Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 36
ぎんこうで はたらいて いますI work at a bank
Talking about work. Vocabulary: shigoto, kaisha, kaishain, isha, kangoshi, enjinia, ten'in, ginkō, hataraku, isogashii. Key grammar: to talk about your current job, use "…de hataraite imasu". "Hataraite" is the te-form of "hataraku" (chapter 25) + "imasu" (chapter 9), and it shows an action or state that is still going on now: "ginkō de hataraite imasu" (I work at a bank), "Tōkyō ni sunde imasu" (I live in Tokyo). You can also state a profession with "N desu": "isha desu" (I am a doctor). English speakers tend to use the plain "hatarakimasu" even for a current job: "ginkō de hatarakimasu" ✗ → "ginkō de hataraite imasu" ✓. Kana corner: the sound of the te-form (hataraite, tsutomete) and how "…te imasu" links.
Dialogue
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はたらきます / はたらいて います— hatarakimasu / hataraite imasu
- Yukiマイクさん、いましごとはなんですか？Mike, what is your job now?
- Mikeエンジニアです。かいしゃではたらきます。I am an engineer. I work at a company. (slip: for a current job, use te-iru → kaisha de hataraite imasu)
- Yukiいまのしごとは「〜ています」ですよ：「かいしゃではたらいています」。「はたらきます」はまいにちのしゅうかんのかんじです。For a current job it is "…te imasu": "kaisha de hataraite imasu". "Hatarakimasu" feels like a daily habit.
- Mikeあ、そうですね。ITのかいしゃではたらいています。まいにちいそがしいです。Ah, right. I work at an IT company. I am busy every day.
- Yukiいいですね。わたしはいまびょういんではたらいています。かんごしです。Nice. I work at a hospital now. I am a nurse.
- Mikeすごいですね。しごとをがんばっています！That is great. You are working hard!
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かぞくの しごと— My family's jobs
- Yukiケンさんのおとうさんはなんのしごとをしていますか？Ken, what work does your father do?
- Kenちちはいしゃです。びょういんではたらいています。My father is a doctor. He works at a hospital.
- Yukiすごいですね。おかあさんもはたらいていますか？Impressive. Does your mother work too?
- Kenはい。はははみせではたらいています。てんいんです。Yes. My mother works at a shop. She is a shop clerk.
- Yukiいいかぞくですね。ケンさんはしょうらいなにをしたいですか？What a nice family. Ken, what do you want to do in the future?
- Kenわたしはエンジニアになりたいです。だからいまべんきょうしています。I want to become an engineer. So I am studying now.
Vocabulary
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- しごと
nounwork, job
- かいしゃ
nouncompany
- かいしゃいん
nouncompany employee
- いしゃ
noundoctor
- かんごし
nounnurse
- エンジニア
nounengineer
- てんいん
nounshop clerk
- ぎんこう
nounbank
- はたらく
verbto work
- いそがしい
i-adj.busy
Grammar
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…te imasu: your current job
Explanation
To talk about your current job, or something going on right now, use "verb te-form + imasu". You learned the te-form in chapter 25 ("…te kudasai"): "hataraku → hataraite", "tsutomeru → tsutomete", "sumu → sunde". Then add "imasu" (the same "imasu" from chapter 9): "ginkō de hataraite imasu" (I still do the bank job now). The place takes "…de"; with a company name you can also say "…ni tsutomete imasu". To simply state a profession, "N desu" is fine: "watashi wa isha desu" (I am a doctor). Plain "hatarakimasu" (the ordinary masu-form) feels habitual or future, like "mainichi hatarakimasu" (I work every day), and is a little off for describing your current job. English speakers tend to use "hatarakimasu" even for the current job: "ginkō de hatarakimasu" ✗ → "ginkō de hataraite imasu" ✓.
Examples
- わたしは ぎんこうで はたらいて います。I work at a bank.
- あねは かんごしです。びょういんで はたらいて います。My older sister is a nurse. She works at a hospital.
- ケンさんは エンジニアです。おおきい かいしゃに つとめて います。Ken is an engineer. He works for a big company.
- いま しごとは いそがしいですか？Is work busy right now?
Kana
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て-けいの おと と「て います」— The te-form sound and "te imasu"
Read the sentences in hiragana:
- ぎんこうで はたらいて いますginkō de hataraite imasuI work at a bank
- びょういんに つとめて いますbyōin ni tsutomete imasuI am employed at a hospital
- とうきょうに すんで いますTōkyō ni sunde imasuI live in Tokyo
- まいにち いそがしいですmainichi isogashii desuI am busy every day
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