Frequency / Quantity

5-
minut
eJapaneseCl
assbyHi
tomiHi
rayama
Vol. 20
I know it’s confusing. The common usage of zenzen has a
I attended a conference yesterday. I think I understood the negative meaning, implying “not at all.” Thus, zenzen should be
Japanese speakers better after referring to the previous used with the negative form of i-adjectives, so “zenzen oishiku-nai” 1 I am so busy I hardly get any exercise. I need more exercise.
lesson. If there are any more key words, please let me (It doesn’t taste good at all.) is correct grammar. But lately, it has 忙しいので        hardly 運動をしません。運動不足です。
know. And one more thing.I’ve been studying Japanese become a kind of slang, and people say “zenzen oishi- .” This zenzen isogashi- node (about 10%) undo- o shimasen undo- -busoku desu
Design : Masako Ban

for a while, but sometimes I notice that Japanese busy so to exercise don’t get enough exercise
brings a positive meaning, and so the phrase means “It tastes really
speakers use grammar that is different from what I have good.” Zenzen is also used with na-adjectives, as in “zenzen kantan!” 2 In the old days, I often made mistakes.
learned. They say, “zenzen oishi- !” What do they mean? (It’s a piece of cake!). This zenzen is positive, implying “completely” or 昔 は          
often 失敗 を しました。           
Do they mean something is delicious, or awful? “entirely.”
(about 80 %)
mukashi wa        shippai o shimashita
the old days to fault

■ Frequency (how often?) ■ Quantity (how many / much?)

■ One day, Mr. Pole attended a conference.
3 I’m just a paper driver (Sunday driver), so I seldom drive a car.
Mr.Pole : .
Mr. Mori. It’s about the discussion we had last month..: 
100 % always いつも 100 % quite a few, いっぱい たくさん ペーパードライバー です ので seldom     車 の 運転をしません。
itsumo a lot, many Mori-san : To tell the truth, it’s not 1 ... まだ 途中 で...あの... paper driver desu node (about 5%) kuruma no unten o shimasen
ippai takusan
... mada tochu- de ... ano- ...
to tell the truth
done yet...and... so car to drive
often よく Paper drivers: People who have passed their driving
yoku Mr.Pole : You mean you need a もう 少し 時間 が 欲しい 2
you mean ... ?
a few, a little ちょっと すこし little more time?   mo- sukoshi jikan ga hoshi- test, but have little or no experience of driving.
chotto sukoshi They are just drivers “on paper.”
Shacho- : There’s no choice, is there? 3 です ね。 4
50 % sometimes ときどき there’s no choice Let’s just wait and see. 4 Thank you as always.
Let’s just wait and see. desu ne
from time to time tokidoki few, little ほとんど + negative form
hotondo Mr.Pole : We can’t wait too long, always always ありがとうございます。
so...finish it by the end 5 can’t wait ですから... 来週 いっぱい... 6
(about 90%) arigato-gozaimasu
OK?
30 % occasionally たまに
0% none at all ぜんぜん + negative form of next week, OK? too long desu kara... raishu- ippai
tamani zenzen
Shacho- : Anyway...next week... 7
来週 です...よ... 5 I occasionally help with household chores when I feel like it.
anyway
20 % (not) much, (not) very あまり
+ negative form raishu- desu ... yo ... occasionally 気 が 向くと家事 の 手伝いをします。 
not too often amari (about 30 %)
Mori-san : By the way, did you know ki ga muku to kaji no tetsudai o shimasu
by the way オフィス の 近くに スターバックス が できました ね。
8
a Starbucks had opened when I feel like it housekeeping to help
10 % hardly, scarcely ほとんど + negative form office no chikaku ni Starbucks ga dekimashita ne
hotondo near the office?
6 Vegetarians never eat meat at all.
めったに + negative form Mr.Pole : Come to think of it, I see 9 come to あっちこっちで見かけますね。
5% seldom, rarely
mettani those shops here and there. think of it acchi-kocchi de mikakemasu ne 菜食主義者 は          
not at all 肉を食べません。
coffee saishokushugi-sha wa (about 0 %) niku o tabemasen
Mori-san : Well, before long, this city いやー
never, not at all
ぜんぜん + negative form 10
before  
you 街 が コーヒーショップだらけ になりますね。 vegetarian meat to not eat
0% zenzen will be full of coffee shops, iya- know it machi ga coffee shop darake ni narimasu ne
don’t you think? 7 Regular customers are people who always come to the same restaurant.
■ meeting words No.2 (friendly form / polite form) ね。
Mr.Pole : That’s possible.
11
that’s possible 常連客 は always  同じ 店 に 行く人 の 事 です。
1） it’s about time to. 6） come to think of it; as you mentioned
ne jo-ren-kyaku wa (about 90%) onaji mise ni iku hito no koto desu
.. Mori-san : Let’s go there for lunch 12
sometime soon お昼 に 行ってみましょう。 regular customer same to go
そろそろ. .. そう言えば ohiru ni itte-mimasho-  
sometime soon! restaurant person
sorosoro... so- ieba 8 You’d better not worry about it too much.
Mr.Pole : Well, it’s about time to end じゃあ 今日 の 会議 は 13 ... not much 気にしないほうがいいですよ。 
ja- kyo- no kaigi wa
the meeting for today. it’s about time to
...
2） before too long; before you know it 7） can’t wait too long; there’s no limits (about 20 %) ki ni shinai ho- ga -i desu yo
そのうちに きりがない to not worry had better
sono-uchini kiri ga nai Mr. Mori was not willing to put his mind into the meeting.The only decision
9 (At a party: Would you like more wine?) Well, I’ll have a little bit more.
that was made in today’s meeting was to go to the coffee shop for lunch!
3） that will do it; OK? 8） To tell the truth; as a matter of fact “kono kaigi wa do- narimasu ka.” ( What do you think will happen? ) じゃあ        だけ  a little
ja- dake
...と 言う事で 実は just; only
8) 4) 14) 11) 7) 3) 7 13) 10) 6) 2) 5) 9) 1) well
...to yu- kotode
Answers 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13
jitsuwa
10 My brain is always filled with worries.
4） you mean...? 9） right away; sometime soon 11） just wait and see; we’ll see 13）anyway; anyhow (male style)
always 悩みごと で 頭 が   a lot です。
...と 言う事 です か。 すぐ  さっそく 様子 を みましょう。 とにかく (about 90%) nayami-goto de atama ga desu
... to yu- koto desu ka sugu sassoku yo-su o mimasho- tonikaku distress head
Answers
5） that’s possible 10） by the way 12） Let’s see what happens; 14） it’s no use; there’s no choice 1 hotondo 2 yoku 3 mettani 4 itsumo itsumo 5 tamani
ありえます。 ところで What do you think will happen ?
どうなります か。 しょうがない しかたがない 6 zenzen 7 itsumo 8 amari 9 chotto 10 itsumo ippai
ariemasu tokorode
do- narimasu ka sho-ganai shikata ga nai
With cooperation from Yasuhiro Koga

Copyright 1999 The Yomiuri Shimbun