2024.10.22

A Japanese language teacher teaches! Summary of Japanese expressions that are easy to make mistakes

Rie Miyashita
Started working as a Japanese language teacher in 2001. I continue to teach Japanese because it makes me happy to see the smiles on learners' faces when they say, "I get it. I am so happy to see the smiles on the students' faces when they say, "I understand. She has been teaching mainly at Japanese language schools, from beginner to advanced level, as well as JLPT and EJU preparation, college guidance, and classroom teaching. She is currently interested in Japanese language for foreign workers, Japanese language for foreigners living in Japan, and Japanese language for the community, which she puts into practice in her daily work. She completed a training course for beginning teachers of Japanese for workers commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2003, and is currently attending a training course for beginning teachers of Japanese for "foreigners as consumers" in 2023.

“今朝はたばこを食べましたよ。(Kesawa tabakowo tabemashitayo.)”
:I ate a cigarette this morning.

“わたしのにくはきれいですよ。(Watashino nikuwa kireidesuyo.)”
:My meat is beautiful.

“わたしの会社は銀座のビールにあります。(Watashino kaishawa ginzano biiruni arimasu.)”
:My company is located in beer in Ginza.

 

Sometimes, I am surprised by the mistakes students make in conversation.

 

About the examples, they are mistakes, “たまご (卵 tamago), not たばこ (煙草 tabako),” “くに (国 kuni), not にく (肉 niku),” and “ビル (building), not ビール (beer).” There are lots of words that the meanings are changed depending on small differences of the elements of words.

 

Not only do words make mistakes, but also differences in the way to use words change the meanings. This time, I will show you some examples that I notice students make mistakes with when I hear or see them speaking or studying.

“エミと呼んでもいいです (Emito yondemo iidesu)”

First, here are 2 expressions we use in our self-introduction.

 

“はじめまして (hajimemashite)。ヤマダエミです (Yamada Emi desu)。エミとよんでもいいです (Emito yondemo iidesu)。どうもよろしく (doumo yoroshiku)。”

 

What is the mistake?

 

First, when you want to tell someone your nickname, you should use “エミと呼んでください (Emi to yondekudasai),” not “エミと呼んでもいいです (Emi to yondemo iidesu).”

 

“~てもいい (~ temoii)” is a expression you permit someone to do something. So, “エミと呼んでもいいです (Emi to yondemo iidesu)” sounds like “You can call Emi.” It is an understandable expression for people, “エミと呼んでください (Emi to yondekudasai): Please call me Emi.”

 

When we ask someone’s nickname, we use “~てもいいですか (~ temoiidesuka),” such as “ケンさんと呼んでもいいですか (ken san to yonndemo iidesuka).” “~てもいいですか (~ temoiidesuka)” is an expression that we get permission from someone, like “Can I do ~?.”

 

Next when we say “よろしく (yoroshiku)” first, we use “どうぞ (douzo)” not “どうも (doumo).”

 

A: “はじめまして、どうぞよろしく (hajimemashite douzo yorosiku): Hello, nice to meet you”
B: “こちらこそ、どうもよろしく (kochirakoso domo yorosiku): Nice to meet you too”

 

A: “これプレゼントです。どうぞ (kore present desu. Douzo): Present for you. Here you are”
B: “どうもありがとうございます (doumo arigato gozaimasu): Thank you very much”

 

The person who speaks first uses “どうぞ (dozo)” and the person who replies uses “どうも (domo).”

“課長、私のレポートをチェックしてもいいです (Kacho, watashino report wo check shitemoiidesu)”

I will continue the explanation about the way to use “してもいいですか (shitemoiidesuka),” “してもいいです (shitemo iidesu)” and “してください (shitekudasai).”

 

“してもいいですか (shitemoiidesuka): I want to do this. Could you permit me it?” is an expression you ask to get a permission. “してもいいです (shitemo iidesu)” is like “I permit what you will do.” And, “してください (shitekudasai)” is the way to ask someone what you want someone to do, “Please, do it.”

 

課長、私のレポートをチェックしてもいいです (Kacho, watashino report wo check shitemoiidesu)
: You can see the content of my report.Anh có thể xem nội dung báo cáo của tôi.

 

課長、私のレポートをチェックしてください (kacyo, watashino report wo check shitekudasai)
: Could you check my report?

 

When you borrow something from people, you can make mistakes easily with using “~てもいいですか (~ temoiidesuka)” and “~てください (~ tekudasai).”

 

They are same meanings, “ペンを貸してください (pen wo kashite kudasai)” and “ペンを借りてもいいですか (pen wo karitemo iidesuka).” However, the meaning of “ペンを借りてください (pen wo karite kudasai)” is different of them. When you borrow something from someone, I recommend you to memorize these expressions, “貸してください (kashitekudasai)” or “借りてもいいですか (karitemoiidesuka).” They are useful.

“おなかがすきです? (onakaga sukidesu?)”

Let me introduce two sentences whose meaning changes depending on whether you use “です (desu)” or “ます (masu).”

 

① “朝から忙しくて何も食べていません。お腹がすきです。 (Asa kara isogashikute nanimo tabeteimasen.)”

 

This will surprise people. The phrase means “I like my stomach.” so some people might say, “If your stomach is that nice, please show us.” The correct way is “お腹がすきました (Onaka ga sukimashita).

 

② “今日は休みます (kyo wa yasumimasu)” and “今日は休みです (kyo wa yasumidesu)” have each different meanings.

 

When you decide that you will get off by yourself, you use “休みます(Yasumimasu)” such as “頭が痛いので今日は休みます (Atama ga itainode kyo wa yasumimasu): I have a headache so I am taking the day off today” and “国へ帰るので2週間休みます (kuni e kaerunode nisyukan yasumimasu): I am going back to my country so I will take two weeks off.”

 

When you want to express the off someone decide, you use “休みです (yasumidesu)” such as “私の会社は土日が休みです (watashi no kaisya wa donichi ga yasumidesu): My company are closed Saturday and Sunday” and “図書館へ行ったけれど休みでした (Toshokan e ittakeredo yasumidesita): I went to the library but it was closed.”

“食べるがほしいです (Taberuga hoshidesu)”

“ほしい (欲しい hoshi)” means “want.” The example to use it is “~が欲しい (~ ga hoshi): I want ~.” “パンが欲しい (Pan ga hoshi): I want a bread.” “お金が欲しい (okane ga hoshi): I want money.” “仕事が欲しい (shigoto ga hoshi): I want job.”

 

Then, how can we express “I want to eat breads?” Do we say “パンを食べますが欲しい (pan wo tabemasu ga hoshi)?” It is correct, “パンが食べますたい (pan ga tabetai).” Most of Japanese people can understand what you want to say when you say “パンを食べますが欲しい (pan wo tabemasu ga hoshi).” But it sounds childish. In conversation, you should use “verb + たい (tai),” such as “水が飲みたい (mizu ga nomitai): I want to drink water,” “恋人に会いたい (koibito ni aitai): I want to meet my boyfriend/girlfriend” and “転職したい (tensyoku shitai): I want to change my job.”

 

If you master to use “~がほしい (~ ga hoshi)” and “~がしたい (~ ga shitai),” you will be able to express a lot of things you want to say.

“結婚します (Kekkon shimasu)”

Last topic is about “します (shimasu),” “しています (shiteimasu),” “しません (shimasen)” and “していません (shiteimasen).”

 

A: “私、結婚します (Watashi kekkon shimasu): I will marry”
B: “おめでとうございます。いつですか (omedeto gozaimasu itsudesuka): Congratulations. When?”

 

A: “3年前です (*san nen mae desu): 3 years ago”
B: “3年前?…そうですか (san nen mae …soudesuka): 3 years ago? Alright”

 

“します (shimasu)” in “結婚します (kekkon shimasu)” means that I have not done it yet and I will do it. So, person B ask “いつ結婚しますか (itsu kekkon shimasuka): when will you marry?” The correct answer of person A is “結婚しています (kekkonshiteimasu),” not “結婚します (kekkon shimasu).”

 

“~します (shimasu)”: I am going to do it now or I am going to do it later
“~しています (shiteimasu)”: I am doing it now or I am in the situation now
“~しません (shimasen)”: I do not / will not do it
“~していません (shiteimasen)”: I have not been in the situation yet

 

They are the examples with “住みます (sumimasu): live.”

 

“来月から東京に住みます (raigetu kara Tokyo ni sumimasu)
:I am going to start to live in Tokyo from next month”

 

“去年から東京に住んでいます (kyonen kara Tokyo ni sundeimasu)
: I have lived in Tokyo from last year”

 

“東京は家賃が高いです。東京に住みません (Tokyo wa yachin ga takai desu.Tokyo ni sumimasen)
: The rent is expensive in Tokyo. I do not live in Tokyo.”

 

“東京に住んでいません。埼玉に住んでいます (Tokyo ni sundeimasen. Saitama ni sundeimasu)
: I do not live in Tokyo; I live in Saitama”

Let’s Learn Japanese More at TCJ

This topic, “Japanese Expressions That are Easy to Confuse,” may be hard. There are many other phrases that have similar sounds but are difficult to understand. Among them, we have picked out some phrases that Japanese language learners often make mistakes, and some phrases that can be misunderstood or give a bad impression. I imagine some learners are confused, reading this column, “why?” or “I want to know another way to express it.” If you want to know the reasons why it is different, which I cannot write here, please come to class and ask. The teachers try to answer as clearly and convincingly as possible. The best benefit of taking lessons with a teacher in class is “being able to ask questions.” The teachers are also excited and looking forward to seeing what questions you will ask.

 

Actually, we have many more “Japanese phrases that are easy to confuse.” Learners may also want to know the differences between similar verbs. In class, you can learn deeply. We are looking forward to seeing you.

Contact TCJ
BACK TO LIST
Follow
& DM