扉達 Tobira Chapter 1 Thread

Hi all - had good feedback the other day for starting a Tobira group. It was suggested that we do two chapters a month. As such, I’ll create a new thread on here twice a month - on the first and fifteenth of every month. I hope we can use thse threads as a support and a platform to get the most out of the book. Any suggestions please let me know!

16 Likes

I think thats a good idea, but I’m sure everyone will tackle it their own way. The online bits are excellent, I was exploring them earlier today… Also I love tobira video, its 90s charm has aged very well

Haha, I almost forgot about the video material, I just watched the video for chapter 1 and “90s charm” is a good way of describing it.

I’m currently working my way through chapter 1 with my teacher. Based on the pace we are going at the moment, I might not be able to keep up with the Tobira friends threads but for now I’m still on track.

Today she did for example explain the difference between 専門 and 専攻. I’m pretty sure we learned 専門 as “major” at the beginning of Genki I. In reality, it seems like 専攻 is “major” (モニカさんは文学を専攻しています)whereas 専門 is more like being a specialist in a certain field, a 専門家. So while Monika has a 専門, 森田先生 has a 専攻.

How are you guys doing with the grammar? I’m fortunately not too overwhelmed yet since all of the grammar points for chapter 1 came up during my previous preparations for the July N3 so it is more of a review. But if they were all new to me, I think it would be a bit much.

3 Likes

Really? I remember quite clearly 専攻 being used as “major” :thinking:

But I don’t know, it was a long time ago.

1 Like

I literally started work on Tobira chapter one today. I’ll be sure to follow this tread.

So far, I’ve just translated the first text, found on page 4 and that’s pretty much all I did.
Though I also glanced through the vocabulary and grammar points, neither of which had me baffled so far.
I translated because I want to be a translator, so I did it for practice and to dissect the language a bit further. It’s a nice way to really look at the language and see if you truly grasp the meaning.

I could post the text here tomorrow in a spoiler. But if you want to do it yourself, I recommend doing that first before you look at it.

Tomorrow I’ll work on the dialogue and the questions about the text I did today.

1 Like

You are right, I had only quickly googled it and my teacher seemed to confirm it too but I just looked it up in Genki I and it only says 専攻

On the other hand there are links like this one: Grammar Sentences 1 (Questions) (Genki) Foreign Language Flashcards - Cram.com

Whatever it is… I know the difference now :wink:

Side note: that was an amazing trip down memory lane. Genki I was just two years ago for me and I can clearly remember some of these things being difficult at the time. It feels slightly easier than Tobira now :grinning:

1 Like

This may be a stupid question, but on page 13, there are exercises and I’m stuck on the 2nd and 3rd question of the first bit. It’s about the 日本の地理 text.
I don’t know what it is they want me to do, can someone explain it to me?
2行目の「都市」を修飾するのは、どこからどこまでですか。
Something about modifying a word? Or is it the whole sentence?
Am I thinking too hard at it? Because the fist question is super simple.
And question 4 looks simple too.

Edit: All the other questions are easy to answer. I must be thinking too hard.

Been puzzling over this as well :tired_face:

This may sound weird, but I feel less stupid now. Thanks :rofl:

:rofl: Never fear

Isn’t it just asking what pat of the sentence is modifying the word “都市”? If the sentence were something like 私は広島の近くにある都市に住んでいます, then “広島の近くにある” would describe/modify 都市.

2 Likes

Aye, I remember tripping over that question the first time I saw it too. Or at least, one like it. The exact translation is “From where to where is modifying “都市” on the second line?”

The answer is 東京のような、世界によく知らせている

4 Likes

See that makes sense, I knew I was overthinking it.

Thanks @Belthazar and @Myria :heart:

2 Likes

@Belthazar and @Myria thanks! I had been searching the map and that line for clues so much haha

1 Like

This is my translation btw, as English isn’t my main language, this is hardly perfect.
If anyone has remarks, please don’t be shy, I’m here to learn.

Translation 1

日本の地理
Japan’s geography.

Do you know the names of Japan’s four main islands?
Japan is an island nation, situated to the east of Eurasia and consists 70% out of mountains.
In Japan there are many cities as well-known as Tokyo, have you ever heard of these city names before?
Let’s look them up in the map below.
Japan’s territory consists of the four big main islands named Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu and over 6000 smaller islands.
Japan’s territory is around one twenty-fifth as big as America, one twenty-first as big as Australia, and around the same size as New Zealand and England.
Japan has 47 prefectures named to, do, fu and ken (one to, one do, two fu’s and 43 ken’s)
The only one named to is the capital Toykyoto, Hokkaido is the only do, the two fu prefectures are Osakafu and Kyotofu, while the remaining 43, like Shizuokaken and Hiroshimaken all use ken.
Shizuoka is known for tea and mt Fuji while Hiroshima is known for the dome memorial which represents the frightening aspects of war and the importance of peace.

Japan is a long island stretching from north to south and the climate difference between the north and south is so big, that while you could swim in Okinawa and Kyushu, at the same time, there could be snow falling in Hokkaido.
Therefore on the same day, the difference in temperature between Okinawa and Hokkaido could be higher than 40 degrees Celsius meaning the time cherry blossoms bloom, differs from place to place.
In Okinawa the cherry blossoms by the end of January, while in Hokkaido, it isn’t until May.
When the Cherry trees blossom, people gather under the trees to drink alcohol, sing songs and enjoy the view of the blossoms.

Japan also has a lot of old famous places.
For example, Himeji Castle in Hyogo prefecture is said to be the most beautiful castle in Japan, and was chosen for the UNESCO world heritage list in 1993.
The white walls of the castle still stand after being built 400 years ago, and spread around like a white heron spreading its wings hence it also being called the white herron castle (Hakurojo or Shirasagijo).
Himeji castle has been used in many films and drama’s.

When you speak of famous places in Japan, one mustn’t forget the hot springs.
Japan has many volcanos making it possible for hot springs to occur.
There are many people that come to the hot springs for sightseeing and leisure, they relax in the big baths of the hot springs, eat delicious food and wear yukata’s to relax.
Open air baths are especially famous among the Japanese people who love to bathe while watching the scenery.
There are a lot of hot springs in japan, but the oldest is in Matsuya in Ehime prefecture and it’s said that it has a 3000 year old history.
Natsume Souseki, who wrote the novels called “Bocchan” and “Kokoro” seems to have gone to this place often, as there is a room on the third floor of a Japanese Inn called Dougo hot spring that is named “Bocchan’s space”.

What do you want to try when you visit Japan?
Where do you want to go?
Study the geography of Japan before you go, and have a wonderful trip.
Also, visit the castles, enter the hot springs and come back with interesting stories.

I’ll post my answers to the questions when I finish that part.

Nice work. There’s a few lines here and there where I would have worded things differently, but I think you’ve got the essence of it.

FWIW there’s an “official” English translation of the reading passages in the Teacher’s Guide.

That sounds ideal, but I can’t really afford much at the moment.
I already had this Tobira book from college. Which is why I’m using it.

Either way, I’m only doing it for practice anyway. And I seem to understand what’s being said.

Did anyone do the chapter one grammar exercises yet? (the extra pdf)
Are the answers to these found anywhere online?

Ah, is that an official pdf? My teacher sent a grammar pdf to me recently and it was just so loooong and I somehow „forgot“ to do it (although I was honestly planning on doing it this week).

But maybe I could motivate myself to do it if I knew we where doing it together. I could also ask for corrections if we need them.

Does anyone happen to know if the teacher‘s guide contains the answers?
Are you working your way through the pdf?