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DAY 17

Making friends — Where are you from? What are your hobbies?

Why this matters

A Niseko season is short. If you can land "where are you from?" at the staff party, you'll spend the rest of the season with that person. If you can't, they stay just a face.

01

Today's goals

  • ✓どこの出身ですか で出身を聞ける
  • ✓〜の出身です で自分の出身を言える
  • ✓趣味は〜です で趣味を伝えられる
  • ✓初対面の雑談を5往復続けられる
02

How it works

The small-talk core at any Niseko staff party has three questions and three answers:

1. お名前は？ / 〜と申します。 — Your name? / I'm called ... 2. どこの出身ですか？ / 〜の出身です。 — Where are you from? / I'm from ... 3. 趣味は何ですか？ / 趣味は〜です。 — What are your hobbies? / My hobby is ...

Expand with 『あと』 and 『〜も』 to keep the exchange flowing:

  • ·趣味はスノーボードです。あと、映画も好きです。
  • ·Hobbies are snowboarding. Also, I like movies too.

Reflect with 『そうなんですね』 before adding your own detail. This single phrase makes the other person feel heard. English speakers often reply with raw "oh really?" which lands flat.

Avoid open-ended 'why'. 『どうしてニセコに来たんですか？』 can feel heavy at a first party. Use 『ニセコは、どのくらいですか？』 (how long have you been in Niseko?) instead — safer and still interesting.

03

Words & patterns

vocab出身しゅっしんshusshin

hometown / origin

vocab趣味しゅみshumi

hobby

vocab音楽おんがくongaku

music

vocab映画えいがēga

movies

vocabスポーツsupootsu

sports

vocabそうなんですねsōnandesune

I see / is that so (acknowledging reply)

grammar〜の出身です

I'm from ... — stating origin.

  • オーストラリアの出身です。
    oosutorarianoshusshindesu.
    — I'm from Australia.
  • シドニーの出身です。
    shidonīnoshusshindesu.
    — I'm from Sydney.
grammar趣味は〜です

My hobby is ... — introducing an interest.

  • 趣味は、スノーボードです。
    shumiwa,sunooboododesu.
    — My hobby is snowboarding.
  • 趣味は、音楽と映画です。
    shumiwa,ongakutoēgadesu.
    — My hobbies are music and movies.
dialogueスタッフパーティーで、初対面の同僚と話す

Chatting with a first-time coworker at a staff party

Aはじめまして。山田です。どこの出身ですか。
hajimemashite.yamadadesu.dokonoshusshindesuka.
— Nice to meet you. I'm Yamada. Where are you from?
Bオーストラリアの出身です。シドニーから来ました。
oosutorarianoshusshindesu.shidonīkarakimashita.
— I'm from Australia. I came from Sydney.
Aそうなんですね。趣味は何ですか。
sōnandesune.shumihanandesuka.
— I see. What are your hobbies?
B趣味は、スノーボードです。あと、映画も好きです。
shumiwa,sunooboododesu.ato,ēgamosukidesu.
— My hobby is snowboarding. Also, I like movies.
A映画、いいですね。わたしも好きです。
ēga,īdesune.watashimosukidesu.
— Movies, nice. I like them too.
04

Drills

Q01translate_x2ja

Translate: 'Where are you from?'

Q02pick

A coworker just told you something interesting. What should you say before adding your own?

Q03reorder

Make a sentence: は / 趣味 / です / スノーボード / 、

Q04translate_ja2x

ニセコは、どのくらいですか。

Q05output_free

At a staff party, introduce yourself with name, hometown, and one hobby in 3 lines.

05

Common pitfalls

Opening with どうしてニセコに来たんですか？
CAUSE In English 'why did you come to Niseko?' is normal small talk
FIX First meeting: use ニセコは、どのくらいですか？ instead. The 'why' question often brings up personal context the person may not want to share yet.
Skipping そうなんですね and jumping to your own story
CAUSE English conversational style switches speaker fast
FIX Insert そうなんですね between hearing their point and sharing yours. The one-second pause changes everything.
Answering 趣味は？ with just one word ('スノーボード')
CAUSE Treating it like a form field
FIX Give the full pattern: 趣味は、スノーボードです。 Then add あと、〜も to keep the ball rolling.
Tomorrow

Tomorrow: likes, dislikes, strengths — talking about yourself a little deeper.