the last - last

  1. The last Saturday in October
  2. The last two people
  3. Last Saturday
  4. Last time
The answers are:
  1. 10 gatsu no saigo no doyobi
  2. saigo no futari
  3. senshu no doyobi, kono mae no doyobi
  4. zenkai, kono mae no toki
the last (saigo no) the first (saisho no)
last (kono mae no)  next (tsugi no)
However, both work on this English sentence:
When was the last time you went to an onsen?
saigo ni onsen ni itta no wa itsu des ka? 
kono mae onsen ni itta no wa itsu des ka? 


deru　（出る）



The verb for this kanji is “deru”.

Then, what is the meaning of following examples?
  • Kare wa ashita no shiai ni deru.
  • Kaigi ni deru.
  • Denwa ni deru.

Meaning: to go to a specific place to do something

  • Kaigi ni deru: to attend a meeting
  • Denwa ni deru: to answer the telephone


Sorry and Excuse me / gomen and sumimasen

The hot summer has begun. Even though the heat is unpleasant, the arrival of summer is always exciting. Complicated, isn’t it?

Today, I will study the differences between “Sorry” and “Excuse me” and the Japanese equivalents “gomennasai” and “sumimasen”. It seems that everybody knows these expressions, but there might be some things about them that you don’t know.
According to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, “sorry” has three definitions. I will list them and add Japanese translations to each English sentence.
1. feeling sadness or regret
I am sorry to say that I won't be able to accept the job. (sono shigoto o hikiukerarenai no wa zannen des.)
I am sorry to hear of your father's death. (okuyami moushi agemas.)
When you say "I am sorry to say that" or "I am sorry to hear that”, you should use “zannen des”. Also, since “zannen des” is, by itself, not quite sufficient to express your sadness at someone’s passing, “okuyami moushi agemas” would be a good phrase to add.

2. full of shame and regret, apologetic
If you say you are sorry, we will forget the incident. (anata ga gomen to ittara,/ayamattara, watashitachi wa kono ken o wasuremasho.)
Aren't you sorry for what you have done? (jibun ga yatta koto o warui to omowanai no?)
Saying “gomennasai” or “sumimasen” is an act of apologizing. For the second example, you should use “warui to omou” rather than “gomen” because the sentence only refers to feeling apologetic, not actually apologizing.

3. used to express mild regret, disagreement or refusal
Can you lend me a pound? No, I am sorry I can't. (1pound kahiste kureru?  gomen/ warui kedo, kasenai.)
I am sorry I am late. (okurete gomen/ sumimaen.)
When you convey your refusal or disagreement with “I am sorry but…”, it is natural to start with “warui kedo”. It is okay to simply use “gomen(nasai)” or “sumimasen” for the second sentence, but don’t forget to use the te-form of the verb (before “gomen” and “sumimasen”) if you also state your reason for apologizing.

Next, here is the definition of “Excuse me”:
used as an apology when one interrupts, disagrees, disapproves or has to behave impolitely
Excuse me, is anybody sitting here? (sumimasen, koko ni dareka suwatteimas ka?)
Excuse me, can I get past? (sumimasen, toottemo ii des ka?)

“Sumimasen” is a very useful phrase because you can use it for both “I am sorry” and “Excuse me” and it can also be used for expressing feelings of gratitude. However, it can’t be used for the first definition of “sorry” and does not always fit with the second and third ones either. Thus, it is important to remember the situations in which it is appropriate and sentence patterns as well.


A study of “yasumi”




According to the dictionary:



Here are the definitions of the English words.

Break: interval especially between periods of work






It is good fun living in Japan and dining out with Japanese people, isn’t it? First of all, Japanese food is good overall, and you can often learn various aspects of Japanese culture at the restaurant. Well then, have you heard or used “toriaezu nama beer” when you place the first order at a restaurant or izakaya? What does this toriazezu mean?

Let’s have a look at a Japanese-English dictionary. In the English translation, there is not only one word for toriazezu.
  1. toriaezu ima wa watashi no pen o tsukatte. (Just use my pen for now.)
  2. toriaezu mise no mae o soji shite oite. (Clean up in front of the shop first.)
  3. dekiruka doka wakaranai kedo, toriaezu yatte miru. (I don’t know whether I can do it, but I will try anyway.)
When you see toriaezu from the English translation, all the meanings seem different. However, the above examples appear to have something in common to Japanese people who know the meaning and usage of this word.

This commonality is
Do something you should or want to do now, and in the meantime put aside other things or something you can do later.

The following are definitions and examples in the Japanese dictionary.
1. To do something first while leaving other things for later. 
example) daigaku no shiken ni gokaku shita! toriaezu haha ni gokaku o shiraseyo. (I passed the entrance examination for college! I will let my mother know first.)

example) toriaezu okane ga hitsuyo da. (The first thing I need is money.)
2. To do something immediately
example) jiko da! toriaezu kega nin ni okyushochi o shiyo. (Let’s give first aid to the injured person as an emergency/temporary measure. )
3. Without considering the future, for the present
example) toriaezu kono mama ni shite oku. (We will leave it as it is for the time being.)

Even though the translations of these examples are different, can you see all the previous examples have a common meaning?

Let’s get back to the first phrase, “toriaezu beer”. The thing you have at the start of a meal is beer, and you are not thinking now about what you order later, or think about it later. If a waiter hears this phrase, he probably assumes that you will order additional items afterward. However, if I realized that I made the wrong choice after entering a restaurant, I would go ahead and say “toriaezu beer” and make the waiter believe me. And then, I would drink the beer quickly and leave there without ordering other things!

For your information, the “nama” in nama beer means “raw” or “uncooked”. In other words, nama beer is unpasteurized beer, so it is in the same condition as nama zake (unpasteurized sake) nama zakana (raw fish), nama yasai (uncooked vegetable), nama tamago (raw egg), and so on.

kanpai! (Cheers!)