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Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 6

これは なんですかWhat is this?

Kore wa nan desu ka

Words that point at things: kore (near me), sore (near you), are (far from both). The question word is nani, becoming nan before desu: Kore wa nan desu ka. New words: book, clock, bag, flower. Kana: the small っ (sokuon) — a held consonant with a beat of silence.

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Dialogue

i

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これは なんですか— What Is This?

  1. MikeこKoれreはwaなnaんnでdeすsu。What is this. (mistake: forgot the final ka)
  2. Yuki「こKoれreはwaなnaんnでdeすsuかka」でdeすsuよyo。そSoれreはwaとtoけkeいiでdeすsu。It's "Kore wa nan desu ka". That is a clock.
  3. MikeあA、かkaをoわwaすsuれreまmaしshiたta。あAれreはwaなnaんnでdeすsuかka。Ah, I forgot the ka. What is that over there?
  4. YukiあAれreはwaはhaなnaでdeすsu。おおŌきkiいiはhaなnaでdeすsu。That is a flower. It's a big flower.

Dialogue

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それは わたしの かばんです— That Is My Bag

  1. KenマMaイiクkuさsaんn、そsoれreはwaなnaんnでdeすsuかka。Mike, what is that?
  2. MikeこKoれreはwaわwaたtaしshiのnoかkaばbaんnでdeすsu。This is my bag.
  3. KenあAのnoほhoんnもmoマMaイiクkuさsaんnのnoでdeすsuかka。Is that book over there also yours, Mike?
  4. MikeいIいiえe、あaれreはwaゆYuきkiさsaんnのnoほhoんnでdeすsu。No, that one is Yuki's book.

Vocabulary

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こkoれre

pronounthis (thing, near me)

そsoれre

pronounthat (thing, near you)

あaれre

pronounthat over there

こkoのno

det.this (+ noun)

そsoのno

det.that (+ noun)

あaのno

det.that over there (+ noun)

なnaんn

pronounwhat (before desu)

ほhoんn

nounbook

とtoけkeいi

nounclock, watch

かkaばbaんn

nounbag

はhaなna

nounflower

Grammar

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kosoado — kore / sore / are (things)

Explanation

Words that point at things change with distance: kore = near me, sore = near you (the listener), are = far from both of us. They work on their own like nouns: Kore wa hon desu (This is a book). Ask with nani (→ nan): Kore wa nan desu ka. Note that English has only two (this/that) but Japanese has three.

Examples

  • これは なんですか。— それは ほんです。What is this? — That is a book.
  • あれは とけいです。That over there is a clock.
  • それは わたしの かばんです。That is my bag.

Kana

i

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ひらがな: そくおん（ちいさい っ）— Hiragana: the Small っ (sokuon)

How the small っ is read (and romanized) — double the next consonant and hold one beat:

  • がっこうgakkōschool — hold the "k"
  • きってkittestamp — vs きて kite (come)
  • ざっしzasshimagazine — hold the "sh"
  • いっしょisshotogether (preview, ch9)

Read, pausing at the small っ:

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