About This Lesson
Use Planning lunch at a restaurant to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
一緒にランチを食べない？
ees-SHOH-nee RAHN-chee oh tah-beh-NAI? Would you like to have lunch together?
B
いいね。どこに行こうか？
EE-neh. DOH-koh nee ee-KOH-kah? That sounds nice. Where should we go?
A
ここの近くの小さなレストランはどう？
koh-koh-noh CHEE-kah-koo-noh CHEE-sah-nah reh-soo-tah-RAHN wa DOH? Maybe the small restaurant near here.
B
混んでなかったら、そこに行こう。
KOHN-deh nah-KAHT-tah-rah, soh-koh nee ee-KOH. Let's go there if it isn't busy.
A
正面のドアのそばで会おうか？
shoh-MEHN noh doh-AH noh soh-BAH deh ah-OH-kah? Should we meet by the front door?
B
君から見えるところで待つね。
kee-MEE kah-rah mee-EH-roo toh-KOH-roh deh MAH-tsoo neh. I'll wait where you can see me.
A
じゃあ、君を見つけに行くね。
jah-ah, kee-MEE oh mee-TSOO-keh nee ee-KOO neh. Then I'll come find you.
B
そのあと、テーブルをお願いしよう。
soh-noh ah-TOH, TAY-boo-roo oh oh-neh-GAI shee-YOH. After that, we can ask for a table.Word by Word
一緒
一緒 means “together” in 一緒にランチを食べない？. It shows that the speaker proposes doing the activity with the other person. A new example is 一緒に行こう, “Let’s go together.”
に
に in 一緒に marks togetherness, while in どこに行こうか？ and 見つけに行く it marks a destination or purpose. In 一緒に, it combines with 一緒 to mean “together.” A new example is 友達と一緒に食べる, “eat together with a friend.”
ランチ
ランチ means “lunch” in 一緒にランチを食べない？. It names the meal the two people are suggesting. A new example is ランチを食べる, “eat lunch.”
を
を marks the thing being acted on in ランチを食べない？, 君を見つけに行く, and テーブルをお願いしよう. Here it connects the object to the following action. A new example is 水を飲む, “drink water.”
食べ
食べ is the “eat” part in ランチを食べない？. Together with ない？, it makes a casual invitation about eating lunch. A new example is ご飯を食べる, “eat a meal.”
ない
ない is the negative element in 食べない？. With the question intonation, the whole expression casually invites the listener to eat lunch. A new example is 一緒に行かない？, “Would you like to go together?”
いい
いい means “good” or “nice” in いいね, where the speaker positively responds to the lunch plan. It expresses approval of what was just suggested. A new example is それはいい, “That is good.”
ね
ね at the end of いいね invites shared agreement and gives the response a friendly tone. Here いいね means “That sounds nice” or “Nice.” A new example is おいしいね, “It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
どこ
どこ means “where” in どこに行こうか？. It asks for the destination of the proposed outing. A new example is どこで会う？, “Where shall we meet?”
行こう
行こう means “let’s go” or “shall we go” in どこに行こうか？. It presents going as a suggestion for the two speakers. A new example is 一緒に行こう, “Let’s go together.”
か
か at the end of どこに行こうか？ marks the sentence as a question. With 行こう, it turns the suggestion into “Where shall we go?” A new example is 何を食べようか？, “What shall we eat?”
ここ
ここ means “here” in ここの近くの小さなレストラン. It identifies the current place as the reference point for “near here.” A new example is ここで待つ, “wait here.”
の
の links ここ and 近く in ここの近く, making the phrase mean “near here.” It connects one noun or noun-like expression with another to describe a relationship. A new example is 駅の近く, “near the station.”
近く
近く means “nearby” or “the vicinity” in ここの近く. It describes the restaurant’s location relative to here. A new example is 学校の近く, “near the school.”
小さな
小さな means “small” in 小さなレストラン. It directly describes the restaurant the speaker suggests. A new example is 小さな店, “a small shop.”
レストラン
レストラン means “restaurant” in ここの近くの小さなレストラン. It names the proposed place for lunch. A new example is レストランに行く, “go to a restaurant.”
は
は marks レストラン as the topic in レストランはどう？. The phrase asks for the listener’s opinion about that restaurant, meaning “How about the restaurant?” A new example is この店はどう？, “How about this shop?”
どう
どう means “how about it” or “what do you think” in レストランはどう？. It asks whether the suggested restaurant is acceptable. A new example is 明日はどう？, “How about tomorrow?”
混んで
混んで describes the restaurant as crowded in 混んでなかったら. It is the form used before なかったら to describe the condition that the place is not busy. A new example is 店が混んでいる, “The shop is crowded.”
なかったら
なかったら makes the condition negative in 混んでなかったら, meaning “if it is not crowded.” It sets the condition for going to the restaurant. A new example is 忙しくなかったら、行こう, “If you are not busy, let’s go.”
そこ
そこ means “there” in そこに行こう. It refers back to the small restaurant that was just mentioned. A new example is そこに座る, “sit there.”
正面
正面 means “the front” in 正面のドア. It identifies which door the speakers will meet beside. A new example is 正面の入口, “the front entrance.”
ドア
ドア means “door” in 正面のドア. It names the meeting point’s physical entrance. A new example is ドアを開ける, “open the door.”
そば
そば means “beside” or “near” in ドアのそばで会おう. It describes the position next to the front door. A new example is 駅のそば, “near the station.”
で
で marks the place where an action happens in ドアのそばで会おう. Here it shows that the meeting will take place beside the door. A new example is 店で待つ, “wait at the shop.”
会おう
会おう means “let’s meet” or “shall we meet” in ドアのそばで会おうか？. It proposes meeting at the stated location. A new example is ここで会おう, “Let’s meet here.”
君
君 means “you” in 君から見えるところ. It refers to the person the speaker is addressing. Here it is part of the phrase describing what is visible to that person. A new example is 君の席, “your seat.”
から
から in 君から見える means “from your viewpoint” or “to you.” It identifies the perspective from which the speaker should be visible. A new example is ここから見える, “It is visible from here.”
見える
見える means “can be seen” or “be visible” in 君から見えるところ. The speaker will wait in a spot where the other person can see them. A new example is 山が見える, “The mountain is visible.”
ところ
ところ means “place” or “spot” in 見えるところ. The whole phrase means “a place where you can see me.” A new example is 静かなところ, “a quiet place.”
待つ
待つ means “wait” in 君から見えるところで待つね. It describes what the speaker will do at the chosen spot. A new example is 友達を待つ, “wait for a friend.”
じゃあ
じゃあ means “then” or “in that case” in じゃあ、君を見つけに行くね. It connects the next action to the other person’s plan to wait somewhere visible. A new example is じゃあ、行こう, “Then, let’s go.”
見つけ
見つけ is the “find” part in 君を見つけに行く. It combines with に行く to mean going in order to find the person. A reusable pattern is 人や物を見つけに行く, “go to find a person or thing.”
行く
行く means “go” in 君を見つけに行く. Together with 見つけに, it shows movement with the purpose of finding the other person. A new example is レストランに行く, “go to a restaurant.”
その
その means “that” or “the aforementioned” in そのあと. It points back to the meeting and finding plan already discussed. A new example is その店, “that shop.”
あと
あと means “after” or “afterward” in そのあと. The phrase refers to the time following the meeting or finding each other. A new example is 食事のあと, “after the meal.”
テーブル
テーブル means “table” in テーブルをお願いしよう. It is what the speakers plan to request at the restaurant. A new example is テーブルをお願いします, “A table, please.”
お願い
お願い is the request element in テーブルをお願いしよう. With テーブル, it expresses asking the restaurant for a table. A new example is 席をお願いする, “request a seat.”
しよう
しよう means “let’s do” or “let’s ask” in テーブルをお願いしよう. It turns お願い into a proposal for the speakers to make the request together. A reusable pattern is Xをお願いしよう, as in テーブルをお願いしよう, “Let’s ask for X.”
Grammar Points
〜たら
混んでなかったら
KOHN-deh nah-KAHT-tah-rahif it is not busy
たら attaches to a verb or adjective to express a condition: “if” or “when.”
〜に行く
見つけに行く
mee-TSOO-keh nee ee-KOOgo to find
The verb stem plus に行く expresses going somewhere in order to do an action.
Japanese Vocabulary
いいね
phrase
EE-neh
sounds nice; that's good
ここの近く
phrase
koh-koh-noh CHEE-kah-koo
near here
そこ
pron
soh-koh
there
どこ
pron
DOH-koh
where
ランチ
noun
RAHN-chee
lunch
レストラン
noun
reh-soo-tah-RAHN
restaurant
一緒に
adv
ees-SHOH-nee
together
行こうか
verb
ee-KOH-kah
shall we go?
混んでなかったら
adj
KOHN-deh nah-KAHT-tah-rah
if it is not busy
小さな
adj
CHEE-sah-nah
small
食べない
verb
tah-beh-NAI
not eat; would you like to eat?
正面
noun
shoh-MEHN
front; front-facing side
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
not eat; would you like to eat?
Show Answer
食べないrestaurant
Show Answer
レストランnear here
Show Answer
ここの近くshall we go?