IN MY ROOM
| 部屋 heya | room |
| テーブル tēburu | table |
| ソファー sofā | sofa |
| ベッド beddo | bed |
| 椅子 isu | chair |
| 机 tsukue | desk |
| パソコン pasokon | computer (lit., personal computer) |
| テレビ terebi | TV |
| リモコン rimokon | remote control |
| スタンドライト sutandoraito | floor/table/desk lamp |
| 充電器 jūdenki | battery charger, charger |
| 鉛筆 enpitsu | pencil |
| ペン pen | pen |
| 時計 tokei | clock, watch |
| カメラ kamera | camera |
| 本 hon | book |
| 新聞 shinbun | newspaper |
| 雑誌 zasshi | magazine |
PLACES
| 駅 eki | train station |
| 郵便局 yūbinkyoku | post office |
| 銀行 ginkō | bank |
| 病院 byōin | hospital |
| 映画館 eigakan | movie theater |
| レストラン resutoran | restaurant |
| 喫茶店 kissaten | coffee shop |
| ネットカフェ netto kafe | cyber café |
| ATM ei tī emu | ATM |
| スーパー sūpā | supermarket |
PEOPLE
| 人 hito | person, people |
| 友達 tomodachi | friend |
| 学生 gakusei | student |
| 先生 sensei | teacher |
SCHOOLS
| 学校 gakkō | school |
| 高校 kōkō | high school |
| 大学 daigaku | college, university |
| 大学院 daigakuin | graduate school |
CULTURE NOTE Netto Kafe
Internet cafés in Japan are called netto kafe or nekafe, and are found in most major cities. They are actually very complex. In addition to desktop computers, Internet access, and drinks, they offer tons of comic books, magazines, and DVDs for the customers to read and watch as much as they want during their stay. They are usually open 24/7, and the customers are charged by time. They offer some private rooms in different sizes so the customers can read or watch undisturbed by others. Some netto kafes have comfortable reclining chairs, massage chairs, and shower rooms as well as billiards, karaoke, and darts. It is possible for homeless people to live in netto kafes in Japan, because a one-night stay could cost as little as ten dollars, and such people are called netto nanmin ‘net refugees.’
COUNTRIES
| 日本 Nihon/Nippon | Japan |
| アメリカ Amerika | The United States of America |
| イギリス Igirisu | England |
| 中国 Chūgoku | China |
| 韓国 Kankoku | South Korea |
| オーストラリア Ōsutoraria | Australia |
| フランス Furansu | France |
| ドイツ Doitsu | Germany |
| スペイン Supein | Spain |
| インド Indo | India |
| フィリピン Filipin | The Philippines |
| ロシア Roshia | Russia |
PEOPLE
| 日本人 Nihon-jin | Japanese |
| アメリカ人 Amerika-jin | American |
| 中国人 Chūgoku-jin | Chinese |
| 韓国人 Kankoku-jin | Korean |
| フランス人 Furansu-jin | French |
LANGUAGES
| 日本語 Nihongo | Japanese |
| 英語 Eigo | English |
| 中国語 Chūgokugo | Chinese |
| 韓国語 Kankokugo | Korean |
| フランス語 Furansugo | French |
Structure Notes
2.1. Nouns and pronouns
Nouns are words that name people, places, things, and concepts such as hito ‘person,’ Yamada ‘(Ms.) Yamada,’ zasshi ‘magazine,’ and uchi ‘house.’ Nouns often precede a particle like wa, ga, no, and ni, or occur before the word desu ‘is (equals).’
Pronouns refer to people and things. Personal pronouns refer to people. Watashi means ‘I’ or ‘me.’ In a formal situation watakushi is used instead of watashi. Women also say atashi in an informal situation. Men often say boku for ‘I, me’; a rougher term is ore. The pronoun ‘you’ in Japanese is anata, and a rougher term is anta. Kimi is a slightly intimate term for ‘you’; a condescending form is omae (sometimes used to small children). However, you should remember to avoid using these second-person pronouns (you) as much as possible: you can drop the pronoun or use the name or the title of the person. Kare means ‘he’ or ‘him’ and kanojo means ‘she’ or ‘her,’ but again, you can use the name or the title of the person as much as possible.
Demonstrative pronouns can be conveniently used for referring to items that both the speaker and the listener can see. For referring to things, use kore, sore, or are. For referring to locations use koko, soko, or asoko. (See 2.15. for related words.)
| これ kore | this one |
| それ sore | that one near you |
| あれ are | that one over there |
| どれ dore | which one |
| ここ koko | this place, here |
| そこ soko | that place (near you), there |
| あそこ asoko | over there |
| どこ doko | where |
「先生, これは先生の傘ですか。」
“Sensei, kore wa sensei no kasa desu ka.”
“Professor, is this your umbrella?”
「いいえ, それはマイクさんの傘です。」