Lesson L5N3Listening and Real Conversations⏱ 25 min

Meeting Discussions Audio

This lesson focuses on developing listening comprehension for natural conversations in business meetings and group discussions at the N3 level. Through audio exercises, learners practice recognizing key phrases, turn-taking cues, and opinion expressions commonly used in formal and informal discussion contexts.

🎯 Goal: Understand spoken exchanges in meeting/discussion settings.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

Understand key phrases and structures used in Japanese meeting discussions at the N3 level, so you can follow spoken exchanges and participate more naturally.

Concept

In Japanese meetings, speakers often use specific patterns to:

Agree or disagree politely
Propose ideas
Ask for opinions
Summarize points

These patterns rely on set phrases and verb forms (especially 〜たほうがいい, 〜と思う, 〜ませんか, 〜ましょうか). Recognizing them quickly helps you catch the flow of a discussion.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Proposing an Idea

Use 〜ませんか (polite invitation/suggestion) or 〜ましょうか (offering to do something together).

Phrase	Meaning	Example
〜ませんか	"Won't you...?" / "How about...?"	会議を始めませんか。 (Kaigi o hajimemasen ka? – Shall we start the meeting?)
〜ましょうか	"Shall I/we...?"	資料を配りましょうか。 (Shiryō o kubarimashō ka? – Shall I hand out the materials?)

2. Asking for Opinions

Use 〜はどうですか or 〜についてどう思いますか.

Phrase	Meaning	Example
〜はどうですか	"How about...?"	この案はどうですか。 (Kono an wa dō desu ka? – How about this plan?)
〜についてどう思いますか	"What do you think about...?"	スケジュールについてどう思いますか。 (Sukejūru ni tsuite dō omoimasu ka? – What do you think about the schedule?)

3. Agreeing Politely

Use 〜に賛成です or 〜と思います.

Phrase	Meaning	Example
〜に賛成です	"I agree with..."	田中さんの意見に賛成です。 (Tanaka-san no iken ni sansei desu. – I agree with Tanaka's opinion.)
〜と思います	"I think that..."	それがいいと思います。 (Sore ga ii to omoimasu. – I think that's good.)

4. Disagreeing Softly

Use 〜ですが、〜 or 〜かもしれませんが、〜.

Phrase	Meaning	Example
〜ですが、〜	"It's 〜, but..."	いいアイデアですが、予算が足りません。 (Ii aidea desu ga, yosan ga tarimasen. – It's a good idea, but the budget isn't enough.)
〜かもしれませんが、〜	"It might be 〜, but..."	そうかもしれませんが、もう一度考えましょう。 (Sō kamo shiremasen ga, mō ichi kangaemashō. – That might be true, but let's think again.)

5. Summarizing

Use 〜ということで or まとめると.

Phrase	Meaning	Example
〜ということで	"So, with that..."	ということで、来週の会議は火曜日にします。 (To iu koto de, raishū no kaigi wa kayōbi ni shimasu. – So, next week's meeting will be on Tuesday.)
まとめると	"To summarize..."	まとめると、三つの問題があります。 (Matomeru to, mittsu no mondai ga arimasu. – To summarize, there are three issues.)

Mini Examples

Example 1: Proposing

A: 新しいシステムを導入しませんか。 (Atarashii shisutemu o dōnyū shimasen ka? – Shall we introduce a new system?)
B: いいですね。 (Ii desu ne. – Sounds good.)

Example 2: Disagreeing softly

A: 来週中に終わらせましょう。 (Raishūchū ni owarasemashō. – Let's finish by next week.)
B: 難しいかもしれませんが、頑張りましょう。 (Muzukashii kamo shiremasen ga, ganbarimashō. – It might be difficult, but let's try our best.)

Example 3: Asking for opinion

A: この企画についてどう思いますか。 (Kono kikaku ni tsuite dō omoimasu ka? – What do you think about this project?)
B: とても面白いと思います。 (Totemo omoshiroi to omoimasu. – I think it's very interesting.)

Common Mistake

Using direct disagreement without softening.
❌ それは間違いです。 (Sore wa machigai desu. – That's wrong.) → Too blunt in a meeting.
✅ それはちょっと違うかもしれませんが… (Sore wa chotto chigau kamo shiremasen ga... – That might be a little different, but...)

Quick Practice

Fill in the blank with the correct phrase:
「この案___どうですか。」 (Kono an ___ dō desu ka.)
→ Answer: は (wa)
Choose the polite way to disagree:
a) いいえ、違います。
b) いいアイデアですが、予算が…
→ Answer: b

Summary and Next Step

You now know key meeting phrases for proposing, asking, agreeing, disagreeing, and summarizing.
Next step: Listen to a short Japanese meeting audio (e.g., from a podcast or textbook CD) and try to identify these patterns. Practice using them in a mock discussion with a partner.

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