Key phrases
kyo‾ today
ashita tomorrow
konshu‾matsu this weekend
raishu‾ next week
itsu when
itsu To‾kyo‾ e ikimasu ka? when are you going to Tokyo?
kyo‾ ikimasu I’m going today
ashita ikimasu I’m going tomorrow
konshu‾matsu ikimasu I’m going this weekend
raishu‾ ikimasu I’m going next week
mada wakarimasen I don’t know yet
NOTE
shu‾
The shu‾ in raishu‾and konshu‾matsu means “week”
Listening and speaking
Tanaka-san wa itsu To‾kyo‾e ikimasu ka? When are you going to Tokyo, Mr Tanaka?
Kyo‾ ikimasu. I’m going today.
Sumisu-san wa itsu Himeji-jo‾ e ikimasu ka? When are you going to Himeji Castle, Mr Smith?
Konshu‾matsu ikimasu. I’m going this weekend.
So‾ desu ka. I‾ desu ne. Is that right? That’s nice, isn’t it?
Teira‾san wa itsu O‾saka e ikimasu ka? When are you going to Osaka, Mrs Taylor?
Mada wakarimasen. I don’t know yet.
So‾desu ka. Is that right?
NOTE
I‾= good, OK, nice, fine, excellent,pleasant, etc.
ne
When you add ne to the end of a statement it acts like a tag question, e.g. “isn’t it?”, “aren’t they?”
LANGUAGE INFORMATION
When you go to your own home, company or country, you say kaerimasu instead of ikimasu. It means “go back” or “return”. For example, if you are British and you are going to the UK, you should say:
watashi wa Igirisu e kaerimasu – I’m going back to the UK
CULTURAL INFORMATION
Golden Week
Four Japanese national holidays occur within one week from late April to early May, so many Japanese businesses close down for the whole period. This is called “Golden Week”. It is the longest holiday of the year for most Japanese people, so many of them take the opportunity to travel. Flights, trains and hotels are often fully booked and prices are significantly higher. Travelling to Japan should be avoided at this time of year, over the New Year (1–3 January) and during Obon (a mid-August holiday).