Review: Making It Work (1)

This is a review lesson integrating everything you have learned in Chapters I and II (Units 1–10). Rather than introducing new material, this lesson asks you to act out or create conversations with a partner based on realistic scenarios. Try to use the expressions you have learned as naturally as possible.

Review Dialogues

Greetings and Introductions (Units 1–3)

Practice these core exchanges that you first learned in the opening chapters:

Romaji	English
Sumimasen.	Excuse me.
Ohayoo gozaimasu.	Good morning.
Konnichiwa.	Good afternoon. / Hello.
Hajimemashite. Doozo yoroshiku.	How do you do? Pleased to meet you.
Okusan wa ogenki desu ka?	How is your wife?
Okagesamade, genki desu.	Fine, thank you.

Asking About Places (Units 4–6)

Romaji	English
Kono chikaku ni chikatetsu no eki ga arimasu ka?	Is there a subway station near here?
Are wa nan desu ka?	What is that?
Toire wa doko desu ka?	Where is the restroom?

Getting Directions (Units 7–10)

Romaji	English
Kono michi o massugu itte, futatsu-me no kado o migi ni magarimasu.	Go straight down this street and turn right at the second corner.
Moo ichi-do yukkuri itte kudasai.	Please say that once more slowly.
Koko kara tooi desu ka?	Is it far from here?
Iie, tooku arimasen yo. Aruite jup-pun gurai desu.	No, it isn’t far. It’s about a 10-minute walk.

Cumulative Vocabulary Review

Essential Phrases

Romaji	English
sumimasen	excuse me; I’m sorry
arigatoo gozaimasu	thank you very much
doo itashimashite	you’re welcome
onegai shimasu	please (when requesting)
kudasai	please (when asking for something)
wakarimasu	I understand
wakarimasen	I don’t understand
moo ichi-do	once more
yukkuri	slowly

Direction Words

Romaji	English
migi	right
hidari	left
massugu	straight
kado	corner
shingoo	traffic light
koosaten	intersection
tsukiatari	dead end / end of the street
tsugi	next
saki	beyond, ahead
mukoo	over there, the other side
chikaku	nearby
soba	near, beside

Places

Romaji	English
eki	station
chikatetsu	subway
kooban	police box
depaato	department store
resutoran	restaurant
ginkoo	bank
bijutsukan	art museum
taishikan	embassy
toire	restroom
kissaten	coffee shop

Distance and Time

Romaji	English
tooi	far
chikai	near
meetoru	meter(s)
…fun / …pun	minute(s)
gurai	approximately
aruite	on foot
made	as far as, until
kara	from

Numbers (Chinese-Origin)

Number	Romaji	Number	Romaji
1	ichi	6	roku
2	ni	7	shichi / nana
3	san	8	hachi
4	shi / yon	9	ku / kyuu
5	go	10	juu

Practice Scenarios

Work through the following situations. For each one, think about which expressions from Units 1–10 you would use, then practice the conversation aloud.

Getting Around

1. You want to find out if that building over there is Tokyo Station.
2. You want to find out if Ginza 4-chome is far from where you are.
3. Someone gives you directions but speaks too fast. What do you say?
4. You are shopping in a department store and need to find the bathroom. How do you ask?
5. You want to find out from a Japanese person if this is the office of Mr. Johnson.

Social Situations

6. It is morning. You want to greet a Japanese acquaintance you see on the way to work.
7. A Japanese person with limited English asks you on the street where the U.S. Embassy is. Help them using Japanese.
8. You have received something from a Japanese person. How do you respond?
9. It’s after work and before you go home — what greeting do you use?
10. You want to get a stranger’s attention on the street so you can ask something.

Confirming and Clarifying

11. You just got off the train and think this street goes to Ginza 4-chome. How do you check?
12. You want to find out if there is a taxi stand in the immediate vicinity.
13. You asked the way to the station but the person speaks too fast. What do you say?
14. You want to find out what that building at the end of the street is.
15. You want to find out if the Mitsukoshi Department Store is on the second or third corner from here.

Telephone and Dining

16. You have made a telephone call to an office and gotten the wrong number. What do you say?
17. You are at a restaurant and see something among the plastic samples you’d like to try, but you don’t know what it’s called in Japanese.
18. You want to ask for an English menu.
19. You want to order sukiyaki.

Introductions and Appointments

20. You want to find out if a given Japanese person knows English.
21. You are asked by a Japanese person: “Are you (your name)?” How do you respond?
22. You are asked by a Japanese person: “Are you (someone else’s name)?” How do you respond?
23. You are first introduced to someone. What do you say?
24. You think it’s Mr. Tanaka of the Trade Ministry but you want to make sure.
25. You meet a Japanese friend. Ask how his wife (or husband) is.
26. You want to exchange business cards with someone.

Navigation Challenges

27. You are looking for the Sony Building. Find out if it’s near or far from where you are now.
28. You’re not sure where the station you’re looking for is. Ask a Japanese person to draw you a map.
29. You’re on the train and want to find out how many more stations there are before Roppongi.
30. You’re on the train and want to make sure that Shinjuku is the station after next.
31. You want to find out how long it will take to walk from where you are to the subway station.
32. Your Japanese has been praised by a Japanese person. How do you respond modestly?
33. You want to ask about the location of Takashimaya department store.
34. You want to ask the current time.
35. You want to propose a time for a meeting.
36. You want to ask a person about a convenient time to meet.

Advanced Scenarios

37. There’s a phone call for Ms. Tanaka from a Japanese person but she is out. What do you do?
38. You want to introduce your wife/husband to a Japanese person.
39. You want to introduce a friend to your instructor.
40. You want to ask the location of the nearest bus stop.

Tips for the Review

• Use Sumimasen to begin any interaction with a stranger.
• When you don’t understand, use Moo ichi-do yukkuri itte kudasai or repeat back what you understood with a rising intonation to confirm.
• Remember that Japanese word order puts direction words before the verb: migi ni magarimasu (turn right), not “magarimasu migi ni.”
• For distance questions, the pattern is: Koko kara [destination] made [distance/time] gurai desu.
• Don’t forget polite endings: …desu ka? for questions, …desu ne? for confirmation.