In this lesson, we are still focusing on creating sentence which is formed in ‘–n desu’ pattern. There are two examples which is made in form of question-answer sentences based on the problems given in Minna no Nihongo 2 chapter 26 problem section part 5 on page 9. Below is the example:
Example 1 :
The first example shown in form of short conversation. The first person asks to the other person about the reason for something that he or she will do or has actually been done. The other person will answer the question in form of -n desu. This pattern, the -n desu is normally used in conversation in Japanese language. So, this lesson will actually focus on using the -n desu in giving answers for question given.
Kanji :
昨日仕事がどうして遅れたんですか。
。。。昨日仕事へ行くとき、途中で事故があったから、道が込んでいたんです。
Hiragana :
きのうしごとがどうしておくれたんですか。
。。。きのうしごとへいくとき、とちゅうでじこがあったから、みちがこんでいたんです。
Romaji :
Kinou shigoto ga doushite okuretan desuka.
… kinou shigoto e iku toki, tochuu de jiko ga atta kara, michi ga konde itan desu.
Meaning :
Yesterday, why did you come late ?。
… yesterday on my way to the office, at that time there was an accident, so because of that the roads became crowded (the roads were having traffic jam).
The first example is intended to ask in Japanese language about a reason or motive why does or did an event or an activity happens or happened. We can use an interrogative pronoun ‘doushite’ （どうして）to do it as shown in the example by asking why does the other person came late yesterday.
The answer is in the form of -n desu, normally used in a casual conversation. It is giving answer on the question asked.
Example 2 :
The second example is also in short conversation. It is a paired of question answer involving two persons. The first person will ask whether the other party will do or has actually done something. The other person, based on the pattern provided in the book will answer no. So, the answer will also made in the -n desu form. This is also in Japanese language is used in conversation language.
Kanji :
自分で 晩御飯のため料理を作りますか。
。。。いいえ。料理を作ることができないんです。いつも晩御飯を買うんです。
Hiragana :
じぶんで ばんごはんのためりょうりをつくりますか。
。。。いいえ。いつもばんごはんをかうんです。
Romaji :
Jibun de ban gohan no tame ryouri wo tsukurimasuka.
… iie. Itsumo ban gohan wo kaun desu.
Meaning :
For dinner, do you make your own cooking by yourself ?.
… no. I usually buy (for) dinner.
The second example simply asking a question. The answer will be a negative answer which is followed by the another statement which is intended to explain why the other party answering for no. The answer itself is made with the pattern of –n desu.
Based on the above example, we have to make an answer by ourselves which can be vary for every each person. The following answer were made as example and we can make another answers for alternatives. Below are all of the sample of answers of all the questions based on the full questions which can be seen in Minna Nihongo 2 book chapter 26 problem section part 5 page 8 :
１．Answer
Kanji :
どうして ビールを 飲まないんですか。
。。。ムスリムとして、イスラム教に神様はビルを飲むことが禁ずするんです。
Hiragana :
どうして ビールを 飲まないんですか。
。。。ムスリムとして、イスラムきょうにかみさまはビルをのむことがきんするんです。
Romaji :
Doushite bi-ru wo nomanain desuka ?。
。。。musurimu toshite, islamu kyou ni kami sama ga bi-ru wo nomu koto wo kinzu surun desu。
Meaning :
Why you don’t drink beer? 。
As a moslem, in the Islamic religion, God forbid (us) to drink beer。
Try to find another alternative answer for the question above. It can be such a simply answer as maybe you don’t like it (好きじゃないんです）, or maybe to another answer such as drinking a bit will make you easily pass out. Surely, for some people they cannot handle alcohol that much even a few drops maybe ?.
２．Answer
Kanji :
目が 赤いですね。どう したんですか。
。。。最近 あまり 寝ていないんです。
Hiragana :
めが あかいんですね。 どう したんですか。
。。。さいきん あまり ねていないんです。
Romaji :
Me ga akain desu ne。 Dou shitandesuka ?.
… saikin amari nete inain desu.
Meaning :
(your) eyes are red. What did you do ?。
… lately I don’t have much sleep.
This question has also various answers. You can say that you are not feeling well lately or maybe for a more elegant answer because too much of reading or studying maybe ?. Those reasons can relate on why your eyes are red. Find other answers in order to practice yourself.
３．Answer
Kanji :
毎朝 新聞を 読みますか。
。。。いいえ。早く仕事へ行くんですから。時間がないんです。
Hiragana :
まいあさ しんぶんを よみますか。
。。。いいえ。はやくしごとへいくんですから。じかんがないんです。
Romaji :
Mai asa shinbun wo yomimasuka ?
… iie. Hayaku shigoto e ikun desu kara. Jikan ga nain desu.
Meaning :
Do you read newspaper every morning ?
… no. Because I have to go to work early, I don’t have any time (to do it).
This question can also be answered in another type of answer. Maybe you have already become a ‘tech-savvy’ kind of person, so newspaper is not your level or your thing anymore and you prefer to search news online using your favorite search engine like Google and all that stuff. Any reason can fit as the answer as long as you create the ‘-n desu’ pattern form.
４．Answer
Kanji :
よく カラオケに 行きますか。
。。。いいえ。カラオケがあまり好きじゃないんです。
Hiragana :
よく カラオケに いきますか。
。。。いいえ。カラオケがあまりすきじゃないんです。
Romaji :
Yoku karaoke ni ikimasuka ?。
… iie. Karaoke ga amari suki jyanain desu.
Meaning :
Do you always go to karaoke ?。
… no. I don’t like karaoke that much.
The answer above can be replaced to other answer. You can actually give an honest answer, maybe because you sucks on singing (歌うことが下手です・うたうことががへたです）, that is why maybe you don’t even like karaoke that much is because you are actually bad singer. Plenty reasons to use, so try to practice with another answers in the ‘-n form’.
The answer which can be used to fill the underlined part in the above question is shown in the answer. Another type of answer can also be chosen to fill it based on the creativity of the person whom answer the question.
All of the question displayed in form of short conversation can be viewed in Minna no Nihongo 2 Chapter 26 problem section part 5 on page 8. Since all of the answers are subjective answers, every body can come up with their own answers accordingly to the questions given.