Here are some expressions commonly used in everyday situations:
1. たんじょうびおめでとうございます!
Tanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu!
Happy birthday to you!
2. あけましておめでとうございます!
Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu!
Happy New Year!
3. ごめんください。
Gomen kudasai.
Hello/Excuse me (Used when you visit a home or a shop to call attention).
4. いらっしゃいませ。
Irasshaimase.
Welcome (Usual response to 3. Used by shop clerks to welcome customers. "Irasshai" is informal).
5. いただきます。
Itadakimasu.
Said before eating or drinking something.
6. ごちそうさまでした。
Gochisōsama deshita
Said after you finish eating/drinking something.
7. (どうも) ありがとうございます。
(Dōmo) arigatō gozaimasu.
Thank you (very much).
8. すみませんでした。
Sumimasen deshita.
Thank you (Kinda like "I apologize for the inconvenience).
9. おやすみなさい。
Oyasumi nasai.
Good night (A child or senior may omit 'nasai')
[Classroom Expressions]
10. 日本語でこたえてください。
Nihongo de kotaete kudasai.
Please answer in Japanese.
11. 54ページをあけてください。
54 pēji o akete kudasai.
Please open your books to page 54.
12. 本をとじてください。
Hon o tojite kudasai.
Please close you books.
13. やめてください。
Yamete kudasai.
Please stop (A teacher would say this at the end of a test)
14. いみは何ですか?
Imi wa nan desu ka?
What is the meaning?
15. "本" はえいごで何ですか?
"Hon" wa eigo de nan desu ka?
What in "hon" in English?
16. わすれました。
Wasuremashita.
I forgot.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Special Lesson: Commonly Used Expressions
Easy Japanese Chapter 9
1. A. らいねんハワイへ行きたいですか?
Rainen hawai e ikitai desu ka?
Do you want to go to Hawaii next year?
B. はい、行きたいです。
Hai, ikitai desu.
Yes, I do.
- or -
C. いいえ、行きたくありません。
Iie, ikitaku arimasen.
No, I don't.
2. A. あした何をしたいですか?
Ashita nani o shitai desu ka?
What do you want to do tomorrow?
B. テニスをしたいです。
Tenisu o shitai desu.
I want to play tennis.
3. ここでいっしょに本をよみましょう。
Koko de issho ni hon o yomimashō.
Let's read a book here together.
4. A. あさってパーティーをしましょうか?
Asatte paatii o shimashō ka?
Shall we have a party the day after tomorrow?
B. ええ、そうしましょう。
Ee, sō shimashō.
Yes, let's (do so).
5. A. てつだいましょうか?
Tetsudaimashō ka?
Shall I help you?
B. はい、おねがいします。
Hai, onegaishimasu. -
Yes, please.
- or -
C. いいえ、けっこうです。
Iie, kekko desu.
No, thank you.
6. どうぞこのりょうりをたべてください。
Dōzo kono ryōri o tabete kudasai.
Please eat this dish.
7. もうすこしゆっくりはなしてください。
Mō sukoshi yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
Please speak a little more slowly.
[Words For This Lesson]
あける - akeru - To open
しめる - shimeru - To close (Not used for books)
しらべる - shiraberu - To check, to investigate
おしえる - oshieru - To teach, tell
いう - iu - To say, tell
うる - uru - To sell
まつ - matsu - To wait
てつだう - tetsudau - To help, give a hand (Does not mean "to rescue")
りょこう - ryokō - To travel, tour (-o suru = To take a trip)
パーティー - paatii - Party (-o suru = To have a party)
(お)べんとう - (o)bentō - Packed/boxed/bagged lunch or dinner
あさ - asa - Morning
ひる - hiru - Noon/lunch time; day (time)
ごご - gogo - Afternoon; p.m. (ごぜん - gozen = a.m.)
ばん - ban - Evening (こんばん - konban = This evening)
ごはん - gohan - Meal, cooked rice (あさごはん - asagohan = Breakfast)
ことば - kotoba - word, language
いみ - imi - Meaning
やすみ - yasumi - off day, break (ふゆやすみ - fuyu yasumi = Winter vacation)
きょねん - kyonen - Last year (きょねんのはる - kyonen no haru = Last (year's) spring)
ことし - kotoshi - This year (ことしのなつ - kotoshi no natsu = This summer)
らいねん - rainen - Next year (らいねんのあき - rainen no aki = Next (years) autumn)
ドア - doa - Door
がいこく - gaikoku - Foreign country
がいこく人/がい人 - gaikokujin/gaijin - Foreigner
かわいい - kawaii - Cute (Be careful for "kowai" which means "scary")
いそがしい - ishogashii - Busy
ちょっと - chotto - A little bit, a moment, kind of
どうぞ - dōzo - Please (Can mean "Please come in" or "Go ahead")
もうすこし - mō sukoshi - A little more
ゆっくり - yukkuri - Slowly, leisurely
おねがいします - onegaishimasu - I'd appreciate it (Used to accept an offer or service)
1.) Saying "I want to..."
When you change "-masu" to "-tai desu" with a verb, the sentence now means "want to do...".
Examples:
いつ日本へ行きたいですか?
Itsu nihon e ikitai desu ka?
When do you want to go to Japan?
ほんださんはおちゃをのみたいです。
Honda-san wa ocha o nomitai desu.
Mrs. Honda wants to drink green tea.
私はこれをうるたくありません。
Watashi wa kore o urutaku arimasen.
I don't want to sell this.
2.) Let's do.../-mashō/－ましょう
When you change "-masu" to "-mashō", it means "Let's...". If you add "ka" at the end, it means "Let's/Shall we...?". Each context determines "I" or "We".
Examples:
いっしょにこうえんへ行きましょう。
Issho ni kōen e ikimashō.
Let's go to the park together.
あそこでダンスをしましょうか?
Asoko de dansu o shimashō ka?
Shall we dance over there?
3.) "Please do..." (-te kudasai / -てください)
Every Japanese verb has a て/te-form and this is used very often in many structures. Memorizing the following rules would be one of the most challenging and rewarding things in Japanese grammar. When "kudasai/ください" is added after it, it means "Please do...". To make it more emphatic, "dōzo" can be added in front of this expression.
I. Ru-Verbs (-eru/-iru endings): Change "ru" to "te"
Ex. Taberu → Tabete Oboeru → Oboete Miru → Mite
II. U-Verbs:
1. U-verbs ending in -Tsu, -Ru, or -U change to "-tte"
Ex. Matsu → Matte Uru → Utte Noru → Notte Iu → Itte
2. U-verbs ending in -Ku, -Gu or -Su change to -ite/-ide (For -su, change "u" to "shi")
Ex. Kaku → Kaite Kiku → Kiite Oyogu → Oyoide Hanasu → Hanashite
3. U-verbs ending in -mu or -bu change to "-nde"
Ex. Yomu → Yonde Nomu → Nonde Asobu → Asonde
III. Irregular Verbs
Suru → Shite (To do) Kuru → Kite (To come) Iku → Itte (To go)
____________________________
Examples:
ともだちのけいこさんにあさってください。
Tomodachi no keiko-san ni asatte kudasai.
Please meet my friend Keiko.
どうぞまたここに来てください。
Dōzo mata koko ni kite kudasai.
Please come here again.
4.) Informal -te form
This form is only to be used between close friends/people or family. It's just like what I described above, except you don't add "kudasai" at the end.
Example:
このえをみて。
Kono e o mite.
Look at this drawing.
Special Lesson: Comparing Things
Kore wa A desu ga, sore wa B desu.
This is A, but this is B.
[Words For This Lesson]
1. 高い - takai - Expensive
安い - yasui - Inexpensive, cheap
2. あたらしい - atarashii - New
ふるい - furui - Old
3. つめたい - tsumetai - Cold
あつい - atsui - Hot
4. 雪だるま - yukidaruma - Snowman
大きい - ookii - Big
小さい - chiisai - Small
5. ながい - nagai - Long
みじかい - mijikai - Short
6. べんり - benri - Convenient
ふべん - fuben - Inconvenient
7. かんたん - kantan - Easy
むずかしい - muzukashii - Difficult
8. 好き - suki - Like
きらい - kirai - Dislike
9. さむい - samui - Cold
あつい - atsui - Hot
10. すずしい - suzushii - Cool
あたたかい - atatakai - Warm
Using the words above, make sentences desribing each picture using the sentence structure I mentioned above. I'll do the first picture for you as an example:
1. これは高いですが、それは安いです。
Kore wa takai desu ga, sore wa yasui desu.
This is expensive, but that is cheap.
Easy Japanese Chapter 8
1. メアリーさんはりょうりがじょうず。
Mearii-san wa ryōri ga jōzu.
Mary is good at cooking.
2. A. トムくんはふゆがすきですか?
Tomu-kun wa fuyu ga suki desu ka?
Do you like winter, Tom?
B. ええ、だいすきです。
Ee, daisuki desu.
Yes, I love it.
3. A. もう日本ごのれんしゅうをしましたか?
Mō nihongo no renshuu o shimashita ka?
Have you already practiced Japanese?
B. はい、しました。(いいえ、またです。)
Hai, sō desu (Iie, mata desu)
Yes, I have. (No, not yet.)
4. A. 私はピアノがじょうずじゃありません。
Watashi wa piano ga jōzu ja arimasen.
I'm not good at the piano.
B. 私もです。
Watashi mo desu.
I'm not either.
5. きのうすずきさんにもでんわをしましたか?
Kinō suzuki-san ni mo denwa o shimashita ka?
Did you call Suzuki-san yesterday, too?
6. 私はスキーはすきですが、スケートはきらいです。
Watashi wa sukii wa suki desu ga, sukēto wa kirai desu.
I like skiing, but I dislike skating.
7. けいこさんにはあいましたが、あきらくんにはあいませんでした。
Keiko-san ni wa aimashita ga, akira-kun ni wa aimasen deshita.
I met Keiko, but I did not meet Akira.
8. あの人は本をよむのがすきですねえ。
Ano hito wa hon o yomu no ga suki desu nē.
That person over there likes to read books, doesn't he?!
[Words For This Lesson]
じょうず - jōzu - Skillful, good at
へた - heta - Unskillful, not good at
すき - suki - Like, fond of, favorite (Not a verb)
きらい - kirai - Dislike (Not a verb)
ふべん - fuben - Inconvenient (object only)
ながい - nagai - Long
みじかい - mijikai - Short (Not for height)
たのしい - tanoshii - Enjoyable, joyful, fun
ちいさい - chiisai - Small
おおきい - ōkii - Big, large
としょかん - toshokan - Library
うた - uta - Song
ピアノ - piano - Piano; playing the piano
テニス - tenisu - Tennis (-o suru = To play tennis)
フットボール - futtobōru - Football (-o suru = To play football)
ダンス - dansu - Dance (Non-Japanese)(-o suru = To dance)
おどり - odori - Japanese dance
すいえい - suiei - Swimming (as a sport) (-o suru = To swim)
うんてん - unten - Driving (-o suru = To drive) (Can not be use for: Ex. "I drove to...")
うたう - utau - To sing (Uta o utau = To sing a song)
ひく - hiku - To play a stringed instrument (guitar, piano, etc.); pull
ええ - ee - Yes (More colloquial and less formal than "hai")
まだ - mada - Still, not yet
また - mata - Again
もう - mō - Already (Mō sugu = Very soon)
も - mo - Also, too
だい - dai - very (Only before "suki" (like) or "kirai" (dislike).)
人- じん - jin - Person (Used after a county name to show nationality. Ex. Amerikajin = American)
が - ga - But (Used after a phrase)
ねえ - nē - Isn't it?!
1.) I like/I dislike, Good at/Bad at
First I'll explain how to show like/dislike for something. The basic sentence structure for this is "Somebody wa something ga suki/kirai desu". To show you really like or really dislike something, just add "dai-" before suki/kirai.
Examples:
あきらくんはおちゃがすきです。
Akira-kun wa ocha ga suki desu.
Akira likes green tea.
すずきさんはうんてんがだいきらいです。
Suzuki-san wa unten ga daikirai desu.
Suzuki-san hates driving.
Now to say you/someone is good or bad at something, you use the same sentence structure I mentioned above, but instead of suki/kirai, you use jōzu/heta. Adding "totemo" right before jōzu/heta means changes the meaning to "really good/really bad".
Examples:
とむくんはすいえいがとてもじょうずです。
Tomu-kun wa suiei ga totemo jōzu desu.
Tom is very good at swimming
私はフランス語がへたです。
Watashi wa furansugo ga heta desu.
I'm not good at French.
2.) Somebody/Something has already done/happened
The word "mō - もう" means "already". When used with a past-tense verb, it has a similar function to showing that something has already been done. So this pretty much shows that the action/verb has been completed. When asked in a question form, you can answer "Iie, mada desu" which means "No, not yet".
Examples:
Q: けいこさんはもうがっこうへ行きましたか。
Keiko-san wa mō gakkō e ikimashita ka?
Has Keiko already gone to school?
A: はい、行きました。
Hai, ikimashita.
Yes, she has.
-or-
A: いいえ、まだです。
Iie, mada desu.
No, not yet.
3.) Saying Also/Too
The particle "mo - も" means "also" or "too". When added to a sentence, it replaces "wa/は", "ga/が" and "o/を", but is added to "e/へ", "de/で", "ni/に" and "kara/から". "A mo B mo - AもBも" means "Both A and B".
Examples:
私もとしょかんへ行きます。
Watashi to toshokan e ikimasu.
I'm going to the library, too. (Among other people)
私はとしょかんへも行きます。
Watashi wa toshokan e mo ikimasu.
I'm going to the library, too. (Among other places)
せんせいにもがくせいにもあいましたか?
Sensei ni mo gakusei ni mo aimashita ka?
Did you meet both the teachers and the students?
4.) A is B, but C is D - A wa B desu ga, C wa D desu
If you want to say something like "This is a book, but that is a dictionary" you write each sentence as normal (using the A is B structure), but add "ga - が" after the first sentence which has the same meaning as "but". So each sentence alone in Japanese is "Kore wa hon desu." and "Sore wa jisho desu". So when you add "ga/が" after the first sentence, you get "Kore wa hon desu ga, sore wa jisho desu". Remember to add a comma after "ga/が".
Example:
これはいいですが、あれはよくありません。
Kore wa ii desu ga, are wa yoku arimasen.
This is good, but that over there isn't.
5.) Sentence + Nē (ねえ) = Isn't it!?, Don't you?!
This "nē/ねえ" is similar to the "ne/ね" you learned about last chapter, but this "nē" shows much more surprise by the speaker from what they've just seen/heard/felt, etc.
Example:
今日はさむいですねえ。
Kyō wa samui desu nē.
Today is cold, isn't it!?
6.) Verbs + No (の)
When you add "no" after the dictionary form of a verb, you turn that phrase into a noun.
Examples:
日本人はうたうのがだいすきです。
Nihonjin wa utau no ga daisuki desu.
The Japanese love to sing.
はしをつかうのはかんたんですか?
Hashi o tsukau no wa kantan desu ka?
Is it easy to use chopsticks?
Easy Japanese Chapter 7
1. A: みずうみは今日きれいでしたか?
Mizuumi wa kyō kirei deshita ka?
Was the lake pretty today?
B: いいえ、あまりきれいじゃありませんでした。
Iie, amari kirei ja arimasen deshita.
No, it wasn't too pretty.
2. A: きのうのしけんはむずかしかったですか?
Kinō no shiken wa muzukashikatta desu ka?
Was yesterday's exam difficult?
B: いいえ、むずかしくありませんでした。
Iie, muzukashiku arimasen deshita.
No, it wasn't.
3. おとといはとてもさむかったです。
Ototoi wa totemo samukatta desu.
It was very cold the day before yesterday.
4. きのうあそこですずきさんにあいました。
Kinō asoko de suzuki-san ni aimashita.
Did you meet Suzuki-san over there yesterday?
5. けいこさんはいつ日本から来ます。
Keiko-san wa itsu nihon kara kimasu.
When will Keiko come over from Japan?
7. このカメラはとてもべんりですね。
Kono kamera wa totemo benri desu ne.
This camera is very convenient, isn't it?
8. A: あれはあなたの車ですね。
Are wa anata no kuruma desu ne.
That one is your car, isn't it?
B: はい、そうです。
Hai, sō desu.
Yes, it is.
9. このえいがはとてもよかったですね。
Kono eiga wa totemo yokatta desu ne.
That was a very good movie, wasn't it?
[Words For This Lesson]
あたらしい - atarashii - New
ふるい - furui - Old (for things); old-fashioned (for person)
さむい - samui - Cold (for air)
つめたい - tsumetai - Cold (for things, heart)
すずしい - suzushii - Cool (for air, breeze, etc.)
あたたかい - atatakai - Warm
あつい - atsui - Hot (for air or things)
むずかしい - muzukashii - Difficult
かんたん - kantan - Easy, Simple
べんり - benri - Convenient
たいせつ - taisetsu - Important
おととい - ototoi - The day before yesterday
あさって - asatte - The day after tomorrow
今 - いま - ima - Now (ima sugu = right now)
(お)てんき - (o)tenki - Weather
ふゆ - fuyu - Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb)
はる - haru - Spring (Mar, Apr, May)
なつ - natsu - Summer (Jun, Jul, Aug)
あき - aki - Autumn, fall (Sep, Oct, Nov)
すもう - sumō - Sumo wrestling (- o suru = to do sumo wrestling)
しけん - shiken - Exam (Synonym of: テスト - tesuto - Test) ( - o suru = to give a exam)
でんわ - denwa - Phone ("Someone" ni denwa o suru = To call "someone")
あう - au - To meet, see a person ("Someone" ni au = To meet/see "someone")
つく - tsuku - To arrive ("Place" ni tsuku = To arrive at/in "place")
のる - noru - To ride, get on, get in (a car, vehicle)
おりる - oriru - To get off
に - ni - (Goal point marker)
から - kara - (Origin marker)
ね - ne - Used at end of a sentence. (Usage will be explained in this chapter)
わかりました。- wakarimashita - I see, okay (Literally "I understand".)
1.) Past Tense
Here I will explain how to change a sentence into past tense and negative past tense. For a noun or Na-Adjective, you change "desu" to "deshita". For negative past tense, you change "ja/dewa arimasen" to "ja/dewa arimasen deshita".
Examples:
[Present Tense]
すずきさんはこのがっこうのせんせいです。
Suzuki-san wa kono gakkō no sensei desu.
Suzuki-san is a teacher at this school.
[Past Tense]
すずきさんはこのがっこうのせんせいでした。
Suzuki-san wa kono gakkō no sensei deshita.
Suzuki-san was a teacher at this school.
For an i-adjective, you change the last "-i" into "-katta desu". For negative past, you change the last "-i" to "-ku arimasen deshita".
Examples:
[Present Tense]
けいこさんのてがみはおもしろいです。
Keiko-san no tegami wa omoshiroi desu.
Keiko-san's letter is interesting.
[Past Tense]
けいこさんのてがみはおもしろいかったです。
Keiko-san no tegami wa omoshirokatta desu.
Keiko-san's letter was interesting.
2.) Using Time with Weather
For the expressions of temperature, the "A=B" structure is normally used. Time or place expressions are followed by wa (は).
Examples:
きのうはとてもさむかったです。
Kinō wa totemo samukatta desu.
It was very cold yesterday.
日本は今とてもいいてんきですよ。
Nihon wa ima totemo ii tenki desu yo!
It's very nice weather in Japan now!
3. Place/Person Ni/に + Goal-Oriented Verbs
The particle ni (に) indicates a place or person as a goal-point of the verb.
Examples:
あきらくんはすぐバスにのります。
Akira-kun wa sugu basu ni norimasu.
Akira-kun will soon get on the bus.
きのうけいこさんにでんわしましたか?
Kinou Keiko-san ni denwa shimashita ka?
Did you call Keiko yesterday?
私はときどきノートにえをかきます。
Watashi wa tokidoki nōto ni e o kakimasu.
I sometimes draw in my notebook.
せんせいにききましたか?
Sensei ni kikimashita ka?
Did you ask the teacher?
4.) Place/Person kara (から) + Origin-Oriented Verbs
The particle kara (から) indicates a place or person as an origin of the verb. The English equivalent is "from".
Examples:
どこでバスからおりましたか?
Doko de basu kara orimashita ka?
Where did you get off the bus?
だれからこのじてんしゃをかいましたか?
Dare kara kono jitensha o kaimashita ka?
From whom did you buy this bicycle?
5.) Using "ne" (ね)
"Ne" at the end of a sentence, depending on the context, can mean "isn't it?", "isn't he/she", "aren't they", etc. It shows the speaker's feeling of wanting to share the statement. If there is a slight rising intonation with "ne", the speaker is asking for light confirmation. If there is a big rising intonation, this means the speaker is clearly asking for a yes or no confirmation.
Examples:
このざっしはあたらしくありませんね。
Kono zasshi wa atarashiku arimasen ne?
This magazine is not new, is it?
トムくんは日本語をはなしますね。
Tomu-kun wa nihongo o hanashimasu ne?
Tom speaks Japanese, doesn't he?
Kanji For Lessons 4-6
These are the kanji for lessons 4 through 6. Is this entry, you will be learning a total of 15 kanji. From now on I am going to use these kanji in the place of the hiragana. So make sure to study and memorize these!
1. [山]
[On] - サン - san
[Kun] - やま - yama
[Meaning] Mountain
2. [木]
[On] - モク/ボク - moku/boku
[Kun] - き - ki
[Meaning] Tree, wood
3. [川]
[On] - セン - sen
[Kun] - かわ - kawa
[Meaning] River
4. [水]
[On] - スイ - sui
[Kun] - みず - mizu
[Meaning] Water
5. [雨]
[On] - ウ - u
[Kun] - あめ - ame
[Meaning] Rain
6. [雪]
[On] - セツ -setsu
[Kun] - ゆき - yuki
[Meaning] Snow
7. [林]
[On] - リン - rin
[Kun] - はやし - hayashi
[Meaning] Grove
8. [森]
[On] - シン - shin
[Kun] - もり - mori
[Meaning] Forest
9. [東]
[On] - トウ - tou
[Kun] - ひがし - higashi
[Meaning] East
10. [京]
[On] - きょう - kyou
[Kun] - None
[Meaning] Day, sun
11. [行]
[On] - コウ - kou
[Kun] - い(く) - i(ku) = 行く
[Meaning] Go, to go
12. [来]
[On] - ライ - rai
[Kun] - く(る) - ku(ru) = 来る
[Meaning] Come, to come
13. [男]
[On] - ダン - dan
[Kun] - おとこ - otoko
[Meaning] Man
14. [女]
[On] - ジョ - jo
[Kun] - おんな - onna
[Meaning] Woman
15. [子]
[On] - シshi
[Kun] - こども - ko(domo) = 子ども
[Meaning] Child
Here are some examples of some things you can now write with these kanji:
水車 - すいしゃ - suisha - Mill
川の水 - かわのみず - kawa no mizu - River water
東京 - とうきょう - tōkyō - Tokyo
男の人 - おとこのひと - otoko no hito - Man
男の子 - おとこのこ - otoko no ko - Boy
女の人 - おんなのひと - onna no hito - Woman
女の子 - おんなのこ - onna no ko - Girl
子どもの日 - こどものひ - kodomo no hi - Children's Day
東京へ行きます - とうきょうへいきます - tōkyō e ikimasu - I go to Tokyo.
東京へ来ます - とうきょうへきます - tōkyō e kimasu - I come to Tokyo.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Easy Japanese Chapter 5
[Sentences to Memorize]
1. トムくんはよくこうえんであそびます。
2. メアリーさんは今日プールでおよぎますか?
3. 私はまい日がっこうへいきます。
4. あきらくんはときどきうちへきます。
5. A:ふつうどこでべんきょうをしますか?
B: うちでします。- Uchi de shimasu. - At home.
6. A: いつ本やへいきますか?
B: すぐいきます。Sugu ikimasu. - I'm going right away.
7. A: いつどこで日本語のれんしゅうをしますか?
B: まい日ともだちのうちでします。
[Words For This Lesson]
きく - kiku - To listen, hear
およぐ - oyogu - To swim
よむ - yomu - To read
あそぶ - asobu - To play (with something, in a park, etc); have a good time
いく - iku - To go
くる - kuru - To come (over)
する - suru - To do
べんきょう - benkyou - Studying
べんきょうをする - benkyou (o) suru - To study
れんしゅう - renshuu - Practicing
れんしゅうをする - renshuu o suru - To practice
おりがみ - origami - Origami, paper-folding
プール - puuru - swimming pool
こうえん - kouen - Park
きっさてん - kissaten - Coffeehouse
うち - uchi - Home (Usually "watashi no" is omitted) (Not used with "iku" to mean "go home")
ざっし - zasshi - Magazine
しんぶん - shinbun - Newspaper
トム - tomu - Tom
メアリー - mearii - Mary
ピザ - piza - Pizza
ここ - koko - This place, here
そこ - soko - That place, there
あそこ - asoko - That place over there, over there
どこ - doko - Where, which place (Usually followed by "de" or "e")
いつ - itsu - When
すぐ - sugu - Right away, soon ("Sugu soko no (object)" = Nearby (object))
よく - yoku - Often; well (Not used for future actions)
ふつう - futsuu - Usually (Futsuu no - Ordinary)
で - de - (Area marker for activities and events)
へ - e - (Direction marker)
や- ya - -Store, -shop (Name of product proceeds "ya" to show type of shop. Ex. Honya = bookstore)
1.) (Place) de + Action Verb/To do something at/in Place
The particle "de/で" indicates an area in which an action or event is going to take place. It always comes after a place noun.
Ex. ときどき きっさてん で コーヒー を のみますか。- Tokidoki kissaten de kōhii o nomimasu ka? - Do you sometimes drink coffee at a coffeehouse?
2.) Go to/Come to
(Place) へ いく/e iku (direction is only outward →) : Go to (place)
(Place) へ くる/e kuru (direction is only inward ←) : Come to (place)
The particle "e/へ" (pronounced "e" not "he" when used as a directional marker) has a similar function to the English "to". This particle comes after a place noun/pronoun.
Ex. トムさんはよくこのプールへいきます。- Tomu-san wa yoku kono puuru e ikimasu. - Tom often comes to this swimming pool.
3.) Here, There and Over There
The words "here", "there" and "over there" in Japanese are koko (ここ), soko (そこ) and asoko (あそこ). They have similar meanings to kore (これ), sore (それ) and are (あれ). You can use wa (は) after these. To ask the question "where", you use doko (どこ). You cannot use wa (は) after doko, but you can use ga (が).
Ex.
あなたのがっこうはどこですか。- Anata no gakkou wa doko desu ka? - Where is your school?
どこがあなたのがっこうですか。- Doko ga anata no gakkou desu ka? - Where is your school?
4.) Using suru (する)
Suru essentially means "to do". It can sometimes be added to a noun to mean "to do...(something)".
Ex.
れんしゅうをする - Renshuu o suru -- To practice
おりがみをする - Origami o suru -- To do origami
りょうりをする - Ryouri o suru -- To cook
For "renshuu (れんしゅう)" and "benkyou (べんきょう)", it is optional to add "o" (を) before "suru" (する). So "renshuu suru - れんしゅうする" and "benkyou suru - べんきょうする" are also correct.
Ex.
どこで日本語をべんきょうしますか。- Doko de nihongo o benkyou shimasu ka? - Where do you study Japanese?
- compared to -
どこで日本語をべんきょうをしますか。- Doko de nihongo o benkyou o shimasu ka? - Where do you study Japanese?
5.) When - Itsu (いつ)
The question word itsu (いつ) means "when". In a sentence, it is normally used after the focus of the sentence.
Ex.
すずきさんはいつオートバイをかいますか。- Suzuki-san wa itsu ōtobai o kaimasu ka? - When is Suzuki-san going to buy a motorcycle.
だれがいつそこへいきますか。- Dare ga itsu soko e ikimasu ka? - Who will go there and when?
6.) -Store (-や)
To say a type of store, just put ya (や) after the object the store is selling.
Ex.
本や - honya - Bookstore
にくや - nikuya - Butcher
カメラや - kameraya - Camera store
はなや - hanaya - Flower shop, florist
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Easy Japanese Chapter 4
[Sentences to Memorize]
1. 私は今日えいがをみます。
Watashi wa kyou eiga o mimasu.
I am going to see a movie today.
2. A:(あなたは)あしたえをかきますか?
(Anata wa) ashita e o kakimasu ka?
Are you going to draw a picture tomorrow?
B: はい、かきます。
Hai, kakimasu.
Yes, I am.
3. A: (あなたは)まいにちぎゅうにゅうをもみますか?
(Anata wa) mainichi gyūnyū o nomimasu ka?
Do you drink milk everyday?
B: いいえ、のみません。
Iie, nomimasen.
No, I don't.
4. A:せんせいはまいにち日本語をはなしますか?
Sensei wa mainichi nihongo o hanashimasu ka?
Do you speak Japanese everyday, teacher?
B: はい、はなします。
Hai, hanashimasu.
Yes, I do.
5. A: あきらくんは今日何をたべますか?
Akira-kun wa kyou nani o tabemasu ka?
What are you going to eat today, Akira?
B: すきやきをたべます。
Sukiyaki o tabemasu.
I'm going to eat sukiyaki.
6. A: だれがあした車をかいますか?
Dare ga ashita kuruma o kaimasu ka?
Who is going to buy a car tomorrow?
B: すずきさんがかいます。
Suzuki-san ga kaimasu.
Suzuki-san is (going to buy one).
[Words For This Lesson]
たべる - taberu - To eat
みる - miru - To see
かう - kau - To buy
かく - kaku - To write, draw, paint
のむ - nomu - To drink; take medicine
はなす - hanasu - To speak, talk
今日 - きょう - kyou - Today
あした - ashita - Tomorrow
まいにち - mainichi - Everyday
ときどき - tokidoki - Sometimes
てがみ - tegami - Letter
え - e - Picture, drawing, painting (Not used for "photo" which is "shashin")
すきやき - sukiyaki - Sukiyaki
てんぷら - tempura - Tempura
やさい - yasai - Vegetables (Try not to confuse with "yasai")
にく - niku - Meat
さかな - sakana - Fish
おちゃ - ocha - Green Tea ("O" is rarely omitted)
おさけ - osake - Sake, rice wine (Becomes informal without "o")
ぎゅうにゅう - gyūnyū - Milk (From cow)
かぶき - kabuki - Kabuki
だれ - dare - Who
を - wo/o - Object marker (Shows what object the verb is for)
が - ga - Subject marker
1.) Using Verbs
There are two types of verbs in Japanese. There's -RU verbs and -U verbs. When in the dictionary form, any verb that ends with -eru or -iru is a -RU verb. Any verb that does not fit into these categories is called a U-verb. The -masu form of a verb is the most commonly used in daily conversation. This form shows either present or future tense. From the time expression used, one can tell which tense is meant very easily. Here I'll show you how to change the dictionary form of the verb into the -masu form.
[For -RU verbs, change -RU to -MASU]
Ex. tabeRU --> tabeMASU
[For -U verbs, change -U to -IMASU]
Ex. nomu ----> nomIMASU
The verb "hanasu" (to talk/speak), following this rule would become "hanasimasu", but since Japanese does not have "si", it becomes "shi".
2.) Question Form of Verbs
To ask a question using verbs, just add "ka" at the end. To answer "yes" to verb question, use with "hai" and the -masu form of the verb. To say "no", say "iie" and change -masu to -masen.
Ex. さかなをたべますか。- Sakana o tabemasu ka? - Do you eat fish?
-- はい、たべます。- Hai, tabemasu. - Yes, I do.
-- いいえ、たべません。- Iie, tabemasen. - No, I don't.
For -imasu verbs, change -imasu to -imasen.
Ex. おちゃをのみますか。Ocha o nomimasu ka? Do you drink green tea?
-- はい、のみます。- Hai, nomimasu. - Yes, I do.
-- いいえ、のみません。- Iie, nomimasen. -- No, I don't.
3.) Using Objects with Verbs
In English, a verb usually comes before the object. In Japanese, it usually comes at the end. For this, you need to attached the the object marker "o" after the object associated with the verb.
Ex. けいこさんはまいにちにくをたべますか。- Keiko-san wa mainichi niku o tabemasu ka? - Do you eat meat everyday Keiko?
So the verb of this sentence is "tabemasu" or "eat". What is the object in this sentense associated with "eat"? "Niku" or "meat". Because "niku" is the object associated with the verb, you add "o" after it.
Ex. 今日何をみますか。Kyou nani o mimasu ka? -- What are you going to see today?
4.) Basic Japanese Sentence Structure
The basic sentence structure for a Japanese sentence is:
Focus は Time Object を Verb-ます
Focus wa Time Object o Verb-masu
Ex.
Honda-san wa ashita tempura o tabemasu.
Mrs. Honda is going to eat tempura tomorrow.
5. Using Dare (だれ)
The question word dare (だれ) is always followed by the marker ga (が). The reason being is that you don't know who the person in question is, so you can't focus on a specific person.
Ex.
だれが日本語をはなしますか。- Dare ga nihongo o hanashimasu ka? - Who speaks Japanese?
ほんださんがはなします。- Honda-san ga hanashimasu. - Honda-san does.
6. You/Me (Anata wa/Watashi wa)
"Anata wa" in a "Do/Are you...?" type question is often omitted since it is usually clear in the context. However, using "Name/Title wa" instead of "anata wa" is very natural and recommended. You do not have to say "watashi wa" when answering a question.
Ex.
けいこさんは...? - Keiko-san wa...? - Keiko, do you...?
せんせいは...? - Sensei wa...? - Teacher, do you...?
Katakana Intro
Katakana - カタカナ
[KA] -- [KI] -- [KU] -- [KE] -- [KO]
[カ] --- [キ] --- [ク] ---- [ケ] --- [コ]
[SA] -- [SHI] -- [SU] -- [SE] -- [SO]
[サ] ---- [シ] --- [ス] --- [セ] --- [ソ]
[TA] -- [CHI] -- [TSU] -- [TE] -- [TO]
[タ] ----- [チ] ---- [ツ] --- [テ] ---- [ト]
[NA] -- [NI] -- [NU] -- [NE] -- [NO]
[ナ] ---- [ニ] --- [ヌ] --- [ネ] ---- [ノ]
[HA] -- [HI] -- [FU] -- [HE] -- [HO]
[ハ] --- [ヒ] --- [フ] --- [ヘ] ----- [ホ]
[MA] -- [MI] -- [MU] -- [ME] -- [MO]
[マ] ----- [ミ] --- [ム] ---- [メ] ----- [モ]
[YA] -- [YU] -- [YO]
[ヤ] ---- [ユ] --- [ヨ]
[RA] -- [RI] -- [RU] -- [RE] -- [RO]
[ラ] ---- [リ] ---- [ル] --- [レ] ---- [ロ]
[WA] -- [O]
[ワ] ---- [ヲ]*
[N]
[ン]
*This is special "o" (also written as "wo") that is only used as a particle.
There are some katakana characters that look similar to each other. They are "シ - shi" and "ツ - tsu", and "ソ- so" " リ- ri" and "ン - n". Make sure to study these to make sure you don't confuse them with each other. As with hiragana, if you add the 'tenten', it changes the sound of the character.
For example:
[KA] [KI] [KU] [KE] [KO] ---becomes---> [GA] [GI] [GU] [GE] [GO]
[カ] [キ] [ク] [ケ] [コ] ----------------------- [ガ] [ギ] [グ] [ゲ] [ゴ]
[SA] [SHI] [SU] [SE] [SO] ---becomes---> [ZA] [JI] [ZU] [ZE] [ZO]
[サ] [シ] [ス] [セ] [ソ] ----------------------- [ザ] [ジ] [ズ] [ゼ] [ゾ]
[TA] [CHI] [TSU] [TE] [TO] ---becomes---> [DA] [JI] [ZU] [DE] [DO]
[タ] [チ] [ツ] [テ] [ト] ------------------------- [ダ] [ヂ] [ヅ] [デ] [ド]
[HA] [HI] [FU] [HE] [HO] ---becomes---> [BA] [BI] [BU] [BE] [BO]
[ハ] [ヒ] [フ] [ヘ] [ホ] ----------------------- [バ] [ビ] [ブ] [ベ] [ボ]
It's also the same for 'maru' for changing the sound for 'h' characters.
[HA] [HI] [FU] [HE] [HO] ---becomes---> [PA] [PI] [PU] [PE] [PO]
[ハ] [ヒ] [フ] [ヘ] [ホ] ------------------- [パ] [ピ] [プ] [ペ] [ポ]
Small ya (ヤ), yu (ユ) and yo (ヨ):
[KYA] [KYU] [KYO] ------> [GYA] [GYU] [GYO]
[キャ] [キュ] [キョ] ------- [ギャ] [ギュ] [ギョ]
[SHA] [SHU] [SHO] ------> [JA] [JU] [JO]
[シャ] [シュ] [ショ] ----- [ジャ] [ジュ] [ジョ]
[CHA] [CHU] [CHO]
[チャ] [チュ] [チョ]
[NYA] [NYU] [NYO]
[ニャ] [ニュ] [ニョ]
[HYA] [HYU] [HYO]
[ヒャ] [ヒュ] [ヒョ]
[BYA] [BYU] [BYO]
[ビャ] [ビュ] [ビョ]
[PYA] [PYU] [PYO]
[ピャ] [ピュ] [ピョ]
[MYA] [MYU] [MYO]
[ミャ] [ミュ] [ミョ]
[RYA] [RYU] [RYO]
[リャ] [リュ] [リョ]
For a long vowel with katakana, you use "ー" instead a vowel character.
Topic Study
Here are 20 new words for you to memorize that used katakana. These words are called がいらいご(gairaigo) which means "foreign origin words".
1. アメリカ - amerika - America
2. テレビ - terebi - Television
3. ステレオ - sutereo - Stereo
4. ラジオ - rajio - Radio
5. カメラ - kamera - Camera
6. ペン - pen - Pen
7. ノート - nōto - Notebook
8. コーラ - kōra - Cola
9. ジュース - juusu - Juice
10. コーヒー - kōhii - Coffee
11. パン - pan - Bread
12. ハンバーガー - hanbaagaa - Hamburger
13. ホットドッグ - hottodoggu - Hot dog
14. ポップコーン - poppukōn - Popcorn
15. チョコレート - chokoretto - Chocolate
16. アイスクリーム - aisukuriimu - Ice cream
17. スクールバス - sukuurubasu - School bus
18. オートバイ/バイク - ōtobai/baiku - motorcycle
19. タイプライター - taipuraitaa - Typewriter
20. コンピューター - konpyuutaa - Computer
Katakana are sometimes used for Japanese words to add emphasis to them. One example of this could be:
これは何ですか。- Kore wa nan desu ka? - What is this?
-- compared to --
コレは何ですか。- Kore wa nan desu ka? - What is this?!
Kanji for Lessons 1-3
These are the kanji for lessons 1 through 3. You will be learning a total of 12 kanji in this lesson. From now on I am going to use these kanji in the place of the hiragana. So make sure to study and memorize these!
The Japanese language has three character sets. They are hiragana, katakana (which you'll learn in Ch. 4) and kanji. Kanji first came to Japan from China in the 4th to 6th century and because of this there are two readings for each kanji. The first one is the "on" reading or "オン". The "on" reading is based on the sound of the original chinese word the kanji was taken from. The "on" reading is usually used when attached to another word or kanji. The second reading of a kanji is called the "kun" reading, or "くん". "Kun" readings of kanji are based on the Japanese sound for that kanji and is usually the sound used when the kanji is by itself. I will give you the "on" and "kun" reading for each kanji.
1. [私]
[On] - シ
[Kun] - わたし - watashi
[Meaning] I, myself
2. [何]
[On] - There is no "on" reading of this kanji.
[Kun] - なに/なん - nani/nan
[Meaning] What
3. [本]
[On] - ホン - hon
[Kun] - もと - moto
[Meaning] Book, source, origin
4.[人]
[On] - ジン/ニン - jin/nin
[Kun] - ひと - hito
[Meaning] Person
5. [車]
[On] - シャ - sha
[Kun] - くるま - kuruma
[Meaning] Car
6. [高]
[On] - コウ -kou
[Kun] - たかい (高い) - takai
[Meaning] Tall, high, expensive
7. [安]
[On] - アン - an
[Kun] - やすい (安い) - yasui
[Meaning] Inexpensive, safe, peaceful
8. [名]
[On] - メイ - mei
[Kun] - な - na
[Meaning] Name
9. [前]
[On] - ゼン - zen
[Kun] - まえ - mae
[Meaning] front, before
10. [日]
[On] - ニチ - nichi
[Kun] - ひ/び - hi/bi
[Meaning] Day, sun
11. [今]
[On] - コン - kon
[Kun] - いま - ima
[Meaning] Now
12. [語]
[On] - There is no "on" reading of this kanji.
[Kun] - ご - go
[Meaning] Word
Here are some words you can write now using the 12 kanji learned:
今日は - こんにちは - konnichiwa - Good afternoon (Though it's usually always written in hiragana.)
今日 - きょう - kyou - Today
(お)名前 - (お)なまえ - (o)namae - Name
日本 - にほん/にっぽん - nihon/nippon - Japan
日本車 - にほんしゃ - nihonsha - Japanese car
日本人 - にほんじん - nihonjin - Japanese (person)
日本語 - にほんご - nihongo - Japanese language
高い車 - たかいくるま - takai kuruma - Expensive car
安い本 - やすいほん - yasui hon - Inexpensive book
Easy Japanese Chapters 2-3 Review
Here are practice drills for Japanese Lessons, Chapters 2 and 3. Answers are at the bottom of the page. Do your best! :D
-----
Chapter 2 Review
-----
1. Answer these questions in Japanese.
A.これはじしょですか。Kore wa jisho desu ka?
You: (Yes, it is.)
B.あれはじしょですか。Are wa jisho desu ka?
You: (No, it isn't)
C. あなたはがくせいですか。Anata wa gakusei desu ka?
You: (Answer based on yourself.)
2. Match the questions with the correct answer.
A.それはなんですか。Sore wa nan desu ka? (book)
B.これはなんですか。Kore wa nan desu ka? (comic)
C.あれはなんですか。Are wa nan desu ka? (school)
a. まんが (manga)
b. ほん (hon)
c. がっこう (gakkou)
3. Translate these sentences into English.
A. これとそれはじしょですか。(Kore to sore wa jisho desu ka?)
B. ほんださんとすずきさんはともだちですか。(Honda-san to Suzuki-san wa tomodachi desu ka?)
4. Translate these sentenses to Japanese
A. a: What's that over there?
b:It's a dictionary.
B. a: Is Keiko a student?
b:No, she isn't.
C. a: Are you and Akira high school students?
b: Yes, we are.
D. a: Excuse me, but what is this?
b: I'm sorry, but I don't know.
5. Conversation
(Please say these out loud, and if you can, practice with a friend.)
Conversation 1: (Looking at a photograph.)
A: これはびょういんですか。Kore wa byouinn desu ka? - Is this a hospital.
B: いいえ､ちがいます。Iie, chigaimasu. - No, it isn't.
A: じゃあ、なんですか。Jaa, nan desu ka? - Then, what is it?
B: がっこうです。Gakkou desu. - A school.
Conversation 2:
A: こんにちは。Konnichi wa - Hello.
B: こんにちは。Konnichi wa - Hello.
A: あなたはだいがくせいですか。Anata wa daigakusei desu ka? - Are you a college student?
B: はい、そうです。あなたは。Hai, sou desu. Anata wa? (Go up in pitch) - Yes, I am. How about you?
A: こうこうせいです。Koukousei desu. - I'm a high school student.
-----
Chapter 3 Review
-----
1. Change into Negative.
a. えいごはおもしろいです。Eigo wa omoshiroi desu. (This movie is interesting.)
b. そのはなはきれいです。Sono hana wa kirei desu. (That flower is pretty.)
c. このりょうりはおいしいです。Kono ryouri wa oishii desu. (This dish is delicious.)
d. あのおんがくはしずかです。Ano ongaku wa shizuka desu. (That music over there is quiet.)
e. このえいがはいいです。Kono eiga wa ii desu. (This movie is good.)
2. Translate from English to Japanese.
a. This dictionary is wonderful.
b. Is that person your teacher?
c. Which one is an inexpensive car?
d. Excuse me, but what's you name?
e. (My name is) Keiko.
3. Conversation
(Practice with a friend if you can.)
Conversation 1:
A: それはなんですか。 Sore wa nan desu ka? (What is that?)
B:これはにほんごのほんです。Kore wa nihongo no hon desu. (This is a Japanese book.)
A:にほんごはおもしろいですか。Nihongo wa omoshiroi desu ka? (Is Japanese interesting?)
B:はい、とてもおもしろいです。Hai, totemo omoshiroi desu. (Yes, very interesting.)
2. Conversation 2: (Looking at a photo)
A:あなたのともだちはどのひとですか。Anata no tomodachi wa dono hito desu ka? (Which person is your friend?)
B:このひとです。Kono hito desu. (This person.)
A:なまえはなんですか。Namae wa nan desu ka? (What is his name?)
B:あきらくんです。Akira-kun desu. (Akira.)
3. Conversation 3: (At a bookstore)
A: そのじしょはいいですか。Sono jisho wa ii desu ka? (Is that a good dictionary?)
B:いいえ、よくありません。Iie, yoku arimasen. (No it isn't.) [[Looking at another one]] これはとてもいいです。Kore wa totemo ii desu. (This one is very good.)
A:どれですか。Dore desu ka? (Which one is it?)
B:これです。Kore desu. (This one.)
4. Fill in the Blanks
a. そ＿はじしょ＿＿ありません。 So_ _ wa jisho _ _ arimasen.
b. このくるま＿とてもたかい＿＿。 Kono kuruma _ _ totemo takai _ _ _ _.
c. あ＿せんす＿やす＿ありません。 A _ _ sensu* _ _ yasu_ _ arimasen. *folding fan
d. ともだち＿けいこさん＿がくせい＿＿ありません。 Tomodachi _ _ Keiko-san _ _ gakusei _ _ arimasen.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆ ANSWERS ◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
Chapter 2 Review:
1.A. はい、そうです。Hai, sou desu.
B. いいえ、ちがいます。Iie, chigaimasu.
C. はい、そうです。 (Hai, sou desu.) or いいえ、ちがいます。(Iie, chigaimasu.)
2. A- b
B - a
C - c
3. A. Is this and that a dictionary -or- Are these and those dictionaries?
B. Are Honda-san and Suzuki-san friends?
4. A. a: あれはなんですか。- Are wa nan desu ka?
b: じしょです。- Jisho desu.
B. a: けいこさんはがくせいですか。- Keiko-san wa gakusei desu ka?
b: いいえ、ちがいます。Iie, chigaimasu.
C. a: あなたとあきらさん (くん) はこうこうせいですか。 Anata to Akira-san (or -kun) wa koukousei desu ka.
b: はい、そうです。Hai, sou desu.
D. a: しつれいですが、これはなんですか。Shitsurei desu ga, kore wa nan desu ka?
b: すみませんが、わかりません。Sumimasen ga, wakarimasen.
Chapter 3 Review:
1. a. えいごはおもしろくありません。Eigo wa omoshiroku arimasen. (This movie is not interesting.)b. そのはなはきれいじゃありません。Sono hana wa kirei ja arimasen. (That flower is not pretty.) c. このりょうりはおいしくありません。Kono ryouri wa oishiku arimasen. (This dish is not delicious.)d. あのおんがくはしずかじゃありません。Ano ongaku wa shizuka ja arimasen. (That music over there is not quiet.)
e. このえいがはよくありません。Kono eiga wa yoku arimasen. (This movie is not good.)
b. あのひとはあなたのせんせいですか。(Ano hito wa anata no sensei desu ka?)
c. やすいくるまはどれですか。(Yasui kuruma wa dore desu ka?)
d. しつれいですが、(あなたの)おなまえはなんですか。(Shitsurei desu ga, (anata no) onamae wa nan desu ka?)
e. (わたしのなまえは)けいこです。(Watashi no namae wa) Keiko desu.)
3.a. それはじしょじゃありません。 SoRE wa jisho JAA arimasen.
b. このくるまはとてもたかいです。 Kono kuruma WA totemo takai DESU.
c. あのせんすはやすくありません。ANO sensu WA yasuKU arimasen.
d. ともだちのけいこさんはがくせいじゃありません。 Tomodachi NO Keiko-san WA gakusei JAA arimasen.
Easy Japanese Chapter 3
1. あれはたかいです。
2. それはきれいです。
3. これはすばらしいほんです。
4. すずきさんはおもしろいひとです。
5. けいこさんはしずかなひとです。
6. これはたかくありません。
7. あれはきれいじゃありません。
8. それはじしょじゃありません。
9. このくるまはすこしやすいです。
10. あのひとのりょうりはとてもおいしいです。
[Important Words]
おいしい - oishii - Delicious
おもしろい - omoshiroi - Interesting
うつくしい - utsukushii - Beautiful
すばらしい - subarashii - Wonderful
たかい - takai - Expensive, high (as in a mountain or building, etc.)
やすい - yasui - Inexpensive, cheap (Does not have negative connotation like English's cheap)
いい - Ii - Good (Used before desu or a noun.)
よい - yoi - Good (Use will be explained later in this chapter)
きれい - kirei - Pretty, clean, tidy (This is not an i-adjective.)
しずか - shizuka - Quiet
(お)なまえ - (o) namae - Name ('お' or 'O' is added to show respect.)
にほんご - nihongo - Japanese language (にほん - "Nihon" means Japan.)
えいご - eigo - English language
ひと - hito - Person
きもの - kimono - Kimono, traditional Japanese clothes in general
えいが - eiga - Movie (えいがかん - eigakan - Movie theater)
おんがく - ongaku - Music
りょうり - Ryouri - Cooking, dish (food)
くるま - kuruma - Car
へや - heya - Room
すこし - sukoshi - Small, a little bit
とても - totemo - Very
ぼく - boku - I (used by young (and some old) men)
この - kono - This
その - sono - That
あの - ano - That over there
どの - dono - Which (If there's more than two things to choose, use どちら - dochira.)
じゃ - ja - Used before negating a noun with ありません - arimasen.
では - dewa is it's formal equivalent.
1.) Using Adjectives
There are two types of adjective in Japanese. There's i-adjectives and na-adjectives. When using an i-adjective, all you need to do is add the adjective to the front of a noun. For a na-adjective though, you need to add (な) na after the adjective.
[I-Adjective] or [い-Adjective]
うつくしいきもの - utsukushii kimono - A beautiful kimono.
おいしいりょうり - oishii ryouri - A delicious dish.
[Na-Adjective] or [な-Adjective]
きれいなひと - kirei na hito - A pretty person.
しずかなへや - shizuka na heya - A quiet room.
2.) Changing a Sentence from Affirmative to Negative
In order to get a negative form of an adjective, change the final "-i" to "-ku" and add "arimasen". One exception to this rule is the word for "good", or "ii". In these cases, you use "yoi", so when used in a negative sentence, you get "yoku arimasen" not "iku arimasen". If it is for a noun or a "na" adjective, just add "ja arimasen" at the end.
[Affirmative]
[Noun] これはじしょです。Kore wa jisho desu. (This is a dictionary.)
[Na-Adjective] これはきれいです。Kore wa kirei desu. (This is clean.)
[I-Adjective] これはやすいです。Kore wa yasui desu.
[Negative]
[Noun] これはじしょじゃありません。Kore wa jisho ja arimasen. (This is not a dictionary.)
[Na-Adjective] これはきれいじゃありません。Kore wa kirei ja arimasen. (This is not clean.)
[I-Adjective] これはやすくありません。Kore wa yasuku arimasen. (This is not inexpensive.)
3.) This, That and That Over There, etc.
Kono, sono, ano and dono mean "This, that, that over there and which". Are these the same as the earlier "kore, sore, are and dore"? Yes they are, but these are the forms who use when placed before a noun.
Examples:
このほんです。- Kono hon desu. - This book.
そのまんがです。- Sono manga desu. - That manga.
あのしずかなひとです。- Ano shizuka na hito desu. - That quiet person over there.
どのじしょですか。- Dono jisho desu ka? - Which dictionary is it?
Easy Japanese Chapter 2
[Sentences to Memorize]
1. わたしはがくせいです。
Watashi wa gakusei desu.
I am a student.
2. あなたはだいがくせいですか?
Anata wa daigakusei desu ka?
Are you a college student?
3. ほんださんはせんせいですか?
Honda-san wa sensei desu ka?
Is Honda-san a teacher?
- はい、そうです。Hai, sou desu. - Yes he/she is.
- いいえ、ちがいます。Iie, chigaimasu. - No he/she isn't.
4. これわじしょです。
Kore wa jisho desu.
This is a dictionary.
5. それはなんですか?
Sore wa nan desu ka?
What is that?
6. あれはびょういんですか?
Are wa byouin desu ka?
Is that over there a hospital?
7. わたしとあきらくんはともだちです。
Watashi to Akira-kun wa tomodachi desu.
Akira-kun and I are friends.
[Words For This Lesson]
わたし - watashi - I
あなた - anata - You
ほんだ - Honda - Family name
すずき - Suzuki - Family name
けいこ - Keiko - Female name
あきら - Akira - Male name
-さん - san - Attached after person's name to be polite
-くん - kun - Normally attached after boy's name
がくせい - gakusei - Student
だいがくせい - dai gakusei - College student
こうこうせい - koukousei - High school student
せんせい - sensei - Teacher, used after teacher's name (Ex. Suzuki-sensei)
がっこう - gakkou - School
びょういん - byouin - Hospital (Be careful not to mix up with 'biyouin' meaning beauty parlor).
ほん - hon - Book
まんが - manga - Comic, manga
じしょ - jisho - Dictionary
ともだち - tomodachi - Friend
これ - kore - This
それ - sore - That
あれ - are - That over there
は - wa - Focus marker, shows focus of the sentance (When は is used as a marker, then it is pronunced 'wa', not 'ha' like it normally would.
と - to - And, with
か - ka - Marks a question
の - no - show's relation of two objects (Ex. Keiko-san no hon--->Keiko's book)
なに/なん - nani/nan - What (Before 'desu', 'nani' becomes 'nan'.)
はい - hai - Yes
いいえ - iie - No
そう - so - So
ちがいます - chigaimasu - That's wrong, it differs
しつれいですが... - shitsurei desu ga... - Excuse me, but...
1.) Building a Basic Japanese Sentence (A wa B desu or A is B)
A basic Japanese sentence is "A は Bです" or "A is B". "A" represents the focus of the sentence, where as "B" indicates the description of "A". So let's let you wanted to say "I am a student". The focus of the sentence is yourself (watashi) and the description is your being a student (gakusei). So following this structure, that means your sentence would be "わたしはがくせいです. - Watashi wa gakusei desu."
2.) Asking a Question
To turn a sentence into a question, just add ka (か) at the end. So for example, using the "A は Bです" structure, let's say we want ask if an object we're holding is a book. The focus of this sentence is "this" or in Japanese, "kore" and what we are describing is a book (hon). So if you wanted to say "Is this a book?", just add "ka" at the end and you will get "Kore wa hon desu ka? - Is this a book?"
3.) Names + -San (-Kun)
The suffix -san (-さん) is almost always attached after someone's name, last name or full name, unless they are a close friend. The suffix -kun (-くん) is usually only used for young boys. It is sometimes used after a girl's to show affection. Please note that you NEVER use these after YOUR OWN NAME!
4.) This , That and That Over There － Kore, Sore, and Are
These words are used to point to things. Kore (これ) means this. Kore is used from something closest to you or in your hand. Sore (それ) is used to talk about something that is closer , or held by the person you are speaking to. Are (あれ) is used for something that is far away from both of you.
5.) What - Nani
The word for what is nani (なに) . When used before desu (です) it becomes nan (なん).
Ex. これは なんですか。- Kore wa nan desu ka? - What is this?
6.) A to B (to C) or A and B (and C)
The word to (と) means and. It is used only after a noun to connect it to another noun. It's never used at the beginning of a sentence.
Ex. ほんださんとすずきさんはだいがくせいです。- Honda-san to Suzuki-san wa daigakusei desu. - Honda-san and Suzuki-san are college students.
7.) Excuse me, but... - Shitsurei desu ga...
Shitsurei desu ga... (しつれいですが...) is used at the beginning of a sentence the same way you would use "Excuse me" at the beginning of an English sentence. So, if you want to ask someone, "Excuse me, but what is that?" you would say "Shitsurei desu ga, sore wa nan desu ka?" (しつれいですが、それはなんですか。)
Easy Japanese Chapter 1 - Japanese Greetings
Nihongo De Aisatsu O Shimashou!
にほんご で あいさつ を しましょう!
おはよう ございます
こんにちは
こんばんは
おげんきですか?
はじめまして
さようなら
(どうも) ありがとう ございます
どういたしまして
(どうも) すみません
じゃあ、また (あとで)
じゃあ、また あした (らいしゅう)
[Common Classroom Expressions]
じゃあ、はじめましょうか?
もういちどう いって ください
みんな で いって ください
よんで (かいて) ください
いいですか?
ちょっと まって ください
わかりますか?
はい、わかります
いいえ、わかりません
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Japanese Characters and Pronunciation
Hiragana
In Japanese, there are 5 vowels. They are:
あ /a/ - 'a' as in father
い /i/ - like the 'i' in ink
う /u/ - 'oo' like in boot
え /e/ - 'e' like in bet or egg
お /o/ - like the 'o' in open
Consonants
[tsu] - Pronouced like [ts] in 'pets' or 'cats'.
[g] - Like g in 'go' If it comes either in middle or end of word, depending on the region, it can be pronouced like 'ng' like in 'song'. Either way is fine.
[w] - as in 'want'. Try not to round your lips.
[f] - in Japanese [fu]. It is prounced with a slight amount of friction between your upper and lower lips. Like if you about to blow out a candle, or whistle. Don't pronouce like English [f]!
[r] - This is nothing like English [r]. This sound is made by slightly lightly tapping the tip of your tounge just behind the teeth. About the same place your tounge hits when saying English [l]. Somewhat similar to Spanish rolling [r].
When pronouncing the vowels [ei - えい] and [ou - おう], pronouce them like long [e] and long [o].
In Japanese, you will run into words spelt with a small [tsu - っ] character. This will produce double consonants (Ex. pp, sshi, tt, kk, etc.) Like [issai - いっさい], [ippai -いっぱい ] or [nikkou -にっこう]. It is said like a quick pause in the word. Unless it is double 's'. Like [sesshou - せっしょう], where instead if a pause, there is a 's' sound.
Here are the rest of the hiragana characters:
[KA] -- [KI] -- [KU] -- [KE] -- [KO]
[か] --- [き] ---- [く] --- [け] --- [こ]
[SA] -- [SHI] -- [SU] -- [SE] -- [SO]
[さ] ---- [し] ---- [す] --- [せ] --- [そ]
[TA] -- [CHI] -- [TSU] -- [TE] -- [TO]
[た] ---- [ち] --- [つ] ----- [て] --- [と]
[NA] -- [NI] -- [NU] -- [NE] -- [NO]
[な] ---- [に] --- [ぬ] --- [ね] ---- [の]
[HA] -- [HI] -- [FU] -- [HE] -- [HO]
[は] --- [ひ] --- [ふ] --- [へ] --- [ほ]
[MA] -- [MI] -- [MU] -- [ME] -- [MO]
[ま] ----- [み] --- [む] ---- [め] ---- [も]
[YA] -- [YU] -- [YO]
[や] ---- [ゆ] --- [よ]
[RA] -- [RI] -- [RU] -- [RE] -- [RO]
[ら] ---- [り] ---- [る] --- [れ] ---- [ろ]
[WA] -- [O]
[わ] ---- [を]*
[N]
[ん]
*This is special "o" (also writen as "wo") that is only used as a particle.
Use of "dakuten" and "handakuten"
If you add two small dashes in the upper right part of the character, which I call 'tenten' (also called "dakuten"), it changes the sound of the character. For example:
[KA] [KI] [KU] [KE] [KO] ---becomes---> [GA] [GI] [GU] [GE] [GO]
[か] [き] [く] [け] [こ] ----------------------- [が] [ぎ] [ぐ] [げ] [ご]
[SA] [SHI] [SU] [SE] [SO] ---becomes---> [ZA] [JI] [ZU] [ZE] [ZO]
[さ] [し] [す] [せ] [そ] ----------------------- [ざ] [じ] [ず] [ぜ] [ぞ]
[TA] [CHI] [TSU] [TE] [TO] ---becomes---> [DA] [JI] [ZU] [DE] [DO]
[た] [ち] [つ] [て] [と] -------------------------- [だ] [ぢ] [づ] [で] [ど]
[Note]: The characters ぢ and づ are rarely used becuase the are pretty much the same as じ and ず . One example of when you would use ぢ and not じ would be for the word 'hanaji' (はなぢ ) which means 'nose bleed'. Hana(はな ) means nose and chi (ち) means blood. When put together, chi (ち) turns to ji (ぢ).
[HA] [HI] [FU] [HE] [HO] ---becomes---> [BA] [BI] [BU] [BE] [BO]
[は] [ひ] [ふ] [へ] [ほ] --------------------- [ば] [び] [ぶ] [べ] [ぼ]
There is another symbol, which I just call 'maru' (also called "handakuten"), that changes the sound for 'h' characters.
[HA] [HI] [FU] [HE] [HO] ---becomes---> [PA] [PI] [PU] [PE] [PO]
[は] [ひ] [ふ] [へ] [ほ] --------------------- [ぱ] [ぴ] [ぷ] [ぺ] [ぽ]
Use of small ya (や), yu (ゆ) and yo (よ):
[KYA] [KYU] [KYO] ------> [GYA] [GYU] [GYO]
[きゃ] [きゅ] [きょ] ----------- [ぎゃ] [ぎゅ] [ぎょ]
[SHA] [SHU] [SHO] ------> [JA] [JU] [JO]
[しゃ] [しゅ] [しょ] --------- [じゃ] [じゅ] [じょ]
[CHA] [CHU] [CHO]
[ちゃ] [ちゅ] [ちょ]
[NYA] [NYU] [NYO]
[にゃ] [にゅ] [にょ]
[HYA] [HYU] [HYO]
[ひゃ] [ひゅ] [ひょ]
[BYA] [BYU] [BYO]
[びゃ] [びゅ] [びょ]
[PYA] [PYU] [PYO]
[ぴゃ] [ぴゅ] [ぴょ]
[MYA] [MYU] [MYO]
[みゃ] [みゅ] [みょ]
[RYA] [RYU] [RYO]
[りゃ] [りゅ] [りょ]
Long Vowels and Short Vowels
Unlike in English, Japanese is sensitive about the length of vowels. Making a vowel too long or too short can change the entire meaning of the word.
Some examples are:
いえ -/ie/ - House
いいえ - /iie/ - No
おばさん - /obasan/ - Aunt, middle-aged woman
おばあさん - /obaasan/ - Grandma, old lady
ちず - /chizu/ - Map
チーズ - /chiizu/ - Cheese
Whispered Vowels
There are sometime vowels that are whispered in Japanese. They are 'i' and 'u'. They are usually silent when they are before p, t, k, s, sh, etc.
Some examples of this are:
わたくし -/watakushi/- I, myself - pronunced as 'watakshi'
すきやき - /sukiyaki/ - sukiyaki - pronunced as 'skiyaki'
がくせい - /gakusei/ - student - pronunced as 'gaksei'
Pitch Accent
Unlike in English, different pitches can mean different words in Japanese. An example of this is the word あめ (ame). あめ (ame) with a downward pitch means 'rain', where as あめ (ame) with an upward pitch means 'candy'. Don't worry though, Japanese will still understand you if you get the pitch wrong. In some dialects of Japan, the tone used for words is reversed.
