Japanese · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 12 of 12
Review: telling your story
私の人生Watashi no jinsei
Tell the story of a life in Japanese, combining the B1 grammar, with ～させてもらう (was allowed to), ～ことにした and ～ようになる.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Tell the main events of a life in order
- Say what you were allowed to do with ～させてもらう
- Talk about decisions and changes with ～ことにした and ～ようになる
- Understand an older speaker who talks in plain forms
Listen
In Kanazawa, university student Kawai Rin interviews Tsuji Isamu, 72, a gold-leaf craftsman, about his life. She speaks politely; he answers in a relaxed, plain style. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Rin
辻さん、今日はありがとうございます。まず、どうして金箔の職人になったのか、教えていただけますか。
Tsuji-san, kyō wa arigatō gozaimasu. Mazu, dōshite kinpaku no shokunin ni natta no ka, oshiete itadakemasu ka.
Mr Tsuji, thank you for your time today. First, could you tell me why you became a gold-leaf craftsman?
Tsuji
父が金箔の職人だったからね。子供のときから、父の手作業を見るのが好きだったんだ。
Chichi ga kinpaku no shokunin datta kara ne. Kodomo no toki kara, chichi no tesagyō o miru no ga suki datta n da.
My father was a gold-leaf craftsman, you see. Ever since I was a child, I loved watching him work with his hands.
Rin
じゃあ、最初からお父さんの仕事を継ごうと思っていたんですか。
Jā, saisho kara otōsan no shigoto o tsugō to omotte ita n desu ka.
So did you plan to take over your father's work from the start?
Tsuji
いや、若いときは東京で会社員になりたかった。でも、十八のとき父が病気になって、家に残ることにしたんだ。
Iya, wakai toki wa Tōkyō de kaishain ni naritakatta. Demo, jūhachi no toki chichi ga byōki ni natte, ie ni nokoru koto ni shita n da.
No, when I was young I wanted to be an office worker in Tokyo. But when I was eighteen, my father fell ill, and I decided to stay at home.
Rin
そうだったんですか。修業は大変でしたか。
Sō datta n desu ka. Shugyō wa taihen deshita ka.
I see. Was your training hard?
Tsuji
大変だったよ。父の友達の店で、弟子として働かせてもらったんだけど、最初の三年間は金箔を作らせてもらえなかった。毎日掃除だけしていたよ。
Taihen datta yo. Chichi no tomodachi no mise de, deshi to shite hatarakasete moratta n da kedo, saisho no sannenkan wa kinpaku o tsukurasete moraenakatta. Mainichi sōji dake shite ita yo.
It was hard. A friend of my father's took me on as an apprentice in his workshop, but for the first three years I wasn't allowed to make gold leaf. All I did every day was clean.
Rin
三年もですか。
Sannen mo desu ka.
For three whole years?
Tsuji
そう。でも、ほかの職人の手作業を毎日見ているうちに、だんだん大切なことがわかるようになった。十年修業して、三十のときに独立したんだ。
Sō. Demo, hoka no shokunin no tesagyō o mainichi mite iru uchi ni, dandan taisetsu na koto ga wakaru yō ni natta. Jūnen shugyō shite, sanjū no toki ni dokuritsu shita n da.
Yes. But by watching the other craftsmen work every day, I gradually came to understand what matters. After ten years of training, I set up on my own at thirty.
Rin
独立してから、一番苦労したことは何ですか。
Dokuritsu shite kara, ichiban kurō shita koto wa nan desu ka.
What was the hardest thing after you set up on your own?
Tsuji
最初は注文が全然なくてね。でも、妻がずっと店を手伝ってくれた。本当に感謝しているよ。今は、うちの金箔が海外でも知られるようになった。
Saisho wa chūmon ga zenzen nakute ne. Demo, tsuma ga zutto mise o tetsudatte kureta. Hontō ni kansha shite iru yo. Ima wa, uchi no kinpaku ga kaigai demo shirareru yō ni natta.
At first there were no orders at all. But my wife helped me in the shop the whole time. I'm truly grateful to her. Now our gold leaf has become known abroad too.
Rin
すごいですね。今までの人生で、後悔したことはありますか。
Sugoi desu ne. Ima made no jinsei de, kōkai shita koto wa arimasu ka.
That's wonderful. Is there anything in your life so far that you regret?
Tsuji
ないね。好きな仕事をさせてもらって、いい人生だったと思う。ただ、伝統工芸の仕事をする若い人が減っているのが心配でね。興味があったら、いつでも見に来ていいよ。
Nai ne. Suki na shigoto o sasete moratte, ii jinsei datta to omou. Tada, dentō kōgei no shigoto o suru wakai hito ga hette iru no ga shinpai de ne. Kyōmi ga attara, itsu demo mi ni kite ii yo.
No. I've been lucky enough to do work I love, and I think it's been a good life. The only thing is, I worry that fewer young people are going into traditional crafts. If you're interested, come and watch any time.
Understand
Being allowed to: ～させてもらう
The causative te-form + (morau) means “to be allowed to do” or “to be given the chance to do”, and it shows that you are grateful: (deshi to shite hatarakasete moratta), I was taken on as an apprentice (literally “I received being let work”). (suki na shigoto o sasete moratta), I was lucky enough to do the work I love.
The negative potential ～させてもらえなかった (-sasete moraenakatta) means “wasn't allowed to”: (kinpaku o tsukurasete moraenakatta). In polite and formal speech, becomes : (hatarakasete itadakimashita).
- 両親に留学させてもらいました。Ryōshin ni ryūgaku sasete moraimashita.My parents let me study abroad.
- 子供のとき、夜はテレビを見させてもらえなかった。Kodomo no toki, yoru wa terebi o misasete moraenakatta.When I was a child, I wasn't allowed to watch TV in the evening.
Decisions and changes: ～ことにした, ～ようになる
～ことにした (koto ni shita) after the dictionary form reports a decision you made: (ie ni nokoru koto ni shita), I decided to stay at home. Compare ～ことになった (koto ni natta), “it was decided” (by someone else or by circumstances).
～ようになる (yō ni naru) after the dictionary form describes a gradual change: something that didn't happen before now does. With the potential, it means “became able to”: (Nihongo ga hanaseru yō ni natta), I've become able to speak Japanese. With or a passive: (wakaru yō ni natta), I came to understand; (kaigai demo shirareru yō ni natta), it has become known abroad too. The opposite is ～なくなる (-naku naru): (ikanaku natta), I stopped going.
- 日本に来て、納豆が食べられるようになりました。Nihon ni kite, nattō ga taberareru yō ni narimashita.Since coming to Japan, I've learned to eat natto.
- 結婚してから、料理をするようになった。Kekkon shite kara, ryōri o suru yō ni natta.Since getting married, I've started cooking.
Review: telling a life story
A life story brings together almost everything from B1. Mr Tsuji is much older than Rin, so he speaks in relaxed plain forms, with and at the end; Rin, the younger student asking for his time, keeps to です／ます. This difference is normal and polite in Japanese.
| Pattern | Example from the interview |
|---|---|
| ～とき (chapter 1) | (jūhachi no toki chichi ga byōki ni natte), when I was eighteen, my father fell ill |
| ～うちに (chapter 11) | (mainichi mite iru uchi ni), by watching every day |
| passive (chapter 3) | (kaigai demo shirareru yō ni natta), it has become known abroad too |
| ～てくれる (chapter 6) | (tsuma ga mise o tetsudatte kureta), my wife helped me in the shop |
| ～たら (chapters 5 and 6) | (kyōmi ga attara), if you're interested |
| (chapter 7) | (wakai hito ga hette iru no ga shinpai), I'm worried that there are fewer young people |
More in the grammar: Giving and receiving: あげる, くれる, もらう · The causative and causative-passive · Turning verbs into nouns: の and こと
New words
- 職人shokunincraftsman, artisan · しょくにん
- 金箔kinpakugold leaf · きんぱく
- 手作業tesagyōhandwork, work done by hand · てさぎょう
- 継ぐtsuguto take over, to succeed to (a family business) · つぐ; (mise o tsugu), to take over the shop, for example when a parent falls ill (, byōki ni naru)
- 修業shugyōtraining, apprenticeship · しゅぎょう; (shugyō suru)
- 弟子deshiapprentice, pupil · でし
- 大切taisetsuimportant, precious · たいせつ; a な-adjective, close to (daiji)
- 独立dokuritsuindependence; setting up on your own · どくりつ; (dokuritsu suru)
- 苦労kurōhardship, trouble · くろう; (kurō suru), to have a hard time
- 感謝kanshagratitude · かんしゃ; ～に感謝している (ni kansha shite iru), to be grateful to …
- 人生jinseilife (the course of a life) · じんせい
- 後悔kōkairegret · こうかい; (kōkai suru), to regret
- 伝統工芸dentō kōgeitraditional crafts · でんとうこうげい; (kyōmi ga aru), to be interested (in crafts, for example)
- 若い人wakai hitoyoung people · わかいひと
Practise
1.For three years, Mr Tsuji wasn't allowed to make gold leaf. Which sentence says this from his point of view?
2.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.By watching every day, I came to understand.
3.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.What does (ie ni nokoru koto ni shita) mean?
5.How do you say “I've become able to speak Japanese”?
6.Your company has told you that you are moving to the Osaka office. It wasn't your decision. What do you say?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
両親に留学させてもらいました。
Ryōshin ni ryūgaku sasete moraimashita.
My parents let me study abroad.
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.