MUST KNOW Phrases When Living with a Japanese Partner & Roommate

Useful Phrases when you live with a Japanese person

This lesson sets out in a casual setting, picking out more common phrases that can be used on a day-to-day basis with your Japanese Partner or Roommate living under one roof. As such, informal speeches are mostly used.

First part of the video covers few of the classic phrases. Following that, it will be some other useful phrases that may come in handy for you.

This is the phrase you will say before you leave the house. It’s a nice phrase to say as it acts to assure that somebody at home that you will be coming back.

Sentence breakdown
行いく iku (to go)

来くる kuru (to come)

Note:
Even though this phrase ends with ます (masu) which is the polite form you would typically use when talking to your boss, seniors, etc, there will be no way around it (i.e. to make it informal to talk to your friends and family) because it is a set phrase.

In response, this is the phrase that you will say to somebody leaving the house.

Sentence breakdown
行いく iku (to go)

いらっしゃい irasshai
(which has the same meaning as 来きて kite – come here / come back)

Sentence breakdown
鍵かぎ kagi (key)

鍵かぎをかける kagi wo kakeru (to lock)

Sentence breakdown

ちょっと chotto (a little)

待つ matsu (to wait) → 待って ma-tte (wait; te- request form)

Note:
There is a difference between 待まって (ma-tte) and 待まて (mate). It will be easily distinguishable in writing but take caution when differentiating in speech, as the latter would sound like you’re giving a command and it can be rude.

Sentence breakdown
手伝てつだう tetsudau (to help) → 手伝てつだって tetsudatte (help; te- request form)

Note:
手伝てつだって (tetsudau) does the job of seeking help on its own, however it would sound nicer if 手伝てつだってくれる (tetsudatte kureru) is used instead.

Sentence breakdown
使つかう tsukau (to use) → 使つかって tsukatte (use; te- request form)

~ても + いい (even if ~ + good)

Sentence breakdown
借かりる kariru (to borrow) → 借かりて (borrow; te- request form)

~ても + いい (even if ~ + good)

パソコン pasokon (computer)

Sentence breakdown
入はいる hairu (to come in / to enter) → 入はいって haitte (come in; te- request form)

Note: If Verb is in the Dictionary form (or plain form), it will be treated as present / future tense e.g. 飲のむ, 食たべる

Note:
As compared to the previous expression, this expression is suggesting preferences.
食たべます tabe masu (to eat) → 食たべたい tabe tai (to want to eat)

In contrast,
何なに食たべる? nani taberu (what will you eat?)

This will sound more like the decision is to be made by the other person.

Sentence breakdown
出で前まえ demae (food delivery)

取とる toru (to take) → 取とろう torou (let’s take; volitional form)

Sentence breakdown
買かう kau (to buy) → 買かって katte (buy; te- request form)

*Note the importance of te-form in sentence formation

〜てきて（くれる）
~please go do something but come back (for me)

Note:
It is not so much of the literal meaning, but it is more of the essence in the Japanese language. In this case, only applicable when the speaker is at home and wants another person to help to buy something either on the way back home or to go out to get something (and come back).

Sentence breakdown
起おきる (to wake up) vs. 起おこす okosu (to wake somebody up)

〜ちゃった ‘did something but didn’t mean to’ (with tinge of regret)

Sentence breakdown
鍵かぎ kagi (key)

知しる shiru / 知しっている shitte-iru (to know) → 知しらない shira-nai (to not know, in this case posted as a question, ‘Do you know?’)

Alternatively,
OOどこにあるか知しらない? doko ni aru ka shira-nai / 知しって(い)る? shitte-(i)ru

Do you know where OO is?

Sentence breakdown
ある aru (to exist/there is~)

All in all, these are some of the useful phrases that you can use in your daily lives. Even if you are currently not living with a Japanese person, it is also good to keep these in mind!