Super Basic Words Part 1 (Twitter lesson review)

「塵も積もれば山となる!」

= Chiri mo tsumore ba yama to naru.

= Many drops make a shower.

Hi everyone!
Since I had a request  to teach one word per day on Twitter in January, I have been tweeting Super Basic words” every day for 9 weeks.

:kkk: This is how it works :

Every week I pick a group of words and tweet them one by one with a related word.
And every Saturday,  I give a weekly quiz and give the answers with a sound file on Sunday.


I am very sorry but I stopped doing this since the earthquake hit Japan last week.

(Instead I have been tweeting random encouraging words..)

I will restart this “Super Basic Words”tweets from April 4th and continue at least one more month to see how it goes.

If you are interested in it, please follow me on Twitter. MaggieSensei

I’m making this lesson for my loyal twitter friends who have been studying with me to help them review all the words they have learned so far. !to right! 復習= fukushuu = review


As I said in the above picture,

塵も積もれば山となる

= Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru.

=Many drops make a shower. (Many small make a great.)

:jjj: Note :

= chiri = dust, dirt

積もる= tsumoru = to pile up, to accumulate

= yama = mountaina lot of amount

なる= naru = to become

(The literal meaning is : Even dust when piles up, it will become a mountain.)

Study even one word or more and eventually you will have a formidable vocabulary in the end. For those of you who are more advanced, I will add a useful example so that you can also review with us.

And of course, if you have not followed me on Twitter and have never seen these before, I hope you can still learn something. But if you are a beginner, try to learn these little by little. Don’t worry about kanji. Just learning by romaji or hiragana is good enough to start with.
You will end up having at least 48 words. And with all the example words, you will know at least 100 words.

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!CHECKHEART! Week 1

1) (business) company = 会社 = かいしゃ = kaisha

:rrrr: My company is big.

= 私の会社は大きいです
= わたしのかいしゃはおおきいです
= Watashi no kaisha wa ookii desu.

2) bank = 銀行 = ぎんこう = ginkou

:rrrr:to go to the bank

= 銀行に行く (also 銀行へ行く)
= ぎんこうにいく(or ぎんこうへいく)
= ginkou ni iku (or ginkou ye iku)

3) store / shop = = みせ =mise

:rrrr: small store

= 小さい店

= ちいさいみせ

= chiisai mise
or

小さな店

= ちいさなみせ

= chiisana mise

4) station = = えき = eki

:rrrr: 5 minutes from the station

= 駅から5(五)分

= えきからごふん

= eki kara gofun

***************************************************

!heart! Week 2

5)street = 通り = とおり = toori

:rrrr: across from the street

通りの向かい

= とおりのむかい

= toori no mukai

6) building= 建物 =たてもの = tatemono

:rrrr: inside the building

=建物の中

= たてもののなか

= tatemono no naka

7) right = = みぎ = migi

:rrrr: to turn right

= 右に曲がる

= みぎにまがる

= migi ni magaru

8) sidewalk = 歩道 = ほどう = hodou

:rrrr:  to walk on the sidewalk

= 歩道を歩く

= ほどうをあるく

= hodou wo aruku

9) traffic signal = 信号 = しんごう = shingou

:rrrr: red light

= 赤信号

= あかしんごう

= aka shingou

10) book store = 本屋=ほんや=hon ya

:rrrr: next to the book store

= 本屋の隣

=ほんやのとなり

=hon ya no tonari

!heart! Week 3


11) pa
rk = 公園 = こうえん = kouen

:rrrr: behind the park

= 公園の裏

= こうえんのうら

= kouen no ura

12) movie theater = 映画館 = えいがかん = eigakan

:rrrr:  in front of the movie theater

= 映画館の前

= えいがかんのまえ

= eigakan no mae

13) hospital= 病院 = びょういん

:rrrr:  a nearby hospital

= 近くの病院

= ちかくのびょういん

= chikaku no byouin

14) post office = 郵便局 = ゆうびんきょく = yuubinkyoku

:rrrr: near the post office

= 郵便局の近く

=ゆうびんきょくのちかく

= yubinkyoku no chikaku

***************************************************

!heart! Week 4


15) weather= 天気 = てんき = tenki

:rrrr: good weather

= いい天気/ よい天気

= いいてんき /よいてんき

= ii tenki /yoi tenki


:rrrr:bad weather = 悪い天気= わるいてんき = warui tenki

16) rain = = あめ = ame

:rrrr:to rain (verb)

= 雨が降る

= ame ga furu

17) snow = = ゆき = yuki

:rrrr:snowman

= 雪だるま

= ゆきだるま

= yukidaruma

18) wind = = かぜ = kaze

:rrrr:windy

= 風が強い

= かぜがつよい

= kaze ga tsuyoi

19) thunder = = かみなり = kaminari

:rrrr: to thunder (verb)

= 雷が鳴る

= かみなりがなる

= kaminari ga naru

*************************************************

!heart! Week 5

20) floor == ゆか = yuka

:rrrr:) on the floor

= 床の上

= ゆかのうえ

= yuka no ue

21) ceiling= 天井 = てんじょう = tenjou

:rrrr: to have a low ceiling

= 天井が低い

= てんじょうがひくい

= tenjou ga hikui

22) wall = = かべ = kabe

:rrrr:wall paper

= 壁紙

= かべがみ

= kabe gami

23) window = = まど = mado

:rrrr: outside the window

= 窓の外

= まどのそと

= mado no soto

24) door = = とびら = tobira

:rrrr: to open the door

= 扉を開ける

= とびらをあける

= tobira wo akeru

25) gate = = もん = mon

:rrrr: to close the gate

= 門を閉める

= もんをしめる

= mon wo shimeru

*************************************************

!heart! Week 6

26) a room = 部屋= へや=heya

:rrrr: study room

= 勉強部屋

= べんきょうべや

= benkyou beya

27) a living room = 居間 =いま =ima

:rrrr: to get cozy in the living room

= 居間でくつろぐ

= いまでくつろぐ

= ima de kutsurogu

28) a kitchen = 台所 =だいどころ =daidokoro

:rrrr:kitchenware

= 台所用品

= だいどころようひん

= daidokoro youhin

29) a bed room= 寝室 = しんしつ = shinshitsu

:rrrr: a large bedroom

= 広い寝室

= ひろいしんしつ

= hiroi shinshitsu

30) entrance, foyer, front door = 玄関 = げんかん=genkan

:rrrr:main entrance

= 正面玄関

= しょうめんげんかん

= shoumen genkan

31) stairs= 階段 = かいだん = kaidan

:rrrr: to go down the stairs

= 階段をおりる

= かいだんをおりる

= kaidan wo oriru

*************************************************

!heart! Week 7

32) umbrella = = かさ= kasa

:rrrr: to open (hold up) an umbrella

= 傘をさす

= かさをさす

=kasa wo sasu

33) a wallet, a purse= 財布 = さいふ = saifu

:rrrr: to take out one’s wallet/purse

= 財布を出す

= さいふをだす

= saifu wo dasu

34) a key= = かぎ = kagi

:rrrr: to open with a key

= 鍵で開ける

= かぎであける

= kagi de akeru

35) a bag= =かばん= kaban

:rrrr:a school bag

= 学生鞄

= がくせいかばん

= gakusei kaban

36) a watch= 時計= とけい = tokei

:rrrr:a wrist watch

= 腕時計

= うでどけい

= udedokei

37) a hat= 帽子= ぼうし= boushi

:rrrr: to wear a hat

= 帽子を被る

= ぼうしをかぶる

= boushi wo kaburu

**************************************************

!CHECKHEART! Week 8

38) vegetable = 野菜 = やさい= yasai

:rrrr:fresh vegetable

= 生野菜

=なまやさい

= namayasai

39) fruits = 果物 = くだもの= kudamono

:rrrr:seasonal fruits

= 季節の果物

=きせつのくだもの

= kisetsu no kudamono

40) beverage = 飲み物 =のみもの= nomimono


:rrrr:
cold beverage

= 冷たい飲み物

= つめたいのみもの

= tsumetai nomimono

41) food = 食べ物たべもの = tabemono

:rrrr: warm food

= 温かい食べ物

= あたたかいたべもの

= atatakai tabemono

42) cuisine/dish = 料理 = りょうり= ryouri

:rrrr:Chinese food

= 中華料理

= ちゅうかりょうり

= chuuka ryouri

**************************************************

!heart! Week 9

43) = にく = niku = meat

:rrrr: beef

=牛肉

= ぎゅうにく

= gyuuniku

44) fish = = さかな = sakana

:rrrr:  fishbone

=魚の骨

= さかなのほね

= sakana no hone

45) rice = = こめ = kome

:rrrr:white rice

= 白米

= はくまい

= hakumai

:rrrr:The USA

= 米国

= べいこく

= beikoku

46) tea = = ちゃ = cha

:rrrr:green tea

= 緑茶

= りょくちゃ

= ryokucha

:rrrr:Japanese tea

= 日本茶

= にほんちゃ

= nihoncha

47) salt = = しお = shio = salt

:rrrr:saltty

=塩辛い

= しおからい

= salty

48) sugar = 砂糖 = さとう = satou

:rrrr: without sugar

= 砂糖なし

= さとうなし

= satou nashi

or

砂糖抜き

= satou nuki

= without sugar

:l: Now go on to  Super Basic Words Part 2!


***********************************************************

If you want to test yourself, go Maggie’s Room!

マギー先生より= Maggie Sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei

毎日、コツコツと勉強しましょうね。

= Mainichi kotsu kotsu to benkyou shimashoune.

= Let’s make sure we study Japanese everyday. OK?

(Note : コツコツ= こつこつ=kotsu kotsu = to do something steadily, diligently)




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15 Comments

  1. せんせい,
    おすすめ を できる ください
    can you recommend me some books which have short sentences?

    ありがとう

    1. レベルや興味によっても違いますが、短いお話を集めた星新一さんのショートショートは、読みやすいかもしれませんよ。

  2. Hi Maggie Sensei!

    I want to ask basic question about adjective. How to say “It was a good month”

    Could it be “良かった月” or “良い月でした” ?

    1. Hi Sno,

      It is confusing if you say 月 because 月 also means “the moon”
      If you add some words such as “this month” or “last month”, the listener will understand better.
      “this month” 今月はよかった。/ “last month” 先月はよかったです。

      1. Oh i see! Thanks for the 月 advice ^ ^

        Actually i am confusing about adjective in “past” form.
        I know we can use this pattern : noun + wa/ga + adjective(katta)

        but how about when using adjective before noun in past tense?
        adjective(katta) + noun

        or

        adjective + noun + deshita

        And how about for na- adjective? Is it same as i-adjective?

        1. OK, I hope the following examples will help you.
          難しい試験
          = Muzukashii shiken
          = a difficult exam

          難しかった試験
          = Muzukashikatta shiken
          = The exam which was difficult

          その試験は難しかったです。
          = Sono shiken wa muzukashikatta desu.
          = That exam was difficult.

          それは難しい試験でした。
          = Sore wa muzukashii shiken deshita.
          = That was a difficult exam.

          na-adjecitve
          静かな教室
          = Shizukana kyoushitsu
          = A quiet classroom

          静かだった教室
          = Shizuka datta kyoushitsu
          = The classroom which was quiet

          その教室は静かだった
          = Sono kyoushitsu wa shizuka datta
          = That classroom was quiet

          それは静かな教室でした。
          = Sore wa shizukana kyoushitsu deshita.
          = That was a quiet classroom

  3. I am baaaaack!!!!このSONY laptop本当にすごい! ^o^
    いつぱい宿題があるね @_@
    ま, だいじょうぶだよ ^^ 日本語は おもしろい <3

    先生, 復習にありがとう !!!
    Super Basic レッスンはとても助かりました^^ これからもよろしくね ^^v

    1. @Aki
      おかえり! 新しいコンピューターさっそく使っているね。
      4月4日から新しいSuper Basicスタートするからしっかり復習しておいてね。

  4. thank you vic hope yr doing well.
    how many readings are there for下?
    for stairs its oriru but for mountain it would be kudaru?
    私は山を下る

    1. @sven
      Hi, thank you for the comment but I am sorry….I am not Victor. :) Maggie and Yukari are making these lessons.
      I will forward your message to Victor. :-D

      But here is an answer for your question.
      下=した、しも、もと、げ、さがる、さげる、おろす、くださる、くだす、くだる
      It is possible to say 山を降りる but 山を下る is more common.
      (We also say 下山する= gezan suru)

    1. @薫

      Twitterをやっていない方でも実用的と聞いて嬉しいです。少しずつ勉強して下さいね。

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