The text
Wang Mei is a university student in Shanghai. In September she is going to study in Japan and will live with the Yamamoto family. Before leaving, she wrote them her first email.
はじめまして
山本さんの ご家族の みなさん、はじめまして。わたしは ワン・メイです。中国の 上海から 来ました。九月から 一年、お世話に なります。
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Dear Yamamoto family, nice to meet you. I am Wang Mei. I come from Shanghai, China. I will be staying with you for a year from September.
わたしは 二十歳です。上海の 大学の 二年生です。大学で 日本語と 日本の 文化を 勉強して います。
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I am twenty. I am a second-year student at a university in Shanghai. At university I study Japanese and Japanese culture.
家族は 四人です。父と 母と 弟と わたしです。父は 会社員で、母は 小学校の 先生です。弟は 高校生です。
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There are four people in my family: my father, my mother, my younger brother and me. My father is an office worker, and my mother is a primary school teacher. My brother is a high school student.
わたしの 趣味は 料理と 写真です。週末は よく 家族に 中国の 料理を 作ります。日本でも みなさんに 作りたいです。
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My hobbies are cooking and photography. At weekends I often cook Chinese food for my family. In Japan, too, I want to cook for all of you.
日本の 食べ物も 大好きです。すしも ラーメンも よく 食べます。でも、納豆は まだ 食べた ことが ありません。少し こわいです。
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I love Japanese food too. I often eat both sushi and ramen. But I haven’t eaten natto yet. It scares me a little.
九月三日の 午後四時に 空港に 着きます。日本語は まだ 上手じゃ ありませんから、ゆっくり 話して ください。
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I arrive at the airport at 4 p.m. on 3 September. My Japanese isn’t good yet, so please speak slowly.
早く みなさんに 会いたいです。どうぞ よろしく お願いします。
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I want to meet you all soon. I look forward to getting to know you.
ワン・メイ
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Wang Mei
Vocabulary
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 家族 | family |
| お世話に なります | thank you for having me (said when you will rely on someone) |
| 二十歳 | twenty years old |
| 二年生 | second-year student |
| 文化 | culture |
| 会社員 | office worker |
| 小学校 | primary school |
| 高校生 | high school student |
| 趣味 | hobby |
| 週末 | weekend |
| 納豆 | natto (fermented soybeans) |
| こわい | scared; scary |
| 空港 | airport |
| 着きます | arrive |
| ゆっくり | slowly |
Key sentences
中国の 上海から 来ました。
I come from Shanghai, China.
「〜から 来ました」 says where you come from; it is a set phrase in self-introductions. 「から」 marks the starting point (lesson 5 of the N5 grammar course).
父は 会社員で、母は 小学校の 先生です。
My father is an office worker, and my mother is a primary school teacher.
Change the 「です」 of a noun sentence to 「で」 and you can join two sentences into one (lesson 20 of the N5 grammar course).
納豆は まだ 食べた ことが ありません。
I haven’t eaten natto yet.
The ta form + 「ことが ありません」 means “have never …” (lesson 18 of the N5 grammar course). Adding 「まだ」 in front means “not yet”.
上手じゃ ありませんから、ゆっくり 話して ください。
It isn’t good yet, so please speak slowly.
「から」 gives a reason, followed here by the request 「〜て ください」 (lessons 15 and 20 of the N5 grammar course).
Writing to a host family
- To address the whole family, you can write 「〇〇さんの ご家族の みなさん」; when writing to just one of them, write 「〇〇さん」.
- What goes in the first letter: your name, where you come from, your school, your family, your hobbies, and the date and time you arrive.
- 「お世話に なります」 is a set phrase you say when you are going to stay in someone’s home and rely on them. It is close to “thank you in advance for looking after me”.
- End with 「どうぞ よろしく お願いします」, then your name.
Culture
Many host families come to meet you at the airport, so it matters to give your arrival date and time clearly. You can also ask 「何か ほしい ものは ありますか」 (is there anything you would like?) and bring a small present from home.