Useful Phrases for Your First Online Japanese Lesson
/
Can you say “can you hear me?” in Japanese?
In some ways, a Skype lesson isn’t that different from a face-to-face Japanese lesson. But all new situations need some new vocabulary! And when you start having one-to-one lessons online, you might need some new words and phrases you haven’t come across before.
1) もしもし moshi moshi
“Moshi moshi” is another way to say “hello”, but it’s usually only used on the phone.
When you answer the phone in Japanese, say “moshi moshi”.
You can also say “moshi moshi?” if the line cuts out and you want to check that the other person can hear you.
2) 聞こえますか kikoemasu ka
“Kikoemasu” means “to be heard” or “to be audible”. So in the context of a phone call or Skype lesson, “kikoemasu ka” means “Can you hear me?”
It’s a good way to check your mic is working at the start of a lesson!
3) 見えますか miemasu ka
If you have Japanese lessons via Skype, it’s important that you can see the teacher, and they can see you!
“Miemasu ka” means “Can you see me?” Use this phrase if you want to check with your teacher that your video is working ok.
4) もう一度お願いします mou ichido onegai shimasu
“Mou ichido” means “once again”, and “onegaishimasu” means “please”.
So “Mou ichido onegai shimasu” means “please say that again.”
Perfect for if you didn’t quite catch what your teacher said.
5) わかりますか wakarimasu ka
“Wakarimasu ka?” means “do you understand?” Your teacher may ask you this.
You can answer this question with “wakarimashita” (I understand; I got it). Or “wakarimasen” (I don’t understand).
6) ＿＿＿＿はわかりません。 ＿＿＿＿wa wakarimasen.
This phrase means “I don’t understand [word].” For when you need to say exactly what you don’t understand!
You could also ask “[word] wa eigo de nan desu ka” (“What is [word] in English?”)
For example:
Teacher: 週末はどうでしたか。Shuumatsu wa dou deshita ka? (How was your weekend?)
Student: …「どう」はわかりません。…”Dou” wa wakarimasen. (…I don’t understand “dou”.)
Teacher: 「どう」は英語で”how”です。 “Dou” wa eigo de “how” desu. (“Dou” means “how” in English”)
Student: ああ、わかりました！ Aa, wakarimashita! (Ah, I got it!)
If you can get a few of these phrases under your belt, you should be ready to face any new situation you encounter during your first online Japanese lesson!
But remember, you don’t need to be perfect before your first lesson… lessons are for practising, and making mistakes so you can learn as much as possible.
Like many people in the UK, I studied French in school. I liked French. I thought it was really fun to speak another language, to talk with people, and to try and listen to what was going on in a new country. (Still do!)
When I was 14 we went on a school exchange to the city of Reims, in northeastern France. I was paired with a boy, which I’m sure some 14-year-olds would find very exciting but which I found unbearably awkward. He was very sweet and we completely ignored each other.
That was nearly 20 years ago, and I didn’t learn or use any more French until, at some point in lockdown, I decided on a whim to take some one-to-one lessons with online teachers. Here are some things I learned about French, about language learning, and about myself.