Lesson 36 - You're new?

The word for "new" is atarashii. This word is used as a typical adjective (so remember your adjective endings!) and can be used with basically any noun, just as we use it in English. One thing you can use it for is students. As you recall, the word for student or pupil is seito. If you want to be more specific, you could specify what year in school they are in: ichinensei (first year student), ninensei (second year student), sannensei (third year student), yonnensei (fourth year student), and et cetera. But, they don't count their grades 1 - 12. They count it was "fifth year elementary student" or "second year junior high school student" or "third year high school student". Therefore, you must recall how to say the three levels of school: shougakkou (elementary), chuugakkou (middle school), and koutougakkou (high school). To say something like "first year high school student", you would say kootoogakkoo no ichinensei Let's use these little tidbits in a conversation between Toshi and Hisaki.

Toshi: Ohayou. Onamae wa.
Hisaki: Boku wa Hisaki desu. Anata wa.
Toshi: Toshi desu. Hajimemashite.
Hisaki: Hajimemashite. Nansai desu ka.
Toshi: Juurokusai desu. Koutougakkou no sannensei desu.
Hisaki: Sou desu ne. Boku wa atarashii seito desu. Juunanasai desu. Yonnensei desu.
Toshi: Aa . . . Doko ni sunde imasu ka.
Hisaki: Tokyo ni sunde imasu.
Toshi: Sou desu ne . . . sorosoro shitsurei shimasu. Mata aimashou ka. Hisaki: Hai. Ja mata ne.

Let's observe this dialogue. Toshi greets Hisaki and says "Good morning. What is your name?" (Saying just Onamae wa is an informal way of asking a person's name). Hisaki replies that his name is Hisaki. (Remember that the male term for "I/me" is boku). Toshi replies with his name and they say "Nice to meet you." Hisaki then asks Toshi's age. Toshi replies that he is 16 and a third year student of high school. Hisaki replies, "I see. I'm a new student. I'm 17. I'm a fourth year high school student." In response to this, Toshi asks "Where do you live?" The verb sunde imasu means "to live". Hisaki replies that he lives in Tokyo. Toshi then says Sorosoro shitsurei shimasu which means, "Sorry but I must be going". He then asks, "Shall we meet again?" The word mata means again. Hisaki replies, "Yes. See you again."

Vocabulary Review
新しい Atarashii- new
一年生 Ichinensei- first year student
二年生 Ninensei- second year student
三年生 Sannensei- third year student
四年生 Yonnensei- fourth year student
そろそろ失礼します Sorosoro shitsurei shimasu- Sorry but I must be going
住んでいます Sunde imasu- to live
また Mata- again