GENIE Enjoy English

Hi everybody!

I had a lot of fun teaching English again today at ☆GENIE☆ Many lovely ladies came to ☆GENIE☆ to ENJOY ENGLISH today and I think everyone had fun.  Especially me  (^。^)/

Anyway, here are two phrases I corrected in class today → “I went to a live in Shibuya” and “Did you fun?” These phrases are Japanese English.

First, カタカナ　＝　英語ではありません。 (Please check my essay on the GENIE home page → http://genie.vc/tips.html)  Most katakana words have very different meaning and usage in English.  For example 「渋谷でライブに行きました」 is…

I went to a concert in Shibuya. or

I went to a live show in Shibuya.

英語の “live” は名詞ではなく、形容詞ですから名詞句の “a live show,” “the live show,”  “live shows,” or “the live shows” を使いましょう。　一般的に「ライブが好き」って言いたい時は複数形の “live shows” にした方が自然です。　どのライブについて話してるか知っている場合は “a” のかわりに “the” にしましょう。 For example…

A)  What did you do last weekend?

B) I went to a live show in Shibuya.

A) How was it?

B) The drinks were expensive but the show was great! (Bちゃんが行ったライブハウスの飲み物とBちゃんが見たライブについて話しているから “the” を使います。)

Also, the word “fun” is both an adjective and a noun but never a verb.  日本語の「楽しむ」って動詞ですけど英語の “fun” は動詞にならないから名詞の “fun” の前に “have” を使いましょう。 For example…

Did you have fun? ←This is real English.

Here is an example converation…

A) Did you have fun at the GENIE Hawaiian Halloween party?

B) Yes I did!  Everyone had a lot of fun. Check out the cool picture →_→ Why didn`t you go?

A) I went to a live show in Shibuya.

Well, that`s all for today!  I hope you have a lot of fun this weekend!!

Bob

Hi everybody!

Here is a simple phrase you can use when talking about two different places…or two different people…or two different things…

Compared to 何々・・・ (何々に比べて・・・)　 Here are some examples…

Compared to Chicago or New York, winter in Tokyo is not cold. (シカゴかニューヨークに比べて、東京の冬は寒くないです。)

Compared to most Americans, I`m short. (ほとんどのアメリカ人に比べて僕は背が小さい。)

Compared to Japanese food, Korean food is very spicy. (和食に比べて、韓国料理は結構辛いです。)

But compared to Thai food I don`t think it`s spicy at all. (でもタイ料理に比べては、韓国料理は全然辛くないと思います。)

Well, that`s all for today!  I hope you enjoy your breakfast, lunch, and dinner tomorrow night, whether it`s Japanese, Korean, or Thai (I love all three kinds!!) and I hope to ENJOY ENGLISH with you someday soon here at ☆GENIE☆ Catch you later (^。^) /

Bob

Hi everybody!

I had a fun day today at ☆GENIE☆ How about you?  Did you have a good day?  I had a good day because I enjoyed all my classes.  In fact, I think everybody enjoyed my classes (って言っても大丈夫かな？＾。＾ /)  Anyway, it was a really good day because one of my favorite students came back to Japan from Las Vegas and brought me a nice お土産.  So how do you say 「お土産をくれた」 in English?  And how do you say 「お帰り」 in English…???

First 「お土産」 is…

souvenir (check here for pronunciation practice → http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/souvenir)

And 「ステキなお土産をくれた」 is…

She gave me a nice souvenir.

So of course I said, “thanks!” and before that I said…

Welcome back to Japan!! (日本へお帰りなさい！)

By the way, my student gave me lots of tasty treats from the States. (ちなみに、色んな美味しいアメリカン飴をくれた。)　And she also gave me some m & m`s.

Here is  a cute picture of my student holding a bag of m & m`s in one hand and one green M & M in the other hand.     → _ →

Many Americans love M & M`s and some of us believe that the green ones have a special power.  Can you guess what that power is…???   If you really want to know the secret then why don`t you come to ☆GENIE☆ for a fun and free trial lesson and I will tell you!! (M & M`s は大人気の飴リカンお菓子で、緑の M & M は特別なパワーがあるらしいですよ。　その特別なパワーは何でしょうか？？？　知りたいなら☆GENIE☆でfun & free 体験レッスンを受けて下さい！　このアメリカンシークレットを教えます！！)  So come to ☆GENIE☆ to ENJOY ENGLISH and learn a little American gossip and culture, too!!　I might also give you a green m & m, へへへ・・・

Well, that`s all for today!  Catch you later （＾。＾） /

Bob

Hi everybody!

Here is another blog about Japanese vs. English.   Sometimes I hear students say…

“I have a schedule” when they want to say 「予定があります。」

Well, “I have  a schedule” is Japanese English.  If you want to say 「予定がある」 or 「用事がある」 in English you can say…

I have plans. (楽しいことも仕事も “plans” です。　一つだけの予定があってもネイティブはだいたい複数形の “plans” を使うのでこの決まった言い回しを練習してください。　One more time “I have plans” って言って下さい！)　You can also say…

I have something I have to do. (やらなきゃいけないことがあるってことです。)  or you can say…

I have an appointment. (←これはかなりフォーマルな言い回しですからビジネスのシチュエーションだけで使いましょう。)

The word “schedule” is English but it never means 予定.  一週間の全ての予定や時間表は schedule って言うんですけど、一つだけの用事かやることは一切 “schedule” ではありません。

Well, that`s all for today!  I hope you have some interesting plans for this Thursday (Culture Day!!) and I hope to ENJOY ENGLISH with you here someday soon at ☆GENIE☆ Catch you later ＾。＾ /

Bob