About This Lesson
Use Joining a beginner drawing club to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
絵を描くクラブに参加しようか考えてる。
eh oh KAH-koo KOO-rah-boo nee san-KAH shee-YOH-kah kahn-gah-EH-teh-roo. I'm thinking about joining a drawing club.
B
初心者も歓迎してるの？
shoh-SHEEN-shah moh kahn-GAY shee-TEH-roo noh? Do they welcome beginners?
A
うん、初心者も歓迎してるよ。最初の回は簡単なスケッチから始まるよ。
oon, shoh-SHEEN-shah moh kahn-GAY shee-TEH-roo yoh. sai-SHOH noh KAI wah kahn-TAHN nah soo-KEH-chee kah-rah hah-jee-MAH-roo yoh. They do. The first session starts with simple sketches.
B
クラブはどのくらいの頻度で集まるの？
KOO-rah-boo wah doh-noh KOO-rah-ee noh FEEN-doh-deh ah-tsoo-MAH-roo noh? How often does the club meet?
A
毎週、仕事のあとに集まるよ。
MYE-shoo, shee-GOH-toh noh AH-toh nee ah-tsoo-MAH-roo yoh. It meets every week after work.
B
そのスケジュールなら、あなたの生活リズムに合うかもしれないね。
soh-noh soo-KEH-joo-roo nah-rah, ah-nah-tah noh SAY-kah-tsoo REE-zoo-moo nee AH-oo kah-moh shee-REH-nyeh neh. That schedule might fit your routine.
A
緊張するけど、やってみたい。
keen-CHOH soo-roo keh-doh, YAHT-teh mee-TAI. I feel nervous, but I want to try.
B
決める前に、一度参加してみて。
kee-MEH-roo MYE nee, ee-DOH san-KAH shee-TEH mee-TEH. Try one meeting before you decide.Word by Word
絵
In 絵を描く, 絵 means a picture or drawing, the thing being drawn. It is followed by を to mark what 描く acts on. Use 絵を描く when talking about drawing pictures.
を
In 絵を描く, を marks 絵 as the object of 描く. It comes after the thing acted on and before the action verb. This pattern is useful for describing what someone draws.
描く
In 絵を描く, 描く means to draw. Here it describes the activity of the club. Use 絵を描く when talking about drawing a picture.
クラブ
In 絵を描くクラブ, クラブ means a club or group. Here it is a group centered on drawing. It can be used to name a group organized around an activity.
に
In クラブに参加しようか, に marks the club as the group being joined. It commonly follows the group or event that someone participates in. Use it when identifying where someone is joining.
参加しよう
In 参加しようか考えてる, 参加しよう presents participating as a possible choice under consideration. It is the volitional form used here for thinking about whether to join. The pattern 参加しようか考えてる is useful when considering an action.
か
In 参加しようか考えてる, か marks the tentative choice of whether to participate. It comes after the option being considered and before 考えてる. This pattern is useful for thinking over whether to do something.
考えてる
In 参加しようか考えてる, 考えてる means am thinking about. It is the conversational shortened form of 考えている. It can follow a choice such as 参加しようか to show ongoing consideration.
初心者
In 初心者も歓迎してる, 初心者 means a beginner, someone new to the activity. Here it refers to people with little or no experience in drawing. Use 初心者 when asking whether a club or course accepts new learners.
も
In 初心者も歓迎してる, も adds beginners to the people who are welcomed, giving the meaning beginners too. It follows the group being included in the statement. Use it to add another person or group to the same situation.
歓迎してる
In 初心者も歓迎してる, 歓迎してる means welcomes or is open to beginners. It describes the club's welcoming attitude here. It is the conversational shortened form of 歓迎している, and 初心者も歓迎してる is a useful pattern for describing who is accepted.
の
In 歓迎してるの？, の is a casual question ending asking for confirmation about the statement. Here it makes the question conversational rather than showing possession. It is useful after a statement when checking whether something is true.
うん
In うん、初心者も歓迎してるよ, うん means yeah or yes. It confirms the question before giving the answer. Use it with friends or in relaxed personal conversation.
よ
In 歓迎してるよ, よ adds emphasis and assurance to the information. Here it reassures the listener that beginners are welcomed. It is useful when telling someone something they may not know.
最初
In 最初の回, 最初 means the first or beginning part. Here it identifies the earliest club session. It can come before の回 to specify the first session or occasion.
回
In 最初の回, 回 means a session or one occurrence of an activity. Here it refers to one meeting of the club. Use 最初の回 when talking about the first session.
は
In 最初の回は簡単なスケッチから始まる, は marks 最初の回 as the topic. The rest of the sentence explains what happens in that session. Use は after the topic when adding information about it.
簡単
In 簡単なスケッチ, 簡単 means simple or easy. Here it describes sketches suitable for the first session. It comes before a noun with な when describing that noun directly.
な
In 簡単なスケッチ, な connects 簡単 to the noun スケッチ. It is used in this exact pattern when 簡単 describes a noun directly. The pattern 簡単な＋noun is useful for describing an activity or task as simple.
スケッチ
In 簡単なスケッチ, スケッチ means sketches. Here these are the drawing exercises used at the beginning of the first session. It can follow a describing word such as 簡単な to name the drawing material or activity.
から
In スケッチから始まる, から marks sketches as the starting point. The phrase says that the session begins with sketches. Use the pattern Nから始まる to say that something starts from N.
始まる
In スケッチから始まる, 始まる means starts or begins. It describes the session as beginning with simple sketches. It is useful with a starting point marked by から.
どのくらい
In どのくらいの頻度で集まるの？, どのくらい asks about the degree or amount, and together the expression means how often here. どの indicates which degree, while くらい gives the extent being asked about. It can be used before の頻度 to ask about the regularity of meetings.
頻度
In どのくらいの頻度で集まる, 頻度 means frequency, or how often something happens. の links it with どのくらい, and で marks the frequency of gathering. Use 頻度 when asking or describing how regularly meetings or activities occur.
で
In どのくらいの頻度で集まる, で marks the frequency or rate at which the gathering occurs. It connects 頻度 with 集まる. Use it after a frequency expression before describing the action.
集まる
In クラブはどのくらいの頻度で集まるの？, 集まる means meet or gather. Here it describes the club members coming together regularly. It can follow a frequency phrase such as 毎週.
毎週
In 毎週、仕事のあとに集まる, 毎週 means every week. It sets the repeated schedule for the club meeting. Use it before a time or action to say that something happens once each week.
仕事
In 仕事のあと, 仕事 means work or a job. Here it refers to the work that finishes before the club meeting. The pattern 仕事のあと is useful for saying after work.
あと
In 仕事のあとに, あと means after or afterward. Together with 仕事の, it identifies the time after work, while に marks when the meeting takes place. The pattern [event]のあとに is useful for describing an action that happens after another event.
その
In そのスケジュールなら, その means that and refers to the schedule just discussed. It comes before スケジュール to identify a specific schedule in the conversation. Use it when the listener can recognize what is being referred to.
スケジュール
In そのスケジュールなら, スケジュール means schedule. Here it refers to the weekly timing after work. It is modified by その and serves as the condition for the following judgment.
なら
In そのスケジュールなら, なら treats that schedule as the condition or basis for the following judgment. Here it leads to the idea that the schedule might fit the listener's routine. Use it after a noun or topic when saying what follows applies in that situation.
あなた
In あなたの生活リズム, あなた means you or your. Here it identifies whose routine is being considered. の links あなた with 生活リズム, so the phrase refers to the listener's routine.
生活リズム
In あなたの生活リズムに合う, 生活リズム means daily routine or life rhythm. Here it is the routine that the schedule may fit. It commonly appears with に合う when checking whether something suits someone's routine.
合う
In 生活リズムに合う, 合う means fit or suit. Here the schedule may fit the listener's daily routine. It is useful when evaluating whether a schedule or plan is suitable for a person or situation.
かもしれない
In 合うかもしれない, かもしれない expresses that the schedule might fit, without certainty. かも introduces the possibility, and しれない completes the expression of uncertainty. It follows 合う here and can be used after a statement when presenting a cautious possibility.
ね
In 合うかもしれないね, ね adds a feeling of shared agreement or confirmation. Here B gives a friendly suggestion and invites A to see it similarly. It is useful at the end of a statement when seeking or showing common understanding.
緊張する
In 緊張するけど, 緊張する means feel nervous or be tense. Here A describes their feeling about trying the club. It combines with けど to contrast that feeling with the desire to try.
けど
In 緊張するけど、やってみたい, けど means but or though. It links the nervous feeling with the desire to try and marks a contrast between them. Use it to connect a concern or limitation with a following intention.
やってみたい
In やってみたい, the whole expression means want to try doing it. やって contributes the action of doing, and みたい adds the desire to try that action. The pattern 〜てみたい is useful when saying that you want to try something.
決める
In 決める前に, 決める means decide. It identifies the decision that will happen after the suggested trial meeting. It appears before 前に in the reusable pattern [verb]前に, meaning before doing something.
前
In 決める前に, 前 means before. It places attending once earlier than the decision. With a verb before it, the pattern [verb]前に marks an action that happens before that verb's action.
一度
In 一度参加してみて, 一度 means once or one time. Here B suggests attending one meeting as a trial before deciding. It comes before the action to limit it to one occasion.
参加
In 参加してみて, 参加 means participation or joining. Here it names the action of joining the meeting and combines with してみて to suggest trying it. The same element appears in 参加しよう when considering joining the club.
してみて
In 参加してみて, the whole expression is a casual request or suggestion to try participating. して carries the action of participating, and みて adds the idea of trying it. The pattern 〜してみて is useful when encouraging someone to try an action.
Grammar Points
動詞の辞書形＋前に
決める前に、一度参加してみて。
kee-MEH-roo MYE nee, ee-DOH san-KAH shee-TEH mee-TEH.Before deciding, try joining once.
前に means “before.” The verb before it stays in the dictionary form, such as 決める.
動詞て形＋みる
一度参加してみて。
ee-DOH san-KAH shee-TEH mee-TEH.Try joining once.
てみる means “to try doing something.” It describes trying an action to see how it feels.
Japanese Vocabulary
クラブ
noun
KOO-rah-boo
club
スケッチ
noun
soo-KEH-chee
sketch
どのくらいの頻度で
phrase
doh-noh KOO-rah-ee noh FEEN-doh-deh
how often
絵
noun
eh
picture; drawing
絵を描くクラブ
歓迎してる
verb
kahn-GAY shee-TEH-roo
welcome; are welcoming
簡単な
adj
kahn-TAHN nah
simple; easy
考えてる
verb
kahn-gah-EH-teh-roo
am thinking; am considering
最初の回
phrase
sai-SHOH noh KAI
the first session
参加しようか
phrase
san-KAH shee-YOH-kah
whether to join; should I join
クラブに参加しようか考えてる
始まる
verb
hah-jee-MAH-roo
to start; to begin
初心者
noun
shoh-SHEEN-shah
beginner
描く
verb
KAH-koo
to draw
絵を描く
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
welcome; are welcoming
Show Answer
歓迎してるwhether to join; should I join
Show Answer
参加しようかam thinking; am considering
Show Answer
考えてるthe first session