The day after tomorrow
In English we have the expressions, the day after tomorrow and the day before yesterday. How often do you use them? I don’t think I hear people using these expressions too often. Instead people seem to prefer to say, this Friday, this past Monday, two days ago, etc.
On the other hand, the Japanese equivalents of the day after tomorrow and the day before yesterday are VERY often used. あさって asatte is the day after tomorrow and おととい ototoi is the day before yesterday. As you probably have noticed, while it takes four words in English to say the day after tomorrow or the day before yesterday, we have single corresponding words in Japanese. That may be why they are often used in Japanese.... it’s so much easier to say あさって asatte than saying, for example, こんしゅうのきんようび konshuu no kinyoobi (this Friday). Just count the characters!
So next time you speak Japanese, throw in the words あさって asatte and おととい ototoi instead of saying this Friday or two days ago. You’ll sound like a native! (^-^)
On the other hand, the Japanese equivalents of the day after tomorrow and the day before yesterday are VERY often used. あさって asatte is the day after tomorrow and おととい ototoi is the day before yesterday. As you probably have noticed, while it takes four words in English to say the day after tomorrow or the day before yesterday, we have single corresponding words in Japanese. That may be why they are often used in Japanese.... it’s so much easier to say あさって asatte than saying, for example, こんしゅうのきんようび konshuu no kinyoobi (this Friday). Just count the characters!
So next time you speak Japanese, throw in the words あさって asatte and おととい ototoi instead of saying this Friday or two days ago. You’ll sound like a native! (^-^)
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People use the expression "actually" very often in English, especially in colloquial English. If you'd like to know how to say "actually" in Japanese, it's 実は jitsu wa. However, 実は jitsu wa is not so often used in Japanese, at least not in the way that "actually" is used in English. It's wise not to use 実は jitsu wa when you speak Japanese. It will just sound odd.
Now you may be wondering how you can express in Japanese what you intend to express when you use "actually" in English. That can be done by using the sentence ending "plain form + んです ndesu". (This expression appears in Intermediate Japanese Unit 3.)
I know the adverb "actually" and the sentence ending んです ndesu are the two very different linguistic forms, but their effects are similar.
Examples:
Bill actually doesn't like it!
ビルさんは好きではないんです!
Biru san wa sukidewa naindesu
Actually, I've never seen it.
見たことがないんです。
Mita koto ga naindesu.
Bill looks stern, but he is actually very kind.
ビルさんは厳しそうですが、とても優しいんです。
Biru san wa kibishisoo desu ga, totemo yasahiindesu.