Your Daily Routine

Japanese Basic Conversation 2

Chapter 1 · Your Daily Routine

⏰ Your Daily Routine — まいにちのせいかつ

In Japanese Basic Conversation 1 you listed facts: who you are, what things cost, where things are. Now you start to tell people what you do. This chapter gives you the verb pattern you will use for the rest of the course (〜ます and 〜ません), the little word に for clock times, から and まで for "from" and "until", and the frequency words that make a routine sound natural. By the end you can describe your whole day, from waking up to going to bed.

① Waking Up — あさ

A: まいあさなんじにおきますか。 Maiasa nanji ni okimasu ka. What time do you get up every morning?

B: ろくじはんにおきます。 Rokuji han ni okimasu. I get up at six thirty.

A: はやいですね。 Hayai desu ne. That's early!

B: ええ。それから、シャワーをあびます。 Ē. Sorekara, shawā o abimasu. Yes. Then I take a shower.

A: あさごはんはなにをたべますか。 Asagohan wa nani o tabemasu ka. What do you eat for breakfast?

B: パンとコーヒーです。 Pan to kōhī desu. Bread and coffee.

② Getting to Work — つうきん

A: なんじにうちをでますか。 Nanji ni uchi o demasu ka. What time do you leave home?

B: はちじにでます。 Hachiji ni demasu. I leave at eight.

A: なにでかいしゃにいきますか。 Nani de kaisha ni ikimasu ka. How do you go to the office?

B: でんしゃでいきます。 Densha de ikimasu. I go by train.

A: しごとはなんじからですか。 Shigoto wa nanji kara desu ka. What time does work start?

B: くじからです。 Kuji kara desu. From nine.

③ Lunch Time — ひるごはん

A: ひるごはんはなんじですか。 Hirugohan wa nanji desu ka. What time is lunch?

B: じゅうにじです。 Jūniji desu. At twelve.

A: いつもなにをたべますか。 Itsumo nani o tabemasu ka. What do you usually eat?

B: ときどきおべんとうをたべます。でも、あまりつくりません。 Tokidoki obentō o tabemasu. Demo, amari tsukurimasen. Sometimes I eat a packed lunch. But I don't make it very often.

A: じゃあ、きょうはいっしょにたべましょう。 Jā, kyō wa issho ni tabemashō. Then let's eat together today.

④ After Work — しごとのあと

A: しごとはなんじまでですか。 Shigoto wa nanji made desu ka. What time does work finish?

B: ごじまでです。 Goji made desu. Until five.

A: ばんごはんはうちでたべますか。 Bangohan wa uchi de tabemasu ka. Do you eat dinner at home?

B: たいていうちでたべます。しゅうまつはときどきそとでたべます。 Taitei uchi de tabemasu. Shūmatsu wa tokidoki soto de tabemasu. Usually at home. At weekends I sometimes eat out.

A: おさけはのみますか。 Osake wa nomimasu ka. Do you drink alcohol?

B: いいえ、ぜんぜんのみません。 Īe, zenzen nomimasen. No, I never drink.

⑤ Going to Bed — よる

A: まいばんなんじごろねますか。 Maiban nanjigoro nemasu ka. About what time do you go to bed every night?

B: じゅうにじごろねます。 Jūniji goro nemasu. Around twelve.

A: ちょっとおそいですね。 Chotto osoi desu ne. That's a bit late.

B: ええ。よるはテレビをみます。それからねます。 Ē. Yoru wa terebi o mimasu. Sorekara nemasu. Yes. In the evening I watch TV. Then I go to bed.

A: あさははやくおきますか。 Asa wa hayaku okimasu ka. Do you get up early in the morning?

B: いいえ、あまりはやくおきません。 Īe, amari hayaku okimasen. No, I don't get up very early.

⑥ Between Friends (casual) — ともだちと

A: まいあさなんじにおきる? Maiasa nanji ni okiru? What time do you get up every day?

B: ななじ。 Nanaji. Seven.

A: はやいね。 Hayai ne. That's early.

B: うん。でもよるははやくねる。 Un. Demo yoru wa hayaku neru. Yeah. But I go to bed early at night.

A: えらいね。 Erai ne. Good for you.

🔑 Key Phrases — だいじなひょうげん

English	Polite (です / ます)	Casual (friends)
What time do you get up?	なんじにおきますか。 Nanji ni okimasu ka.	なんじにおきる? Nanji ni okiru?
I get up at seven.	ななじにおきます。 Nanaji ni okimasu.	ななじにおきる。 Nanaji ni okiru.
Every morning / every night	まいあさ / まいばん maiasa / maiban	まいあさ / まいばん maiasa / maiban
I never drink.	ぜんぜんのみません。 Zenzen nomimasen.	ぜんぜんのまない。 Zenzen nomanai.
Then / after that	それから sorekara	それから sorekara
That's early / late!	はやいですね / おそいですね。 Hayai desu ne / Osoi desu ne.	はやいね / おそいね。 Hayai ne / Osoi ne.

🔤 Three Verbs — どうし

The plain form (the dictionary form) is shown for recognition only; it becomes important in Japanese Basic Conversation 3.

Verb	Polite (present)	Negative	Plain (dictionary)
to get up (おきる)	おきます okimasu	おきません okimasen	おきる okiru
to sleep; go to bed (ねる)	ねます nemasu	ねません nemasen	ねる neru
to go (いく)	いきます ikimasu	いきません ikimasen	いく iku

🧰 Grammar Tools — ぶんぽう

1. The ます-form: habits, facts and the near future

The polite present ending 〜ます covers what you do regularly and what you will do; the negative 〜ません says you do not. Japanese has no separate future tense: あしたいきます means "I will go tomorrow". The verb always comes last in the sentence, and the question is made by adding か.

Pattern	Example	Meaning
Time + に + verb	ろくじにおきます。 Rokuji ni okimasu.	I get up at six.
Thing + を + verb	コーヒーをのみます。 Kōhī o nomimasu.	I drink coffee.
Place + で + verb	うちでたべます。 Uchi de tabemasu.	I eat at home.
Verb + ません	テレビをみません。 Terebi o mimasen.	I don't watch TV.

You already know を from Japanese Basic Conversation 1 (〜をください). The new particle here is で, which marks where an action happens (うちでたべます) and how you travel (でんしゃでいきます). For a fuller treatment of the particles see Japanese Grammar 1.

2. Telling the time: じ, ふん and はん

Time	Japanese	Notes
1:00	いちじ ichiji
4:00	よじ yoji	not よんじ
7:00	しちじ shichiji	not ななじ (although many people say it)
9:00	くじ kuji	not きゅうじ
12:00	じゅうにじ jūniji
6:30	ろくじはん rokuji han	はん = half
8:05	はちじごふん hachiji gofun	5 minutes
8:10	はちじじゅっぷん hachiji juppun	10 minutes: ぷん, with small っ
morning / afternoon	ごぜん / ごご gozen / gogo	ごぜんななじ = 7 a.m.

Watch out: に goes with clock times, not with "every" words A specific time takes に: ななじにおきます. But words such as まいあさ, まいばん, まいにち, きょう, あした, いつも take no に: まいあさろくじにおきます (I get up at six every morning). Add ごろ for "about" and drop the に: じゅうにじごろねます.

3. から and まで: from and until

から marks the start and まで the end of a period or distance. They can stand alone as the answer: くじからごじまでです。 Kuji kara goji made desu. "It's from nine to five."

4. Frequency words

Word	Meaning	Used with
いつも itsumo	always	positive verb: いつものみます
よく yoku	often	positive verb
ときどき tokidoki	sometimes	positive verb
あまり amari	not very often	negative verb: あまりのみません
ぜんぜん zenzen	not at all, never	negative verb: ぜんぜんのみません

Watch out: あまり and ぜんぜん need a negative verb Unlike English, Japanese never says "I don't often" with a positive verb: あまり and ぜんぜん must be followed by 〜ません. Saying ぜんぜんのみます would sound wrong to a Japanese ear. You will practise these in Chapter 2 with すき and きらい.

📖 Vocabulary — ごい

20 key words for describing your day.

#	Japanese	Romaji	English	Type
1	おきます	okimasu	get up	verb
2	ねます	nemasu	sleep, go to bed	verb
3	たべます	tabemasu	eat	verb
4	のみます	nomimasu	drink	verb
5	いきます	ikimasu	go	verb
6	かえります	kaerimasu	go home, return	verb
7	はたらきます	hatarakimasu	work	verb
8	でます	demasu	leave, go out	verb
9	あさ	asa	morning	noun
10	ひる	hiru	noon, daytime	noun
11	よる	yoru	evening, night	noun
12	まいあさ	maiasa	every morning	noun
13	まいばん	maiban	every night	noun
14	まいにち	mainichi	every day	noun
15	あさごはん	asagohan	breakfast	noun
16	ひるごはん	hirugohan	lunch	noun
17	ばんごはん	bangohan	dinner	noun
18	でんしゃ	densha	train	noun
19	いつも	itsumo	always	adverb
20	ときどき	tokidoki	sometimes	adverb

Real Japanese Tip — The Salaryman's Day The stereotypical office worker's day is long: a crowded commuter train, work until six or later, and sometimes a drink with colleagues. In practice working hours vary a lot, and many people now work flexible or remote hours. Do not assume that くじからごじまで is universal; ask しごとはなんじからですか instead.

Real Japanese Tip — いただきます and ごちそうさま Before a meal Japanese people say いただきます (itadakimasu) and after it ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita). They are not translated exactly; think "I gratefully receive" and "thank you for the meal". Use them every time, even when eating alone.

Kanji Spotlight — 時分食時 (ji, toki) is "time" and "o'clock": ろくじ is written 六時. 分 (fun, pun) is "minute": じゅっぷん is 十分. 食 (shoku, ta(beru)) is "eat" and "food": たべます is 食べます. You will see all three on timetables and menus. Have a look: 時 ▸ · 分 ▸ · 食 ▸

✍️ Try It Yourself — れんしゅう

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. Say "I get up at seven every morning."

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まいあさしちじにおきます。 (Many people also say ななじ.)

2. Ask "What time do you go home?"

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なんじにかえりますか。

3. Say "I eat dinner at home."

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うちでばんごはんをたべます。

4. Say "I never drink coffee."

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ぜんぜんコーヒーをのみません。 The negative verb is required.

5. Say "Work is from nine to five."

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しごとはくじからごじまでです。

6. Say "I go to the office by train."

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でんしゃでかいしゃにいきます。

Coming Up in Chapter 2 Hobbies and free time: すき and きらい, じょうず and へた with が, and しゅみはなんですか, so you can say what you enjoy doing in the time between all those trains.

Your Daily Routine