About This Lesson
Use Practicing Clear Pronunciation to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
音声を聞いてもいいですか。
ohn-SAY oh KEE-teh-moh EE dess-kah Can I listen to the audio?
B
一緒に聞きましょう。
ee-SHOH-nee kee-kee-ma-SHOH Let's listen together.
A
私には速すぎます。
wah-TAH-shee nee wah hah-yah-soo-GEE-mahss It's too fast for me.
B
再生速度を遅くします。
sigh-SAY soh-KOO-doh oh oh-SOH-koo shee-MAHSS I'll slow it down.
A
この文はどう発音しますか。
koh-NOH boon wah doh hah-tsohn shee-MAHSS-kah How do I pronounce this sentence?
B
一度聞いて、私の後に繰り返してください。
ee-DOH KEE-teh, wah-TAH-shee noh AH-toh nee koo-ree-kah-EH-shee-TEH koo-dah-SIGH Listen once, then repeat after me.
A
もう一度やってみます。
moh-EE-chee-doh YAHT-teh mee-MAHSS Let me try again.
B
今はもっとはっきり聞こえます。
ee-MAH wah MOHT-toh hah-KEE-ree kee-KOH-eh-MAHSS That sounds clearer now.Word by Word
音声
音声 means “audio” here, referring to the recording the learners want to hear. It commonly appears with を before an action such as listening to or playing audio.
を
を marks 音声 as the thing being listened to in 音声を聞いてもいいですか. A reusable pattern is an object followed by を and an action verb.
聞いて
聞いて means “listen” here and connects the action to the permission expression 聞いてもいいですか. This form can also connect one action to what follows, as in 一度聞いて、私の後に繰り返してください.
も
も is part of 聞いてもいいですか, which asks whether it is acceptable to listen. In this expression, the action before も is presented as something that may be allowed.
いい
いい means “okay” or “acceptable” in 聞いてもいいですか. Together with も and the following polite form, it is a useful way to ask permission to do an action.
です
です gives the permission question a polite ending in 聞いてもいいですか. It follows いい in this expression and helps make the request respectful.
か
か marks 聞いてもいいですか as a question. It appears at the end of this polite request for permission.
一緒
一緒 means “together” in 一緒に聞きましょう, showing that both people will listen at the same time. It commonly combines with に when describing doing something together.
に
に links 一緒 to the action in 一緒に聞きましょう and gives the meaning “together.” The reusable pattern is 一緒に followed by an action.
聞きましょう
聞きましょう means “let’s listen” and invites the other person to listen together. This polite form is useful when proposing a shared action.
私
私 means “I” or “me” in 私には速すぎます and 私の後に. Its exact meaning depends on the surrounding expression: here it identifies the speaker and also appears in “after me.”
は
は marks 私 as the topic in 私には速すぎます. With に, the expression identifies the speaker for whom the audio is too fast.
速すぎます
速すぎます means “is too fast” in 私には速すぎます. The ending すぎます shows that the speed exceeds what is suitable for the speaker, and it can follow a description of something that is excessive.
再生速度
再生速度 means “playback speed” in 再生速度を遅くします. It refers specifically to the speed setting of the audio, and it can be marked by を when that setting is changed.
遅く
遅く means “to a slower setting” in 再生速度を遅くします. It is the form used before します to describe making the playback speed slower.
します
します means “make” or “set” in 再生速度を遅くします, so the speaker will set the playback speed to a slower level. The polite action pattern is an object followed by を and a description followed by します.
この
この means “this” in この文, pointing to the sentence currently being discussed. It comes directly before the noun it identifies.
文
文 means “sentence” in この文はどう発音しますか. It identifies the language unit whose pronunciation the speaker is asking about.
どう
どう means “how” in この文はどう発音しますか. It asks about the manner of pronouncing the sentence and commonly comes before the action being asked about.
発音
発音 means “pronunciation” in 発音します, referring to producing the sentence’s sounds. It can combine with する to express pronouncing something.
一度
一度 means “once” in 一度聞いて, asking the learner to listen one time before repeating. It is commonly placed before an action to state how many times it should happen.
の
の links 私 and 後 in 私の後に, creating the relation “after me.” A reusable pattern is a person or thing followed by の and a relational word.
後
後 means “after” in 私の後に, referring to what follows the speaker’s model. The pattern Xの後に can identify an action or event that comes after X.
繰り返して
繰り返して means “repeat” in 私の後に繰り返してください. It connects the requested action to ください, forming a polite request; a reusable pattern is Xを繰り返してください.
ください
ください makes 私の後に繰り返してください a polite request to repeat after the speaker. It follows the action form 繰り返して when asking someone to do that action.
もう
もう means “another” or “once more” in もう一度やってみます. Together with 一度, it makes the expression “try one more time,” and this pattern can come before an action.
やって
やって means “do” or “try” as the action component of やってみます. It connects the action to みます, producing the meaning “try doing it”; a reusable pattern is Xをやってみます.
みます
みます follows やって in やってみます and shows that the speaker will try the action. This form is used after an action form to express trying to do something.
今
今 means “now” in 今はもっとはっきり聞こえます, referring to the current result after practice. It commonly sets the time or situation for the statement that follows.
もっと
もっと means “more” in もっとはっきり聞こえます. It increases the degree of はっきり, showing that the sound is clearer than before.
はっきり
はっきり means “clearly” in もっとはっきり聞こえます, describing how the sound can now be heard. It is useful before an expression that describes hearing, speaking, or seeing something clearly.
聞こえます
聞こえます means “can be heard” or “sounds” in 今はもっとはっきり聞こえます. It describes how something is perceived by hearing, rather than stating that someone intentionally listens.
Grammar Points
〜てもいいですか
音声を一緒に聞いてもいいですか。
ohn-SAY oh ee-SHOH-nee KEE-teh-moh EE dess-kahMay I listen to the audio together?
Use 〜てもいいですか to politely ask permission to do something.
い-adjective + すぎる
再生速度が速すぎます。
sigh-SAY soh-KOO-doh gah hah-yah-soo-GEE-mahssThe playback speed is too fast.
Attach すぎる to an い-adjective stem to mean “too ...”; 速い becomes 速すぎます.
Japanese Vocabulary
一緒に
adv
ee-SHOH-nee
together
一緒に聞きましょう。
一度
adv
ee-DOH
once
一度聞いて、私の後に繰り返してください。
音声
noun
ohn-SAY
audio
音声を聞いてもいいですか。
繰り返してください
phrase
koo-ree-kah-EH-shee-TEH koo-dah-SIGH
please repeat
一度聞いて、私の後に繰り返してください。
後に
prep
AH-toh nee
after; following
私の後に繰り返してください。
再生速度
noun
sigh-SAY soh-KOO-doh
playback speed
再生速度を遅くします。
私には
phrase
wah-TAH-shee nee wah
for me
私には速すぎます。
速すぎます
adj
hah-yah-soo-GEE-mahss
is too fast
私には速すぎます。
遅くします
verb
oh-SOH-koo shee-MAHSS
will slow down
再生速度を遅くします。
発音しますか
phrase
hah-tsohn shee-MAHSS-kah
how do I pronounce it?
この文はどう発音しますか。
文
noun
boon
sentence
この文はどう発音しますか。
聞いてもいいですか
phrase
KEE-teh-moh EE dess-kah
may I listen?
音声を聞いてもいいですか。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
is too fast
Show Answer
速すぎますwill slow down
Show Answer
遅くしますmay I listen?
Show Answer
聞いてもいいですかplayback speed