0.1.2 Common Nouns

Question 1

Translate to Japanese:

person

Answer 1

ひと

hito

This word can refer to a single, specific person or, in some contexts, to a group of people.

Question 2

Translate to Japanese:

people

Answer 2

ひとびと

hitobito

people in general / the public = hitobito (ひとびと)

Question 3

Translate to Japanese:

woman

Answer 3

おんなのひと

onna no hito

This compound word consists of three parts:

woman (casual) = onna (おんな)

no (の) is a common way to link nouns together.

Linking onna (おんな) with no (の) and adding hito (ひと) is a more formal way to say “(an adult) woman”.

Grammar Note: There are no articles in Japanese! i.e. “The” and “a” are absent from the language.

Question 4

Translate to Japanese:

man

Answer 4

おとこのひと

otoko no hito

man = otoko (おとこ)

Linking otoko (おとこ) with no (の) and adding hito (ひと) is a more formal way to say “(an adult) man”.

Question 5

Translate to Japanese:

girl

Answer 5

おんなのこ

onna no ko

Notice this is almost the same as the word we use for “woman”, onna no hito (おんなのひと).

The difference here is the usage of ko (こ), which indicates and, in more casual contexts, can mean a “child”.

Question 6

Translate to Japanese:

boy

Answer 6

おとこのこ

otoko no ko

Question 7

Translate to Japanese:

child

Answer 7

こども

kodomo

Grammar Note: You won’t find traditional plural nouns in Japanese! Just like the omission of articles, whether a noun is singular or plural is contextual.

If you need to show that there is more than one of something, Japanese typically adds a word such as “a few…”, “many”, “lots”, etc., or the specific number the speaker is talking about.

So, no matter whether you’re talking about one child or five, you can just use the word kodomo!

Question 8

Translate to Japanese:

one

Answer 8

いち

ichi

Standalone numbers like this are used for phone numbers, addresses, prices, and anywhere you’re not counting specific objects.

When counting specific objects, Japanese has many exceptions and special vocabulary words called “counters” that depend on what kind of object you are counting.

Question 9

Translate to Japanese:

two

Answer 9

に

ni

Question 10

Translate to Japanese:

three

Answer 10

さん

san

Question 11

Translate to Japanese:

one person

Answer 11

ひとり

hitori

one person / by oneself = hitori (ひとり)

This word is often used in the contexts of dining out (by oneself) and purchasing tickets.

The first two words for counting people (one person, two people) are irregular and should be learned as standalone vocabulary words.

Question 12

Translate to Japanese:

two people

Answer 12

ふたり

futari

two people = futari (ふたり)

The first two words for counting people (one person, two people) are irregular and should be learned as standalone vocabulary words.

Question 13

Translate to Japanese:

two boys

Answer 13

ふたりのおとこのこ

futari no otoko no ko

Using the linking no (の) grammar particle here links the amount of people, futari (ふたり), to the noun, “boys”.

Question 14

Translate to Japanese:

many children

Answer 14

たくさんのこども

takusan no kodomo

many / lots of = takusan (たくさん)

takusan (たくさん) can be used for both people and objects.

Question 15

Translate to Japanese:

a few men

Answer 15

すこしのおとこのひと

sukoshi no otoko no hito

few, little, or some = sukoshi (すこし)

sukoshi (すこし) can be used for both people and objects.

Question 16

Translate to Japanese:

some women

Answer 16

すこしのおんなのひと

sukoshi no onna no hito

There is no distinction between “few” and “some” in Japanese.

Therefore, sukoshi (すこし) simply implies that there is not a lot of something.

Question 17

Translate to Japanese:

(a) boy and (a) girl

Answer 17

おとこのことおんなのこ

otokonoko to onna no ko

and = to (と)

While there are many ways to say “and” in Japanese, the versatile to (と) is one of the most common to use with two or more nouns.

Question 18

Translate to Japanese:

men and women

Answer 18

おとこのひととおんなのひと

otoko no hito to onna no hito

Because of the lack of pluralization in Japanese, this could mean either “a man and a woman” or “men and women”. You will usually know which is meant based on context.

Question 19

Translate to Japanese:

student

Answer 19

がくせい

gakusei

Question 20

Translate to Japanese:

teacher

Answer 20

せんせい

sensei

Mainstream media has made this word widely-known.

sensei (せんせい) can be used by itself or as a suffix to someone’s last name. It is used for teachers, professors, doctors, and any kind of instructor.

Question 21

Translate to Japanese:

house

Answer 21

いえ

ie

Question 22

Translate to Japanese:

money

Answer 22

おかね

okane

Question 23

[What is being said in the audio recording?]

Answer 23

• Man: たくさんのおかねですか。(Takusan no okane desu ka.)
• Woman: いいえ、すこしです。(Iie, sukoshi desu.)

Translation:

Man: “[Is it] a lot of money?”

Woman: “No, [it’s] a little.”

Note: Just like in English, the noun can be left out if the speakers are referencing the same thing.

Question 24

Translate to Japanese:

car

Answer 24

くるま

kuruma

Question 25

# Translate to Japanese: _two_ cars

Answer 25

にだいのくるま | _nidai_ no kuruma ## Footnote two = *ni* (に) counter for a large piece of machinery / vehicle = *dai* (だい) In Japanese, we can't simply say a number + a noun like we do in English. We need a **counter word** that specifies the type of thing we are counting. Together, with our connector particle *no* (の) and *kuruma* (くるま), we have "two cars".

Question 26

# Translate to Japanese: passport

Answer 26

パスポート | pasupooto ## Footnote If *pasupooto* (パスポート) sounds like "passport", that's because it is a direct loan word from English! It has been borrowed and adjusted to fit Japanese pronunciation. Most native Japanese words are written in *hiragana* (ひらがな) and/or *kanji* (かんじ). Borrowed foreign words (like "passport"), names, countries, etc. are written in *katakana* (カタカナ), a separate writing system that helps make foreign words easy to spot.

Question 27

# Translate to Japanese: _two_ passports

Answer 27

にさつのパスポート | _nisatsu_ no pasupooto ## Footnote two books/booklets = *nimai* (にまい) The counter *satsu* (さつ) is used for things such as books, notepads, and magazines.