Close and in touch
Collocations, Stage 2chunk 17 of 24People & talk
How things stand with people: close or on bad terms, staying in touch, and hearing from them.
- naka ga iiget along well, be close
- naka ga waruibe on bad terms
- renraku o toruget or stay in touch
- renraku ga kuruhear from someone
Mix-ups naka ga ii and naka ga warui say the relationship is good or bad, where English uses a verb (get along). renraku o toru is getting or staying in touch; renraku ga kuru (renraku kita?) is them getting in touch with you, like meeru ga kuru.
naka ga ii
polite naka ga ii desuget along well, be close
仲がいい なかがいい 仲がいいです
adjectiveii いいgood, fine (adjective; past yokatta)typical 67% of naka
trap English 'get along' splits in two: the state 'we get along' is naka ga ii (our relationship is good), and the action 'get along, be nice to each other' is nakayoku suru (nakayoku shite ne). This naka is not naka 'inside'.
Said about two people or a group (ano futari naka ii yo ne), or with to for you and someone: tanaka-san to naka ii n da (I'm close with Tanaka). ii becomes yo- in other forms: naka yokatta (we used to be close), nakayoku shite ne (be nice to each other). The opposite is naka ga warui.
ano futari, naka ii yo ne.
Those two are close, huh.
あの二人、仲いいよね。
ano futari wa naka ga ii desu ne.
Those two get along well, don't they.
あの二人は仲がいいですね。
Opposite: naka ga warui; close friends are nakayoshi. nakayoku suru = get along (as an action), nakayoku natta = we became friends. 10-list-nouns #23 is the homophone naka 'inside'; under its rule S2, 仲 is carded only as this phrase.
Same adjective: aishou (chemistry, compatibility)Learn alongside: naka ga waruiMain list: ii (Stage 1), warui (Stage 1), naka / soto (Stage 3)
naka ga warui
polite naka ga warui desube on bad terms
仲が悪い なかがわるい 仲が悪いです
adjectivewarui 悪いbad (adjective; past warukatta)typical 9% of naka
Said about two people or groups (ano futari, naka warui no?), or with to for you and someone: oya to naka warui n da (I don't get on with my parents). Falling out is naka ga waruku naru, and plain 'not close' is often softened to amari naka yokunai.
ano futari, naka warui no?
Do those two not get along?
あの二人、仲悪いの？
ano futari wa naka ga warui n desu ka?
Are those two on bad terms?
あの二人は仲が悪いんですか？
The opposite of naka ga ii. kenka shiteru (they've fallen out) is a current fight; naka ga warui is the lasting state.
Same adjective: aishou (compatibility: aishou ga warui = we just don't click)Learn alongside: naka ga iiMain list: warui (Stage 1), ii (Stage 1)
renraku o toru
polite renraku o torimasuget or stay in touch
連絡を取る れんらくをとる 連絡を取ります
verbtoru 取るtake, get hold oftypical 10% of renraku
trap English 'keep in touch' leads to renraku suru for everything. That's right for the goodbye line (mata renraku suru ne, renraku shite ne) and for a single message, but being in contact over time or managing to reach someone is renraku o toru: mada renraku totteru?, renraku ga torenai. renraku o tsuzukeru sounds off, and renraku o tamotsu is stiff written style.
Mostly about staying in touch or managing to reach someone: mada renraku totteru? (still in touch?), renraku ga torenai (I can't get hold of them). renraku tsukanai means the same and is just as common (renraku ga tsuku is the intransitive side). For a single message or call, renraku suru is the everyday verb.
kare to mada renraku totteru?
Are you still in touch with him?
彼とまだ連絡取ってる？
kare to wa mada renraku o tottemasu ka?
Are you still in touch with him?
彼とはまだ連絡を取ってますか？
Hearing from someone is renraku ga kuru or renraku moratta.
Same verb: kyori (distance: kyori o toru = keep your distance), baransu (balance: baransu o toru = keep your balance)Learn alongside: shashin o okuru, renraku ga kuru, meeru o okuru (Stage 3), meeru ga kuru (Stage 3), meeru o kaesu (Stage 3)Main list: renraku suru (Stage 3), toru (Stage 4)
renraku ga kuru
polite renraku ga kimasuhear from someone
連絡が来る れんらくがくる 連絡が来ます
verbkuru 来るcome, arrivetypical 2% of renraku
trap English 'hear from him' leads to kare kara kiku, which means being told something by him. Getting a message or call from him is kare kara renraku ga kita. renraku o morau also works, but kita is what you hear most.
The everyday way to ask or report whether someone got in touch: renraku kita? (did they get in touch?), mada renraku konai (still nothing from them), with ga dropped. The sender takes kara: kare kara renraku kita.
kare kara mada renraku konai.
I still haven't heard from him.
彼からまだ連絡来ない。
kare kara mada renraku ga kimasen.
I still haven't heard from him.
彼からまだ連絡が来ません。
renraku kitara oshiete = let me know if you hear from them.
Same verb: henji (reply), rain (LINE message), denwa (call), shirase (news: ii shirase ga kita)Learn alongside: shashin o okuru, renraku o toru, meeru o okuru (Stage 3), meeru ga kuru (Stage 3), meeru o kaesu (Stage 3)Main list: renraku suru (Stage 3), kuru (Stage 1), mada (Stage 1), kiku (Stage 2), morau (Stage 2)