Instructing my children to behave and listen.: Telling them to behave and listen
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Key Phrases
ちょっと聞いて。
chotto kii te
Listen for a moment.
静かにして。
shizuka ni shi te
Be quiet.
けんかしないで。
kenka shi nai de
Don’t fight.
Skills You'll Learn
Getting someone’s attention and asking them to listen.
相手の注意を引いて、聞いてもらう言い方を学ぶ。
aite no chuui o hii te kii te morau ii kata o manabu
Giving simple instructions like being quiet or listening properly.
静かにする・ちゃんと聞くなどの簡単な指示の言い方を学ぶ。
shizuka ni suru chanto kiku nado no kantan na shiji no ii kata o manabu
Telling children or others to behave and get along.
けんかしないで・いい子にしてなど、行動をうながす言い方を学ぶ。
kenka shi nai de ii ko ni shi te nado koudou o unagasu ii kata o manabu
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you are speaking gently to a group, like children or close friends, asking them to stay quiet, listen carefully, not fight, and behave well.
みんな、ちょっと聞いて。
minna chotto kii te
Everyone, listen for a moment.
はい、なに？
hai nani
Yes, what is it?
今日は静かにしてね。
kyou wa shizuka ni shi te ne
Please be quiet today.
うん、わかった。
un wakatsu ta
Okay, got it.
ちゃんと話を聞いてね。
chanto hanashi o kii te ne
Make sure you listen properly.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
みんな
minna
Everyone
ちょっと
chotto
A little; just a moment
💬 [ちょっと] often softens what comes next, not just "a little." In [ちょっと聞いて。], it makes [聞いて] sound more like "hey, listen a sec" than a blunt command.
See breakdown →聞いて
kii te
Listen
💬 [聞いて] is from [聞く]. This [～て] form is often used to ask someone to do something: [座って。] "Sit down," [待って。] "Wait."
See breakdown →ちょっと聞いて。
chotto kii te
Listen for a moment.
💬 [ちょっと] often softens the request, so [ちょっと聞いて。] is less sharp than plain [聞いて。] You can use the same pattern with other requests, like [ちょっと待って。] "Wait a sec."
See breakdown →はい？
hai
Yes?
💬 [はい] is said (hai), but with the question mark [はい？] often means "Yes?" or "What?" depending on tone. It's a very common response when someone calls you.
See breakdown →なに？
nani
What is it?
今日
kyou
Today
静かに
shizuka ni
Quietly; be quiet
💬 [静か] means "quiet," and [静かに] changes it to "quietly." This [～に] pattern is common: [ていねいに] "politely," [きれいに] "neatly/cleanly."
See breakdown →して
shi te
Do; make
💬 [して] is the [～て] form of [する]. With [noun/adjective + にして], it can mean "make it like that," as in [静かにして。] = "be quiet" literally "make it quiet."
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