Japanese Phrases For Dummies

Eriko Sato is a lecturer of Japanese language at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where she received her PhD degree in linguistics. She also is the Founding Director of the Pre-College Japanese Language Program as well as the Executive Director of the Japan Center at the same university. When she started her graduate work in 1988, she decided to devote her career to Japanese-language education and research. She studied Japanese and English linguistics and foreign languages, including Chinese, French, and Korean, to prepare herself to be a teacher and researcher who understands students’ linguistic backgrounds and difficulties. She has written many articles for linguistic and education journals, and she has written three books on Japanese language: a textbook for young children, a textbook for college students, and a manual for Japanese/English translators.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Conventions Used in This Book 2Foolish Assumptions 3Icons Used in This Book 4Where to Go from Here 4Chapter 1: I Say It How? Speaking Japanese 5Basic Japanese Sounds 5Vowel sounds 6Consonant sounds 8Sounding Fluent 10Don’t stress 10Get in rhythm 10Pitch perfectly 11You Already Know a Little Japanese 12Japanese words in English 12English words used in Japanese 12Picking Up Some Basic Phrases 13Chapter 2: Grammar on a Diet: Just the Basics. 15Using Appropriate Speech Styles 15Forming Sentences 16Introducing particles 17Telling the topic 20Dropping Understood Words 21Using Pronouns 22Demonstrative pronouns 22Personal pronouns 23Working with Verbs 25Understanding basic verb forms 25Doing the conjugation thing 26Deciding on tense: Past or not past, that is the question 29Speaking politely 30Enhancing verbs with suffixes 31Using the Verb Desu (To Be) 33Describing Adjectives 34Chapter 3: Numerical Gumbo: Counting of All Kinds 39Knowing Your Numbers 39Numbers from 1 to 10 39Numbers from 11 to 99 40Numbers from 100 to 9,999 41Numbers from 10,000 to 100,000 42Counting with Counters 44Counting the months 45Counting the days 48Reeling off the years 50Specifying dates and times 51Changing with the Seasons 53Talking about the Days of the Week 54Telling Time 55Telling Time Relative to Now 58Money, Money, Money 59Exchanging money 59Opening a bank account 60Making deposits and withdrawals 61Chapter 4: Making New Friends and Enjoying Small Talk 63Meeting and Greeting 63Saying hello 63Asking people their names 64Addressing friends and strangers 65Greeting all day long 68Paying attention and saying so 69Saying good-bye 69Expressing Gratitude and Regret 70Making Small Talk 71Breaking the ice and asking questions 71Talking about the weather 72Asking people where they’re from 73Talking about where you’re going 74Talking about your family 74Existing and possessing: The verbs iru and aru 76Talking about your regular activities 78Giving out your contact information 79Chapter 5: Enjoying a Drink and a Snack (or Meal) 81Making the Most of Breakfast and Lunch 81Eating breakfast in two cultures 83Munching your lunch 84Dining Out 85Ordering fast food 85Making dinner reservations 86Ordering in a restaurant 89Setting your table 91Chatting with the waiter or waitress 92Paying for your meal 93Expressing Your Likes and Dislikes 94Using Proper Table Manners 95Chapter 6: Shop ’til You Drop 97Asking for a Particular Item 97Comparing Items 98Saying cheaper, more expensive, better, or worse 99Comparing two items 100Pointing out the best one 101Comparing three or more items 101Shopping for Clothes 104Asking about color 104Using chotto for a variety of reasons 105Finding the right size 106Going to a Department Store 108Negotiating Prices 109Paying for Your Purchases 110Going Grocery Shopping 111Going to a butcher 111Buying vegetables and fruit 111Buying fresh fish 112Chapter 7: Making Leisure a Top Priority. 113Using the Verb Suru (To Do) 113Exploring Fun Places 115Visiting museums and galleries 115Going to the theater 116Going to bars and clubs 117Singing like a star at a karaoke bar 119Talking about Your Hobbies 119Exploring Nature 119Living the Sporting Life 121Saying “I Can” 121Using Your Artistic Talent 123Giving and Receiving Invitations 125Making a suggestion using “why don’t we?” 125Saying “let’s go” and “shall we go?” 126Inviting friends to your house 127Chapter 8: When You Gotta Work 129Talking about Your Job 129Managing Your Office Equipment 130Searching for a Job 132Talking on the Phone 134Calling a friend 135Calling hotels and stores 136Asking for what you want 137Calling a client 139Leaving a message 140Chapter 9: I Get Around: Transportation 143Getting Around at the Airport 143Getting on board 143Going through immigration 146Going through customs 146Getting Around Town 147Asking about the best 148Getting on a bus 149Hopping on a train 150Hailing a taxi 153Renting a car 153Dealing with Directions 156Asking “where” questions 156Answering “where” questions 158Giving precise directions 160Using ordinal numbers 160Specifying how far 162Asking “how do I get to” questions 163Referring to locations on the street 164Providing actions with directions 165Chapter 10: Finding a Place to Lay Your Weary Head. 169Getting the Accommodations of Your Choice 169Reserving a Room 171Checking out room size 171Counting the number of guests 172Indicating the length of your stay 173Talking with insiders and outsiders 174Comparing costs 175Keeping track of what’s yours with possessive pronouns 175Checking In to a Hotel 177Checking Out of a Hotel 179Chapter 11: Dealing with Emergencies 181Shouting out for Help 181Calling the Police 184Reporting an accident to the police 184Finding the lost and found 187Getting Legal Help 189Getting Medical Help 190Looking for a doctor 190Pointing at your body parts 191Complaining about your discomfort 192Getting a diagnosis 193Getting treatment 194Chapter 12: Ten Favorite Japanese Expressions 195Chapter 13: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound Like a Local 197Index 199