Lesson 20 — 夏休みはどうするの？ (Casual Conversations Among Close Friends & Plain Form)
Introduction In Minna no Nihongo Lesson 20 Conversation, we unlock the door to natural, casual Japanese: the Plain / Informal Style (普通体 - Futsuutai)! Up to now, you have used…
Introduction
In Minna no Nihongo Lesson 20 Conversation, we unlock the door to natural, casual Japanese: the Plain / Informal Style (普通体 – Futsuutai)! Up to now, you have used the polite polite form (です / ます). Now, you will learn how friends, classmates, and family members chat casually: asking questions with rising intonation (夏休みはどうするの？ – What are you doing for summer break?), omitting particles (海[へ]行く), answering with うん (Yeah) / ううん (Nah), and reacting with いいなあ (How nice!).
Learning Objectives
- Transition smoothly between Polite Style (丁寧体) and Plain Informal Style (普通体).
- Form casual questions using rising intonation without か (e.g. 行く？ / どうするの？).
- Use casual affirmations and negations: うん (Yes), ううん (No).
- Drop conversational particles naturally in spoken peer interactions.
- Answer 20 JLPT-format MCQs on plain form conjugations and friendly conversational nuances.
Lesson Contents
Concept / Meaning
Situational Concept: In Japan, using ‘Desu/Masu’ with close peers can create social distance (水臭い – Mizukusai). Close friends speak in Plain Form: drop ‘desu/masu’, use dictionary/nai/ta forms, drop particles, and end questions with の？ or rising intonation.
नेपाली व्याख्या:
जापानमा साथीभाइ, सहकर्मी वा समवयीहरूसँग कुरा गर्दा सधैं ‘देशु/मासु’ (औपचारिक रूप) प्रयोग गरिरह्यो भने सम्बन्ध टाढा र पराई जस्तो देखिन्छ। त्यसैले घनिष्ठ साथीहरूसँग ‘सामान्य/अनौपचारिक भाषा’ (普通体 – Futsuutai) बोलिन्छ: जस्तै ‘गर्मी बिदामा के गर्छौ?’ (夏休みはどうするの？), ‘हजुर’ को सट्टा ‘अँ’ (うん), ‘होइन’ को सट्टा ‘अहँ’ (ううん) प्रयोग गरिन्छ।
Japanese Form
A: 小林君、夏休みは どうするの？
B: 沖縄へ 行く。海で 泳いだり、ダイビングしたり する。
A: いいなあ。誰と 行くの？
B: 友達と。小林君は？
A: ぼくは どこも 行かない。アルバイトする。
English Meaning
A: Kobayashi, what are you doing for summer vacation?
B: I’m going to Okinawa. Doing things like swimming in the ocean and scuba diving.
A: How nice! Who are you going with?
B: With friends. What about you, Kobayashi?
A: I’m not going anywhere. Working my part-time job.
Nepali Meaning
A: कोबायाशी, गर्मी बिदामा के गर्छौ नि?
B: ओकिनावा जाने। समुन्द्रमा पौडी खेल्ने, डाइभिङ गर्ने।
A: आहा, कस्तो रमाइलो! कोसँग जाने नि?
B: साथीहरूसँग। तिमी चाहिँ नि?
A: म कतै पनि जान्न। पार्ट-टाइम काम गर्छु।
Detailed Explanation
Basic Rule
- Polite 〜ます -> Plain 辞書形 (行く / 食べる).
- Polite 〜ません -> Plain ない形 (行かない / 食べない).
- Polite 〜ました -> Plain た形 (行った / 食べた).
- Questions: Drop か, use rising intonation ↗ or add 〜の？.
- Yes/No: はい -> うん / いいえ -> ううん.
Formation
| Polite (丁寧体) | Plain (普通体) | Meaning (Nepali) |
|---|---|---|
| 行きます | 行く | जान्छु |
| 行きません | 行かない | जाँदिनँ |
| 行きました | 行った | गएँ |
| 行きませんでした | 行かなかった | गइनँ |
| はい | うん | अँ (हो) |
| いいえ | ううん | अहँ (होइन) |
| きれいです | きれいだ / きれい | सफा/सुन्दर छ |
Usage
Essential when speaking to classmates, dorm roommates, close work buddies after hours, younger siblings, and close friends.
Important Notes
- NEVER use Plain Form with teachers, bosses, doctors, store clerks, or strangers! It is considered disrespectful (ため口 – Tamekuchi).
- In casual speech, particles は, を, へ are often dropped: e.g. ご飯食べた？ (Did you eat?) instead of ‘Gohan o tabemashita ka’.
- Men often refer to themselves as 僕 (Boku) in casual peer speech.
Exceptions
When asking questions with Na-adjectives or Nouns in plain style, drop ‘da’: say 暇？ (Free?), NOT ‘Hima da?’.
Common Mistakes
Using ‘だ’ with question ‘か’ (e.g. 暇だか). That is completely ungrammatical.
Examples
Example 1
- Japanese: あした暇？ うん、暇だよ。
- Reading: Ashita hima? Un, hima da yo.
- English: Are you free tomorrow? Yeah, I’m free.
- Nepali: भोलि फुर्सद छ? अँ, फुर्सदै छु नि।
Example 2
- Japanese: コーヒー飲む？ ううん、飲まない。
- Reading: Koohii nomu? Uun, nomanai.
- English: Drink some coffee? Nah, I won’t.
- Nepali: कफी खान्छौ? अहँ, खान्न।
Example 3
- Japanese: きのう何食べた？ ラーメン食べたよ。
- Reading: Kinou nani tabeta? Raamen tabeta yo.
- English: What did you eat yesterday? I ate ramen!
- Nepali: हिजो के खायौ? चाउचाउ (रामेन) खाएँ नि।
Vocabulary
| Japanese | Hiragana | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| うん | うん | Yeah (casual yes) (अँ / हो (अनौपचारिक)) | うん、行くよ。 |
| ううん | ううん | Nah (casual no) (अहँ / नाइँ) | ううん、行かない。 |
| いいなあ | いいなあ | How nice! / Lucky you! (आहा, कति राम्रो! / भाग्यमानी!) | 旅行？いいなあ！ |
| 沖縄 | おきなわ | Okinawa (island prefecture) (ओकिनावा (जापानको दक्षिणी टापु)) | 沖縄の海はきれいです。 |
| 僕 | ぼく | I / Me (male casual) (म (पुरुष साथीहरूमाझ)) | ぼくも行くよ。 |
Conversation Practice
Situation
Two university classmates, Ken and Mike, are chatting on the campus lawn about their upcoming summer plans.
Dialogue
ケン (Ken): マイク、夏休みは どうするの？ (Maiku, natsuyasumi wa dou suru no?)
マイク (Mike): 沖縄へ 行く。海で 泳いだり、ダイビングしたり するつもり。 (Okinawa e iku. Umi de oyogidari, daibingu shitari suru tsumori.)
ケン (Ken): 沖縄？ いいなあ！ 誰と 行くの？ (Okinawa? Ii naa! Dare to iku no?)
マイク (Mike): 会社の 同僚と。ケンは？ どこか 行く？ (Kaisha no douryou to. Ken wa? Dokoka iku?)
ケン (Ken): ううん、どこも 行かない。お金が ないから、アルバイトする。 (Uun, doko mo ikanai. Okane ga nai kara, arubaito suru.)
マイク (Mike): そうか。じゃ、沖縄の お土産 買ってくるね。 (Sou ka. Jaa, Okinawa no omiyage katte kuru ne.)
ケン (Ken): ほんと？ ありがとう！ 楽しんできてね。 (Honto? Arigatou! Tanoshinde kite ne.)
Translation
- English:
Ken: Mike, what are you doing for summer break?
Mike: Going to Okinawa. I plan to do things like swim in the sea and scuba dive.
Ken: Okinawa? Lucky you! Who are you going with?
Mike: With coworkers from my company. What about you, Ken? Going anywhere?
Ken: Nah, nowhere. I have no money, so I’ll be working part-time.
Mike: I see. Well, I’ll bring back a souvenir from Okinawa for you.
Ken: Really? Thanks! Have a blast!
- Nepali:
केन: माइक, गर्मी बिदामा के गर्छौ नि?
माइक: ओकिनावा जाने। समुन्द्रमा पौडी खेल्ने, डाइभिङ गर्ने योजना छ।
केन: ओकिनावा? आहा कति रमाइलो! कोसँग जाने नि?
माइक: कम्पनीका सहकर्मीहरूसँग। केन तिमी चाहिँ? कतै जान्छौ?
केन: अहँ, कतै पनि जान्न। पैसा छैन त्यसैले पार्ट-टाइम काम गर्छु।
माइक: ए त्यसो पो। ल त्यसो भए म तिम्रो लागि ओकिनावाको कोसेली ल्याइदिउँला नि।
केन: साँच्चै? धेरै धन्यवाद! मज्जा गरेर आऊ है।
Speaking Practice
Practice asking casual questions with rising pitch: ‘Kore taberu?↗ Un, taberu!’
Reading Practice
Short Reading
大学で 友達と 話す 時、普通体を 使います。「夏休み どうするの？」「沖縄へ 行くよ」など、短い 形で 話します。でも、先生や 目上の 人と 話す 時は、必ず 「です・ます」を 使わなければ なりません。
Vocabulary Help
普通体 (ふつうたい – Plain informal style), 目上の人 (めうえのひと – Superiors), 短い (みじかい – Short)
Reading Questions
- 友達と 話す 時、どんな スタイルを 使いますか。
- 先生と 話す 時は 何を 使いますか。
- 普通体では 文が どうなりますか。
Practice
Fill in the Blank
- これ、食べる？ うん、[ _____ ]。(食べる / 食べます)
- あした 学校へ 行く？ ううん、[ _____ ]。(行かない / 行きません)
- 沖縄？ いい [ _____ ]。(なあ / ですね)
Choose the Correct Answer
- Q: 「はい」の カジュアルな（友達への）言い方は？
A: (a) うん (b) ううん (c) ええ
- Q: 「いいえ」の カジュアルな 言い方は？
A: (a) ううん (b) うん (c) はい
Sentence Formation
- (夏休み / どうする / の)
- (アルバイト / する / ぼくは)
Word Arrangement
- [ 行くの / 誰と / 沖縄へ ]
- [ 行かない / どこも / ううん ]
Translation Practice
- Are you going to Tokyo tomorrow? Yeah, I am. (भोलि टोकियो जाने हो? अँ, जाने।)
- Did you see that movie? Nah, haven’t seen it. (त्यो फिल्म हेर्यौ? अहँ, हेरेको छैन।)
Speaking Practice
Roleplay a 30-second casual conversation asking your friend what they are doing tonight.
Writing Practice
Convert 4 polite sentences with です/ます into casual Plain Form sentences.
Questions
Basic Questions
What is the difference between 丁寧体 (Teineitai) and 普通体 (Futsuutai)?
Understanding Questions
Why should you never use Plain Form with your Japanese language school teacher?
Application Questions
How do you ask a close friend if they want to get lunch together in plain style?
JLPT-style Questions
Listening line: ‘Ashita hima?’. What is the question asking?
Meaning
Japanese Meaning
親しい友人、同僚、家族間で使用される親密で打ち解けた口語表現（普通体・タメ口）。助詞の省略や終助詞（の・よ・ね）の活用。
English Meaning
Informal peer dialogue in Plain Style (Futsuutai) for fostering camaraderie among close friends, dropping particles, and adopting casual intonations.
Nepali Meaning
घनिष्ठ साथीभाइ तथा परिवारभित्र बोलिने आत्मीय अनौपचारिक भाषा (普通体) हो, जहाँ ‘देशु/मासु’ हटाएर छोटो र मिठो शैलीमा कुराकानी गरिन्छ।
Important Vocabulary
うん, ううん, いいなあ, どうするの, 沖縄, 僕, 普通体
How to Learn
Step 1: Understand
Master the 4 plain verb forms: Dict form, Nai-form, Ta-form, Nakatta-form.
Step 2: Memorize
Learn casual Yes/No: Un (Yes) and Uun (No).
Step 3: Practice
Practice asking questions with pure pitch rising ↗ without ‘ka’.
Step 4: Speak
Learn female soft endings (〜の？) and male casual pronouns (僕).
Step 5: Read
Remember the boundary: ONLY use plain style with established peers.
Step 6: Review
Notice how Japanese anime and manga predominantly use Plain Form.
Memory Tips
Un = Uh-huh. Uun = Uh-uh (Two syllables with shake of head).
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1
- Incorrect: Speaking Plain Form to your Japanese boss, teacher, or visa officer.
- Correct Form: Always use polite ‘です・ます’ with superiors and officials.
- Why: Using plain form with superiors is considered rude and disrespectful (Tamekuchi).
Mistake 2
- Incorrect: Confusing ‘うん’ (Yes) with ‘ううん’ (No).
- Correct Form: ‘うん’ has 1 short beat (Yes). ‘ううん’ has 2 prolonged beats (No).
- Why: Mixing them up will reverse your answer completely!
Lesson Exam
Test your knowledge before moving on. You can retry as many times as you like.
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