About This Lesson
Use Talking about taking photos to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
写真を撮るの？
shah-SHEEN oh TOH-roo noh? Do you take photos?
B
小さいカメラをほとんど毎日使うよ。
CHEE-sah-ee KAH-meh-rah oh hoh-TOHN-doh mah-EE-nee-chee tsoo-KAH-oo yo. I use my small camera most days.
A
何を撮るのが好き？
NAH-nee oh TOH-roo noh-gah SOO-kee? What do you like to photograph?
B
静かな通りが一番好きだよ。
shee-zoo-KAH-nah toh-ree gah ee-chee-BAHN SOO-kee dah yo. Quiet streets are my favorite.
A
一枚見てもいい？
ee-chee-MY mee-TEH moh EE? Can I see one?
B
これは家の近くで撮った写真だよ。
koh-reh wah ee-eh noh CHI-kah-koo deh TOHT-tah shah-SHEEN dah yo. Here is one I took near my home.
A
シンプルで、はっきりしてるね。
SHEEN-poo-roo deh, hahk-kee-ree shee-TEH-roo neh. It looks simple and clear.
B
時間があるときはいつでも練習するよ。
JEE-kahn gah ah-roo toh-kee wah EE-tsoo-deh-moh reh-N-shoo soo-ROO yo. I practice whenever I have time.Word by Word
写真
写真 means “photo” here, as in 写真を撮る, “take a photo.” It is the thing being taken in this conversation about photography.
を
を marks 写真 as the object of 撮る in 写真を撮る. It comes after the object and before the action.
撮る
撮る means “to take a photo” in 写真を撮る and 何を撮るのが好き？. A reusable pattern is an object followed by を and then 撮る, as in 写真を撮る.
の
の gives 写真を撮るの？ a casual question-ending function. Here, the speaker is asking whether the other person takes photos in an informal conversation.
小さい
小さい means “small” and describes カメラ in 小さいカメラ. It comes before the noun it describes when talking about an object's size.
カメラ
カメラ means “camera” in 小さいカメラをほとんど毎日使うよ. It is the object used with 使う in this sentence.
ほとんど
ほとんど means “almost” or “most” in ほとんど毎日, meaning “most days” or “almost every day.” It comes before the time expression 毎日 to describe frequency.
毎日
毎日 means “every day” in ほとんど毎日. Together with ほとんど, it describes an activity that happens on most days.
使う
使う means “to use” in 小さいカメラをほとんど毎日使うよ. The object used appears before it with を, as in カメラを使う.
よ
よ adds emphasis or presents the information clearly to the listener at the end of 使うよ. It gives the reply a friendly conversational tone.
何
何 means “what” in 何を撮るのが好き？. It asks what the other person likes to photograph and comes before を in this question.
が
が links the thing or activity being liked to 好き in 何を撮るのが好き？ and 静かな通りが一番好きだよ. In 静かな通りが一番好きだよ, it marks quiet streets as the preferred item.
好き
好き means “like” or “favorite” in 何を撮るのが好き？ and 静かな通りが一番好きだよ. It is used to ask about or state a preference.
静かな
静かな means “quiet” in 静かな通り. It comes before 通り to describe the street being photographed.
通り
通り means “street” in 静かな通りが一番好きだよ. It names the type of place the speaker most likes to photograph.
一番
一番 means “the most” or “number one” in 静かな通りが一番好きだよ. It shows that quiet streets are the speaker’s strongest preference.
一枚
一枚 means “one flat item,” and here it means one photo in 一枚見てもいい？. It specifies one picture without repeating 写真.
見て
見て means “look at” or “see” in 一枚見てもいい？. With もいい, it forms a casual request for permission to look at one photo.
も
も is part of the permission expression 見てもいい？ here. Together with 見て and いい, it asks whether looking at the photo is allowed.
いい
いい means “okay” or “acceptable” in 見てもいい？. In this expression, it completes the casual question asking for permission to look.
これ
これ means “this” in これは家の近くで撮った写真だよ. It points to the picture that the speaker is showing or referring to.
は
は marks これ as the topic in これは家の近くで撮った写真だよ. The sentence then explains what this picture is.
家
家 means “home” or “house” in 家の近く. Here it refers to the speaker’s home, which is used as the reference point for the location.
近く
近く means “nearby” or “the vicinity” in 家の近くで撮った写真. With 家の, it describes the area near the speaker’s home.
で
で marks the place where the action happens in 家の近くで撮った. It comes after the location and before 撮った.
撮った
撮った means “took a photo” in 家の近くで撮った写真. It describes the photo as one taken near the speaker’s home; the dialogue gives the reusable pattern 家の近くで撮った写真.
シンプル
シンプル describes the picture as “simple” in シンプルで、はっきりしてるね. In this sentence, it is connected to the following description by で.
はっきり
はっきり means “clearly” or “clear” in はっきりしてるね. Here it describes the picture as visually clear, as part of a comment about its appearance.
してる
してる expresses that something is in a certain state in はっきりしてるね. With はっきり, the whole phrase says that the picture is clear.
ね
ね at the end of はっきりしてるね invites agreement or adds a friendly tone. The speaker is sharing an observation about the picture with the other person.
時間
時間 means “time” in 時間があるとき. Together with ある, it refers to time being available for practice.
ある
ある means “there is” or “is available” in 時間がある. Here, it says that the speaker has time available, and the thing referred to comes before が.
とき
とき means “when” or “time” in 時間があるとき. It turns 時間がある into the condition “when there is time.”
いつでも
いつでも means “whenever” or “anytime” in 時間があるときはいつでも. It shows that the speaker practices every time the condition of having time is met.
練習
練習 means “practice” in 練習する. It names the activity the speaker does when time is available.
する
する means “do” in 練習する, where the whole expression means “practice.” It combines with 練習 to turn the activity into an action.
Grammar Points
な-adjective + な + noun
静かな通り
shee-zoo-KAH-nah toh-reea quiet street
A な-adjective takes な before a noun: 静か + な + 通り.
た-form + noun
撮った写真
TOHT-tah shah-SHEENthe photo I took
The past form 撮った comes before 写真 to describe a photo someone took.
Japanese Vocabulary
カメラ
noun
KAH-meh-rah
camera
ほとんど毎日
adv
hoh-TOHN-doh mah-EE-nee-chee
most days; almost every day
一番好き
phrase
ee-chee-BAHN SOO-kee
favorite; like the best
一枚
num
ee-chee-MY
one (sheet or photograph)
何
pron
NAH-nee
what
好き
adj
SOO-kee
to like; be fond of
撮る
verb
TOH-roo
to take (a photo)
使う
verb
tsoo-KAH-oo
to use
写真
noun
shah-SHEEN
photo; photograph
小さい
adj
CHEE-sah-ee
small
静かな
adj
shee-zoo-KAH-nah
quiet
通り
noun
toh-ree
street
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
most days; almost every day
Show Answer
ほとんど毎日favorite; like the best
Show Answer
一番好きone (sheet or photograph)
Show Answer
一枚to like; be fond of