SUBJECT:

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

 

 

TOPIC:

Asking Permission

 

 

SOURCE:

Association for Japanese-Language Teaching (1994) Japanese for Busy People I (Revised Edition) Lesson 23

 

 

DATE:   

10 Mar 2003

 

 

 

LESSON DIALOGUE

 

Mr. Smith went to an electrical appliance store.

 

Sumisu:

Kono terebi o tsukete mo ii desu ka.

Denki-ya:

Hai, dōzo tsukete kudasai.

Sumisu:

Kono terebi no katarogu wa arimasu ka.

Denki-ya:

Hai, sono kēsu no ue ni arimasu.

Sumisu:

Moratte mo ii desu ka.

Denki-ya:

Hai, dōzo.

Sumisu:

Dōmo arigatō.

 

Sumisu-san wa denki-ya de terebi no katarogu o moraimashita.

 

Translation

 

Smith:

May I turn this TV set on?

Salesman:

Certainly, sir. (Please turn it on.)

Smith:

Do you have a brochure about this set?

Salesman:

Yes. (They’re) On top of that showcase.

Smith:

May I have one?

Salesman:

Certainly sir.

Smith:

Thank you very much.

 

Mr. Smith got a TV set brochure at an electrical appliance store.

 

Vocabulary

 

Tsukete mo ii desu ka

denki-ya

katarogu

kēsu

May I turn it on?

electrical appliance store or clerk

catalogue, brochure

showcase

 

 

NOTES

 

1.                    Asking permission to dosomething is done using the following sentence construction: Verb –TE form + MO II DESU KA.

Permission is given as follows. The first is politer than the second.

1.       HAI, DŌZO. “Yes, please (do).”

2.       HAI, II DESU. “Yes, you may.”

 

 

USEFUL VOCABULARY

 

denki-ya

katarogue

kēsu

niwa

pen

 

sā

 

subarashii

 

shashin o torimasu

tsukaimasu

electrical appliance store or clerk

catalogue, brochure

showcase

garden

pen

 

well….

 

wonderful (-i adj)

 

take a photograph

use

 

 

KEY SENTENCES

 

1.                    Koko de shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.”May (I) take a photograph here?”

2.                    Kono heya o tsukatte mo ii desu. “You may use this room.”

 

SHORT DIALOGUES

 

Japanese Dialogue 1

 

Yamada:

Ashita 2-ji goro denwa o shite mo ii desu ka.

Hayashi:

Sumimasen ga, 2-ji goro uchi ni imasen kara, 6-ji goro onegaishimasu.

Yamada:

Hai, wakarimashita.

 

Translation

 

Yamada:

May I call you about 2 o’clock tomorrow?

Hayashi:

I’m sorry, but I won’t be at home about 2:00, so call me about 6:00.

Yamada:

I see.

 

Japanese Dialogue 2

 

Ten’in

Go-jūsho to o-namae o onegaishimasu.

Hayashi:

Sumimasen. Pen ga arimasen. Kono pen o tsukatte mo ii desu ka.

Ten’in

Hai, dōzo.

 

Translation

 

Clerk:

Your name and address please?

Hayashi:

I’m afraid I don’t have a pen. May I use this pen?

Clerk:

Certainly, please do.

 

Japanese Dialogue 3

 

Tanaka:

Koko wa yūmeina o-tera desu. Naka ni hairimashō.

Sumisu:

Subarashii niwa desu ne. Kono niwa no shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.

Tanaka:

Sā, wakarimasen. Ano hito ni kikimashō.

 

Translation

 

Tanaka:

This is a famous temple. Let’s go inside.

Smith:

What a wonderful garden. May I take a picture of this garden?

Tanaka:

Well, I don’tknow. Let’s ask that man over there.