2.3: Dialogue 3

On the train

Michael：Tsugi no eki de orimasu ne. We get off at the next station, right?

次 つぎ の駅 えき で、降 お りますね。

Honda：Hai. Sore kara chikatetsu ni norikaemasu. Yes. Then we change to the subway.

はい。それから、地下鉄 ちかてつ に乗の り換 か えます。

Michael：Nan-ji goro tsukimasu ka. About what time will we arrive?

何時 なんじ ごろ着つ きますか。

Honda：Roku-ji-han ni wa tsukimasu yo. We’ll get there by 6:30.

六時半 ろくじはん には着つ きますよ。

Walking to the theater

Honda ：Ima nan-ji desu ka. What time is it now?

今 いま 、何時 なんじ ですか。

Michael：Jup-pun mae desu. Ten (minutes) to (the hour) 十分前 じゅっぷんまえ です。

Honda ：Chotto isogimashou. Let’s hurry a little bit. ちょっと急 いそ ぎましょう。

Vocabulary

tsugi つぎ 次 next
orimasu おります 降ります get off, alight
sore kara それから then, next
norikaemasu のりかえます 乗り換えます change, transfer (transportation)
tsukimasu つきます 着きます arrive
＋demasu でます 出ます leave
~goro ごろ around X, approximately
nan-ji goro なんじごろ 何時頃 around what time
jup-pun mae じゅっぷんまえ 十分前 ten minutes before the hour
＋sugi すぎ 過ぎ after
isogimasu いそぎます 急ぎます hurry
＋arukimasu あるきます 歩きます walk
＋hashirimasuはしります 走ります run

Grammar Notes

何時 なんじ ごろ Approximation of Naming Time

In 6-2-2 above, we saw that ~gurai combines with counting classifiers to indicate approximation of quantity. ~Goro on the other hand combines with naming time classifiers to indicate approximation of point in time. Thus, ichi-ji goro means ‘about one o’clock.’

We also saw in 6-1-3 that specific time expressions take particle に to indicate the specific time at which something happens. However, when these specific time expressions are followed by ~goro, the particle ni becomes optional. This may be because ~goro makes the expressions vague --without clear starting and ending points-- like time expressions such as asa ‘morning’. In many situations, ~goro makes you sound softer and polite.

何時 なんじ に行い きますか。 Nan-ji ni ikimasu ka. What time are you going?

何時 なんじ ごろ行い きますか。 Nan-ji goro ikimasu ka. Around what time are you going?

It is also to be noted that in contemporary Japanese ~gurai has begun to combine with naming time classifiers. In another word, ~gurai is used like ~goro. However, in such cases, the particle に is required in order to avoid confusion:

月曜日 げつようび に帰ります。 Getsuyoubi ni kaerimasu. I’ll return on Monday.

月曜日 げつようび ごろ（に）帰ります。Getsuyoubi goro (ni) kaerimasu. I’ll return around Monday.

月曜日 げつようび ぐらいに帰ります。Getsuyoubi gurai ni kaerimasu. I’ll return around Monday.

十 分 じゅっぷん ぐらい行い きましょう。 Jup-pun gurai ikimashou. Let’s go for about ten minutes. (counting)

十 分 じゅっぷん ごろ行い きましょう。Juppun goro ikimashou. Let’s go around ten minutes (past the hour). (naming)

十 分 じゅっぷん ぐらいに行い きましょう。Jup-pun gurai ni ikimashou. Let’s go around ten minutes (past the hour). (naming)

sugi/ mae More about telling time

In 6-1-2 above, we saw that in telling clock time, the hour is followed by minutes (ku-ji jup-pun.) You may also hear minutes before the hour followed by mae ‘before’ or minutes after the hour followed by sugi ‘past’:

六時五分前 ろくじごふんまえ roku-ji go-fun mae five minutes before/until 6:00.

八時十分過 はいじじゅっぷんす ぎ hachi-ji jup-pun sugi. ten minutes after/past 8:00

お昼 ひる ちょっと前 まえ ohiru chotto mae a little before noon.

九時半少 くじはんすこ しすぎ ku-ji han sukoshi sugi a little past 6:30.

When the hour has already been mentioned or understood, it is common not to mention it:

六時 ろくじ ですか． Roku-ji desuka. Is it six?

いえ、十分前 じゅっぷんまえ です。 Iie, jup-pun mae desu. No, it’s ten to.

Learning Verbs with Particles

Selecting the right particle is always a challenge to many learners of Japanese. As you expand your vocabulary, it’s recommended that you learn each new verb along with the particle that is typically used with it.

In this lesson we learn several verbs that are associated with transportation. Notice that these verbs take different particles and it is hard to guess the right ones simply on the basis of their English translations.

バスに乗の ります。 Basu ni norimasu. I’ll get on the bus.

バスを降 お ります。Basu o orimasu. I’ll get off the bus

バスを乗の り換 か えます。Basu o norikaemasu. I’ll change buses.

バスに乗の り換 か えます。Basu ni norikaemasu．I’ll transfer to a bus.

バスから乗の り換 か えます。Basu kara norikaemasu. I’ll transfer from a bus.

家 いえ を出で ました。Ie o demashita. I left home.

家 いえ に着つ きました。Ie ni tsukimashita. I arrived home.