Lesson 21: あさくさに いきませんか
N5 · Lesson 21 · 20 min — Lessons 15–20 review: ride the train to Asakusa with Neko-sensei for a day out
No new grammar in this lesson! We link Lessons 15–20 into one day in Asakusa: check the time → ride the train → walk to the temple → invite someone to take photos. All the words are ones you've already learned: あさくさ (Asakusa, Lesson 18), おてら (temple, Lesson 20), おだんご (dango: だんご from Lesson 11 plus お), as well as みせ (shop), きっぷ (ticket) and しゃしん (photo). ねこせんせい in the questions is Neko-sensei.
After this lesson, you can:
- Ask what time a train leaves and how long it takes; understand 「〜ごろ」 and 「〜ぐらい」
- Say where you go (に・へ), where you do things (で), and who with (と)
- Say how you go (で), from where to where (から〜まで), and where you get off (を おります)
- Invite with 「〜ませんか」, accept with 「〜ましょう」, and say "go to do ~"
A Day in Asakusa
Saturday morning, Asakusa again! Rin tries a third time to find the shop in the photo.
Invite with ませんか, accept with ましょう; ask the time with なんじに, the length with ぐらい. Neko-sensei's 〜に来ました is always for food!
Full dialogue
The full version of the comic, from the station all the way home. Cover the translation and read once first!
Review word cards
- 浅草 (Asakusa): Asakusa (a place in Tokyo) (Lesson 18)
- お寺 (otera): temple (Lesson 20)
- おだんご (odango): dango, rice dumplings (Lesson 11)
- 駅 (eki): station (review)
- 電車 (densha): train (review)
- バス (basu): bus (review)
- なんぷん (nan-pun): how many minutes (review)
- 出ます (demasu): (a train) leaves, departs (review)
- かかります (kakarimasu): (time) takes, costs (review)
- 行きます (ikimasu): go (review)
- 来ます (kimasu): come (review)
- 帰ります (kaerimasu): go back, return home (review)
- 降ります (orimasu): get off (a train) (review)
- 歩きます (arukimasu): walk (review)
- 待ちます (machimasu): wait (review)
- 撮ります (torimasu): take (a photo) (review)
Grammar 1 / 3: Time
Add に to a clock time, ごろ to an approximate time, and ぐらい to how long something takes
- Clock time + に: To say when you do something, add に after the time: はちじはんに でます (leaves at 8:30). Days of the week work too: どようびに いきます.
- ごろ: around what time: When the time is not exact, use ごろ instead of に: ごじごろ かえります (go back around 5). You may also hear ごじぐらい for a clock time, but a length of time always uses ぐらい, never ごろ.
- ぐらい: about how long or how much: For a length of time or an amount, use ぐらい: さんじゅっぷんぐらい (about 30 minutes), いちじかんぐらい (about 1 hour), ひゃくえんぐらい (about 100 yen).
- Time words with no に: いま, きょう, あした, and まいにち already mean "when," so they take no に: あした いきます.
- でんしゃは なんじに でますか。 — What time does the train leave?
- あさくさまで さんじゅっぷんぐらい かかります。 — It takes about 30 minutes to get to Asakusa.
- どようびに あさくさに いきました。 — I went to Asakusa on Saturday.
Grammar 2 / 3: Places & transport
Use に／へ for where you go, で for where you do things and how you go, and から〜まで for from where to where
- に／へ: where you go: The destination of いきます, きます, and かえります takes に or へ (へ is read "e" here): あさくさに いきます, たいわんへ かえります.
- で: where you do it, or what you use: The place where an action happens: えきで まちます (wait at the station). A vehicle or method: でんしゃで いきます (go by train).
- から〜まで: from ~ to ~: Add から to the start and まで to the end: えきから おてらまで あるきます. It works for time too: くじから ごじまで.
- を: getting off or leaving; と: with whom: The place or thing you leave or get off takes を: でんしゃを おります. The person you go with takes と: ねこせんせいと いきます.
- ねこせんせいと あさくさへ いきます。 — I go to Asakusa with Neko-sensei.
- えきから おてらまで あるきます。 — I walk from the station to the temple.
- あさくさで でんしゃを おります。 — I get off the train at Asakusa.
Grammar 3 / 3: Invitations
Invite with 〜ませんか, accept with 〜ましょう, and say "go to do ~" with 〜に いきます
- 〜ませんか: invite: Change ます to ませんか to ask politely "Would you like to ~?": あさくさに いきませんか.
- 〜ましょう: let's ~: Use it to accept an invitation or suggest doing something together: はい、いきましょう！ ごじごろ かえりましょう.
- 〜ましょうか: shall I ~?: Use it to offer help: きっぷを かいましょうか (Shall I buy the tickets?).
- 〜に いきます: go to do ~: Drop ます, then add に いきます／きます: たべます → たべに いきます (go to eat), かいます → かいに いきます (go to buy).
- どようびに あさくさに いきませんか。 — Would you like to go to Asakusa on Saturday?
- ごじごろ かえりましょう。 — Let's go back around 5.
- えきで きっぷを かいましょうか。 — Shall I buy the tickets at the station?
- おてらに しゃしんを とりに いきます。 — I go to the temple to take photos.