About This Lesson
Use Offering Coffee During a Break to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
コーヒーはいかがですか？
KOH-hee wa ee-kah-GAH dess-kah? Do you want coffee?
B
はい、お願いします。小さいカップ一杯だけです。
HIGH, oh-neh-GUY shee-MAHS. chee-SAI KAH-poo eep-PAI dah-KEH dess. Yes, please. Just a small cup.
A
どうぞ。
DOH-zoh. Here you are.
B
いい香りです。
EE kah-OH-ree dess. It smells nice.
A
砂糖は要りますか？
sah-TOH wa ee-ree-MAHS-kah? Do you need sugar?
B
いいえ、ミルクだけお願いします。
EE-eh, MEE-roo-koo dah-KEH oh-neh-GUY shee-MAHS. No, just milk, please.
A
すみません、ミルクはありません。
soo-mee-mah-SEN, MEE-roo-koo wa ah-ree-MAH-SEN. Sorry, there is no milk.
B
大丈夫です。
dye-JOH-boo dess. That is okay.Word by Word
コーヒー
In コーヒーはいかがですか？, コーヒー means coffee, the drink being offered. Use it when talking about ordering, offering, or asking about coffee. In this dialogue, it is the item being offered during a break.
は
In コーヒーはいかがですか？, は marks コーヒー as the topic of the question. It sets the topic before asking what the listener thinks about it. Use it after the item or topic you want to ask about or comment on.
いかが
In コーヒーはいかがですか？, いかが politely asks whether the listener would like coffee or how coffee would be for them. It is a polite way to make an offer. Use it in an offer such as asking whether someone would like a particular drink or item.
です
In 小さいカップ一杯だけです, いい香りです, and 大丈夫です, です gives the statement a polite ending. It presents the preceding description or statement politely. Use it at the end of a polite statement after a noun or description.
か
In コーヒーはいかがですか？ and 砂糖は要りますか？, か marks the sentence as a question. It comes at the end of these polite questions. Use it to ask whether someone wants something or needs something.
はい
In はい、お願いします。, はい means yes and shows acceptance of the offered coffee. Use it at the beginning of a reply when accepting an offer or answering positively. Here it is followed by a polite request.
お願いします
In はい、お願いします。, お願いします politely means please or I would like that in response to the offer. It shows that the speaker accepts what has just been offered. Use it after accepting an offer or when making a polite request.
小さい
In 小さいカップ一杯だけです, 小さい describes the cup as small. It comes before the noun カップ. Use it before a noun when specifying that the item is small, such as a small cup.
カップ
In 小さいカップ一杯だけです, カップ means cup, the container used for the coffee. It appears before 一杯 to identify what is being counted. Use it when specifying a cup of a drink or another item served in a cup.
一杯
In 小さいカップ一杯だけです, 一杯 means one cup or one serving of a drink. It counts the coffee being requested. Use it after the drink or container when stating that you want one cup or serving.
だけ
In 小さいカップ一杯だけです, だけ means only or just and limits the request to one small cup. It follows the amount or item being limited. Use it after a quantity or noun when you want to say that nothing more is needed.
どうぞ
In どうぞ。, どうぞ means here you are and invites the other person to take or receive what is being offered. It is used when handing something to someone or giving permission to proceed. In this dialogue, the speaker uses it while offering the coffee.
いい
In いい香りです。, いい describes 香り as pleasant or nice. It comes directly before 香り to give a positive evaluation of the smell. Use it before a noun when describing something positively, such as a pleasant smell.
香り
In いい香りです。, 香り means smell or aroma, referring here to the pleasant smell of the coffee. It is the thing being described by いい. Use it when commenting on the smell or aroma of food, drinks, or other things.
砂糖
In 砂糖は要りますか？, 砂糖 means sugar, the ingredient being offered for the coffee. It is marked as the topic of the question. Use it when asking about or requesting sugar for a drink or food.
要ります
In 砂糖は要りますか？, 要ります asks whether sugar is needed. The form is used in a polite question about necessity. Use it after an item when asking whether someone needs that item.
いいえ
In いいえ、ミルクだけお願いします。, いいえ means no and rejects or corrects the preceding question about sugar. It begins a negative reply. Use it when answering no before giving a clarification or different request.
ミルク
In いいえ、ミルクだけお願いします。 and ミルクはありません。, ミルク means milk. In the first line it is the only addition requested for the coffee, and in the second it is the item that is unavailable. Use it when discussing milk as a drink ingredient or offering.
すみません
In すみません、ミルクはありません。, すみません politely means sorry and softens the notice that the milk is unavailable. It is used when apologizing or politely getting someone's attention. Here it introduces an apology before giving the information.
ありません
In ミルクはありません。, ありません means that there is no milk available. It gives a polite negative statement about the milk in this situation. Use it after an item when telling someone that the item is not available or is not present.
大丈夫
In 大丈夫です。, 大丈夫 means okay or all right, showing that the speaker accepts the lack of milk without a problem. It is used here to reassure the other person after an apology. Use it to say that a situation is acceptable or that no further action is needed.
Grammar Points
Nは いかがですか。
コーヒーはいかがですか。
KOH-hee wa ee-kah-GAH dess-kah.Would you like coffee?
いかがですか is a polite way to offer or suggest something. は marks the topic.
Nは 要りますか。
砂糖は要りますか。
sah-TOH wa ee-ree-MAHS-kah.Do you need sugar?
要りますか asks politely whether someone needs something. The ます form makes the question polite.
Japanese Vocabulary
いい
adj
EE
nice; good
いかがですか
phrase
ee-kah-GAH dess-kah
Would you like...?
お願いします
phrase
oh-neh-GUY shee-MAHS
please; I'd like that
カップ
noun
KAH-poo
cup
コーヒー
noun
KOH-hee
coffee
どうぞ
intj
DOH-zoh
here you are; please
はい
intj
HIGH
yes
一杯
phrase
eep-PAI
one cup
香り
noun
kah-OH-ree
smell; aroma
砂糖
noun
sah-TOH
sugar
小さい
adj
chee-SAI
small
要る
verb
EE-roo
need
要ります
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
Would you like...?
Show Answer
いかがですかcoffee
Show Answer
コーヒーplease; I'd like that
Show Answer
お願いしますneed