Konnichiwa!!
"kita"
"kite"
They sound very similar but have entirely different meanings.
I know "kita" means hear but I do not know what "kite" means.
i think in the audio course someone asks "oyasumi de kite irona des ka?" (are you here on holiday?)
i want to know what this kite means. Arigato gozaimashta!!
"kite"

n_soufiani
July 18, 2008

Sayaka-Matsuura
July 20, 2008
Konnichiwa!!
Here's a little lesson on the word KITE, KITA:
You are right that *KIITE* which originally comes from the word *KIKU* means "to hear". Remember though that to say "I heard" you have to pronounce the i sound long. So, you'd say *KIITA *"I heard" or *KIITE* the te-form of the verb KIKU. Both *KIITA* and *KIITE* are short version of *KIKIMASHITA*, *KIKIMASHITE*.
Now, when you pronounce the i sound shorter, that is, *KITA*, *KITE *and so on, then, it's from the verb *KURU* "to come". Where *KITA *is "I came", and *KITE *is the te-form of verb *KURU*.
In the phrase you wrote:
*Oyasumi de kite irun desu ka?*
"Have you COME for a vacation?"
In this case, *KITE* comes from the verb *KURU*"to come".
It's a bit tricky, I know!!
But, the key is, when you hear a long iii in between, then it's the "to hear" one, and when its short, then its "to come".
:shock:
Gambare!