週末の予定を立てよう
Making weekend plans · a free Japanese immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
今週末、一緒に映画を見ませんか。
Would you like to watch a movie together this weekend?
Literal This weekend, together movie watch won't you?
A natural, friendly invitation using 〜ませんか, the standard pattern for suggesting a shared activity.
- 〜ませんか is formed from the ます-stem + ませんか, meaning 'Won't you...?' or 'Would you like to...?'
- 一緒に means 'together' and typically precedes the activity being invited to.
土曜日は少し忙しいんですが、日曜日はどうですか。
I'm a little busy on Saturday, but how about Sunday?
Literal Saturday a little busy (you see), but Sunday how is it?
Combines a soft explanation with 〜んですが and redirects to an alternative using どうですか.
- 〜んですが softens a statement and signals that more context follows; it sounds explanatory rather than blunt.
- どうですか means 'How about...?' and is widely used when proposing an option or asking for input.
公園でピクニックをするのはどうでしょう。
How about having a picnic in the park?
Literal Park at picnic doing as for, how would it be?
Uses 〜のはどうでしょう to suggest an activity gently, sounding thoughtful rather than pushy.
- 〜のはどうでしょう nominalizes the verb with の, then asks how that option sounds: 'How about doing...?'
- で marks the location where the action takes place (the park is where the picnic happens).
いいですね!何時(なんじ)に会いましょうか。
That sounds great! What time shall we meet?
Literal Good isn't it! What time at meet shall we?
いいですね expresses enthusiastic agreement, then 〜ましょうか moves the conversation to concrete planning.
- 〜ましょうか is the question form of the volitional: 'Shall we...?', inviting shared decision-making.
- 何時(なんじ)に asks 'at what time': 何時 is read なんじ, not なにじ, and に marks the specific time point.
午後二時ごろはどうですか。
How about around 2 in the afternoon?
Literal Afternoon two o'clock around, how is it?
ごろ attached to a time makes it approximate and less demanding, which is natural when coordinating plans.
- ごろ means 'around' or 'about' for time — 二時ごろ is softer than the exact 二時.
- 午後 means 'afternoon' (literally 'after noon'); 午前 is morning.
すみません、その日はちょっと都合が悪くて。
Sorry, that day is a bit inconvenient for me.
Literal Excuse me, that day a little schedule is bad and...
A polite, indirect decline. The sentence is left open with 〜て, softly implying 'so it's hard to come.'
- 都合が悪い is the set phrase for 'inconvenient' or 'bad timing schedule-wise'; 都合がいい means the opposite.
- ちょっと sofens the refusal; leaving the sentence trailing with 〜くて avoids a blunt ending.
じゃあ、また来週にしましょう。
Then let's make it next week.
Literal Well then, again next week let's decide on.
〜にしましょう settles on an option, and また signals rescheduling naturally without any awkwardness.
- 〜にしましょう means 'let's decide on...' or 'let's go with...', useful for confirming a choice.
- また here carries the nuance of 'another time' or 'then instead', implying a second attempt.
新しいカフェが駅の近くにあるらしいですよ。
I heard there's a new cafe near the station.
Literal New cafe subject station's near at exists apparently, you know.
らしい reports something heard from another source, making this a natural conversation starter when proposing an outing.
- らしい expresses hearsay or indirect evidence: 'apparently' or 'I heard that...' — the speaker isn't directly claiming knowledge.
- 〜よ at the end adds light emphasis, sharing news the listener likely doesn't know yet.
一緒に行ってみたいですね。
I'd love to try going there together.
Literal Together go and try want isn't it.
〜てみたい expresses a desire to try something new, and ね invites the listener to share that feeling.
- 〜てみたい combines 〜てみる (try doing something) with たい (want to), expressing 'I want to try doing...'
- ね at the end seeks mild agreement or shared emotion from the listener.
楽しみにしていますね!
I'm really looking forward to it!
Literal Looking forward to doing, you know!
楽しみにしています is the fixed expression for anticipation; it's the natural way to close plans with warmth.
- 楽しみにしています is a set phrase meaning 'I'm looking forward to it' — memorize it as a whole unit.
- Adding ね makes it warmer and invites the other person to share in the excitement.
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
週末
weekend
今週末、何か予定がありますか。
Do you have any plans this weekend?
Pronounced しゅうまつ (shuumatsu)
都合(つごう)
convenience; one's schedule
その日は都合が悪いです。
That day is inconvenient for me.
読み方: つごう (tsugō). 都合がいい = convenient; 都合が悪い = inconvenient
来週
next week
来週の土曜日はどうですか。
How about next Saturday?
Pronounced らいしゅう (raishuu)
一緒に
together
一緒に昼ご飯を食べましょう。
Let's eat lunch together.
Pronounced いっしょに (issho ni); always precedes the shared activity
楽しみ(たのしみ)
something to look forward to; enjoyment
旅行(りょこう)がとても楽しみ(たのしみ)です。
I'm very much looking forward to the trip.
楽しみ reads たのしみ (from 楽しむ, 'to enjoy'). 楽しみにしています(たのしみにしています)is the set phrase: 'I'm looking forward to it'
ごろ
around; about (approximate time)
三時ごろに来てください。
Please come around 3 o'clock.
Attaches directly to time expressions to soften the exactness
誘う
to invite; to ask someone to join
友達を映画に誘いました。
I invited my friend to a movie.
Pronounced さそう (sasou); naturally used when asking someone to do something together
予定
plan; schedule
週末の予定はもう決まりましたか。
Have you decided your weekend plans yet?
読み方: よてい (yotei); 予定がある = to have plans; 予定を立てる = to make plans
ちょっと
a little; a bit; (as hesitation) it's a bit...
ちょっと待ってください。
Please wait a moment.
Used alone ('ちょっと...') it politely signals refusal or hesitation without saying no directly
らしい
apparently; I heard that; it seems
明日は雨らしいです。
Apparently it will rain tomorrow.
Indicates hearsay — you heard it from somewhere, but you're not directly claiming to know
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
ハルトはスマホでサクラにメッセージを送った。「今週末、一緒に映画を見ませんか。新しいカフェも駅の近くにできたらしいよ。」サクラは少し考えてから返信した。「土曜日はちょっと都合が悪いんだけど、日曜日ならいいよ!何時にしようか。」ハルトは嬉しくなって、「じゃあ、日曜日の午後二時ごろに駅で会おう!楽しみにしているね」と送った。
Sentence by sentence
今週末、一緒に映画を見ませんか。
Would you like to watch a movie together this weekend?
A classic 〜ませんか invitation — friendly and open, not pushy, which is why it's the natural first move.
新しいカフェも駅の近くにできたらしいよ。
I heard a new cafe opened near the station too.
らしい reports hearsay naturally; も after カフェ adds it as a bonus idea alongside the movie.
土曜日はちょっと都合が悪いんだけど、日曜日ならいいよ!
Saturday is a bit inconvenient for me, but Sunday works!
ちょっと + 都合が悪い is the standard soft decline; 〜なら accepts an alternative conditionally: 'if it's Sunday, then yes.'
何時にしようか。
What time shall we make it?
〜にしようか is a casual volitional question for settling on a time — natural between friends deciding together.
じゃあ、日曜日の午後二時ごろに駅で会おう!
Then let's meet at the station around 2 in the afternoon on Sunday!
ごろ softens the time to a rough window; 会おう is the casual volitional of 会う, directly proposing the meeting.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
〜ませんか — Inviting Someone to Do Something Together
To invite a friend to do something, attach ませんか to the ます-stem of a verb (remove ます, then add ませんか). This is softer and more open than 〜ましょう because it leaves the other person room to accept or decline. It translates naturally as 'Would you like to...?' or 'Shall we...?' — ideal for suggesting weekend activities.
Verb (ます-stem) + ませんか
一緒に昼ご飯を食べませんか。
Would you like to have lunch together?
公園を散歩しませんか。
Shall we take a walk in the park?
今夜、映画を見ませんか。
Would you like to watch a movie tonight?
新しいカフェに行ってみませんか。
Shall we try going to the new cafe?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Japanese: 'Shall we watch a movie together this weekend?'
Hint Use 〜ませんか to make a polite invitation.
Complete the sentence: 土曜日は少し忙しいんですが、日曜日は______。
Hint You're suggesting an alternative day — how would you ask if that works?
Translate to English: 「新しいカフェが駅の近くにあるらしいですよ。」
Hint らしい expresses something you heard or that seems to be true.
Your friend suggests meeting at 2 PM. Which is the most natural reply to agree?
Rewrite using 〜ませんか: 「公園でピクニックをする。」
Hint Drop the plain form ending and add ませんか.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
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