Can't make it
Collocations, Stage 3chunk 8 of 23Time, money & plans
The stock reasons for saying no or heading off: something on, an early start, already booked, a prior engagement.
- youji ga aruhave something to do
- asa ga hayaihave an early start
- yotei ga hairuhave plans, get booked
- sen'yaku ga aruhave prior plans
Mix-ups All use aru or hairu, never motsu. youji ga atte is the vague errand excuse, yotei haitteru says the day is taken, senyaku ga atte is the politer 'prior engagement'; asa hayai kara makes the morning the subject. Something 'comes up' as youji ga dekita or yotei ga haitta, not okita.
youji ga aru
polite youji ga arimasuhave something to do
用事がある ようじがある 用事があります
verbaru あるthere is; have (things, events)typical 59% of youji
trap English 'have' leads to motsu, but having plans or errands is aru (youji ga aru). And 'something came up' is youji ga dekita, not kita or okita.
The vague, polite reason for saying no or leaving: chotto youji ga atte..., left unfinished so the listener hears 'so I can't'. Nobody asks what the youji is. When something comes up, the verb is dekiru: kyuu ni youji ga dekichatte (something came up).
ashita wa chotto youji atte...
Tomorrow I've got something on, so...
明日はちょっと用事あって…
ashita wa chotto youji ga aru n desu ga...
I've got something on tomorrow, I'm afraid...
明日はちょっと用事があるんですが…
Same verb: yotei (plans), yakusoku (an arrangement), shigoto (work)Learn alongside: shigoto ga isogashii, shigoto ga hairu, jikan ga aku, yotei ga aru, tsugou ga ii, tsugou ga warui, yotei ga hairu, sen'yaku ga aruMain list: aru (Stage 1), motsu (Stage 1), chotto... (Stage 3), dekiru (Stage 1)
asa ga hayai
polite asa ga hayai desuhave an early start
朝が早い あさがはやい 朝が早いです
adjectivehayai 早いearly; also fast, quicktypical 10% of asa
The standard reason to leave or go to bed early: ashita asa hayai kara, mou neru ne. ga is nearly always dropped, and ashita hayai kara alone is common too. Said about someone's routine, asa hayai ne means they're up early.
ashita asa hayai kara, mou neru ne.
I've got an early start tomorrow, so I'm off to bed.
明日朝早いから、もう寝るね。
ashita wa asa ga hayai node, mou nemasu ne.
I've got an early start tomorrow, so I'll go to bed now.
明日は朝が早いので、もう寝ますね。
The opposite is asa ga osoi (a late start), and asa yowai means you're not a morning person. ashita hayaku okinakya (I have to get up early) works just as well.
Same adjective: kaeri (getting home: kyou kaeri hayai ne), shuppatsu (setting off)Main list: asa (Stage 2), hayai (Stage 3), ashita (Stage 1), neru (Stage 2), osoi (Stage 3), hayaku (Stage 3)
yotei ga hairu
polite yotei ga hairimasuhave plans, get booked
予定が入る よていがはいる 予定が入ります
verbhairu 入るgo in, enter; get put into somethingtypical 5% of yotei
trap 'Something came up' is kyuu ni youji ga dekita or kyuu ni yotei ga haitta, not okita (that sounds like an accident). Plain 'I have plans' is yotei ga aru, never yotei o motteru; haitteru adds that the day is already taken.
Mostly as haitteru (is booked) or haitta (got booked): sono hi wa mou yotei haitteru. A sudden clash is kyuu ni yotei haitchatte.
ashita wa mou yotei haitteru
I've already got plans tomorrow.
明日はもう予定入ってる
ashita wa mou yotei ga haittemasu
I've already got plans tomorrow.
明日はもう予定が入ってます
Transitive partner: yotei o ireru (book something in).
Same verb: shigoto (work), kaigi (a meeting), baito (a part-time shift)Learn alongside: shigoto ga isogashii, shigoto ga hairu, jikan ga aku, yotei ga aru, tsugou ga ii, tsugou ga warui, youji ga aru, sen'yaku ga aruMain list: hairu (Stage 1), ireru (Stage 4), aru (Stage 1)
sen'yaku ga aru
polite sen'yaku ga arimasuhave prior plans
先約がある せんやくがある 先約があります
verbaru あるthere is; have (things, events)typical 74% of senyaku
The polite way to turn down an invitation for a particular day: sumimasen, sono hi wa sen'yaku ga atte..., left trailing, since a flat ...kara sounds like an excuse. Friends say it too (gomen, sen'yaku aru n da) when the plan is with someone else; yotei aru is vaguer.
gomen, sono hi wa senyaku ga atte...
Sorry, I've already got plans that day...
ごめん、その日は先約があって…
sumimasen, sono hi wa senyaku ga aru n desu ga...
I'm sorry, I already have plans that day...
すみません、その日は先約があるんですが…
Same trailing shape as youji ga atte...: the 'so I can't' is left unsaid.
Same verb: yotei (plans), youji (an errand)Learn alongside: shigoto ga isogashii, shigoto ga hairu, jikan ga aku, yotei ga aru, tsugou ga ii, tsugou ga warui, youji ga aru, yotei ga hairuMain list: aru (Stage 1), chotto... (Stage 3), sumimasen (Stage 1)