Nihongo Desk日语课桌
English

Minna no Nihongo Elementary 1: Lesson 13 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

  1. Read the Japanese and recall its meaning before checking the translation.
  2. Use the example to check how the word fits a sentence. Explain the distinction in the learning point.
  3. Open the lesson reader, listen, and note words you still confuse. Revisit them tomorrow.

Open this lesson in the reader

Lesson vocabulary

欲しいほしい

want (a thing)

新しいあたらしいパソコンが欲しいほしいです。

I want a new computer.

Learning point

欲しい expresses wanting an item with が; wanting an action uses a verb's たい form.

夏休みなつやすみ

summer holiday

夏休みなつやすみに沖縄おきなわへ行きいきます。

I'll go to Okinawa during the summer holiday.

Learning point

夏休み is a holiday period; に can mark when an activity takes place.

沖縄おきなわ

Okinawa

沖縄おきなわの海うみで泳ぎおよぎました。

I swam in the sea in Okinawa.

Learning point

沖縄 is おきなわ and can refer to the prefecture or its main island.

疲れますつかれます

get tired

長くながく歩くあるくと疲れつかれます。

I get tired when I walk for a long time.

Learning point

疲れる means become tired; 疲れています describes being tired.

大変たいへん

hard; tough; serious

今日きょうの仕事しごとは大変たいへんでした。

Today's work was tough.

Learning point

大変 can be a な adjective meaning tough or serious, or an adverb meaning very.

週末しゅうまつ

weekend

週末しゅうまつは何なにをしますか。

What will you do this weekend?

Learning point

週末 means the end of the week; actual days off depend on the work schedule.

美術びじゅつ

art; fine arts

大学だいがくで美術びじゅつを勉強べんきょうしています。

I study fine arts at university.

Learning point

美術 emphasizes visual arts; 芸術 is a broader word for the arts.

冬休みふゆやすみ

winter holiday

冬休みふゆやすみにスキーをします。

I'll go skiing during the winter holiday.

Learning point

冬休み is a winter break, not the whole winter season.

どこか

somewhere

週末しゅうまつ、どこかへ行きいきたいです。

I'd like to go somewhere this weekend.

Learning point

どこ plus か makes an unspecified place; どこへ without か asks where someone is going.

スキー

skiing

北海道ほっかいどうでスキーをしました。

I went skiing in Hokkaido.

Learning point

スキーをする means ski; スキー can also name the skis themselves.

別々にべつべつに

separately

会計かいけいは別々べつべつにお願いおねがいします。

Separate bills, please.

Learning point

For restaurant billing, 別々に asks to pay separately, not to sit separately.

注文ちゅうもん

order

料理りょうりを注文ちゅうもんします。

I'll order food.

Learning point

注文 can order food or goods; it does not simply mean shipping.

ご注文は？ごちゅうもんは？

what would you like to order?

ご注文ちゅうもんは？ お決まりおきまりですか。

What would you like to order? Have you decided?

Learning point

Staff politely use ご注文; you do not need ご for your own order.

定食ていしょく

set meal

魚さかなの定食ていしょくをお願いおねがいします。

The fish set meal, please.

Learning point

定食 usually bundles a main dish with rice and side dishes as a set.

牛丼ぎゅうどん

beef rice bowl

昼ひるご飯ごはんに牛うし丼どんぶりを食べたべました。

I had a beef rice bowl for lunch.

Learning point

牛丼 is ぎゅうどん; 丼 reads どん in the dish name.

少々しょうしょう

a little; a moment (polite)

少々しょうしょうお待ちおまちください。

Please wait a moment.

Learning point

少々 is more formal than ちょっと and common in customer service.

少々お待ちください。しょうしょうおまちください。

please wait a moment

少々しょうしょうお待ちおまちください。確認かくにんします。

Please wait a moment. I'll check.

Learning point

This is a polite service request; お待ち is the respectful form used with 待つ.

～でございます。

… is (very polite)

こちらはお水みずでございます。

Here is your water.

Learning point

でございます is a formal equivalent of です, common in service introductions.

結婚しますけっこんします

marry

来月らいげつ、結婚けっこんします。

I'm getting married next month.

Learning point

Use と for the person married, as in 田中さんと結婚する.

遊びますあそびます

play; spend time for fun

友達ともだちと公園こうえんで遊びあそびます。

I'll play in the park with friends.

Learning point

Adults can use 遊ぶ for social leisure too, not only children's play.

広いひろい

spacious; wide

この部屋へやは広いひろいです。

This room is spacious.

Learning point

広い describes a large area or extent; vertical height uses 高い.

迎えますむかえます

meet; welcome; pick up

駅えきで母ははを迎えむかえます。

I'll meet my mother at the station.

Learning point

Use を for the person met; 迎えに行く means go to pick someone up.

友達を迎えます。ともだちをむかえます。

pick up a friend

空港くうこうへ友達ともだちを迎えむかえに行きいきます。

I'll go to the airport to pick up a friend.

Learning point

The verb stem plus に行く gives a purpose; 迎えに行く is the common expression for going to pick someone up.

散歩しますさんぽします

take a walk

朝あさ、散歩さんぽします。

I take a walk in the morning.

Learning point

散歩する names the activity; 散歩をする is also possible.

公園を散歩します。こうえんをさんぽします。

walk in a park

公園こうえんを散歩さんぽしました。

I took a walk through the park.

Learning point

を marks the area traveled through; 公園で散歩する can instead emphasize the activity's location.

買い物しますかいものします

shop; go shopping

日曜日にちようびに買い物かいものします。

I'll go shopping on Sunday.

Learning point

買い物する describes shopping as an activity; use 買う for a specific purchase.

食事しますしょくじします

have a meal

レストランで食事しょくじします。

I'll have a meal at a restaurant.

Learning point

食事する describes having a meal generally, without naming the food.

川かわ

river

川かわの近くちかくに住んすんでいます。

I live near the river.

Learning point

川 is かわ; in river names it may become がわ, as in 隅田川.

釣りつり

fishing

週末しゅうまつに釣りつりに行きいきます。

I'll go fishing this weekend.

Learning point

釣りに行く means go for the activity of fishing; 釣る is the verb.

泳ぎますおよぎます

swim

夏なつは海うみで泳ぎおよぎます。

I swim in the sea in summer.

Learning point

The て form of 泳ぐ is 泳いで; ぐ becomes いで.

プール

swimming pool

学校がっこうにプールがあります。

The school has a swimming pool.

Learning point

プール means swimming pool; keep the long-vowel mark ー.

プールで泳ぎます。プールでおよぎます。

swim in a pool

プールで泳ぎおよぎたいです。

I'd like to swim in the pool.

Learning point

The たい form of 泳ぐ is 泳ぎたい; で marks the swimming location.

～頃～ごろ

around … (time)

三さん時じごろ帰りかえります。

I'll return around three.

Learning point

ごろ commonly follows a point in time; ぐらい commonly estimates a quantity or duration.

２時ごろ２じごろ

around two o'clock

二に時じごろ電話でんわします。

I'll call around two o'clock.

Learning point

ごろ gives an approximate time, not a duration of two hours.

狭いせまい

narrow; cramped

この道みちは狭いせまいです。

This road is narrow.

Learning point

狭い describes narrow width or cramped space; small item size can use 小さい.

喉のど

throat

喉のどが痛いいたいです。

My throat hurts.

Learning point

喉 is のど; being thirsty is commonly 喉が渇く.

渇きますかわきます

become dry; become thirsty

運動うんどうすると喉のどが渇きかわきます。

I get thirsty when I exercise.

Learning point

渇く commonly describes thirst; drying clothes normally uses 乾く.

喉が渇きます。のどがかわきます。

be thirsty

喉のどが渇きかわきました。水みずをください。

I'm thirsty. Some water, please.

Learning point

喉が渇きました can describe being thirsty now after becoming thirsty.

何かなにか

something

何なにか飲みのみたいです。

I'd like something to drink.

Learning point

何か means something unspecified; 何ですか asks what a specific thing is.

そうしましょう。

let's do that

一緒いっしょに帰りかえりましょう。そうしましょう。

Let's go home together. Let's do that.

Learning point

This accepts a suggestion and agrees to act, rather than merely judging a fact.

お腹おなか

stomach; belly

お腹おなかが痛いいたいです。

My stomach hurts.

Learning point

お腹 is normally おなか; 腹部 is a more formal or medical term.

空きますすきます

become empty; be hungry

運動うんどうするとお腹おなかがすきます。

I get hungry after exercise.

Learning point

The reading of 空く depends on the phrase; in お腹が空く it is すく.

おなかがすきます。

be hungry

おなかがすきました。食事しょくじしましょう。

I'm hungry. Let's have a meal.

Learning point

The set phrase is おなかがすく; do not replace すく with 渇く.

お正月おしょうがつ

New Year

お正月おしょうがつは家族かぞくと過ごしすごします。

I spend New Year with my family.

Learning point

お正月 usually refers to Japan's New Year period, not automatically the lunar New Year.

These study examples and learning points support review. They do not replace the textbook; meanings follow the lesson context.