Japanese · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 11 of 12
Hobbies and free time
趣味と休みの日Shumi to yasumi no hi
Talk about hobbies in Japanese, say what you can do and how often, and invite someone, accept or say no politely.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Talk about your hobbies and what you do on your days off
- Say what you can do with ができます (ga dekimasu)
- Say how often you do something
- Invite someone, and accept or decline politely
Listen
At a work party in Sendai, colleagues Fujita Yu and Okada Mei talk about their hobbies. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Okada
藤田さんの趣味は何ですか？
Fujita-san no shumi wa nan desu ka?
What are your hobbies, Mr Fujita?
Fujita
音楽です。休みの日はよくジャズを聞きます。岡田さんは？
Ongaku desu. Yasumi no hi wa yoku jazu o kikimasu. Okada-san wa?
Music. On my days off I often listen to jazz. And you, Ms Okada?
Okada
私はテニスです。週に二回します。
Watashi wa tenisu desu. Shū ni nikai shimasu.
Tennis. I play twice a week.
Fujita
週に二回ですか。上手ですね。
Shū ni nikai desu ka. Jōzu desu ne.
Twice a week? You must be good.
Okada
いいえ、まだまだです。藤田さんはテニスができますか？
Iie, madamada desu. Fujita-san wa tenisu ga dekimasu ka?
No, I've still got a lot to learn. Can you play tennis, Mr Fujita?
Fujita
はい、少しできます。
Hai, sukoshi dekimasu.
Yes, a little.
Okada
日曜日に一緒にしませんか？
Nichiyōbi ni issho ni shimasen ka?
Would you like to play together on Sunday?
Fujita
日曜日はちょっと…。土曜日はどうですか？
Nichiyōbi wa chotto… Doyōbi wa dō desu ka?
Sunday is a bit difficult… How about Saturday?
Okada
いいですね。土曜日にしましょう。
Ii desu ne. Doyōbi ni shimashō.
Sounds good. Let's make it Saturday.
Fujita
はい。何時にしましょうか？
Hai. Nanji ni shimashō ka?
Great. What time shall we meet?
Understand
I can: ～ができます
To say you can do an activity, put the activity + (ga) + (dekimasu): (tenisu ga dekimasu), I can play tennis. The negative is (dekimasen). Many activities are done with (shimasu), to do: (tenisu o shimasu), I play tennis.
(jōzu), good at, and (heta), bad at, are な-adjectives, and the skill also takes (ga): (Okada-san wa tenisu ga jōzu desu), Ms Okada is good at tennis. Use (jōzu) to praise others, never yourself. When someone praises you, the modest answer is (iie, madamada desu), no, I've still got a long way to go.
- テニスができますか？Tenisu ga dekimasu ka?Can you play tennis?
- 日本語が上手ですね。Nihongo ga jōzu desu ne.Your Japanese is very good.
How often
Words for how often, like (mainichi), every day, usually come before the verb or its object: (yoku ongaku o kikimasu), I often listen to music. (amari) and (zenzen) need a negative verb. For “… times a week”, use (shū ni) and the counter -回 (-kai): (shū ni nikai), twice a week. Once is (ikkai), three times (sankai).
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (mainichi oyogimasu) | I swim every day. |
| (yoku hon o yomimasu) | I often read books. |
| (tokidoki tenisu o shimasu) | I sometimes play tennis. |
| (shū ni nikai oyogimasu) | I swim twice a week. |
| (amari ongaku o kikimasen) | I don't often listen to music. |
| (zenzen oyogimasen) | I never swim. |
Invitations: ～ませんか, ～ましょう
To invite someone, change (masu) to (masen ka), literally “won't you …?”: (issho ni tenisu o shimasen ka?), would you like to play tennis together? It's polite because it leaves the other person free to say no. (mashō) means “let's”: (doyōbi ni shimashō), let's make it Saturday. (mashō ka) asks “shall we?”.
(issho ni) means “together”; with a person, add (to): (Okada-san to issho ni), with Ms Okada. To accept, say (ii desu ne), sounds good. To decline, say the day + は (wa) + (chotto…) and let your voice trail off. (chotto) means “a little”, and everyone understands the rest.
- 一緒に泳ぎませんか？Issho ni oyogimasen ka?Would you like to go swimming together?
- いいですね。行きましょう。Ii desu ne. Ikimashō.Sounds good. Let's go.
- 日曜日はちょっと…。Nichiyōbi wa chotto…Sunday is a bit difficult…
More in the grammar: Invitations, suggestions and plans · The ます form · The potential form: can
New words
- 趣味shumihobby, hobbies · しゅみ; (shumi wa nan desu ka?), what are your hobbies? (nan) means “what”.
- 音楽ongakumusic · おんがく
- 休みの日yasumi no hiday off · やすみのひ
- よくyokuoften
- 聞きますkikimasulisten (to); ask · ききます
- テニスtenisutennis · (tenisu o shimasu), I play tennis
- 週に～回shū ni … kai… times a week · しゅうに～かい; (shū ni nikai), twice a week
- 上手jōzugood at, skilful · じょうず; a な-adjective. The opposite is (heta).
- 一緒にissho nitogether · いっしょに
- ちょっと…chotto…(it's) a bit (difficult)… · A gentle way to say no: (nichiyōbi wa chotto…)
- いいですねii desu nesounds good, that's nice
- 泳ぎますoyogimasuswim · およぎます
- 読みますyomimasuread · よみます
- 時々tokidokisometimes · ときどき
Practise
1.Someone says (tenisu ga jōzu desu ne). What's the modest answer?
2.Put the words in order: invite Mr Fujita to play tennis.
Tap the words below in the right order.Mr Fujita, would you like to play tennis together?
3.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.How do you say “three times a week”?
5.A colleague invites you for Sunday, but you can't go. What do you say?
6.Put the words in order: say you often read books on your days off.
Tap the words below in the right order.On my days off I often read books.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
趣味は音楽です。
Shumi wa ongaku desu.
My hobby is music.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.