my japanese notes

8/14/2019 My Japanese Notes

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MY NOTES

Information Collected from Several Sources


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able of Contentsable of Contentsable of Contentsable of ContentsVerb Conjugation

Stem Form 4

Negative Form 4

Dictionary Form 5

Te Form 5

Past & Negative Past 6

Polite / Neutral Form 6

Desu 7

Irregular Verbs 7

Extended Use of suru 8

Common U-Verbs 9

Common Ru-Verbs 10

Adjectives

Adjectives 11

Informal Form 11

Polite / Neutral Form 12

Irregular Adjective Conjugation 12

Common I-Adjectives 13

Common Na-Adjectives 14

Particles

wa 15

ga 15-16

o 17

no 17

ni 18

de 19

to 20

Pronouns

Personal Pronouns 21-22

Indefinite Pronouns 23

Demonstrative & Interrogative 24

Kore, Sore, Are, & Dore 25

Kono, Sono, Ano, & Dono 25

Grammar

Simple Sentences 26

Forming Questions 26

Articles 26

Arimasu vs. Desu 27

Ja arimasen 27

noun - no 28

The Future 28

The tag question ne 28

Suki desu / Kirai desu 29

Asking for Something 29

Grammar cont

Telephone phrases 30

Imasu & Arimasu to be 30

Mada Still or Not yet 30

Suggesting with Mashou 31

Kimasu vs. Ikimasu come & go 31

Emphasizing with yo 31

Verb that use Shimasu 32

Asking for favors onegaishimasu 32

mou Already & (not) anymore 33

-te kudasai Making Requests 33

Gozaimasu we have 33

Understanding Directions 34

Uses of deshou 35

Cheaper & bigger 35

Always, Sometimes, & other words of frequnecy 36

Bothand 36

Joining sentences with kedo 36

Joining senteces with the Te-form 37

... ga jzu desu is good at 37

Hazukashikute joining i-agjectives with -kute 38

Mada atte inai not yet 38

to omoimasu I think 39

Sashimi ya sushi ya Sashimi and sushi, etc 39

koto ga dekimasu can / be able to 40

Issho ni shimasen ka Invitations, using a negative verb 4

Talking about Periods of time 40

Questions foreigners are often asked 41-42

Ichiban - superlatives 42

Describing how something looks 43

Plain form + No Desu 43

Plain form + Kara - Because 44

Donna what kind of? 44

to iimashita Reported speech 45

Eigo de nan to iimasu ka What do you say in English? 4

Marking alternatives 46

Asking permission 46

Refusing permission 47

Other Advice 47

Prepositions 48

Mi ni iku go to see 48

Ni tsuite regarding or concerning 49

Yotei making plans 49

Ikitai I want to go and other desires 49-50


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Grammar cont

Shinaide kudasai please dont 51

Tsumori talking about intentions 51

Arimasu vs. Motte masu having and holding 51

-ta koto ga arimasu ka have you ever? 52

-tara if 52-53

-eba if we do so 54

Dare mo, Doko mo, Nani mo nobody, nowhere, nothing 55Comparisons 55Samuku natte Its getting cold 55

Dareka someone 56

Au mae ni before meeting 56

Yji go owatte kara after the errands are finnished 56

Mazu first of all 56

Tame ni in order to 57

-nakereba narimasen must or have to 57

Forming adverbs from adjectives 58

katte, yokatta Im glad we bought 58

to ieba talking of 59

toki the time when 59

Phrases of frequency 59


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rb Conjugation --- Stem Form

em form shortest form of a verb. Cannot stand alone,needs a suffix to indicate tense oranother condition.

RU-verbs lose the ru at the end of the verb

taberu tabeiru i

U-verbs lose the u at the end of the verb and is replaced by i

oyogu oyogikau kai

One exception is when the u-verb ends with tsu. The tsu ending becomes chi

matsu machi

rb Conjugation --- Negative Form

egative Form Opposite of the dictionary form.

RU-verbs use the stem form and add nai to the end.

tabe + -nai= tabenaimi + -nai = minai

U-verbs also use the stem form but they replace the final -i with anai(-a + -nai)

kaki kak + -anai = kakanaitori tor + -anai = toranai

Here are some exceptions

U-verbs whos stem form end in:

-shi become sanai (both the h and i are dropped.)

a vowel plus i become awanai (the vowel and i are both dropped.) -chi become tanai

hanashi hanas + -anai = hanasanaikai ka + -wanai = kawanaimachi ma + -tanai = matanai


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rb Conjugation --- Dictionary Form

ctionary Form Also called plain form. This form is also the present and future tense.

Some Dictionaryform verbs

taberu to eatmiru to watch

iru to exist (people and animals)hanasu to speakkaku to writeoyogu to swimnomu to drinkshinu to dieasobu to playkau to buytoru to takearu to exist (inanimate things)

iku to gokuru to comesuru to dodesu to be

rb Conjugation --- Te Form

e-Form called so because it always ends in te or de

RU-verbs use the stem form and add te to the end.

tabe + -te = tabetemi + -te = mite

U-verbs

U-verb ending with:

ku drop ku and add ite

gu drop gu and add ide

su just add te

bu &mu are both dropped and-nde is added.

u,ru, &tsu are all droppedand tte is added.


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rb Conjugation --- Past and Negative Past

ast Tense Use the te-form and change the final -e to an a

tabete tabetanonde nonda

egative Past Tense Use this form to say you didnt do something in the Past.

Take the negative form of the verb, drop the final i and add katta

tabenai tabenakatta(dont eat) (didnt eat)

ikanai ikanakatta(dont go) (didnt go)

rb Conjugation --- Polite / Neutral Form

Add the following to the verb stem form:

Present -masu

Negative Present -masen

Past -mashita

Negative Past -masendeshita

Example:

nomu (to drink)Stem form: nomi

Present nomimasu

Negative Present nomimasen

Past nomimashita

Negative Past nomimasendeshita


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rb Conjugation --- Desu

esu(to be) it expresses the identity or state of people and things. It follows either a noun adjective. It can also express the location of people and things.

Polite:

desu (is a)

ja arimasen (isnt a)

deshita (was a)

ja arimasendeshita (wasnt a)

Informal:

da (is a)

ja nai (isnt a)

datta(was a)

ja nakatta (wasnt a)

ja is used in everyday conversations. It can bereplaced by dewa occasionally.

rb Conjugation --- Irregular Verbs

regular Verbs There are only two irregular verbs. kuru to come and suru to do

Kuru (to come) Dictionary form

konai Negative formki Stem formkite Te-formkita Past tense

konakatta Negative Past

Suru (to do) Dictionary form

shinai Negative formshi Stem formshite Te-formshita Past tenseshinakatta Negative Past


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rb Conjugation --- Extended Use of Suru

uru has many extended uses that occur quite oftenTo make

(1) Adverb form of I-adjective + suru: To change I-adjective to adverb form, repthe final ~i with ~ku.

kk kkiikkuu

(2) Adverb form of Na-adjective + suru: To change Na-adjective to adverb form,

replace the final ~na with ~ni.

kkiirreeiinnaa kkiirreeiinnii

To decide It should be used when you are choosing from several available alternatives.

Koohii nishimasu. I'll have coffee.

To price When accompanied by phrases indicating prices, it means "cost."

Kono kaban wa gosen enshimashita.

This bag cost 5,000 yen.

To feel, to smell, or to hear

Loan word + Suru The loan words are often combined with "suru" to change the word into a verb.

doraibu suru to drive taipu suru to type

kisu suru to kiss nokku suru to knock

Noun of Chinese origin + Suru

It is combined with nouns of Chinese origin to make a noun into a verb.

benkyou suru to study sentaku suru to do thewashing

ryokou suru to travelshitsumon

suruto ask questions

denwa suru to telephone yakusoku suru to promise

sanpo suru to take a walk yoyaku suru to reserve

Nami no oto gasuru. I hear the sound of the waves.


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Common U-Verbs

Dictionary Form English Formal Form Te-Form

aruku

to walkarukimasu

aruite

asobu

to playasobimasu

asonde

au

to meet

aimasu

atte

hairu

to enter

hairimasu

haitte

hajimaru

to beginhajimarimasu

hajimatte

iku

to goikimasu

itte

kaeru

to return

kaerimasu

kaette

kakaru

to takekakarimasu

kakatte

kaku

to writekakimasu

kaite

kau

to buy

kaimasu

katte

kiku

to listen

kikimasu

kiite

matsu

to waitmachimasu

matte

motsu

to havemochimasu

motte

narau

to learn

naraimasu

naratte

nomu

to drinknomimasu

nonde

okuru

to sendokurimasu

okutte

omou

to think

omoimasu

omotte

oyogu

to swim

oyogimasu

oyoide

to know shirimasu shitte


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shiru

suwaru

to sitsuwarimasu

suwatte

tatsu

to standtachimasu

tatte

tomaru

to stoptomarimasu

tomatte

tsuku

to arrivetsukimasu

tsuite

uru

to sellurimasu

utte

utau

to sing

utaimasu

utatte

wakaru

to understand

wakarimasu

wakatte

warau

to laughwaraimasu

waratte

yomu

to read

yomimasu

yonde

Common Ru-Verbs

kangaeru

to think

kangaemasu

kangaete

miru

to seemimasu

mite

neru

to sleepnemasu

nete

oshieru

to teachoshiemasu

oshiete

taberu

to eat

tabemasu

tabete


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jectives

apanese adjectives can be placed either before a noun or at the end of a sentence.(a good book or The book is good)

There are two types of adjectives in Japanese:I-adjectives and Na-adjectives. These are called like so because an adjective either endsan i or na.

benrina convenientkirna beautiful

kkana expensiveomoshiroi interestingtakai expensiveatsui hot

Both the ending i and na change depending on the context. Japanese adjectives conjugatebased on different factors.

Example:

When placed at the end of a sentence, the i or na change or disappear and

extra item like the verb desu shows up in various forms.

jectives --- Informal Form

I-adjectives:

Present (same)

Negative Present -ku nai

Past -katta

Negative Past -ku nakatta

(NOTE: the dashed forms replace the final i.)

Na-adjectives:

Present da

Negative Present ja nai

Past datta

Negative Past ja nakatta


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jectives --- Polite / Neutral Form

I-adjectives:

Present desu

Negative Present -ku arimasen

Past -katta desu

Negative Past -ku arimasendeshita

(NOTE: the dashed forms replace the final i.)

Na-adjectives:

Present desu

Negative Present ja arimasen

Past deshita

Negative Past ja aimasendeshita

Some variations of both the i and na adjectives Negative Present forms are:

i-adj. -ku nai desuna-adj. ja nai desu

Some variations of both the i and na adjectives Negative Past forms are:

i-adj. -ku nakatta desuna-adj. ja nakatta desu

jectives --- Irregular adjective Conjugation

The irregular adjective most frequently used is i-i(good). Its stem part is i, and its inflecte

part is the second i. The stem part i beomes yo in all forms except the Present form.

Present i-i-desu (is good)

Negative Present yo-ku arimasen (isnt good)

Past yo-katta desu (was good)

Negative Past yo-ku aimasendeshita (wasnt good)


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Common I-Adjectives

atarashii

newfurui

old

atatakai

warmsuzushii

cool

atsui

hot

samui

cold

oishii delicious mazui bad tasting

ookii

bigchiisai

small

osoi

late, slowhayai

early, quick

omoshiroi

interesting, funny

tsumaranai

boring

kurai

darkakarui

bright

chikai

neartooi

far

nagai

long

mijikai

short

muzukashii

difficultyasashii

easy

ii

goodwarui

bad

takai

tall, expensive hikui

low

yasui

cheapwakai

young

isogashii

busyurusai

noisy


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Common Na-Adjectives

ijiwaruna

meanshinsetsuna

kind

kiraina

distastefulsukina

favorite

shizukana

quiet

nigiyakana

lively

kikenna dangerous anzenna safe

benrina

convenientfubenna

inconvenient

kireina

prettygenkina

healthy, well

jouzuna

skillful

yuumeina

famous

teineina

politeshoujikina

honest

gankona

stubbornhadena

showy


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rticles --- Wa

Wa is the topic maker. Its similar to English expressions As for and Speaking of. It msomething that has already been introduced or is familiar with both the speaker andlistener.

Watashi wa gakusei desu.(As for me, I am a student)

Besides being the topic maker, wa is used to show contrast or to emphasize the subjec

Bru wa nomimasu ga, wain wa nomimasen.(I drink beer, but I dont drink wine.)

The thing being contrasted may or may not be stated. Also particles such as ni, de,kara, and made can be combined with wa (double particles) to show contrast.

Koko de wa tabako o suwanaide kudasai.(Please dont smoke here [but you may smoke there].

rticles --- Ga

Ga is the subject maker. It is only used when introducing something new.

Mar ga Jon o sasotta.(Mary invited Jon.)

When a question word is the subject iti s always followed by ga never wa. To answerquestion, it also has to be followed by ga.

Dare ga kimasu ka. Yoko ga kimasu.

(Who is coming?) (Yoko is coming.)

Ga is used for emphasis, to distinguish a person or things from all others. If the topic ismarked by wa, it is very important. But if the subject is marked by ga it is the mostimportant of the sentence.

Taro wa gakk ni ikimashita. Taro ga gakk ni ikimashita(Taro went to school.) (Taro is the one who went to school.)

The object of the sentence is usually marked by the particle o, but some verbs and

adjectives take ga instead ofo.

Kuruma ga hoshii desu. Nihongo ga wakarimasu.(I want a car.) (I understand Japanese.)

The subject of a subordinate clause normally takes "ga" to show that the subjects of thsubordinate and main clauses are different.

Watashi wa Mika ga kekkon shita koto o shiranakatta.(I didn't know that Mika got married.)


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Ga can be used to join two sentences which are in contrast, so it is much like the Englisbut. Ga ends the first part of the sentence before the comma, whereas the English butbegins the second part of the sentence.

Maiku san wa kimasu ga, Takahashi san wa kimasen.Mike is coming, but Ms. Takahashi isnt.

Sometimes ga is used to link two sentences even though there isnt a very strong elemof contrast.

Watashi wa kaimono ga totemo suki desu ga, Takahashi san wa d desu ka.I really enjoy shopping how about you, Ms. Takahashi?

Review:

ga

* Subject marker* With question words* Emphasize* Instead of "o"* In subordinate clauses* link two sentences w/

contrast* link two sentences w/o

contrast


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rticles --- O

O is placed after a noun, and indicates that the noun is the direct object.

Kin no kado o mimashita.(I watched the movie yesterday.)

Verbs such as walk, run, pass, turn, drive, go through, etc take the particle o to indicthe route which the movement follows.

Tsugi no kado o magatte kudasai.(Please turn the next corner.)

Verbs such as leave, come out, get off, etc take the particle o to mark the place fromones departure.

Hachi-ji ni ie o demasu.(I leave home at 8 oclock.)

rticles --- No

No indicates ownership or attribution.

Kore wa watashi no hon desu.(This is my book.)

The final noun can be omitted if it is clear to both speaker and listener.

Are wa watashi no (kuruma) desu.(This is mine (my car).)

Noun modification The noun before no modifies the noun after no.

Nihongo no jugy wa tanosh desu.(The Japanese class is interesting.)

No can be used many times in a sentence. In this usage the order of nouns in Japanesethe reverse of the English structure. The normal Japanese order is from large to small, general to specific.

yroppa no kuni no namae(the names of the countries in Europe)

No links the noun to the appositive that follows.

Tomodachi no Keiko-san desu.(This is my friend, Keiko.)


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rticles --- Ni

Ni is a indirect object maker. The indirect object usually comes before the direct object

Kare wa watashi ni hon o kuremashita.(He gave me a book.)

Some verbs, such as au (to meet) and kiku (to ask), take an indirect object.

Eki de tomodachi ni atta.(I met my friend at the station.)

Ni is typically used with location of existence verbs (iru to exist). It translates into atoin.

Isu no ue ni neko ga imasu.(There is a cat on the chair.)

Ni is used when a motion or action is directed at or onto an object or place.

Kto o hang ni kaketa.(I hung a coat on the hanger.)

Ni can be translated as to when indicating a destination.

Rainen nihon ni ikimasu.(Im going to Japan next year.)

Ni can also indicate a purpose or intent.

Eiga o mi ni itta.

(I wentto see a movie.)

[NOTE:] I follows the noun and the stem form of the verb in this usage.

Ni is used with various time expressions (year, month, day, and clock time) to indicate specific point in time. It translates into at, on, or in. However, expressions of today ortomorrow dont take ni.

Hachi-ji ni ie o demasu.(I leave home at8 oclock.)

Ni indicates an agent (source) in passive or causative verbs. I translate to byor from.

Haha ni shikarareta.(I was scoldedbymy mother.)

Ni is used with notions ofPer.(year, month, day, and clock time)

Ichijikan ni j-doru haratte kuremasu.(They pay us ten dollarsperhour.)


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rticles --- De

De indicates the place where an action takes place. It translates into in, at, on, and etc

Umi de oyoida(I swam in the ocean.)

De indicates means, method, or instruments. It translates into by, with, in, by means oetc

Nihongo de hanashite kudasai.(Please speak in Japanese.)

De is placed after a quantity, time or amount of money, and indicates an extent.

Zenbu de sen-en desu.(They cost a 1,000 yen altogether.)

De also indicates scope. Translates into in, among, within, etc

Kore wa sekai de ichiban ookii desu(This is the biggest in the world.)

De indicates the composition of an object.

Toufu wa daizu de tsukurimasu.(Tofu is made from soybeans.)

De indicates required cost. It translates into for, at, etc

Kono hon o juu-doru de katta.(I bought this book for ten dollars.)

De indicates a casual reason or motive for an action or occurrence. It translates into duto, because of, owing to, etc

Kaze de gakkou o yasunda.(I was absent from school due to a cold.)

De indicates time consumed for a certain action or occurrence. It translates into in, wit

etc

Ichijikan de ikemasu.(We can get there in an hour.)


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rticles --- To

To is used to list nouns or pronouns, but never phrases and clauses.

Eigo to Nihongo o hanashimasu.(I speak English and Japanese.)

To indicates a comparison or contrast getween two nouns. Translates to or.

Neko to inu to Dochira ga suki desu ka.(Which do you like better, cats or dogs?)

To also indicates accompaniment. Translates into together or with.

Tomodachi to eiga ni itta.(I went to a movie with my friend.)

To is used after onomatopoeic adverbs.

Hoshi ga kira kira to kagayaiteiru.(The stars are twinkling.)

To is commonly used in the phrase to naru, and indicates that something reaches a goor new state.

Tsuini orinpukku no kaisai no hi to natta.(At last the opening day of the Olympics has come.)

To is used before such verbs as iu, omou, kiku, etc to introduce a clause or a phrase.Normally preceded by a plain form of a verb.

Kare wa asu kuru to itta.(He said that he will come tomorrow.)

To is placed after a verb or adjective to form a conditional. Translates into as soon as,when, if, etc A plain form is usually used before the particle to.

Shigoto ga owaru to sugu uchi ni kaetta.(I went home as soon as work was over.)


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onouns --- Personal Pronouns

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. The use of Japanese personal pronouns quite different from English. They are not used as often as their English counterparts, thoughere are a variety of pronouns in Japanese depending on the gender or the style of speech

f the context is clear, the Japanese prefer not to use the personal pronouns. It is importantearn how to use them, but also important to understand how not to use them. Unlike Englishere is no strict rule to have a grammatical subject in a sentence.

The following are some Personal Pronouns:

watashi I/me

watashitachi we/us

anata you (singular)

anatatachi you (plural)

kare he/him

karera they/them (males or mixed genders)

kanojo she/her

kanojora they/them (females)

ano hito that person

ano hitotachi those persons

Among these pronouns, watashi and anata are the most common. However, as I mentioneabove, they are often omitted in conversation. When addressing your superior, anata is notappropriate and should be avoided. Use the person's name instead.

Anata is also used by wives when they address their husbands. Omae is sometimes used bhusbands when addressing their wives, though it sounds a little bit old-fashioned.

Avoid using anata whenever possible, and use the person's name with san instead. Similarwhen referring to a third person, use the person's name. One way to avoid using anata is tdrop it and just use the verb and the question particle, ka.

Ikimasu ka.means: Will (you) go (there)?

Another way to avoid using anata is to repeatedly use the persons name.

Yko-san, Yko-san wa ikimasu ka.means: Yoko, are you going?[Literally means: Yoko, is Yoko going?]


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Here are some more Examples:

Sumisu-san wa eigo o mimashita ka.

means: Did you (Mr. Smith) see the movie?

Tanaka-san wa nani o kaimashita ka.

means: What did she (Mrs. Tanaka) buy?

The first-person singular pronoun is typically watashi, but you can say I/me more than oneway. The formal version is watakushi. Men say boku in informal and neutral contexts. Innformal context some men say ore, some older men say washi, and some young women satashi.

The pronouns for the third person are kare (he) or kanojo (she). Rather than using thesewords, it is preferred to use the person's name or describe them as ano hito (that person).not necessary to include gender.

Kyo John ni aimashita. I saw him (John) today.Ano hito o shitte imasu ka. Do you know her?

Kare or kanojo often means a boyfriendor a girlfriend.

Kare ga imasu ka. Do you have a boyfriend?

Watashi no kanojo wa

kangofu desu.My girlfriend is a nurse.

To make plurals, a suffix -tachi is added like watashi-tachi (we) or anata-tachi (you). Thsuffix -tachi can be added to not only pronouns but to some other nouns referring to people

For example, kodomo-tachi means children.

For the word anata, the suffix -gata is used sometimes to make it plural instead of using -achi. Anata-gata is more formal than anata-tachi. The suffix -ra is also used for kare, s

as karera (they).


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onouns --- Indefinite Pronouns

dareka someone

doreka something

dokoka somewhere

nanika something

ikuraka some/a little

nandemo anything

daremo no one

doremo nothing

dokomo nowhere

nanimo nothing (with neg. verbs); not any

ikuramo not much

nannimo nothing at all

e negative indefinite pronouns take a negative verb.

Dareka kimashita.means: Someone came.

Daremo kimasen deshita.means: No one came.

e one reflexive pronoun is jibun(myself, yourself, etc.).

Jibun de hatarakimasu.means: I am working by myself.


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onouns --- Demonstrative and Interrogative

The demonstrative and interrogative words, which can be pronouns, adjectives, or adverbs,may be divided into four groups depending on the prefix:

ko- Something near the speaker.so- Something nearer the listener than the speaker.a- Something at a distance from both speaker and listener.do- Question

here

(ko)

there

(so)

over there

(a)

?

(do)

Nouns (kore)

this

(sore)that

(are)that over there

(dore)which

(kono)this ...

(sono)that ...

(ano)that ... over there

(dono)what / which ...Adjectival

(konna)

this kind / like this

(sonna)

that kind

(anna)

that kind

(donna)

what kind

(kou)this way

(sou)that way

(aa)that way

(dou)howAdverbial

(konna ni)this much

(sonna ni)that much

(anna ni)that much

(donna ni)how much

(koko)here

(soko)there

(asoko)over there

(doko)where

(kochira)

this side

(sochira)

that side

(achira)

that side

(dochira)

what side

Location

(kocchi)this side

(socchi)that side

(acchi)that side

(docchi)what side

(koko), (kochira), and (kocchi) all mean "here". (kochira) is moreormal than (koko), while (kocchi) is an informal abbreviation of (kochira)The same applies to the (so), (a), and (do) columns.

Other interrogative pronouns are the following:

dare who itsu when ikutsu how many ikura how much dshite why nan / nani what nannin / nannei how many people


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re, Sore, Are, and Dore

In English, we divide things into the two groups ofthis and that, but in Japanese there three groups:

- kore, meaning this thing or these things near me.- sore, meaning that thing or those things nearyou.

- are, meaning that thing or those things overthere, away from both of us.

Examples:Kore wa atarash purint desu ka.Is this a new printer?

It san no uchi wa are desu.Mr. Its house is that on over there.

The corresponding question word is dore which one?

A: It san no kuruma wa dore desu ka.Which is your car, Mr. It?

B: Sore desu.Its that one.

no, Sono, Ano, and Dono

In English, the words this, that, and which can be used as pronouns or adjectives. InJapanese the words kore, sore, are, and dore are used only as pronouns. The adjectivof these words are kono, sono, ano, and dono, but they still have the same meaning their pronoun counterparts.

Kono wain wa doko no Kore wa doko no desu ka.desu ka.Where is this wine from? Where is this from?

Ano hito wa dare desu ka. Are wa dare desu ka.Whos that person? Whos that?

Dono teishoku ni shimasu ka. Dore ni shimasu ka.Which set meal are you going to have? Which are you going to have?


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aammmmaarr------ SSiimmppllee SSeenntteenncceess

Simple sentence order: Subject-Object-Verb

[noun] (wa/ga) [noun] (o) [verb]

Mari ga Jon o sasotta. Kore wa hon desu.Mary invited John. This is a book.

ammar --- Forming Questions

To form a Yes or No question simply add ka to the end of the sentence. You dont needmake any other changes because ka always indicates a question.

Gakusei desu. Gakusei desu ka.Im/Hes a student. Are you/Is he a student?

Yokohama desu. Yokohama desu ka.(This) is Yokohama. Is (this) Yokohama?

To form a content question when you expect specific information or content as an ans

you use a question word and ka.

doko where

donate who

dore which one

d how

ikura how much

itsu when

nani what

Example:

Kin no pt wa dare ga kimashita ka.(Who came to yesterdays party?)

ammar --- Articles

There are no articles (a/an/the) in Japanese, so where they may exist in English, simplyignore them when changing the sentence to Japanese.

Amerika no kaisha desu.Its (an) American company.

Sumimasen ga, Nihongo no sensei desu ka.Excuse me, but are you (the) Japanese language Teacher?


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ammar --- Arimasu vs. Desu be, be located, exist

Both arimasu and desu mean is/are, but there is a difference in the way they are usedDesu is used when one this is, or equals, another.

Koko wa Yokohama eki desu.This is Yokohama station.

The verb arimasu jeans that something exists, so iti s often used to describe the locati

of something. In this case it is preceded by ni, a particle pointing out place or location.Denwa wa doko ni arimasu ka.Wheres the telephone (located)?

When describing the location of something, ni arimasu can often be replaced by desunuance is slightly different, but the English translation is usually the same.

Gink wa doko desu ka. Gink wa doko ni arimasu ka.Wheres the bank? Wheres the bank?

[Lit: What place is the bank?] [Lit: In what place is the bank located?]

The verb arimasu can often be translated as there is/are, or have.

Denwa wa arimasu ka.Do you have a telephone?/Is there a telephone?

Answers to this kind of yes/no question are Hai, arimasu (Yes, I have./Yes, there is.),arimasen. (No, I havent./No, there isnt.), or Wakarimasen. (I dont know.).

ammar --- Ja arimasen isnt, arent

Ja arimasen is the negative ofdesu, so it means isntor arent. Ja is a contraction ofwa. (You may also hear the alternative forms de wa arimasen, ja nai desu, and de wnai desu, which all mean isntor arent.)

Amerikajinja arimasen. Igirisujin desu.Im not American. Im British.

Senseija arimasen. Jimu no hito desu.Im not a teacher. I am an office worker.

kii kkja arimasen.Its not a big high school.

A: Kono konpyt wa atarashii desu ka.Is this computer new?

B: Iie, sja arimasen.No, it isnt.

Are wa Watanabe san no kurumaja arimasen ka.Isnt that Mr.Watanabes car?


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ammar --- noun no

The word no can be used in place of a noun when it is obvious what you are talking abo

Kaisha no kuruma desu. Kaisha no desu.Its the companys car. Its the companys.

Dare no shinbun desu ka. Dare no desu ka.Whose newspaper is it? Whose is it?

ammar --- The Future

The masu form is also used to refer to events happening in the future. If it is not cleafrom the context whether a present or future meaning is intended, then a time word suas tomorrow/next week/at 2:00 can be used.

Watanabe san wa ahita Tky e ikimasu.Mr. Watanabe will go to Tokyo tomorrow.

Tomodachi wa asatte Igiru kara kimasu.Thay day after tomorrow, a friend is coming from Britian.

Ahista, oshiemasen.Im not teaching tomorrow.

Ky nani o shimasu ka.What are you going to do today?

ammar --- The tag question - NE

The particle ne at the end of a sentence plays the same role as tag questions in Englishsuch as isnt it?, didnt he?, arent they?, dont you?, an I right?, etc Such questions mbe asking for confirmation, in which case they have rising intonation, or they may just basking for agreement, in which they have falling intonation.

Maiku san wa Amerikanjin desu ne.Mike is an American, isnt he?

Kono wain wa oishii desu ne.This wine is good, isnt it!

Mainishi Nihongo no shinbun o yomimasu ne.You read a Japanese newspaper every day, dont you?


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ammar --- Suki desu/Kirai desu I like it/I hate it

Unlike English, the Japanese words for like, hate and the various shades in between areverbs, so they need to be followed by desu. The sugject of a sentence is the thing orperson liked or disliked, and so is followed by wa or ga. Here are some sentences to shhow to say various degrees of like and dislike: dai suki desu I like very much, suki dI like, amari suki ja arimasen I dont like very much, kirai desu I dislike, dai-kirdesu I loathe.

(Watashi wa) sashimi ga dai-suki desu.I love raw fish.

Ano sensei ga dai-kirai desu.I loathe that teacher.

Maiku san wa eiga ga suki desu ne.Mike likes (going to) movies, doesnt he?

Sakana ga kirai desu ka.Dont you like fish? [Lit: Do you dislike fish?]

ammar --- O kudasai Asking for something

The word kudasai meansplease give me, although it sounds politer than that in Japanand can be translated into English in several different ways. When you want someone tgive you something for example in a resturant, or when shopping simply say what ywant and add o kudasai.

Sumimasen, mizu o kudasai.Excuse me, could I have some water, please?

A: Nani o nomimasu ka.What would you like to drink? [Lit: What will you drink?]

B: Wain o kudasai.Wine, please.

Mainichi Shinbun o kudasai.Id like the Mainichi Newspaper please.


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ammar --- Moshi moshi Telephone phrases

Here are some commonly used telephone phrases:

Moshi moshi Hello?Tanaka san desu ka. Is this Mr.Tanaka?

Tanaka san wa irasshaimasu ka. Is Mr.Tanaka there?Tanaka san onegai shimasu. Mr. Tanaka, please.

Harisu desu. This is (Mr.) Harris.Sumisu Enjiniaringu no Harisu desu. This is (Mr.) Harris, from Smith Engineering.

The following phrases are all polite ways of finishing a telephone conversation.

Yoroshiku onegai shimasu. Please treat me well.Shitsurei shimasu. Excuse me.

Gomen kudasai.Pardon me for any inconvenience.

ammar --- Imasu and Arimasu to be

The verbs imasu (from iru) and arimasu (from aru) both mean to be/existbut there very important difference between them. Imasu is used only to refer to the existence olocation of animate objects. Arimasu is used only to refer to inanimate objects.

Ky no shinbun wa doko ni arimasu ka. Watanabe san wa doko ni imasu ka.Wheres todays newspaper? Wheres Mr. Watanabe?

Uchi ni terebi ga arimasen. Uchi ni inu ga imasen.We dont have a televison at home. We dont have a dog at home.[Lit: At home, there isnt a televison.] [Lit: At home, there isnt a dog.]

ammar --- Mada Still or Not yet

When mada is followed by a positive verb, it can be translated as stillin the sense ofsomething remaining as it was some time ago.

Gohan wa mada takusan arimasu.Theres still a lot of rice.

Maiku san wa mada gakk ni imasu ka.

Is Mike still at the school?

When mada is followed by a negative verb, it can usually be translated as (not) yet.

Nihongo ga mada wakarimasen.I dont understand Japanese yet.

Takushii wa mada kimasen ne.The taxi hasnt come yet, has it?

The phrase Mada desu by itself means Not yet.


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ammar --- Suggesting with Mashou

If you want to suggest doing something, then the way to express it is to change the finmasu of the verb to -mash. This usually corresponds to Lets in English.

Ashita Yokohama e ikimash.Lets go to Yokohama tomorrow.

K rajio o kikimash.Lets listen to the car radio.

Khii o nomimash.Lets have [Lit: drink] some coffee.

If you turn it into a question, then it becomes the equivalent ofShall we ?or Shall I -?

Ky wa nani o shimashka.Whatshall we fo today?

Nani o tabemash ka. Skana ni shimash ka.

Whatshall we eat?Shall we have fish?

ammar --- Kimasu vs. Ikimasu come and go

The verbs kimasu (come) and ikimasu (go) are sometimes used in a slightly differentfrom English. Ikimasu means to leave where you are now, regardless of where youregoing, whereas English go means to leave where you are now and go anywhere exceptwhere the person you are speaking to is.

A: Ashita, watashi no uchi ni kimasu ka.Are you coming over to my house tomorrow?

B: Hai, ikimasu. Nan-ji ni ikimash ka.Yes, I am. What time shall I come [Lit: go]?

ammar --- Emphasizing withYo

The particle yo at the end of a sentence doesnt have any meaning in itself, but is usedgive the sentence emphasis, so it acts like an exclamation mark in English.

Watashi no stsuksu desu. Watashi no stsuksu desu yo.Its my suitcase. Hey, its my suitcase!

Ii desu. Ii desu yo.Its okay. Hey, its okay!


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ammar --- Verbs which use Shimasu

The are a number of verbs which are made up of a noun with shimasu. Here are somethem. The particle o is optional.

benky benky (o) shimasustudy, work to study

denwa denwa (o) shimasua telephone to telephone, call

shigoto shigoto (o) shimasuwork, employment to work

tenisu tenisu (o) shimasutennis to play tennis

hanashi hanashi (o) shimasua talk, conversation to have a conversation

Ashita, tomodachi to tenisu o shimasu.Im going to play tennis with a friend tomorrow.

It san wa tokodoki shichi-ji made shigoto shimasu.Mr. It sometimes works ntil 7:00.

ammar --- Asking for favor - Onegai shimasu

The phrase onegai shimasu can be used instead ofkudasai when you are asking forsomething.

Khii o onegai shimasu./ Khii o kudasai.Coffe, please.

It can also mean Please do that, when used in reponse to someone offering to dosomething for you.

A: Ashita denwa shimash ka.

Shall I phone (you) tomorrow?

B: Hai, onegai shimasu.Yes, please.


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ammar --- M -Alreadyand (Not) any more

When m is used with a positive verb, it corresponds to the English already, indicating something is not in the same condition it was a while ago.

M j-ji desu.Its already 10:00.

Kenji san wa m daigakusei desu ka.Is Kenji at university [Lit: a university student] already?

When m is used with a negative verb, it corresponds to (not) any more.

M sono resutoran e wa ikimasen.Im not going to that resturant any more.

Mondai wa m arimasen.I dont have any problems any more.

ammar --- -te kudasai Making requests

When the Te-form is followed by kudasai, it is a way of asking someone to do someth

Yukkuri hanashite kudasai.Please speak slowly.

Konban denwa shite kudasai.Please call me this evening.

Sensei no hanashi o kite kudasai.Listen to what the teacher has to say.

ammar --- Gozaimasu we have

When talking about family members, vocabulary can differ markedly in Japanese,depending on who you are talking to, the degree of fomality of the situation and even trelative age of the people talking. In situations which demand a high degree of curtesy,such as a sales assistant in a department store talking to a customer, or staff in aprestigious hotel talking to a quest, the speaker is likely to use the very formal and humgozaimasu instead ofarimasu.

A: Kono hoteru ni wa, fakkusu ga arimasu ka. B: Hai, gozaimasu.Do you have a fax in this hotel? Yes, we do.

In the same way, de gozaimasu is used in formal situations instead ofdesu.

A: Sumimasen, kono st wa ikura desu ka.Excuse me, how much is this sweater?

B: Sore wa ky-sen en de gozaimasu.Its 9,000 yen.


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ammar --- Understanding Directions

Here are some useful sentences for giving and understanding directions.

Koko made onegai shimasu.(As you hand over the map and directions of where you want to go)

To this place, please.

Massugu itte kudasai.Please go straight ahead.

M sukoshii massugu itte kudasai.Please go a little futher ahead.

Koko de migi ni magatte kudasai.Please turn right here.

Shing de hidari ni magatte kudasai.Please turn left at the traffic lights.

Tsugi no shing de migi ni magatte kudasai.Please turn right at the next traffic lights.

Tsugi no kado de tomete kudasai.Please stop at the next corner.

Koko de ii desu.This [Lit: here] is fine.

Hidari-sawa ni arimasu.Its on the left-hand side.

Gakk wa migi-gawa ni arimasu.The school is on the right-hand side.


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ammar --- Uses ofdesh

The word desh has its origins in desu, but it has different nuances depending on thesituation and intonation used, When it is used in a question, and followed by ka, it is thequivalent ofI wonder , so it makes the question less direct.

Kore wa nan desu ka. Kore wa nan desh ka.Whats this? I wonder what this is?

Kaigi wa nan-ji desu ka. Kaigi wa nan-ji desh ka.What time is the meeting? I wonder what time the meeting is?

When it is used with rising intonation, it is asking for agreement of the person being spto, so it is similar to ne, but softer and less direct.

Are wa Watanabe san no uchi desh.Thats Mr. Watanabes house, right?

Nihongo wa muzukashii desh.Japanese is difficult, isnt it?

When the intonation is falling at the end of the sentence, it shows that the speaker isalmost, but not completely, sure of his facts, so is making an assumption. This kind ofsentence is often translated into English words such asprobably, must be, almost certa

Hokkaid wa ima samui desh.Its probably cold in Hokkaido now.

Sono saizu wa daijbu desh.I guess that size will be okay.

Desh can also be used instead ofdesu when you want to be extra polite.

Sumimasen ga, Tanaka san desh ka.Excuse me, but would you be Mr. Tanaka?

ammar --- Motto yasui, Motto kii cheaperand bigger

To describe something as bigger, smaller, more expensive, cheaper, etc , in Japanesesimply put motto (more) in front of the appropriate word, which is the equivalent of sa

more big, more small, more quiet.

Sumimasen ge, motto chiisai no wa arimasu ka.Excuse me, but do you have a smaller one?

Kono buraun no jaketto wa suki desu ga, sono kuroi no wa motto suki desu.I like this brown jacket, but I like that black one more.

Tsugi no tesuto wa motto muzukashii desh.The next test will probably be more difficult.


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ammar --- Itsumo, tokidoki always, sometimes and other words of frequency

Here are some of the most commonly-used words of frequency that are usful. They usucome before the verb, but they also can be used to begin the sentence or phrase.

itsumo yoku tokidoki amari zenzenalways often sometimes not often never, not at all

Ani wa ima daigakusei desu ga, zenzen benky shimasen.My elder brother is a university student now, but he never does any work.

Itsumo gink no tonari no resutoran de hiru-gohan o tabemasu.We always eat lunch at the restautant next to the bank.

ammar --- Mo Mo Both and

Sentences with mo mo are the eauivalent ofbothand when in the positive, anneithernor when in the negative.

Osake me biiru mo nomimasu ka. Dakara atama ga itai desu yo.You drank (both) sake and beer? Thats why you have a headache!

Khii mo o-cha mo nomimasen.I dont drink (either) coffee or green tea.

ammar --- Joining senteces with Kedo but

The word kedo (and its more formal varitations keredo and keredomo) is used to joisentences together with the meaning but, and always ends the first part of the sentenc

before the comma. It can sometimes be used instead ofga (but), but kedo is the only that can be used in the sense ofalthough.

Tenisu wa dai-suki desu kedo, amari jzu ja arimasen.Although I really like tennis, Im not good.

When an i-adjective is followed by kedo, the desu which usually comes after such anadjective can be omitted.

Sono o-sake wa oishii kedo, chotto takai desu.

That sake is delicious, but its very expensive.


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ammar --- Hazukashikute joining i-agjectives with -kute

In Japanese when you want to link to link several simple sentences together you can linthem with the te-form of verbs (Pari ni itte, tanoshikatta desu). It is similar when joingsentences which end in i-adjectives: drop the final i and then add kute.

Omoshiroi eiga deshita. + Ii eiga deshita. =Omoshirokute, ii eiga dehita.It was a good, interesting movie.[Lit: I was an interesting and good movie.]

Sgaku wa muzukashii desu. + Sgaku wa suki ja arimasen. =Sgaku wa muzukashikute, suki ja arimasen.Mathematics is difficult, and I dont like it.

[Note] in some cases, the ifrst part of the sentence is giving a reason for what is statethe second part.

Atama ga itakute, ku-ji han ni nemashita.I had a headache, and (so) I went to bed at 9:30.

Sensei no kotae wa nagakute, wakarimasen deshita.The teachers answer was long, and I didnt understand it.

Tenki ga warukute, zenzen deshita.The weather was bad, and its a pity.

ammar --- Mada atte inai not yet

When something hasnt yet happened, it is often described using the te imasen/-te iform.

Kiru-gohan wa mada tabete imasen.I havent eaten luch yet.

Taiiku no sensei wa mada kite imasen.The physical education teacher isnt here yet.


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ammar --- to omoimasu I think

The phrase for I think to moimasu is often added to the end of a sentence when gan opinion. There is no need to make changes to the sentence which is expressed as ththought, except any verbs are put into the plain form, and the i-adjective dont need tfollowed by desu.

Sore wa zannen desu. Sore wa zennen da to moimasu.Thats a pity. I think thats a pity.

Takahashi san wa kimasen. Takahashi san wa konai to omoimasu.Ms. Takahashi isnt coming. I think Ms.Takahashi isnt coming.

If you want to talk about what someone else is thinking, then its usual to use omotteimasu.

Maiku san wa, Nihon wa ii kuni da to omotte imasu.Mike thinks that Japan is a great country.

Both kangaeru and omou may be tranlated as think. Omou is used when you are talk

about an opinion or feeling, whereas kangaeru means to consider/think about.

Nani o kangaete imasu ka. What are you thinking about?

ammar --- Sashimi ya sushi ya Sashimi and sushi, etc

The word ya, like to, means andwhen used to join a list of items, but when ya is usedimplies that the items you have mentioned are just a sample. and that there are othersthe list that you havent mentioned. (To make this meaning more obvious, you can alsonado, et cetera, if you wish.)

Sono gakk de Eigo ya Furansugo ya Doitsugo (nado) o oshiete imasu.At that school they teach English, French, German, and the like.

Kyto ya Nara (nado) e ikimashita.I went to Kyoto, Nara, etc


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ammar --- koto ga dekimasu can/be able to

There are several ways of saying can, be able to in Japanese, but the easiest way is to koto ga dekimasu to the plain form of the verb. It literally means ing is possible.

Maiku san wa kanji o kaku koto ga dekimasu ka.Mike, can you write kanji characters?

Kore o zenbu taberu koto ga dekinai to omoimasu.I cant eat all this, I think.

In case where it is obvious what the verb is going to be, it isnt necessary to mention it(you dont need the verb orkoto).

Nihongo ga dekimasu ka.Can you (speak) Japanese?

Piano ga dekimasu ka.Can you (play) the piano?

ammar --- Issho ni shimasen ka Invitations, using a negative verb

When you want to invite someone to do something, a polite way of doing so is to use anegative question, in other words, one ending in masen ka.

Raish no doybi wa tanjbi no ptii o shimasu ga, Maiku san mo kimasen ka.Im having a birthday party next Saturday would you like to come mike?

Mo sukoshi nomimasen ka.Would you like a little more to drink?

ammar --- Talking about Periods of time

To talk about something which has been going on for some time, simply use the te imform. This corresponds to the have/has been ing form in English.

Ni-nen-kan Nihongo o benky shite imasu.I have been studying Japanese for two years.

Chdo ichi-nen-kan kono uchi ni sunde imasu.Ive been living in this house for just a year.

San-ji han kara denwa de hanashite imasu yo.Shes been talking on the phone since 3:30!


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ammar --- Questions foreigners are often asked

Here are some questions that you will be likely asked several times in Japan, with somepossible responses.

Q: Nan-sai desu ka./O-ikutsu desu ka.

How old are you?

A: J-nana-sai desu./Ni-j-ky-sai desu./Go-j-sai desu.

Im seveteen./Im twenty-nine./Im fifty.

Q: Kuni wa dochira desu ka.

What country are you from?

A: Amerika kara desu./Amerikajin desu.

Im from the USA./Im American

Q: Amerikajin desu ka.

Are you American?A: Hai, s desu./Iie, Igirisujin desu.

Yes, I am./No, Im British.

Q: Nihon o d omoimasu ka.

What do you think of Japan?

A: Dai-suki desu./Hito ga i desu ne./Ii kuni da to omoimasu.

I like it very much./Its very crowded, isnt it?/I think its a great country.

Q: Itsu Nihon e kimashita ka.

When did you come to Japan?

A: Sensh no kaybi ni kimashita./Ichi-nen mar ni kimashita.

Last weeks Tuesday./A year ago

Q: Itsu made Nihon ni imasu ka.

When are you in Japan until?

A: Raish no mokuybi made desu.Until next weeks Thursday.

Q: Nihon no jsei/densei o d omoimasu ka.What do you think of Japanese women/men?

A: Totemo kirei/shinsetsu/hanasmu da to omoimasu.Theyre very beautiful/kind/handsome.


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Q: O-hashi wa daijbu desu ka.Are you okay with chopsticks?

A: Hai, daijbu desu.Yes, Im fine.

Q: O-hashi wa jzu desu ne.Youre good at (using) chopsticks.

A: Arigat.Thank you.

Q: Sashimi to taberu koto ga dekimasu ka.Can you eat raw fish?

A: Hai, dai-suki desu.Yes, I like it very much.

Q: Kekkon shite imasu ka./O-hitori desu ka.Are you married?/Are you single?

A: Hai, s desu./Iie, mada desu./Iie, kekkon shite imasu./ Rikkon shite imasu.

Yes, Iam./No, not yet./No, Im married./Im divorced.

ammar --- Ichiban - superlatives

If you want to say that something is biggest, or best, or faster, or most beautiful, then you need to do is add ichiban(number one or most) before the relevant adjective.

Nihon de ichiban takai yama wa Fuji-san desu.The highest mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji.

Kurasu no naka de, dare ga ichiban wakai desu ka.Whos the youngest in the class?

Ichiban suki-na tokoro wa doko desu ka.What is your favorite place?


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ammar --- Describing how something looks

To describe how something looks or appears to be, add -s to the appropriate adjectivWith I-adjectives, you need to drop the final i first. This is the equivalent of saying itlooks, seems

Hashi wa muzukashi-s da kedo, jitsu wa muzukashiku arimasu.Chopsticks look difficult (to use), but in fact theyre not (diffcult).

Wada san no atarashii stsu o mite judasai yo. Taka-s desu ne.Hey, look at Mr.Wadas new suit. It looks expensive, doesnt it!

The s form ofii/yoi is irregular: yosa-s (looksgood).

Kono kissaten wa yosa-s desu yo. Hairimash.This coffee shop looks good. Lets go in.

Kat sensei wa atama ga yosa-s desu ne.Mr. Kat looks clever, doesnt he?

This pattern is also useful for describing how you think some else is feeling, as it isgenerally considered that you cant really knowhow theyre feeling, only how they appeto be feeling.

Fumiko chan wa tomodachi ga takusan iru keo, itsumo sabishi-s desu ne.Fumiko has lots of friends, but she always looks lonely, doesnt she?

Watanba san wa atama ga ita-s desu ne. Daijbu desh ka.Mr. Watanabe looks as if he has a headache. I wonder if hes all right.

Maiku san wa ky ureshi-s desu ne.Mike looks happy, doesnt he?

ammar --- Plain form + No Desu

When a sentence ends in no desu, or more colloquially ndesu, it often indicates that tspeaker is explaining something, or asking for an explanation of something. It is alsosometimes used to indicate emphasis, so it can be shown in the sorresponding English an explamation mark. N desu can follow the plain form of a verb, an I- or Na-adjecti(with the na endng). Pronounce it as if the n ends the previous word (e.g. takai n d

= takain desu).

Iroiro-na mondai ga arimasu. D suru n desu ka.There are all sort of problems, arent there? What are you going to do?

Nani o shite iru ndesu ka.What are you doing?

Kono terebi wa m dame-na n desu yo. Atarashii no o kaimash.This Tv is no good any more! Lets buy a new one.


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ammar --- Plain form + Kara - Because

When you want to explain the reason for something (in other words, where you might sbecause or so in English), the word you need is kara. It can some after the plain form the verb or an I-adjective. Note that kara comes at the end of the first part of thesentence bfore the comma, so its the first part of the sentence that is giving the reasonand the second part that gives the result.

Skinkansen de itta kara, jikan ga amari kakarimasen deshita.Because we went by Shinkansen, it didnt take very long.

Kat san wa hansamu de, shinsetsu-na hito da kara, grufurendo ga i desh.Mr. Kat is handsome, and a kind man, so Im sure he has many girlfriends!

As in English, it is possible to say only the part of the sentence giving the reason.

A: Sait san wa sabishi-s desu ne.Ms. Sait looks lonely, doent she?

B: , bifurendo ga ima Igirisu ni iru kara.Yes, because her boyfriend is in Britain at the moment.

ammar --- Donna what kind of?

This word belongs to another group ofko-, so-, a-, and do- words. They are konna (tkind of), sonna (that kind of), anna (that kind of [not connected to either of us]), anddonna (what kind of?).

Nihon no fuyu wa donna tenki desu ka.What kind of wheater is it in Japan in the winter?

Sonna shitsumon ni kotaeru koto ga dekimasen.I cant answer that kind of question.

Konna resutoran wa iya desu ne.This kind of resterant is horrible, isnt it?

Anna hito wa dai-kirai desu.I loathe that sort of person.

These words can also be used in front of adjective to mean this much, to this extent, et

in which case they need to be followed by ni.

Kongetsu, sonna ni isogashiku arimasen.This month, were not that busy.

Konna ni atsui hi wa amari nai ndesu ne!We dont hany many days this hot, do we!


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ammar --- to iimashita Reported speech

The verb iimasu (plain form: iu) means say, speak, report, so it is often used to relatewhat someone else has said. In such a case, it is preceded by the particle to, which siga quotation.

Maiku san wa, Kayaku hashiru koto ga dekimasen,to iimashita ga, jitsu watotemo hayai desu.Mike said, I cant run fast, but in fact hes very fast.

In reported speech, when youre talking about what someone else said rather than quottheir actual words, simply put everything that was said into the plain form.

Maiku san wa, ashita yaky o suru to iimashita.[= Maiku san wa, Ahita yaky o shimasu,to iimashita.]Mike said hes playing baseball tomorrow.

The particle to is also used with other verbs which show some sort of quotation, such akiku (ask, hear), omou (think), kaku (write), and kotaeru (reply).

Haha wa, Ohaio wa ima totemo atsui, to tegami ni kakimashita.My mother wrote in her letter that its very hot in Ohio now.

Its common to leave out da when reporting on questions.

Ky wa j-san-nichi ka to kikimashita ka.He asked if it was the 13th today.

When you are talking about what someone else says in the present tense, then its usuuse the te iru form.

Takahashi san wa tsukareta to itte imasu.Ms. Takahashi says shes tired.

ammar --- Eigo de nan to iimasu ka What do you say in English?

The verb iimasu is useful for when you want to ask how to say something in English orJapanese.

A: Sensei, sumimasen ga, the fall wa Nihongo denan to iimasu ka.Teacher, excuse me, but how do you say the fal; in Japanese?

B: Akito iimasu.Its aki.

Tegami o Eigo de letterto iimasu ka.For tegami, do you say letter in English?


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ammar --- Marking alternatives

The particle ka is used to mark alternative, so it is similar to the English orwhen it sombetween nouns.

Buch ka kach ga sore o kimeta h ga ii to omoimasu.I think its best if the department chief or the section chief decides that.

Doybi ka nichiybi ni ikimasu.Ill go on Saturday or Sunday.

Sono koto ni tsuite, Wada san ka Tanaka san to sdan shite kudasai.Whit regard to that matter, please consult Mr. Wada or Mr. Tanaka.

Kra ka khii ga hoshii desu.I want some cola or coffee.

ammar --- Asking permission

When you want to ask permission to do something, add mo ii desu ka to the te-form,which is like saying ing, is it alright?A positive answer to such a request can simply beHai, ii desu or Hai, -te mo ii desu.

A: Sumimasen ga, koko ni suwatte mo ii desu ka.Excuse me, but is it all right if I sit here?

B: Ie desu. Dzo.Yes, please go ahead.

Nihongo de setsumei shitemo ii desu ka.Is it okay to explain it in Japanese?

Haha wa, itte mo ii to iimashita ga, chichi wa dame da to iimashita.My mother said I could go, but my father said I couldt. [Lit: said it was no goo

When you want to ask if its all right notto do something, then find the negative naiverb form(ikanai, dont go) , and change it to nakute. Then add the ending mo iidesu.

A: Kore o zenbu tabenakute mo ii desu ka.Is it all right if I dont eat all of this?

B: Hai, (tabenakute mo) ii desu yo.Yes, its all right (if you dont eat it).

Issho ni ikanakute mo ii desu ka.Is it all right if I dont go with you?

You can also use this pattern to give permission, as well as ask for it.

Namae to jsho o kakanakute mo ii desu.Its all right not to write your name and address.


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ammar --- Refusing permission

To refuse permission, again find the te-form of the verb, and then add wa ikemasen.word ikemasen means musnt, forbidden, bad, so this is a very strong refusal.

Sono heya ni haitte wa ikemasen yo.Hey, you musnt go into that room.

Nihongo no jgy de wa, Eigo de hanashite wa ikemasen.In the Japanese class, you musnt speak in Englsih.

ammar --- Other Advice

To make a strong suggestion that someone do something, add h ga ii to the plain pasform of the verb, that is the ta-form. This is the Equivalent of: youd better, you oughto, or it would be best if you

Tsukareta ndesu ka. Ja konban kayaku neta h ga ii desu ne.Youre tired? Well, youd better go to bed early tonight.

Atsui toki ni, eakon o kaetta h ga ii to omoimasu yo.Its probaly best to use an air conditioner when its hot.

If you want to suggest that someone shouldntdo something, then add h ga ii to thenai form of the verb. (plain negative)

Sonna ni hayaki okoranai h ga ii desu yo.You shouldnt get angry so quickly.

Ano hito wa o-kyaku san da kara, kare to kenka shinai h ga ii desu yo!Hes a customer, so it would be best if you dont argue with him!


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ammar --- Prepositions

When you are talking about the location of something in Japanese, instead of saying, foexample, underneath the tableyou say the equivalent ofthe tables underneath (tno shita). Here are some common words for describing the location of something orsomeone:

ue on, on top, above soba nearby, by the sideshita below, under mae in front ofnaka in, inside ushiro behindtonari next to soto outsideaida between chikaku near

Kissaten wa gink to ybinkyoku no aida ni arimasu.The coffee shop is between the bank and the post office.

Eki no mae de aimash.Lets meet in front of the station.

Tanaka san kara no tegami wa wpuro no ue ni atta kedo, ima doko desh ka.

The letter from Mr.Tanaka was on top of the word processor, but where is it now?

Sait san no apto wa ichiban ue ni arimasu.Ms. Sats apartment is right at the top.

ammar --- Mi ni iku go to see

Just as in English we can say go to see, go to buy, go to eat, etc , so in Japanese it ispossible to create phrases with the same kind of meaning. Just remove the masu fromthe masu-form of the verb, and add ni iku. Here are some examples:

shi ni iku - go to dotabe ni iku- go to eatnomi ni iku - go to have a drinkkai ni iku - go to buyai ni iku - go to meetmi ni iku - go to see

Nomi ni ikimash.

Lets go for a drink.

Ashita no asa tomodacgu to issho ni tenisu o shi ni ikimasu.Im going to play tennis with some friends tomorrow morning.

Kin Yokohama e atarashii stsu o kai ni itta kedo, taihen takakute, kaimasendeshita.Yesterday I went to Yokohama to buy a new suit, but they were really expensive,didnt buy one.


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ammar --- Ni tsuite regardingorconcerning

The phrase ni tsuite means regarding, concerning, aboutand comes after the thing towhich it refers.

Kach kara no memo ni tsuite shitsumon ga arimasu ga.I have a question concerning the memo from the section chief.

Ky no kaigi wa nan ni tsuite desu ka.Whats todays meeting about?

ammar ---Yotei making plans

The word yotei is very useful for when you are discussing plans and schedule. When itcomes after the plain form of a verb, it is the equivalent of I plan to (do).

Shach no ashita no yotei wa nan desu ka.Whats the persidents schedule for tomorrow?

Kotoshi no natsu yasumi ni wa, gaikoku e iku yotei desu.For my summer vacation this year, my plan is to go abroad.

A: Ashita no asa wa aite imesu ka.Are you free tomorrow?

B: Sumimasen ga, ashita wa Yokohama no shisha niyoru yotei desu kara, chotto muzukashii desu.Im sorry, but tomorrow Im scheduled to drop by at the Yokohama

branch office, so its a bit difficult.

ammar --- Ikitai I want to go and other desires

To express a wish or desire to do something, replace -masu from the masu-formtai. Here are some examples:

iku - ikimasu - ikitai want to gotaberu - tabemasu - tabetai want to eathanasu - hanashimasu - hanashitaiwant to talkkau - kaimasu - kaitai want to buyuru - urimasu - uritai want to sellsuru - shimasu - shitai want to do

The tai form is generally used to talk about you own wishes and wants, or to asksomeone else about their feelings. It is not used to describe what someone else wants,though. To get around this you can say the equivalent to: I think he wanys to, He saidthat he wants to, I heard that he wants to, etc

Maiku san wa , keiyaku ni tsuite hanashitai to iimashita.Mike said, he wants to talk about the contract.


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Wada san wa kotoshi gaikoku e ikitai to itte imasu.Mr. Wada says that he wants to go abroad this year.

Sukoshi dake tabetai ndesu.I only want to eat a little.

Shach kara no memo ni tsuite kikitai n desu ga.Id like to ask you about the memo from the president.

The tai ending acts in the same way as I-adjectives, so it has a negative form whichends in taku arimasen, for talking about things you dont want to do, and a past formwhich ends in takatta desu, for talking about what you wated to do previously

Sono koto ni tsuite kenka o shitakunai n desu yo.Hey, I dont want to argue about that!

Ichi-nichi yasumi o torikatta kedo, taihen isogashikute, toru koto ga dekimasen deshI wanted to take a day off, but I couldnt because I was extremly busy.

The tai form is a verb ending showing that you want to do something. If, however, yowant a thing, then you need the i adjective hoshii. As with tai, you need to use phrlike I think that, He said that, etc , if you are describing what someone else wants(Note that wa marks the person who wants the object, and ga marks whatever it is thewant.)

Watashi wa atarashii wpuro gahoshii desu ga, o-kane ga nai kara, dame desuI want a new word processor, but I dont have any money, so its impossible.

Kanojo wa, bifurendo ga hoshii to iimashita.She said she wants a boyfriend.

Tanjbi ni wa, nani ga hashii desu ka.For your birthday, what would you like?

Sait san wa motto nagai yasumi ga hoshii to iimashita.Mrs. Sait said she wants a longer vacation.


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ammar --- Shinaide kudasai please dont

When you want to ask someone not to do something you start with the negative nai fand then add de kudasai.

S shinaide kudasai.Please dont do that.

Sono repto o mada buch ni dasanaide kudasai.Dont give that report to the (department) chief yet, please.

ammar --- Tsumori talking about intentions

The word tsumori means intention, so the sentence-ending tsumori desu after the plaiform of a verb can usually be translated as intend to do or mean to do.

Sore wa mondai desu ne. D suru tsumori desu ka.Thats a problem, isnt it? What do you intend to do?

Sono keikaku ni tsuite Watanabe san to hanasu tsumori datta ga, wasuremashitI meant to talk to Mr. Watanabe about the project, but I forgot.

ammar --- Arimasu vs. Motte masu having and holding

The verb motsu means hold, but you will usually come across it in the te iru form, wit means posses, hold, have. Both aru and motsu can be tranlated into English as havebut aru is used when somethind exists, whereas motsu includes the nuance of possess

Denwa ga arimasu ka. Denwa o motte imasu ka.

Do you have/Is there a phone? Do you possess a phone?

Sono shach kara no memo o motte imasu ka.Do you have that memo from the president?


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ammar --- -ta koto ga arimasu ka have you ever?

This phrase using the plain past form (-ta) of the verb followed by koto ga arimasu kused when you are asking someone about their experiences, so it is the equivalent of thEnglish Have you ever?Koto means thing/eventand coupled with the past form of a you can think of it as experience, so tabeta koto is experience of eating.

Fuji san ni nobotta koto ga arimasu ka.Have you ever climbed Mt. Fuji?

Sonna koto o kangaeta koto ga nai n desu yo!Ive never considered such a thing!

A: Amerika e itta koto ga arimasu ka.Have you ever been to the USA?

B: Iie, arimasen. Kyonen Kanada e itta kedo,Amerika wa mada desu.No, I havent. I went to Canada last year, but I havent been toUSA yet.

[Lit: but the USA is not yet.]

ammar --- -tara if

To make this kid ofifsentence in Japanese, just add ra to the plain past tanse of the (-ta). This is often called the tara form, as all verbs end in tara (or occasionally dara).

Plain form Plain past -tara form meaningtaberu tabeta tabetara If I/you, etc, eatiku itta ittara If you go

kuru kita kitara If you comearu atta attara If there is

naru natta nattara If it becomesda datta dattara If it is

O-kanemochi dattara, doko e ikitai to omoimasu ka.If you were rich, where do you think youd lik to go?

Soko o migi ni magattara, eki ni demasu.If you turn right there, youll come out at the station.

With the negativem when you want to talk about is something doesnt happen, add rathe negative of the plain past tense (the one that ends in nakatta).

Negative Neg. past -tara form meaningkonai konakatta konkattara If you dont comeikanai ikanakatta i kanakattara If you dont go

shinai shinakatta shinakattara If you dont donai nakatta nakattara If there isnt


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Wada san ga sugu konakattara, d shimasu ka.If Ms. Wada doesnt come soon, what will we do?

Jikan da nakattara, shinakute mo ii desu yo.If you dont have time, its alright if you dont do it.

The word moshi, or if, can be added to the beginning of a sentence to alert the listeneearly on that this is going to be an ifsentence, and it also adds emphasis. However, it i

still necessary to have the tara verb ending.

Moshi mondai ga attara, oshiete kudasai.If there are any problems, please let me know.

The tara ending can also be added to I-adjectives. Use the past tense katta endinand add ra.

Takakattara, mochiron kaimasen.If its expensive, of course I wont buy it.

You can use the tara form for making suggestions like How about ing?or Why dont

Soko de mattara d desu ka.Why dont we wait over there?

Sometimes the d desu ka ending is left off, and the meaning merely implied.

Koko de suwattara?How about we sit here.

The tara form can only be used for sentences where the two events mentioned take pone after the other. Therefore, you can use it for the equivalent ofIf we go to Tokyo, levisit Michiko, but not for If we go to Tokyo, we should Michiko beforehand. Another waymaking ifsentences is with the verb ending eba.


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ammar --- -eba if we do so

The verb ending eba shows another way of making ifsentences. To form it start with plain form of the verb, drop the final u and replaces it with eba.

Plain form -eba form meaningdekiru dekireba If I cankaku kakeba If I write

kuru kureba If I comearu areba If I have

Ame ga fureba, dekakeru yotei o yamemash.If it rains, lets drop the plan to go out.

Minna de sdan sureba ii to omoimasu.I think its best if we discuss it altogether.

When you want to talk about a situation if something doesnt happen, then find thenegative plain form (ending in nai), drop the final i and add kereba.

Plain Neg. -kereba form meaningikanai ikanakereba If I dont gonai nakereba If there isnt

wakaranai wakaranakereba If I dont understandmatte inai matte inakereba If he isnt waiting

Jikan ga nakereba, shikata ga arimasen.If you dont have time, it cant be helped.

O-sake o yamenakereba byki ni narimasu yo.If you dont quit drinking, youll get sick.

With I-adjectives, drop the final i and add kereba. With negatives (atsuku nai, yonai, omoshiroku nai, etc), do the same thing.

I-adjective -kereba form meaningatsui atsukereba If its hothoshi hoshikereba If you want

yoku nai yoku nakereba If its not goodsamuku nai samuku nakereba If its not cold

Ashita tenki ga yokereba, dokoka e ikimash ka.If the weathers nice tomorrow, shall we go somewhere?

Kozutsumi ga sonna ni omoku nakereba, kkbin de okutte mo ii desu.If the parcel isnt too heavy, its okay to send it by airmail.

The ba forms for desu are de areba (if it is) and de nakereba (if it isnt). However,areba is fairly formal, and nara is used more often in everyday speech.

Kirai nara, tabenakute mo ii desu. Nichiybi de nakereba, iku koto ga dekimaIf you dont like it, you dont have to eat it. If its not a Sunday, I cant go.


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ammar --- Dare mo, Doko mo, Nani mo nobody, nowhere, nothing When question words like dare, nani, or doko are followed by mo and a negative verb

the meanins change from who, what, where to not anyone, not anything, and notanywhere.

A: Tonari no heya ni dare ga imasu ka.Whos in the next room?

B:Dare mo imasen.No one.

Hoka ni nani mo nakattara, kore de kaigi o owarimash.If there isnt anything else, lets finnish the meeting here.

ammar --- Comparisons

When making a comparison between two things, imagine theyre on two sides (h) of apair of scales, being measured against each other. Then you just need to ask the equivofWhich side is fast/slow/expensive?: Dotchi no h ga hayai/osoi/takai desu ka. T

word dotchi is a common short form ofdochira, in this case meaning which one. If you want to answer that this one or that one is the faster, then use kotchi (kochira)

sotchi (sochira): Kotchi no h ga hayai/osoi/takai desu.

A: Kore to kore to, dotchi no h ga ii desu ka.Which is better of these two?

B: Yasui h o kaimash.Lets buy the cheaper one.

You might also hear this pattern without no h.

O-sake to biiru to, dochira ga suki desu ka.Which to you like, sake or beer?

ammar --- Samuku natte Its getting cold

The verb naru means become/getso it can be used with adjectives to make phrases suas get late, become dark, and used with nouns for phrases like become a teacher, becoan adult. With ii adjectives, drop the final i and add ku.

Samuku narimashita ne! M sugu fuyu desu yo.Its got cold, hasnt it! Itll soon be winter!

Osoku natte, sumimasen.Im sorry Im late.

[Lit: It has become late, and Im sorry.]

With Na-adjectives and with nouns, add ni.

Kare wa kitto ymei ni narimasu yo. kiku nattara, nani ni naritai n desu ka.Hes definitely going to become famous. When you grow up, what do you want to be?


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ammar --- Dareka someone

Adding ka to the end of question words such as are, itsu, nani, and doko is a bit likeputting some in front of equivalent words in English (or in the case of questions andnegatives, any).

Gomen kudasai! Dareka imasu ka.Excuse me! Is there anyone there?

Itsuka Hokkaid e ikitai ne.I want to go to Hokkaido sometime.

Note that the particles o and ga are usually dropped after these words.

ammar --- Au mae ni before meeting

In order to talk about one event happening before another, use mae ni (before) after tplain form of the verb. You can use the present tense of the plain form ( iku, taberu, setc), whether youre talking about two events in the past, present, or future.

Watashi wa neru mae ni, itsumo hon o yomimasu.Before I go to sleep, I always read a book.

Harau mae ni, kono yshi ni kakikonde kudasai.Before you pay, please fill in this form.

ammar ---Yji go owatte kara after the errands are finnished

When you want to talk about one event happening afteranother, use the te-form of th

verb with kara.This is the equivalent of saying after ing, and can be used whether thesecond part of the sentence is in the past, present, or future.

Sono shukudai o owatte kara, sugu neta h ga ii to omoimasu.After you finish your homework, I think you should go straight to bed.

Shashin ga dekite kara, misete kudasai ne.When the photographs are done, please show them.

ammar --- Mazu first of all

Use the word mazu (first of all/to begin with) when you are beginning to describe asequence of events, instructions, or directions. Other useful words to continure with aresore kara (and then/after that), soshite (then), sono ato (after that), sono tsuigi n(next), saigo ni (finally/at the end).

Mazu Igirisu ni itte, sore kara Furansu ni itte, saigo ni Itaria ni ikimashita. Totetanoshikatta desu yo.First we went to Britain, then we went to France, and finally we went to Italy. It wreally enjoyable!


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ammar --- Tame ni in order to

The phrase tame ni after a noun means for the benefit ofor for the sake of, showingpurpose. The English equivalent is often simply for.

Kono jisho wa gaijin no tame desu.This dictionary is for (the benefit of) foreigners.

Nihongo no benky no tame ni totemo isogashii desu.Im very busy with my Japanese studies.

It can also come after the plain form of the verb, in which case it ia often expressin areason, meaning for the purpose ofor in order to. Note that in Japanaese, the reason isgiven in the first part of the sentence.

Kki o tsukuru tame ni, tamago o kaimsau.Im going to buy some eggs to make a cake.

Kore o miseru tame ni kimashita.I came to show you this.

ammar --- -nakereba narimasen mustorhave to

Another use ofnakereba form is to make a pattern when means must/have to. To dothis, add narimasen. which means its no good/it wont do. Then you have nakerebanarimasen which literally means if you dont, its no goodor in other words youmust/you have to.

Ashita wa o-kyaku ga takusan kuru kara, ky ichi-nichi-j ryri o tsukuranakerenarimasen.Tomorrow we have a lot of guests coming, so I have to spend all day today makin

food.

Heya ga kitanai desu ne. Sji shinakereba narimasen.The rooms dirty, isnt it. I must clean it.

The negative dont have to is expressed with nakute mo ii desu.

Ky owaranakute mo ii desu.You dont have to finish it today.

You may also come across the verb endings nakereba ikemasen and nakereba dadesu, which can be translated as must/have to.

Sore o Ogawa san ni misenakereba dame desu yo.You must show that to Mr. Ogawa.


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ammar --- Forming adverbs from adjectives

To make an adverb (describing how something is done, such as incredibly, cheaply,quickly) from an I-adjective, drop the final i and add ku.

I-adj. meaning Adverb meaningsugoi incredible sugoku incrediblyyasui cheap yasuku cheaply

hayai quick, early hayaku quickly, earlyii/yoi good, fine yoku well, often

Kra o sonna ni hayaku nomanaide kudasai.Dont drink your cola so quickly.

M natsu dakara, ima sukii-uea o totemo yasuku kau koto ga dekimasu.Its summer now, so you can buy ski-wear really cheaply.

With na-adjectives, you dont need the na, but follow the word up with ni instead.

Na-adj. meaning Adverb meaning

jzu skillful jzu ni skillfullygenki energetic genki ni energetically

kantan simple kantan ni simply

Nihongo no jiko shkai o totemojzu ni shimashita.He introduced himself very well in Japanese.

Kantan ni setsumei shite kudasai.Please explain it simply.

ammar --- katte, yokatta Im glad we bought

The phrase katte, yokatta actually means we bought, and it was good, but this teyokatta ending can usually be thought of as Im glad that/its lucky that/its good that.

Sono kozutsumi o kkbin de okutte, yokatta desu.Its good that you sent that parcel by airmail.

Saikin tenki ga yoku natte, yokatta desu ne.Im glad that the weather has got better recently.

The opposite meaning can be expressed with te, zannen desu, or its a shame/pity th

Shiteiseki o toru koto ga dekinakute, zannen desu ne.Its a shame we couldnt get reserved seats, isnt it?

Tanaka san wa issho ni konakute, zannen desu ne.Its a pity that Ms. Tanaka didnt come with us, isnt it?


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ammar --- to ieba talking of

The word ieba comes from iu, to talk, and so to ieba means if youre talking about Tphrase is used at the beginning of a sentence when youve just been reminded ofsomething you want to talk about.

A: Sait san no tanjbi no ptii ni ikimasu ka.Are you going to Ms. Saits birthday party?

B: Hai, ikimasu yo. A, tanjbi to ieba, raish wahaha no tanjbi desu. Purezento o kawanakerebanarimasen.Yes, I am. And talking of birthdays, next week its my mothersbirthday. I must buy her a present.

ammar --- toki the time when

The word toki by himself means time/occasion but it also often occurs in cases whereEnglish used when/wheneverto talk about what is or was happening during a certain p

(for example, whenever it rains, when I was a student).

Ame no toki, kibun ga waruku narimasu.Whenever it rains, I feel miserable.

Tesuto no toki, itsumo takushii ni norimasu.When I have a test, I always get a headache.

It can also be used after a verb or verb phrase. Remember that the verb should be in thplain form.

Densha ga konde iru toki, yoku takushii ni norimasu.When the trains are crowded, I often take a taxi.

Kfun shite iru toki, kao ga akaku narimasu.When I get excited, my face goes red.

ammar --- Phrases of frequency

This is the pattern you need when you want to talk about the frequency with which

something happens.

ichi-nichi ni yon-kai four times a day

ni shkan ni ik kai once every two weeks

my japanese notes

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