Beginning Japanese for Professionals: Book 1

43 other person’s speech. Wakarimasu ka? Do [you] understand? -Watashi desu ka. Iya, amari… Do you mean me? Not really. Kore wa sumaho desu ka. Is this a smartphone? - Kore desu ka. Hai. Do you mean this? Yes. Note here that ‘Sumaho desu ka.’ is impossible as an echo question. Watch out! *- Sumaho desu ka? Hai. Do you mean a smartphone? Yes. 2-3-2 Ano X Ko-so-a-do series #2 In Lesson 1, the first set of ko-so-a-do series ( kore, sore, are, dore ) was introduced. The second set of the series is kono, sono, ano, and dono . Both sets are based on the same ko-so-a-do distinction (near the speaker, close to the addressee, or away from both). The difference between the two sets is that the first is a set of nouns and the second is a set of incomplete elements that require a following noun and cannot be used alone. So, while kore is an independent noun meaning ‘this’, kono is linked to a noun, meaning ‘this X’. Note that when translated into English, both kore and kono are translated as ‘this’. kore this kono kaisha this company kono nihon no kaisya this Japanese company Drills and Exercises A. Cue: Furansugo, wakarimasu ka . Do you understand French? Response: Furansugo desu ka. Ie, wakarimasen. French? No, I don’t. Cue: Chuugokugo, wakarimasu ka. Do you understand Chinese? Response: Chuugokugo desu ka. Ie, wakarimasen. Chinese? No I don’t. B. Cue: Kore, dare no keitai desuka? Whose cellphone is this? Response: Kono keitai desu ka. Wakarimasen nee . This cellphone? I don’t know Cue: Are, doko no kaisha desu ka. Where is that company from? Response: Ano kaisya desu ka. Wakarimasen nee. That company? I don’t know.