Page 202 - Easy Japanese - Learn to Speak Japanese Quickly! (TUTTLE)

become cheap. There was no
change)
Yasuku naku narimashita. It’s no longer cheap. (It was
cheap before.)

GRAMMAR NOTE Darō “Probably”

Darō is the informal form of deshō “probably”, although some female speakers
will use deshō instead even in a casual conversation. Both deshō and darō
follow the informal form of the predicates.

Formal Informal
Takai deshō. Takai darō. It’s probably

expensive.
Ame deshō. Ame darō. It will probably rain.
Kuru deshō. Kuru darō. She will probably

come.

Like deshō, when darō is used alone with a rising intonation, it means “Isn’t it?”
or “Didn’t I tell you so?”

CULTURAL NOTE Hanami “Flower-Viewing Picnic”
Cherry blossoms (sakura 桜) are said to be the country’s most popular flowers,

and can be found everywhere in Japan. The trees blossom at different times
throughout Japan from late March to mid-April. April is the beginning of the
fiscal and school year in Japan, and it coincides with the cherry blossom season,
thus the flowers are celebrated as the symbol of a new beginning and schools
and public buildings have cherry trees outside. However, their blooming period

is short, usually lasting about a week or two. Their transient nature is often
associated with mortality and the fleeting nature of beauty. Cherry blossoms
appear in the design of many traditional goods and products—and limited-
edition items during this time—such as the kimono, stationery, and tableware as
well as in art and literature.
Hanami “flower-viewing” (花見) is a centuries-old Japanese custom. In the

old days, aristocrats wrote poems under the trees while taking the time to view
the flowers, but nowadays people picnic under the trees with families, friends,
and co-workers. It is often observed that people are more into eating and