J131 "Asking for Japanese Words and English Equivalents" (Textbook p. 25-28)

p. 25 bottom

Q. Kore wa Nihongo de nan to iimasu ka?

これは　にほんごで　なん　と　いいますか。

Let's break it down:

これは Kore wa -- As for this thing

にほんごで Nihongo de -- in Japanese--

なん　と　いいますか

Nan to iimasu ka?-- What do we say? OR

How do we call it?

 

Answer:

"X to iimasu."　= "It's called X."

X　と　いいます。

Or, "We call it X."

OR, alternatively,

X tte iimasu.　って= contraction of　と　いう　

Xって　いいます = It is called "X"

In this case, if the X is a"Book" so we would say,

Hon (ほん) to/tte iimasu

 

Sore wa Nihongo de nan to iimasu ka?　

それは = that thing

 

What do you call that (thing) in Japanese?

The Answer is Chair so,

"Isu" (いす) to/tte iimasu.

It is called a "chair."

 

Are wa Nihongo de nan to iimasu ka?　

あれは = that thing over there

Answer = a Phone so...でんわ

Denwa to iimasu = It's called a "denwa."

でんわ　と　いいます。

 

OR, we can ask how to say some English word in Japanese:

[Some English word] wa Nihongo de nan to iimasuka? e.g.

[English word] は　にほんごで　なんと いいますか.

e.g.

"Love" wa Nihongo de nan to iimasuka?

「Love」は　にほんご で　なんと　いいますか。

 

How do you say "Love" in Japanese?

Answer:

「あい (Ai)」to iimasu. = You say "Ai"

 

We can also use "desu"（です）in place of "to iimasu" here to say the answer IS ____.

"Ai desu." 　あい　です 　It's (the answer is) Love.

 

 

What is a "Bike" called in Japanese?

"Bike" wa Nihongo de nan to iimasuka?　

「Bike」は　にほんご で　なん　と　いいますか。

It is called it a "Jitensha"

"Jitensha" to iimasu = じてんしゃ　と　いいます。

Or, じてんしゃ　です。= It's a "Jitensha."

 

Practice

Ask how to say the following in Japanese:

_________wa Nihongo de nan to iimasuka?　

_________は　にほんご で　なん　と　いいますか。

 

Movie

Pork Cutlet

Dream

Dictionary

Clock

Doctor

Train

Comic

 

Or, the other way around：

You hear someone say the word SUIKA--すいか--and you don't know what it means, so you ask,

Sensei, "Suika" tte nan desu ka.

せんせい、「すいか」って　なんですか。

Sensei, what does すいか mean?

Answer, "Watermelon" desu = It means watermelon.

So we can use "desu"（です） here to say the answer IS watermelon.

 

Practice:

Ask Sensei what the following mean using

X っtte nan desu ka? e.g.

daigaku, だいがく っtte nan desu ka?

Ans. = University/College です。

 

senkou, せんこう

gakusei, がくせい

tsukue, つくえ

kokuban, こくばん

mado, まど

kuruma　くるま

enpitsu　えんぴつ

ryoo りょう

 

Some Majors:

Biology wa Nihongo de nan to iimasu ka?

「Biology」 は　にほんごで　なん　と　いいますか。

Answer, "Seibutsu gaku" desu.

「せいぶつがく」です。

Or, What is "Seibutsu gaku"?

「せいぶつがく」って　なん　ですか。

 

「せいぶつがく」って Biology です。

"Seibutsu gaku" means Biology.

 

How about History? =

History は　にほんごで　なんと　いいますか。

Or, History って　なん　ですか。

Answer: "Rekishi" (れきし)

 

 

Ask: "What is ____ in Japanese?"

 

Economics

Literature

Japanese

Pre-med

Chemistry

Asian Studies

International Studies

Japanese Studies

Politics

Anthropology

 

 

 

Let's go back and work with Hiragana Reading Practices on pp. 6, and 10