Japanese course

Lesson 67 of 240

New here? This is lesson 67 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.

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And then what happened in Japanese

Haruka has a short story about the lane, but she keeps leaving pieces out. Goro adds the old umbrella, then stares at his blend coffee and stops.

Leo has to pull the next line out of them with follow-up questions.

You will ask what happened next, why they think that, which thing they mean, and when or where it was.

Keep it polite. These questions keep a story going.

By the end of this lesson

Ask follow-up questions that keep a story going.

  • そのあと、どうなりましたか。What happened next?
  • どうしてそう思(おも)いますか。Why do you think that?
  • どれのことですか。Which one do you mean?
  • それはいつでしたか。When was that?
  • それで、どうしたんですか。And what did you do then?
  • どこで起(お)きましたか。Where did that happen?

Scene — a story that stalls

Afternoon rain beads on the window of Kissa Hotaru in Yanaka. Haruka sits in the booth with her sketchbook and a story about someone outside.

Goro takes two red seats, toast at his elbow, blend coffee untouched. The old black umbrella waits in the stand beside the door.

Haruka begins her story while Leo listens and Goro sits at the booth beside his untouched coffee.

Learn — keep the story going

Six polite questions help you keep a story moving.

Ask what came next, why they think so, which thing they mean, and when or where it happened.

  1. Leo listens closely as Haruka begins to describe the odd thing that happened.

    そのあと、どうなりましたか。

    What happened next?

    When to use it: Ask this when a story pauses and you want to hear what happened next.

    なりました puts the question about the outcome in the past.

  2. Haruka gestures toward the shop window as she explains where someone was looking inside.

    どうしてそう思(おも)いますか。

    Why do you think that?

    When to use it: Use this after someone gives an opinion and you want their reason.

    そう points back to the opinion you just heard.

  3. Goro indicates the old black umbrella as Leo asks which umbrella he means.

    どれのことですか。

    Which one do you mean?

    When to use it: Ask this when you cannot tell which thing someone means.

    の connects どれ to こと to ask which thing the speaker means.

  4. Haruka recalls when the person was outside as Leo listens beside the rain-streaked window.

    それはいつでしたか。

    When was that?

    When to use it: Use this to find out when a past event happened.

    でした is the past form of です.

  5. Goro points toward the umbrella’s blank tag as Leo waits to hear why he believes someone will return.

    それで、どうしたんですか。

    And what did you do then?

    When to use it: Use this after one event to ask what the person did next.

    んですか adds an interested, explanatory tone to the question, while それで asks what happened next.

    Say it: Give ん its own beat; do not swallow it.

  6. Goro sits across the booth seats and looks down at his untouched coffee while Leo waits beside him.

    どこで起(お)きましたか。

    Where did that happen?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want to know where an event happened.

    で marks the place where an event happens.

Story — the umbrella, then silence

Haruka starts a lane story. Goro brings in the umbrella, then stops.

Follow Leo's questions as he gets each speaker to explain a little more.

  1. Rain beads on the window. Haruka sets her sketchbook down.
  2. Haruka昨日(きのう)、ちょっと変(へん)なことがありました。Something a bit odd happened yesterday.
  3. Leoどこで起(お)きましたか。Where did that happen?
  4. Harukaこの店(みせ)の前(まえ)です。人(ひと)が中(なか)を見(み)ていました。In front of this shop; someone was looking inside.
  5. Leoそのあと、どうなりましたか。What happened next?
  6. Harukaしばらくして、帰(かえ)っていきました。After a while, they left.
  7. Goro looks toward the umbrella stand.
  8. Goroあの傘(かさ)を見(み)ていたんですね。So they were looking at that umbrella.
  9. Leoどれのことですか。Which one do you mean?
  10. Goroドアのそばの古(ふる)い黒(くろ)い傘(かさ)です。The old black umbrella by the door.
  11. Leo turns back to Haruka.
  12. Leoそれはいつでしたか。When was that?
  13. Haruka昨日(きのう)の夕方(ゆうがた)です。Yesterday evening.
  14. Goro雨(あめ)の日(ひ)に、誰(だれ)か来(き)ます。Someone will come on a rainy day.
  15. Goro stops there. Leo waits, then asks.
  16. Leoどうしてそう思(おも)いますか。Why do you think that?
  17. Goro札(さつ)にそう書(か)いてありました。That's what the tag said.
  18. Leoそれで、どうしたんですか。And what did you do then?
  19. Goro席(せき)に座(すわ)りました。I sat down.
  20. Goro looks down at his unfinished blend coffee. The umbrella stays in its stand.

Practice — pick the next question

Eleven short tasks mix listening, matching, and building a question.

Two older lines come back, so you can ask what happened and when.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Japanese

    どれのことですか。Drop the English here
    それはいつでしたか。Drop the English here
    どこで起(お)きましたか。Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Japanese, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    Goro predicts that someone will come on a rainy day; ask for the reason behind his prediction.

  4. Fill the gap

    When was that?

    それはいつ____か。

  5. What does it mean?

    どこで起(お)きましたか。

  6. Pick the reply

    Haruka says:

    私(わたし)はそこで立(た)ち止(ど)まりました。

    I stopped there.

    And you reply with:

  7. Build the line

    Which one do you mean?

    。

    Tap the words in order.

  8. True or false?

    This question asks for the reason behind someone's opinion.

  9. Find the mistake

  10. What do you say?

    Haruka suddenly looks upset; ask what is wrong.

  11. What does it mean?

    いつですか。

Say it — your turn to ask

You are Leo in the booth. Listen to each speaker, then use the cue to ask for the missing detail.

Record your question, listen back, and continue the conversation.

  1. Harukaええと、ちょっと困(こま)っています。Um, I have a bit of a problem.
  2. Leo (you)Ask what's wrong.

    どうしましたか。

    What's wrong?

0 of 7 said

Recap — what you can say now

JapaneseEnglish
そのあと、どうなりましたか。What happened next?
どうしてそう思(おも)いますか。Why do you think that?
どれのことですか。Which one do you mean?
それはいつでしたか。When was that?
それで、どうしたんですか。And what did you do then?
どこで起(お)きましたか。Where did that happen?
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Practise one question for each missing detail in a story.

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