Minna no Nihongo Lesson 8 Vocabulary and grammar

Minna no Nihongo Lesson 8 Vocabulary: In Lesson 8 of Minna no Nihongo, learners are introduced to a new set of vocabulary that expands their ability to describe people, objects, places, and situations. This vocabulary primarily consists of adjectives, which play a crucial role in making sentences more expressive and meaningful. Let’s explore the key vocabulary introduced in this lesson, its usage, and how it contributes to mastering Japanese.

Minna no Nihongo Lesson 8 Vocabulary Practice

Romaji	Hiragana	Katakana	English
kirei	きれい	綺麗	beautiful, clean
shizuka	しずか	静か	quiet
nigiyaka	にぎやか	賑やか	lively
yuumei	ゆうめい	有名	famous
shinsetsu	しんせつ	親切	kind, helpful
genki	げんき	元気	healthy, energetic, helpful
hima	ひま	暇	free (time)
benri	べんり	便利	convenient
suteki	すてき	素敵	fine, nice, wonderful
suki	すき	好き	like
kirai	きらい	嫌い	dislike
jouzu	じょうず	上手	good at
heta	へた	下手	poor at
ookii	おおきい	大きい	big, large
chiisai	ちいさい	小さい	small, little
atarashii	あたらしい	新しい	new, fresh
furui	ふるい	古い	old not used to describe a person
ii, yoi	いい, よい	良い	good
warui	わるい	悪い	bad
atsui	あつい	熱い	hot
samui	さむい	寒い	cold (referring temperature)
tsumetai	つめたい	冷たい	cold (referring touch)
muzukashii	むずかしい	難しい	difficult
yasashii	やさしい	易しい	easy
takai	たかい	高い	expensive, tall, high
yasui	やすい	安い	inexpensive, cheap
hikui	ひくい	低い	low
omoshiroi	おもしろい	面白い	interesting
oishii	おいしい	美味しい	delicious, tasty
isogashii	いそがしい	忙しい	busy
tanoshii	たのしい	楽しい	enjoyable
shiroi	しろい	白い	white
kuroi	くろい	黒い	black
akai	あかい	赤い	red
aoi	あおい	青い	blue
midori	みどり	緑	green
shiken	しけん	試験	examination
shukudai	しゅくだい	宿題	homework
tabemono	たべもの	食べ物	food
sakura	さくら	桜	cherry blosoom
hana	はな	花	flower
machi	まち	町	town, city
yama	やま	山	mountain
fujisan	ふじさん	富士山	Mt. Fuji
tokoro	ところ	所	place
taihen	たいへん	大変	very
dou	どう		how
donna	どんな		what kind of
dore	どれ		which one
amari	あまり		not so
soshite	そして		and
ga	が		but

Key Grammar Points

Adjective Conjugation (Present, Negative, Past, etc.)
- Example:
  - きれいです → Positive
  - きれいじゃないです → Negative
How to compare and describe things:
- Example:
  - “This town is lively.” → この町はにぎやかです。

Suggested Teaching Materials

Minna no Nihongo I Textbook (Japanese Version)
- Primary learning tool for vocabulary, grammar, and exercises.
Minna no Nihongo Translation and Grammar Notes (English Edition)
- Useful for understanding meanings and grammar rules in English.
Minna no Nihongo I Workbook
- Exercises to practice grammar and vocabulary.
Flashcards or Apps
- Use flashcards to memorize vocabulary effectively.
- Apps like Anki or Quizlet for vocabulary drills.
Audio Resources
- Minna no Nihongo CDs or online audio to practice listening and pronunciation.
Teacher’s Guide
- For lesson plans, activities, and teaching strategies.

1. Grammar Points

Describing Things with Adjectives
- Introduction to and-adjectives.
  - Examples:
    - い-adjective: おいしい (delicious), たのしい (fun).
    - な-adjective: きれいな (beautiful/clean), しずかな (quiet).
- Sentence structure for adjectives:
  - Example:
    - この本はおもしろいです。 (This book is interesting.)
    - ここは静かです。 (This place is quiet.)
Using Negative Forms of Adjectives
- い-adjectives: Replace い with くない.
  - Example: さむい → さむくない (It’s not cold).
- な-adjectives: Add じゃありません.
  - Example: きれいな → きれいじゃありません (It’s not beautiful).
How to Compare Using Adjectives
- Sentence structure: [Object A]は[Object B]より[adjective]です。
  - Example: 日本はネパールより大きいです。 (Japan is larger than Nepal.)
Using そして (And) to Connect Sentences
- Example:
  - このへやは広いです。そして明るいです。 (This room is spacious, and it’s bright.)

2. Vocabulary

Adjectives
- い-adjectives:
  - 大きい (big), 小さい (small),たかい (expensive/high),やすい (cheap),さむい (cold),あつい (hot).
- な-adjectives:
  - しずかな (quiet), にぎやかな (lively), ゆうめいな (famous), きれいな (beautiful/clean).
Places and Items
- レストラン (restaurant), スーパー (supermarket), へや (room), ビル (building).
Useful Expressions
- どんな (what kind of)
  - Example: どんなへやですか？(What kind of room is it?)
- とても (very) and あまり (not very, used with negatives):
  - Example: このへやはとても広いです。(This room is very spacious.)

3. Conversations

Dialogue Example 1: Describing a Place
A: あなたのへやはどんなへやですか？ (What kind of room is your room?)
B: 私のへやは広くて明るいです。 (My room is spacious and bright.)

Dialogue Example 2: Comparing Items
A: レストランはスーパーより高いですか？ (Are restaurants more expensive than supermarkets?)
B: はい、そうです。 Yes, they are.

Teaching and Learning Materials

Textbook & Workbook
- Minna no Nihongo Textbook (Lesson 8).
- Minna no Nihongo Workbook for exercises on adjectives and comparisons.
Flashcards
- Create flashcards with adjectives and their opposites (e.g., 大きい/小さい, たかい/やすい).
Audio Resources
- Listen to dialogues to practice pronunciation and intonation.
Visual Aids: click here
- Adjective charts for い-adjectives and な-adjectives.
- Example sentences using positive and negative forms.
Practice Activities
- Fill-in-the-blank: Complete sentences with the correct adjective.
  - Example: このりんごは＿＿＿です。(This apple is ___. → おいしい)
- Matching: Match adjectives with their meanings or opposites.
- Role-Playing: Practice dialogues comparing places or describing rooms.
Supplementary Apps and Online Tools
- Apps like Quizlet for vocabulary.
- YouTube videos for real-life usage of adjectives and comparisons.

Kanji Introduced

大 (big), 小 (small), 高 (tall/expensive), 安 (cheap), 新 (new), 古 (old).

Lesson 8 Summary

Minna no Nihongo Lesson 8: Key Takeaways:

- Mastering adjective usage in sentences.
- Learning to compare and describe objects and places.
- Building vocabulary with adjectives and commonly used nouns.

Conclusion

Lesson 8 vocabulary from Minna no Nihongo serves as a foundation for describing people, things, and surroundings. By using flashcards, creating sentences, and practicing in real-life contexts, you can master these essential words and expressions.

Consistency and immersion are keys. Apply these words to your daily life, and soon you’ll find yourself confidently expressing descriptions in Japanese. Happy learning!