To Know しっています(知っています)
You learned about the verb しっています(知っています) earlier in these courses. 知っています means "to know" when you are talking about knowing people or places. The verb also means "to be familiar with" when you are talking about something on a personal level. So, after you have been to a place, you can say that you know that place using 知っています.
The present progressive form of the verb is used to say you “know something” because it is an ongoing process (not past or future). Remember that the present progressive (happening right now) or ongoing forms of verb is in the Verbています form:知っています(I Know)Or 知っていました(I Knew). However, if you don’t know something, then the normal negative verb form is used: 知りません(I don’t know)知りませんでした(I didn’t know).
There is another verb used to mean “know” in the sense of knowing facts and information: わかります(分かります)。This verb is commonly used in the regular -ます、-ません forms.
Practice the statements below:
上のどうぶつぇん(動物園)をしっていますか。 | はい、動物園を知っています。 |
はらじゅく(原宿)を知っていますか。 | はい、原宿を知っています。 |
東京タワーを知っていますか。 | はい、東京タワーを知っています。 |
きんかくじ(金閣寺)を知っていますか。 | いいえ、金閣寺を知りません。 |
ひめじじょう(締め事情)を知っていますか。 | はい、姫路城を知っています。 |
ニューヨークを知っていますか。 | はい、ニューヨークを知っています。 |
シカゴを知っていますか。 | いいえ、シカゴを知りません。 |
Some other verbs that generally use the present progressive/ongoing てforms of verbs + います are shown below: (these all represent things happening right now or that are ongoing in nature)
- To live (am living at/in…)すんでいます(住んでいます)
- To work for (am working for…) つとめています(努めています)
- To sell (am selling…)うっています(売っています)
- To be married (am married…) けっこんしています (結婚しています)
- To be retired (am retired…) ていねんたいしょくしています (定年退職しています)
- To wearきています(am wearing…) (着ています)
- To wear (am wearing… pants, shoes, etc. on the bottom part of your body) はいています (履いています)
- To do (am doing...) しています
Vocabulary Practice
Practice your new vocabulary in this activity. This activity is timed. Click Vocabulary Practice or click Begin below.
Driving うんてんします(運転します)
Roads and Rules
Cars drive on the left side of the road and have the driver's seat and steering wheel on their right side. The legal minimum age for driving is 18 years. Drinking and driving is strictly prohibited. Road signs and rules follow international standards, and most signs on major roads are in Japanese and English. Vehicles have to come to a full stop before crossing any railway tracks.
The typical speed limits are 80 to 100 km/h on expressways, 40 km/h in urban areas, 30 km/h in side streets and 50 to 60 km/h elsewhere; however, drivers tend to go a little over the posted speed limits.
Most roads in Japan are toll free with the exception of expressways, some scenic driving routes and a small number of toll tunnels. Road conditions tend to be good, although side streets in the cities can be rather narrow or even impassable to larger vehicles. Traffic congestion is a frequent problem in and around urban centers.
Drivers generally tend to be well mannered and considerate, however some common dangers on Japanese roads include drivers speeding over intersections even well after the traffic light has turned red, people stopping their vehicles at the edge of the road in a way in which they block traffic, and careless cyclists, especially those who ride on the wrong side of the road.
For more information about driving in Japan, you may visit the Japan Guide: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2022.html
あなたはくるま(車)を運転しますか。Do you drive a car?
車がありますか。Do you have a car?
アメリカではだれ(誰)が車を運転しますか。 Who drives in America?
A person who drives a car is called うんてんしゅ(運転手).
More Vocabulary Practice
Listen to the questions in the recordings linked below. You will see two possible responses to each question. Choose the appropriate response for each question as you listen. Click こたえ to see the correct answer.
ききましょう |
はい、にほんばし(日本橋)を知っています。 | はい、日本を知っています。 |
Correct |
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ききましょう |
いいえ、上のどうぶつえん(胴部通園)を知りません。 | いいえ、しんじゅくぎょうえん(伸縮業円)を知りません。 |
Correct |
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ききましょう |
りょかん(旅館)にとまります(泊まります)。 | ホテルに泊まります。 |
Correct |
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ききましょう |
ひこうき(飛行機)で行きます。 | じてんしゃ(自転車)で行きます。 |
Correct |
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ききましょう |
飛行機で行きます。 | ちかてつ(地下鉄)で行きます。 |
Correct |
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ききましょう |
おもてさんどう(表参道)にあります。 | とうり(東リ)にあります。 |
Correct |
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ききましょう |
ちかい(近い)ですからあるいて(歩いて)行きます。 | 近いですから、でんしゃ(電車)で行きます。 |
Correct |
Graded Assignments
Please return to the Section 2 Tasks & Assignments folder to complete the graded assignments for Section2, Part D.