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A1-33 / CEFR A1 / EPISODE 33

Cafe Time

Checking a familiar order

SceneFrank and Tina are at their favorite cafe. They always sit at the same table by the window. Today, a man is sitting there.

Frank and Tina talk over coffee and matcha latte in an autumn cafe.
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STORY English with optional Japanese translations

Narrator

Frank and Tina are at their favorite cafe. They always sit at the same table by the window. Today, a man is sitting there.

フランクとティナはお気に入りのカフェにいる。二人はいつも窓際の同じテーブルに座る。今日は、そこに男の人が座っている。

Tina01

Oh no. Someone's at our table!

うそ。私たちのテーブルに誰かいる！

Frank02

It is not our table, Tina. It is the cafe's table.

僕たちのテーブルじゃないよ、ティナ。カフェのテーブルだ。

Tina03

Then ask him!

じゃあ聞いてみて！

Frank04

Excuse me. Are these seats taken?

すみません。この席は空いていますか？

Man05

Sorry, my friend's coming. The table by the door is free.

すみません、友達が来るんです。ドアのそばのテーブルなら空いていますよ。

Tina06

By the door? It's so cold there!

ドアのそば？あそこ寒いのに！

Frank07

It is only one day. Black coffee for me, as always.

一日だけだよ。僕はいつも通り、ブラックコーヒー。

Tina08

A matcha latte for me. Tomorrow, I'll put a pink sign on our table: "Tina and Frank only."

私は抹茶ラテ。明日は、私たちのテーブルにピンクの札を置くわ。「ティナとフランク専用」って。

Frank09

Then please write "Frank and Tina." It is alphabetical.

それなら「フランクとティナ」と書いて。アルファベット順だから。

WORDS & CONTEXT

Words & context

“Are these seats taken?”

Are these seats taken? asks whether you may sit down. Taken means already occupied or reserved, so No means you may sit and Yes means the seats are in use. This reverses the answers to the common Japanese question “Are these seats free?” Here Sorry, my friend's coming. politely refuses the seat. Is this seat free? and Is anyone sitting here? serve similar purposes. After a refusal, someone may point out an available seat, as in The table by the door is free.

“my friend's coming”

Friend's is a contraction of friend is. The present continuous describes an expected arrival or near-future arrangement; see A1-14.

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