Dialogue 2: Asking How to Say X in Japanese

One of the most useful expressions in Japanese is asking how to say something. You can do this by using the verb いいます (“to say”), as shown below.

A: Tableは にほんごで なんて いいますか。 B: 「テーブル」って いいます。 A: それは おもしろい テーブルですねえ。 B: あ、これは こたつです。

Vocabulary

1.	で	by means of, in, with [で marks means or instruments]
2.	（っ）て	[casual quotation marker]
3.	と	[formal quotation marker]
4.	いいます	to say [Xって いいます "(We) call it X"]
5.	おもしろい	[い-Adj] interesting [ つまらない "boring"]
6.	ねえ	[sentence particle to seek or express agreement]
7.	こたつ	table equipped with a heater

Additional Vocabulary:

1.	たかい	tall expensive	[ひくい] やすい	low cheap
2.	やさしい	easy	むずかしい	difficult
3.	おもしろい	interesting	つまらない	boring
4.	やさしい	kind, gentle	きびしい	strict
5.	あかるい	bright, cheerful	[くらい]	dark, gloomy
6.	おいしい	tasty	[まずい]	bad tasting
7.	いい	good
8.	いそがしい	busy
9.	かわいい	cute
10.	[かっこいい]	cool, stylish

Translation

A:	How do you say "table" in Japanese?
B:	We say "teeburu."
A:	That's an interesting table.
B:	Oh, this is "kotatsu"

Cultural Note

1.

こたつ is a traditional Japanese heating table used mainly in winter. It consists of a low wooden table with a heater attached underneath and a thick blanket draped over the frame. People sit on the floor with their legs under the table, trapping warm air inside to keep their lower body warm.