Minna no Nihongo Elementary 1: Lesson 9 vocabulary review

料理 can mean cooking or prepared dishes; 料理をする means to cook.

Use が for what you like; 好き takes な before a noun.

好き is adjectival, not an ordinary verb taking を directly.

少し expresses a small amount or degree and can modify a verb.

What is understood usually takes が; 分かる does not mean tell someone something.

子ども can mean a child or one's children; お子さん politely refers to someone else's.

から after a clause gives a reason, unlike its use for a starting time or place.

早く can mean early; はやく meaning fast is also often written 速く.

スポーツ is a general term; テニス or 野球 names the particular sport.

Drawing is 絵を描く; writing characters is usually 字を書く.

Use が for the skill; calling yourself 上手 directly can sound boastful.

In basic usage, 全然 commonly takes a negative; here it emphasizes no understanding at all.

細かい can mean small, detailed, or meticulous, depending on context.

This means money in small denominations; coins are also called 小銭.

あります can express having time or money as well as the existence of an object.

時間 can mean available time or serve as a unit of hours.

どうして asks the reason; the wording and tone determine how direct the question sounds.

用事 lets you refer generally to an errand or commitment without naming it.

ああ can express understanding, surprise, or emotion; tone determines the meaning.

In a music context, クラシック normally abbreviates クラシック音楽.

Going to an event is コンサートに行く or へ行く; listening to its music uses 聞く.

This politely invites someone along; the activity should be clear from context.

Leaving the sentence unfinished often softens a refusal, rather than stating only a slight difficulty.

だめ can mean not allowed or unsuitable; it is not a universal replacement for bad.

This can check whether a time works; a forceful tone can pressure the listener.

This introduces regret before explaining something cannot happen, often in a polite refusal.

約束 can be an arrangement or promise; 約束を守る means keep a promise.

今度 can mean this time or next time depending on context.

This often declines the current invitation without arranging a definite future date.

で marks the writing system; hiragana is one of Japanese's phonetic scripts.

字 can mean a character or handwriting; 文字 often refers to characters or a writing system.

A kanji may have several readings; check it within the whole word.

Learning dance is ダンスを習う; dancing can be ダンスをする.

カラオケ can name the activity or venue; に行く is common for going out to sing.

旅行する is the verb form; 旅行に行く means go on a trip.

Playing is 野球をする; watching a game is 野球を見る.

飲み物 is a noun for a beverage; the action is 飲む.

Use を with listening to a genre; use が when stating that you like it.

音楽 is music generally; an individual song is often 歌 or 曲.

歌を歌う means sing a song; the two instances have different grammatical roles.

Katakana commonly writes loanwords and foreign names; it is not itself a kanji reading.

ローマ字 represents Japanese using Latin letters; it is not an English translation.

よく can mean well or often; よく行く means go often.

大体 does not mean everything; some details may remain unclear.

This usually refers to someone else's wife; use 妻 for your own when speaking to outsiders.

アルバイト can mean a part-time job or worker, not necessarily an extremely brief job.

Use 妻 for your own spouse; 奥さん commonly refers to someone else's wife.

Use が for the skill; calling another person 下手 directly may sound rude.

This usually refers to the listener's husband; use 夫 for your own when speaking to outsiders.

夫 commonly refers to your own husband to outsiders; do not add ご.

嫌い is more direct than あまり好きではありません; soften it when declining food if appropriate.

たくさん modifies an action; たくさんの本 modifies a noun.

This requests the other person to lend; borrowing from your own perspective is 借りる.

This often grants permission; よ informs the listener of your agreement.

チケット commonly names admission tickets; a train ticket is also often 切符.

歌舞伎 is traditional Japanese theater, read かぶき.