Learn Japanese Pod with Ami and Alex
Podcast 12: Talking about personality in Japanese
Podcast Link: ​Podcast 12: Talking about personality in JapaneseIn this lesson you will learn the following:✓​ How to talk about your favorite “type” of person✓​ How to describe people’s personalities in natural Japanese✓​ ​Learn extra vocabulary to increase your fluency at Japanese

info@learnjapanesepod.com​ / ​Learn Japanese Pod1

Talking about people’s personalities in JapaneseIn this podcast, Ami sensei and I talk about how to describe people’s personalities in Japaneseand how to talk about your favorite “type” of person for dating and romance.

The first two dialogs show you how you can talk about people’s ideal boyfriend of girlfriend interms of their personality.

Podcast Dialog 1.1
A:

ねえ、どんな人がタイプな Ne, donna hito ga taipu na
no?の？

Hey, what kind of person
are you into?

B:

そうだね。やっぱり優しく Sō da ne. Yappariて、気が利いて、陽気な人 yasashikute, ki ga kiite, yōkina hito kana.
かな。

Let me see. Of course kind,thoughtful and outgoing.

A:

本当？それだけ？

Hontō? Sore dake?

Really? That’s it?

B:

え？どういう意味それ？

E? Dō iu imi sore?

Eh? What do you mean bythat?

A:

今までの彼氏みんなイケメ Ima made no kareshi ikemen
ンだったし、本当は面食い datta shi, hontō wa menkuinan deshō?
なんでしょう？

B:

うるさいなぁ、もう！

Urusai na mō!

All your boyfriends until
now have been really goodlooking. You’re just into
looks aren’t you?
Oh shut up!

info@learnjapanesepod.com​ / ​Learn Japanese Pod2

Podcast Dialog 1.2
A:

ねえ、どんな人がタイプな Ne, donna hito ga taipu nano?の？

Hey, what kind of person
are you into?

B:

そうだね。やっぱり優しく Sō da ne. Yappariて、気が利いて、陽気な人 yasashikute, ki ga kiite, yōkina hito kana.
かな。

Let me see. Of course kind,thoughtful and outgoing.

A:

本当？それだけ？

Hontō? Sore dake?

Really? That’s it?

B:

え？どういう意味それ？

E? Dō iu imi sore?

Eh? What do you mean bythat?

A:

今までの彼女みんな美形
Ima made no kanojō minna
だったじゃん、本当は見た bikkei datta shi, hontō wamenkui nan deshō?
目重視なんでしょう。

B:

うるさいなぁ、もう！

Urusai na mō!

All your girlfriends until now
have been really goodlooking. You’re just into
looks aren’t you?
Oh shut up!

info@learnjapanesepod.com​ / ​Learn Japanese Pod3

In the next set of dialogs we look at how to compare people’s personalities in Japanese. Thesedialogs also contain a nice technique for expanding your vocabulary which is learning aadjective and it’s exact opposite. So if you learn the word 優しい Yasashii which means kind,
you could then learn a word such as 気が短い Ki ga mijikai which means short tempered or badtempered. This is a really nice way to group relevant vocabulary together which will double theamount of words you know and improve your fluency if you drill them.
Here are some examples:

Podcast Dialog 2.1
A:

彼氏はどんな人なの？

Kareshi wa donna hito nano?

What’s your boyfriend like?

B:

そうだね。優しい人だよ。 Sō da ne. Yasashi hito da yo.

Let me see. He’s a kind
person.

A:

いいなあ。私の彼女は気が Ii naa. Watashi no kanajo ga
ki ga mijikain da yo ne.
短いんだよね。

I envy you. My girlfriend isshort tempered.

Podcast Dialog 2.2
A:

彼女はどんな人なの？

Kanojo wa donna hito na no?

What’s your girlfriend like?

B:そうだね。優しい人だよ。 Sō da ne. Omoshiroi hito dayo.

A:

いいなあ。私の彼氏はつま Ii naa. Watashi no kareshi wa I envy you. My boyfriend istsumaranain da yo ne.
short tempered.
らないんだよね。

Let me see. She’s aninteresting person.

info@learnjapanesepod.com​ / ​Learn Japanese Pod4

Podcast Dialog 2.3
A:

彼氏はどんな人なの？

Kareshi wa donna hito nano?

What’s your boyfriend like?

B:

そうだね。社交的な人だよ。

Sō da ne. Shakōteki na hitoda yo.

Let me see. He’s a socialperson.

A:

いいなあ。私の彼女はおと Ii naa. Watashi no kanajo waotonashiin da yo ne.
なしいんだよね。

I envy you. My girlfriend isshy.

Podcast Dialog 2.4
A:

彼女はどんな人なの？

Kanojo wa donna hito na no?

What’s your girlfriend like?

B:

そうだね。勤勉な人だよ。 Sō da ne. Kinben na hito dayo.

Let me see. She’s a hardworking person.

A:

いいなあ。私の彼氏は怠け Ii naa. Watashi no kareshi wa I envy you. My boyfriend isnamakemono nan da yo ne.
lazy.
者なんだよね。

info@learnjapanesepod.com​ / ​Learn Japanese Pod5

Podcast Dialog 2.5
A:

彼氏はどんな人なの？

Kareshi wa donna hito nano?

What’s your boyfriend like?

B:

そうだね。頭がいい人だよ。

Sō da ne. Shakōteki na hito
da yo.

Let me see. He’s a socialperson.

A:

いいなあ。私の彼女はIi naa. Watashi no kanajo wa
ちょっと天然入ってるんだ chotto tennen ga haitterun dayo ne.
よねI envy you. My girlfriend is a
bit of a space cadet.

In the next set of dialogs we talk about personality as it relates to blood type. In Japan, it is
widely believed that a person’s blood type is linked to or influences your personality. Although
this is utter nonsense that has absolutely no scientific basis at all what so ever, it’s worthknowing about this cultural phenomenon. And it’s a great way to get a conversation going inJapanese and increase your vocabulary.
There are a couple of ways you can ask about bloody type and personality including thefollowing:
A型の人ってどんな人が多い？​ ​A gata no hito te donna hito ga ooi?
What is a common personality for people with A type blood?
Or
典型的なA型の人ってどうなの？​Tenkeiteki na A gata no hito te dō na no?
What is the typical personality of someone with A type blood?

info@learnjapanesepod.com​ / ​Learn Japanese Pod6

Here are some example dialogs as featured in the podcast:

Podcast Dialog 3.1
A:

A型の人ってどんな人が多い？

A gata no hito te donna hito
ga ooi?

What’s the most common
personality trait of people
with A blood type?

B:

A型は真面目で几帳面な人。

A gata wa majime dekichōmen na hito.

People with A blood typeare serious and methodical.

Podcast Dialog 3.2
A:

O型の人ってどんな人が多い？

O gata no hito te donna hito
ga ooi?

What’s the most common
personality trait of people
with O blood type?

B:

O型はおおらかで元気な人。

O gata wa ooraka de genki
na hito.

People with O blood typeare relaxed and outgoing.

What’s the most common
personality trait of people
with B blood type?

Podcast Dialog 3.3
A:

B型の人ってどんな人が多い？

B gata no hito te donna hito
ga ooi?

B:

B型はよくもわるくもマイペースな人。

B gata wa yokumo
For better or for worse,
warukumo mai peesu na hito. people with B blood typetaking everything at theirown pace.

info@learnjapanesepod.com​ / ​Learn Japanese Pod7

Podcast Dialog 3.4
A:

AB型の人ってどんな人が多い？

AB gata no hito te donna hito
ga ooi?

What’s the most common
personality trait of people
with AB blood type?

B:

AB型はどこかクールで知AB gata wa dokoka kuuru de People with AB blood type
的な印象を感じさせる人。 chiteki na inshō o kanjisaseru give the impression ofhito.
being aloof and intelectual.

Random Japanese Phrase of the Week
In this episode’s random phrase of the week we looked at the word 茶番劇 Chabangeki whichliterally means a dramatic farce. It’s used to describe situations and things that are over the topor crazy.
Here are the examples:
あのカップルの喧嘩はいつも茶番劇だよね。
Ano kappuru no kenka wa itsumo chabangeki da yo ne
That couple are always having epic fights.
とんだ茶番劇をやらかしたもんだ！
Tonda chabangeki o yarakashita mon da!
That situation totally got out of hand / That was one crazy thing that happened.

info@learnjapanesepod.com​ / ​Learn Japanese Pod8

Hi, this is Alex, the creator of Learn
Japanese Pod. Thanks for downloadingthese show notes, I hope you find them
useful. If you need any help with yourJapanese or have any questions orcomments please drop me a line at
info@learnjapanesepod.com
You can also get the latest info on our social
networky thingies here:

Learn Japanese Pod

https://dojo.learnjapanesepod.com

My personal website:

http://alexbrooke.com

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/japanesepodcast

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LearnJapanesePod/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/learnjapanesepod/

Enjoy!

Alex
info@learnjapanesepod.com​ / ​Learn Japanese Pod
9