Minna no Nihongo Elementary 1: Lesson 4 vocabulary review
Cover the meaning, recall the word, then read its example. Return to the lesson audio and passage when you cannot explain its use.
Review this lesson
- Read the Japanese and recall its meaning before checking the translation.
- Use the example to check how the word fits a sentence. Explain the distinction in the learning point.
- Open the lesson reader, listen, and note words you still confuse. Revisit them tomorrow.
Lesson vocabulary
今
now
今、勉強しています。
I'm studying now.
Learning point
今 means now; 今から emphasizes starting from now.
―時
… o'clock
六時に起きます。
I get up at six o'clock.
Learning point
Use に after a specific time; 四時 is よじ and 九時 is くじ.
―分
… minutes
電車は五分後に来ます。
The train will arrive in five minutes.
Learning point
一分 is いっぷん and 三分 is さんぷん; 分 changes between ふん and ぷん.
毎朝
every morning
毎朝、パンを食べます。
I eat bread every morning.
Learning point
毎朝 normally works as a time expression without に.
起きます
get up
毎朝七時に起きます。
I get up at seven every morning.
Learning point
起きる can mean wake up as well as get up; mark the time with に.
昨日
yesterday
昨日、映画を見ました。
I watched a film yesterday.
Learning point
昨日 normally takes no に; use a past form for completed actions.
勉強します
study
図書館で日本語を勉強します。
I study Japanese at the library.
Learning point
Use を for what you study and で for where you study.
何時
what time
会議は何時からですか。
What time does the meeting start?
Learning point
何時 is なんじ; から asks the starting time.
何分
how many minutes; what minute
今、何時何分ですか。
What time is it now, in hours and minutes?
Learning point
何分 is なんぷん; it can ask the minute of an hour or a duration in minutes.
ニューヨーク
New York
ニューヨークは今、朝です。
It is morning in New York now.
Learning point
Foreign city names often use katakana; a city plus は can introduce a time-zone comparison.
午前
a.m.; morning
銀行は午前九時からです。
The bank opens at nine a.m.
Learning point
Place 午前 before the time; midnight may be called 午前零時.
休み
day off; rest
日曜日は休みです。
Sunday is my day off.
Learning point
休み is a noun; 休みます is a verb.
何曜日
what day of the week
試験は何曜日ですか。
What day of the week is the exam?
Learning point
何曜日 asks the weekday; 何日 asks the calendar date.
土曜日
Saturday
土曜日に友達と会います。
I'll meet a friend on Saturday.
Learning point
A specific weekday can take に; 毎週土曜日 means every Saturday.
～と～
… and …
月曜日と水曜日に勉強します。
I study on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Learning point
と joins listed nouns; it does not directly join two complete sentences.
日曜日
Sunday
日曜日は働きません。
I don't work on Sundays.
Learning point
日曜日 is にちようび; 日曜 is a common shortened form.
～から
from …
仕事は九時からです。
Work starts at nine.
Learning point
から marks a starting point in time or place.
～まで
until; to …
図書館は六時までです。
The library is open until six.
Learning point
まで marks an endpoint; までに gives a deadline for completion.
毎晩
every evening
毎晩、音楽を聞きます。
I listen to music every evening.
Learning point
毎晩 normally takes no に, like 毎朝 and 毎日.
寝ます
sleep; go to bed
十一時に寝ます。
I go to bed at eleven.
Learning point
寝る can mean sleep or lie down; in a schedule, 寝ます usually means go to bed.
毎日
every day
毎日、日本語を勉強します。
I study Japanese every day.
Learning point
Use 毎日 directly for daily frequency, without に.
朝
morning
朝はコーヒーを飲みます。
I drink coffee in the morning.
Learning point
朝 means morning in general; 今朝 means this morning.
午後
p.m.; afternoon
午後三時に会いましょう。
Let's meet at three p.m.
Learning point
Place 午後 before a time; 午後十二時 usually means noon.
働きます
work
月曜日から金曜日まで働きます。
I work from Monday through Friday.
Learning point
Use で for the workplace; do not directly mark the company with を as its object.
番号
number
電話番号を教えてください。
Please tell me your phone number.
Learning point
電話番号 and 部屋番号 identify things; they do not express a quantity.
何番
which number
受付は何番ですか。
Which number is reception?
Learning point
何番 asks an identifying number, not how many things there are.
半
half
八時半に出ます。
I'll leave at eight thirty.
Learning point
A time plus 半 means thirty minutes past that hour, not half an hour later.
九時半
half past nine
会議は九時半からです。
The meeting starts at nine thirty.
Learning point
九時 is くじ; 九時半 is くじはん.
水曜日
Wednesday
水曜日に試験があります。
There is an exam on Wednesday.
Learning point
水曜日 is すいようび; 水曜 is the shortened form.
昼休み
lunch break
昼休みに散歩します。
I take a walk during my lunch break.
Learning point
昼休み is the midday break, not the whole afternoon.
月曜日
Monday
月曜日から学校が始まります。
School starts on Monday.
Learning point
月曜日 is げつようび, not a reading based on 月 as つき.
金曜日
Friday
金曜日の夜に会いましょう。
Let's meet on Friday evening.
Learning point
A weekday plus の夜 specifies that evening.
明日
tomorrow
明日、銀行へ行きます。
I'll go to the bank tomorrow.
Learning point
明日 is usually あした; あす and みょうにち are more formal alternatives.
一昨日
the day before yesterday
一昨日、東京に着きました。
I arrived in Tokyo the day before yesterday.
Learning point
The everyday reading is おととい; like 昨日 and 明日, it normally takes no に.
東京
Tokyo
東京で働いています。
I work in Tokyo.
Learning point
東京 is とうきょう; keep both long vowels.
北京
Beijing
北京から来ました。
I come from Beijing.
Learning point
北京 is ペキン in Japanese, unlike its Chinese pronunciation.
ロンドン
London
ロンドンは今、午後です。
It is afternoon in London now.
Learning point
Use ロンドンは今、～時です when giving the current time in London.
ロサンゼルス
Los Angeles
ロサンゼルスへ飛行機で行きます。
I'll fly to Los Angeles.
Learning point
Watch the full spelling of ロサンゼルス; ロス is also used casually.
今日
today
今日は休みです。
Today is my day off.
Learning point
今日 is きょう; in a time topic, 今日は is きょうは, not the greeting こんにちは.
火曜日
Tuesday
火曜日に病院へ行きます。
I'll go to the hospital on Tuesday.
Learning point
火曜日 is かようび; confirm both date and weekday for an appointment.
会議
meeting
会議は三時に終わります。
The meeting ends at three.
Learning point
会議をする means hold a meeting; 会議に出る means attend one.
試験
exam
明日、試験を受けます。
I'll take an exam tomorrow.
Learning point
Use 試験を受ける for taking an exam; 試験をする may refer to conducting one.
銀行
bank
銀行でお金を下ろします。
I'll withdraw money at the bank.
Learning point
銀行 is the bank; 銀行員 is a bank employee.
郵便局
post office
郵便局で切手を買います。
I'll buy stamps at the post office.
Learning point
Use で for an action there; 郵便局へ行く uses へ for the destination.
デパート
department store
デパートで靴を買いました。
I bought shoes at a department store.
Learning point
デパート is a department store, distinct from a コンビニ convenience store.
図書館
library
図書館で本を借ります。
I'll borrow a book from the library.
Learning point
Borrowing is 本を借りる; returning is 本を返す.
今晩
this evening
今晩、映画を見ます。
I'll watch a film this evening.
Learning point
今晩 means this evening; 毎晩 means every evening.
昼
noon; daytime
昼は食堂で食べます。
I eat in the cafeteria at lunchtime.
Learning point
昼 can mean noon or daytime; interpret it from the context.
休みます
rest; take time off
今日は学校を休みます。
I'm taking the day off from school today.
Learning point
学校を休む means be absent from school; 休む alone can mean rest.
晩
evening
晩は家で食べます。
I eat at home in the evening.
Learning point
晩 appears often in 晩ご飯 and 毎晩; 夜 also means night.
明後日
the day after tomorrow
明後日、試験があります。
There is an exam the day after tomorrow.
Learning point
The everyday reading is あさって, distinct from 明日, あした.
今朝
this morning
今朝、六時に起きました。
I got up at six this morning.
Learning point
今朝 is けさ and often describes something that already happened this morning.
木曜日
Thursday
木曜日は忙しいです。
I'm busy on Thursdays.
Learning point
木曜日 is もくようび; 木曜 is a common abbreviation.
終わります
finish; end
仕事は五時に終わります。
Work ends at five.
Learning point
終わる describes something ending; 終える means to bring it to completion.
映画
film; movie
友達と映画を見ます。
I'll watch a film with a friend.
Learning point
映画を見る means watch a film; a cinema is 映画館.
大変ですね。
that sounds tough
毎日十時間働きますか。大変ですね。
You work ten hours every day? That sounds tough.
Learning point
This expresses sympathy on hearing about someone's difficult situation.
美術館
art museum
日曜日に美術館へ行きます。
I'll visit an art museum on Sunday.
Learning point
美術館 mainly displays art; 博物館 is a broader kind of museum.
These study examples and learning points support review. They do not replace the textbook; meanings follow the lesson context.