Genki Listening Comprehension

[Fantt]

Anyone else have the Genki audio and workbook? I'm working through the lesson 6 listening comprehension stuff and got pretty upset tonight. In the first exercize, they through a good bit of words at you that don't appear in any of the vocabulary. I can understand enough of the dialogue to answer the questions, but the completionist in me really want to know what the heck that crazy old broad is saying.

At one point a stoner asks the hostel broad:
"Can we smoke in this room?"

She says, "No, you can not. 　たばこはろびです。" I was wondering, what the heck kind of adjective is ろび???? Finally it dawned on me that it's ロビ, i.e. the lobby. She's saying that the stoner can light up in the lobby! Right?

My brain was just parsing the sentence as "As for tobacco it is robi."

There's other stuff in the dialogue confusing me too, does everyone else who is using this understand all the dialogues, or should I just concentrate on figuring out enough to answer the questions? Up until lesson 6, I haven't noticed unexplained grammar or vocabulary in these. Kinda pisses me off.

[Elizabeth]

たばこはろびです sounds funny to me too -- something like ロビではタバコを吸ってもいい is much better to learn from I think.

[Fantt]

Thank Elizabeth. Does たばこはロビです sound more natural though? The intent may have been for it to sound more natural and since it's not relevant to the questions being asked it may be ok for students not to fully understand the conversation... Just frustrated me...

[Elizabeth]

Originally Posted by Fantt

Thank Elizabeth. Does たばこはロビです sound more natural though? The intent may have been for it to sound more natural and since it's not relevant to the questions being asked it may be ok for students not to fully understand the conversation... Just frustrated me...

I think there were like 5-6 hits on Google, so I've been meaning to ask a native speaker but haven't gotten around to it.

Anyway, it's basically the same as saying Watashi wa eki desu. as short for "Watashi wa eki ni imasu," or "Smoking is in the lobby" so it's understandable for sure.

[Fantt]

I think there were like 5-6 hits on Google, so I've been meaning to ask a native speaker but haven't gotten around to it.

What did you search for on Google?

[Elizabeth]

Originally Posted by Fantt

I think there were like 5-6 hits on Google, so I've been meaning to ask a native speaker but haven't gotten around to it.

What did you search for on Google?

Hehe, I just asked someone and apparently both are fine. It's similar to "benkyou wa kyoushitsu desu" for "study in the classroom." Not necessarily more natural, just not directly translateable.