Basic routines and family | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: A beginner practices six useful English phrases about basic routines and family..

EN → JA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Basic routines and family to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

私は寝ます。

wə-TAH-shee wah neh-MAHSS I am going to bed.
B

私は早く起きます。

wə-TAH-shee wah HAH-yah-koo OH-kee-mahss I wake up early.
A

私は仕事に行きます。

wə-TAH-shee wah SHEE-goh-toh nee ee-kee-MAHSS I go to work.
B

私は学校に行きます。

wə-TAH-shee wah GAHK-koh nee ee-kee-MAHSS I go to school.
A

私は家族と一緒にいます。

wə-TAH-shee wah kah-ZOH-koo toh ees-SHOH-nee ee-MAHSS I am with my family.
B

これは私の友達です。

koh-REH wah wə-TAH-shee noh toh-moh-DAH-chee dess This is my friend.

Word by Word

私 In the dialogue, 私 means “I” or “me,” referring to the speaker. It appears in 私は, 私の, and 私は家族と一緒にいます. A reusable pattern is 私は + an action or description.
は In 私は, は marks 私 as the topic, so the sentence is about “I.” It is written は but pronounced as the topic marker in this use. A reusable pattern is a person or thing + は + information about it.
寝ます In 私は寝ます, 寝ます means “go to bed” or “sleep.” This is the polite form used for a simple statement about the speaker’s routine. A reusable pattern is 私は + an activity in its polite form.
早く In 私は早く起きます, 早く means “early” and describes when the speaker wakes up. It comes before the action 起きます. A reusable pattern is a time expression + an action.
起きます In 私は早く起きます, 起きます means “wake up” or “get up.” Together with 早く, it describes getting up early as part of a routine. A reusable pattern is [time expression] + 起きます.
仕事 In 私は仕事に行きます, 仕事 means “work” or “job” and is the destination of the movement. The expression 仕事に行きます means “go to work.” A reusable pattern is a destination + に + 行きます.
に In 仕事に行きます and 学校に行きます, に marks the destination of going. In 家族と一緒にいます, it is part of 一緒に, meaning “together.” Use a destination + に + 行きます for going somewhere.
行きます In 仕事に行きます and 学校に行きます, 行きます means “go.” The destination comes before it with に. A reusable pattern is [destination] + に + 行きます.
学校 In 私は学校に行きます, 学校 means “school” and is the destination. The full expression 学校に行きます means “go to school.” A reusable pattern is a place + に + 行きます.
家族 In 私は家族と一緒にいます, 家族 means “family.” It is followed by と to show who the speaker is together with. A reusable pattern is a person or group + と一緒にいます.
と In 家族と一緒にいます, と connects 家族 with 一緒に and means “with” in the sense of being together with someone. The complete expression is 家族と一緒にいます. A reusable pattern is another person or group + と一緒にいます.
一緒 In 家族と一緒にいます, 一緒 means “together.” With と and に, the expression 家族と一緒にいます means “be together with my family.” A reusable pattern is [person or group] + と一緒に + います.
います In 家族と一緒にいます, います means “am,” “be,” or “stay” for the speaker’s presence or state. Here it completes the expression for being together with family. A reusable pattern is [person or group] + と一緒にいます.
これ In これは私の友達です, これ means “this,” referring to something near the speaker or being presented. It is followed by は to make it the topic. A reusable pattern is これは + a description.
の In 私の友達, の links 私 with 友達 and shows that the friend belongs to or is associated with the speaker. The phrase 私の友達 means “my friend.” A reusable pattern is [person] + の + [noun].
友達 In これは私の友達です, 友達 means “friend.” It is described as belonging to the speaker through 私の. A reusable pattern is 私の友達 for “my friend.”
です In これは私の友達です, です links the topic with its description and means “is.” It makes the statement polite. A reusable pattern is これは + noun + です.

Grammar Points

Nに行きます

学校に行きます。

GAHK-koh nee ee-kee-MAHSS

I go to school.

に marks the destination with 行きます; it corresponds to “to” in English.

Nと一緒にいます

家族と一緒にいます。

kah-ZOH-koo toh ees-SHOH-nee ee-MAHSS

I am with my family.

と marks the person or group you are with, while 一緒に means “together.”

Japanese Vocabulary

います verb
ee-MAHSS be; exist (for people and animals)
これ pron
koh-REH this
一緒に adv
ees-SHOH-nee together; with
家族 noun
kah-ZOH-koo family
学校 noun
GAHK-koh school
起きます verb
OH-kee-mahss wake up; get up
行きます verb
ee-kee-mahss go
仕事 noun
SHEE-goh-toh work; job
私 pron
wə-TAH-shee I; me
寝ます verb
neh-MAHSS go to bed; sleep
早く adv
HAH-yah-koo early
友達 noun
toh-moh-DAH-chee friend

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

wake up; get up

Show Answer起きます

go

Show Answer行きます

friend

Show Answer友達

be; exist (for people and animals)

Show Answerいます