Friday, April 8, 2011

Exploring Fun Places

I bet your town is full of opportunities for fun. Read the shinbun (sheen-boon; newspaper), pick up a few zasshi (zahs-shee; magazines), or surf the Intanetto (een-tahh-neht-toh; Internet) to find out what's going on. Visiting museums and galleries

Museums and galleries are great places to soak up culture. Here are some common museum-related words:

  • hakubutsukan (hah-koo-boo-tsoo-kahn; museum)
  • bijutsukan (bee-joo-tsoo-kahn; art museum)
  • garo (gah-rohh; gallery)
  • gejutsuhin (gehh-joo-tsoo-heen; work of art)

You may want to ask these questions in a museum or gallery:

  • Hakubutsukan wa nan-ji ni akimasu ka. (hah-koo-boo-tsoo-kahn wah nahn-jee nee ah-kee-mah-soo kah; What time does the museum open?)
  • Nan-ji ni shimarimasu ka. (nahn-jee nee shee-mah-ree-mah-soo kah; What time does it close?)
  • Nichiyobi wa oyasumi desu ka. (nee-chee-yohh-bee wah oh-yah-soo-mee deh-soo kah; Is it closed on Sundays?)
  • Nichiyobi wa oyasumi desu ka. (nee-chee-yohh-bee wah oh-yah-soo-mee deh-soo kah; Is it closed on Sundays?)





Conjugate the u-verbs aku (ah-koo; to open) and shi-maru (shee-mah-roo; to close).

FormPronunciation
akuah-koo
akanaiah-kah-nah-ee
akiah-kee
aiteah-ee-teh
shimarushee-mah-roo
shimaranaishee-mah-rah-nah-ee
shimarishee-mah-ree
shimatteshee-maht-teh

Going to the theater Visiting gekijo (geh-kee-johh; theaters) really lets you feel the passion of the performers.

  • gekijo (geh-kee-johh; theater)
  • o-shibai (oh-shee-bah-ee; play)
  • is eigakan (ehh-gah-kahn; movie theater)
  • eiga (ehh-gah; movie)
  • konsato (kohn-sahh-toh)

To see a movie or play, you have to buy a chiketto (chee-keht-toh; ticket). These phrases should cover your ticket-buying needs:

  • Sumimasen. Konban no o-shibai wa nan-ji kara desu ka. (soo-mee-mah-sehn. kohn-bahn noh oh-shee-bah-ee wah nahn-jee kah-rah deh-soo kah; Excuse me. What time does today's play start?)
  • Mada ii seki wa arimasu ka. (mah-dah eee seh-kee wah ah-ree-mah-soo kah; Do you still have good seats?)
  • Ichiman-en no seki o ni-mai onegaishimasu.(ee-chee-mahn-ehn noh seh-kee oh nee-mah-ee h-neh-gah-ee-shee-mah-soo; Two for the 10,000-yen seats, please.)
  • Otona futari onegaishimasu. (oh-toh-nah foo-tah-ree oh-neh-gah-ee-shee-mah-soo; Two adults, please.)
  • Otona futari to kodomo hitori onegaishimasu.(oh-toh-nah foo-tah-ree toh koh-doh-moh hee-toh-ree oh-neh-gah-ee-shee-mah-soo; Two adults and one child, please.)
  • Shinia hitori onegaishimasu. (shee-nee-ah hee-toh-ree oh-neh-gah-ee-shee-mah-soo; One senior citizen, please).

Words to Know
konbankohn-bahntonight
chikettochee-keht-tohticket
otonaoh-toh-nahadult
sekiseh-keeseat

Going to bars and dubs

Where do you nomu (noh-moo; drink)? Having a drink at home is usually a lot cheaper than going to a bar, but sometimes going to these places for a drink in a festive or fancy atmosphere is fun:

  • ba (bahh; bar)
  • izakaya (ee-zah-kah-yah; casual Japanese-style bar)
  • naitokurabu (nah-ee-toh-koo-rah-boo; nightclub)

O-sake (oh-sah-keh) refers to both Japanese rice wine and alcoholic beverages in general. Take a walk over to the bar and order your favorite o-sake:

  • atsukan (ah-tsoo-kahn; hot Japanese rice wine) is biru (beee-roo; beer)
  • burande (boo-rahn-dehh; brandy)
  • chuhai (chooo-hah-ee; shochu and tonic)
  • hiya (hee-yah; cold sake)
  • jin Qeen; gin)
  • kakuteru (kah-koo-teh-roo; cocktail)
  • mizuwari (mee-zoo-wah-ree; whiskey and water)
  • onzarokku (ohn-zah-rohk-koo; whiskey on the rocks)
  • ramushu (rah-moo-shoo; rum)
  • shochu (shohh-chooo; a Japanese liquor)
  • sutoreto (soo-toh-rehh-toh; whiskey straight)
  • uisuki (oo-ee-soo-keee; whiskey)
  • wokka (wohk-kah; vodka)
  • wain (wah-een; wine)

At a bar, these phrases come in handy:

  • Nani nomu. (nah-nee noh-moo; What will you drink?)
  • Kyo wa nani ga oishii. (kyohh wah nah-nee gah oh-ee-sheee; What's good today?)
  • Ja, sore. (jahh soh-reh; Then I'll have that.)

Singing, like a star at a karaoke bar

Karaoke (kah-rah-oh-keh) started in Japan as a form of after-work entertainment. It was viewed as a great way of releasing the daily sutoresu (soo-toh-reh-soo; stress) related to shigoto (shee-goh-toh; work). Today, karaoke is a popular shumi (shoo-mee; hobby) with everyone - men and women, young and old.

If you go to Japan, visit a karaoke ba (bahh; bar) at least once. Check the index of kyoku (kyoh-koo; musical pieces) and ask for the song you want to utau (oo-tah-oo; sing). When it's your ban (bahn; turn), sing into the maiku (mah-ee-koo; microphone) as you watch the kashi (kah-shee; lyrics) scroll across the gamen (gah-mehn; monitor). Sing like a suta (soo-tahh; star), even if you're onchi (ohn-chee; tone deaf).



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