About This Lesson
Use Buying Bread and Finding Orange Juice to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
パンを何枚買いましょうか？
pahn oh NAN-my kai-ma-SHOH kah How many slices of bread should we buy?
B
全部で4枚です。
YOHN-my een TOH-tah-roo Four slices in total.
B
私に2枚、あなたに2枚です。
nee-my fohr mee, oh nee-my fohr yoo Two for me and two for you.
A
それで十分です。まだオレンジジュースが必要です。
soh-REH deh joo-BUN dess. ma-DAH oh-REN-jee JOO-soo gah hee-TSOO-yoh dess That should be enough. We still need orange juice.
B
オレンジジュースを見つけられますか？
oh-REN-jee JOO-soo oh mee-TSOO-keh-rah-REH-mahss kah Can you find the orange juice?
A
まだです。次の棚を見てみましょう。
ma-DAH dess. TSOO-gee noh ta-NAH oh MEE-teh mee-ma-SHOH Not yet. Let's check the next shelf.
B
ここで働いている人に聞きましょう。
koh-KOH deh ha-ta-RAH-ee-teh ee-ROO hee-toh nee kee-kee-ma-SHOH Let's ask someone who works here.Word by Word
パン
パン means bread here, in the question パンを何枚買いましょうか？. It is the item being counted and bought. A reusable pattern is パンを買う, meaning buy bread.
を
を marks パン and オレンジジュース as the objects of the actions in パンを何枚買いましょうか？ and オレンジジュースを見つけられますか？. It comes directly after the thing acted on and before the verb. The pattern nounを + verb is useful for describing what someone buys or finds.
何
何 means how many in 何枚, asking for the number of bread slices. Here it is used with the counter 枚 rather than by itself. The pattern 何枚 + verb asks how many flat items or slices someone will do something with.
枚
枚 is the counter used for the bread slices in パンを何枚買いましょうか？ and 全部で4枚です。. It counts flat items such as slices. The pattern number + 枚 gives the quantity of these items.
買いましょう
買いましょう means shall we buy in パンを何枚買いましょうか？. It is the polite volitional form of 買う and presents buying as a shared suggestion. The reusable pattern nounを買いましょうか asks whether to buy something together.
か
か turns 買いましょう into the question 買いましょうか, making it a polite suggestion or proposal for confirmation. It appears at the end of the question. The pattern verb in ましょうか is useful when asking whether to do something together.
全部
全部 means all or the total amount in 全部で4枚です。. It refers to the complete number of slices rather than one person's share. The pattern 全部で + number states the total quantity.
で
で means in total in 全部で4枚です。. Together with 全部, it frames 4枚 as the total amount. The exact pattern 全部で + number is useful for giving a total.
です
です makes the short statements 全部で4枚です。 and 私に2枚、あなたに2枚です。 polite. In these lines, it states the total and the allocation of the slices. It is commonly placed at the end of a polite statement.
私
私 means me or I in 私に2枚, identifying the person who receives two slices. With に, it marks the recipient of that allocation. The pattern 私に + amount can state how much is for me.
に
に marks the recipient in 私に2枚 and あなたに2枚, showing who the slices are for. The pattern personに + amount is used when assigning or giving an amount to someone.
あなた
あなた means you in あなたに2枚, identifying the other person who receives two slices. The particle に shows that the amount is for that person. Here it is used in the allocation pattern あなたに + amount.
それ
それ means that or it in それで十分です, referring to the amount of bread just discussed. With で, it presents that amount as the basis for judging whether it is enough. The exact pattern それで十分です says that amount or arrangement is sufficient.
十分
十分 means enough or sufficient in それで十分です, saying that the selected amount of bread is adequate. The pattern Xで十分です states that X is enough for the purpose. Here X is the amount already agreed on.
まだ
まだ marks an unfinished situation in まだです and まだオレンジジュースが必要です。. In the first line, finding the juice has not happened yet; in the second, the need for it still remains. The short response まだです is a reusable way to say not yet.
オレンジジュース
オレンジジュース means orange juice in まだオレンジジュースが必要です。 and オレンジジュースを見つけられますか？. With が, it is the thing that is needed; with を, it is the thing someone is trying to find. The word can be reused with the particle that matches its role in the sentence.
が
が marks オレンジジュース as the thing that is needed in オレンジジュースが必要です。. It identifies the subject of the need rather than the object being found. The pattern nounが必要です means that something is needed.
必要
必要 means needed or necessary in オレンジジュースが必要です。. It describes the orange juice as still required for the shopping task. The reusable pattern nounが必要です states what is needed.
見つけられます
見つけられます means can find in オレンジジュースを見つけられますか？. It is the polite potential form related to 見つける, expressing ability to find something. The pattern nounを見つけられますか asks whether someone can find an item.
次
次 means next in 次の棚, identifying the shelf to be checked after the current one. It modifies 棚 through の. The pattern 次の + noun identifies the next item in an order or sequence.
の
の links 次 and 棚 in 次の棚, making 次の棚 mean the next shelf. It connects a modifying noun to the noun it describes. The pattern nounの + noun is used to link this kind of description.
棚
棚 means shelf in 次の棚を見てみましょう, the place where they will look for the orange juice. It is modified by 次の to mean the next shelf. The pattern 次の棚を + action describes checking that shelf.
見て
見て is the て-form of 見る in 次の棚を見てみましょう. It links the action of looking to みましょう, which adds the idea of trying it. Together, 見てみましょう means let's try looking.
みましょう
みましょう in 見てみましょう expresses a polite shared suggestion to try doing the preceding action. It is the polite volitional form of みる used after 見て, so the whole expression means let's try looking. The pattern verbてみましょう is reusable for suggesting that people try an action together.
ここ
ここ means here in ここで働いている人, referring to the grocery shop where the speakers are. The particle で identifies this place as the location of working. The pattern ここで + verb describes an action happening here.
働いて
働いて is the て-form of 働く in ここで働いている人. It links working with いる to describe a person who is working here. The pattern placeで働いている人 means a person who works at that place.
いる
いる after 働いて in ここで働いている人 shows the ongoing state connected with working. The whole phrase describes someone who works here, and it modifies 人. The pattern verbている人 means a person who is doing or is in the state described by the verb.
人
人 means person in ここで働いている人, referring to a person who works at the shop. The preceding phrase ここで働いている identifies which person. The pattern descriptive phrase + 人 is useful for saying a person who does something.
聞きましょう
聞きましょう means let's ask in ここで働いている人に聞きましょう。. It is the polite volitional form of 聞く and suggests asking the shop worker together. The pattern personに聞きましょう is used to suggest asking someone.
Grammar Points
〜ましょう
買いましょう
kai-ma-SHOHLet's buy; should we buy?
The volitional form 〜ましょう suggests doing something together or politely proposes an action.
〜てみましょう
見てみましょう
MEE-teh mee-ma-SHOHLet's take a look; let's check.
〜てみましょう combines the て-form with みる to suggest trying an action together.
Japanese Vocabulary
あなた
pron
a-na-TAH
you
私に2枚、あなたに2枚です。
オレンジジュース
noun
oh-REN-jee JOO-soo
orange juice
まだオレンジジュースが必要です。
パン
noun
pahn
bread
パンを何枚買いましょうか?
まだ
adv
ma-DAH
still; yet
まだオレンジジュースが必要です。
何枚
phrase
NAN-my
how many slices
パンを何枚買いましょうか?
見つけられますか
verb
mee-TSOO-keh-rah-REH-mahss kah
can you find?
オレンジジュースを見つけられますか?
私
pron
wa-ta-SHEE
I; me
私に2枚、あなたに2枚です。
次の
det
TSOO-gee noh
next
次の棚を見てみましょう。
十分
adj
joo-BUN
enough; sufficient
それで十分です。
全部で
phrase
ZEN-boo deh
in total
全部で4枚です。
買いましょう
verb
kai-ma-SHOH
let's buy; should we buy?
パンを何枚買いましょうか?
必要です
adj
hee-TSOO-yoh dess
need; be necessary
まだオレンジジュースが必要です。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
let's buy; should we buy?
Show Answer
買いましょうorange juice
Show Answer
オレンジジュースneed; be necessary
Show Answer
必要ですcan you find?