Minna no Nihongo - Unit 9 Overview

Minna no Nihongo - Unit 9 Overview

Unit 9 focuses on expressing likes and dislikes, abilities, and how to talk about what you are good at or bad at. You will learn how to describe your preferences, abilities, and activities you can or cannot do using different expressions.

1. Vocabulary (たんご)

This unit introduces key vocabulary related to preferences, skills, and activities:

• りょうり (ryōri) – cooking, cuisine
• のみもの (nomimono) – drink
• スポーツ (supōtsu) – sports
• やきゅう (yakyū) – baseball
• ダンス (dansu) – dance
• おんがく (ongaku) – music
• うた (uta) – song
• クラシック (kurashikku) – classical music
• ジャズ (jazu) – jazz
• コンサート (konsāto) – concert
• カラオケ (karaoke) – karaoke
• え (e) – picture, drawing
• じ (ji) – character, letter
• かんじ (kanji) – kanji (Chinese characters)
• ひらがな (hiragana) – hiragana
• カタカナ (katakana) – katakana
• ローマじ (rōmaji) – Roman letters
• こまかい おかね (komakai okane) – small change
• じかん (jikan) – time
• ようじ (yōji) – something to do, errand
• やくそく (yakusoku) – promise, appointment
• アルバイト (arubaito) – part-time job
• ごしゅじん (goshujin) – (someone else's) husband
• おっと / しゅじん (otto / shujin) – (my) husband
• おくさん (okusan) – (someone else's) wife
• つま / かない (tsuma / kanai) – (my) wife
• こども (kodomo) – child

2. Grammar Points (ぶんぽう)

A. Expressing Likes and Dislikes with すき and きらい

1. 好き (すき, suki) – like
2. 嫌い (きらい, kirai) – dislike

Structure:

• [Subject] は [Object] が すきです。 – [Subject] likes [Object].
• [Subject] は [Object] が きらいです。 – [Subject] dislikes [Object].

Examples:

• わたしは りょうりが すきです。 (Watashi wa ryōri ga suki desu.) – I like cooking.
• かれは さかなが きらいです。 (Kare wa sakana ga kirai desu.) – He dislikes fish.

B. Expressing Abilities with できます (dekimasu)

1. できます means "can do" or "be able to."

Structure:

• [Subject] は [Activity] が できます。 – [Subject] can do [Activity].

Examples:

• わたしは スポーツが できます。 (Watashi wa supōtsu ga dekimasu.) – I can play sports.
• ともだちは うたが できます。 (Tomodachi wa uta ga dekimasu.) – My friend can sing.

C. Expressing Good and Bad at Something with じょうず and へた

1. 上手 (じょうず, jōzu) – good at
2. 下手 (へた, heta) – bad at

Structure:

• [Subject] は [Activity] が じょうずです。 – [Subject] is good at [Activity].
• [Subject] は [Activity] が へたです。 – [Subject] is bad at [Activity].

Examples:

• かのじょは ダンスが じょうずです。 (Kanojo wa dansu ga jōzu desu.) – She is good at dancing.
• わたしは うたが へたです。 (Watashi wa uta ga heta desu.) – I am bad at singing.

D. Asking About Preferences, Abilities, and Skills

1. Do you like [Object]?
   • [Object] が すきですか。 ([Object] ga suki desu ka?) – Do you like [Object]?

Example:

• サッカーが すきですか。 (Sakkā ga suki desu ka?) – Do you like soccer?

2. Can you do [Activity]?
   • [Activity] が できますか。 ([Activity] ga dekimasu ka?) – Can you do [Activity]?

Example:

• えいごが できますか。 (Eigo ga dekimasu ka?) – Can you speak English?

3. Example Sentences

1. わたしは りょうりが すきです。 (Watashi wa ryōri ga suki desu.) – I like cooking.
2. かれは にほんごが できます。 (Kare wa Nihongo ga dekimasu.) – He can speak Japanese.
3. ともだちは ダンスが じょうずです。 (Tomodachi wa dansu ga jōzu desu.) – My friend is good at dancing.
4. わたしは えいがが きらいです。 (Watashi wa eiga ga kirai desu.) – I dislike movies.

4. Practice Sentences

• わたしは おんがくが すきです。 (Watashi wa ongaku ga suki desu.) – I like music.
• にほんごが できますか。 (Nihongo ga dekimasu ka?) – Can you speak Japanese?
• かれは やきゅうが じょうずです。 (Kare wa yakyū ga jōzu desu.) – He is good at baseball.
• おんがくが へたです。 (Ongaku ga heta desu.) – I am bad at music.

5. Summary

Unit 9 introduces expressions for likes and dislikes using すき (like) and きらい (dislike), as well as how to express ability using できます (can). It also covers how to talk about what you are good or bad at using じょうず (good at) and へた (bad at). This unit is important for discussing preferences and abilities, which are useful in everyday conversation.