Lesson 59 - Would you like ..?

Ikaga means something like "Would you like..." Take KOOHII wa ikaga desu ka for example. KOOHII is coffee, and the whole sentence means, "Would you like some coffee?" This is a way you would offer some sort of food or beverage to someone. If you would like it, you would reply yes, but if you don't, you would say Kekkou desu, which is "No thank you." In the next few units, you will be learning about food and Japanese customs regarding them.

Before Japanese begin a meal, they say Itadakimasu, which is sort of like "Thank you for this meal". At the end, they say Gochisou sama deshita, which is another saying of thanks. A popular food are soba noodles, which are are wheat noodles served in soup. Sushi is also very popular, but there are many different forms besides just raw fish. Bentou are popular packed lunches that students take to school or workers to their jobs. RAAMEN are popular noodles, though you would be surprised to find out they did not originate in Japan, but in Sweden. Lastly, another popular treat are onigiri, which are rice cakes. As you know, Japanese eat with ohashi, or chopsticks. To say you are hungry, you would say Onaka ga sukimashita, which more literally translates to "My stomach has emptied." Alternatively, Nodo ga kawakimashita is "I am thirsty", or more literally, "My throat has dried". Most Japanese drink ocha or tea, but they do have a variety of drinks, from KOKAKOORA (Coca Cola) to MIRUKU (milk) to MIRUKUSEEKI (milkshakes). Let's go into a conversation, where we'll introduce a ton of new vocabulary. So read Tetsunosuke's and Saya's conversation carefully!

Tetsunosuke: Saya-chan, konnichi wa! Ohisashiburi desu ne. Boku o oboete imasu ka.
Saya: Konnichi wa, Testu-kun! Mochiron oboete imasu. Ogenki desu ka.
Tetsunosuke: Genki desu. Daigaku ni hairimasu ka.
Saya: Hai! Tetsu-kun wa?
Tetsunosuke: Boku mo! Demo, kono goro hima desu.
Saya: Sou desu ne. Ja, RESUTORAN ni ikimashou ka.
Testunosuke: Hai, ikimashou. Later...
Both: Itadakimasu!
Tetsunosuke: Sushi wa oishii desu ne.
Saya: Ee, sushi ga daisuki desu.
Tetsunosuke: Boku no gohan wa ikaga desu ka.
Saya: Iie, kekko desu. Ato de, AISUKURIIMU ga hoshii desu!
Tetsunosuke: Boku mo! Mada onaka ga kawakimashita.
Saya: Hai... gochisou sama deshita.
Tetsunosuke: Gochisou sama deshita.

That was a lot of new vocab. First we have Tetsunosuke saying, "Saya, hello! It's been a long time. Do you remember me?" Saya says, "Hello, Tetsu! Of course I remember you. How are you?" Tetsunosuke says, "I'm fine. Did you enter the university?" Saya replies yes, and what about him. Tetsu replies, "Me too! But, these days are free time." Saya replies, "Is that so. Well, shall we go to the restaurant?" Tetsu replies sure. At the restaurant, they say thanks and Tetsu remarks, "Sushi is delicious, isn't it?" Saya replies, "Yes, I like sushi a lot." Tetsu asks, "Would you like my rice?" Saya replies, "No thank you. Afterwards, I want ice cream!" Tetsunosuke replies, "Me too! I'm still hungry." Then they both say thanks again.

Vocabulary Review
如何 Ikaga- would you like...
コーヒー KOOHII- coffee
けっこう Kekkou- no thank you
いただきます Itadakimasu- thanks before a meal (you say this before you start eating)
ご馳走様でした Gochisou sama deshita- thanks after a meal (you say this to the staff after eating, also to express you liked the meal) 
そば Soba- wheat noodles
すし Sushi- raw fish rolls
弁当 Bentou- packed lunches
ラーメン RAAMEN- noodles
おにぎり Onigiri- rice cakes
お箸 Ohashi- chopsticks
御腹が空きました Onaka ga sukimashita- I'm hungry
喉が渇きました Nodo ga kawakimashita- I'm thirsty
お茶 Ocha- tea
ミルク MIRUKU- milk
ミルクセーキ MIRUKUSEEKI- milkshake
覚えます Oboemasu- to remember
入ります Hairimasu- to enter
このごろ Kono goro- these days
暇 Hima- free time
ご飯 Gohan- rice
アイスクリーム AISUKURIIMU- ice cream
まだ Mada- still