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10. People & Meeting

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こんにちは
Hello
友達に会いますか
Are you meeting a friend?
はい、友達はあそこにいます
Yes, my friend is over there
あの女の人ですか
That woman?
はい、あの人です
Yes, that's her
子供もいます
There are children too
男の子もいます
A boy
それから、女の子もいます
And a girl too
赤ちゃんもいます
A baby too
大人は誰ですか
Who are the adults?
あの人は私の友達です
That person is my friend
あの男の人は友達じゃありません
That man is not my friend
いいです
Nice
私も友達に会います
I'm meeting a friend too
どの人ですか
Which person?
あそこにいます
Over there
あの人です
That person
はじめまして
Nice to meet you
よろしくお願いします
Pleased to meet you

Cultural Notes

いる vs ある — It's About Whether It's Alive

Japanese has two words for "there is" — いる for living things (people, animals) and ある for objects and places. If you use ある for a person, it sounds like you're treating them as an object. This is one of the first things Japanese speakers notice when beginners make a mistake.

友達 Means More Than Just "Friend"

In Japan, calling someone 友達 carries real weight. Japanese people tend to be more selective about who they call a friend versus an acquaintance. If someone introduces you as their 友達, it means they genuinely consider you close — it's not as casual as the English word "friend."

会う Uses に, Not を

When you say you're meeting someone, the person you meet is marked with に, not を. So it's 友達に会います, not 友達を会います. Think of it like "I'll go to meet my friend" — the に points toward the person, like a direction.