Fast Track: 100 Grammar Points

Watered-down, understandable, bite-sized

grammar lessons. Perhaps by knowing these basic
Japanese grammar points, you will be able to
communicate in Japanese limited only by
vocabulary and guts! Of course this list is a
simplified grammar, and is meant to be only an
introduction to the grammar points presented.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
1. Basic word order
2. , the Copula
3. "and" -
4. 2 Basic verb forms
5. Making questions -
6. Question words
7. Possessive "'s" -
8. "but" -
9. Pronouns
10. Fillers -
11. Particles intro
12. "if" -
Chapter Two
13. Using
14. Easy adjectives
15. Past tense
16. "very" -
17. "to want"
18. "want to do~" -
19.
20. There is / There are
21. "to like..." -
22. "why/because" -
23. "I think" -
24. "become" -
25. "also" -
Chapter Three
26. Making the form
27. "to do, play" -
28. "more, ~er" -
29. "can" -
30. "~ing" -
31. "for example" -
32. "this" -
33. "that" -
34. "that over there" -
35. "must do" -
36. "better do..." -
37. "better/worse than" -
Chapter Four
38. "how..." -
39. "isn't it?" -
40. "said" -
41. Negative verbs
42. Negative adjectives
43. "plan to" -
44. Punctuation
45. "should/must" -
46. "because" part 2 -
47. "although" -
48. Using
49. "easy to..." -
50. "hard to..." -
Chapter Five
51. "looks like" -
52. "I've heard" -
53. "like, as..." -
54. "like, as if" -
55. "let's..." -
56. "won't you...?" -
57. Power ender ""
58. "when, that time" -
59. Using
60. "situation, case" -
61. "etc... and..." -
62. "about" -
Chapter Six
63. "how about ...?" -
64.
65. "please do..." -
66. "please give me..." -
67. on, in, above, behind...
68. "why don't we...?" -
69. Closer look at
70. Closer look at
71. Closer look at
72. Closer look at
73. "if" II -
74. "soft ender" II -
75. The power ender ""
Chapter Seven
76. The non-but "even if" -
77. "the best, ~est" -
78. "about..." -
79. "can't, not allowed" -
80. Easy kanji prefixes
81. Easy counters
82. The Explanatory
83. as a pronoun
84. "how to..." -
85. "please don't" -
86. "have done..." -
87. "to decide to have..." -
Chapter Eight
88. "about" - ~
89. "even if" -
90. "and, and, etc" -
91. "while" -
92. "may I...?" -
93. "not much" -
94. The power
95. Polite Japanese -
96. Polite II -
97. Giving/receiving -
98. Level/degree of something -
99. "just did..." -
100. "can" II -


Chapter 1
1. Basic word order
2. , the Copula
3. "and" -
4. 2 Basic verb forms
5. Making questions -
6. Question words
7. Possessive "'s" -
8. "but" -
9. Pronouns
10. Fillers -
11. Particles intro
12. "if" -
1. Basic Word Order
The sentence order is very different from English. In English we use Subject-
Verb-Object (SVO), but in Japanese it is usually (but not always!) Subject-Object-
Verb (SOV).
English
S V O
I eat bread.
Japanese
S O V
watashi wa pan o tabemasu.
Notice the "extra" words wa & o. These are called particles (or grammatical
markers) and tell us a lot about the function of the word it follows. Don't worry!
We will get to particles soon enough.
You can read more on Japanese Word Order here.
2. , the Copula
is a copula (a word used to link the subject of a sentence with a predicate).
It shows that something is or isn't something else. It is one of the very few
irregular forms in Japanese. can act like the English "to be" (you know; is,
am, are...) in the sense that is used to explain who or what something or
someone is. It is also used when equating one thing with another.
Let's take a look.

Romaji: zou wa ookii desu.
Literal: elephants (topic particle) big are
Natural: Elephants are large.

Romaji: kore wa neko desu.
Literal: this (topic particle) cat is
Natural: This is a cat.
Most of the time you want to use the "to be" verb you will use . Later we will
learn other forms to show existence.
Main Points
is, are, am
always at the end
it doesn't change like its English cousin (is, are, am) in the present tense
usually pronounced like "dess"
3. "and" -
There are several ways to say "and" (connecting words and phrases). Let's look
at two of them:
(to) - connecting nouns

watashi wa nihongo to eigo to furansugo ga hanasemasu.
I can speak Japanese and English and French.
(soshite) - connecting phrases

atarashii hon o kaimashita. soshite kyou kara yomimasu.
I bought a new book. And I today I will start to read it. (lit. And from
today, I'll read.)
4. 2 Basic verb forms - dictionary
There are many ways to conjugate verbs, but here we will focus on two present
tense forms: "dictionary form" (also known as "plain form") and " ~masu form"
(also known as "polite form")
Note
Switching between these two verb forms does not change the meaning of the
verb but the dictionary form is more casual.
The dictionary form gets its name because it is what is found in the
dictionary.
The dictionary form verbs ends in -u and many end in -ru.
The masu form verbs are so called because they always end in -masu in
the present tense.
Examples
Dictionary Form -Masu Form Meaning

tabe ru

tabe masu Both mean "to eat"

nom u

nomi masu to drink

hashi ru

hashiri masu to run

su ru

shi masu to do (this is one of the 2 irregular verbs)
You will notice some other changes between the two forms. I would recommend
learning about the three verb groups here, but for our purposes right now, just
memorize a few examples and try to find patterns with other verbs. And
remember: Mistake making is memory making! (As long as you correct yourself,
of course.)
5. Making Questions -
Making questions in Japanese is easy! -- REALLY! Usually you can change a
statement into a question by just adding a ka to the end!

amerikajin desu.
I am an American.
Now add a


amerikajin desu ka.
Are you an American?
Main points
ka is added to the end of statements
Word order is not changed as in English.
In Japanese (see the example on the right side) the ? (question mark) is
not required (optional).
Just like in English, the last syllable goes up in intonation.
In spoken Japanese sometimes the ka can be dropped if you raise your
voice at the end as we do with "You want to eat?". But for now, let's stick
to using the ka.
See "Questions and Question Words - 10 minute lesson" for more on this.
6. Question Words
By mastering these question words, your conversational skills will be much
stronger!
(itsu) - when

itsu kimashita ka?
When did you come? [literally "when came?" Notice the "you" is
understood.]
(doko) - where

doko kara kimashita ka?
Where did you come from? [literally "where from came?"]
(doushite) - why

doushite kimashita ka?
Why did you come? [literally "why came?"]
(naze) - why

naze?
Why? [used in the same way as doushite]
(dare) - who

dare ga kimashita ka?
Who came?
(nani) - what

nani o kaimashita ka.
What did you buy?
You can do a lot more with , see here.
Main points
Even with the question word a ka is used. (Except in casual spoken
Japanese.)
The question word is at the beginning, but after the wa if there is one.

anata wa dare desu ka?
Who are you? (the question word dare is after the wa)
For more on this please see our "Questions and Question Words" guide.
7. Possessive "s" -
This is another nice thing about Japanese.
To show relationship or possession between two things just put a (no)
between them. The trick is knowing (erm... ing) which goes to the left of
the no and which goes to the right...
Think of as a 's (apostrophe S)

watashi no neko
My cat [I's cat]

nihon no kuruma
Japanese car [Japan's car]

neko no omocha
Cat's toy
Also think of...
watashino as "my"
anatano as "your"
8. "but" -
But, a small word, but... There are other "buts" but demo is the most common.
Learn this first and you can pick the others up later.
(demo) - but

nihongo ga suki demo furansugo wa kirai desu.
I like Japanese, but I hate French.
9. Pronouns
Pronouns are not used nearly as much in Japanese as they are in English. Often
the pronoun is used once and then after (until the topic shifts to someone else)
the pronoun is dropped. Still they are very important!
Notes
Learn watashi and anata well
tachi and ra are endings that indicate plurality! Easy! :)
Singular Plural
I - watashi WE - watashi tachi
YOU - anata YOU - anata tachi
HE - kare THEY - kare ra
SHE - kanojo

IT - IT isn't used but in ITs place sore (that) is often used -- Don't worry!
Remember to breath!
Notes
Another meaning of kare (he) is actually "boyfriend" and kanojo is
"girlfriend"!
When the meaning is obvious, the pronoun is usually dropped. Both of the
following is clear in meaning:

watashi wa amerika kara kimashita.
I came from America.

amerika kara kimashita.
(I) came from America.
See the "I, Me, You, Thou..." guide for more on pronouns.
10. Fillers -
In English, we have our "ah" and "um." In Japanese, they have their "eeto." This
is the sound you make when you can't think of what to say, but want to say
something!

nan no doubutsu ga suki desu ka?
What animal do you like?

eeto... neko ga suki.
Um... I like cats.
11. Introduction to Particles
Particles may seem a little foreign to you at first, but for the most part, they
aren't too difficult to grasp.
These particles are placed after a word (or phrase) and show its relationship
(grammatical function) to the rest of the sentence.
In other words, the particle itself isn't really translatable, but it tells you a lot
about the function of the word it follows.
The best way to learn to use them is to memorize useful examples and try them
out for size!
wa - overall topic particle
shows the main topic of the conversation. It may be helpful to think of it as "As
for..."
It is a hiragana ha but pronounced as "wa"

anata wa yasashii.
You are nice.
Makes "you" the main topic: "As for YOU, you are nice."
ga - the subject particle
sometimes the difference between wa and ga is hard to tell. Sometimes they can
be used interchangeably with only a slight change in meaning. See next entry for
more on this.

neko ga hen.
The cat is strange.
Makes the "cat" the subject
Comparing and (by Paul_b)
The topic particle can easily be confused with the subject particle . That is
because overrides , in other words, in a sentence something can very easily
be both the topic and the subject of that sentence. In such cases the
"disappears" and it looks like the is acting as a subject marker.
Take this simple sentence.

watashi wa kurei desu.
I am Clay.
"I" (that is the speaker, Clay) is the topic and now this is known, it won't be
repeated unless the topic changes.
What is the subject of the sentence? That's right - "I" watashi is. But because "I"
is also the topic only the topic marker is used. Now we'll let Clay continue and
say another sentence ...

neko ga suki desu.
(I) like cats.
"cats" is the subject here. "I" is still the topic. He could have said "watashi wa
neko ga suki desu." but that is unnecessary because he has already said "watashi
wa" establishing the topic in the previous sentence.
if both are in a sentence, the wa is first.
o - The Direct Object particle

hon o yomimashita.
(I) read a book.
it makes "book" the object. If we were to say "I" it would be watashi wa at the
beginning.
ni - usually shows movement (to)

nihon ni ikimashou!
Let's go to Japan!
There is movement going to Japan or shows time (at)

roku ji ni ikimashou!
Let's go at 6.
de - Shows location (at, in)

nihon de asobimashou!
Let's play (have fun) in Japan!
Notice there is no movement
See the "Particles and Conjunctions" guide for more on this.

Do you have an iPhone/iPod Touch?
You may be interested in this iPhone App for mastering
J apanese Particles. It is produced by TJ P's good friends
over at J apanNewbie.com. It covers the basic particles
plus those found on the J LPT N5 and N4 tests. Use the
Study Mode and Quiz to test yourself. Click here to
jump to the iTunes J apanese 101: Particles page
12. "if" -
We will look at a few examples that actually contain fairly advanced grammar. In
other words, to say "if..." you must start with moshi--and this is easy.
However, you must also change the verb at the end with a ba, tara, or
nara or some other conditional.
That being said, you should become familiar with moshi since it is extremely
useful. Try to memorize one or two example sentences and then listen or look for
other examples online or with friends.
English Japanese
If you come.

moshi anata ga kitara.
If it's sunny.

moshi hare tara.
Special useful phrases

moshi yokereba...
If it is ok with you... [let's do this...]

moshi hoshikattara,
If you want (it),
(when offering something to someone)
Chapter 2
13. Using
14. Easy adjectives
15. Past tense
16. "very" -
17. "to want"
18. "want to do~" -
19.
20. There is / There are
21. "to like..." -
22. "why/because" -
23. "I think" -
24. "become" -
25. "also" -
13. Using
The equivalent to Mr. or Mrs. or Miss. is
Usage
Right after the name. It is used even with friends. (Even when in English we
wouldn't use "Mr.")
(kurei san) - Mr. Clay
(yamada san) - Mr. (or Mrs...) Yamada
Other name titles (used the same way)
(sama) - very polite - reserved for royalty, important people, and
customers of stores
(chan) - used for girls and very young boys (kiti-chan = Hello
Kitty)
(kun) - used for young boys
(sensei) - used for teachers [ kurei sensei], doctors, and
professionals
For now just use san. As you know from watching all the Karate Kid movies, it is
the most common.
For more on this see our article on keishou, " Name Titles".
14. Easy Adjectives
There are 2 types of adjectives:
-i adjectives - adjectives that end in -i
-na adjectives - adjectives that add -na when placed before nouns
The -i adjectives change:
atsui - (It's) hot || +i
atsukunai - not hot || -i +kunai
atsukatta - was hot || -i +katta
atsukunakatta - wasn't hot || -i +kunakatta
Learn this and you can use all -i adjectives!
The -na adjectives don't change! But when placed before nouns they add a -na
genki (healthy, active, fine) genki na ko (healthy child)
Past Tense
For now let's stick with the -masu form of verbs
PAST = MASU MASHITA
tabemasu (to eat) tabemashita (ate)
nomimasu (to drink) nomimashita (drank)
PAST NEGATIVE = MASU MASEN DESHITA
tabemasu (to eat) tabemasen deshita (didn't
eat)
nomimasu (to drink) nomimasen
deshita (didn't drink)
The "-masen" is the negative part
Very
Sometimes mom's cooking isn't just oishii (delicious) it is VERY OISHII!
Add totemo before adjectives to say "very"

totemo oishii desu.
It's very delicious!

totemo ookina ki.
A very big tree.
OTHER VERY WORDS: You can ignore this if you like...
hijou ni
chou (kind of slang - chou means "super-")
To Want
Saying "I want (something)" is pretty easy. J ust say the thing you want and
add ga hoshii to it.

nomimono ga hoshii desu.
(I) want a drink.
NOTE: The desu is optional and is usually dropped. nomimono ga hoshii. is
perfectly fine in spoken J apanese.
Next, let's ask a question. Can you figure out how to do it? That's right add
a ka REVIEW HERE

ke-ki ga hoshii desu ka?
Do you want cake?

Want to do~
First get the masu form of the verb you want to do. Then drop the
masu and add tai.
tabemasu (to
eat)

tabe

tabetai (want to
eat)
nomimasu (to
drink)

nomi

nomitai (want to
drink)
shimasu (to do)

shi

shitai (want to do)
Of course if you want to say "do you want to..." J ust add ka

ke-ki o tabetai desu ka?
Do you want to eat cake?

These 2 particles wa & ga both do what in English is the subject, but
wa is greater in scope than ga
wa - the main topic particle of the conversation
ga - the subject particle of the sentence

watashi wa kurei desu.
I am Clay.
[Clay is the topic and now this is known, it won't be repeated unless the topic
changes]

neko ga suki desu.
(I) like cats.
["cats" are actually the 'subject' here. Maybe this is easier to see "Cats are liked
(by me). Note you could say "watashi wa neko gasuki desu." but it is
unnecessary because we have already said "watashi wa" (The overall topic is
already known)]

if both are in a sentence, the wa is first

the wa is written with a hiragana ha but pronounced as wa
FOR MORE ON THIS ...
There is / There are
For inanimate objects (objects, plants...), end the sentence with
ga arimasu

ki desu.
It's a tree. [lit. tree is.]

ki ga arimasu.
There is a tree(s).
For living things (people and animals) use ga imasu.

neko ga imasu.
There is a cat(s).
To show the negative just add -sen to the end
arimasu arimasen
Another more casual form of arimasu that you don't have to learn now is...
aru nai

imasu imasen
Another more casual form of imasu that you don't have to learn now is...
iru inai
Maybe you know these useful phrases:
onegai ga arimasu. I have a favor to ask.
mondai nai. No problem! [this is the casual form of arimasen]
To like...
It is easy to like something and to say it! J ust add ga suki after the object that
you like:

neko ga suki desu.
I like cats.
[note: Nouns don't change in number (no s) so it could mean "a cat". Also note
the desu if dropped makes the sentence more casual - "neko ga suki."]

Why/Because
2 ways to say "why" are:
1. naze - why
2. doushite - why

They are basically interchangeable and start at the beginning of the sentence and
are followed by the question

naze (doushite) watashi no ke-ki o tabemashita ka?
Why did you eat my cake?
[There isn't a "you" but obviously you wouldn't be asking yourself this question.]
+reason or excuse +kara

nazenara hara ga hetta kara.
Because, (I'm) starving!
[lit. because stomach is diminished]
I think
This goes at the end to show that you believe what you say, but are not 100%
sure. It is also used to show one's opinion. If there is a desuchange it
to da which is the more casual form and add to omoimasu
1. The speaker is not totally sure of the accuracy of his info...

kuma no pu-san wa kuma da to omoimasu.
Winnie the Pooh is a bear, I think...
Next is an example of showing one's opinion. It is true for the speaker, but may
not be so for the listener.

nattou wa oishii to omoimasu.
I think Natto is delicious.
Basically you can say any sentence and if you want to soften it or show you are
not sure, or show your opinion add to omoimasu

24. " become" -
To show the state of becoming... something, use ni narimasu.
The ni is placed after what something is becoming (or became, or might
become... depending on the conjugation used, as the examples illustrate below).
The narimasu means to become. Nouns and -na adjectives use ni narimasu. -i
adjectives are different, but for now there are enough useful nouns to look at:
Examples

yoru ni narimashita.*
It has become night.
* ~mashita shows past

tomodachi ni narimashou.*
Let's become friends.
* the ~mashou means "let's"

genki ni narimashita.
(I) have become fine / healthy.
Also
mo means "also" or "too" and like other particles, it is placed after the word it
modifies. Let's see some examples:
PERSON A:
watashi wa neko ga suki.
I like cats.
PERSON B:
watashi wa neko ga suki, soshite inu mo suki.
I like cats, and I also like dogs.
[to review soshite; the mo after inu replaces ga. You can't say "ga mo"]
PERSON C:
watashi mo neko to inu ga suki.
I also like cats and dogs.

NOTE: watashi mo by itself means "Me too."
Chapter 3
26. Making the form
27. "to do, play" -
28. "more, ~er" -
29. "can" -
30. "~ing" -
31. "for example" -
32. "this" -
33. "that" -
34. "that over there" -
35. "must do" -
36. "better do..." -
37. "better/worse than" -
Making the form
If you know how to make this form, you can do a lot! Later we will look at other
grammar points that are based on the te form. By itself the teform makes a verb
a request (or demand)
1. nomu (to drink) nonde (drink)
2. taberu (to eat) tabete (eat)
3. suru (to do) shite (do)
These are the ways to make the te form for each of the 3 types of verbs. If you
are new to the "types of verbs" thing, don't worry.
Now I know there are many grammarians out there that would argue against what
I am about to say, but here's my advice. Don't worry about learning all the
confusing rules about how to make this verb do that (just yet). J ust say it as you
feel it should be. Of course you will make many mistakes, but if you keep your
ears open and learn from your mistakes you will get a feel for how the verbs
work.
Take the te form for an example. If you memorize the 3 examples at the top you
should be able to guess what other verbs may change to. Or even if you guess
wrong, the correct form should be at least familiar to you.
To do, play
Suru is a very useful verb thingy. It is used where no other verb dares to go!
(Foreign words, nouns, and other scary things...) Think of it as "to do..."
jogingu suru - to (do) jogging
shoppingu suru - to (do) shopping
sain suru - to sign (autograph)

USEFUL JAPANESE + SURU
benkyou suru - to study

mainichi, nihongo o benkyou shimasu.
Everyday, (I) am studying J apanese.
The o is the direct object marker. You
will notice it moves around
sometimes. Don't worry about this now,
just concentrate on suru.


Another usage of -or- is " to play" as in sports or games
yakyuu o suru. To play baseball.
sumou o suru. To play (do) Sumo.
basuketto ba-ru o suru. To play basketball.
shougi o suru. To play shogi (J apanese chess)
more, ~er
One easy way to say "MORE" or "-er" is to add a motto before the thing
you want to emphasis. This is one of the rare times that the word order is the
same with English - or at least with the more part! Relish the moment (while you
can)
{motto ~ = more ~ }

motto pi-man o
tabenasai. Eat more green peppers.
[~nasai is like the te form in that it gives commands, but it is stronger. ]

AND FOR THE:
{motto ~ = ~er }

motto hayaku itte kudasai. (Next
time) please say (it) a little earlier.
[Useful when someone tells you NOT to cut the yellow wire of the bomb after you have
done that...]
Can
There are a couple of ways to say "I can..." in J apanese. The easiest is
dekimasu. Let's look at how to form some sentences.
CAN + NOUN []
1
nihongo ga dekimasu.
I can (speak) J apanese. [I can do J apanese.]
2
kanji ga dekimasu.
I can (read/write) kanji. [I can do kanji.]
3
sukaidaibingu ga dekimasu.
I can skydive.
CAN + VERB [ ]
Actually, the above are all shortened versions without the verb. Let's add the
verb. koto means thing, but here it is used to make a verb a noun so it will work
withdekimasu.
1
nihongo o hanasu
koto ga dekimasu.
I can speak J apanese.
2
kanji o yomu koto ga
dekimasu.
I can read kanji.
Be creative and come up with things you can do!
FOR MORE ON THIS ...
30. " ~ing" -
This is a very important grammar point. It corresponds to the English "~ing" form
Construction
form + or

eat eating (now)
Use this to describe things happening now.

ima anata ni hanashite imasu.
I am talking to you now.

ima gohan o tabete imasu.
I am eating rice (food) now.

ima sukaidaibingu o shite imasu.
I am skydiving now.
To make a question just add to the end. (See here for more on using for
asking questions.)

anata wa benkyou shite imasu ka?
Are you studying?
For example
Anytime you want to make an illustration or give an example this is the phrase
to use.

watashi wa washoku ga suki desu.
I like J apanese style food.

tatoeba, gohan to misoshiru .
For example, rice and miso soup .

You can also ask someone this to get more concrete information.

tatoeba, nani?
For example, what?
FOR MORE POWER WORDS...
This
This and that. Actually J apanese also has one more. They also have "that over
there" - but we will get at that later.
There are 2 words in J apanese that are translated as "this" in English:
kore - When "this" is not connected to a noun - hang on you will get it in a
minute


kore wa nan desu ka?
What is this?


kore wa neko desu.
This is a cat.
HINT
To say " This is" or
" is this"
the kore will
probabl y be
followed by
a wa

kono - When you put "this" before a noun, it changes to kono


kono neko wa pochi desu ka?
Is this cat, Pochi?.


iie kono inu wa pochi desu.
No. This dog is Pochi.
HINT
It may seem
strange at first,
but after a while
This and That
become second
nature!

That
This and that. Now we are on the THAT part. So this THAT refers to objects
near the listener (not the speaker)
sore - when " that" is not connected to a noun


sore wa nan desu ka?
What is that?


sore wa neko desu.
That is a cat.
HINT
Begin to think of the
words starting with
K's as "this" and the
S's as "that" words

sono - When you put "that" before a noun, it changes to sono

sono neko wa pochi desu ka?
Is that cat, Pochi?.


iie sono tako wa pochi desu.
No. That octopus is Pochi.
HINT
This is
used in the
same way
askono

That over there
This and that. Now we are on the THAT OVER THERE part. So this THAT refers
to objects not near the listener or the speaker.
are - when "that" is not connected to a noun

are wa nan desu ka?
What is that over there?
HINT
And now
recognize A's

are wa neko desu.
That over there is a cat.
mean That over
there


ano - When you put "that" before a noun, it changes to ano

ano neko wa pochi desu ka?
Is that cat over there, Pochi?.


iie ano kujira wa pochi desu.
No. That whale over there is Pochi.
HINT
Again they
ALL are
used in the
same way.

Must do
This is a mouthful! But it is so useful. Learn it well
TO MAKE IT: plain negative form - i + kereba narimasen

[Would be for the plain negative form ]
pi-man o tabenakereba narimasen.
(I) must eat green peppers. (Many J apanese children don't like green peppers)
Say that 5 times fast with your mouth full!
Perhaps the most useful usage is:

The shi is from suru (to do)

benkyou shinakereba narimasen.
(I) must (have to) study.

shinakereba narimasen.
(I) must (have to) do (it).

When giving advice this is useful.
CONSTRUCTION: ta form (#3) + hou ga ii

yasunda hou ga ii.
It would be better to rest.

kiita hou ga ii.
It would be better to ask (someone).
NOTE: The ta form is the same as the past tense. (But obviously it is not past
here)
better / worse than
This has the same hou ga ii as the previous entry. But here we using it to
compare things. Also we will introduce yori (less than).

~no hou ga ii (more than)

~yori (less than)
This is a little confusing if you think too much on this! But I suggest memorizing one or
two examples and then you should be able to keep it straight.

watashi wa inu yori, neko no hou ga suki.
I like dogs less than cats. (I like cats more than dogs.)
You should spend some time studying the above example to understand how the
ordering works.
Notice in English we use either "less than" or "more than" and the meaning is
understood by the order of "dogs" and "cats" BUT in J apanese this is also ok:

watashi wa neko no hou ga inu, yori suki.
Chapter 4
38. "how..." -
39. "isn't it?" -
40. "said" -
41. Negative verbs
42. Negative adjectives
43. "plan to" -
44. Punctuation
45. "should/must" -
46. "because" part 2 -
47. "although" -
48. Using
49. "easy to..." -
50. "hard to..." -
How...
Here is a very useful question word -- dou -- Let's look at ways of
using dou.
dou desu ka? How is (it)? [Use this for asking about food, or
anything that is being done now]
dou deshita ka? How was (it)? [Use this to find out about
past experiences - movie, last night's date, molded pizza you just ate...]
OTHER WAYS!
dou yatte? How do you do it? [Ask this when you are not sure how
to do something]
dou shimashita ka? What happened? [Ask this if
someone looks sad or something has happened]
dou shiyou What shall (I or we) do? [This is often used when you can't
make a decision and want help... doushiyou, ne!]
dou suru no? What will you do? [When you want to encourage
someone to make a decision -- Well, what will you do?]
Isn't it?
If you want to state your opinion and then encourage someone to agree,
use deshou.
?
firipin wa atsui deshou?
The Philippines is hot, isn't it?
[You are expecting a 'yes' answer]

itai deshou?
It hurts, doesn't it?
[You see someone who has just slammed their head in the low doorway]
But usually is used to mean 'probably':

Ame ga furu deshou ne.
It will probably rain, don't you think?
And another common usage is meaning 'how about...' or 'what
do you think about'

udon wa dou deshou?
How about some Udon?
said
Meet the wonderful ' to.' Mr. can act as a quotation marker ("). Don't
confuse this with the that means 'and.' Very often if you are quoting someone
or some source. This is best shown with examples:

ore wa su-paman to iimashita.
He said, "I am Superman."

ano e wa juu seiki ni tsukutta to kaite arimasu.
The book says (it is written) that this painting was made in the 10th century.
It can also be used to mark sound effects of things or animals:

ano inu wa 'wan' to iimashita.
That dog barked, "bark"
There are many other usages for 'to.' Paying attention to each usage will help you
get a good grasp.
Negative adjectives
we say `not red` to show an absence of that color in English. In Japanese as
with the verbs, the adjective`s ending is modified with a negative ending. You
will notice a great similarity with the verbal endings.
With `i` adjectives the `i` changes to a `ku` before adding the `nai`...
sono ringo wa akakunai. That apple isn`t red.
`na` adjectives simply drop the `na` (which is really only used before nouns) and add `ja
nai` or `ja arimasen` (or dewa nai & dewa arimasen)...
watashi wa kirei ja nai. I am not pretty.

To learn more about adjectives click here.
Negative verbs
It isn't a sin to be negative. Interesting I should say that... 'sin' sounds like 'sen'
which marks the negative in J apanese in the -masu form. (Ok, so I set that one
up...)
hanasemasu - can speak becomes...

watashi wa nihongo ga hanasemasen.
(I) can`t speak J apanese.
wakarimasu - understand becomes...

watashi wa eigoga wakarimasen.
(I) don`t understand English.
If you can make the -masu form, just drop the and add the
You may have noticed there are no `no` words needed to make a negative like
in English. You simply modify the verb`s ending.
To make the negative in the plain, or simple, form by taking the basic stem and
adding to it.
With the `ru` verbs you simply drop the and add as in
wasureru (to forget)...

nihongo o wasurenai.
(I) don`t forget J apanese.
And for the `u` verbs we change the ending `u` sound to a `a` sound as in
kaku ->...

tegami o kakanai.
(I) don`t write letters.
Finally we come to and the other irregular verbs.
is in the simple form and in the polite form

sukaidaibingu o shimasen.
(I) don`t do sky diving.
And kuru is konai and kimasen in the formal...

gojira ga konai.
Godzilla doesn`t come.
To review the 3 types of verbs click here.
Plan to
If you plan on speaking J apanese these two words are very useful. yotei and
tsumori
yotei and are very similar in meaning and usage. conveys more
of a `schedule` feel whereas is more of a `conviction of doing something.
All you have to do is to stick either on the end of a verb (simple form)...
To add or to any verb just find the simple form...
/
nihon ni iku tsumori (or yotei) desu.
I intend to go to J apan.
[if you use tsumori, you `intend` to go one way or another; if you use yotei you
already have a hard schedule set to leave at a certain time.]
Here is how you add it to a verb
/
anata to kekkon suru tsumori (or yotei) desu.
I intend to marry you.
You can also use it with nouns by sticking a before the tsumori and after
adjectives. But for now concentrate on the verb usage.
Punctuation
Punctuation is in many ways similar to English. You have a comma, called a
and a period at the end of a sentence called a .
Let`s quickly go over some common Punctuation thingies:

the acts just like our period by ending the
sentence. It looks like a ball -maru

the acts like a comma. This is often found after
as in (I, like you)
and
These brackets hold quotations and work like our ""
marks
Should/Must
You should know . It is easy and useful, therefore you have no excuse :)
Hazu shows an expectation that something should happen. In other words, you
are pretty sure something is true. Let`s see how it works...
To add to any adjective just add it...

sono kaban wa, takai hazu desu.
That bag must be expensive.
[It is expected to be expensive]
J ust add it to the simple form of any verb

anata wa, gojira o shitteiru hazu desu.
You should/must know Godzilla.
Because II
We have looked at some 'becauses' that mainly act as a preposition.
comes at the end of the phrase.
In English we start the phrase with `because`; in J apanese you often say the
reason first and then the because...
J ust add it after an adjective...

sono kaban wa takai node, zutto tsukau tsumori desu.
Since that bag was expensive, I plan on using it for a long time.
J ust add it to the simple form of any verb

gojira ga kuru node, toukyou wa kowai tokoro desu.
Since Godzilla comes, Tokyo is a scary place.
After a noun or a -na adjective add a NA before NODE...

watashi wa mada gakusei na node, okane ga nai .
Because I am still a student, I don`t have any money.
Although
A close cousin to (above), is . It is often used to show disappointment
in the current situation.
J ust add it after an adjective...

isshou kenmei benkyou shita noni, tesuto o ochita.
Even though I studied really hard, I flunked the test.
Using
This is a very useful add-on.
Use it as a counter:

nan nin
how many people
kuru no wa nan nin desu ka? - How many people
are coming?

nan nen
how many years
nan nen amerika ni sunde imashita
ka? - How many years did you live in America?

nan ban
what number
tsugi wa nan ban desu ka? - What is the next number?

nan do
what`s the temperature
ondo wa nando desu ka? - What is the temperature
at?

nan you bi
what day of the week
kyou wa nan youbi desu ka? - What is the day of
the week?

nan nichi
which day
pa-ti wa nan nichi? - What day is the party?

nan ko
how many pieces
jeri-bi-n o nanko hoshii desu ka?
- How many jelly beans do you want?
And the following are a few of the adverbial usages of

nani ka
something
nanika nomitai - I want something to drink

nan demo
anything, whatever
nandemo ii desu. - Anything is fine.

nan to
how...!
nan to subarashii hi. - What a wonderful
day!
nan no tame
what for
koko ni kita no wa nan no
tame desu ka? - Why did you come here?


nantonaku
somehow, in some way
nantonaku wakaru. - I somehow understand.

Easy to...
It's easy to add "easy to" to verbs! Consider the following verbs in
the masu form:
tabe masu [to eat]
tabe yasui [easy to eat]
Did you see that? If you know the -masu form of the verb, you can easily drop
the -masu and add a yasui.
wakari masu [to understand]
wakari yasui [easy to understand]
Hard to...
If "easy to" is easy to use (see above) then you would think that "hard to" would
be hard to use. Well, they had to go and make it easy as well. Usage is the
same as -yasui (easy to)
tabe masu [to eat]
tabe nikui [hard to eat]
If you know the -masu form of the verb, you can easily drop the -masu and add
a nikui.
wakari masu [to understand]
wakari nikui [hard to understand]
Chapter 5
51. "looks like" -
52. "I've heard" -
53. "like, as..." -
54. "like, as if" -
55. "let's..." -
56. "won't you...?" -
57. Power ender ""
58. "when, that time" -
59. Using
60. "situation, case" -
61. "etc... and..." -
62. "about" -
Looks like
Looks like
we made it - as Barry Manilow would say - at least we made it half way!
taifuu
ga kuru mitai. It looks
like a hurricane. [This could mean
you are looking at storm clouds, OR someone told you a hurricane is coming
and you are reporting that possibility]
And just stick it after a noun

kono keshiki wa yume mitai.
This scenery looks like
a dream. [Useful if visiting Mt. Fuji - or, alternatively, if you have
bad dreams, a garbage heap...]

ano hito WA nihonjin mitai.
That person looks like
he's [or she's] Japanese.
There is another usage of -mitai where it can mean 'try and see' when added
to the form of a verb:
yatte mitai - I'll give
it a shot.
tabete mitai - I'll taste
and see.
That is a bit different from the above, but it is also very useful!
I've heard
While can convey info you have heard as well as what you see,
is mainly used for info that originated elsewhere. - I heard...
Construction:
1) simple verb + ~sou + desu/da

yuki chan WA niku o tabenai sou DA
I heard Yuki doesn't eat meat.
2) -i adjective + ~sou + desu/DA

tanaka san no atarashii pasokon wa totemo takai sou desu.
I heard Tanaka's new computer is very expensive. [This info could have come
from Tanaka himself, or someone else]
Like, as...
Here is a useful tag which means 'just as...' or 'like this...'
Construction:
1) simple verb + ~you ni

watashi ga iu you ni shite.
Do as I say.
2) noun +~no you ni

anata wa kuma no pu-san no you ni kawaii desu.
You are as cute as Winnie the Pooh
like, as if, apparently
This is similar to ~sou where the speaker is repeating info heard from another
source. The only difference may be ~rashii may be based on more reliable
information.
Construction:
1) simple verb + ~rashii

yamada san wa kaetta rashii desu.
It sounds like Mr. Yamada has come home.
2) noun +~rashii
There are a few nouns with rashii that you can remember as a word in itself. This
meaning is slighly different from the above verb construction. Instead of meaning
info heard elsewhere, when added to a noun it means the speaker thinks
something looks like something. Here are a few:
otokorashii - manly (like a man)
onnarashii - girly (but perhaps onnappoi is used more)
inurashii - like a dog (substitute any animal here. This is useful when you see an
animal at night and are not sure what it is, but it looks like...)
amerikarashii - American-ish (substitute any country)
Another similar construction with nouns is ~ppoi - as seen above with onnappoi.
When added to nouns to mean 'looks like...' ~ppoi is the same as ~rashii
Let's...
Maybe this should be bumped up since it is so useful. Let`s start...
Construction:
1) ~masu verb - masu +mashou
Here are a few quick and useful examples:

ikimashou.
Let's go.

asobimashou.
Let's play.

sensei to hanashimashou.
Let's talk to the teacher.

nihongo o benkyou shimashou.
Let's study J apanese.

This example uses suru. Another example would be:
sukai daibingu shimashou. Let's go
sky diving.
This construction is very easy if you know the masu (formal) form of the verb. If
you are a beginner, you probably want to stick with the ~masu form anyway.
Won't you...?
Why don't we study Japanese grammar?
ok. Since we have the above construction (using a negative to suggest doing
something) in English, this grammar point isn't too difficult to grasp.
Construction:
1) ~masu verb - masu + masen ka

dokoka ikimasen ka.
Why don't we go already?
[notice I have the English as 'we.' It could be 'you' if you are angry at the person
and wish him to leave...]

eiga o mimasen ka .
Why don't we see a movie.

nanika nomimasen ka.
Wouldn't you like to drink something?
[In this case you are asking someone individually if they would like something to
drink. ]
Power ender ""
This is used at the end of a sentence and contains a variety of meanings. We will
look at it as a question tag.
As a question tag: don't you... isn't it...
anata wa ninjin ga
kirai desu ne. You don't like carrots, don't you?
sono eiga
wa totemo ii eiga datta ne. Don't you think that was a good movie?
kyou wa atsui desu ne. Today is very
hot, isn't it?
If you want to use ne as a question tag, it helps to nod your head, or change the
inflection to let the listener know you would like a response. It is usually used
when the speaker feels fairly certain his listeners agree with what was said.
A very useful phrase for whenever something good happens is:
ii ne. Isn't that great!
When, that time
If you don't know when to say something, you will never say it!
Using toki - at the time when...
With a noun add a
[Looking at a photo]

watashi wa gakusei no toki ni wa totemo wakakatta ne. [looking at a photo] When I was a student, I
was very young, wasn't I?
And with verbs...
simple past


furorida ni itta toki ni kore wo kaimashita. When I went to Florida, I bought this.

non-past


furorida ni iku toki wa omiyage wo kaimasu. When I go to Florida, I will buy souvenirs.

continuing

neru toki itsumo futon de nemasu. When I sleep, I always sleep on a futon.
For more information on time related words, click here
Using
This is how you say 'thing'
Koto - intangible things

ii koto wa arimasen.
There isn't anything good.

daiji na koto o oshiemasu.
I will tell you an important thing.

kinou no koto wa sumimasen deshita.
I am sorry about what happened yesterday. (yesterday's thing)
Mono - tangible things

sono kuroi mono wa neko kanaa.
I wonder if that black thing is a cat?

oishii mono ga tabetai.
I want to eat something good.
One useful phrase using koto is:

dou iu koto?
What is the meaning of this?
This phrase is used whenever the listener isn't sure of the motive of the speaker.
situation, case
This is one that should be learned by useful examples

hijou no ba ai wa botan o oshite kudasai.
In case of emergency push the button.

sono ba ai wa dou sureba ii?
In that situation, what should I do?

tesuto ga atta ba ai, watashi wa byouki ni narimasu.
Should a test be given , I will get sick.
Etc... and...
Sometimes you have to say more than one thing. Whoever invented 'etc.' was a
genius. Let's see how to do this in Japanese...
First a few ways to list multiple items:
ya - and, and so forth

pi-man ya hourensou ga kirai desu.
I don't like green peppers, spinach and the like.

toka - or, and, and so forth

kuma no pu-san toka doraemon toka kiti chan ga suki desu.
I like things like Winnie the Pooh and Doraemon and Hello Kitty.

And now for nado to wrap things up.

tabemono no naka dewa piza toka furaido poteto nado ga suki desu.
As for foods, I like things like pizza or french fries.
About or
About how much? About how many?
Sometimes the turns into a probably after harder consonants.

okyakusama wa dono kurai kimashita ka?
About how many customers came?

eeto, hyaku nin kurai kimashita.
Let me see, About 100 people.
You can use this with time:

hachi ji gurai
about 8 O'clock
Or counting anything:
ni hiki kurai - about 2 (animals)
juu satsu gurai - about 10 books
Chapter 6
63. "how about ...?" -
64.
65. "please do..." -
66. "please give me..." -
67. on, in, above, behind...
68. "why don't we...?" -
69. Closer look at
70. Closer look at
71. Closer look at
72. Closer look at
73. "if" II -
74. "soft ender" II -
75. The power ender ""
How about ...?
To ask the state of something (how something is doing) use the useful dou
(desu ka).
You can used it with or without the final 'desu ka' in conversation.

saikin wa dou desu ka?
How's it going recently?

ko-hi- wa dou?
How's the coffee? or it could mean How about some coffee?

tenki yohou wa dou?
How's the weather forecast looking?
Of course when the context is understood you can simply say, 'dou' (Like
returning from a doctor's appointment, or after your friend gets off an important
phone call)

This literally means 'to complete, finish' but can (and usually does) involve a
regret over having done something. Also it can be used sarcastically to mean the
speaker really wanted to do something, but gives a halfhearted apology. For
example, I unfortunately ate the last cookie.
Of course there really wasn't anything unfortunate about it.
The construction is usually after the ~te form of any verb

zenbu no okane o tsukatte shimaimashita.
Unfortunately, I spent all my money.

watashi wa kanzen ni nihongo o wasurete shimatta.
Unfortunately, I have completely forgotten J apanese.
Another very useful variation is ~chatta. This is informal and is used by both male
and female speakers. chau is made by combining te shimau ->chau

shiken ni ochichatta.
I flunked the test unfortunately.
or in the present tense

ke-ki o zenbu tabechau.
I will eat all the cake.

An important point by Mukade in the forums:
In the Kansai area, the use of is limited to female speakers.
I learned both in the classroom, of course, since they are standard dialect.
But when I moved here to Osaka, people started asking me if I was gay,
since I kept using all the time.
If I could help prevent someone else from having to go through the same
" hard knocks" learning process that I did, it would make me very happy.

So be careful if you are in the Kansai area! But in most areas it should be fine.
Please do...
Here's how you boss people around. Well, in a nice way...
add kudasai (please) after the ~te form of any verb

yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
Please speak slowly.

motto otona rashiku shite kudasai.
Please act more grown-up.

koko de migi ni magatte kudasai.
Please turn right here.
Please give me...
Another use for kudasai is "please give me..."

sono hon o kudasai.
Please give me that book.

go hyaku en o kudasai.
Please give me 500 yen.
In spoken J apanese, the 'o' is usually dropped.
On, In, Above, Behind
A good knowledge of position particles will help glue everything together. ni -
on
tsukue ni hon ga arimasu. There is a book on the desk.
no ue ni - on top of
tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu. There is a
book on (top of) the desk.
no shita ni - under...
tsukue no shita ni hon ga arimasu. There is a
book under the desk.
no ushiro ni - behind...
tsukue no ushiro ni hon ga arimasu. There is a
book behind the desk.
Why don't we...?
Why don't we study a little more?

dokoka de tabemasen ka?
Why don't we eat somewhere.

nanika nomimasen ka?
Would you like something to drink. or Why don't we have a drink.
The context decides if the meaning should be 'why don't WE' or 'Would YOU.'
A Closer look at
Pronounced o but written in J apanese as wo. Simply put, is the 'direct object
marker or particle' which indicates the previous word is the direct object. There
are cases when the English would not consider it a direct object, though. Learn
some examples and give it a try. This particle is one of the easier ones...

watashi wa ringo o tabemashita.
I ate an apple. (apple is the )

ongaku o kikitai desu.
I want to listen to music. (music is the )

terebi o kau tsumori desu .
I intend to buy a TV. (tsumori means'intend to'; TV is the )
A Closer look at
In most cases the particle can be used interchangeably with . But has a
wider application so for now just stick with
Showing movement toward... Like 'to'

nihon ni ikitai.
I want to go to J apan. (direction TO J apan)

doko ni ikitai desu ka.
Where do you want to go?
Meaning 'on' or 'in'

kami ni e o kakimashita.
I drew a picture on a piece of paper.
In time - 'at'

roku ji ni aimashou.
Let's meet at 6.
A Closer look at
This is used mainly for location.
Used for location of where something happens

depa-to de boushi o kaimashita.
I bought a hat at the Department store.

nihon de nani o shimashita ka.
In J apan, what did you do?
Observe the difference between and :

makudonarudo ni ikitai.
I want to go to McDonalds.

makudonarudo de tabetai.
I want to eat at McDonalds.
A Closer look at
This is the 'subject marker / particle'.

ame ga futteimasu.
It's raining.
There is a subtile difference between WA and GA and I don't pretend to try to
completely explain it. Years from now, you will still make WA/GA mistakes. Still,
in general you can say WA is the main TOPIC and GA is the more specific
SUBJ ECT at hand. In the above example we say it is raining. The topic isn't
about rain. We are simply stating the circumstances at the moment and the
subject of that particular sentence is rain. If we were to talk all about rain, we
would probably start with WA as in:

ame wa sora kara futte kuru mizu desu.
As for rain, it is water that falls from the sky. (You may go on to say more about
the overall topic of rain.)
Used with SUKI

watashi wa neko ga suki.
I like cats.
Question words always use GA

nani ga oishii?
What tastes good?

dare ga kimashita?
Who came?

doko ga ichi ban ii tokoro desu ka?
Where is the best place?
If II
A while back we found as the word that means 'if'. is added to the
end of verbs to give the meaning of 'if this is done, then this will happen'
It is formed by finding the simple past form and adding a

anata ga kitara kare wa kaeru
If you are coming, he will go home.
The simple past form of is .The 2nd phrase is conditional on the
phrase.

gojira ni attara doushiyou.
What should I do if I meet Godzilla?
You can also use it with nouns by using the simple past form of desu:

okanemochi da tara ookina ie ga kaeru noni.
If only I were rich, I could buy a large house.
Softener
Many years ago I found an example in a book of how J apanese can be direct or
politely indirect. For example you can say:
1) koi
or
2)

both mean 'come here' but #2 is much more polite being cushioned by many
soft, indirect words. One of these words is .
means 'little' or 'small amount' but it is often used to soften an
otherwise painful 'no' or 'your request is impossible; live with it'

chotto muzukashi desu ga.
That's a little difficult. (this may be said when the request is impossible)

chotto dekinai desu.
It can't be done.

chotto wakaranai desu.
I'm not really sure.
I have been told the sound 'chotto' is a bad word in Korean. If that is the
case, chotto may not be that soft of a word...

The power ender ""
When you want to impress upon your listener the importance or truth of what
you are saying stick a at the end of the sentence.
hontou desu yo. It's the truth, I tell ya! (Perhaps the
speaker suspects the listener doesn't believe what he just said)

fururida no 12
gatsu wa atsui desu ka? Is December in Florida is pretty hot?
kekkou samui desu yo. Actually, it is pretty
cold.

It is very useful for rumors or explaining a truth you know someone may not
swallow at first:
suzuki san wa uchuujin
desu yo. Suzuki is an alien, you know.
Chapter 7
76. The non-but "even if" -
77. "the best, ~est" -
78. "about..." -
79. "can't, not allowed" -
80. Easy kanji prefixes
81. Easy counters
82. The Explanatory
83. as a pronoun
84. "how to..." -
85. "please don't" -
86. "have done..." -
87. "to decide to have..." -
The non-but / Even ifalthough
We have studied which means 'also'. When added after the form of a
verb or adjective it brings on the meaning of 'even if'. Let's investigate:

joudan wo ittemo, kare wa waraimasen.
Even if you tell a joke, he won't laugh.
And an adjective:

tsumetakutemo taberaremasu.
Even if it is cold, I can eat it.
And just stick it after a noun

su-paman demo sonna koto wa dekinai yo.
Even Superman can't do that!
The best, -est
While it means #1, it is also used as a superlative- most or -est

tabemono no naka wa nani ga ichiban suki desu ka?
Out of all foods, what do you like the best?

fujisan wa sekai de ichiban takai yama ja nai.
Mt. Fuji isn't the tallest mountain in the world.
About...
This is added to mean 'this sentence is ABOUT the previous word'. Simply stick
it after the noun you want to talk about.

bangumi ni tsuite no oshirase desu.
This is an annoucement about the program (TV for example).

ano eiga ni tsuite dou omou?
What do you think about that movie?
Can't, not allowed /
This is how to say something is forbidden to do. Perhaps easiest way to us this
is to stick it after the form of a verb and (wa - topic particle).

shiranai hito to hanashite wa ikemasen.
Don't speak to strangers.
Often in casual speech, the becomes (or ) as in:

sono eiga o micha ikemasen yo.
You are not allowed to watch this movie - or You shouldn't watch this movie.
You can also use for a similar effect: watashi no
hon o yonja dame. You can't read my book!
Easy kanji prefixes
There are a number of fairly easy kanji that will help dramatically increase your
vocabulary. These kanji have specific meanings that when added to other kanji
or words, it changes the whole meaning in a logical way.
- dai, oo - big



suki
to like
dai suki
to really like, love
kirai
to dislike
daikirai
to really dislike,
hate


ji shin
earthquake

dai jishin
a huge earthquake


ame
rain

oo ame
heavy rain
Another similar word is: (small)
- mai - every (attached to time words)

asa
morning

mai asa
every morning


toshi
year

mai toshi
every year


ban
evening

mai ban
every evening

- kai - to meet (a suffix)

ongaku
music

ongaku kai
concert/recital


un dou
exercise, sports

undou kai
athletic meet


Easy Counters
In English, we just take a number (1,2,3...) add a noun and an "s" to count
items. But in Japanese different types of objects have different counters. Plus
some numbers change pronunciation slightly when added with their counter.
Don't worry too much about the pronunciation changes since you will be
understood. And even if you mess up and count with the wrong counter, you
should be understood, but just a tip... don't count people with "pikki" (used with
animals!)
First, there are 2 ways to count numbers - the 'native' and the 'Chinese' way.
Actually the 'native' counting system only goes up to 10 and is pretty much only
used for counting up to two people and for counting general things. If you are
feeling lazy, just learn the "Chinese" numbers for now.
If you haven't studied numbers yet, go to this page to learn all about them
before proceeding: How to Count
Here is a quick review::
Native










Chinese










Note the two red alternate readings on the "Chinese" side. These are
pronunciations based on the "native" readings but are often used in conjunction
when counting other "Chinese" numbers.
Ok, now for counters.
Let's go through some common counters one by one and then I will give a list of
many other counters:
Counter: nin | Usage: people [pay attention to the red lines.]
1 person [irregular]
2 people [irregular]
3 people [now we simply add the Chinese numbers to
]
[ is NOT used. Probably because means death...
Also notice the dropped from ; hihlordjp from the discussion forums on
this site brought up an interesting but obscure (I think) pronunciation -
or . It is in the dictionaries although I had never heard it. ]


OR [It seems is used more often,
but is also used]

or )

etc...
Counter: hiki | Usage: most animals
[notice the H changes to a P]

[notice the H changes to a B this time.]


[notice the H changes to a P AND the becomes a small
]
or [probably is most used]
or

[notice the small - this occurs when there is a soft
sound after like H]
Counter: hon | Usage: long, slender objects like pencils, bottles, arms...







or


Other Counters:
satsu
books and magazines
fun
minutes
hai
cups of liquids, drinks
mai
sheets of paper; flat
objects

one book









or

or



or *

one minute














or *

one cup













or *

one piece
















* notice this can be pronounced as instead of . This is to make it
clearer and is often used in broadcasting. You may also encounter this with hon
and hiki. For now, you can just say, ...
The Explanatory ""
You may have heard this quite a lot and wondered what it's all about! It is most
often used, informally, when:
1) To explain something
2) To show emphasis
is short for ; Informal usage;
plain form verb +

nani o shite iru n desu ka .
Whatcha doing?

terebi o mite iru n desu.
Watching TV.
-i Adjective +

kono eiga wa omoshiroi n desu.
This movie was great!
And it can be used as a way to stress a point

pa-ti ni ikanai deshou
You won't be able to make it to the party, right?

iie, boku wa iku n desu.
No, I'm going!


ittai, doushita n desu ka.
J ust what exactly happened (to you)!!!?
as a Pronoun
can be used in place of a noun (indefinite pronoun) to mean "one" or "some."
Construction:
Use in place of noun


aoi no.
The blue one.


yasui no ga hoshii.
I want the cheap one.
(computer, car, book, anything)
How to...
Attach to the stem of verbs to change it into a noun to mean: Way or
Manner of doing or how to do...
Construction:
Take the ~ form of a verb minus the and then add .



kanji no yomi kata
How/Way to read (a) kanji



kanji no kaki kata
How/Way to write (a) kanji
NOTE: Since it becomes a noun phrase, you should use as above.
Let's ask, "Please teach me how to use chopsticks correctly."



hashi no tadashii tsukai kata o oshiete kudasai.
Please teach me how to use chopsticks correctly
Please don't
Sometimes you have to tell/ask people to not do something.
Construction:
Take the form of a verb and drop the
Add

ke-ki o tabe naide kudasai.
Please don't eat the cake.

sukaidaibingu o shinaide kudasai.
Please don't go skydiving.
Have Done
This is a very useful construction. Simply add it after a simple past form of a verb:
Construction:
Take the simple past form of a verb
Add

amerika ni itta koto ga arimasu ka?
Have you been to America?


nattou o tabeta koto ga arimasu.
(I) have eaten natto before.
I'll Have...
To decide to have...
Very often this phrase is used to say, "I'll have (some food or drink)." Next time
you go to a J apanese restaurant, give this a try.

nani ni shimasu ka?
What will you have?

watashi wa tenpura ni shimasu
I'll have tempura.
Chapter 8
88. "about" - ~
89. "even if" -
90. "and, and, etc" -
91. "while" -
92. "may I...?" -
93. "not much" -
94. The power
95. Polite Japanese -
96. Polite II -
97. Giving/receiving -
98. Level/degree of something -
99. "just did..." -
100. "can" II -
About ~
To say 'about' as in "about a week" or to show an approximate degree of
something, use ~

isshuu kan hodo
About a week

eki wa jukkiro hodo saki desu.
The train station is about 10 kilometers ahead.

kore wa go sen en hodo de kaemasu.
This can be bought for about 5000 yen.
Even if
Sometimes you need to sound poetic. This construction fits perfectly into that
mood.
Construction: VERBS
+
Take the form of a verb
Add

tatoe sekai ga owattemo
Even if the world ends...

tatoe shippai shitemo mata ganbarimashou..
Even if we fail, let's keep at it.
Make the negative form of the verb with :

tatoe nido to aenaku temo wasuremasen.
Even if we shall never meet again, I won't forget.
And and
Doing this; Doing that
Construction:
Take the form of a verb (simple past)
Add

tattari suwatari
Standing and sitting

doru ga agattari sagattari
The dollar is rising and falling.

kyou wa kaimono o shitari resutoran de tabetari shite takusan no okane o
tsukatta.
Today I went shopping and at at a restaurant, etc; I used a lot of money.
While
While doing this I also did this...
Construction:
Take the form of a verb and drop the (the stem)
Add

ongaku o kiki nagara benkyou o shimashita.
While studying, I listened to music.

hon o yomi nagara gohan o tabemasu.
While eating a meal, I read a book.
One useful set phrase is zan nen nagara and means, "That's too bad"
or "I regreat (to say)" or "Unfortunately"
May I?
Asking permission and Being polite go hand in hand. Here is how you do both in
J apanese.
Construction:
Take the form of a verb
Add

denwa o tsukattemo ii desu ka?
May I use the phone?

yasundemo ii desu ka?
May I take a break? (from work, from studying, etc)

chotto hanashitemo ii desu ka?
May I say something? (I'd like to speak a little)
Not much
Not much; not really--Followed by a negative verb
Construction:
Used in a negative sentence

nihongo ga amari jouzu ja nai
I'm not really good at J apanese.

amari yokunai
(That's) not really good.

odori wa amari umaku nai
I'm not really good dancing.

okane wa amari nai
I don't have much money.
The power ""
, for our purposes today, means, "That's right" or "That's so" (the latter being
an easy way to remember)
Construction:
This useful word is used in various idiomatic ways. It is best to learn each as
an example by heart.

sou desu
Yes, that is right.

sou desu ka?
Is that so?; Really?; You don't say?

sou ieba
Now that you mention it; Speaking of that...

sou kangaeru to
Seen from that light; Thinking like that; From that point of view

sou shitara
If you do it that way...; if done that way...

sou shinai to
If you don't do it that way...
And there are many more you will come across! Listen to how is used in
conversation.
Polite Japanese
There are three basic types of honorifics for verbs. It depends on your social rank
as to which form to use.
A) Humble ( kenjougo) - This is when referring to oneself or one's family
members and (usually) speaking to someone higher up in social rank, position or
some other criteria for determining status. However even some people with high
positions may choose to use the humble form with those under him/her.
B) ~masu - As mentioned above ~masu / desu is actually teineigo or
polite language, but I'm using the familiar ~masu form for an easy comparison to
the the kenjougo and sonkeigo forms.
C) Respectful ( sonkeigo) - This is what you say to your boss or those
higher up when speaking to them. If you are speaking about yourself, you will
use the humble form.
Humble
(speaking to your boss about
yourself)
Normal
(speaking to your friends)
Respectful
(speaking to your boss about
your boss)

haiken shimasu


mimasu
to see

goran ni narimasu


moushimasu
You know this from "name to
moushimasu"

iimasu
to say

osshaimasu


itadakimasu


tabemasu
to eat

meshi agarimasu


mairimasu
This is the humble form for
both to come and go!


kimasu
to come

ikimasu
to go

irasshaimasu
This is the respectful form for
both to come and go!


itashimasu


shimasu
to do

nasaimasu

For a more detailed explanation and many more examples see here.
Polite Part II
+ stem + This makes a 'normal' verb honorific (exalted) [You are
speaking to or about someone with a higher status than you (your boss)]

shachou to hanashimashita ka?
Company president - with - talk - ?
Did you speak with the boss? (normal)


shachou to o hanashi ni narimashita ka?
Did you speak with the boss? (polite)

nanika nomimasen ka?
something - won't drink - question
Won't you drink something? (normal)


nanika o nomi ni narimasen ka?
Won't you drink something? (polite)
+ stem + This also makes a 'normal' verb exalted; it is used when
asking things - 'please give me'

utte kudasai.
Please sell (me this). (normal)


o uri kudasai.
Please sell (me this) (honorific)

tabete kudasai,
Please eat. (normal)


o tabe kudasai.
Please eat. (polite)
For a more detailed explanation and many more examples see here.
Giving and Receiving


These three verbs are easy to mix up, but they aren't too difficult if you spend
some time learning each word's function. It is of course more complex than this
page allows, but this should give you a fairly good understanding.
The Word:
When you, the speaker, give something to someone, use

kore o anata ni agemasu.
I will give you this.
NOTE: The receiver is the one with the particle ( to you).

The Word:
This is also usually translated as 'give' but it is from the receiver's point of
view.

tanaka san ga kore o watashi ni kuremashita.
Tanaka gave this to me.
NOTE: Again, the receiver is the one with the particle. ( to me)

The Word:
is used from the perspective of the receiver.

watashi ga tomodachi kara ke-ki o moraimashita.
I received a cake from a friend. (My, the receiver, point of view)
NOTE: If is used, the meaning should be pretty clear ( from a
freind), but you can also use to show who is doing the action as in:

watashi ga tomodachi ni ke-ki o moraimashita.
I received a cake from a friend.
NOTE: The use of with can seem confusing considering is used to
mean the receiver in the other two cases
Level / degree of something
Add to adjectives to express a degree or amount
Construction: -i adjectives:
Remove the trailing and add

zou san no takasa wa nan desu ka?
What is the height of an elephant
NOTE: The shows a degree; this can be a higher, lower, wider, thinner, etc
amount. (we could be asking the height of an ant)
Construction: -na adjectives:
J ust add the without the

kono kuruma no shizukasa wa odoroku beki desu.
This car's quietness is amazing.
NOTE: The finished product (adjective +) becomes a noun phrase and is
treated as a noun grammatically.
Just Did...
Showing a completed action: just...
Construction:
Add after the simple past of a verb

tabeta bakari desu.
I just ate.

tateta bakari no ie.
A newly built house.

ima kita bakari desu.
I just arrived.
Can II
Can II
Potential form of Verbs.
Before starting this lesson, you may want to review the groups of the verbs.
Construction: The ~u Group (group 1 verbs)
Verb Root +eru
kaku to write kak (verb root) kakeru able to write

kanji ga kakemasu ka?
Can you write kanji?
[NOTE: use with the potential form]
Construction: The ~ru Group (group 2 verbs)
Verb Root +rareru
taberu to eat tabe (verb root) taberareru able to eat

pi-man ga taberaremasu ka?
Can you eat green peppers?
Construction: The irregular Group (group 3 verbs)
The two irregular verbs should be memorized:



pa-ti ni koraremasu ka?.
Can you come to the party?
NOTE: You can also easy do this with any Simple Past Verb +
More...