Useful Japanese Words: aida, uchi

Let's understand a little more about these useful Japanese words aida ni 間に and uchi, which basically mean "during."

Aida functions as an adverbial clause with the basic meaning of "while or during."

While in Japanese the aida clause will come first, in English it usually comes last.

Kinou chichi ga nete iru aida ni...

While my father was sleeping ...

After the word list are a few examples:

Yesterday = 昨日　= きのう　father = 父　= ちち　to sleep = 寝る　= ねる　

while = 間 = あいだ　= 朝ごはん　= あさごはん　the boss = 課長　かちょう　

to speak = 話なす　= はなす　to chat = 喋る　= しゃべる　

not good to  = 。。。てはいけません　he = 彼　= かれ　TV = テレビ　

to watch = 見る　= みる

I made breakfast while my father was sleeping yesterday.　

     昨日父が寝ている間に朝ごはんを作りました。

It's not good to chat while the boss is talking.　

     課長が話している間に喋ってはいけませんよ。

He fell asleep while watching TV.　

     彼がテレビを見ている間に寝ました。

When the verb expresses a state, it does not need to be in the progressive form

After the word list are a few examples:

money = お金　= おかね　there is = ある　movie = 映画　= えいが　

coat = コート　to put on = 着る　= きる　bicycle = 自転車　= じてんしゃ　

to have = 持つ　= もつ　I will do for you = 。。。てあげましょう

I'll go to the movies while I have the money.

   　お金がある間に映画を見に行きます。

I will hold your bag while you put on your coat.

コートを着る間に自転車を持っていてあげましょう。

 Can also follow an adjective or a noun

After the word list are a few examples:

School = 学校　= がっこう　dislike = 嫌い　= きらい　what = 何　= なに　to say = 言う　いう

useless　= 無駄　= むだ　office worker = サラリーマン　money = お金　= おかね

only　= だけ　to earn = もうける　interest rate = 利息　= りそく　cheap = 安い　やすい　

bank = 銀行  = ぎんこう　to borrow = 借りる　= かりる

No matter what you tell him, it's no use while he hates school.

     学校が嫌い間は何を言っても無駄です。

While you are a office worker, just earn money.　

     サラリーマンの間はお金だけもうけてください。

While the interest rate is low, I will borrow money from the bank.

     利息が安い間は銀行からお金を借ります。

Uchi ni has similar meanings to aida ni, but it can also mean "before."

After the word list are a few examples:

Feeling = 気持ち　= きもち　bad = 悪い　= わるい　conversation = 会話　= かいわ　

to listen = 聞く　= きく　happy = 嬉しい　= うれしい  very = すっかり

to be titred = へたっばる

I became nauseated while watching that movie.

     その映画を見ているうちに気持ちが悪くなりました。

I became happy while listening to that conversation.

      その会話を聞いているうちに嬉しくなりました。

I made breakfast while my father was sleeping yesterday.　

     昨日父が寝ているうちに朝ごはんを作りました。

She was tired out before she could get to the office.　

     会社に着かないうちに彼女はすっかりへたっばてしまいました。

Uchi ni also implies that there is a special benefit in doing the action and not doing it will result in a negative consequence:

After the word list are a few examples:

Soba(hot noodles) = そば　hot = 暑い　= あつい

I'll buy that car while I have the money.　(i.e.maybe I won't have money for long)

     お金があるうちにその車を買います。

Let's eat soba while it's hot.　

     そばが暑いうちに食べましょう。

Uchi follows the nai form of the verb to give the meaning "before ..."

After the word list are a few examples:

Too late = 手遅れ　= ておくれ　to stop = やめる　had better = ほうがいい　

snow = 雪　= ゆき　to fall = 降る　= ふる　park = 公園　= こうえん　

baseball = 野球　= やきゅう　store = 店　= みせ　to go = 行く　= いく

It's better to stop before it's too late.　

     手遅れにならないうちにやめたほうがいいです。

Let's play some baseball at the park before it snows.

　  雪が降らないうちに公園で野球をしましょう。

Let’s go to the store before it rains.

     雨が降らないうちに店に行きましょう。

Practice

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

It's written first in English, then kanji and finally hiragana:

English = イギリス　pub = パブ 　guitar = ギター　to play = 弾く　= ひく　

to pay a ransome = 身代金を払う　= みだいきんをはらう  to like = すき　that = それ　

to have = 持つ　= もつ　player = 選手　= せんしゅ　skillful = 上手　= じょうず　

practice = 練習　= れんしゅう　TV personality = 芸能人　= げいのうじん　

money = 金　= かね　a little = 少ない　= すくない　a walk = 散歩　= さんぽ　

next = 次 = つぎ　saturday = 土曜日　= どようび　to swim = 泳ぐ　= およぐ　

coffee = コーヒー　London = ロンドン　policeman = 警察官　= けいさつかん　

yesterday = 昨日　= きのう　夜　evening = よる　movie = 映画　えいが

Once you have done it, click here to see how you did.

Now, do it again and again until you are perfect and fast.

The only way to remember all this in the Useful Japanese Words aida ni and uchi ni, is to practice it on a regular basis.

The best way to do this is:

1. Come back to this page regularly and check yourself on the above 11 Japanese phrases.
2. Write an example of each of the tenses in a small note book, so as to practice them when you have nothing to do, like waiting for a bus.
3. Learn Japanese kanji by also writing the above kanji in a separate notebook and practicing these on a regular basis too.
   

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