Japanese for English speakers Supermarket · Lesson 2

Performances at work

Compare past performance with 売りました (sold). Learn position-vs-place order — 隣の花屋 (neighbouring florist) vs 花屋の隣 (next to the florist).

Conversation

  1. Rose Rose

    昨日、隣の花屋は...

    Kinō, tonari no hanaya wa...

    Yesterday, the neighbouring flower shop...

    Tip: <hanaya> = flower shop <[position] + no + [place]> = the place that happens to be ... <[place] + no + [position]> = in front / behind / close to the place <gakkō no tonari> = next to the school <tonari no gakkō > = the school next door, the neighbouring school

  2. Rose Rose

    花をたくさん売りましたね

    hana o takusan urimashita ne

    sold many flowers

  3. PX296 PX296

    そうですか？それはどうしてですか？

    sōdesu ka? sore wa dōshite desu ka?

    Oh, is that so? Why was that?

  4. Rose Rose

    昨日、休みでしたから...

    Kinō, yasumi deshita kara...

    Yesterday it was a holiday...

  5. Rose Rose

    お客さんが大勢いいました

    okyaku san ga ōzē imashita

    so there were many customers

    Tip: <ōzei> = many (only for people)

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

How does 隣 work as a positional noun?

Order matters: A の隣 = 'next to A'. 隣のA = 'the A next door'. Same word, different relationships.

What does 大勢 (ōzei) mean?

'Many' or 'a crowd' — used only for people: 大勢の人 = 'many people'. Use たくさん for things.

What is 花屋 (hanaya)?

A florist or flower shop. The suffix 屋 (-ya) means 'shop': パン屋 (bakery), 本屋 (bookshop).

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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