Japanese for English speakers Clothes · Lesson 7

Broken or not functioning products

Point out a defect politely in Japanese with 欠陥があります (kekkan ga arimasu). Practice comparison with ...より (... yori) for 'compared to' — 右袖は左袖より長い (right sleeve is longer than left).

Conversation

  1. Rocky Rocky

    すみません

    sumimasen

    Excuse me

  2. Rocky Rocky

    このシャツは欠陥がありますが

    kono shatsu wa kekkann ga arimasu ga

    This shirt is defective

    Tip: <kekkan> = defect, deficiency, fault, flaw

  3. Rose Rose

    そうですね

    sō desu ne

    Oh, you are right

  4. Rose Rose

    右袖は左袖より

    migi sode wa hidari sode yori

    The right sleeve, compared to the left one,

    Tip: <sode> = sleeve

  5. Rose Rose

    ちょっと長いですね

    chotto nagai desu ne

    is a little longer

    Tip: <nagai> = long ("i" adjective)

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

How do you say 'this is defective' in Japanese?

欠陥があります (kekkan ga arimasu) — literally 'there is a defect'. Or more colloquially, 壊れています = 'it's broken'.

How do you compare two things in Japanese?

Use the structure AはBより + adjective: 右袖は左袖より長い = 'the right sleeve is longer than the left'.

What does 袖 (sode) mean?

Sleeve — of a shirt, jacket, or kimono. 半袖 = short sleeves, 長袖 = long sleeves.

Test yourself

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

5 quick questions on what you just heard.

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