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🇯🇵 Japanese · Advanced Level 1

PART 1 · LESSON 2 OF 30 · 32 MINUTES Free

The Rules Nobody Writes Down

Tuesday the third of October, twenty twenty-eight, Ben's second day at Tsubame Travel. At ten a visitor, Mister Sakai from the bus company, and the tea, the newest person's job, written nowhere, which Ben serves to his boss first; Miss Nishimura's eyebrows, then the order of things, the guest first, the seat at the back, from the right with both hands. At a quarter past twelve the phone on Ben's desk, and Mister Fujita from Tokyo, who heard the news from the president and not from Ben. At six Mister Okada leaves on the dot, and the last rule of the day. Learn to serve tea (shitsurei itashimasu. douzo, ocha o), the rules of the office (okyakusama ga, saki desu; kaite nai kedo, ruuru desu), to answer the company phone (hai, Tsubame Toraberu de gozaimasu), a kind reproach and its apology (jibun de, itte kuremasen deshita ne; saki ni, ohanashi subeki deshita) and how to leave a Japanese office (osaki ni, shitsurei shimasu). The second free lesson of Advanced Level 1.

Audio instruction: English

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Lesson 2 · The Rules Nobody Writes Down

Japanese · 32 minutes

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THE STORY

Tuesday, the third of October, twenty twenty-eight, Ben's second day. Ten o'clock, the seventh floor of Tsubame Travel's head office in Osaka. The lift doors open on a man in a grey suit, Mister Sakai from the bus company Tsubame Travel hires its coaches from, come to see Mister Okada, and Miss Nishimura turns to Ben. In this office the tea is the newest person's job, and nobody has written that down anywhere. At a quarter past twelve the phone on Ben's desk rings for the first time, and at six the day ends the way every day here ends. This is the conversation you'll be able to say by the end of the lesson.

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しつれい いたします。 どうぞ、 おちゃ を。shitsurei itashimasu. dōzo, ocha oExcuse me. Please, have some tea.
おきゃくさま が、 さき です。okyakusama ga, saki desuThe guest comes first.
かいて ないkaite nainot written down
かいて ない けど、 ルール です。kaite nai kedo, rūru desuIt isn't written down, but it's a rule.
おちゃ は、 いちばん あたらしい ひと の しごと です。ocha wa, ichiban atarashii hito no shigoto desuThe tea is the newest person's job.
ベン くん、 きゅうりょう、 なんぼ や？Ben-kun, kyūryō, nanbo yaYoung Ben, how much do they pay you?
なんで や ねん！ ……で、 おちゃ。 ぶちょう が さき か？ おきゃくさん が さき か？nande ya nen! de, ocha. buchō ga saki ka? okyakusan ga saki kaWhat are you on about! ... And the tea. The boss first, or the guest first?
はい、 つばめ トラベル で ございます。hai, Tsubame Toraberu de gozaimasuHello, Tsubame Travel.
いって くれません でしたitte kuremasen deshitayou didn't tell me, a favour not done
じぶん で、 いって くれません でした ね。jibun de, itte kuremasen deshita neYou didn't tell me yourself, did you.
おはなし すべき でしたohanashi subeki deshitashould have talked
さき に、 おはなし すべき でした。saki ni, ohanashi subeki deshitaI should have told you first.
いや いや、 ええ ねん、 ええ ねん！iya iya, ē nen, ē nenNo, no, it's fine, it's fine!
よっしゃ、 ろくじ や！ ざんぎょう は あかん で。 みんな、 かえる かえる！yossha, rokuji ya! zangyō wa akan de. minna, kaeru kaeruRight, it's six! No overtime, mind. Everyone, home, home!
ぶちょう、 おつかれ さん！buchō, otsukare sanBoss, good work!
おさき にosaki nibefore you, with the polite O
おさき に、 しつれい します。osaki ni, shitsurei shimasuExcuse me for leaving before you.
だしたdashitaserved, put out
エレベーター に のってerebētā ni nottegets in the lift
てんにゅうとどけtennyū todokethe moving-in notice
てんにゅうとどけ を、 だしたい ん です が。tennyū todoke o, dashitai n desu gaI'd like to file a moving-in notice.