Yamayuri 英会話クラス

February 27, 2026 (Yamayuri)

Words & Phrases

• There wasn’t much snow in the onsen town. (“Snow” is an uncountable noun)

• It snowed, but not very much.

• I was on the train when the accident happened. ( We don’t use “in” when talking about riding or activities on buses)

• I recorded the program so I could watch it again. (We only use “take a video” when you record using your phone or other recording device)

• I used to skate when I was a kid.

• In elementary school our gym class would go skating at the local arena.

• At the 2026 Winter Olympics ski mountaineering was a new event, but it was a bit boring to watch.

• My new TV has YouTube. My old TV didn’t have that before, so this is nice.

• My new TV is about 43 inch, it was bigger than I (thought / expected).

• What’s your favourite TV (programme / show)?

• Do you have a favourite movie?

• Do you have cable tv?

• We mostly watch streaming TV now instead of cable.

• I sometimes listen to NHK radio online with their app.

• Have you ever seen kabuki?

• I’ve never been to the opera.

• I almost never go to the theatre.

• When’s the last time you went to the (movies / cinema)?

Winter Olympics

• People usually talk about the Winter Olympics in a pretty casual, sport-fan way, not in an official or textbook style.

• We usually just say the Winter Olympics or the Winter Games.

• People often say events rather than competitions. You’ll hear winter sports as a general term. Common ones people mention are skiing, snowboarding, figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey, curling, biathlon and bobsleigh. In conversation, people don’t list full official names.

• The word athlete is common, but people also say skater, skier, snowboarder or player for ice hockey. You’ll hear gold medallist, silver medallist, bronze medallist, or more casually she won gold or he took silver.

• Very common verbs are win, lose, beat, finish, and qualify. People say things lik “She won gold in the final”, “He didn’t qualify for the final", “They finished fourth, just off the podium”.

• For judged sports, people often mention scores, points, penalties, or judging. Casual complaints like The judging was controversial or The scores felt a bit harsh are very common.