Basic Phrases for an Elementary Librarian

Japanese Language
1

Hi all!

My sister is an elementary school librarian in the US (speaks English and Spanish). She started at a new school this year and has some Japanese students coming back to class next month. They speak English but their first language is Japanese so she would like to learn a few basic words/phrases. I’ve come up with this list so far but was looking for any other recommendations y’all might have:

おはよう / おはようございます
こんにちは
ありがとう / ありがとうございます / ありがとうございました
がんばって
おつかれさまでした / おつかれ
こんばんは
はじめまして
すみません
はい / いいえ
わたしはエイミーです

Thank you! :slight_smile:

Teresa

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2

Depending on what system the library runs on, she may also want to learn phrases like “Please leave books on the trolley when you’ve finished with them”. I’m thinking that’d be 読んだ本をトロリーに置いてください, but something feels lacking which I can’t quite put my finger on.

静かにしてください

2 Likes
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I’ll try to visit my local library and copy their signs. I probably won’t understand most of them, but I can usually find the right kanji.

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大声で話すとか。。走り回るとか。。だめです😂

トロリーの上 maybe?

5

I’d probably say 読み終わった?

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6

How about:

読み終わったから、本を。。。？

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7

At least bookmeter also simply uses 読んだ本.

8

In what context?

9

Books that the user has finished.

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10

I feel like a list of books that you have read in the past, and books that you just finished and want to return to the library is a bit of a different use case :thinking: But either one brings the meaning across.

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11

But they didn’t necessarily just finish them, could even be a few months ago :grimacing: At least I always renew my loans because I’m lazy to bring them back. But yeah, I see your point.

12

I was actually picturing books that you’d pulled off the shelf in the library to read or consult, but weren’t borrowing. Many libraries have a system where browsed books go on trolleys instead of letting patrons mess up the shelving order.

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Oh, I see! I didn’t think of that.

14

I reread your original post after I visited the library, so these are mostly signage, ごめんなさい🙇

本をかえていますか・Are you returning a book? (sorry, I’m not sure which kanji is correct here for the verb.)
As for signs, there was

  1. 食べる禁断・Although I remember the kanji for food and prohibited, I don’t remember the kana between them. It may be もの instead of べる.
  2. The Dewey Decimal System in Japanese デューイ十進分類法 - Wikipedia
  3. And there was a poster for avoiding the 3 Cs https://www.clinicfor.life/articles/covid-012/

I will try to ask how to say “I would like to check out this book” next time I go.

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Also, if there’s a table of recommended reads, the word is おすすめ :slightly_smiling_face:

返す

Also, 返していますか

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16

:scream: Thank you!! I should really remember how to make the て form by now :sweat:

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17

Thank you everyone! Really appreciate all the help! :slight_smile:

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