Lesson Nine: Some Vocabulary

Here is a brief list of words that you can try putting together in various different combinations and come up with several different sentences.

Feel free to use the vocabulary in the previous examples as well:

watashi /boku - I
anata/kimi - you
kare - he
kanojo - she
watashitachi - we
sensei - teacher
okusan - wife
shujin - husband
tomodachi - friend
oniisan - elder brother
oneesan - elder sister
otooto - young brother
imooto - younger sister
itoko - cousin
inu - dog
neko - cat
itachi - weasel
atsui - hot
samui - cold
ii - good
Kanadajin - Canadian
Igirisujin - British
mono - thing
pen - pen
enpitsu - pencil (note you could write this "empitsu" with an "m" if you prefer)
kami - paper
okane - money
kasa - umbrella
shinbun - newspaper (note you could write it as "shimbun" with an "m" if you wish)
jitensha - bicycle
okanemochi - rich
tabemono - food
nomimono - drink
biiru - beer
sake - sake
suteeki - steak
sushi - sushi
kyou - today
ashita - tomorrow
kinou - yesterday

Now try to make the following sentences. Practice saying them so that you get a feel for how Japanese is supposed to sound off the tongue. If you are not sure how to pronounce the sounds, return to Lesson One for revision.

1. This is a dog.
2. This is a cat steak.
3. Mrs. Clinton is not a weasel.
4. You are an idiot!
5. He is not a German teacher.
6. Is your cousin from Italy? (Is your sister Italian?)
- No, she isn't. She's from Australia.
7. Whose sushi is this?
- Not mine!
8. Are you single?
-Yes, I am.
9. This is my beer.
10. It is hot today, isn't it?
- Yes, it is. Tomorrow will be hot, too!
11. This sake is delicious.
- Yes, and the steak is too, isn't it.

If you have finished with these, why don't you try making a few sentences up on your own for practice? It can't hurt. You obviously haven't stuck around this far just for the heck of it.

- Sensei

Next Lesson: Lesson Ten - "Anata" and "Kimi"