N4 · Unit 7
Lesson 27Place actions in time and combine simultaneous actions
Say what happened at a particular time and describe two actions occurring together.
What you learn
Say what happened at a particular time and describe two actions occurring together.
Learning points
- Time clauses
- Simultaneous actions
- Talking about a topic
Why this lesson comes now
This lesson connects what you can already say to a new way of expressing it. Hear the key sentences, understand the structure, then use it in a real situation.
Your next step
Listen to the key sentences, understand the pattern, finish the examples and vocabulary, then continue to the next lesson.
Open the interactive lessonCore pattern
普通形 + 時 ・ な形容詞 + な時 / 名詞 + の時 ・ 動詞ます語幹 + ながら ・ N についてBeginner explanation
First treat 〜時 as a time setting meaning when. Use の時 after a noun and な時 after a na-adjective. With a verb, the dictionary form places the following event before the first action is complete, while the ta-form places it after that action has occurred. Remove ます and add ながら when the same person does two things at once; the second action is normally the focus. Nについて means about a topic.
Understand these sentences first
- 日本へ 行った時、お土産を 買いました。nihon e itta toki, omiyage o kaimashita
I bought souvenirs when I went to Japan.
- 暇な 時、音楽を 聞きます。hima na toki, ongaku o kikimasu
I listen to music when I am free.
- 電車に 乗りながら 本を 読みます。densha ni norinagara hon o yomimasu
I read while riding the train.
- 日本の 文化に ついて 話します。nihon no bunka ni tsuite hanashimasu
I talk about Japanese culture.
Core vocabulary
- 時ときtime; when
- 文化ぶんかculture
- 調べますしらべますresearch
- 聞きますききますlisten
- 歩きますあるきますwalk
- 乗りますのりますride
- 子供こどもchild
- 学生がくせいstudent
Grammar, one point at a time
〜時 turns an action, state, or identity into a time setting
普通形 + 時／Aな + 時／Nの + 時Verbs and i-adjectives take plain form, na-adjectives take な, and nouns take の. Only nouns use forms such as 子供の時; avoid 忙しいの時 and 行くの時.
Examples
- 子供の 時、大きな 地震が ありました。There was a major earthquake when I was a child.
- 暇な 時、書類を 整理してください。Please organize the documents when you are free.
- 忙しい 時、家族で 助け合います。The family helps one another when busy.
Vる時 versus Vた時 depends on whether the action is complete at the reference time
Vる 時／Vた 時Use dictionary form when the first action is not yet complete at the reference time, and ta-form when it is already complete. Both may translate as when going in English or Chinese, so inspect the event order.
Examples
- 日本へ 行く 時、空港で 保険に 入りました。When I was going to Japan, I bought insurance at the airport.
- 日本へ 行った 時、京都にも 行きました。When I went to Japan, I also visited Kyoto.
- 家を 出る 時、鍵を 確認します。I check the key when leaving home.
〜時に highlights a particular occasion; habitual background often omits に
〜時（に）A one-off event may take に, while habitual backgrounds often use 時 alone. This is not an absolute ban: に highlights the time point, and its use depends on focus.
Examples
- 友達が 病気の 時に、病院へ 行きました。I went to the hospital when my friend was ill.
- 困った 時、いつも 相談します。I always ask for advice when I have trouble.
Masu-stem + ながら expresses two simultaneous actions by one subject, with the latter usually primary
Vます-stem + ながら、VThe same subject normally performs both actions. The first is accompanying and the second is the narrative focus. If subjects differ, split the sentence or choose another construction such as 間.
Examples
- テレビを 見ながら 食事を します。I eat while watching television.
- 音楽を 聞きながら 歩きました。I walked while listening to music.
- 働きながら 学校に 通っています。I attend school while working.
Sentence-final でしょう？ can request confirmation or challenge disagreement
普通形 + でしょう？Confirmation でしょう？ often has rising or checking intonation. When both speakers clearly share an impression, ね is more natural; forcing でしょう？ may sound as if demanding agreement.
Examples
- 明日 パーティーに 行くでしょう？You're going to the party tomorrow, right?
- 今日は 暑いですね。It is hot today, isn't it?
- この 料理は おいしいでしょう？This dish is good, isn't it?
Vています can mark ongoing action, repeated habit, or continuing occupation
Vて いますTime expressions guide the reading: 今 often signals ongoing action, while 毎日 or 一時間に一本 suggests habit or repetition. For a habit continuing from the past, use 先月から〜ています rather than simple masu-form. Occupations can appear as 教師をしています.
Examples
- 毎日 散歩しています。I take a walk every day.
- 先月から 太極拳を しています。I have practised tai chi since last month.
- 高校の 教師を しています。I work as a high-school teacher.
Noun + で can mark cause; reciprocal actions often mark the counterpart with と
Nで + 結果／人と + 相互動作Causal で often follows nouns such as accident, illness, or work. と marks the counterpart in reciprocal actions such as meeting, marrying, arguing, or consulting. 会う can also take に, while と emphasizes mutual interaction.
Examples
- 仕事で 担当者と 会いました。I met the person in charge for work.
- 病気で 学校を 休みました。I missed school because of illness.
- 家族と 相談します。I will consult my family.
Expressions and situations
アルバイト broadly means part-time or temporary work, not only student work
Textbooks often frame it as student work, but real workers vary in age and purpose. Check the actual contract and rules for pay, hours, tax, and visa eligibility.
- 週末に アルバイトを しています。I work part-time on weekends.
通います emphasizes repeated travel to the same place; 行きます only marks movement
Use に通う for repeated trips to school, hospital, workplace, or gym. A one-off visit still takes 行く.
- 毎日 学校に 通っています。I commute to school every day.
- 時々 スポーツセンターに 行きます。I sometimes go to the sports centre.
大勢 refers only to many people and usually acts adverbially or modifies 人
Use 大勢の人 or 学生が大勢います; avoid 人が大勢です. たくさん applies to both people and things and is broader.
- 公園に 人が 大勢います。There are many people in the park.
- 本が たくさん あります。There are many books.
お年寄り refers to older people but is not a suitable direct address to a stranger
Address someone by name, role, or a situational expression such as すみません. When describing a group, do not equate age with ability, interests, or lifestyle.
- お年寄りも 利用できる 施設です。The facility is accessible to older people.
- すみません、落としましたよ。Excuse me, you dropped something.
そう言えば introduces something recalled from the current topic
It means speaking of that or now that you mention it. The new information should be associated with the current topic, not an unrelated abrupt change.
- そう言えば、来週は 休みですね。Speaking of that, next week is a holiday.
へえ shows surprise, interest, or admiration, with intonation carrying the tone
A bare へえ can sound perfunctory. In formal settings, continue with そうなんですか or すごいですね.
- へえ、毎日 続けているんですか。Oh, you keep it up every day?
Park size, purpose, and admission do not follow one simple nationwide rule
Japanese parks include small urban rest spaces, natural parks, gardens, and paid facilities. Admission, hours, passes, and age-based discounts depend on the operator and should not be inferred from national stereotypes.
- この 公園は 入園料が 必要かどうか 調べます。I will check whether this park charges admission.
Company vocabulary distinguishes departments, activities, documents, amounts, and employment status
広報, 営業, 人事, and 経理 are functions; 会議, 打ち合わせ, 調査, and 報告 are activities; 契約書 and 辞表 are documents. Confirm actual department names and employment systems from the workplace and governing documents.
- 人事と 打ち合わせを します。I will meet with HR.
- 契約書を 確認してから 働きます。I will work after checking the contract.
Retirement age, continued employment, and later-life activities vary by system and individual choice
The textbook's broad silver generation label and uniform lifestyle list should not become a modern personal profile. Japan's Cabinet Office white paper separately examines employment, learning, social participation, health, and living environment, reflecting diverse later-life choices.
- 年齢だけで 生活を 決めつけてはいけません。Do not assume a lifestyle from age alone.
What you should be able to do
- Attach verbs, adjectives, and nouns before 時 and remove incorrect の.
- Map six event sequences with Vる時 and Vた時, then decide whether に is needed.
- Combine five same-subject action pairs with ながら and mark the second as primary.
- Choose ね or でしょう？ in shared-impression, information-checking, and disagreement situations.
- Distinguish ongoing action, result state, repetition, habit, and occupation uses of ています.
- Complete an original morning-park observation using time, simultaneous action, habit, cause, and interaction without stereotyping age groups.
Culture and real use
Later life has no single script: work, learning, interests, and social participation are choices
The textbook groups people over sixty under a silver generation label and lists fixed retirement interests and consumption patterns. This is useful as period vocabulary and a social topic, not as a profile of an individual. Japan's Cabinet Office ageing-society white paper separately measures willingness to work, learning, social activity, health, housing, and technology use, showing that later life depends on health, income, care, environment, and personal preference. The course retains terms such as 定年, お年寄り, 社会参加, and 有給休暇 without presenting one retirement age, hobby, or household structure as universal. Park activities and admission also depend on the specific operator.
- 年齢に 関係なく、学び続ける 人が います。Some people continue learning regardless of age.
- 働くかどうかは、人によって 違います。Whether to keep working differs by person.
- 公園の 利用条件を 確認します。I will check the park's conditions of use.