#10 What does 左右 mean? ~ Japanese kanji and about Japan~

2018. 12. 22

Hello everyone.
How are you?

Thank you so much for coming here.

It's kÜshi.

🔴I help you study kanji and Japanese
by making example sentences with
kanji.

And then I explain the grammars and
all the kanji which are used in the
sentences

🔴I realized that I should make useful
sentences so that you can learn kanii
with very natural Japanese which we
usually use, not formal ones.

🔴The method to study here.

I always make very natural sentences,
so they are sometimes difficult to
understand.

But don't worry. I explain everything in
detail.

So this is one of the best methods to
study here.

1. Copy the sentences on paper
carefully.

2. Read aloud the sentence while
looking it.

3. Read the explanations.

I hope this helps you a lot!

I was advised that it's better to write ABOUT JAPAN in the example sentence

I thought it was a great idea!

So I'll tell you about Japan as much as possible.

🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵

So today's kanji are two: 左 and 右.

They look similar so they have similar meaning...??

So let's go!!

左
Reads: hidari
Means: left
How to write 左👇
https://kakijun.jp/page-ms/hidari200.html

右
Reads: migi
Means: right
How to write 右👇
https://kakijun.jp/page-ms/migi200.html

Example sentence (ABOUT JAPAN!!)

・In Osaka, you walk on the the left side of the escalator, but in Tokyo, you walk on the right side.

...大阪ではエスカレーターは左側を歩きますが、東京では右側を歩きます。

/oosaka de wa eskarētā wa hidari-gawa o aru-ki masu ga, toukyou de wa migi-gawa o aru-ki masu/

This is a very unique rule to Japan, isn't it?

Many foreign people would be surprised that Japanese people walk on the escalator!!

So when you stand on the escalator, you have to make a space for hurrying people.

In Tokyo(East Japan), you stand on the left side.
In Osaka(west Japan, you stand on the right side.

This is a very important rule.

So I explain about the grammar in the sentence!

👉大阪で(oosaka de)

で means "in", "on" and "at" to mean "a place"

For example,

家で...at home
家 (ie)means house

電車で…on the train
電車(densha) means a train

公園で…in the park
公園(kouen) means a park

So 大阪で means "in Osaka"

👉エスカレーター(eskarētā)

This means, of course, "escalator", and so that is written with katakana.

👉左側(hidari-gawa)

This means "left side"

👉右側(migi-gawa)

This means "right side"

👉歩きます(aru-ki masu)

This is a polite from of 歩く, which means to walk.

If you put ます(masu) after verbs, you can make a polite form.

For example,

たべる(taberu)...to eat
→たべます(tabe MASU)

作る(tsuku-ru)...to make
→作ります(tsuku-ri MASU)

書く(ka-ku)...to write
→書きます(ka-ki MASU)

見る(mi-ru)...to see
→見ます(mi-MASU)

読む(yo-mu)...to read
→読みます(yo-mi MASU)

寝る(ne-ru)...to go to bed
→寝ます(ne-MASU)

する(suru)...to do
→します(shi MASU)

話す(hana-su)...to talk
→話します(hana-shi MASU)

飲む(no-mu)...to drink
→飲みます(no-mi MASU)

行く(i-ku)...to go
→行きます(i-ki MASU)

変える(ka-eru)...to change
→変えます(ka-e MASU)

👉歩きますが(aru-ki masu ga)

歩きます means just "to walk".

And が means "but''.

This can be put after verbs and adjectives.

If you want to write like "~. But~", you use this word: でも(demo)

So 左側を歩きます。でも東京では〜, this is also correct.

So now you can understand this sentence

大阪ではエスカレーターは左側を歩きますが、東京では右側を歩きます。

In Osaka, you walk on the right side of the escalator, but in Tokyo, you walk to the right side.

So that's all today.

Thank you so much for reading!

I hope this helps you a lot.

Ask me if you have any questions.

See you next time~!