Beginning Japanese for Professionals: Book 1 - Emiko Konomi

Beginning Japanese for Professionals: Book 1 - Emiko Konomi

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  • © 2018 Emiko Konomi. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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  • NonCommercial: You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
  • Published by Portland State University Library, Portland, OR 97207-1151.
  • Cover photo: courtesy of Katharine Ross

Accessibility Statement

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Accessibility of Beginning Japanese I

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  • This book is available in multiple formats: editable Word document, PDF (with files for the whole book and individual Lessons), and a webbook on the Pressbooks platform.
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Multimedia

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  • End-of-chapter transcripts can be found under H2 Drill Tape Script.

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  • This accessibility statement has been adopted and adapted from Accessibility Statement and Appendix A: Checklist for Accessibility found in Accessibility Toolkit - 2nd Edition by BCcampus, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

About the Book

  • This textbook is designed for beginning learners who want to learn basic Japanese for the purpose of living and working in Japan.
  • Focuses more on social and professional life beyond school, unlike textbooks written primarily for students.
  • Can be used for self-study, as part of an online course, or as a traditional college course.
  • Includes many elementary grammar patterns (Japanese Language Proficiency Test Levels 5 and 4), but the vocabulary and situations are selected specifically for working adults.
  • Explanations are kept concise so as to only cover key points.
  • The main focus is on oral communication.

About the Author

  • Emiko Konomi received a PhD in Linguistics from Cornell University.
  • Faculty of the School of Business Administration at Portland State University since 2014.
  • Extensive experience training Japanese language instructors at various teacher-training programs across the country.
  • Currently teaches all levels of Japanese to students in the Masters of International Management program.
  • Received the 2011 and 2015 John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Awards from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
  • Academic research focuses on Japanese linguistics and pedagogy.

Acknowledgments

  • Thanks to reviewers:
    • Dr. Kasumi Yamamoto, Chair and professor of Japanese, Williams College
    • Yoshimi Nagaya, Director of Japanese Language, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Before We Begin

For whom is this textbook designed?

  • Designed for beginning learners who want to learn basic Japanese for living and working in Japan.
  • Focuses on social and professional life, unlike student-life centered textbooks.
  • Suitable for self-study, online courses, or traditional college courses.
  • Includes elementary grammar (JLPT Levels 5 and 4) with vocabulary and situations for working adults.
  • Concise explanations focusing on oral communication.
  • Originally written for the first term of the beginning Japanese course in the Masters of International Management program at Portland State University.
  • Goals: provide a foundation for future business language skills and increase knowledge of Japanese culture.
  • First edition, to be revised in the future.

What kind of things can you do in Japanese after finishing this book?

  • Based on ILR (Interagency Language Roundtable) estimates, achieving ILR Proficiency Scale 2 (Limited Working Competence) requires over 1000 hours of instruction.
  • The MIM program at PSU provides 150 hours of instruction.
  • Students can handle everyday interactions, avoid taboos, answer routine questions, and network for business purposes.
  • Topics covered include:
    • Greetings and Ritual Expressions
    • Meeting People and Self-Introductions
    • Exchanging Business Cards
    • Schedules and Calendar
    • Shopping
    • Eating and Drinking
    • Locations and Directions
    • Public Transportations
    • Family and My Profile
    • Leisure and Hobbies
    • Manners and Customs

How is this textbook structured?

  • Comprised of ten lessons following an introductory section and Lesson 0 (Greetings and Ritual Expressions).
  • Each lesson consists of four dialogues.
  • Each dialogue is followed by a vocabulary list, grammar notes, drills, and exercises.
  • Each lesson ends with a grammar review and application activities.

How is reading and writing handled in this textbook?

  • Modern Japanese is written using kanji, hiragana, and katakana.
  • Introduces hiragana and katakana but does not include reading or writing instruction.

How is Japanese pronunciation presented in this textbook?

  • Headphones symbol indicates audio recording.
  • Use audio maximally for dialogues, vocabulary, and drills.
  • Learn accurate pronunciation by listening to and mimicking native speakers.
  • Avoid reading written scripts, refer to them only when needed.
  • In the first four lessons, Japanese words and sentences are presented in Romanization along with the authentic Japanese script.
  • Romanization is a reminder of sounds, not an accurate representation.
  • Starting in Lesson 5, Japanese words and sentences are presented using authentic Japanese orthography with furigana.

How should you use this textbook?

  • Memorize dialogues to the point of automatic and natural recitation.
  • Integrate body language while memorizing dialogues using audio.
  • Expand each dialogue to create longer conversations or adapt it to different contexts.
  • Drills target key grammar patterns and vocabulary for quick formation of language.
  • Listen to model exchanges and understand changes to make in responses.
  • Listen to cues, insert responses, listen to model answers, and repeat.
  • Loop back to the beginning of the drill frequently and think of the meaning.
  • Exercises include ‘Say It in Japanese’ (translation) and ‘Act in Japanese’ (role-play).
  • Role-play with appropriate gestures and facial expressions.
  • Answer grammar review questions to self-assess understanding before moving on.
  • Use authentic materials like restaurant menus and apartment listings for real-world application.

Last but not least…

  • Distinguish between knowing the material (Fact) and being able to use it spontaneously (Act).
  • Repetitive practice is necessary to speak Japanese in real-life situations.
  • Focus on being able to respond orally to native speakers in a culturally appropriate way.
  • Always keep in mind the objectives and how best to reach them.
  • Have fun!

Lesson 0

  • 千里の道も一歩から (Senri no michi mo ippo kara): “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Lao Tzu

Instructor’s Directions

  • The following sentences are for in-class use by the teacher to provide students with directions:

  • 聞いてください (Kiite kudasai.) Please listen.

  • 言ってください (Itte kudasai.) Please say it.

  • 答えてください (Kotaete kudasai.) Please answer.

  • もう一度お願いします (Mou ichido onegai-shimasu.) One more time, please.

  • Ｘさんに言ってください (X-san ni itte kudasai.) Please say it to Mr/s. X.

Greetings and Ritual Expressions

  • Common daily greetings and ritual expressions:

  • Learn through dialogue with appropriate body language.

  • Greetings examples:

    • A: Ohayou. おはよう。Good morning.
    • B: Ohayou gozaimasu. おはようございます。Good morning (polite).
      • おはよう (Ohayou) - Good morning
      • おはようございます (Ohayou gozaimasu) - Good morning (polite)
      • こんにちは (Konnichiwa) - Hello
      • こんばんは (Konbanwa) - Good evening

  • Offering and Accepting/Thanking:

    • A: Douzo どうぞ。 Go ahead. (Please take it)
    • B: Aa, doumo. ああ、どうも。 Oh, thanks.
      • どうぞ (douzo) - go ahead, by all means
      • ああ (a(a)) - oh, ah
      • どうも (doumo) - thank you, I’m sorry
        * ありがとう (arigatou) - thank you
        * ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) - thank you (polite)
        * ありがとうございました (arigatou gozaimashita) - thank you for what you’ve done

  • Addressing Someone:

    • A: Honda-san. 本田さん。Mr/s. Honda.
    • B: Hai. はい。 Yes.
      • さん (~san) - Mr/s. X
      • 先生 (~sensei) - Prof./Dr. X
      • はい (hai) - yes (that’s right), here you go

  • Apologizing:

    • A: A, sumimasen! あ、すみません！Oh, sorry!
    • B: Ie, ie. いえ、いえ。No, no.
      • すみません (sumimasen) - thank you, I’m sorry
        * すみませんでした (sumimasen deshita) - thank you, I’m sorry for what’s done
        * ごめん (gomen) - sorry, excuse me (casual)
        * ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) - sorry, excuse me (casual, gentle)
        * どういたしまして (dou itashimashite) - you’re welcome, not at all

  • Starting and Ending Eating/Drinking:

    • A: Douzo. どうぞ。Please (have some.)
    • B: Jaa, itadakimasu. じゃあ、いただきます。Well, then I’ll have some.
      • B: Gochisou sama deshita. ごちそうさまでした。Thank you (That was delicious).
        * じゃあ／じゃ (jaa, ja) - well then, if so
        * いただきます (itadakimasu) - ritual expression before eating
        * ごちそうさま (gochisou-sama) - ritual expression after eating
        * ごちそうさまでした (gochisou-sama deshita) - formal version of gochisou-sama

  • Requesting:

    • A: Sumimasen. すみません。Excuse me.
    • Onegaishimasu. お願いします。Can you give that to me.
      • B: Hai, douzo. はい、どうぞ。Sure, here you go.
        * お願いします (Onegai-shimasu) - please help me, do me a favor

  • Entering a Room (Knock on the door TWICE):

    • A: Shitsurei-shimasu. 失礼します。Excuse me.
      • B: Hai, douzo. はい、どうぞ。Yes, come in.
        * 失礼します (shitsurei-shimasu) - excuse me
        * 失礼しました (shitsurei-shimashita) - excuse me for what I’ve done

  • Leaving and Coming Back to Home /Office:

    • A: Itte kimasu. いってきます。See you later.

    • B: Itte rasshai. いってらっしゃい。See you later.
      * Itte kimasu. ritual expression when leaving home
      * Itte rasshai. ritual response to Itte kimasu

    • A: Tadaima. ただいま。I’m home.

    • B: Okaerinasai. おかえりなさい。Welcome back.
      * Tadaima. ritual expression upon coming home
      * Okaerinasai. ritual response to Tadaima

  • Meeting People for the First Time:

    • A: Hajimemashite. はじめまして。How do you do.
    • Honda desu. 本田です。I’m Honda.
    • B: Honda-san desu ka 本田さんですか。You’re Mr. Honda?
    • Sumisu desu スミスです。I’m Smith.
    • Douzo yoroshiku. どうぞよろしく。Nice to meet you.
      * Hajimemashite. How do you do?
      * desu. it is/I’m/you’re/they are X, etc.
      * desu ka. is it/am I/are you/are they X? etc.
      * yoroshiku. ritual expression when meeting someone, when needing a favor
      * yoroshiku onegai-shimasuよろしくお願いしますplease treat me favorably, thank you in advance

  • Taking Leave:

    • A: Ja, shitsurei-shimasu. じゃ、失礼します。Well then, I’ll go (excuse me).
      • B: Aa, otsukare-sama deshita. ああ、お疲れさまでした. Ah, thanks for the good work.
        * otuskare(-sama) thanks for your work, you must be tired
        * otsukare-sama desu (formal) (on going)
        * otuskare-sama deshita (the work is over)

  • Parting:

    • A: Ja, mata. じゃ、また。Well, see you.
      • B: Sayonara. さよなら。Good-bye,
        * ja, mata see you later (informal)
        * sayonara/sayounara Good-bye

  • Retiring at Night:

    • A: Ja, oyasumi じゃ、おやすみ.
      • B: Aa, oyasuminasai ああ、おやすみなさい.
        * oyasumi
        * oyasumi nasai

Notes on Pronunciation

  • Syllables:
    • Vowel (a, i, u, e, o)
    • Consonant + vowel (62 combinations)
    • Consonant alone (n, t, s, k, p)
    • Consonant + y + vowel (33 combinations)

*Special Cases:
* /s+i/ is pronounced /shi/
* /z+i/ is pronounced /ji/
* /t+i/ is pronounced /chi/
* /t+u/ is pronounced /tsu/
* /d+i/ is pronounced /ji/
* /d+u/ is pronounced /zu/

  • Long Vowels: /aa/, /ii/, /uu/, /ee/, /oo/.

    • /o/ is represented by /ou/.
    • /e/ is written as /ei/.

  • Long Consonants: /t/, /s/, /k/, and /p/

    • Syllable length when without a vowel.
      • itte kimasu (6 syllables)
      • ippon (3 syllables)
      • ikko (3 syllables)
      • issho (3 syllables)

  • Pitch Accent:

    • Rise and fall distinguishes meaning.
    • Pitch patterns:
      • Fall: Jaa, Doumo, Douzo
      • Rise: iIE, saYONARA, taDAIMA, oHAYOU, yoROSHIKU
      • Rise and Fall: aRIgatou, shiTSUrei-shimasu, suMIMASEn

Drills & Exercises

*A. Listen to the audio. Following the first two model exchanges, respond to each cue.

*Cue: Guree desu. I’m Grey. グレーです．
*Response: Guree-san desu ka. Hajimemashite. Ms. Grey? How do you do? グレーさんですか。はじめまして。
*
*Cue: Honda desu. I’m Honda. 本田です。
*Response: Honda-san desu ka. Hajimemashite. Ms. Honda? How do you do?’ 本田さんですか。はじめまして。
*
*B. Say it in Japanese.

Say it in Japanese yourself first, listen to the audio for the model answer, and then repeat the model. Practice building up and expanding sentences.

  1. Good evening.
  2. Good morning. (to a friend)
  3. Good morning. (to a teacher)
  4. Ms. Honda, good morning.
  5. Thanks. (to a friend)
  6. Thank you. (to a teacher)
  7. You are welcome!
  8. Thank you very much. (for what you do or are about to do)
  9. Thank you very much. (for what you did)
  10. I’ll start eating.
  11. Well then, I’ll start eating.
  12. Thank you for the delicious treat. (to a family member, concluding eating)
  13. Thank you for the delicious treat. (politely)
  14. Thank you very much for the delicious treat.
  15. I’m sorry.
  16. I’m very sorry.
  17. I’m very sorry. (for what happened)
  18. Please [help me]. (Thank you in advance.)
  19. Professor, excuse me.
  20. Good-by.
  21. Well, Professor, excuse me. Good-by.
  22. Good Night! (to a friend)
  23. Good night. (politely)
  24. Good work! (Thank you for the hard work)
  25. Good work. Good night.
  26. Thank you. I’ll have some…It was delicious.
  27. Thank you very much. I’ll have some.
  28. Excuse me. (for what I am about to do)
  29. Excuse me. (for what I did)
  30. How do you do?
  31. My name is Johnson. How do you do?
  32. My name is Johnson. How do you do? Very glad to meet you.
  33. Good morning. See you later. (heading out)
  34. See you later. (Responding to 32)
  35. I’m back.
  36. Welcome back.

Imagine the situation and role-play with a partner in Japanese. Use appropriate gestures and facial expressions.

  1. Greet your coworkers in the morning.
  2. Leave the office to go to a meeting outside.
  3. You are meeting Ms. Honda, a business associate, for the first time. Introduce yourself.
  4. Offer a seat to a client.
  5. Accept a gift from a visitor.
  6. Start eating lunch.
  7. Thank a supervisor for treating you at a restaurant.
  8. Hand a report to the assistant to make copies.
  9. Thank a coworker for making copies for you.
  10. Visit the office of a supervisor.
  11. Leave the office of a supervisor.
  12. Ask a coworker to pass a document to you.
  13. Say good-by to a coworker who is about to go home.
  14. Say good-by to coworkers as you leave the office to go home.
  15. Say good night to friends as you part after a night out
  16. Say good-by to coworkers as you leave the office party
Review Questions
  • What is the difference between ohayou and ohayou gozaimasu?
  • What is the difference between arigatou gozaimasu and arigatou gozaimasita?
  • What is the difference between sayonara and itte kimasu?
  • Which is more polite, arigatou or dou mo?
  • Why can’t you attach –san or –sensei to your own name?
  • What is the difference between gomen and gomen nasai? Who typically uses the latter?
  • What are three ways to use hai?
  • When do you use aa? How about jaa?
  • What is the Japanese equivalent for “thank you in advance” for the job you’ve just requested?
  • Many Japanese equivalents for “thank you” have been introduced so far. How many can you list? Can you describe a typical situation where each can be used?
  • What is pitch accent?
  • What are the five vowels in Japanese? The long vowels in Japanese? The long consonants?

Lesson 1: New to the Office

Dialogue 1
  • Mr. Smith and Ms. Honda, new employees, are talking about a project report.
  • Smith：Wakarimasu ka. Do you understand it? わかりますか。
  • Honda：Iie, amari wakarimasen nee. No, I don’t understand very well. いいえ、あまりわかりませんねえ。
  • Smith：Wakarimasen ka. You don’t? わかりませんか。
  • Honda：Ee. Right. ええ。

Vocabulary
* wakarimasu - understand
* ka - question particle
* amari - (not) very much
* wakarimasen - don’t understand
* nee - particle indicating empathy
* ee - yes, that’s right
* zenzen - Not at all. (with negative verb)
* yoku - well, a lot, often
* tokidoki - sometimes
* shimasu - do, play
* tabemasu - eat
* nomimasu - drink
* tsukurimasu - make
* norimasu - ride, get on

Grammar Notes

  • Verbs, Non-Past, Formal, Affirmative and Negative

    • Japanese verb ends in -masu (Affirmative, Non-Past, Formal) and –masen (Negative, Non-Past, Formal)
      *Non-past refers to an act that is performed regularly or will be performed in the future.
      *Formal refers to speaking courteously

  • Hai and Iie: Affirming and Negating

    • Hai means ‘what you said is right’ regardless of whether the sentence is affirmative or negative. Ee is a less formal than hai.
    • Iie means ‘what you said is incorrect’ regardless of whether the sentence is affirmative or negative. Iya is less formal than iie.

  • Sentence Particles Ka and Ne(e)

    • Ka is a question marker.
    • Ne(e) with falling intonation indicates that you assume the addressee shares your feelings.

  • Adverbs

    • Adverbs appear before the verb in a Japanese sentence and indicate how much, how often, or in what manner something happens.
    • Amari and zenzen combine with a negative and indicate the degree to which something happens.
      *Amari tabemasen. I don’t eat it very much.
      *Zenzen hanashimasen. I do not speak it at all.
      *Yoku means ‘well, a lot, or frequently’ depending on the context.
      *Yoku wakarimasu. I understand well.
      *Yoku kaimasu. I buy it a lot/often.
Dialogue 2
  • Ms. Honda and Mr. Smith are in a store.
  • Honda: Are, kaimasu ka. Will you buy that?あれ、買いますか。
  • Smith: Ee, kaimasu kedo… Yes, I will, but…ええ、買いますけど….
  • Honda: Kore wa? How about this?これは？
  • Smith: Aa, sore mo chotto irimasu ne. Oh, we need a few of those, too, don’t we?ああ、それもちょっといりますね。

Vocabulary
* are - that
* kaimasu - buy
* kedo - but
* kore - this
* wa - Particle of contrast
* sore - that near you
* mo - Particle of Addition
* chotto - little bit, a few
* irimasu - need

Grammar Notes

  • Noun + Verb

    • When not clear, you can place them before the verb.
    • More than one of these can appear in a sentence.
    • The common word order is: Time--Subject--Object--Adverb--Verb
      *Watashi kore ypoku wakarimasu. I understand this well.
    • when sentence elements are not in the common order above, the element moved forward has more focus

  • Ko-so-a-do series
    *Ko-so-a-do series refers to expressions such as ‘X kind’, ‘X way’, X place’, etc.
    *These will be introduced later.
    *kore this thing (close to me) or this thing I just mentioned
    *sore that thing (close to you) or that thing which was just mentioned
    *are that thing (away from both of us) or that thing we both know about
    *dore which one

  • Clause Particle Kedo
    *Kedo ‘but’ connects two sentences to make one.

  • Particle Wa indicating Contrast
    *Particle wa follows nouns and indicates a contrast between that noun under discussion and other possibilities.

  • Particle Mo indicating Addition
    *The particle mo performs the opposite function of that performed by the particle wa.
    *The particle mo means ‘too’ or ‘also’ with an affirmative verb and ‘(n)either’ with a negative verb.

Dialogue 3
  • A group of co-workers are going out tonight.
  • Honda: Ikimasen ka. Do you want to go? (lit. ‘Won’t you go?) 行きませんか。
  • Smith: Kyou wa chotto… Today is a little… 今日はちょっと、 、 、
  • Honda: Aa, sou desu ka. Ja, mata. Oh, I see. Well then, next time. ああ、そうですか。じゃあ、また。
  • Yamada-san wa? How about you, Mr. Yamada? 山田さんは？
  • Yamada: Watashi wa ikimasu yo. I’m going. 私は行きますよ。

Vocabulary
* ikimasu - go
* ikimasen ka - won’t you go?
* kyou - today
* chotto - a little
* sou - so
* sou desu ka - Is that so
* Yamada - Yamada
* watashi - I
* yo - Sentence Particle

Grammar Notes

  • Negative Questions as Suggestions

    • Negative questions are sometimes used to suggest or invite to do certain actions.

  • Chotto: Impact Softener

    • Chotto literally means ‘a little’.
    • Chotto is often used as an impact softener during a conversation when less-than favorable information is presented.
      *To get attention from others
      *To be humble
      *To soften impact:

  • Aizuchi: How to be a Good Listener

    • When you participate in a Japanese conversation you are expected to give frequent feedback and show that you are engaged.

  • Personal References

  • Sentence Particle Yo Indicating New Information
    Unlike the particle ne(e), which indicates the shared information, the particle yo indicates that the speaker thinks this is new information to the listener.

Dialogue 4
  • Mr. Smith and Ms. Honda are preparing PPT for an upcoming presentation.
  • Honda：Are, dekimasita ka. Is that done? あれ、できましたか。
  • Smith：Ee, kinou tsukurimasita. Yes, I made it yesterday. きのう つく ええ、昨日、作りました。
  • Honda：Chotto renshuu-shimasen ka? Shall we practice a little? れんしゅう ちょっと練習しませんか。
  • Smith：Hai, wakarimashita. Sure, okay. はい、わかりました。

Grammar Notes

  • Verbs in the Past Form

    • Verbs in the -masu form is Non-Past and indicates both present and future.
    • Past is indicated by changing -masu to -mashita (Affirmative) and -masen to -masen deshita (Negative).

  • Compound Verbs /Noun + shimasu /combinations are compound verbs.
    When verbs in English are borrowed into Japanese, -shimasu is attached to them and they become Japanese verbs.

Lesson 2: Meeting People

Dialogue 1

  • Emily, an exchange student, is staying with the Yamamoto family and is heading out in the morning.

  • Emily: Anou, ima nan-ji desu ka. Um, what time is it (now)? いま なんじ あのう、今、何時ですか。

  • Yamamoto: Etto…hachi-ji desu yo. Let’s see…it’s eight o’clock. はちじ えっと、八時ですよ。

  • Emily: Ja, itte kimasu. い じゃ、行ってきます。 Well, see you later.

  • Outside, Emily sees Mr. Tanaka, a neighbor.

  • Emily: Ii otenki desu nee. It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? てんき いいお天気ですねえ。

  • Tanaka: A, Emily-san, gakkou desu ka. Oh, Michael. Are you going to school? がっこう あ、エミリーさん。学校ですか。

  • Emily: Ie, kyou wa gakkou ja nai desu. No, not school, today. Arubaito desu. I’m working. きょう がっこう いえ、今日は、学校じゃないです。アルバイトです。

Vocabulary
* anou - um… (hesitation noise)
* ima - now
* nan-ji - what time
* desu - is X
* etto - let’s see… (hesitation noise)
* hachi-ji - eight o’clock
* ii - good
* o- affix indicating politeness
* tenki - weather
* otenki- weather (polite)
* ii otenki - good weather
* gakkou - school
* ja nai desu - is not X
* arubaito - part-time job (of students), side job

Grammar Notes
*Noun + desu / ‘is N’ / Noun + ja nai desu/ ‘is not N’ /X desu/ means ‘is X’ (Affirmative) and /X ja nai desu/ means ‘is not X’ (Negative). These noun sentences are Non-Past and Formal.*

  • Clock Time
    • −ji to the number. Minutes will be introduced later.