About This Lesson
Use Talking about jogging as a hobby to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
仕事のあとにジョギングを始めたんだ。
shee-GOH-toh noh AH-toh nee JOH-ging-goo oh hah-jee-MEH-tah n-dah. I started jogging after work.
B
これまでどう？
koh-reh-MAH-deh DOH? How is it going so far?
A
ペースは遅いけど、上達してるよ。
PEH-soo wa oh-SOH-ee keh-doh, joh-TAH-tsoo shee-TEH-roo yoh. My pace is slow, but I am improving.
B
決まったコースはある？
kee-MAHT-tah KOH-soo wa ah-ROO? Do you have a regular route?
A
いつも公園の周りを走ってるよ。
ee-tsoo-moh KOH-ehn noh mah-WAH-ree oh HASH-teh-roo yoh. I usually run around the park.
B
どんな目標に向かってるの？
DOHN-nah moh-koo-HYOH nee moo-KAH-teh-roo noh? What goal are you working toward?
A
止まらずにジョギングしたいんだ。
toh-mah-RAH-zoo-nee JOH-ging-goo shee-TAH-een-dah. I want to jog without stopping.
B
少しずつ力をつけていけば、現実的だよ。
SOO-koh-shee zoo-tsoo chee-KAH-rah oh tsoo-KEH-teh ee-KEH-bah, gen-jee-tsoo-TEH-kee dah yoh. That is realistic if you build up slowly.Word by Word
仕事
「仕事」 means “work” in 仕事のあとにジョギングを始めたんだ. It names the activity or job after which the jogging began, and it can be linked to a following time expression with の.
の
「の」 links 仕事 to あと in 仕事のあと, giving the meaning “after work.” It is reusable for connecting a noun to a following noun that describes a related time, place, or relationship.
あと
「あと」 means “after” in 仕事のあとに, referring to the time following work. In this dialogue, the time expression is followed by に to mark when the jogging began.
に
「に」 marks the time in 仕事のあとに, meaning that the jogging began after work. It is commonly placed after a time expression to show when an action happens.
ジョギング
「ジョギング」 means “jogging” in ジョギングを始めたんだ. It is the activity that the speaker started, and it is marked with を before 始めた.
を
「を」 marks ジョギング as the activity that was started in ジョギングを始めたんだ. It commonly follows the object or activity affected by an action verb.
始めた
「始めた」 means “started” in ジョギングを始めたんだ, describing the beginning of the jogging routine. It is the dialogue form related to 始める and presents the start as completed.
んだ
「んだ」 presents ジョギングを始めた as an explanatory, assertive statement, roughly “I started jogging, you know.” Here, ん adds explanatory framing and だ gives the statement an assertive ending; together they make the speaker’s explanation sound conversational.
これまで
「これまで」 means “so far” or “up to now” in これまでどう？. It sets the time range for asking about progress, and it can be used with a question about how something has been going.
どう
「どう」 asks “how” in これまでどう？, meaning “How is it going so far?” Here it asks for an evaluation of the jogging experience, not for a method.
ペース
「ペース」 means “pace” in ペースは遅いけど, referring to the speed at which the speaker runs. It can be used as the topic of a statement that evaluates running speed.
は
「は」 marks ペース as the topic in ペースは遅いけど. It sets the pace as the aspect being discussed before the speaker adds the contrasting point.
遅い
「遅い」 means “slow” in ペースは遅いけど, describing the speaker’s running pace. It is used after the topic to give an evaluation of that pace.
けど
「けど」 means “but” or “though” in ペースは遅いけど、上達してるよ. It connects the slow pace with the contrasting information that the speaker is improving, and it is useful for linking a limitation to a positive or different point.
上達
「上達」 means “improvement” or “progress” in 上達してるよ. Together with してる, it describes progress in the jogging ability, and it is used when talking about becoming better at an activity.
してる
「してる」 makes 上達してる mean “am improving” or “am making progress” in this dialogue. It presents the improvement as an ongoing current situation and can follow 上達 when describing progress that is continuing.
よ
「よ」 adds assertive emphasis to 上達してるよ, making the speaker clearly inform the listener that improvement is happening. It is used at the end of a conversational statement when the speaker wants to present the information directly.
決まった
「決まった」 describes コース as fixed or regular in 決まったコースはある？. It comes before the noun it describes and helps ask whether the listener has a set route.
コース
「コース」 means “route” or “course” in 決まったコースはある？, referring to the path used for jogging. It is the thing whose existence is being asked about in the question.
ある
「ある」 asks whether a regular route exists in 決まったコースはある？, giving the question the meaning “Do you have a regular route?” It is used here with は after the thing being asked about.
いつも
「いつも」 means “usually” or “always” in いつも公園の周りを走ってるよ, showing that the running is a regular routine. It commonly comes before the action or activity that happens repeatedly.
公園
「公園」 means “park” in 公園の周り, identifying the place around which the speaker runs. It is linked to 周り with の to describe the surrounding area.
周り
「周り」 means “around” or “the surrounding area” in 公園の周りを走ってるよ. The pattern Xの周り describes the area around X, and here that area is marked with を before 走ってる.
走ってる
「走ってる」 means “am running” in いつも公園の周りを走ってるよ. It presents running as an ongoing or regular activity, especially together with いつも when describing a routine.
どんな
「どんな」 means “what kind of” in どんな目標に向かってるの？. It asks about the nature or type of the goal and comes directly before 目標.
目標
「目標」 means “goal” in どんな目標に向かってるの？. It is the desired result toward which the speaker is working, and it is followed by に before 向かってる.
向かってる
「向かってる」 means “is heading toward” or “is working toward” in 目標に向かってるの. With 目標に, it describes progress directed toward a goal, and this pattern is useful when asking or talking about what someone is working toward.
止まらず
「止まらず」 means “without stopping” in 止まらずにジョギングしたいんだ. It states the condition that the speaker wants to maintain while jogging and connects to the following action with に.
したい
「したい」 expresses the desire “want to do” in ジョギングしたいんだ. Here it shows that the speaker wants to jog, and it follows the action expressed in ジョギングしたい.
少し
「少し」 means “a little” in 少しずつ力をつけていけば. Together with ずつ, it contributes the idea of making progress in small amounts rather than all at once.
ずつ
「ずつ」 distributes an amount across gradual stages in 少しずつ, giving the expression the meaning “little by little.” It commonly follows a quantity or amount when progress is made incrementally.
力
「力」 means “strength” or “ability” in 力をつけていけば, referring here to the physical ability needed for jogging. In 力をつける, it is the ability or strength that is developed.
つけて
「つけて」 means “build up” or “develop” in 力をつけていけば. It links the development of strength or ability to the continuing condition expressed by いけば, and it appears after 力 in the expression 力をつける.
いけば
「いけば」 gives 力をつけていけば the conditional meaning “if you continue building up” or “as you keep building up.” It presents continued gradual development as the condition for the goal being realistic, and the pattern Vていけば can describe what happens if someone continues an action.
現実的
「現実的」 means “realistic” in 現実的だ, evaluating the goal as achievable in the situation described. It is followed by だ to make the direct assertion that the goal is realistic.
だ
「だ」 gives 現実的だ an assertive “is” meaning, so the complete statement says that the goal is realistic. It closes the evaluation and presents it directly to the listener.
Grammar Points
〜ずに
止まらずに走る
toh-mah-RAH-zoo-nee HASH-roorun without stopping
Attach ずに to the verb stem to mean “without doing.” It is a more formal alternative to ないで.
〜ていけば
力をつけていけば
chee-KAH-rah oh tsoo-KEH-teh ee-KEH-bahif you keep building strength
ていく shows an action continuing or developing from now on; ば adds the meaning “if.”
Japanese Vocabulary
あと
noun
AH-toh
after; later
いつも
adv
ee-tsoo-moh
usually; always
コース
noun
KOH-soo
route; course
これまで
adv
koh-reh-MAH-deh
so far; until now
ジョギング
noun
JOH-ging-goo
jogging
どう
adv
DOH
how
ペース
noun
PEH-soo
pace
決まる
verb
kee-MAH-roo
to be decided; to be fixed
決まった
仕事
noun
shee-GOH-toh
work; job
始める
verb
hah-jee-MEH-roo
to start; to begin
始めた
上達する
verb
joh-TAH-tsoo soo-ROO
to improve; to make progress
上達してる
遅い
adj
oh-SOH-ee
slow
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
so far; until now
Show Answer
これまでto improve; to make progress
Show Answer
上達してるjogging
Show Answer
ジョギングto be decided; to be fixed