Your First Day in Japan

01 / GREETINGS AUDIO · V01-S01 A small greeting opens the day Alex is visiting Japan for a week of exploring. Mei, his language-exchange friend, meets him in Tokyo before her afternoon shift. His hotel is booked, and he is glad to see a familiar face. ohayō gozaimasu MEI · MORNING おはようございます 。 ohayō gozaimasu ALEX · MORNING おはようございます 。 G REE T I N GS F OR OTH ER T IME S Use these in a different encounter later in the day. konnichiwa ANOTHER TIME · DAY こんにちは 。 konbanwa こんばんは 。 ANOTHER TIME · EVENING The final sound in the daytime and evening greetings is wa, although the last kana is written ha. FIRST MEETINGS / NEW WORDS & EXPRESSIONS おはようございます こんにちは good morning (polite) hello; good afternoon こんばんは good evening J A PA N E S E , O N E S C E N E AT A T I M E 04

02 / SIGNS AUDIO · V01-S02 Find the right door Mei’s favorite lunch spot is across the station. Alex checks the doors, then spots the way out before she points to it. ENTRANCE EXIT iriguchi deguchi 入口 出口 いりぐち でぐち EMERGENCY ROUTE RESTRICTED AREA hijōguchi tachiiri kinshi 非常口 立入禁止 ひじょうぐち たちいりきんし Emergency-exit signs are often green. An ordinary exit and an emergency exit have different purposes. Follow posted instructions. FIRST MEETINGS / NEW WORDS & EXPRESSIONS 出口 でぐち 非常口 ひじょうぐち exit emergency exit 立入禁止 たちいりきんし no entry; keep out J A PA N E S E , O N E S C E N E AT A T I M E 05

02 / SIGNS AUDIO · V01-S02 Can we eat here? Mei always orders ramen here. Alex wants to try the curry he saw in the window. First, they check that the restaurant is open. ON THE SIGN ON THE SIGN eigyōchū junbichū 営業中 準備中 えいぎょうちゅう じゅんびちゅう CONTEXT: FRONT DOOR CONTEXT: FRONT DOOR ON THE SIGN ON THE SIGN teikyūbi shokuji 定休日 食事 ていきゅうび しょくじ CONTEXT: CLOSING NOTICE CONTEXT: DINING SIGN ON THE SIGN ON THE SIGN kin'en otearai 禁煙 お手洗い きんえん おてあらい CONTEXT: HOUSE RULE CONTEXT: FACILITY These are examples from different notices. The restaurant in the story is open. A dining sign names meals or dining, rather than every kind of food. FIRST MEETINGS / NEW WORDS & EXPRESSIONS 営業中 えいぎょうちゅう 準備中 じゅんびちゅう open for business preparing; not open yet 定休日 ていきゅうび 食事 しょくじ regular closing day meal; dining 禁煙 きんえん お手洗い おてあらい no smoking restroom; toilet (polite) J A PA N E S E , O N E S C E N E AT A T I M E 06

0 3 / AT T H E R E S TA U R A N T AUDIO · V01-S03A A table for two At the entrance, Alex takes a breath and speaks first. Mei waits beside him while the host checks their party size. irasshaimase nanmei-sama desu ka なんめいさま HOST いらっしゃいませ 。 何名様 です か 。 futari desu ふたり ALEX 二人 です 。 hai HOST はい 。 The welcome is a staff expression. You can acknowledge it with a nod. Alex uses the ordinary word for two people when answering. FIRST MEETINGS / NEW WORDS & EXPRESSIONS いらっしゃいませ 何名様 なんめいさま welcome (said by staff) how many people? (respectful) です か polite ending: is/am/are marks a question 二人 ふたり はい two people yes; acknowledgement J A PA N E S E , O N E S C E N E AT A T I M E 07