けいさつ「いいですか。いま あなたには ごうとうのけんぎが かけれられています。
いまから ちょうしょをとります。にほんご、つうじないのか。 にほんご わかりますか。」
おんな「ちょっとだけ。」
けいさつ「ちょっとだけですか。 わかりました。まず あなたの おなまえはなんですか。」
おんな「ジョセリン。」
けいさつ「ん？ もういちどおねがいします。」
おんな「ジョセリン。」
けいさつ「きこえませんでした」
おんな「わたしのなまえは ジョセリン です。」
けいさつ「ありがとうございます。」
Police: Right now, you are under suspicion of robbery. We will be taking your statement from now on. Does she perhaps not understand Japanese? Do you understand Japanese?”
Woman: “Just a little.”
Police: “Just a little? Understood. First, what is your name?”
Woman: “Joselyn.”
Police: “Huh? Please say that again.”
Woman: “Joselyn.”
Police: “I didn’t hear that.”
Woman: “My name is Joselyn.”
Police: “Thank you.”
| けいさつ「いいですか。いま あなたには ごうとうのけんぎが かけれられています。いまから ちょうしょをとります。にほんご、つうじないのか。にほんご わかりますか。」 | kei-satsu: īdesuka ima anata ni wa gōtō no ken giga kake rarete imasu ima kara chō sho o torimasu nihon go tsūjinai no ka ni hon go wakarimasu ka’ |
| おんな「ちょっとだけ。」 | on’na: chotto dake’ |
| けいさつ「ん？ もういちどおねがいします。」 | kei-satsu: n mō ichido onegai shimasu |
| 女「ジョセリン。」 | on’na: joserin |
| けいさつ「きこえませんでした」 | kei-satsu: kikoemasendeshita |
| おんな「わたしのなまえは ジョセリン です。」 | on’na: watashi no na ma e wa joserin desu |
| けいさつ「ありがとうございます。」 | kei-satsu: arigatōgozaimasu |
| けいさつ (keisatsu) | police |
| おんな (on’na) | woman |
| あなた (anata) | you |
| わたし (watashi) | I, me |
| なまえ (namae) | name |
| スペイン (supein) | Spain |
| ドイツ (doitsu) | Germany |
| かんこく (kankoku) | South Korea |
にほんご わかりますか Do you understand Japanese?
- “にほんご” (nihongo): A noun referring to the Japanese language. The officer is asking the suspect if she understands Japanese. In many cases, languages are formed by adding the country name followed by “ご”
(e.g., スペインご =スペイン＋ご, ドイツご =ドイツ ＋ご, かんこくご=かんこく＋ご). - “わかりますか” (wakarimasu ka):
The interrogative form of the verb “わかります” (wakarimasu), meaning “to understand.” The officer is inquiring about the person’s comprehension ability.
ちょっとだけ Just a little
- “ちょっとだけ” (Chotto dake): An expression indicating a small amount of action or degree. If someone doesn’t understand Japanese, they would say “にほんご、わかりません nihongo wakarimasen,” and if they understand Japanese, they would say “にほんご、わかります nihongo wakarimasu”
わかりました Understood
- “わかりました” (Wakarimashita): An expression indicating understanding. It conveys agreement with the other person’s response.
あなたの おなまえは なんですか What is your name?
- The expression “おなまえはなんですか” is used to inquire about the other person’s name. “あなた anata” corresponds to “you” in English, but in modern Japanese, this second-person pronoun can sound a bit impolite. In this context, since the police officer holds a position of authority, please note that he intentionally uses “あなた” for emphasis.
もういちど おねがいします Please say that again
- “Could you please say it again?” or ” Please say that again.” If you didn’t catch what the other person said, you can use this phrase
きこえませんでした I didn’t hear that
- It indicates that you couldn’t hear/understand the other person’s response.
わたしのなまえは ジョセリン です My name is Joselyn
- If you replace the part with “ジョセリン ” with your own name, you will be able to say your own name.
ありがとうございます Thank you very much
- “ありがとう” is casual and friendly, while “ありがとうございます” is formal and respectful. The choice between them depends on the context and the level of politeness you wish to convey.
“〜はなんですか” can be translated to English as “What is ~?” This expression is commonly used to inquire about specific objects or matters. Here’s an explanation:
- “なん” (nan): This is the equivalent of the English “What,” serving as an interrogative word to refer to the subject or content of the question.
- “ですか”: This is a combination of the polite auxiliary verb “です” and the polite question-forming ending “か,” creating a polite interrogative form. This part establishes the grammatical structure of the question.
Example:
・”それはなんですか？ sore wa nandesuka”
Translation: “What is that?”
・”しゅみはなんですか？ shumi wa nandesuka”
Translation: “What is your hobby?”
This expression is frequently used to seek new information or inquire about the nature or name of an object. It helps maintain a polite tone when asking questions and is useful for exchanging knowledge or information with others.
