About This Lesson
Use Choosing a nearby restaurant for lunch to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
昼食はどの店を選びましょうか？
CHOO-shoh-koo wa DOH-noh MEE-seh oh eh-rah-bee-mah-SHOH kah? Which place should we choose for lunch?
B
近くて便利な店を選びましょう。
CHEE-kah-koo-teh BEN-ree-nah MEE-seh oh eh-rah-bee-mah-SHOH. Let's pick somewhere close and convenient.
A
この通りの店には、シンプルなランチメニューがあります。
KOH-ehn noh TOH-ree noh MEE-seh nee-wah, SHEEM-poo-roo nah RAHN-chee MEH-nyoo gah ah-ree-MAHSS. The place on this street has a simple lunch menu.
B
公園の近くのカフェのほうが静かかもしれません。
KOH-ehn noh CHEE-kah-koo noh kah-FEH noh hoh-oh gah shee-ZOO-kah kah-moh-shee-REHN-mahn. The cafe near the park might be quieter.
B
でも、そこはもっと遠いです。
DEH-moh, SOH-koh wah MOHT-toh TOH-ee dehss. But it is farther away.
A
近くの店は予約が必要ですか？
CHEE-kah-koo noh MEE-seh wah yoh-YAH-koo gah hee-tsu-YOH dehss kah? Do we need a reservation for the nearby place?
B
たぶん必要ありません。この時間なら、たいてい席が見つかります。
tah-BOON hee-tsu-YOH ah-ree-mah-SEHN. KOH-noh JEE-kahn nah-rah, TAI-teh-ee SEH-kee gah mee-tsoo-kah-ree-MAHSS. Probably not. Around this time, we can usually find a table.
A
では、この通りの店を選びましょう。
DEH-wah, KOH-noh TOH-ree noh MEE-seh oh eh-rah-bee-mah-SHOH. Then let's choose the place on this street.
B
そのほうが食べる時間が多くなります。
SOH-noh hoh-oh gah tah-beh-ROO JEE-kahn gah OH-koo nah-ree-MAHSS. That leaves us more time to eat.Word by Word
昼食
昼食 means lunch here, the meal being discussed as the reason for choosing a restaurant. It is the topic of the choice in 昼食は. You can use it when talking about plans or options for the midday meal.
は
は marks 昼食 as the topic: the question is specifically about lunch. In 昼食はどの店を選びましょうか？, it sets the context for the choice. It commonly follows the item you want to make the topic of the sentence.
どの
どの asks which one among several choices. Here, どの店 means which restaurant or shop. It comes directly before the noun being selected.
店
店 means a shop or restaurant, and here it refers to a place to eat lunch. In どの店 and この通りの店, it identifies the restaurant being compared or chosen. It is useful when selecting or describing a place where something is sold or provided.
を
を marks 店 as the object being chosen in どの店を選びましょうか？. It shows what the action 選びましょう is directed toward. It commonly follows the thing that someone chooses, sees, or uses.
選びましょう
選びましょう means let’s choose and proposes making the choice together. It is the polite volitional form related to 選ぶ, used here to suggest selecting a restaurant. It can follow the object marked by を when proposing a shared choice.
か
か turns 昼食はどの店を選びましょうか？ into a question. Here the question politely asks which restaurant the speakers should choose. It is placed at the end of this polite question.
近くて
近くて means close and, linking the first description to 便利な店. It is the connecting form related to 近い, used here because the restaurant is both nearby and convenient. It can connect one description to another before a noun or later description.
便利
便利 means convenient here, describing a restaurant that is easy or practical to use for lunch. In 便利な店, it contributes the meaning convenient to the description of 店. It is followed by な when it directly describes a noun.
な
な connects 便利 to 店 in 便利な店, allowing 便利 to describe the restaurant. It does not by itself mean convenient; the meaning comes from the whole connection 便利な店. Use it after a descriptive word of this type when placing that description before a noun.
この
この means this and points to something near the speaker or shared situation. In この通り, it identifies the street where the restaurant is located. It comes directly before the noun it specifies.
通り
通り means street in この通りの店. It identifies the location used to describe the restaurant. It can be followed by の when the street is used to modify a noun, as in 通りの店.
の
の links 通り to 店 in この通りの店, meaning the shop on this street. It shows that the first noun describes or identifies the second noun. It commonly appears between a location or related noun and the noun being described.
に
に marks the place where something exists in 店には、シンプルなランチメニューがあります. It indicates that the lunch menu exists at the restaurant. It can follow a place noun before あります when stating that something is there.
シンプル
シンプル means simple here, describing the lunch menu as uncomplicated. In シンプルなランチメニュー, it comes before the noun it describes. This kind of descriptive word can be followed by な before a noun.
ランチメニュー
ランチメニュー means lunch menu, the menu offered by the restaurant. In the dialogue, it is the thing that exists at the restaurant. It can be used for a menu specifically available for lunch.
が
が marks ランチメニュー as the thing that exists in 店には、シンプルなランチメニューがあります. It identifies what is present at the stated location. It commonly precedes あります when introducing something that exists.
あります
あります means there is or has in 店には、シンプルなランチメニューがあります. It is the polite form related to ある and states that the lunch menu exists at the restaurant. It is commonly used after a place marked by に and a thing marked by が.
公園
公園 means park and identifies the landmark used to locate the cafe. In 公園の近く, it is the place whose vicinity is being described. It can be followed by の近く to express being near that place.
近く
近く means nearby or the vicinity in 公園の近くのカフェ. It identifies an area close to the park rather than the cafe itself. It commonly follows a place with の when describing another place located nearby.
カフェ
カフェ means cafe, the alternative restaurant being considered. In 公園の近くのカフェ, it is the place located near the park. It can be followed by のほう to compare it with another option.
ほう
ほう refers to one option or side in the comparison カフェのほうが静かかもしれません. Here it highlights the cafe as the option that may be quieter. It is useful in comparisons when identifying which of two options has a certain quality.
静か
静か means quiet here, describing the cafe as having less noise than the other option. In 静かかもしれません, it is the quality that is presented as possible. It can describe a place when discussing its atmosphere.
かもしれません
かもしれません means might or may and shows that the speaker is not certain. Here it presents the possibility that the cafe is quieter. It follows the statement about 静か and is useful when making a cautious suggestion.
でも
でも means but and introduces a point that works against the previous suggestion. Here it signals that the cafe may be quieter, but it is farther away. It is commonly used at the start of a contrasting response.
そこ
そこ means there and refers to the cafe just mentioned. In そこはもっと遠いです, it makes that place the topic of the statement about distance. It is useful when pointing back to a place already identified in the conversation.
もっと
もっと adds the meaning more to 遠い, making the place farther away than the nearby option. In もっと遠い, it strengthens the comparison of distance. It can be placed before a descriptive word to indicate a greater degree.
遠い
遠い means far, and here it describes the cafe as farther away. In もっと遠い, it is compared with the other restaurant's distance. It can describe the distance of a place from the speakers or another reference point.
予約
予約 means reservation, the advance arrangement being considered for the restaurant. In 予約が必要ですか？, it is the thing whose necessity is being asked about. It commonly appears with 必要 when discussing whether advance booking is required.
必要
必要 means necessary here, asking whether a reservation is required. In 予約が必要ですか？, it describes the need for 予約. It can be used before です when politely stating or asking whether something is required.
です
です makes 予約が必要ですか？ a polite question about whether a reservation is necessary. It gives the statement a polite ending before か marks the question. It is commonly used after a description or noun-based statement in polite speech.
たぶん
たぶん means probably and expresses an answer with some uncertainty. Here it softens the reply that a reservation is not necessary. It is commonly placed before the statement it qualifies.
ありません
ありません is the polite negative form related to ある. In 必要ありません, it says that a reservation is not necessary in this situation. It can be used after a noun-like description such as 必要 to politely deny that something exists or is applicable.
時間
時間 means time, and here it refers to the time of day for the lunch visit. In この時間なら, it sets the condition under which finding a seat is expected. It can be combined with a time description when discussing schedules or availability.
なら
なら means if it is or given that, and in この時間なら it means given this time. It introduces the condition for the following expectation about finding a seat. It is useful after a time, situation, or topic when explaining what applies under that condition.
たいてい
たいてい means usually and describes what normally happens around this time. Here it indicates that a seat will generally be available without a reservation. It commonly appears before the statement describing a usual result or habit.
席
席 means a seat or place at a restaurant, and here it refers to a place for the speakers to sit and eat. In 席が見つかります, it is the thing that becomes available. It is useful when discussing available seating in a restaurant or another venue.
見つかります
見つかります expresses that a seat is found or available in 席が見つかります. It is the polite form related to 見つかる, and the dialogue uses it to describe the expected result rather than directly stating who finds the seat. It can follow the thing that is found, marked by が.
では
では means then or in that case and moves from the discussion to a decision. Here it introduces the choice of the restaurant on this street. It is commonly used at the beginning of a response when acting on the conclusion just reached.
その
その means that and points to the choice just mentioned. In そのほうが, it refers to choosing the restaurant on this street and frames that option in the comparison. It comes directly before the noun or expression it specifies.
食べる
食べる means to eat, referring here to eating lunch at the chosen restaurant. In 食べる時間, it describes the purpose of the time: time for eating. It is the plain form related to the verb used before the noun 時間.
多く
多く means more or in a greater amount here, describing the amount of time available for eating. In 時間が多くなります, it is part of the expression that says the available eating time increases. It is commonly used before なる to express becoming greater in amount.
なります
なります means becomes or turns into, and here it says that the amount of eating time becomes greater. It is the polite form related to なる, used after 多く in 多くなります. The pattern descriptive word plus なります expresses a change into that state.
Grammar Points
い形容詞て形：近くて
公園は近くて便利です。
KOH-ehn wa CHEE-kah-koo-teh BEN-ree dehss.The park is nearby and convenient.
い形容詞のて形は、二つの特徴をつなぐときに使います。
Nは必要ありません
予約は必要ありません。
yoh-YAH-koo wa hee-tsu-YOH ah-ree-mah-SEHN.A reservation is not necessary.
「必要ありません」は、何かが必要ではないことを表します。
Japanese Vocabulary
カフェ
noun
kah-FEH
cafe
公園の近くのカフェ
シンプル
adj
SHEEM-poo-roo
simple
シンプルなランチメニュー
ランチメニュー
noun
RAHN-chee MEH-nyoo
lunch menu
シンプルなランチメニューがあります。
近い
adj
CHEE-kah-ee
near; close
近くて
近くて便利な店
近く
noun
CHEE-kah-koo
nearby; vicinity
公園の近くのカフェ
公園
noun
KOH-ehn
park
公園の近くのカフェ
静か
adj
shee-ZOO-kah
quiet
カフェのほうが静かかもしれません。
選ぶ
verb
eh-rah-BOO
to choose; to select
選びましょう
どの店を選びましょうか?
昼食
noun
CHOO-shoh-koo
lunch
昼食はどの店を選びましょうか?
通り
noun
TOH-ree
street
この通りの店
店
noun
MEE-seh
shop; restaurant
この通りの店を選びましょう。
便利
adj
BEN-ree
convenient
近くて便利な店を選びましょう。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to choose; to select
Show Answer
選びましょうsimple
Show Answer
シンプルlunch menu
Show Answer
ランチメニューnearby; vicinity