Cinema にほんご
Cinema にほんご - Midnight Encounter / Episode 07
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Lesson 07 of 50 · 〜で・〜に〜を あげます・もらいます · みんなの日本語 第7課 · N5

Reading:

Episode 07: Tools of the Trade

Mini Story

feel the rhythm of the spy exchange.

Mike begins to move. A pen speaks louder than a gun — every tool leaves its trace, every gift carries its debt.麦克开始行动。笔比枪更会说话——每一件工具都留下痕迹,每一份礼物都背着一笔债。麥克開始行動。筆比槍更會說話——每一件工具都留下痕跡,每一份禮物都背著一筆債。Mike bắt đầu hành động. Cây bút hùng hồn hơn khẩu súng — công cụ nào cũng để lại dấu vết, món quà nào cũng gánh một món nợ.

The morning starts with a pen. Notes in cursive — nothing digital, nothing to trace.早晨从一支笔开始。手写的草体笔记——没有数字痕迹,没有什么可追踪。早晨從一支筆開始。手寫的草體筆記——沒有數位痕跡,沒有什麼可追蹤。Buổi sáng bắt đầu bằng một cây bút. Ghi chú viết tay — không kỹ thuật số, không gì lần ra được.

ペンで メモを kaきます。

A café. At his table, a man he has never seen. Mike whispers — not a greeting, a code.咖啡馆。同一张桌子旁,坐下一个陌生的男人。麦克低声开口——不是问候,是暗号。咖啡館。同一張桌子旁,坐下一個陌生的男人。麥克低聲開口——不是問候,是暗號。Quán cà phê. Cùng bàn, một người đàn ông lạ mặt. Mike thì thầm — không phải lời chào, mà là ám hiệu.

「key」 は 日本語にほんごnihongoなんnanですか?

The man answers — correctly. Confirmed. Mike slides a small envelope across the table.男人答对了。确认。麦克把一个小信封从桌面上滑过去。男人答對了。確認。麥克把一個小信封從桌面上滑過去。Người đàn ông trả lời — chính xác. Xác nhận. Mike đẩy một chiếc phong bì nhỏ trượt qua mặt bàn.

マイクは おとこotokoひとhito写真しゃしんshashinを あげます。

The man nods. Into Mike’s coat pocket slides one small thing. Cold, metallic — the weight of something kept shut.男人点头。一件小东西滑进麦克的外套口袋。冰冷,金属——一种把什么锁着的重量。男人點頭。一件小東西滑進麥克的外套口袋。冰冷,金屬——一種把什麼鎖著的重量。Người đàn ông gật đầu. Một vật nhỏ trượt vào túi áo khóac của Mike. Lạnh, bằng kim loại — sức nặng của một thứ đang khóa kín điều gì đó.

マイクは おとこotokoひとhitoかぎkagiを もらいます。


Key Sentences

say each aloud three times.

1. Tool + で + Object + verb (write with a pen)

ペンで メモを kaきます。

  • I write notes with a pen.
  • 我用钢笔写笔记。 / 我用鋼筆寫筆記。
  • Tôi viết ghi chú bằng bút.

2. 「X は 日本語にほんごnihongoなんnanですか?」 — asking how to say X

「key」 は 日本語にほんごnihongoなんnanですか?

  • How do you say “key” in Japanese?
  • “key” 用日语怎么说? / “key” 用日語怎麼說?
  • “Key” trong tiếng Nhật là gì?

3. Person に Object を あげます (give to)

マイクは おとこotokoひとhito写真しゃしんshashinを あげます。

  • Mike gives photos to the man.
  • 麦克给那个男人照片。 / 麥克給那個男人照片。
  • Mike đưa ảnh cho người đàn ông.

4. Person に Object を もらいます (receive from)

マイクは おとこotokoひとhitoかぎkagiを もらいます。

  • Mike receives a key from the man.
  • 麦克从那个男人那里收到钥匙。 / 麥克從那個男人那裡收到鑰匙。
  • Mike nhận chìa khóa từ người đàn ông.

Practice out loud

Say the answer before you look. The same sentences you just read — now from your own mouth.

Show
HQ

「key」は 日本語にほんごnihongoなんnanですか。

Mike

「かぎ」です。

HQ

なにnaniで メモを kaきますか。

Mike

ペンで メモを kaきます。

HQ

フォークで taべますか。

Mike

いいえ、フォークでは taべません。はしで taべます。

HQ

だれに 写真しゃしんshashinを あげますか。

Mike

おとこotokoひとhito写真しゃしんshashinを あげます。

HQ

だれに かぎkagiを もらいましたか。

Mike

おとこotokoひとhitoかぎkagiを もらいました。

Now about you
HQ

あなたは なにnaniで ごはんを taべますか。

You

your own answer

HQ

だれに 日本語にほんごnihongoならnaraいましたか。

You

your own answer

Green — HQ asks you. Blue — Mike answers. Dashed — your turn.


Vocabulary

focus on ペン / メモ / かぎkagi / 写真しゃしんshashin.

日本語English简体繁體Tiếng Việt
〜で
ペンで メモを kaきます。
with, by means of
I write a memo with a pen.

我用笔写便条。

我用筆寫便條。
bằng
Tôi viết ghi chú bằng bút.
〜に
おとこotokoひとhito写真しゃしんshashinを あげます。
to / from (a person)
I give the photo to the man.
给 / 从
我把照片给那个男人。
給 / 從
我把照片給那個男人。
cho / từ
Tôi đưa tấm ảnh cho người đàn ông.
あげます
友達ともだちtomodachi写真しゃしんshashinを あげます。
give
I give the photo to my friend.

我把照片给朋友。

我把照片給朋友。
đưa, tặng
Tôi tặng ảnh cho bạn.
もらいます
おとこotokoひとhitoかぎkagiを もらいました。
receive, get
I received the key from the man.
得到
我从那个男人那里拿到了钥匙。
得到
我從那個男人那裡拿到了鑰匙。
nhận
Tôi đã nhận chìa khóa từ người đàn ông.
kaきます
なにnaniで メモを kaきますか。
write
What do you write the memo with?

你用什么写便条?

你用什麼寫便條?
viết
Bạn viết ghi chú bằng gì?
ペン
ペンで kaきます。
pen
I write with a pen.
钢笔
我用笔写。
鋼筆
我用筆寫。
bút
Tôi viết bằng bút.
メモ
メモを kaきました。
note, memo
I wrote a memo.
笔记
我写了便条。
筆記
我寫了便條。
ghi chú
Tôi đã viết ghi chú.
写真しゃしんshashin
友達ともだちtomodachi写真しゃしんshashinを もらいました。
photo
I received a photo from my friend.
照片
我从朋友那里拿到了照片。
照片
我從朋友那裡拿到了照片。
ảnh
Tôi đã nhận ảnh từ bạn.
かぎkagi
だれに かぎkagiを もらいましたか。
key
Who did you get the key from?
钥匙
你从谁那里拿到钥匙的?
鑰匙
你從誰那裡拿到鑰匙的?
chìa khóa
Bạn nhận chìa khóa từ ai?
おとこotokoひとhito
あの おとこotokoひとhitoは だれですか。
man
Who is that man?
男人
那个男人是谁?
男人
那個男人是誰?
người đàn ông
Người đàn ông kia là ai?
友達ともだちtomodachi
友達ともだちtomodachiに メモを あげます。
friend
I give the memo to my friend.
朋友
我把便条给朋友。
朋友
我把便條給朋友。
bạn
Tôi đưa ghi chú cho bạn.
日本語にほんごnihongo
「key」は 日本語にほんごnihongoなんnanですか。
Japanese (language)
How do you say “key” in Japanese?
日语
“key”用日语怎么说?
日語
「key」用日語怎麼說?
tiếng Nhật
“key” tiếng Nhật nói thế nào?
もう
もう メモを kaきました。
already
I have already written the memo.
已经
我已经写好便条了。
已經
我已經寫好便條了。
đã
Tôi đã viết ghi chú rồi.

Grammar Patterns

notice three uses of 「で」 and the give / receive pair.

N (tool)で + 動詞どうしdoushi

Use 「で」 to mark the tool, instrument, or means of an action.

N (person)に N (object)を あげます

Give an object TO a person. The giver is the speaker (or topic).

N (person)に N (object)を もらいます

Receive an object FROM a person. The receiver is the speaker (or topic).

もう + V-ました

「もう」 = already. Use with V-ました to say something is done.

Grammar Picture

Tools, giving, receiving Tool: ペン 〜で 書きます Give (あげます): 写真 男の人 Receive (もらいます): 男の人 Pattern 1 — Using a tool: ペン 書きます。 Pattern 2 — Giving: 男の人 写真 あげます。 Pattern 3 — Receiving: 男の人 もらいます。
  • 名詞noun名词danh từ
  • 助詞particle助词trợ từ
  • 述語sentence ending句尾句尾phần cuối câu

Need more detail? Open the sections below.

日本語にほんごnihongoで X は なんnanですか?」 — asking how to say a word

This is the most useful sentence for learners. The pattern is:

「X は 日本語にほんごnihongoなんnanですか?」 = How do you say X in Japanese?

  • 「key」 は 日本語にほんごnihongoなんnanですか? — How do you say "key" in Japanese?
  • 「ありがとう」 は 英語えいごeigoなんnanですか? — How do you say "arigatou" in English?

日本語にほんごnihongoで」 = in Japanese (language as means). Same 「で」 as tool — language is your tool for speaking.

あげます vs もらいます — direction of giving

Both verbs use 「に」 for the other person, but the direction is opposite:

  • あげます = give (subject → other person)
    わたしwatashi友達ともだちtomodachiはなhanaを あげます。 = I give flowers to my friend.
  • もらいます = receive (subject ← other person)
    わたしwatashi友達ともだちtomodachiはなhanaを もらいます。 = I receive flowers from my friend.

With 「もらいます」, you can also use 「から」 instead of 「に」:
友達ともだちtomodachiから はなhanaを もらいます。 = the same meaning.

もう vs まだ — already vs not yet

「もう」 + V-ました = already did.
「まだ」 + V-ていません = not yet.

  • もう kaきました。 = Already wrote it.
  • まだ kaいて いません。 = Haven't written it yet.

Note: 「まだ」 + V-ません (plain negative) means "still doesn't / won't", which is different. For "not yet", always use 「まだ V-ていません」.

で has many meanings — tool, language, place of action

「で」 covers several uses in N5:

  • Tool / means: ペンで kaきます (with a pen)
  • Language: 日本語にほんごnihongoはなhanaします (in Japanese)
  • Place of action (Lesson 06): カフェで コーヒーを noみます (at a café)

Same particle, related meaning — 「で」 marks the means or stage where something happens.


Roleplay Practice

try the code phrase with a partner.

Try this dialog with a partner (or aloud, switching roles).

Scene: Mike meets his contact at a café. The exchange begins with a code phrase.

Mike: 「key」 は 日本語にほんごnihongoなんnanですか?
(How do you say "key" in Japanese?)

Contact: かぎkagiです。
(It's "kagi".)

Mike: これを どうぞ。 写真しゃしんshashinです。
(Please take this. It's photos.)

Contact: ありがとうございます。 これを どうぞ。
(Thank you. Please take this.)

Mike: (かぎkagiです。) ありがとうございます。
((It's a key.) Thank you.)

Switch roles. Replace 「key」 with another English word and answer with the Japanese.


How do you say this in Japanese?

Q1. Which is correct: 'I write notes with a pen'?

  • A. ペンに メモを kaきます。
  • B. ペンで メモを kaきます。
  • C. ペンを メモで kaきます。
Show answer

✓ B. ペンで メモを kaきます。

「〜で」 marks the tool or means.

Q2. Which is correct: 'I give Mike a photo' (you are the giver)?

  • A. マイクは わたしに 写真しゃしんshashinを あげます。
  • B. わたしは マイクに 写真しゃしんshashinを あげます。
  • C. わたしは マイクから 写真しゃしんshashinを あげます。
Show answer

✓ B. わたしは マイクに 写真しゃしんshashinを あげます。

The giver is the topic. 「に」 marks the receiver.

Q3. もらいます = ?

  • A. give
  • B. receive
  • C. write
Show answer

✓ B. receive

Q4. In the Mini Story, what does Mike receive from the man?

  • A. A pen
  • B. A photo (写真しゃしんshashin)
  • C. A key (かぎkagi)
Show answer

✓ C. A key (かぎkagi)

Mike gives the photos, and receives the key.

Q5. Write: How would you say 'I receive flowers from a friend' in Japanese?

Try it. Then check below.

Show answer

Sample: わたしは 友達ともだちtomodachiはなhanaを もらいます。

Or: 友達ともだちtomodachiから はなhanaを もらいます。 (「から」 also works for "from a person".)


How to Use This Lesson

Read the sections in the order they appear. About 40 minutes.
Tomorrow, come back — does 「に」 mean "to" or "from" here? Both.

For Teachers

For Teachers (45-60 minutes in class)

  • Warm-up (5 min): 「なにnanikaきますか?」 — students point to a pen, pencil, chopstick, etc.
  • Story reading (10 min): Read the Mini Story together. Discuss the code-phrase setup.
  • Tool drill (10 min): Show objects (pen, scissors, camera). Students make 「___で ___を ___ます」 sentences.
  • Give / receive drill (10 min): Pairs exchange small objects. Each pair narrates 「Aさんは Bさんに ___を あげます。」 and reverses.
  • Roleplay (15 min): Café exchange. Students invent their own code phrases.
  • Check Yourself (5-10 min): Individual quiz, group review.

Cultural note: Japanese has different verbs for giving up (くれます) vs. giving across (あげます). This lesson focuses on あげます (subject is the giver). 「くれます」 comes in later lessons.

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← Lesson 06 | Midnight Encounter | Lesson 08 →

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