. This dictionary is useful.
  • Kono tokei wa ugokimasen. This clock isn't working.
  • Kuruma ni ki o tsukete kudasai. Watch out for cars.
  • Rainen amerika ni ryuugakushimasu. I'm going to study in America next year.
  • Koko wa eki kara tookute, fuben desu. It's far from the station here, so it's inconvenient.
  • Sugoi yuki desu ne. What a lot of snow!
  • Watashi no yume wa tsuki e iku koto desu. My dream is to go to the moon.
  • Tsuki kara chikyuu o mitai desu. I'd like to see the earth from the moon.
  • Saikin manga o yoku yomimasu. I've been reading a lot of manga lately.
  • Kono kuruma wa dezain ga ii desu ne. This car has a nice design, hasn't it?
  • Maiasa terebi de nyuusu o mimasu. I watch the news on TV every morning.
  • Sensei no hanashi wa omoshirokatta desu. The teacher's talk was interesting.

Conversations to practise

In the app you play one of the speakers and choose what to say, line by line, with natural Japanese voices.

  • I think so tooYou run into Mr. Matsumoto, whom you haven't seen for a while, in front of the station.
  • What did the head of department say?Mr. Miller missed yesterday's meeting and asks you about it.
  • There's a festival next monthAt a party, Mrs. Matsumoto asks about your summer trip to Hokkaido.

Practise lesson 21

Flashcards, spelling with kana tiles, sentence building and conversations. Free, no sign-up needed.

Start lesson 21