Finding the right city hall counter | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: At a city hall entrance, two adults talk about arriving by bike and going inside to find the right counter..

EN → JA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Finding the right city hall counter to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

私は今までこの市役所の中に入ったことがありません。

wah-TAH-shee wah ee-mah mah-deh koh-noh shee-yah-koo-shoh noh nah-kah nee high-tah koh-toh gah ah-ree-mah-SEN I have never been inside this city hall before.
B

建物は思ったよりきれいです。

tah-teh-MOH-noh wah oh-MOHT-tah yoh-ree kee-REH dess The building is nicer than I expected.
A

入口は自転車置き場の隣です。

ee-ree-goo-chee wah jee-TEN-shah oh-kee-bah noh toh-NAH-ree dess The entrance is beside the bicycle parking area.
B

たくさんの人が自転車で来ました。

tah-koo-SAHN noh HEE-toh gah jee-TEN-shah deh kee-mah-SHEE-tah A lot of people came by bike.
A

そうですね。

soh dess neh That makes sense.
A

バスを待つより楽です。

BAH-soo oh MAHT-soo yoh-ree RAH-koo dess It is easier than waiting for the bus.
B

次は私たちもここまで自転車で来られますね。

TSOO-gee wah wah-tah-shee-TAH-chee moh koh-koh mah-deh jee-TEN-shah deh koh-rah-reh-mahss neh Next time, we could ride here too.
A

それなら、入口の近くに自転車を置けます。

soh-reh NAH-rah, ee-ree-goo-chee noh CHEE-kah-koo nee jee-TEN-shah oh oh-keh-mahss Then we can leave the bikes close to the entrance.
B

今は中に入って、正しい窓口を探しましょう。

ee-mah wah NAH-kah nee high-teh, tah-dah-SHEE mah-doh-goo-chee oh sah-gah-shee-mah-SHOH For now, let's go inside and find the right counter.

Word by Word

私 私 means “I” here and refers to the speaker. It is used as the person being described in 私は. This is useful when introducing your own experience or opinion.
は は marks 私 as the topic in 私は, so the sentence gives information about the speaker. A noun followed by は is presented as the topic of the statement. Here it introduces the speaker’s past experience.
今まで 今まで means “until now” or “ever before” in this dialogue. In 私は今までこの市役所の中に入ったことがありません, it sets the time period for the experience up to the present. It is useful with a statement about whether something has happened before.
この この means “this” and identifies the particular city hall being discussed. It comes directly before 市役所 in この市役所. The reusable pattern is この followed by a noun when pointing out a specific nearby or relevant thing.
市役所 市役所 means “city hall,” the public building the speakers are visiting. In この市役所, it identifies the building whose inside they are discussing. This word is useful when asking about services or counters in a local government building.
の の links 市役所 and 中 in 市役所の中, meaning the inside of the city hall. It connects one noun with another to show a relationship such as location or belonging. The pattern nounの中 is useful for describing the inside of a place.
中 中 means “inside” or “interior” here, referring to the interior of the city hall. In 市役所の中に入った, it is the place the speaker entered. The pattern placeの中 is useful when talking about being inside a building or area.
に に marks 中 as the destination in 中に入った, showing where the entering took place. With a movement verb such as 入る, a place followed by に can indicate the destination. Here it identifies the inside as the place entered.
入った 入った means “entered” in the experience expression 入ったことがありません. It presents entering the city hall as an event being considered in the past. This form is useful before こと when talking about whether an action has been experienced.
こと こと turns the event 入った into an experience or event that can be discussed. In 入ったことがありません, the whole expression says that the speaker has no experience of entering. This pattern is useful for describing whether a particular action has happened before.
が が marks 入ったこと as the experience that is absent in 入ったことがありません. It identifies the event being described with ありません. Here it belongs to the complete experience expression rather than simply marking a person or object.
ありません ありません is the polite negative form used with 入ったことがありません to say that the speaker does not have that experience. The complete expression means “have never entered” in this dialogue. It is useful after an experience expression when saying that something has not happened.
建物 建物 means “building,” referring here to the city hall building. In 建物は, it is the topic whose appearance or condition is being described. This word is useful when discussing a building’s location, size, or condition.
思った 思った means “thought” or “expected” here, in the phrase 思ったよりきれいです. It refers to the speaker’s earlier expectation and provides the standard for the comparison. This use is helpful when saying that something differs from what you expected.
より より marks the comparison standard in 思ったよりきれいです. The whole pattern means that the building is nicer or cleaner than the speaker expected, with 思った as the point of comparison. The reusable pattern is XよりY when comparing Y with X.
きれい きれい describes the building as nice or clean in this dialogue. In 思ったよりきれいです, its positive description is strengthened by the comparison with the earlier expectation. It is useful for describing the appearance or condition of a place.
です です is the polite sentence ending after きれい, making the description a polite statement. Here it completes the description of the building. It is useful when giving a polite description or judgment.
入口 入口 means “entrance,” the place where people enter the city hall. In 入口は, it is the topic whose location is being explained. This word is useful when giving directions around a building.
自転車置き場 自転車置き場 means “bicycle parking area,” the place for leaving bicycles. In 自転車置き場の隣, it serves as the reference point for locating the entrance. This word is useful when asking where bicycles can be parked.
隣 隣 means “beside” or “next to” in 自転車置き場の隣. The whole phrase identifies a place directly next to the bicycle parking area. The pattern nounの隣 is useful for giving the location of one thing beside another.
たくさん たくさん indicates a large quantity, meaning “a lot” or “many” in たくさんの人. With の人, it describes the number of people who came. This expression is useful when describing a large number of people or things.
人 人 means “person” or “people” here. In たくさんの人, the quantity word makes it refer to many people. It is useful when describing who came, waited, or used a place.
自転車 自転車 means “bicycle.” In 自転車で来ました, it identifies the means of transportation used to come to the city hall. This word is useful in the pattern 自転車で来る when describing arriving by bicycle.
で で marks 自転車 as the means of transportation in 自転車で来ました. It means “by” or “using” here, not a location. The pattern vehicleで来る is useful for explaining how someone arrived.
来ました 来ました means “came” or “arrived” in this dialogue, referring to people reaching the city hall. Its polite form presents the arrival as a completed event. It is useful with a means of transport, as in 自転車で来ました.
そう そう means “so” or “that way” in そうですね, referring to the point just mentioned. Together with ね, it works as an agreement response such as “That makes sense” or “That’s right.” This expression is useful when acknowledging another person’s explanation.
ね ね adds a sense of shared agreement or confirmation at the end of そうですね. It makes the response connect the speaker and listener around the same understanding. This particle is useful when agreeing with someone or inviting confirmation.
バス バス means “bus,” the vehicle being waited for in バスを待つ. It is the object of the action 待つ. This word is useful when talking about taking or waiting for a bus.
を を marks バス as the object of 待つ in バスを待つ. It shows what the speaker is waiting for. The basic reusable pattern is an object followed by を and an action verb.
待つ 待つ means “wait for” in バスを待つ. The bus is marked with を because it is the thing being waited for. This expression is useful when describing waiting for transportation or another expected arrival.
楽 楽 means “easy” or “less effort” here, in バスを待つより楽です. The whole comparison says that the alternative being discussed is easier than waiting for the bus. It is useful in the pattern an actionより楽 when comparing effort or convenience.
次 次 means “next,” and 次は refers to the next occasion or next time. Here it sets up a future visit when the speakers might come by bicycle. The pattern 次は... is useful when talking about what will happen on the next occasion.
私たち 私たち means “we” or “us,” referring to the two speakers together. In 私たちも, it identifies them as another group that can come by bicycle. This word is useful when speaking about yourself and the people accompanying you.
も も means “also” or “too” in 私たちも. It adds the speakers to the people who can come by bicycle. The pattern nounも is useful when saying that someone or something is included in the same situation.
ここ ここ means “here,” referring to the current city hall location. In ここまで, it identifies the place reached by bicycle. This word is useful when pointing out the place where the speakers are now.
まで まで marks the endpoint in ここまで, meaning “as far as here” or “up to this place.” The whole phrase ここまで describes how far the speakers can come. The pattern placeまで来る is useful for describing a destination or endpoint.
来られます 来られます means “can come” in this dialogue. In 次は私たちもここまで自転車で来られますね, it expresses the possibility of reaching this place by bicycle on the next occasion. This form is useful when discussing whether someone can come to a particular place.
それなら それなら means “then” or “in that case.” It connects the possibility just mentioned with the next practical consequence about leaving the bicycles. This expression is useful when responding to information and drawing a conclusion from it.
近く 近く means “near” or “nearby” in 入口の近くに. It identifies an area close to the entrance where the bicycles can be left. The pattern nounの近く is useful for describing something’s location near a reference point.
置けます 置けます means “can put” or “can leave” here, referring to leaving the bicycles near the entrance. In 自転車を置けます, the bicycles are the object and the location is given separately. This form is useful when saying that something can be placed in a particular location.
今 今 means “now,” and in 今は it has the temporary sense “for now.” It contrasts the immediate action of going inside with the future possibility of coming by bicycle. The pattern 今は... is useful when stating what applies at the present moment.
入って 入って means “enter” or “go inside” in this dialogue. Its form connects the action of going inside with the following action in 入って、正しい窓口を探しましょう. This use is practical when proposing two linked actions to do together.
正しい 正しい means “right” or “correct” in 正しい窓口. Here it identifies the appropriate service counter for the speakers’ purpose. The pattern 正しい followed by a noun is useful when choosing the correct person, place, or thing.
窓口 窓口 means “service counter” or “service desk,” especially a counter handling a particular public service. Here it refers to the appropriate counter inside city hall. The pattern 窓口を探す is useful when looking for the counter needed for a task.
探しましょう 探しましょう means “let’s look for” or “let’s find.” In 窓口を探しましょう, it is a polite proposal for the speakers to search together for the correct counter. This form is useful when suggesting a shared action.

Grammar Points

〜たことがありません

今まで市役所の中に入ったことがありません。

ee-mah mah-deh shee-yah-koo-shoh noh nah-kah nee high-tah koh-toh gah ah-ree-mah-SEN

I have never been inside city hall before.

「〜たことがありません」は、今まで一度も経験がないことを表します。

思ったより＋形容詞

建物は思ったよりきれいです。

oh-MOHT-tah yoh-ree kee-REH dess

The building is nicer than I expected.

「思ったより」の後ろに形容詞を置き、予想と比べて程度が違うことを表します。

Japanese Vocabulary

きれい adj
kee-REH nice; clean
たくさん adv
tah-koo-SAHN a lot; many
建物 noun
tah-teh-MOH-noh building
今まで adv
ee-mah mah-deh until now; ever before
市役所 noun
shee-yah-koo-shoh city hall
思ったより phrase
oh-MOHT-tah yoh-ree than expected
自転車置き場 noun
jee-TEN-shah oh-kee-bah bicycle parking area
人 noun
HEE-toh person; people
中 noun
nah-kah inside
入ったことがありません phrase
high-tah koh-toh gah ah-ree-mah-SEN have never been inside
入口 noun
ee-ree-goo-chee entrance
隣 noun
toh-NAH-ree beside; next to

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

bicycle parking area

Show Answer自転車置き場

have never been inside

Show Answer入ったことがありません

than expected

Show Answer思ったより

a lot; many

Show Answerたくさん