Japanese for English speakers Street · Lesson 6

A car ride

Talk about driving in Japanese — 運転できますか (can you drive?) — and the difference between 運転する (drive somewhere) and ドライブ (a drive for fun).

Conversation

  1. Yennifer Yennifer

    ハニーさん、ハニーさんは運転できますか？

    hanīsan, hanīsan wa unten dekimasu ka?

    Hey Honey, can you drive?

    Tip: <person name + san> = used to call people <person name + san + ha> = this structure makes this people subject of the sentence <unten> = the drive, a drive <unten shimasu> = to drive

  2. Honey Honey

    もちろんできますよ

    mochiron dekimasu yo

    Obviously I can

    Tip: <mochiron> = obviously, sure enough

  3. Honey Honey

    メカニックですからね

    mekanikku desu kara ne

    As I am a mechanic

    Tip: <mekanikku> = mechanic

  4. Yennifer Yennifer

    今度一緒にドライブに行きませんか？

    kondo isshoni doraibu ni ikimasen ka?

    Next time, will we go on a drive together?

    Tip: <kondo> = next time <doraibu> = it sounds similar to the English word "drive, but it refers to "take a drive" for fun, and not to reach a destination <isshoni> = together, we <ikimasen ka?> = In Japanese, it's often polite to ask things by saying the negative form. This whole sentence is literally "next time, together drive not go?"

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

What's the difference between 運転する and ドライブ?

運転する = the act of driving anywhere (job, errand, commute). ドライブ = going for a drive for enjoyment (road trip, leisure).

Why ask in the negative form (行きませんか)?

Negative-form invitations are politer in Japanese — they leave room for the listener to decline without losing face.

What does もちろん mean?

'Of course' or 'obviously' — a confident affirmation.

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.