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Minna no Nihongo, lesson 6

Lesson 6:

Lesson 6 of Minna no Nihongo, “What do you do? Shall we go together?”, teaches 8 grammar patterns, including , , , and 56 words. Here is every word with romaji and English, the grammar explained with examples, and 34 example sentences.

Updated

Grammar

What you eat, read, buy: を

を marks the thing a verb acts on: パンを たべます (I eat bread), しんぶんを よみます (I read the newspaper). It is written を but read "o". あいます is different: the person you meet takes に (ともだちに あいます).

  • Koohii o nomimasu. I'll have coffee.
  • Maiasa shinbun o yomimasu. I read the newspaper every morning.
  • Eki de tomodachi ni aimasu. I'm meeting a friend at the station.

Doing things: を します

します (do) goes with many nouns: sports (テニスを します), homework (しゅくだいを します) and events (おはなみを します). Ask what someone does with なにを しますか.

  • Nichiyoubi ni nani o shimasu ka. What are you doing on Sunday?
  • Sakkaa o shimasu. I'm playing football.
  • Kinou shukudai o shimashita. I did my homework yesterday.

What: なに and なん

何 is read なに before を and on its own: なにを たべますか. It is read なん before です, の, で and counters: なんですか, なんの ほん, なんで いきますか, なんじ. なにも with a negative means "nothing": なにも たべません.

  • Nani o nomimasu ka. What will you have to drink?
  • Nan de ikimasu ka. How are you getting there?
  • Nani mo tabemasen. I don't eat anything.

Where it happens: で

で after a place says where something happens: としょかんで べんきょうします (I study at the library). Compare へ, which marks where you are going: としょかんへ いきます. Ask with どこで.

  • Doko de sono kaban o kaimashita ka. Where did you buy that bag?
  • Oosaka depaato de kaimashita. At Osaka Department Store.
  • Maiasa eki de shinbun o kaimasu. I buy a newspaper at the station every morning.

Inviting: ませんか

A negative question with ませんか is a polite invitation: いっしょに たべませんか (would you like to eat with me?). It leaves the choice to the other person. Accept with ええ、いいですね.

  • Isshoni hirugohan o tabemasen ka. Would you like to have lunch together?
  • Ee, ii desu ne. Yes, that sounds good.

Let's: ましょう

Change ます to ましょう to say "let's": いきましょう (let's go). Use it to suggest something, or to agree once you've both decided: ええ、いきましょう. Ask about the details with どこで, なんじに and so on.

  • Chotto yasumimashou. Let's take a short break.
  • Doko de aimasu ka. Where shall we meet?
  • Eki de aimashou. Let's meet at the station.

The polite お

お before some nouns makes them polite or softer: おちゃ (tea), おさけ (alcohol), おはなみ (cherry-blossom viewing). You met it in おなまえ and おくに. Some words, like おちゃ, are almost always said with お.

  • Ocha o nomimasu ka. Would you like some tea?
  • Nichiyoubi ni isshoni ohanami o shimasen ka. Would you like to go cherry-blossom viewing with me on Sunday?

And then: それから

それから starts a new sentence and means "after that": しゅくだいを しました。それから えいがを みました (I did my homework. After that, I watched a film). It joins sentences, unlike と, which joins nouns.

  • Shukudai o shimashita. Sorekara eiga o mimashita. I did my homework. After that, I watched a film.

Vocabulary: 56 words

Everyday verbs

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
tabemasu eat
nomimasu drink
suimasu smoke (a cigarette)たばこを すいます (I smoke).
mimasu see, look at, watch
kikimasu hear, listen
yomimasu read
kakimasu write, draw
kaimasu buy
torimasu take (a photo)しゃしんを とります (I take a photo).
shimasu do, playUsed for sports and many activities: テニスを します (I play tennis).
aimasu meet (someone)The person takes に, not を: ともだちに あいます (I meet a friend).

Meals

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
gohan meal, cooked rice
asagohan breakfast
hirugohan lunch
bangohan dinner, supper

Food

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
pan bread
tamago egg
niku meat
sakana fish
yasai vegetable(s)
kudamono fruit

Drinks

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
mizu water
ocha tea, green tea
koucha black tea
gyuunyuu milkAlso ミルク.
juusu juice
biiru beer
osake alcohol, Japanese rice wineWithout お, さけ is the plainer word.
tabako cigarette(s), tobacco

Things to read, write and watch

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
tegami letter
repooto report, essay
shashin photo
bideo video

Places and things to do

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
mise shop, restaurant
niwa garden
shukudai homeworkDone with します: しゅくだいを します.
tenisu tennisPlayed with します: テニスを します.
sakkaa football, soccerPlayed with します: サッカーを します.
ohanami cherry-blossom viewingDone with します: おはなみを します. A spring picnic under the cherry trees.

How often and together

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
nani whatBecomes なん before で, の and counters (なんで, なんの, なんじ); なに before を: なにを しますか.
isshoni together
chotto a little while, a little bit
itsumo always, usually
tokidoki sometimes
sorekara after that, and then

Object and place: を & で

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
~ o (marks what you eat, read, buy…)Written を but read "o": パンを たべます (I eat bread).
~ de at, in ~ (where something happens)えきで しんぶんを かいます (I buy a newspaper at the station).

Expressions

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
ee yes (a softer はい)
ii desune that sounds goodThe usual way to accept an invitation.
wakarimashita I see, all right
nan desuka yes? (when someone calls you)
ja, mata ashita see you tomorrowWithout あした: じゃ、また (see you).

Places in the book

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
mekishiko Mexico
tsuruya Tsuruya (a restaurant)
furansuya France-ya (a supermarket)
mainichiya Mainichi-ya (a supermarket)

Example sentences

  • Asa nani o tabemasu ka. What do you eat in the morning?
  • Pan to tamago o tabemasu. I eat bread and eggs.
  • Nani mo tabemasen. I don't eat anything.
  • Nani o nomimasu ka. What will you have to drink?
  • Koohii o nomimasu. I'll have coffee.
  • Osake o nomimasu ka. Do you drink alcohol?
  • Iie, nomimasen. No, I don't.
  • Tabako o suimasu ka. Do you smoke?
  • Iie, suimasen. No, I don't.
  • Kinou nani o shimashita ka. What did you do yesterday?
  • Tenisu o shimashita. I played tennis.
  • Shukudai o shimashita. Sorekara eiga o mimashita. I did my homework. After that, I watched a film.
  • Nichiyoubi ni nani o shimasu ka. What are you doing on Sunday?
  • Oosakajou de shashin o torimasu. I'm taking photos at Osaka Castle.
  • Doko de sono kaban o kaimashita ka. Where did you buy that bag?
  • Oosaka depaato de kaimashita. At Osaka Department Store.
  • Maiasa eki de shinbun o kaimasu. I buy a newspaper at the station every morning.
  • Toshokan de benkyoushimasu. I study at the library.
  • Tokidoki tegami o kakimasu. I sometimes write letters.
  • Itsumo densha de shinbun o yomimasu. I always read the newspaper on the train.
  • Maiban rajio o kikimasu. I listen to the radio every evening.
  • Eki de tomodachi ni aimasu. I'm meeting a friend at the station.
  • Isshoni hirugohan o tabemasen ka. Would you like to have lunch together?
  • Ee, ii desu ne. Yes, that sounds good.
  • Doko de tabemasu ka. Where shall we eat?
  • Tsuruya de tabemashou. Let's eat at Tsuruya.
  • Nichiyoubi ni isshoni ohanami o shimasen ka. Would you like to go cherry-blossom viewing with me on Sunday?
  • Ee, ikimashou. Yes, let's go.
  • Chotto yasumimashou. Let's take a short break.
  • Doko de aimasu ka. Where shall we meet?
  • Eki de aimashou. Let's meet at the station.
  • Nanji ni aimasu ka. What time shall we meet?
  • Juuji ni aimashou. Let's meet at ten.
  • Wakarimashita. Ja, mata ashita. All right. See you tomorrow, then.

Conversations to practise

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

  • Lunch together?It's noon at the office. Ms. Sato stops by your desk.
  • Cherry blossoms on SundayIt's spring. You invite your colleague Mr. Yamada to see the cherry blossoms.
  • What did you do on Saturday?On Monday morning, Mr. Miller asks about your weekend.

Practise lesson 6

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

Start lesson 6