Seeing people
Collocations, Stage 3chunk 4 of 23People & talk
Getting together: meeting up with a friend, seeing someone home, going back to your parents', and birthdays.
- tomodachi ni ausee a friend, meet up
- ie made okurusee or drive someone home
- jikka ni kaerugo home to your parents'
- tanjoubi o iwaucelebrate a birthday
Mix-ups au takes ni (tomodachi ni au), not o. Seeing someone home is okuru (okutte iku yo), not tsurete iku. jikka ni kaeru is going back to your parents' place, while uchi ni kaeru is just going home.
tomodachi ni au
polite tomodachi ni aimasusee a friend, meet up
友達に会う ともだちにあう 友達に会います
verbau 会うmeet, see (a person)typical 3% of tomodachi
trap English 'meet a friend' or 'see a friend' leads to tomodachi o au or tomodachi o miru. People you meet take ni or to (tomodachi ni au, tomodachi to au), and miru with a person means watching or minding them (kodomo mitete = keep an eye on the kids).
The everyday way to say what you're doing on a day off: kyou wa tomodachi ni au (I'm seeing a friend today). tomodachi to au is also heard and stresses a meet-up you both arranged; asobu (hang out) is the other weekend verb.
ashita tomodachi ni au n da.
I'm seeing a friend tomorrow.
明日友達に会うんだ。
ashita wa tomodachi ni au n desu.
I'm meeting a friend tomorrow.
明日は友達に会うんです。
Bumping into a friend by chance is also au: eki de guuzen atta.
Same verb: kanojo (girlfriend), kazoku (family), senpai (an older colleague or student)Main list: au (Stage 3), asobu (Stage 3), miru (Stage 2), n da (Stage 1)
ie made okuru
polite ie made okurimasusee or drive someone home
家まで送る いえまでおくる 家まで送ります
verbokuru 送るsend; also see someone off or take them somewheretypical 3% of ie
trap English 'take you home' leads to tsurete iku, which sounds like leading someone who can't go alone (a child, a drunk friend). Seeing someone home as a courtesy, on foot or by car, is okuru: okutteku yo.
The offer at the end of an evening is okutteku yo (I'll walk or drive you home), often without naming the place, and the thanks is okutte kurete arigatou. made marks how far you go: eki made okuru (see someone to the station). The one taken home says uchi, their own home: uchi made okutte kureta (they saw me home).
osoi kara, ie made okutteku yo.
It's late, I'll see you home.
遅いから、家まで送ってくよ。
osoi node, ie made okurimasu yo.
It's late, so I'll take you home.
遅いので、家まで送りますよ。
miokuru is seeing someone off at the door, station or airport.
Same verb: eki (the station), kuukou (the airport), genkan (the front door: genkan made okuru = see someone to the door)Main list: uchi (Stage 1), -made (Stage 4), -te iku (Stage 4), -te kurete arigatou (Stage 2)
jikka ni kaeru
polite jikka ni kaerimasugo home to your parents'
実家に帰る じっかにかえる 実家に帰ります
verbkaeru 帰るgo back to where you belong (home, your country)typical 38% of jikka
trap English 'go to my parents' place' leads to oya no uchi ni iku, which sounds like a visit. The home you grew up in is jikka, and you kaeru to it. Your spouse's family home takes iku: tsuma no jikka ni iku.
The holiday question and answer: oshougatsu wa jikka ni kaeru? (going home for New Year?), obon wa jikka kaeru yo. It takes kaeru because it's a return, even after years of living away.
oshougatsu wa jikka ni kaeru no?
Are you going home for New Year?
お正月は実家に帰るの？
oshougatsu wa jikka ni kaerimasu ka?
Are you going back to your family's for New Year?
お正月は実家に帰りますか？
satogaeri = a trip back to your family home, also a mother-to-be going home to give birth.
Same verb: inaka (your home region in the country), kuni (home country), furusato (hometown)Learn alongside: uchi ni kaeru, uchi o deru, soto ni deru, kaeri ga osoiMain list: kaeru (Stage 1), iku (Stage 1), uchi (Stage 1)
tanjoubi o iwau
polite tanjoubi o iwaimasucelebrate a birthday
誕生日を祝う たんじょうびをいわう 誕生日を祝います
verbiwau 祝うcelebrate, mark a happy occasion
Mostly about others doing it for or with you: minna ga tanjoubi iwatte kureta (everyone celebrated my birthday), or planning: kanojo no tanjoubi, dou iwaou? The greeting itself is tanjoubi omedetou.
minna ga tanjoubi iwatte kureta n da.
Everyone celebrated my birthday for me.
みんなが誕生日祝ってくれたんだ。
minna ga tanjoubi o iwatte kureta n desu.
Everyone celebrated my birthday.
みんなが誕生日を祝ってくれたんです。
oiwai suru is the softer noun form: tanjoubi no oiwai shiyou (let's do something for the birthday).
Same verb: goukaku (passing an exam), kekkon (getting married), shuushoku (getting a job), kinenbi (an anniversary)Main list: omedetou (Stage 4), -te kureru (Stage 2), -ou ka / -you ka (Stage 4)