Nihongo to English
Nihongo To English blends language learning and stand-up humor as comedians Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen CPA (GoatVsFish) explore the quirks of Japanese and English—words that don’t translate, culture shocks, and why politeness can melt you faster than ice cream. Each episode moves freely between the two languages, revealing how funny and human bilingual life can be.
You’ll learn phrases, hear authentic conversation, and laugh about everything from Japanese idols and snacks to Ken-son humility and mistranslated signs.
Perfect for fans of Japanese culture, bilingual comedy, or learning Japanese the fun way.
Nihongo to English
12-String Guitar Talk, Japanese Months & Kaeru/Kawaru Explained | EP 32
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Michael Allen (CPA — Comedic Performance Actor) and Michelle MaliZaki are back with Episode 32 of Nihongo to English, the bilingual Japanese-English podcast that pairs real Genki grammar with real conversation. This episode kicks off with Michael's new 12-string guitar (used, $600, and worth every yen) and a detour into why so few comedians play guitar. From there the co-hosts dig into Japanese grammar: the tricky transitive/intransitive verb pair kaeru (変わる) vs. kaeru (変える) vs. kaeru (帰る) — change, change something, and return, all sounding nearly identical — plus frequency adverbs yoku, tokidoki, amari, and zenzen straight from Genki Lesson 6. Along the way: birthday math, the actual Japanese names for the months (ichigatsu through juunigatsu), a surprising fact-check on whether 7-Eleven and Lawson are American or Japanese companies, and why Japanese families celebrate milestone birthdays at the food court instead of a fancy restaurant. Perfect for Japanese language learners who want real bilingual conversation, cultural context, and grammar that actually sticks.
No homework. Just bilingual chaos — and somehow you learn.
Japanese description
日本語学習×バイリンガルポッドキャスト「Nihongo to English」第32回。マイケル・アレン(CPA=コメディック・パフォーマンス・アクター)とみしえる・まりザきが、今回はマイケルが購入した中古の12弦ギター(600ドル)の話からスタート。芸人はなぜギターを弾かないのか?という脱線トークも。そして本題は日本語文法。「変わる」「変える」「帰る」——発音がそっくりな自動詞・他動詞のペアを徹底解説し、Genki第6課の頻度を表す副詞、よく・ときどき・あまり・ぜんぜんも学びます。さらに誕生日トーク、一月から十二月までの日本語の月名、セブン-イレブンとローソンは本当はアメリカ発祥なのか?という豆知識、そして日本の家族が節目の誕生日をなぜ高級レストランではなくフードコートで祝うのかまで。日本語学習者はもちろん、バイリンガル会話や日米文化の違いに興味がある方にもおすすめの一本です。
宿題なし、ただのバイリンガル・カオス、それでも学べる。
Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki
🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at nihongotoenglishnosho@gmail.com
📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.
Oh, so you got a new guitar?
SPEAKER_01I did get a new guitar. Well, a new used guitar. A new used guitar. Yeah. It is a twelve string guitar. Junigen. Junigen. Junigen guitar. Muzukash so. Muzukash so? Ah demo otoga kide. Shoto hikimashoka.
SPEAKER_04Mutuhito. Yeah, hite kudemas.
SPEAKER_01Uh tuning wa musukashi des Ah. Hi. Junigara. Or Roku gen.
SPEAKER_04Rokugen ganiseto.
SPEAKER_01Hi. Rokigen ganiseto. Rokugen gita uh futsuna gita. Hi. A tuning wa futsu this. Hi. Junigen guitar. A tuning wa ni by muzukashi. Musukashi. Uh demo otomo uh ni by this. Oh demo. Nibai utsuki. Utushi. Uh by wa times? Times.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, oh I got it right, yes. Two times, batter.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, it might be a little out of tune because it's hard to tune. But it's sitting here, and you'll still get a good sense for it. So let me just adjust the mic for everyone.
SPEAKER_04Nice.
SPEAKER_01There you go. Nice. Something like that. Something kinda like that. It it is very close to in tune. It is very close to in tune.
SPEAKER_04Uh none the kaoto mutant sco.
SPEAKER_01What's that?
SPEAKER_04Nan de kaoto motandesko. Why did you think of buying this?
SPEAKER_01Oh, cow. I thought you were talking about my face. Well, um, I would say nanjunenmae, uh, some number of decades ago. Um fu America Foku ongaku ka lead belly.
SPEAKER_02Hi.
SPEAKER_01Sono ongaku no uh furu roku onkara uhk to waito noizu. Demo kare no gita wa futsu no gata gita janai kara demo sono ottoa choto chigao sorya giu ni gengita. Sono toki kara ju ni gengita o itsumo kaitakata demo uhengita no no kaumaini uhari uhutsu no uh gengita o kate sonato um denki gitao kate uh sonato uh traveru gitao kate sonato uh uh betsu no uh uh uh denki gitao kate demo uh kotoshi uh uhh it's it's it was that time it was just time I was like yato kaimata junigangita okaimasta I was like you know that's and also I thought it works very well for the kind of performances I do. Oftentimes I'm performing solo. No. I'm just kind of like singing along to my own songs or to the parodies that I do. And so uh if I'm playing by myself, it's like when you get the 12-string guitar, it's almost like it just fills up the room with so much more sound. And so I thought, you know, let's uh let's get a 12-string. And also, hey, first of all, what what instrument do most comedians play?
SPEAKER_02Uh Moroccus?
SPEAKER_01Moroccus. Oh, come on now. If you see a mu a musician with an instrument, what do you usually see?
SPEAKER_04Uh violin.
SPEAKER_01A vi Oh, you're oh yeah, if you're talking about um like there are a few yeah, there's a few violin comedians. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And guitar.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there's guitar and uh you but you'll see ukulele. Yeah, ukulele. Ukulele is kind of the fun little guy. And uh you'll see piano sometimes.
SPEAKER_04Harmonica?
SPEAKER_01I don't know if you see comedians with harmonicas because you can't really play the harmonica and talk at the same time. Oh yeah, you could do that. But uh I thought, well, you don't see that many comedians with a guitar you see guitar comedians, you see clearly guitar and then guitar. Then I thought, you st you don't see any comedians out there with a 12 string guitar.
SPEAKER_04Oh, that's a real musician.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I'm like, why not uh why not do that? And also I also thought for goat versus fish, it's like, well, you need uh six strings for goat, and you need another six strings for fish, right? So double double diversity. No, no. We need a whole whole guitar for each. Oh sorry, sangen. I thought we were I thought we were asking nandai, how many large strings? Oh, you're asking how many strings do I have in total? Okay, so we have to add three for the shamisen. But uh uh saxophone mo mote mas keto gen genga nai.
SPEAKER_04A saxophone genga nai.
SPEAKER_01Right. But uh uh hammer dulcimer mote mas uh nangen hammer dulcimer wa nangen wa nanju gen this. It might be sanjugen.
SPEAKER_04Uh nani. Sugoy tak sangenga gingaski.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then uh uh we also have the uh electric piano, which doesn't have any gin, but it simulates having gin. Because if it were a piano it would have another 88 gin.
SPEAKER_04No.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh Hachiju Hachiju Hachigen piano. Again, again, again.
SPEAKER_04Uh Gen O Katsugu Katsugu? Yeah, Gen O katsugu means I don't know what's geng o katsugu. What to restring your to like to genokatsugu is like to make yourself lucky.
SPEAKER_01Oh. It's so this is another idiom then.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Gen o katsugu.
SPEAKER_01Is it like to uh feel the vibrations of the string? I don't know.
SPEAKER_04No, it's not the same gen. Oh, okay. Different gen, but I don't know what kind of gen.
SPEAKER_01Uh-huh. Yeah. Alright. Uh but yeah, so now I have a Juni Gen guitar. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Takakata this call.
SPEAKER_01Takakata? Takakunai this.
SPEAKER_04Oh never.
SPEAKER_01Rokugen no nibai. Hi. Uh demo Soruwa used this, you know. It's uh what's it called? Chuko. Chuko, Chuko guitar. Huh Sorya kid. Um maybe about uh Go Hyaku Go Ju Doru. Uh Rokugen Gitawa Kodywa uh go n my kid or yong hyaku san judoru. Uh but honestly, I mean, if you're talking about for a quality instrument, six hundred bucks is not because look, if you want an instrument and you want it look, if you're just buying it for your your first instrument and you just want it to be something you can practice on, then it doesn't have you don't have to spend a lot. But uh if you want something that you're gonna be playing at gigs and stuff, you don't have to buy uh look. I mean, if I wanted the first time at the Norm's Rare Guitars, the first guitar they were showing me, they're like, Oh, you want a 12 string? Well, how about this Gibson? It's uh uh Sanzen Gol Hyaku Doru.
SPEAKER_02Oh Takai.
SPEAKER_01Oh, you don't want that one? Oh, here's one for Nissen Doru. Here's one for 1500. Yeah, yeah. So it's like instruments can cost a lot. So 600 bucks for a quality instrument that you're actually gonna use a lot, it's really not that bad. It's really not that bad. And they gave me the strings for free.
SPEAKER_04Oh. Oh, it didn't come with strings? What?
SPEAKER_01Well, well, I mean, it did come with strings, but those were the strings that were in the shop, so they're kind of old strings. Oh, so they gave me a free set of strings, which is only like 10 bucks or whatever. But then um before I left, I was like, you wouldn't be willing to restring the guitar, would you? And they're like, uh Mendoku sai, cause it's 12 strings. Yeah. But I was like, but I just bought the guitar. And they're like, alright, because you're such a gentleman, I will restring the guitar for you. Oh. So yeah. Oh, nice. It is nice. But so that's my uh guitar adventures. Uh psycheen, uh be su guitar, or shimasta. Kyoshimashta. Kyo Denshimashai. Oh, you sound very uh Nakanaka.
SPEAKER_04Umakunanai.
SPEAKER_01Uh Umakanai?
SPEAKER_04Umakunaranai.
SPEAKER_01Umakunaranai, you're not getting any better.
SPEAKER_04No, I'm not getting any better. But today I practice with the amp.
SPEAKER_01Oh, cool. So it's uh denki basis.
SPEAKER_03Like elector eleki.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Sounds sounds uh interesting. Ereki. Um so uh uh basu anan so nandai Ichidai Ichidai one one basu one basu yung gen. Next recording on the guy shima's uh uh or no ampu Scotty.
SPEAKER_04Isn't it supposed to be the amp for that bass?
SPEAKER_01I mean yes, if you're like at a gig. I mean you can plug it into a a standard electric amp, like it'll it'll work. Yeah, we can plug it into my orange amp, and uh you know, then we can put a mic on it. We can mic the amp.
SPEAKER_04You know, you'll be able to be loud even without the amp.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. But they'll want to hear it. So yeah, bring it. Let's show it off.
SPEAKER_04Uh show it off.
SPEAKER_01I've got all I've got all my instruments.
SPEAKER_04I've a nice instruments. Nice case.
SPEAKER_01Oh, nice, you'll so you'll just bring an empty case, karapo case. Sugoy e casu. So that's a funny word in Japanese. Um empty. Kara. Karapo. Yeah. Sounds like crap.
SPEAKER_04Karapo. Krapo.
SPEAKER_01Karapo. So yeah. Karapo kesu.
SPEAKER_04Karano kiss.
SPEAKER_01So you just you can just say kara? Of course. How would I not? You know, I got this new norms very good. I don't know if it's something about this seating or whatever, but I'm feeling like I've I feel like I put on some weight. I have.
SPEAKER_03No, uh, but uh well, you'd say yeah, yon sa, yon says.
SPEAKER_04You are already strange when you are four.
SPEAKER_01Oh yes. Well, exactly. I'm strange then, I was strange now. There's some uh there's like an English saying, I think.
SPEAKER_03Peculiar.
SPEAKER_01Yes. I think it might be seven. Oh, let me see if I can translate it into Japanese just for fun. It would be like uh it could be six or I I don't remember if it's six years old or seven, but it's like uh roku sai no kodomo o misete otona o misemas. Yeah, show me the child at six and I will show you the man or show you the adult. Or show me the boy at seven and I will show you the man. So it's the it's this theory that if you follow people along their life, like everything that's important about their personality will already be there when they're a child, and even as they uh mature, like the essence of that person may still remain. So yeah, it was a so kawata, so that's an interesting one. Kawaru means um to change something, right? Is it to change like the to change a tire? Say Taya or Kawarimas?
SPEAKER_04Kayaru.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's kayiru. So what's kawaru?
SPEAKER_04Because kawaru is changed by itself.
SPEAKER_01Oh.
SPEAKER_04But kayiru you because you are the one who's changing that tire.
SPEAKER_01Okay, okay. So that's that um like a tomeru tomaru situation again, right? Yeah. Transitive and intransitive. So kawaru is to change, so I could say uh kudomonotoki kara uh otona ni nate karewa uh yoku uh kawarimashta. It was just an example. Kawara uh oh nothing. So kawaru to change internally, to change on on your own. And kaiu. Kaidu is to change something.
SPEAKER_04And kairu is also a frog.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so is it kayedu a kayamas or kaedimas?
SPEAKER_04Kaerimas or kayedu.
SPEAKER_03Kaeru is to return.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's right. Oh, like to return a oh, to return home or whatever. Yeah, kayadu. Kayedu. Yeah. Kayedu. Kaeru. Going up. Kaidu.
SPEAKER_04But kayedu is the jumping frog.
SPEAKER_01Kairu. Okay. And but what's the change? Kairu. Kayadu. Which is the same as to return.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, no, it's it's same as it sounds the same as the frog.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. So but it's still kayedimas?
SPEAKER_04Kayuti mas.
SPEAKER_01For both returning and changing is both kaydi.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, kayamas. Kaimas.
SPEAKER_01Kaimas.
SPEAKER_04Kaimas. Change it.
SPEAKER_01Oh, to change is kaimas.
SPEAKER_04Kaimas. Or also kaimas could be I could buy it.
SPEAKER_01That's also yeah, I could be I can buy it.
SPEAKER_04Ah. Ah.
SPEAKER_01So kayimas. So kaidu. So that's what's funny about it, because you would think that kaidu is frog, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, kaidu.
SPEAKER_01So i I at first I thought, oh, this will be this will help me remember kaidu, because a frog changes from a tadpole into a frog. But that's actually more of a Kawadu situation.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Because the f the tadpole to a frog would be tadpole kata kaidu ni Shinka Kawadimashta.
SPEAKER_04Shink Shinka is that evolution? No.
SPEAKER_01Well it's not really it's not it's not really evolution though. It's um what's it? It's like metam metamorphosis of some kind. Yeah. It's not quite evolute. I mean I I mean maybe in Japanese you would use that word to uh to refer to it. It's been a while since I took But you would say uh would you use uh ni and uh would you use kara and ni?
SPEAKER_04Yeah otama ja shikala kaiu ni kawalimos.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So even though kairo uh means frog, you wouldn't use it um to I guess I could say Michelle Marizaki Sama uh nihon ni Kairimashu or uh Kia Shimashta Kedo Kawaiso Sono Kaidu ga Shinjata Kara Kaeru o Kairi Mashta Atarashi Kaidu o Kaimashta. A Kaima kaete kairi uhete kaimashta.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I changed I changed Michelle's fro uh Michelle's frog died and I changed it. I changed the frog for another frog.
SPEAKER_04Oh everything is dying.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Everything's dying.
SPEAKER_04I I should get something that doesn't die.
SPEAKER_01But you know what's not dying? This podcast with its thousands of downloads. Yeah. Welcome to the Hongoto English Snow Show. I'm your host, Michael Allen, CPA.
SPEAKER_04And uh Michelle Maizaki, I used to be a mom for my dog and a cat, but they died.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then uh but you're you're still a mom for your daughter, or are you uh going to give up on that? Uh she's tired of you.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I've already given up, but hey, I'm still a mom.
SPEAKER_01Alright, well, I'm uh I have no children to my knowledge, but that doesn't uh to your knowledge. Well, I mean it's only to my knowledge, right?
SPEAKER_04Well what if what if some kid just does you know come up to you and say, Daddy?
SPEAKER_01Um, I mean, you know, I would uh want some evidence, I guess. Evidence. I'm just saying, you know, as far as I know. As far as I know. I have I have strong uh reason to believe that uh I don't have any children.
SPEAKER_04Okay, good, good. But what if some kid shows up and he says, I'm a goat?
SPEAKER_01Uh uh I would say celebration. That's wonderful.
SPEAKER_04I'm a fence sitter.
SPEAKER_01I would say, I would say um we're all one big congregation here at Goat vs. Fish, and you're always welcome. And I will uh feed you and I will give you water if you are thirsty.
SPEAKER_04Oh and uh I will um clothe you if you are naked, and I will um uh you know clothe you in uh goat VS.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, in other words, hey, here's some free merch. Uh here's a banana and a cup of water. Now get out of here, scamp. See how I care for the community?
SPEAKER_04Get out of here. Get all fine.
SPEAKER_01Here's a hat. Yeah, you want some stickers? Yeah, yeah. Oh, here's uh what I think I got some chocolate chip cookies over here. I got some animal crackers, and uh here's uh here's some coke, here's some diet coke. Yeah. There you go, kid. Yeah, I'm your I'm your pops. Now go go go go bring that to your mom.
SPEAKER_05And yeah.
SPEAKER_01Why don't you tell your mom? Why don't you tell your mom to come on over? We'll have a nice chat with her and find out if you're really if you're really my son, you know? Your mom around? How's she doing? She married? Let me have a conversation with her. See what's going on. See what see what this is all about. I mean, that sounds pretty reasonable to me, right?
SPEAKER_03Well, you you got the speech ready to go, so yay.
SPEAKER_01Look, you gotta think on your feet. You know, when you're a young bachelor of 42, you know, you have to be quick with it.
SPEAKER_04Your birthday's coming up.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah. Uh Koko no uh Kugatsu kokonaka.
SPEAKER_04Ah, Monsugu.
SPEAKER_01Uh Mosugu. Yeah, so yonju san sai.
SPEAKER_04Yunju san sai.
SPEAKER_01Ni ni nagimos. Ni naimas, uh ni kawadimas.
SPEAKER_04Nagimasu.
SPEAKER_01Well, I know, but I just want to use the new word of the code.
SPEAKER_04Kawadimasu.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, we got a new if this uh I don't know, if the previous episodes are to be believed, then we're gonna be talking about Kawadu and Kayadu on on this uh subject of this uh opening banter.
SPEAKER_04Kaidu. Kawadu.
SPEAKER_01Is it really my birthday? Yes, my birthday is September 9th. Yeah. 99. It has to happen eventually. Eventually.
SPEAKER_04That sounds like a game sound.
SPEAKER_01Marizaki. What do you want me to call you in Japanese? I well, I I want to say Marizaki san, but should I really call you san in this context when we're supposed to be like casual podcasters?
SPEAKER_03Marizaki.
SPEAKER_01I just say I say oi, Marizaki.
SPEAKER_03Oi, eh, oi, oi!
SPEAKER_01Zaki. Oi, Zaki. What do I call what do I if we were Japanese podcasters and we were like, you know, friendly comedian co-hosts, you know, what would I call you?
SPEAKER_04I don't know. I mean, I people call me Misimagi. Michelle Marizaki.
SPEAKER_01Alright. Mishimati. I don't like that. I don't like that. Um I mean you could call me Shi P.
SPEAKER_03Sheepy Shipi not C P. She P.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, she P.
SPEAKER_03Sheepie.
SPEAKER_01She P A. She P sounds like Michi Mi or Michi.
SPEAKER_03Mishi.
SPEAKER_01Mishi, yeah. I mean, I know. I was Mishi Madi. That's a new one. Uh so uh I forgot entirely uh A Kaeru Kawaru. Kayaru Kawaru, yeah. Oh, Mishi Mari uh it's huh? Uh December seventeenth. Yeah. Oh, so you're really like oh you're almost like a holiday holiday baby, huh?
SPEAKER_04No. So it takes ten months, ten days.
SPEAKER_01For a baby?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I thought it was nine months.
SPEAKER_04No no no ten Months, ten days.
SPEAKER_01For what?
SPEAKER_04For baby to you know get ready to be out in the world. Oh from the oven.
SPEAKER_01Then why did why in an Amer why none day America they uh kyuka getsu can nande?
SPEAKER_04I don't know. Demo at the tot skitoka, ten months, ten days.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_04Nigatsu nanoka no marides.
SPEAKER_00Nigatsu dano ka?
SPEAKER_04Hi.
SPEAKER_00Nanoka it February seventh. Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_04Plus ten months, ten days. My birthday.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04My mom's birthday baby.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Ten months, ten days. Ah, Thanksgiving baby.
SPEAKER_01Oh, uh Chigao, uh I'm actually with the the uh shogatsu baby. Uh you day, you daya kyo no osogatsu. Oh well as uh Kugatsu kokonoka wa uh yuda kyo no uh shogatsu gatsu this. No oshogatsu, no uh juni gatsu no oshogatsu the um uh tatara tatara um new year baby tatarashi akachan o tsukuru dansu shimashta washtara my girl sang on what it's so they so mom calls me uh the new year's baby. So because I was likely conceived since we're talking about conception here. Likely con uh conceived before a New Year's party and then uh was born um during the week of the Jewish New Year.
SPEAKER_04New Year. So my son's birthday is October 10th. Oh god stokah. So they wait New Year's baby.
SPEAKER_01Oh, so this guy. Uh uh Chichino Tanjobiwa Jugatsu Kokonoka.
SPEAKER_04Ah, my Ichinichimae.
SPEAKER_00Hi.
SPEAKER_04Omisoka baby.
SPEAKER_00Omisoka.
SPEAKER_04Omisoka is the last day of the year.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I think. That's not the last day.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, the balls dropping. Yeah, December 31st.
SPEAKER_01I didn't say December, did I?
SPEAKER_04No, no, no, no. Your dad's birthday is October 9th. Ten months, ten days before is omisoka, the balls dropping. Baby making dance.
SPEAKER_01I'm sure the balls were dropping during the baby making dance. And then uh uh Gigi.
SPEAKER_04Hi.
SPEAKER_01Uh uh. So Mikriwa ku gatsukatsu kokonoka uh chichiwa ju gatsu kokonoka uhatsu kokonoka and then uh chichama uhigatsu kokonoka noatoa toka. Ohkamachi no toka. Alright, juichi jiu chigatsu toka.
SPEAKER_04Juichigatsoka.
SPEAKER_01Alright, more suri. So we have September 9th, October 9th, November 10th.
SPEAKER_04Oh.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So you need your your child who's running up to you is born December 9th or 10th.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, something like that. Yeah, so we just keep we just keep uh they keep moving it up in the calendar, you know. Keep getting born one month earlier.
SPEAKER_04Well, you want to spread them out because you know you can't spend all the birthday money in one month.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, exactly. Exactly. But now my mom's is it my thing, my mom's birthday is around Father's Day. Oh. So um every time.
SPEAKER_04She doesn't you don't remember? He doesn't remember my mom's birthday.
SPEAKER_01Mom's birthday. Uh I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say June 17th. Okay, June 17th sounds like I'm a bad son because I don't remember my mom's birthday. But I'm a good son because I know that I don't remember birthdays, which is why I always put them in my calendar so I always see when they come up and I always remember and I always call and wish them a happy birthday. Well, uh kadayasu yikata kugatsu kokonoka. Jugatsu kokonoka juichigatsu toka.
SPEAKER_04So there's a there's a pattern there that's uh onesang wa onesang Uh uh Ichi uh Ichigatsu.
SPEAKER_01Or is it June one of one of them's gotta be June 17th? Uh June Okay, so it's June 17th. Incorrect. Nothing happened. June 16th? No. No, not nothing. That was just them totally made updates where nothing happens. Um we're gonna look for mom. Uh oh, June 19th for mom. I was off by just a couple of days. Uh so I mean I don't know if I should be revealing the birthdays of all of my family members. Like, you know, that might be uh put me at a security risk. Oh, but I was right about January for my sister. So I was close. Uh oh, but what's really coming up is my parents' 50th wedding anniversary coming up in just a couple of weeks.
SPEAKER_04Nice, nice. Are you gonna do something special?
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, we're gonna go uh to and get Mexican food at their favorite restaurant that they go to three times a week. Well, it'll be special because everyone will be joining us.
SPEAKER_04Ah, nice.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and we'll rent out the we'll rent out the uh restaurant. Well, no, maybe not the whole restaurant, but like the whole patio. Yeah, and we'll do a whole thing. So we'll make it we'll make it special. Look, when you when you get to that age, they don't want to they don't want to go and do they're like doing something special, man, though. Yeah, they don't wanna they don't want to go and go to a fancy restaurant and dress up. They just want to go and do the same stuff that they always do.
SPEAKER_04So I just went to Japan because my dad turned 88.
SPEAKER_01Oh. Uh snowman, snowman?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, snowman, snowman. But that's uh that's a big birthday.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04In Japan. And so I went back, but my mom's like, uh, I'm patient, po kurishinja, gala damit. Also that's a po no ka no shisugi te hot the shin jukala.
SPEAKER_01Oh no.
SPEAKER_04So so dakala damit git.
SPEAKER_01Karawa karawaso nani uh uh to gatyo.
SPEAKER_04But my dad's eight years older than my mom.
SPEAKER_01Uh-huh.
unknownHi.
SPEAKER_04What do you know? So dakara uh party she must end this stuff. We just went to like uh shopping more food court for dinner. I'm like, what?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_04We went to an we had another dinner, but we went to Famili Des Tran. Like, what's up with that?
SPEAKER_01I know you try to get him to do something more exciting.
SPEAKER_04So so so so let's go to Hungurihanta.
SPEAKER_01Hungurihanta. Is that like a outback steakhouse or something? Something else?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, some yeah, like a steak. Famidesu.
SPEAKER_01Famidesu, hi. Family Famuri Family Famiresu Famuridesu.
SPEAKER_04Fami Fami.
SPEAKER_01Famili Famuridesu Famiresu hito a famiresu in ikimasu.
SPEAKER_04So ni famichala.
SPEAKER_01Hi.
SPEAKER_04Famidesu family restaurant.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Uh super famicomb. The family computer. Which is otherwise known as the Super Nintendo. So yeah, Fami. Oh, and then there's a uh Famichiki.
SPEAKER_04I don't know. Famima no chiking. Famichiki.
SPEAKER_01Famima no ano.
SPEAKER_04Famima? Familiato.
SPEAKER_01Oh, familiato chiking. Oh, maybe. I I I'm getting images of Famichiki. It was like a it's like Famichiki special. It's like it's like buy the family chicken bucket for like it's it's chicken, it's chicken for the whole family.
SPEAKER_04I think Famichiki is the Famima Chiking.
SPEAKER_01Oh, okay. It's a the particular the Famarimato. Is Famili Mato like uh sort of like a seven?
SPEAKER_04Seven eleven. And that's Lawson.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, and there's yeah.
SPEAKER_04Lawson. Did you know Lawson is from Midwest?
SPEAKER_01Oh, is it?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's so funny.
SPEAKER_04Because my hu uh my husband um spent to Lawson's in Ohio and then they had the same logo with the milk jug. The milk jug, yeah. Yeah. And uh then he went to Japan. He's like, he had tears in his eyes. He's like, oh Lawson God No, he's he didn't speak Japanese, but he's like, ah, Lawson Well that's uh this crazy reversal where I mean I didn't grow up in the Midwest.
SPEAKER_01I grew up here in U Los Andu seven eleven. Uh Demo onigiri ganai to uh uh bentonashi uh hotodoku hotodogu to uh takitos uh to uh chipsu to donatsu iga nashi demo Tokyo ka kyoto uhonde uh seven eleven ga uh demomo arimas ni hono no seven no no tabemono uh nohoga helhi to o ishito moimas dakle demo uh seven eleven wa uh America no kaisha desyoto imaasa demo uh so ni hono no kaisha ka katam Nihono Kaisa Nihono Nihono Itoyokado Ga kate So it was under Japanese company and then it was sold to somebody else and now I think it's back to Japanese company. Right. Well now but the original the original 7 Eleven wasn't it was from here yeah oh it was yeah so the original 7-Eleven was from here and then it went to Japan and then the Japanese company bought their own because they are because I was talking to them and they were like no 7-Eleven is well maybe they were just saying 7-Eleven is Japanese, but I thought they were saying 7-Eleven originated in Japan.
SPEAKER_04I think it's originated here in America and it went to Japan and then the Japanese company bought the not just the rights in Japan but right the company in America.
SPEAKER_01Okay so now is it owned by a Japanese company?
SPEAKER_04Yeah now it's owned by Japanese again.
SPEAKER_01So I mean we have a chatter here on the Hongoto English live shows like America but it's like but but Japan bought it from us and they're very protective about Americans buying Japanese companies but they'll just they'll just buy 7-Eleven right out from under us. But then Lawson I thought oh surely this is a Japanese company because I didn't I had never seen a Lawson growing up. But now it turns out it's from the Midwest as well. It's from US 7-Eleven we've got a fact checker here Google says 7-Eleven originated in Texas in 1927-11. Wow wow so that would have been like uh maybe I forget when World War I ended but it was in the 20s so going back to birthdays after that yes my sister's birthday waitatsuju ichsu that would be Ichigatsu January let's go through the months Ichigatsu Ichi is one Ni is two Nigatsu uh Sangatsu March so yeah in English we've got all of these uh you know names for the months but in Japanese it's just they're just numbered so we've got like one month Ichigats Nigatsu Sangatsu Yongatsu. Shigatsu Shigatsu yeah shigats so that is a place for you she shigatsu. So Ichigatsu Nigatsu, sangatsu, shigatsu, go gatsu, Rokugatsu Shichigatsu, Nanagatsu, just Shichigatsu, Shichigatsu told you she for four and and she for Shichigatsu Hachigatsu eight month uh Kugatsu nine month September Jugatsu ten month October Ju Ichigatsu eleven month November Junigatsu twelve month December. It's funny because if you just want to talk about a month like as an idea you would say getsu right. Yeah which is and the the character for for this is the same as uh moon the moon which makes sense uh for you know I don't think we need to explain why that has uh a certain logic to it but uh yeah so it's getsu if you're talking about the m if you're talking about uh a month as an idea but if you're talking about January, February March, Ichigatsu, nigatsu, sangatsu, shigatsu, go gatsu, rokugatsu, shichigatsu, hatigatsu, kugatsu, jiugatsu, juichigatsu, junigatsu, and then try explaining to your Akaywa student that an octagon has eight sides and an octopus has eight arms but that October is jugatsu and not Hachigatsu. Why why why why I think uh the story I heard was that um uh July and August were named after Julius Augustus Caesar and that at some point uh he wanted to like insert his own name into the months of the calendar because they were reforming the calendar at the time but then they kept the same names for all the old months so so October used to be the eighth month but then they added two more months in between and then pushed it over and now it's still called out October even though it's the tenth month. See we don't think about that much in English because we just know October but and um but yeah I think that I the that might be just like I forget you know go go look on Wikipedia or something to see if that's just like a an old wives tale or whatever but uh that's I think why there was it was the eighth month December deck decagon 10 December is also would be tenth month. Um and then September I think is also nine like a Septagon is like I think a nine sided figure I think I don't know it it it's I'm trying to remember what a seven sided figure is though. But in any case uh yeah it was because there was calendar reforms and then they kept the old names so they just didn't and the names didn't make sense anymore.
SPEAKER_04Well we also had names different names for the month oh you do oh wanna share and then I took the c you know in Japanese classes we had to learn but I don't remember oh you don't remember them I don't remember all I remember Shivasu. Shivasu is December.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_04Because that's my month.
SPEAKER_01Uh-huh is a shiwa does that have a meaning or like I'm sure it has kanji.
SPEAKER_04No that's a kanji but I can't remember she shibasu? No she waitsu.
SPEAKER_01A word you'll never need to know but hey you might as well learn it if you're interested in it then um yeah. So yeah I don't think we've gotten to months in the the Genki yet but this is that's definit that's definitely a beginning Japanese kind of thing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah but it's time to study Genki timeu Yay Genki Tai page ninety nine use the cues below and make suggestions to do something together. Your partner suggests an alternative. So example is cafe and library. So A says example cafe de benkyoshima senka and then B says and then A says oh so it's very much like the previous uh exercise but we're adding an alternative so in addition to all the places we've learned we now have dol deska do deska is a great phrase deska is just uh is it with a question.
SPEAKER_01Ka makes it a question Dol is just like uh how it is um so you would say like how's that? So do deska you can also be like if someone's eating if you make some food and they're eating it and you want to ask them like how is it you say do deska it can also mean like it can mean like how are you Michelle could I speak Michelle Dol. So yeah dol deska or do like Homer Simpson Dou No Dol Long O is uh yeah how about this? How about how about Toshoka Modoleska how about the library? Yeah so Dol.
SPEAKER_04So though number one coffee and green tea I'm gonna be a kohio no mimasenka ni gasugidu deskara o chao deska e this na Hi Wcha des Wcha dis Okay niban Tennis to Badomitong Badmitongasende Bad Mitonis washima senka tenisoshimasen uh tennis wachto bad miton wa do deska miton batom no gamoto ashigaita kunagimasio this yo uh demo gambari masho kemen gambari masho then it's gambado why not you can't say gambari masho like together like let's do our best together okay yeah samba samba saturday sunday what what saturday sundae nichiobi wa do deskaobi wa do deska demo nichiobi doyobi wa doyobiobi deska so doyobi wa do deska bi do yobi uhakiamasta wakari masa demo naniostei maska nani one just asking me in the abstract like how sunday like as a sundae sundae what what am I uh supposed to ask uh I mean you could make it up or you could or you could just ask I mean it could be like how sunday like we don't know the context right now uh kibishides de kimasen ie chigao dame alternative is sundayobiwa do deska i desneh okay number four makudonaruto tomosbaga i see what they're doing here makudo narudo nikimasenka makudonaruto wa uhy uh tabe monokara tabed nai hi uh uhsu baga mosubaga wa do deska yes na hi hi mosunikimas I like saying no I guess no choto choto choto choto okay next uh section six uh so I read a book every day how often do you do the following activities answer the questions using the expressions below example question hoyomimasu a hi yokuyomimasu or amari yomi masen okay so we're just using yoku and the amari is what we're learning here.
SPEAKER_01So and there's a list of things Mainichi Yoku toki doki mas or amari zenzen masen Alright well let's let's take them one by one uh we're learning some new vocabulary so what's the first one Mainichi Mainichi every day May means every so uh often you'll hear ma as a prefix and uh I can't think of I mean I mean there's like mai baga but that's more like my burger Maiban every evening. Mayasa every morning. Maitoshi Maitoshi every year Mai getsuobi every Monday yeah yeah so mai you put before things for every um so my Nietzsche Nietzsche is a day although it's also Nietzsche which is kind of interesting. It's like day day but my Nietzsche is every day that's a good word to know my nichi. Yoku Yoku I understand to mean often so yoku being kyoloshima sa often study yoku uh shidiadu otabema sa often eat
SPEAKER_04What about Toki Doki?
SPEAKER_01Tokie doki. I bet if we had a s uh a slew of listeners, they could guess Toki Doki, it just feels like sometimes. Toki doki. Sometimes.
SPEAKER_04And those goes with mashi and zenzen goes with masen.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, yeah. So we have amadi. So amadi is uh like I guess not o well no, it's like not often.
SPEAKER_04Not often.
SPEAKER_01Or almost never. It's not never.
SPEAKER_04But not often, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Not often or rare maybe like rarely.
SPEAKER_04Oh rare rarely. Oh zenzen.
SPEAKER_01Well, Zen Zen to me feels like never. That's this my that's just my opinion. I you know, you're the expert or the native speaker, you know.
SPEAKER_04Zenzen. So Amadi and Zenzen goes with Zen.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Amadi is kind of like I don't really do that. Right? But you can maybe think of a special case, but Zen Zen feels like never. I don't do that at all. Okay. You know?
SPEAKER_04Okay. So uh sen the negative.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Spotshimasu.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I just get to answer honestly. Uh psyching sportsuo amarishimasen this. Uh unto exercise. Exercise. Moshi uh hiking was potsu this kara? Uh yoku uh sportsu shimasu.
SPEAKER_04Hiking sport hiking was sportsu janai. Spotsujanai.
SPEAKER_01What did you answer? I was uh we were at Spotsu. Sports. How often do you play sports? Uh and I said I rarely uh play sport, you know, like a real organized sport pretty rarely these days. Not never, but pretty rarely. Okay. Niba. Hi.
SPEAKER_04Zashio Yomimasu.
SPEAKER_01Zashi, a magazine. Yomimas to read in the present. Do you read magazines? Uh Toki doki. Zashio Yomimas. Sometimes I read magazines. Hi, so this yo. Mada. Mada zashio yomimas. Uh computano zashi wa zashi deska. Most Easing. Easing. Okay.
SPEAKER_04Walk on that. Okay. Number three. Hi, samba. Komini nikimasu.
SPEAKER_01Komini? Convenience store? Hi. Kombini nikimasu. Mm-hmm. Tamani komini nikimas. Yeah, sometimes I go. Usually just when I'm buying gas and I want to like get some chewing gum or something.
SPEAKER_04Oh, chewing gum.
SPEAKER_01Or I'm on the road on a road trip. Maybe I'll get some uh I'll get some water.
SPEAKER_04I buy uh puff.
SPEAKER_01Oh, puffy chitos. Oh, she sold.
SPEAKER_04Oh she on the road.
SPEAKER_01Ah road food. So jockey suki deska.
SPEAKER_04Beefy.
SPEAKER_01Choto.
SPEAKER_04And beefujaki. Hon to no beefaki. Oh no naga.
SPEAKER_01Oh, like beef beef stick. So sorry, suki jai. Honor Jaki. I wish you this. Uh show you guy tamo.
SPEAKER_04I show you. Okay. Number four. Yomba.
SPEAKER_01Hi.
SPEAKER_04Ega omimasuka.
SPEAKER_01Ega omimaska. Hi. Ega uh uh terebino ega more ega desga.
SPEAKER_04Telebi.
SPEAKER_01Zaikin minasama uh netufika. Mimaska mi tamous. Tamani. Tamani ega mimas. Hi. Hi.
SPEAKER_04Kohi or no mimaska.
SPEAKER_01Kohi. Koi ga daisuki des kedo. Hi. Moshi ikopu on de itsu mo uhka korewa nani.
SPEAKER_04Nanani gani korewa. Take afu ru.
SPEAKER_01Uh I get the I get the jitters. You know, the caffeine jitters. Yeah, even just from one cup.
SPEAKER_04Eh hon toni?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Uh, but I'll decafu decafu rateo no mimas. Yoku yoku yoku no mimas.
SPEAKER_04Hi. So eba na ka soda ma she kut it'skate masuka.
SPEAKER_01Tskate mas?
SPEAKER_04Yoku. Toki doki.
SPEAKER_01Uh tsukat ska tsugimas takara. A so nga s. Hi. Toto uha uha uh uh itakunata.
SPEAKER_04Mike gives uh almost. Hayagi stadi ga oko.
SPEAKER_01So tansu?
SPEAKER_04Tansang?
SPEAKER_01Tansang carbonation. Hi tansan on no no misugita uha itai. Hi.
SPEAKER_04Ja gobang.
SPEAKER_01Goban.
SPEAKER_04Nihon no ongaku kikimaska.
SPEAKER_01Nihon no ongaku music, Japanese music. Hi. O kikimaska. Hmm, nihono ongaku. Wa ningen isu no meta rubando. Akitemasu uh sonuato katamari damashi no soundtrack. Okay kitemas. So tamani, tamani, nihono ongaku kitemas yo?
SPEAKER_04Asudesko.
SPEAKER_01Hi.
SPEAKER_04Ja, nanaban. Asagohan o tabemaska.
SPEAKER_01Asagohan no tabemaska. Uh it smo my nichi asago no tabemas. Asu. Demo! Demo Yoku asagohan wa uh uh ohiru de tabemas.
SPEAKER_04Asagohan o ohirugoro tabemas.
SPEAKER_01Hi. Aha. Kara uhiru gohan. Oso kute okimas kara Mada as demo Wadashi ni wa asago. Asagohan des yo. Buranchi dita osare. Oh, bra Branchiwa osare this. Hi. Temo moshi juichiji ka ju ni ji ni okitara omizunon de asagohan na tabemonot skute. So lewa asagohan diska. Oki gohan. Buranchi. Buranchi, but that buranchi wa oshasugi. No. You're telling me that if you Asakohan. It's asakohan, right? I mean, if you're uh if you're a Japanese person and your schedule is that, you know, you've got you work the night shift and then you wake up at 3 p.m. the next day and that and then you make your food. I mean, that's that's for you, that's asakohan. Yeah. Even though it's you know morning meal. I mean, it's still your breakfast.
SPEAKER_04Okay. Page 100. Hey, we made it. It's page 100. Section 7. Matomenon review exercises. Yay. Answer the following questions. Ichaman. Nanji ni okimaska.
SPEAKER_01Nanji ni okimaska.
SPEAKER_04Hi.
SPEAKER_01Getsuyobi kara Mokuyobi made gozen shichiji ni okimasu.
SPEAKER_04Oh hiai.
SPEAKER_01Hi.
SPEAKER_04Ja niban dokode ben kyoshimasu.
SPEAKER_01Doko deben kyoshimasu.
SPEAKER_04That's the question. But do you study ben kyoshimasu?
SPEAKER_01Uh dokodeben kyoshimasu. Uh uh Kono uh studio deben kyoshimasu. Ima ben kyosimas.
SPEAKER_04Ah, sodiska.
SPEAKER_01Hi.
SPEAKER_04Hi, ja.
SPEAKER_01Uh uh, well, for those listening, Urenshi was practiced. It was no, did you say Benkyo or densu? Benkyo. Benkyo sudo. You're asking, uh, when do you study? And well, we study, I study kind of I actually study fairly frequently these days in my studio. I study Japanese. Alright, what's the next one? Uh it's telebiomasuka. Itsu is just when, right? Right. Right? I asked as if I didn't know that it was true, but uh nevertheless, for the benefit of the listener.
SPEAKER_04Ah, so this ka.
SPEAKER_01Hi. Yeah, I always watch uh TV while I'm lying in bed and before I go to sleep. It's not healthy. Alright.
SPEAKER_04Yomban.
SPEAKER_01Yomban number four.
SPEAKER_04Sports Oshimasu.
SPEAKER_01There's that sportsu again. Spotsoshimas uh Shimasen. Sportsu shotshimasin. Are we just we're just doing general reviews?
SPEAKER_04Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I mean you sell sportsuoshimasu. Goldfu, goldfu are sportsu this, yeah. Right. Sportshimasu demo Mainichi, uh tamani, toki doki.
SPEAKER_04Kyo iste ashtasuru kino moshimasu.
SPEAKER_01Ah yoku yoku gorfushimas. Oh.
SPEAKER_04Demo heta this.
SPEAKER_01Heta mochiron. Ah, mochi on the hido m Mari uhisa Michibari wa it'sumo uh uh uh uh beso hita uh besumo heta heta heta nan demo it'um ituma heta zembu heta dakara mochi don deskara misherwa itsimo itscuta fulan wa wishata deska Ah Fulano Otsguru no got Jozi Ohsu no flamba Uskata Tabe Chata yo Yeah that flam that flam was good okay go ban Shumatsu Adokoniki Maska Shumasu Oh the weekend Hi Shumasu dokoniki Maska Hi Kon Shumatsu Hikingus I saw this ka hi Tomodachito Haikingushimas Tomodachi is a friend tomodachi you may remember uh Tomogachi Tamagochi Tomagochi uh egg something but no tomodachi No not not dashi Tomodachi C-H-I tomodachi or you could just say tomo. Tomo is kind of short for a friend. Yeah Rokuban number six Asa nani otabemaska that's the morning nani whatemaska what do you eat in the morning asan nani otabemaska tama uh meda medama yaki tamago uh to uh to kudamono otabemaska medama yaki wa katame deska riomedeska nani medama yaki medama yaki wa katame deska setomo yomedeska ryyome hi riyome suki desudeska So Medama yaki yaki is like to cook um it's also the same yaki that's in like okonomi yaki the grilled cooked thing medama it's eyeball so medama yaki eyeball grilled grill eyeball is uh sunny side up eggs but way more metal nanaban hi konban nanioshimaska konban hi konban uhizaki to uh podcast that's what I'm doing this evening konban mishimata on this kid of mishizaki nahishaki sorry yeah uh a konban with an N. And uh remember konban no is the greeting for the evening and uh a konban is also just this evening.
SPEAKER_04Mm-hmm. On to Hachiban.
SPEAKER_01Hachiban eight. Mayban Nanjigoro Nemaska Maiban Nanjigoro Nemaska Hi Well they really think that these people are on strict schedules don't they? Like I go to the bed at the same time every day. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Uh Maiban uh goes in uh Niji ni nemas Oh so the score I oh well there are more questions to follow for the review exercises but I think I already know everything about you so I'm done asking questions.
SPEAKER_01That's pretty much it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah well thank you for listening.
SPEAKER_01Yes thank you for joining us and write us email nihongotoenglish no show at gmail.com yep and you can also uh find us on Twitch at NihongoTol English and uh also on Instagram at Nihongo Tol English uh so yeah where you can chat away hatchane bye bye bye bye hatane see you next time thanks for listening to the
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