Japanese · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 4 of 12
Feelings and relationships
気持ちと人間関係Kimochi to ningen kankei
Talk about feelings in Japanese, say who gives what to whom with あげる, くれる and もらう, and comfort and advise a friend.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say who gives what to whom with あげる, くれる and もらう
- Talk about feelings and say how someone looks with ～そう
- Say you did something you regret with ～てしまう
- Give a friend advice with ～たらどう？
Listen
In the flat they share in Fukuoka, Maki notices that her flatmate Nanami is upset after a fight with a friend. They speak casually. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Maki
七海、元気がなさそうだね。どうしたの？
Nanami, genki ga nasasō da ne. Dō shita no?
Nanami, you look down. What's wrong?
Nanami
実は、ゆいとけんかしてしまったの。
Jitsu wa, Yui to kenka shite shimatta no.
Actually, I had a fight with Yui.
Maki
え、ゆいと？いつも仲がいいじゃない。何があったの？
E, Yui to? Itsumo naka ga ii ja nai. Nani ga atta no?
What, with Yui? You two always get on so well. What happened?
Nanami
先週、私の誕生日だったんだけど、ゆいが忘れていたの。毎年プレゼントをくれるから、楽しみにしていたんだけど。
Senshū, watashi no tanjōbi datta n da kedo, Yui ga wasurete ita no. Maitoshi purezento o kureru kara, tanoshimi ni shite ita n da kedo.
It was my birthday last week, but Yui forgot. She gives me a present every year, so I'd been looking forward to it.
Maki
それは悲しいね。
Sore wa kanashii ne.
That's sad.
Nanami
悲しかったし、腹も立ったから、ひどいことを言ってしまって。
Kanashikatta shi, hara mo tatta kara, hidoi koto o itte shimatte.
I was sad, and angry too, so I said some horrible things.
Maki
ゆいは謝ったの？
Yui wa ayamatta no?
Did Yui apologise?
Nanami
うん、次の日に謝ったよ。ゆいから花ももらったの。でも、私もひどいことを言ってしまったから…
Un, tsugi no hi ni ayamatta yo. Yui kara hana mo moratta no. Demo, watashi mo hidoi koto o itte shimatta kara…
Yes, she apologised the next day. I even got flowers from her. But I said horrible things too, so…
Maki
そんなに気にしなくてもいいよ。お互いに悪かったんだから。
Sonna ni ki ni shinakute mo ii yo. Otagai ni warukatta n da kara.
You don't need to worry about it so much. You were both in the wrong.
Nanami
そうかな。でも、自分から連絡できなくて。
Sō ka na. Demo, jibun kara renraku dekinakute.
Do you think so? But I just can't bring myself to get in touch.
Maki
今度は七海がゆいにプレゼントをあげたらどう？ゆいはケーキが好きだよね。
Kondo wa Nanami ga Yui ni purezento o agetara dō? Yui wa kēki ga suki da yo ne.
Why don't you give Yui a present this time? She likes cake, doesn't she?
Nanami
いいね。今夜ケーキを持って、会いに行ってみる。ありがとう、真紀。早く仲直りしたい。
Ii ne. Kon'ya kēki o motte, ai ni itte miru. Arigatō, Maki. Hayaku nakanaori shitai.
Good idea. I'll take a cake and go and see her tonight. Thanks, Maki. I want to make up soon.
Understand
Giving and receiving: あげる, くれる, もらう
Japanese has two verbs for “give”, and which one you use depends on the direction. (ageru) is giving away from you: I give to someone, or one person gives to another. (kureru) is giving towards you or your side (your family, close friends): someone gives to me. So (Yui ga watashi ni ageta) is wrong; say (Yui ga watashi ni kureta), Yui gave it to me. (watashi ni) is usually left out: (Yui ga kureta).
(morau) is “to receive, to get”. The person you get something from takes (ni) or (kara): (Yui kara hana o moratta), I got flowers from Yui.
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (Watashi wa Yui ni kēki o ageta.) | I gave Yui a cake. |
| (Maki-san wa Nanami-san ni hon o ageta.) | Maki gave Nanami a book. |
| (Yui ga purezento o kureta.) | Yui gave me a present. |
| (Tanaka-san ga otōto ni tokei o kureta.) | Mr Tanaka gave my younger brother a watch. (my family, so ) |
| (Yui ni hana o moratta.) | I got flowers from Yui. |
Feelings, and how someone looks: ～そう
Words like (ureshii, happy), (kanashii, sad) and (sabishii, lonely) describe your own feelings. You can't see inside someone else, so for other people add (sō): “looks …”. Drop the final of an い-adjective (, ureshisō); add straight after a な-adjective (, genkisō). Two exceptions: becomes (yosasō) and becomes (nasasō): (genki ga nasasō), looks down.
Don't mix this up with (sō da) after a full plain form, from chapter 3: (kanashii sō da) means “I hear she's sad”, but (kanashisō da) means “she looks sad”. With verbs of feeling, use ～ている about others: (gakkari shite iru), she is disappointed.
| Your feeling | About someone else |
|---|---|
| (ureshii), happy, glad | (ureshisō) |
| (kanashii), sad | (kanashisō) |
| (sabishii), lonely | (sabishisō) |
| (hara ga tatsu), to get angry | (okotte iru), is angry |
| (gakkari suru), to be disappointed | (gakkari shite iru), is disappointed |
Regret with ～てしまう, and advice with ～たらどう？
～てしまう (-te shimau) after the te-form says that something is done completely, or, very often, that it happened and you regret it: (hidoi koto o itte shimatta), I went and said horrible things. It conjugates like (kau): (shite shimatta), (shite shimatte).
To suggest something to a friend, use the た-form + (ra dō?): (purezento o agetara dō?), why don't you give her a present? Politely: ～たらどうですか (-tara dō desu ka). (otagai ni) means “each other” or “both of you”: (otagai ni warukatta), you were both in the wrong.
- 電車に傘を忘れてしまいました。Densha ni kasa o wasurete shimaimashita.I left my umbrella on the train.
- ケーキを全部食べてしまった。Kēki o zenbu tabete shimatta.I ate the whole cake. (it's all gone)
- 一度ゆっくり話したらどう？Ichido yukkuri hanashitara dō?Why don't you have a proper talk with her?
More in the grammar: The te-form · Giving and receiving: あげる, くれる, もらう · Seems and hearsay: ～そう, ～よう, ～らしい
New words
- 元気がないgenki ga naito be down, to be in low spirits · げんきがない; (genki ga nasasō), looks down
- けんかkenkafight, quarrel · also written ; ～とけんかする (to kenka suru), to have a fight with …
- 誕生日tanjōbibirthday · たんじょうび
- 忘れるwasureruto forget; to leave (something somewhere) · わすれる
- くれるkureruto give (to me or my side)
- プレゼントpurezentopresent, gift
- 悲しいkanashiisad · かなしい
- 腹が立つhara ga tatsuto get angry · はらがたつ; literally “the belly stands up”
- 謝るayamaruto apologise · あやまる
- もらうmorauto receive, to get
- 気にするki ni suruto worry about, to mind · きにする; (ki ni shinaide), don't worry about it; (renraku suru), to get in touch
- お互いotagaieach other · おたがい; (otagai ni), mutually, both of us
- あげるageruto give (away from me)
- 仲直りnakanaorimaking up (after a fight) · なかなおり; (nakanaori suru), to make up; (naka ga ii), to get on well
Practise
1.Your friend gave you a present. Complete: ___
2.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I got flowers from Yui.
3.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Your friend comes home and looks sad. What do you say?
5.What does (hidoi koto o itte shimatta) tell you?
6.Mr Tanaka gave your younger brother a watch (, tokei). Which verb do you use?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
元気がなさそうだね。大丈夫？
Genki ga nasasō da ne. Daijōbu?
You look down. Are you all right?
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.