Lesson 1

Greetings and Useful Classroom Expressions

Let's begin with basic everyday greetings and useful classroom expressions. We will get familiar with the sounds of Japanese
through the greetings, and learn basic classroom instructions and how to respond to them. Grammar explanations will be
kept to a minimum in this lesson.
 Classroom instructions
 Japanese greetings

Audio Checks (for Online Classes)

The following expressions will be used at the beginning of each virtual classroom session. (You may need to click
anywhere in the Flash animation to activate it first. After that, a single click on

will play the sound.)

We will discuss how to read and write Japanese characters later. Don't worry about how to read them at this point.
Teacher: /kikoemasu ka/ (Can you hear me?)
Student 1: /hai, kikoemasu/ (Yes, I can hear.)

Student 2: /iie, kikoemasen/ (No, I can't hear.)

Classroom Instructions 1
Let's start with useful classroom expressions and instructions. Click on

to listen to each of the instructions in

Japanese. (You may need to click anywhere in the flash animation to activate it first. After that, a single click on

will play

the sound.) We will discuss how to read and write Japanese characters later. Don't worry about how to read them at this
point.

Classroom Instructions 2
Listen to more classroom instructions in Japanese. We will discuss how to read and write Japanese characters later. Don't
worry about how to read them at this point.

Other Instructions (Used as needed)

Please speak louder.

Please look at it.

Responding to the Teacher

This is how you respond to the teacher when she calls your name. Click on

below. Don't worry about how to

read the Japanese characters at this point.

Teacher:

Mr. Smith?

Student 1: Here/Yes.

Teacher:

Ms. Brown?

Student 2: Here/Yes.

Classroom Instruction Summary

Here is the summary of classroom instructions. Click on each icon to hear the instruction.
Don't worry about how to read them at this point.

Please listen.

Please say it.

Please say it again.

Please answer.

Please ask John.

Is that okay? (Do you understand?)

That is good.

You have done well.

Please look at it.

Please speak louder.

Ms. Smith or Mr. Smith

Here/Yes.

Dialogues 1-3: Good Morning and Good Afternoon

Study the following Japanese greetings by following the steps below. No need to read the Japanese at this
point.
1. Play the video with

a few times. Click on

to see the translation.

2. Click on
and
to hear each line separately and repeat after it. Try to copy the exact pronunciation
and the intonation.
), vocabulary (
) if any.
3. Read the grammar notes (
) and culture notes (

Dialogue 1: "Good morning!" between friends

Dialogue 2: "Good morning!" between a student and a teacher

Dialogue 3: "Good day/Hello!"

Dialogue 1
A: Good morning. [casual]
B: Good morning. [casual]

Dialogue 2
A: Good morning. [polite]
B: Good morning. [casual]

Dialogue 3
A: Hello!/Good day!
B: Hello!/Good day!

Dialogues 4-5: Good Evening and Good Night

Dialogue 4: A guest has arrived in the evening.

Dialogue 5: Your guest is leaving at night.

Dialogue 4
A: Good evening!
B: Good evening!

Dialogue 5
A: Good night! [polite]
B: Good night! [polite]

Dialogues 6-7: Good-bye

Dialogue 6: Leaving Professor's Office

Dialogue 7: Saying good-bye between friends

Dialogue 6
A: Good bye!
B: Good bye! [polite]

Dialogue 7
A: See you again! [casual]
B: OK, bye bye! [casual]

Dialogues 8-10: Giving and Receiving (Casual/Polite)

Dialogue 8: Giving and receiving 1

Dialogue 9: Giving and receiving 2

Dialogue 10: Giving and receiving 3

Dialogue 8
A: Here you go.
B: Thanks. [polite but short]

Dialogue 9
A: Here you go.
B: Thank you. [casual]

Dialogue 10
A: Here you go.
B: Thank you. [polite]

Dialogues 11-12: Requests (Polite)

Dialogue 11: Asking for something on a train

Dialogue 12: Asking someone to do something

Dialogue 11
A: Will you, please?
B: Here you go.
A: Thanks.

Dialogue 12
A: Will you, please?
B: Here you go.
A: Thank you very much. [polite]

Dialogue 13: Thank You, You're Welcome & I'm Sorry.

Dialogue 13: A small accident at the airport

("I'm so sorry [for causing you trouble]") can be used instead of

.

Also, an apology

Dialogue 13
A: Oh!
B: Thank you very much. [polite]
A: You are welcome.

Grammar Notes (Lesson 1)

Greetings and Style

There are different levels of politeness in the Japanese greetings. Some greetings are more polite than others. Polite
greetings are usually used by younger persons to greet older persons, and plain greetings are used between peers and by
older persons to greet younger ones. In more general terms, this distinction reflects hierarchical differences within a
community in which the subordinates/juniors (e.g., students) pay respect to the superiors/seniors (e.g., teachers). (The
Japanese characters below will be formally introduced in Lesson 2.)

Good morning. (polite)

Good morning. (plain)

Good night. (polite)

Good night. (plain)

A:
B:
A:
B:

Some greetings do not have superior/subordinate distinctions and are used regardless of the hierarchical positions within
a community as shown below.

Good day/Hello.
Good day/Hello.
Good evening.
Good evening.

A:
B:
A:
B:

There are different levels of politeness in saying good-bye.

Good bye.

Good bye; Excuse me (for leaving). [Polite]

See you again. (casual)

Bye bye! (casual)

A:
B:
A:
B:
Requests:

Will you please (do me a favor)?

Expressions when you hand over something:

Here you go.

Here you go.
Thank-you expressions range from casual to more polite ones. (1) is a casual "Thank you" commonly used for

peers, friends and colleagues. By adding at the end as in (3), you can make it sound more polite. Women
tend to use more polite expressions. By adding in front as in (4), you can make it sound more careful. can be
used by itself as in (5).

Used mainly toward

1.

Thank you. (casual)

peers, friends,
colleagues

2.

Thank you very much. (casually polite)

acquaintances,
customers

3.

Thank you very much. (carefully polite)

acquaintances,
customers

4.

Thanks. (casually careful)

strangers

5.

Thank you very much. (careful & polite)

[Lit., I'm so sorry (to have troubled you).]

strangers

There are other expressions not listed above that can be used in more formal situations.
You are welcome:

You are welcome. (polite)

Referring to someone's name

A title pronounced as /san/ is used after other people's name. This is a generic title for men or women, married or
single, and it can be used after one's first name or last name. No title is used after your own name. Don't put /san/ to
your own name!
To address one's teacher, the title /sensei/ is used. Frequently, people use this title to show their respect to
that person regardless of whether or not he/she is in fact a teacher.

A. Referring to oneself

B. Referring to others

C. Referring to teachers

Kawamura.

Mr. Kawamura.
(Also Ms. Kawamura)

Prof. Kawamura

Vocabulary (Lesson 1)
Classroom Instruction

Please listen.

Please say it.

Please say it again.

Please answer.

Please ask John.

Is that OK? Do you understand?

That's good!

Well done!

Please look at it.

Please speak louder.

Mr/Ms. Smith

Yes; Here.

Mr/Ms. Brown

Greetings

Good morning. [casual]

Good morning. [polite]

Good day/Hello.

Good evening.

Good night. [polite]

Good night. [casual]

Good-bye.

Good-bye.
Excuse me (for my rudeness). [polite]

See you again.

Yeah [casual]; OK

Bye bye.

Others

Here you go.

Please [have some].

Thanks. [casual]

Thank you. [casual]

Thank you. [casual]

Will you please? [request]

Here you go. [or just ]

Thank you so much. [polite]

Thank you very much. [polite]

You are welcome. [polite]

I'm so sorry [for causing you trouble]. [polite]

I'm so sorry [for causing you trouble]. [polite]