About This Lesson
Use Asking a Librarian for a Book Recommendation to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
言語学習者向けの本をおすすめしていただけますか。
gen-goh gak-SHOO-shah moo-keh noh hohn oh oh-soo-SUH-meh-shee-teh ee-tah-dah-keh-MAHS kah Could you recommend a book for language learners?
B
やさしい物語と短い記事のどちらをお探しですか。
yah-sah-SHEE moh-noh-gah-TAH-ree toh mee-jee-KAI kee-jee noh doh-CHEE-rah oh oh-sah-gah-SHEE deh-soo kah Are you looking for easy stories or short articles?
A
簡単な言葉の短い物語がいいです。
kahn-TAHN nah koh-toh-BAH noh mee-jee-KAI moh-noh-gah-TAH-ree gah EE deh-soo I want short stories with simple words.
B
この本には、わかりやすい物語と役に立つ絵があります。
KOH-noh hohn nee wah wah-kah-ree-yah-SOO-ee moh-noh-gah-TAH-ree toh yah-koo nee TAHT-soo eh gah ah-ree-MAHS This book has easy-to-understand stories and helpful pictures.
A
今日、家に持って帰ってもいいですか。
KYOH ee-eh nee moht-teh kah-eh-tteh moh EE deh-soo kah Can I take it home today?
B
カウンターで図書館カードを見せてください。
kahn-TAH deh toh-shoh-KAHN KAH-doh oh mee-SEH-teh koo-dah-SAI Please show your library card at the desk.
A
今、借ります。
EE-mah kah-ree-MAHS I will check it out now.
B
読み終わったら、また別の本をおすすめしてもらいに来てください。
yoh-mee oh-WAHT-tah-rah, mah-TAH beh-tsoo noh hohn oh oh-soo-SOO-meh shee-teh moh-RAI nee KEE-teh koo-dah-SAI Come back for another recommendation after you finish it.Word by Word
言語
In '言語学習者向けの本', this means language. It specifies the kind of learners the book is intended for and combines directly with '学習者'.
学習者
In '言語学習者向けの本', this means learner. Together with '言語', it refers to people learning a language; the same compound pattern can describe learners of another subject.
向け
In '言語学習者向けの本', this means intended for or designed for. It follows the intended audience and forms the reusable pattern audience + '向けの' + item.
の
In '向けの本', this links the preceding modifier to the noun that follows. Here, it connects the intended audience description with '本'.
本
In '言語学習者向けの本', this means book. It is the item being recommended, and it is marked as the object by 'を'.
を
In '本をおすすめしていただけますか', this marks '本' as the thing being recommended. It commonly follows the object of an action.
おすすめ
In '本をおすすめしていただけますか', this refers to recommending or making a recommendation. With 'して', it describes the action the speaker politely asks the listener to perform; the related dictionary form is 'おすすめする'.
して
In 'おすすめしていただけますか', this connects the recommendation action to the following polite favor expression. The exact form 'して' comes from 'する' and lets the request cover the action of recommending.
いただけます
In 'おすすめしていただけますか', this politely asks whether the listener can provide the favor of recommending the book. It is useful after an action in a respectful request for someone to do something.
か
At the end of 'おすすめしていただけますか', this marks the sentence as a polite question. It turns the request into a question asking whether the listener can do it.
やさしい
In 'やさしい物語', this means easy for the learner, not gentle. It comes before '物語' to describe stories that are suitable for the learner's level.
物語
In 'やさしい物語と短い記事', this means story. It is one of the two types of reading material the librarian asks the learner to choose between.
と
In 'やさしい物語と短い記事', this joins the two alternatives being discussed. It is useful for listing items or presenting choices together.
短い
In '短い記事' and '短い物語', this means short. It comes before a noun to describe limited length, such as an article or story.
記事
In '短い記事', this means article. It is the second reading-material option in the librarian's question.
どちら
In 'やさしい物語と短い記事のどちら', this means which one of the two choices. It is used when asking someone to select between alternatives.
お探し
In 'どちらをお探しですか', this politely asks what the listener is looking for. It is appropriate when a staff member asks a customer about the item they want.
です
In 'お探しですか', this helps make the question polite. Together with 'か', it gives the question a formal, courteous ending rather than adding a separate action meaning.
簡単
In '簡単な言葉', this means simple or easy. It describes the words used in the short stories, and the form before a noun is completed by 'な'.
な
In '簡単な言葉', this links '簡単' to the noun '言葉'. It is used after this adjective-like word when it directly describes a noun.
言葉
In '簡単な言葉', this means words or language. Here it refers to the simple vocabulary the learner wants in the stories.
が
In '簡単な言葉の短い物語がいいです', this marks the preferred choice. The reusable pattern 'Xがいいです' expresses that X is wanted or preferred.
いい
In '簡単な言葉の短い物語がいいです', this means that the described stories would be good or preferred. With 'が', it is a natural way to state what the speaker wants.
この
In 'この本には', this means this and points to the book being indicated or discussed. It comes directly before the noun it identifies.
に
In 'この本には、わかりやすい物語と役に立つ絵があります', this marks the book as the place or container where the stories and pictures are found. It is used with 'あります' to describe what exists in or belongs to a place.
は
In 'この本には', this marks the book phrase as the topic of the statement. It follows 'に' here and gives the phrase the topic form used to say what the book contains.
わかりやすい
In 'わかりやすい物語', this means easy to understand. It directly describes the stories and is useful for describing explanations, instructions, or materials that learners can understand easily.
役に立つ
In '役に立つ絵', the whole expression means be useful or helpful. '役' contributes the idea of use or purpose, 'に' links that idea to the expression, and '立つ' completes the expression; together they describe pictures that help the learner.
絵
In '役に立つ絵', this means picture or illustration. The pictures are presented as useful support for understanding the stories.
あります
In 'この本には、わかりやすい物語と役に立つ絵があります', this says that the book contains or has the listed things. It is used for the existence of non-living things; its citation form is 'ある'.
今日
In '今日、家に持って帰ってもいいですか', this means today. It specifies when the learner wants to take the book home and commonly appears with an action to set its time.
家
In '家に持って帰ってもいいですか', this means home or house. With 'に', it marks the destination to which the book will be taken.
持って
In '家に持って帰ってもいいですか', this expresses carrying or taking something while moving. It comes from '持つ' and connects with the movement expression '帰って' to describe taking the book home.
帰って
In '持って帰ってもいいですか', this expresses going or taking something back home. It comes from '帰る' and combines with '持って' to form the meaning of taking the book home.
も
In '持って帰ってもいいですか', this is part of the permission pattern asking whether an action is allowed. The whole expression asks for permission to take the book home, so 'も' does not simply mean also here.
カウンター
In 'カウンターで図書館カードを見せてください', this means the service counter or desk. It identifies where the learner should show the library card.
で
In 'カウンターで図書館カードを見せてください', this marks the place where the showing action occurs. It commonly follows a location when an action is performed there.
図書館
In '図書館カード', this means library. Together with 'カード', it identifies the card used for library services.
カード
In '図書館カードを見せてください', this means card. It is the item the learner is asked to show at the counter.
見せて
In '図書館カードを見せてください', this means show and asks the learner to present the card. It comes from '見せる' and is followed by 'ください' to make a polite request.
ください
In '見せてください', this completes a polite request meaning please show it. It follows a て-form such as '見せて' when asking another person to perform an action.
今
In '今、借ります', this means now. It shows that the learner intends to borrow the book immediately after showing the card.
借ります
In '今、借ります', this means borrow or check out in the library context. It is the polite form related to '借りる' and states the action the learner is about to take.
読み終わったら
In '読み終わったら、また別の本をおすすめしてもらいに来てください', the whole expression means after you finish reading it. '読み' supplies the reading action, and '終わったら' makes it the condition or time after that action is finished; it introduces the point when the listener should return.
また
In 'また別の本をおすすめしてもらいに来てください', this means again. It shows that the learner should return another time for further help, and it commonly marks a repeated action.
別
In '別の本', this means another or different. It identifies a book other than the one currently being borrowed, and the pattern '別の' + noun is used to refer to an additional item.
もらい
In 'おすすめしてもらいに来てください', this contributes the meaning of receiving the favor of having someone recommend a book. It comes from 'もらう' and, with 'に来てください', expresses coming for that purpose.
来て
In 'おすすめしてもらいに来てください', this means come and asks the learner to return to the library. It comes from '来る' and is followed by 'ください' to make the request polite.
Grammar Points
〜たら
読み終わったら、また来て。
yoh-mee oh-WAHT-tah-rah, mah-TAH KEE-tehCome again when you finish reading.
Attach たら to the past form to express a condition or the time when something happens.
〜て
図書館カードを見せて。
toh-shoh-KAHN KAH-doh oh mee-SEH-tehShow me your library card, please.
The て-form can be used at the end of a sentence to make a casual request.
Japanese Vocabulary
おすすめする
verb
oh-soo-soo-MEH-soo-roo
recommend
おすすめして
言語学習者向けの本をおすすめしていただけますか。
どちら
pron
doh-CHEE-rah
which of the two
やさしい物語と短い記事のどちらをお探しですか。
やさしい
adj
yah-sah-SHEE
easy; simple
やさしい物語と短い記事のどちらをお探しですか。
わかりやすい
adj
wah-kah-ree-yah-SOO-ee
easy to understand
この本には、わかりやすい物語と役に立つ絵があります。
簡単だ
adj
kahn-TAHN dah
simple; easy
簡単な
簡単な言葉の短い物語がいいです。
記事
noun
kee-JEE
article
やさしい物語と短い記事のどちらをお探しですか。
言語学習者
noun
gen-goh gak-SHOO-shah
language learner
言語学習者向けの本をおすすめしていただけますか。
言葉
noun
koh-toh-BAH
word; words
簡単な言葉の短い物語がいいです。
短い
adj
mee-jee-KAI
short
やさしい物語と短い記事のどちらをお探しですか。
物語
noun
moh-noh-gah-TAH-ree
story
やさしい物語と短い記事のどちらをお探しですか。
本
noun
hohn
book
言語学習者向けの本をおすすめしていただけますか。
役に立つ
verb
yah-koo nee TAHT-soo
be useful; helpful
この本には、わかりやすい物語と役に立つ絵があります。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
language learner
Show Answer
言語学習者easy; simple
Show Answer
やさしいrecommend
Show Answer
おすすめしてeasy to understand