This lesson is a random conversation Rei and I had the other day.

We were talking about our latest apartment in Thailand. It's nice, clean, new, and affordable:

But also a little modern and not too cozy at all.

Oh, and the kitchen is tiny. In Thailand, even most luxury apartments seem to only add kitchenettes as an afterthought:

Not that I'm complaining. Feeling quite blessed, actually.

(By the way, remember when we explored some Japanese in my and Rei's monthly apartment in Tokyo? That was this lesson: [NDL #61] - Bathroom Japanese.)

Talking about our new place, we got onto the topic of dream apartments, and I asked Rei:

レイの夢のアパートはどんなの？
レイ　の　ゆめ　の　アパート　は　どんな　の？
What's your dream apartment like?
Literally: "Rei + の + dream + の + apartment + は + what kind of + の？"

This was the wrong question to ask, apparently, as she came back with:

まず、アパートじゃない。
まず、 アパート　じゃない。
First of all, it's not an apartment.
Literally: "first (of all) + apartment + is not."

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Hey, have you memorized まず yet? Because you should.

Here are some past sentences we've seen with まず：

まずはウォーミングアップしましょう！
まず　は　うぉーみんぐあっぷ　しましょう！
First, let's warm-up!
Literally: "first + は + warming-up + let's do!"
Note: This is from [NDL #218] - Workout!

まずは火を起こそう。
まず　は　ひ　を　おこそう。
First, let's start a fire.
Literally: "first + は + let's start a fire [=flame + を + let's cause]."
Note: This is from [NDL #265] - Causing All Kinds of Stuff.

There is one major difference between these uses of まず, though, and the one we're looking at today.

Can you catch what it is?

Today our まず is not followed by は！

まず、アパートじゃない。
まず、 アパート　じゃない。
First of all, it's not an apartment.
Literally: "first (of all) + apartment + is not."

That's because we're not listing an order in which things should be done. Rather, we are just saying, "first of all." A small difference, so maybe not worth fretting over. But a difference nonetheless.

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So what kind of home is it?

庭付きの一軒家！
にわ　つき　の　いっけんや！
It's a house with a garden!
Literally: "garden + attached + の + (detached/single) house!"

Now, for an embarrassing confession.

You can put ～付き onto another noun to say "-attached."

So a "garden-attached house" is a 庭付き一軒家.

They have these awesome hotels (specifically, ryokan) in Japan that have 露天風呂 (ろてんぶろ), which are "open-air baths."

Not just any 露天風呂, though. These hotels have:

露天風呂付客室
ろてんぶろ　つき　きゃくしつ
Guest rooms with private open-air baths.
Literally: "rotemburo + attached + guest room."
Note: Websites often drop the き in 付き... I guess to save space?

Attached to your own private room! What?!

Obviously, I really want to stay in one of these someday (I haven't done so yet because it usually costs $200+ per person).

When telling Rei how I wanted to stay in one, I messed up and called it a:

部屋付き露天風呂
へや　つき　ろてんぶろ
A room-attached open-air bath

Like you're renting a rotemburo, and it just happens to have a hotel room attached to it.

Rei still makes fun of me.

Shame has taught me to remember that "A-attached B" or "B with an A attached" is "A付きB."

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What else is going on at this magic garden-attached home?

その庭で100%オーガニックの野菜を育てるんだ。
その　にわ　で　ひゃく　パーセント　オーガニック　の　やさい　を　そだてる　んだ。
We'll grow 100% organic vegetables in the garden.
Literally: "that + garden + で + 100 + percent + organic + の + vegetables + を + are raising + んだ."

Nice!

Also...

家の中は東南アジアの高級リゾートホテルみたいにしたい。
いえ　の　なか　は　とうなんアジア　の　こうきゅう　リゾート　ホテル　みたい　に　したい。
The inside of the house will be like a luxury resort in Southeast Asia.
Literally: "house + の + inside + は + Southeast Asia + の + high-class + resort + hotel + like + に + want to do."

Like a resort? What do you mean?

たとえば木でできたインテリアとか。
たとえば　き　で　できた　インテリア　とか。
For example, there will be wooden furniture and whatnot.
Literally: "for example, + wood + で + made + interior + とか."

Like this, perhaps?

Maybe with a nice place to have an outdoor meal, too:

I can dream.

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あとは滝みたいなシャワーと、低いベッド。
あとは　たき　みたいな　シャワー　と、 ひくい　ベッド。
Also, the shower will be like waterfall, and the bed will be low to ground.
Literally: "also / other than that (=later は) + waterfall + like + shower + と, + low + bed."

Have you ever noticed how the beds in some Western countries (looking at you, USA) are super high off the ground? Why?! Does a box spring serve any real purpose? I think not.

As you may have guessed, I like beds that don't require step ladders. I think Rei is just mentioning that for my sake.

Oh, and what's the best part of Rei's new home? Simply the fact that...

キッチンの窓から庭のりんごがとれたら完璧！
キッチン　の　まど　から　にわ　の　りんご　が　とれたら　かんぺき！
If I could reach out of the kitchen window and grab an apple from the garden, that would be perfect!
Literally: "kitchen + の + window + from + garden + の + apple + が + if I could take + perfect!"

Someday we'll all get to live in our dream homes, right?

It would just be unfair if we didn't get to. T_T