LITMIR.BIZ

      CHAPTER 2

      What’s What

      Over half of what we say in English is made up of fewer than fifty words. It’s the same in Japanese. Just by learning the following words and phrases, you’ll be able to make hundreds of different sentences. And remember, to make a question, add -ka to the end of a sentence with a rising intonation.

      WORDS & EXPRESSIONS

      this

      kore

      これ

      [subject particle]

      wa

      は

      Shinto shrine

      jinja

      神社（じんじゃ）

      is; am; are

      dess

      です

      that

      are

      あれ

      Buddhist temple

      o-tera

      お寺（てら）

      the Kabuki Theater

      Kabuki-za

      歌舞伎座（かぶきざ）

      Kabuki

      Kabuki

      歌舞伎（かぶき）

      yes

      hai

      はい

      that’s right

      sō dess

      そうです

      no

      iie

      いいえ

      isn’t; am not; aren’t

      dewa arimasen

      ではありません

      woodblock print

      hanga

      版画（はんが）

      what

      nan(i)

      何（なん、なに）

      Shinto shrine archway

      torii

      鳥居（とりい）

      the Imperial Palace

      Kōkyo

      皇居（こうきょ）

      castle

      o-shiro

      お城（しろ）

      bonsai (miniature potted tree or shrub)

      bonsai

      盆栽（ぼんさい）

      wind chime

      fūrin

      風鈴（ふうりん）

      EXAMPLES

      This is a Shinto shrine.

      Kore wa jinja dess.

      これは神社（じんじゃ）です｡

      That is a Buddhist temple.

      Are wa o-tera dess.

      あれはお寺（てら）です｡

      Is that the Kabuki Theater?

      Are wa Kabuki-za dess ka?

      あれは歌舞伎座（かぶきざ）ですか？

      Yes, it is.

      Hai, sō dess.

      はい、そうです｡

      What’s this?

      Kore wa nan dess ka?

      これは何（なん）ですか？

      This is a Shinto shrine archway.

      Kore wa torii dess.

      これは鳥居（とりい）です｡

      Is this the Imperial Palace?

      Kore wa Kōkyo dess ka?

      これは皇居（こうきょ）ですか？

      Is that a castle?

      Are wa o-shiro dess ka?

      あれはお城（しろ）ですか？

      This is a bonsai.

      Kore wa bonsai dess.

      これは盆栽（ぼんさい）です｡

      That isn’t a wind chime.

      Are wa fūrin dewa arimasen.

      あれは風鈴（ふうりん）ではありません。

      SHRINES AND TEMPLES

      What’s the difference between a shrine and a temple? Shrines are worship grounds for Shinto, a religion that originated in Japan. Temples are places of worship for Buddhism, which originally came from India. In some places in Japan, shrines and temples stand side by side.

      A shrine can be identified by a torii, an arch made of two crossbeams supported by two pillars. The torii represents the union of man and woman and marks the entrance to the shrine grounds. At a temple, you can always find a statue of a Buddha inside one of the buildings.

      EXPRESSIONS IN CONTEXT

       MINI DIALOGUE 1

      A: What’s this?

      Kore wa nan dess ka?

      これは何（なん）ですか？

      B:

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