Zoom英会話クラス(金)

Lesson Notes September 19, 2025 (FRIDAY ZOOM)

Words & Phrases

• The other day it was raining cats and dogs. (This means it was raining very heavily.We use this idiom in a light and playful tone)

• A weather reporter would never say “Today it’s raining cats and dogs.” They would say “Heavy rain is expected.” (We do not use this idiom in serious contexts, like news or weather reports)

• My house is on a sunken plot. After going down 20 stairs, my house is 3 or 4 metres below the road.

• When the drain on the road overflows, water runs like a waterfall into my yard.

• Most traditional Japanese homes have a sunken entryway called a “genkan”.

• Shimokitazawa is undergoing a lot of construction to modernize it, but the streets and alleys are still like a maze.

• Undergo (verb) = to experience or go through a process, often something difficult, challenging

• He had to undergo surgery after the accident.

• The company will undergo major restructuring next year.

• She underwent extensive training to prepare for the marathon.

• There are some kabuki plays that I like and some that I don’t.

• A vet opened a clinic just to have pets fixed. (“Fixed” is common in casual speech, but “spay and neuter” is more precise and formal)

• Spay (verb) = to surgically remove the reproductive organs of a female animal

• We had Sophie spayed when she was 5 or 6 months old.

• Spaying your dog can prevent unwanted litters.

• Neuter (verb) = to surgically remove the reproductive organs of a male animal

• It’s common to neuter male kittens at a young age.

• The animal shelter ensures all adopted dogs are neutered.

• She didn’t use the fish grill to cook the saury, she fried it on the stovetop.

• I went to see my grandson play soccer. (Here ‘see’ is used for watching someone you know, like a friend or family member, doing something)

• I want to watch the big football match on TV. (Here ‘watch' is more for paying attention to something for a period of time, often in a more formal)