Japanese for English speakers Bakery · Lesson 3

From ...to...

Express a range with ...から ...まで (kara ... made) — 'from ... to ...'. Meera explains that the bakery is closed from 木曜日 (Thursday) to 日曜日 (Sunday), introducing days of the week and the polite apology 申し訳ございません.

Conversation

  1. Bob Bob

    へえ？今日もお休みですか

    Hē? Kyō mo oyasumi desu ka?

    Eh!? Are you closed today too?

    Tip: <Oyasumi> = Day off, rest, break. If said before going to bed, it means "good night"

  2. Meera Meera

    申し訳ございません、お客様

    Mōshi wake gozaimasen, okyaku sama

    We are very sorry

  3. Meera Meera

    うちの店は木曜日から

    Uchi no mise wa mokuyōbi kara

    Our shop, from Thursday...

    Tip: <Mokuyōbi> = Thursday

  4. Meera Meera

    日曜日まで休みます

    Nichiyōbi made yasumimasu

    ...to Sunday, is closed

    Tip: <Nichiyōbi> = Sunday <...Kara...made> = From ... to ...

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

What does から mean in Japanese?

から has two main meanings: 'from' (for time and place) and 'because' (when ending a clause). Context tells you which is meant.

How do you say 'from Monday to Friday'?

月曜日から金曜日まで (getsuyōbi kara kin'yōbi made). から marks the start, まで marks the end.

How do you say the days of the week in Japanese?

月曜日 (Mon), 火曜日 (Tue), 水曜日 (Wed), 木曜日 (Thu), 金曜日 (Fri), 土曜日 (Sat), 日曜日 (Sun) — each uses the suffix 曜日 (yōbi).

What does 申し訳ございません mean?

A very formal apology — 'I am very sorry'. More formal than ごめんなさい or すみません, used by businesses to customers.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Japanese lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.