休みの日と予定Leisure and Plans
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Identify and use vocabulary for leisure activities, weather, and the days of the week and weekend.
- Invite someone to do something using 〜ませんか.
- Suggest an activity using 〜ましょう.
- Accept an invitation, offer a soft refusal, and propose an alternative.
- Describe past weather and past conditions using the past forms of い-adjectives and な-adjectives.
- Use the nonpast form of a verb to talk about a plan or intention in the near future.
- Read and interpret simple weather reports and event announcements.
- Recognize, read, and begin to handwrite ten new Unit III kanji for weather, time, and meeting.
- Hold a short guided conversation making weekend plans with a partner.
Communication Scenario
It is Thursday afternoon, and Tom's classmate Yuki wants to make plans for the weekend. She checks the weather, invites Tom to join her at a nearby park, and the two negotiate a time and place. When rain changes their plan, they discuss an indoor alternative instead. This chapter follows Tom and Yuki as they invite, suggest, accept, decline, and revise plans together.
- This chapter continues Unit III. It introduces the invitation pattern 〜ませんか, the suggestion pattern 〜ましょう, past-tense adjectives, and the use of the ordinary nonpast verb form to talk about upcoming plans.
- By the end of the chapter, you will be able to invite a friend to do something, suggest a time and place, talk about the weather, and politely decline an invitation while offering an alternative.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary covers leisure activities, weather, and the language needed to invite, suggest, and confirm plans with someone else.
Leisure and Free Time
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 休み | やすみ | day off; break; vacation |
| 週末 | しゅうまつ | weekend |
| 公園 | こうえん | park |
| 映画 | えいが | movie |
| 音楽 | おんがく | music |
| スポーツ | スポーツ | sports |
| パーティー | パーティー | party |
| 会います | あいます | to meet |
Weather
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 天気 | てんき | weather |
| いい天気 | いいてんき | nice weather |
| 雨 | あめ | rain |
| 雪 | ゆき | snow |
| くもり | くもり | cloudy |
| 晴れ | はれ | clear skies |
| 暑い／寒い | あつい／さむい | hot; cold (weather) |
| 外 | そと | outside |
Time and Planning Words
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今 | いま | now |
| 今度 | こんど | next time; some time soon |
| 今週 | こんしゅう | this week |
| 来週 | らいしゅう | next week |
| ちょっと | ちょっと | a little; (softening) a bit (busy, difficult) |
You already know the days of the week from Chapter 7 (月・火・水・木・金・土・日) and the frequency words よく, ときどき, and あまり. This chapter combines those earlier words with new leisure and weather vocabulary to build weekend plans.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter introduces ten new kanji connected to rest, weather, time, and meeting people. Furigana marks each new kanji throughout the chapter, and earlier Unit III kanji from Chapter 11 appear here with reduced furigana as review.
The kanji 天 and 気 combine to form 天気 (weather), read てんき. Neither kanji is commonly used alone with this meaning at this level, so learn 天気 as one lexical unit rather than as two separate pieces of meaning added together.
れんしゅう — Practice: Copy each new kanji five times, saying its reading aloud each time. Then write the words 天気, 週末, and 休み from memory, checking your okurigana against the vocabulary list above.
Pronunciation Focus
〜ませんか is a question, and its final syllable rises like other yes-or-no questions you have practiced since Chapter 1. However, a warm, slightly softer rise (rather than a sharp one) makes the invitation sound welcoming rather than merely informational. Practice the contrast:
- 公園に行きますか。 — a plain question about fact, with a clear rising question intonation
- 公園に行きませんか。 — an invitation, with a softer, warmer rise
By contrast, 〜ましょう normally falls gently at the end, since it proposes an action rather than asking a yes-or-no question. Also review the long vowel in 映画 (えいが): keep the えい sequence smooth and connected rather than pronouncing it as two separate syllables.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
1. Inviting someone with 〜ませんか
Purpose: to invite someone to do something together.
Attach か to the negative polite form of a verb, 〜ません, to turn a plain negative statement into a warm invitation. Although the form is grammatically negative, its meaning is an invitation, not a statement about not doing something.
- いっしょに映画を見ませんか。Would you like to watch a movie together?見ません[neg. of 見ます]+か / invitation
- 週末、公園に行きませんか。Would you like to go to the park this weekend?
2. Suggesting an activity with 〜ましょう
Purpose: to propose doing something together, often in response to an invitation.
Replace ます with ましょう to suggest an action that includes the speaker. This form is commonly used to respond to an invitation, to propose a time or place, or to move a plan forward.
- いいですね。行きましょう。Sounds good. Let's go.行き[stem]+ましょう[let's]
- 三時に会いましょう。Let's meet at three o'clock.会い[stem]+ましょう
Error: *公園に行きましょうか。 (intending to ask a friend for the first time, "Would you like to go to the park?")
Correction: 公園に行きませんか。 — Use 〜ませんか to open an invitation. 〜ましょう is more natural once both people have already agreed to do something together, or to confirm a plan already in progress.
3. Accepting, softly declining, and offering alternatives
Purpose: to respond politely to an invitation.
An invitation may be accepted directly, or declined softly with an incomplete sentence rather than a blunt refusal. A soft refusal often begins with ちょっと and trails off, leaving the reason understood rather than stated in full.
- いいですね。行きましょう。Sounds good. Let's go. (acceptance)
- すみません、週末はちょっと…。Sorry, this weekend is a bit… (soft refusal, reason left unstated)
- 週末はちょっと…。今度はどうですか。This weekend is a bit difficult. How about another time?
Leaving a refusal incomplete after ちょっと is a common and polite way to decline without stating a blunt "no" or a detailed excuse. The listener understands that the answer is negative from the trailing intonation and the word ちょっと alone. This is not evasiveness; it is a recognized way of softening a refusal in many everyday situations.
4. Past tense of い-adjectives and な-adjectives
Purpose: to describe past weather and past conditions.
You have used present-tense い-adjectives and な-adjectives since Chapter 6. This chapter introduces their polite past forms, useful for describing yesterday's or last week's weather.
- 昨日は寒かったです。It was cold yesterday.寒（い→）かったです[past]
- 週末の天気はよかったです。The weekend's weather was good.
5. Talking about plans with the nonpast form
Purpose: to describe an intention or a plan for the near future.
The nonpast forms you already know, such as 行きます and 見ます, describe both habitual actions and future plans. Japanese does not require a separate future tense; context and time words such as 週末, 今度, and 来週 make clear that a nonpast verb refers to something not yet done.
- 来週、パーティーに行きます。I am going to a party next week.来週[time word] establishes future reference
- 今度、いっしょに音楽を聞きましょう。Let's listen to music together sometime soon.
Grammar Practice
- Turn into an invitation: 週末、いっしょに映画を見ます。 → ______
- Turn into a suggestion: 三時に会います。 → ______
- Write a soft refusal beginning with 週末はちょっと.
- Change to the past: 今日は暑いです。 → ______
- Change to the past: 天気はいいです。 → ______
Model Dialogue
Setting: Yuki invites Tom to the park on Thursday afternoon, but rain changes their plan.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What does Yuki invite Tom to do, and how does he respond?
- What was the weather like earlier in the week, and what is it like on the weekend?
- Why does the plan change, and what do Tom and Yuki decide to do instead?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Make an invitation. Using 〜ませんか, write an invitation to a friend to do a leisure activity from this chapter's vocabulary this weekend.
タスク２ — Respond to an invitation twice. Write one response accepting an invitation with 〜ましょう and one response softly declining with ちょっと and an alternative suggestion.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a clear, moderate pace.
きくタスク — This week's weather report
こんしゅうのてんきです。げつようびとかようびはあめでした。すいようびはくもりでした。もくようびはさむかったです。でも、きんようび、どようび、にちようびはいいてんきです。しゅうまつはあついですから、みずをのんでください。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Draw a simple seven-day weather chart for the week described, marking each day as rain, cloudy, cold, or good weather, then compare it with a partner or check it against the passage.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Quick answers
- 今日の天気はどうですか。
- 週末、何をしますか。
- 昨日の天気はどうでしたか。
コミュニケーションタスク — Make weekend plans
With a partner, take turns inviting each other to do something this weekend. Accept at least one invitation with 〜ましょう and decline at least one softly with ちょっと, offering an alternative time or activity.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Describe your ideal weekend
Record yourself describing, in five to six sentences, what you would like to do this weekend, including the weather you hope for and who you would like to invite.
Reading Practice
Read the following event notice and short message, then answer the questions below.
おしらせ — Event notice
週末の音楽パーティー
ときは土曜日の三時からです。
ところは公園です。雨の日は、パーティーはありません。
ともだちからのメッセージ — A message from a friend
こんしゅうまつ、音楽パーティーに行きませんか。わたしは今週、ちょっといそがしいですが、週末は大丈夫です。天気がよかったら、いっしょに行きましょう。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- According to the notice, when and where is the music party?
- What happens to the party if it rains?
- What does the friend say about this week and about the weekend?
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will write a short message inviting a friend to a weekend activity and responding to a change in plans.
- Choose an activity and a day. Pick a leisure activity from this chapter's vocabulary and a day of the weekend.
- List your ideas in English first. Note the activity, the place, the time, and one possible weather condition.
- Write an opening invitation using 〜ませんか.
- Write a sentence about the weather, using an adjective in either the present or past form.
- Write a suggestion for the meeting time and place using 〜ましょう.
- Add a sentence handling a possible change of plan, using ちょっと for a soft refusal or offering an alternative.
- Revise and check using the checklist below before finalizing your work.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- I invited someone to do something using 〜ませんか.
- I described the weather accurately, using a present or past adjective form correctly.
- I suggested a time or place using 〜ましょう.
- If I declined or changed a plan, I used ちょっと to soften my response.
- I used the new Unit III kanji correctly, with furigana.
- I ended each sentence with 。 and organized my message logically.
Culture and Communication
Leaving a refusal unfinished after ちょっと, as in 週末はちょっと…, is a common way of declining an invitation in many everyday Japanese interactions without stating a detailed reason or a blunt "no." A listener typically understands this as a polite decline and does not usually press for further explanation. This pattern reflects a common social convention, not a universal rule that every speaker follows in every situation.
Commenting on the weather, as in いい天気ですね ("Nice weather, isn't it"), is a common way to open a casual conversation in many everyday settings across Japan, similar to small talk about weather in many English-speaking contexts. Local weather patterns vary considerably by region, from snowy winters in parts of Hokkaido to humid summers in much of the country, so specific weather comments will vary by season and location.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Reading 公園に行きませんか。 only as "I am not going to the park."
Correction: With rising intonation and in an invitation context, 〜ませんか means "Would you like to...?" Context, intonation, and situation distinguish the invitation meaning from a simple negative statement.
Error: *いいかったです。
Correction: よかったです。 — いい uses the alternate stem よ before any inflected ending; this is the only common irregular い-adjective at this level.
Error: *元気だでした。
Correction: 元気でした。 — A な-adjective's polite past form adds でした directly after the stem, without だ or です in between.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Give the Japanese for rain, snow, cloudy, and clear skies.
2. Give the Japanese for weekend, this week, and next week.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write any six of the ten new Chapter 12 kanji from memory, with their readings.
2. Write 天気 and 週末, checking your okurigana.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Write an invitation using 〜ませんか.
2. Write a suggestion using 〜ましょう.
3. Write a soft refusal using ちょっと.
4. Write two sentences describing past weather, one with an い-adjective and one with a な-adjective.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the event notice in the Reading Practice section. Write two sentences summarizing the party's time, place, and rain policy.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Write a short message inviting a friend to a weekend activity, including the weather and a proposed time and place.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Invite a partner or instructor to a weekend activity, and respond appropriately if your partner accepts, declines, or suggests an alternative.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
週末の予定 — Making weekend plans
You will produce a connected spoken and written exchange in which you invite someone to a weekend activity, discuss the weather, and confirm or revise your plan.
- Written: Write at least eight sentences inviting a friend to a weekend activity, describing the weather with at least one present-tense and one past-tense adjective, and suggesting a specific time and place with 〜ましょう.
- Spoken: Perform the same invitation and planning conversation aloud with a partner or instructor, including at least one soft refusal or change of plan.
- Interaction: Respond naturally to a partner's or instructor's invitation, choosing to accept, decline softly, or suggest an alternative.
- Script check: Hand-write at least six of the ten new kanji from memory, and read aloud a short weather report or event notice furnished by your instructor.
Assessment focus: correctly formed 〜ませんか invitations and 〜ましょう suggestions; accurate past-tense adjective forms; an appropriately softened refusal or revised plan when needed; accurate weather and leisure vocabulary; accurate Chapter 12 kanji with furigana; and a natural, followable planning exchange.
Answer Key
Grammar Practice
1. 週末、いっしょに映画を見ませんか。 2. 三時に会いましょう。 3. Model: 週末はちょっと…。 4. 今日は暑かったです。 5. 天気はよかったです。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Yuki invites Tom to go to the park this weekend; Tom accepts and says "let's go."
- It rained all week, but the weekend has good weather (until it rains on Saturday morning).
- The plan changes because it starts raining on Saturday morning; they decide to watch a movie instead.
Listening task — Model chart description
Monday and Tuesday: rain. Wednesday: cloudy. Thursday: cold. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: good weather (hot, so drink water).
Reading — Comprehension
- The music party is Saturday from three o'clock at the park.
- If it rains, there is no party.
- The friend is a little busy this week but is free on the weekend, and suggests going together if the weather is good.
Chapter Review — Section A
- 雨／雪／くもり／晴れ.
- 週末／今週／来週.
Chapter Review — Section B
Open-ended; check against the kanji grids above and the 天気／週末 example.
Chapter Review — Section C
- Model: いっしょに音楽を聞きませんか。
- Model: 駅で会いましょう。
- Model: 今週はちょっと…。
- Model: 昨日は寒かったです。天気はよくなかったです。
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: 音楽パーティーは土曜日の三時から公園であります。雨の日はパーティーがありません。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Section E and F
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate written work against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate spoken work against the Performance Task assessment focus.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can invite someone to a leisure activity, suggest a time and place to meet, accept an invitation or soften a refusal, describe present and past weather, and read and write simple event notices and planning messages using the ten new Unit III kanji.