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🇯🇵 Japanese · Intermediate Level 3

PART 1 · LESSON 1 OF 30 · 40 MINUTES Free

Witnesses

A week after the honeymoon, Ben and Yui bring Okinawan biscuits to the Hanaya, where Kenta has pinned their postcard up for everyone to read. They have brought the marriage form too, and it needs two witnesses. Learn to say what you do for people (-te ageru) and what they do for you (-te kureru), to offer help, to ask a favour of a friend and, politely, of someone older, and to thank someone for signing.

Audio instruction: English

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Lesson 1 · Witnesses

Japanese · 40 minutes

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THE STORY

Saturday, December the fourth, twenty twenty-seven. Ben and Yui have been home from Okinawa for a week, and they bring the Hanaya a box of Okinawan biscuits. Their postcard came on Thursday, and Kenta has pinned it up behind the front desk, sunburn and all. They have brought something else too, the marriage form, which makes a marriage legal in Japan. It needs two witnesses. Ben asks Kenta, plainly, and Missus Sato, politely. Ben has no name stamp. This is the conversation you'll be able to say by the end of the lesson.

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Words and phrases

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おにいさん、 ねえちゃん、 おかえり！onīsan, nēchan, okaeriBig brother, sis, welcome back!
おみやげomiyagea present from a trip
はい、 おきなわ の おみやげ。hai, Okinawa no omiyageHere, a present from Okinawa.
ちんすこうchinsukōOkinawan shortbread biscuits
かって きてkatte kitebought and brought
かって きて くれたkatte kite kuretabought and brought, for us
かって きて くれた の？ ありがとう！katte kite kureta no? arigatōYou bought us something? Thanks!
はって おいたhatte oitaput up, ready
ほら。 えはがき、 あそこ に はって おいた よ。hora. ehagaki, asoko ni hatte oita yoLook. I've put your postcard up, over there.
とどいたtodoitaarrived, of post
もくようび に とどいた。mokuyōbi ni todoitaIt came on Thursday.
よんで あげたyonde agetaread it out, for them
みんな に よんで あげた。minna ni yonde agetaI read it out to everyone.
よまなくて いいyomanakute iino need to read
よまなくて いい のに！yomanakute ii noniYou didn't have to read it!
いれてiretemake, of tea
おちゃ、 いれて あげる。ocha, irete ageruI'll make you some tea.
おきゃくさん に も よんで あげた。okyakusan ni mo yonde agetaI read it out to the guests too.
こんいんとどけkon'intodokemarriage registration form
しょうにんshōninwitness
こんいんとどけ に は、 しょうにん が ふたり いる ん だ。kon'intodoke ni wa, shōnin ga futari iru n daThe marriage form needs two witnesses.
なって くれるnatte kureruwould you become, for us
けんた、 しょうにん に なって くれる？Kenta, shōnin ni natte kureruKenta, will you be our witness?
なって あげるnatte ageruI'll become, for you
いい よ。 なって あげる。ii yo. natte ageruSure. I'll do it for you.
ぼく も なって あげる よ！boku mo natte ageru yoI'll do it for you too!
もう ひとりmō hitorithe other one, of people
でも、 もう ひとり は さとう さん に おねがい したい の。demo, mō hitori wa Satō-san ni onegai shitai noBut we'd like to ask Missus Sato to be the other one.
なって いただけません かnatte itadakemasen kacould you become, politely
さとう さん、 しょうにん に なって いただけません か。Satō-san, shōnin ni natte itadakemasen kaMissus Sato, could you be our witness?
もって きて くれるmotte kite kurerubring, for me
はんこ を もって きて くれる？hanko o motte kite kureruWould you bring me my name stamp?
はい。 すぐ もって きます。hai. sugu motte kimasuYes. I'll bring it right away.
おにいさん、 はんこ は？onīsan, hanko waBig brother, what about your name stamp?
もって ない。 サイン で いい？motte nai. sain de iiI haven't got one. Is a signature OK?
うん。 いま は、 サイン だけ で いい の。un. ima wa, sain dake de ii noYes. These days, just a signature is fine.
あげよう かageyō kashall I, for you
かいて あげよう か？kaite ageyō kaShall I write it for you?
じぶん でjibun deby myself
だいじょうぶ。 じぶん で かく。daijōbu. jibun de kakuI'm fine. I'll write it myself.
じゅうしょ。jūshoYour address.
して くれてshite kuretefor doing it for us
けんた、 サイン して くれて、 ありがとう。Kenta, sain shite kurete, arigatōKenta, thanks for signing.
して くださってshite kudasattefor doing it for us, respectfully
さとう さん、 サイン して くださって、 ありがとう ございました。Satō-san, sain shite kudasatte, arigatō gozaimashitaMissus Sato, thank you for signing.
かようび まで、 なくさないで よ。kayōbi made, nakusanaide yoDon't lose it before Tuesday.
じゃ、 ぼく が たべて あげる。ja, boku ga tabete ageruThen I'll eat them for you.
ごしゅじん の ひやけ、 よく なりました か？goshujin no hiyake, yoku narimashita kaHas your husband's sunburn got better?
だすdasuhand in
いつ だす の？itsu dasu noWhen will you hand it in?
けんた と さとう さん が しょうにん に なって くれた。Kenta to Satō-san ga shōnin ni natte kuretaKenta and Missus Sato were our witnesses.
たすかったtasukattait was a huge help
やって くれて、 ありがとう。yatte kurete, arigatōThanks for doing that for me.