Useful terms for the elementary curriculum

The easiest language to teach is of course nouns. However a more effective approach is to teach useful question words and various associated answers. This not only broadens the kids' communication skills, it allows them to choose the language they want to learn and are not forced into a set series of pre-determined answers.

Colours
Directions
How are you?

What's your favourite?
(ichiban sukina iro wa?)

red (aka)
orange (orenji)
yellow (kiiro)
green (midori)
blue (ao)
brown (chairo)
Black (kuro)
White (shiro)
Gold (kin iro)
Silver (gin iro)


Left (hidari)
Right (migi)
forward (mae ni)
back (ushiro ni)
up (ue ni)
down (shita ni)
stop (tomaru, yameru)
go (iku)

I'm happy (ureshii desu)
I'm great (sugoi genki desu!)
I'm good (genki desu yo)
I'm OK (daijoubu)
I'm hungry (onaka ga suita)
I'm tired (tukareta, nemutai)
I'm cold (samui!)
I'm hot (atui)
I'm sad (kanashii)

Sports
Fruits
Christmas

What sports do you play?

Baseball (yakyuu)
running (hashiru)
tennis (tenisu)
volleyball (bare)
swimming (oyogu)
kendo (kendo)
karate (karate)
basketball (basuketto)
skiing (sukii)
football (sakkaa)
fishing (tsuri)


What's this?
It's a ...

pineapple (painappuru)
banana (banana)
Water Melon (suika)
cherry (sakurambo)
apple (ringo)
lemon (remon)
grape (gureipu, budo)
kiwi fruit (kiui)
pear (you nashi)
strawberry (ichigo)

Bell (kane)
Candle (rousoku)
Santa Claus, Father Xmas (santa san)
Stocking (kurisumasu no kutushita?)
Present (purezento)
Christmas Tree (kurisumasu tsurii)
Angel (tenshi)
Snowman (yuki daruma)
Reindeer (tonakai)
Adjectives
Countries
Weather
AS "How are you?"+

new (atarashii)
Expensive ((nedan ga) takai)
Fast (hayai)
Fun (tanoshii)
Nice (umai)
Cute (kawaii)
Big (dekai)
Heavy (omoi)

Where are you from?

Japan (nippon)
Britain (eikoku)
England (ingurando)
Scotland (sukottorando)
Wales (ueiruzu)
Northern Ireland (kita airurando)
America (beikoku)
Canada (kanada)
Australia (oosutoraria)
New Zealand (nyuuzeerando)
Korea (kankoku)
China (chuugoku)

 

What's the weather like? (tenki wa dou)

It's rainy (ame ga futteiru)
It's cloudy (kumori)
It's windy (kaze ga tsuyoi)
It's snowy(yuki ga futteiru)
It's sunny (hare)
It's fine (hare)
It's hot (atsui)
It's a beautiful day (nihonbare)

Transport
Summer things
My holiday pictures
Train (densha)
Truck (torakku)
Mountain bike (maunten baiku)
Plane (hikouki)
helicopter (herikoputaa)
Ship (fune)
Balloon (fuusen)
Car (kuruma)
Fan (uchiwa)
Festival (matsuri)
Summer (natsu)
Ice (koori)
Fireworks (hanabi)
Dolphin (iruka)
Cicada (semi)

Sea (umi)
Jungle (janguru)
Sky (sora)
Mountain (yama)
Snake (hebi)
Island (shima)
Beach (hama)
Fish (sakana)
Lizard (tookage)
Sunset (higure)
Elephant (zou)

 

Food
Animals
Classroom things

Do you like?

Rice (gohan)
chocolate (chokoreito)
tea (kocha)
curry (karei raisu)
Ice cream (aisu kuriimu)
Birthday cake (tanjyoubi keiki)
Jelly (zeri)
Noodle (ramen, udon)
bread (pan)
sushi (sushi)
Sandwich (sandouichi)
pumpkin (kabocha)
mushroom (kinoko)
potato (jyagaimo)
tomato (tomato)
(Green )Peppar (piiman)
Onion (tamanegi)
Cheese (chiizu)

Dragon (ryuu)
monkey (saru)
Rabbit (usagi)
tiger (tora)
dog (inu)
cat (neko)
peacock (kujyaku)
frog (kaeru)
Lion (raion)
snake (hebi)
koala (koala)
dinosaur (kyouryuu)
ostrich (dachou)
shark (same)
penguin (pengin)
cow (ushi)
horse (uma)
sea horse (tatunootoshigo!)
Jelly fish (kurage)
Star fish (hitode)
sea lion (ashika)
fly (jae)
dragonfly (tonbo)
Butterfly (chocho)
Hamster (hamusutaa)
bird (tori)
sheep (hituji)
fish (sakana)
crab (kani)
horse (uma)

 

Teacher (sensei)
Book (hon)
TV (terebi)
Computer (pasokon)
Telephone (denwa)
Pencil (enpitu)
Bag (kaban)
Broom (houki)
Clock (tokei)
Pen (pen)
Coloured pencils (iro enpitu)
Fan (senpuuki)

 

Week

Monday (getsuyobi) Tuesday (kayobi)
Wednesday (suiyobi)
Thursday (mokuyobi) Friday (kinyobi) Saturday (doyobi)
weekday (heijitsu) weekend (shumatsu) holiday (kyujitsu)

 

Months

January (ichigatsu) February (nigatsu) March (sangatsu)
April (shigatsu) May (gogatsu) June (rokugatsu)
July (shichigatsu) Augst (hachigatsu) September (kugatsu)
October (jugatsu) November (ju-ichigatsu) December (ju-nigatsu)
this month (kongetsu) last month (sengetsu) next month (raigetsu)
February 1st (nigatsu tsuitachi) May 2nd (gogatsu futsuka) March 10th (sangatsu toka)

 

Telling time

1:00 (ichi-ji) 6:05 (roku-ji go-fun) 5:15 (go-ji jugo-fun)
2:30 (ni-ji han) 3:40 (san-ji yon-jupun) 11:55 (ju-ichi-ji go-ju go-fun)

 

Others time expression

once a week (shu ni i-kai) twice a week (shu ni ni-kai) once a month (tsuki ni i-kai) 3 times a month (tsuki ni san-kai)
morning (asa) afternoon (gogo) evening (ban) night (yoru)
yesterday (kino) tomorrow (ashita) today (kyo) the day before (mae no hi)
the next day (tsugi no hi)      

 

Landmarks

bank (ginko) bar (ba) bench (benchi) bridge (hashi)
cemetery (bochi) church (kyoukai) convenience store (conbini) factory (kojo)
park (koen) parking lot (chushajo) post office (yubinkyoku) public bath (sento)
restaurant (resutoran) school (gako) shopping street (shotengai) shrine (jinja)
statue (zo) telephone box (denwa bokusu) temple (tera) street (michi)

 

Geography

farm (noujou) path (hosoi michi) garden (niwa)
hill (saka) river (kawa) mountain (yama)


Vehicles

bicycle (jitensha) bus (basu) car (kuruma) pogo stick (pogo)
scooter (baiku) subway (chikatetsu) train (densha)

 

Locations

far (toi) next to (tonari) behind (ushiro)
in front of X (X no mae) across from X (X no mukou) not far (tokunai)

 

Directions

go left (hidari e itte) go right (migi e itte) go straight (masugu itte)
cross (watatte) stop at X (X de tomatte) wait at X (X de matte)

 

Class items

dictionary (jisho) electronic dicitionary (denshi jisho) eraser (keshigomu) notebook (noto)
pencile (enpitsu) schedule book (techo) paper (kami)

 

 

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