About This Lesson
Use Listening to Music in Free Time to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
音楽を聴く？
ohn-GAH-koo oh KEE-koo? Do you listen to music?
B
自由な時間に聴くよ。
jee-YOO nah JEE-kahn nee KEE-koo yoh. I listen in my free time.
A
どんな音楽が好き？
DOHN-nah ohn-GAH-koo gah SUH-kee? What kind of music do you like?
B
ゆっくりした曲が好き。
yoo-KOO-ree shee-TAH KYOH-koo gah SUH-kee. I like slow songs.
A
ヘッドホンを使う？
HEH-doh-hohn oh tsoo-KAH-oo? Do you use headphones?
B
リラックスしたいときに使うよ。
ree-RAHK-soo shee-TAH-ee TOH-kee nee tsoo-KAH-oo yoh. I use them when I want to relax.
A
何か聴いてもいい？
NAH-nee-kah KEE-teh moh EE? Can I hear something?
B
静かな曲をかけるね。
shee-ZOO-kah nah KYOH-koo oh kah-KEH-roo neh. I'll play a quiet track.Word by Word
音楽
音楽 means “music” in 音楽を聴く, the music being listened to. It commonly appears with を when it is the thing someone listens to, as in 音楽を聴く.
を
を marks 音楽 as the thing being listened to in 音楽を聴く. A useful pattern is [thing]を聴く, meaning “listen to [thing].”
聴く
聴く means “to listen to” in 音楽を聴く？, asking whether someone listens to music. It is used after the object marked by を, as in 音楽を聴く.
自由
自由 contributes the meaning “free” in 自由な時間, referring here to free or leisure time. It describes 時間 through the form 自由な, and the same pattern can describe a noun with a quality such as 自由な時間.
な
な connects 自由 with 時間 in 自由な時間, allowing 自由 to describe the noun 時間. This same linking position appears between a noun-like description and the noun it describes.
時間
時間 means “time” in 自由な時間, meaning the time someone has available for themselves. It can be used after a description to identify a type or period of time, as in 自由な時間.
に
に marks 自由な時間 as the time during which the listening happens in 自由な時間に聴くよ. It is useful after a time expression to mean “at,” “in,” or “during” that time.
よ
よ adds an informing, friendly tone to 自由な時間に聴くよ. It presents the statement as information for the other person, while the main meaning comes from the words before it.
どんな
どんな means “what kind of” in どんな音楽が好き？, asking about the type of music the person likes. It comes before the noun it asks about, as in どんな音楽.
が
が marks どんな音楽 as the thing that is liked in どんな音楽が好き？. The reusable pattern is [thing]が好き, meaning that someone likes [thing].
好き
好き means “like” or “be fond of” in どんな音楽が好き？ and ゆっくりした曲が好き. The liked thing is placed before 好き with が, as in ゆっくりした曲が好き.
ゆっくり
ゆっくり contributes the meaning “slow” or “unhurried” in ゆっくりした曲, describing the kind of song the speaker likes. In this dialogue it is part of the description ゆっくりした before 曲.
した
した completes the description ゆっくりした before 曲, making the song a slow or unhurried one. Together, ゆっくりした曲 means “slow songs,” and the same position can describe a noun with this kind of quality.
曲
曲 means “song” or “track” in ゆっくりした曲 and 静かな曲. It can follow a description to specify the kind of track, as in 静かな曲.
ヘッドホン
ヘッドホン means “headphones” in ヘッドホンを使う？. It is the object used with 使う and can be followed by を in the pattern ヘッドホンを使う.
使う
使う means “use” in ヘッドホンを使う？ and リラックスしたいときに使うよ. It commonly takes the thing used with を, as in ヘッドホンを使う.
リラックス
リラックス means “relax” in リラックスしたいとき, describing the activity the speaker wants to do. It appears in the pattern リラックスしたい, meaning “want to relax.”
したい
したい expresses wanting to do the activity in リラックスしたい, “want to relax.” The pattern [activity]したいとき means “when I want to [activity],” as in リラックスしたいとき.
とき
とき means “when” or “at the time” in リラックスしたいときに使うよ. It follows リラックスしたい to identify the situation or time when the headphones are used.
何か
何か means “something” in 何か聴いてもいい？, asking whether the speaker may listen to something. It can come before an action to refer to an unspecified thing, as in 何か聴く.
聴いて
聴いて is the form used before もいい in 何か聴いてもいい？, referring to listening. The whole pattern 聴いてもいい？ asks for permission to listen, meaning “May I listen?”
も
も follows 聴いて in the permission pattern 聴いてもいい？. Together with 聴いて and いい, it helps ask whether listening is okay; the complete expression means “May I listen?”
いい
いい means “okay” in 聴いてもいい？. In the complete pattern 聴いてもいい？, it asks whether the action is acceptable or permitted.
静か
静か describes the track as quiet in 静かな曲をかけるね. Before 曲, it appears as 静かな, and the phrase 静かな曲 means “a quiet track.”
かける
かける means “play” a song or track in 静かな曲をかけるね. It is used with the track marked by を, as in 静かな曲をかける.
ね
ね gives 静かな曲をかけるね a gentle, friendly tone. The main statement means “I’ll play a quiet track,” while ね softens it and invites a shared or confirming feeling.
Grammar Points
動詞て形＋もいい
何か聴いてもいい？
NAH-nee-kah KEE-teh moh EE?May I listen to something?
Use this pattern to ask for or give permission. 聴く becomes 聴いて before もいい.
動詞ます形の語幹＋たい
ゆっくりした曲を聴いてリラックスしたい。
yoo-KOO-ree shee-TAH KYOH-koo oh KEE-teh ree-RAHK-soo shee-TAH-ee.I want to listen to a slow song and relax.
Add たい to the verb stem to express what you want to do. 聴きます becomes 聴きたい.
Japanese Vocabulary
どんな
det
DOHN-nah
what kind of
ヘッドホン
noun
HEH-doh-hohn
headphones
ゆっくりした曲
phrase
yoo-KOO-ree shee-TAH KYOH-koo
slow song
リラックスしたい
phrase
ree-RAHK-soo shee-TAH-ee
want to relax
音楽
noun
ohn-GAH-koo
music
何か
pron
NAH-nee-kah
something
曲
noun
KYOH-koo
song; track
好き
adj
SUH-kee
like; be fond of
使う
verb
tsoo-KAH-oo
use
自由な時間
phrase
jee-YOO nah JEE-kahn
free time
聴いてもいい
phrase
KEE-teh moh EE
may I listen; be allowed to listen
聴く
verb
KEE-koo
listen to
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
headphones
Show Answer
ヘッドホンslow song
Show Answer
ゆっくりした曲free time
Show Answer
自由な時間may I listen; be allowed to listen