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Minna no Nihongo, lesson 23

Lesson 23:

Lesson 23 of Minna no Nihongo, “Saying when, and finding the way”, teaches 6 grammar patterns, including , , , and 24 words. Here is every word with romaji and English, the grammar explained with examples, and 44 example sentences.

Updated

Grammar

When …

とき (time) works like a noun, so what comes before it describes it: a verb in the plain form (みちが わからない とき), an い-adjective (さむい とき), a な-adjective with な (ひまな とき) or a noun with の (こどもの とき). The rest of the sentence says what happens then.

  • Hima na toki, nani o shimasu ka. What do you do when you're free?
  • Kodomo no toki, yoku kono kouen de asobimashita. When I was a child, I often played in this park.
  • Samui toki, atatakai oyu o nomimasu. When it's cold, I drink hot water.

Before or after: かえる とき, かえった とき

Before とき, the dictionary form means the action hasn't happened yet, and the た-form that it has. くにへ かえる とき、おみやげを かいます: you buy presents before you leave. くにへ かえった とき、ともだちに あいます: you see friends once you've arrived. This doesn't depend on whether the sentence is about the past or the future.

  • Kuni e kaeru toki, omiyage o kaimasu. When I go home to my country, I buy presents (before I leave).
  • Kuni e kaetta toki, tomodachi ni aimasu. When I get back to my country, I see my friends.
  • Neru toki, "oyasuminasai" to iimasu. When you go to bed, you say "oyasumi nasai".

Whenever you do this, that happens

A dictionary form + と says that one thing always follows another: この ボタンを おすと、おつりが でます (press this button and the change comes out). It's used for machines, directions and things that happen by themselves, not for what you want or ask someone to do.

  • Kono botan o osu to, otsuri ga demasu. If you press this button, the change comes out.
  • Kore o migi e mawasu to, oto ga ookiku narimasu. If you turn this to the right, the sound gets louder.
  • Migi e magaru to, yuubinkyoku ga arimasu. Turn right and there's a post office.

Along, across and round

With verbs of moving, を marks the place you go along, across or through: みちを あるきます (walk along the road), はしを わたります (cross the bridge), かどを まがります (turn at the corner), こうえんを さんぽします (walk in the park).

  • Hashi o watarimasu. I cross the bridge.
  • Kado o hidari e magarimasu. I turn left at the corner.
  • Maiasa kouen o sanposhimasu. I take a walk in the park every morning.

Asking and giving directions

どうやって いきますか asks how to get somewhere. Directions chain て-forms (まっすぐ いって、かどを まがって ください) and end with what you'll find, often after と: わたると、ひだりに あります (cross and it's on the left). 〜め after ひとつ, ふたつ… counts which one: ふたつめの かど (the second corner).

  • Sumimasen. Toshokan e douyatte ikimasu ka. Excuse me. How do I get to the library?
  • Kono michi o massugu itte, futatsume no kado o migi e magatte kudasai. Go straight along this road and turn right at the second corner.
  • Kousaten o wataru to, hidari ni arimasu. Cross at the junction and it's on the left.

Using machines

Instructions for machines often use と: あかい ボタンを おすと、おゆが でます (press the red button and hot water comes out). When something doesn't work, say こしょうです (it's out of order). ひきます (pull) and おします (push) are opposites; さわります (touch) takes に.

  • Akai botan o osu to, oyu ga demasu. If you press the red button, hot water comes out.
  • Kono erebeetaa wa koshou desu. This lift is out of order.
  • E ni sawaranaide kudasai. Please don't touch the pictures.

Vocabulary: 24 words

Verbs

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
kikimasu ask (someone)The person you ask takes に: せんせいに ききます. The same verb as ききます (hear, listen).
mawashimasu turn (a knob, a dial)A group I verb, like はなします: まわす, まわさない, まわした.
hikimasu pullThe opposite of おします (push). It sounds like ひきます (play the piano).
kaemasu change (the size, a plan)サイズを かえます. It sounds like かえます (exchange money).
sawarimasu touchWhat you touch takes に: ドアに さわります.
demasu come out (change, a ticket, hot water)おつりが でます (the change comes out).
arukimasu walkIts て-form あるいて is also "on foot" (lesson 5). Where you walk takes を: みちを あるきます.
watarimasu cross (a bridge, a road)What you cross takes を: はしを わたります.
magarimasu turn (right, left)The corner takes を, the direction へ: かどを みぎへ まがります.

Roads and buildings

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
michi road, street; the way (to somewhere)
kousaten crossroads, junction
kado corner
hashi bridgeIt sounds like はし (chopsticks).
chuushajou car park
tatemono building
~me -th (ひとつめ: the first, ふたつめ: the second)After ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ…: ふたつめの かど (the second corner).

Things and feelings

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
sabishii lonelyAn い-adjective.
oyu hot water
oto sound, noiseFor the sound of things. A person's voice is different.
saizu size
koshou breakdown, faultこしょうです (it's out of order).
toki when …, the time (when)After a plain form, an い-adjective, a な-adjective + な, or a noun + の: ひまな とき (when I'm free), こどもの とき (when I was a child).

Phrases and other words

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
nankaimo many times, again and again
houryuuji Horyu-ji (a very old temple near Nara)

Example sentences

  • Hima na toki, nani o shimasu ka. What do you do when you're free?
  • Hima na toki, hon o yondari, eiga o mitari shimasu. When I'm free, I read books, watch films and so on.
  • Kodomo no toki, yoku kono kouen de asobimashita. When I was a child, I often played in this park.
  • Wakai toki, iroiro na kuni e ikimashita. When I was young, I went to lots of countries.
  • Samui toki, atatakai oyu o nomimasu. When it's cold, I drink hot water.
  • Ame no toki, takushii de kaisha e ikimasu. When it rains, I go to work by taxi.
  • Isogashii toki, asagohan o tabemasen. When I'm busy, I don't eat breakfast.
  • Sabishii toki, kuni no kazoku ni denwashimasu. When I'm lonely, I phone my family back home.
  • Michi ga wakaranai toki, keetai de chizu o mimasu. When I don't know the way, I look at a map on my phone.
  • Wakaranai kotoba ga aru toki, sensei ni kikimasu. When there's a word I don't understand, I ask the teacher.
  • Kuni e kaeru toki, omiyage o kaimasu. When I go home to my country, I buy presents (before I leave).
  • Kuni e kaetta toki, tomodachi ni aimasu. When I get back to my country, I see my friends.
  • Neru toki, "oyasuminasai" to iimasu. When you go to bed, you say "oyasumi nasai".
  • Gohan o taberu toki, "itadakimasu" to iimasu. When you eat, you say "itadakimasu".
  • Kono botan o osu to, otsuri ga demasu. If you press this button, the change comes out.
  • Akai botan o osu to, oyu ga demasu. If you press the red button, hot water comes out.
  • Kore o migi e mawasu to, oto ga ookiku narimasu. If you turn this to the right, the sound gets louder.
  • Hidari e mawasu to, oto ga chiisaku narimasu. If you turn it to the left, the sound gets quieter.
  • Migi e magaru to, yuubinkyoku ga arimasu. Turn right and there's a post office.
  • Hashi o wataru to, kouen ga arimasu. Cross the bridge and there's a park.
  • Kono doa wa hiite kudasai. Please pull this door.
  • E ni sawaranaide kudasai. Please don't touch the pictures.
  • Kono shatsu no saizu o kaetai desu. I'd like to change the size of this shirt.
  • Kono erebeetaa wa koshou desu. This lift is out of order.
  • Dou shimashita ka. What's the matter?
  • Pasokon ga koshou desu. My computer's broken.
  • Sumimasen. Toshokan e douyatte ikimasu ka. Excuse me. How do I get to the library?
  • Kono michi o massugu itte, futatsume no kado o migi e magatte kudasai. Go straight along this road and turn right at the second corner.
  • Kousaten o wataru to, hidari ni arimasu. Cross at the junction and it's on the left.
  • Mittsume no shingou o hidari e magatte kudasai. Turn left at the third set of lights.
  • Eki kara aruite juppun gurai desu. It's about ten minutes' walk from the station.
  • Mainichi ichijikan arukimasu. I walk for an hour every day.
  • Maiasa kouen o sanposhimasu. I take a walk in the park every morning.
  • Hashi o watarimasu. I cross the bridge.
  • Kado o hidari e magarimasu. I turn left at the corner.
  • Kono michi wa kuruma ga ooi desu kara, ki o tsukete kudasai. There's a lot of traffic on this road, so be careful.
  • Chuushajou wa ano tatemono no ushiro desu. The car park is behind that building.
  • Ano takai tatemono wa nan desu ka. What's that tall building?
  • Byouin desu. It's a hospital.
  • Nankaimo kikimashita ga, wakarimasendeshita. I asked again and again, but I didn't understand.
  • Eki no hito ni kikimashou. Let's ask someone at the station.
  • Tonari no heya kara ookii oto ga shimasu. There's a loud noise coming from the next room.
  • Hitoride sunde imasu kara, tokidoki sabishii desu. I live on my own, so I'm sometimes lonely.
  • Houryuuji wa totemo furui otera desu. Horyu-ji is a very old temple.

Conversations to practise

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

  • How do I get there?You phone Midori Library to ask how to get there.
  • Press this buttonAt work, you ask Mr. Miller how to use the new vending machine.
  • When do you feel lonely?Mrs. Kimura asks you about your life in Japan.

Practise lesson 23

Flashcards, spelling with kana tiles, sentence building and conversations. Free to start: lessons 1 and 2 need no sign-up, 3 to 5 a free account, and lesson 6 onwards Premium.

Start lesson 23