Post on 03-Apr-2018
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
1/54
thejapanesepage.com http://thejapanesepage.com/book/export/html/63
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! Ofcourse t his list is a simplif ied grammar, and is meant to be only an introduction to the grammar points
presented.
Chapter 1
1. Basic Word Order
The sentence order is very dif f erent f rom 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 t he 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 o f a sentence with a predicate). It shows that something is o r
isn't something else. It is o ne of the very few irregular fo rms 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 t ake a look.
Romaji: zou wa ookii desu.
Literal: elephants (topic particle) big are
Natural: Elephants are large.
Romaji: kore wa neko desu.
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/japanese_word_orderhttp://thejapanesepage.com/book/export/html/637/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
2/54
Literal: this (topic part icle) cat is
Natural: This is a cat .
Mos t o f the t ime 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 f rom today, I'll read.)
4. 2 Basic verb forms - dictionary
There are many ways to conjugate verbs, but here we will focus o n two present tense f orms: "dictionary
f orm" (also known as "plain fo rm") and " ~masu f orm" (also known as "polite f orm")
Note
Switching between these two verb fo rms does not change the meaning of the verb but the dictionary
f orm is more casual.
The dictionary form gets its name because it is what is f ound in the dictionary.
The dictionary form verbs ends in -u and many end in -ru.
The masu f orm 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"
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
3/54
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 f or our purposes right now, just memorize a f ew examples and try to f ind patternswith 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
ust 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 (opt ional).
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 st ick to using the ka.
See "Quest ions and Question Words - 10 minute lesson" f or more on this.
6. Question Words
By mastering these quest ion 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.]
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/questionshttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/verb_groups7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
4/54
(doko) - where
doko kara kimashita ka?
Where did you come f rom? [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 t he question word a ka is used. (Except in casual spoken Japanese.)
The quest ion word is at the beginning, but af ter the wa if there is one.
anata wa dare desu ka?
Who are you? (the quest ion 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 isknowing (erm... ing) which goes to t he lef t o f the no and which goes to the right...
Think of as a 's (apostrophe S)
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/questionshttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/nan7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
5/54
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 f irst 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. Of ten the pronoun is used
once and then af ter (until the topic shif ts to someone else) the pronoun is dropped. Still they are very
important!
Notes
Learn watashiand anata well
tachiand ra are endings that indicate plurality! Easy! :)
Singular Plural
I - watashi WE - watashi tachi
YOU - anata YOU - anata tachi
HE - kare THEY - kare ra
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
6/54
SHE - kanojo
IT - IT isn't used but in ITs place sore (that) is o f ten used - - Don't worry! Remember to breath!
Notes
Another meaning o f kare (he) is actually "boyf riend" and kanojo is "girlf riend"!
When the meaning is obvious, the pronoun is usually dropped. Both of the f ollowing is clear in meaning:
watashi wa amerika kara kimashita.
I came f rom America.
amerika kara kimashita.
(I) came f rom America.
See the "I, Me, You, T hou..." guide f or 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 litt le fo reign to you at f irst, but f or the most part, they aren't too dif f icult to grasp.
These particles are placed af ter a word (o r 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 f ollows.
The best way to learn to use them is to memorize usef ul examples and try them out f or s ize!
wa - overall topic particle
shows the main topic of the conversat ion. It may be helpf ul to t hink of it as "As f or..."
It is a hiragana ha but pronounced as "wa"
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/pronouns7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
7/54
anata wa yasashii.
You are nice.
Makes "you" the main to pic: "As f or YOU, you are nice."
ga - t he subject part icle
sometimes the dif f erence between wa and ga is hard to tell. Sometimes they can be used
interchangeably with only a slight change in meaning. See next ent ry 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 conf used 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 t he topic and now this is known, it won't be repeated unless the topicchanges.
What is the subject of the sentence? That's right - "I" watashiis. 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 thatis unnecessary because he has already said "watashi wa" establishing the topic in the previous sentence.
if bo th are in a sentence, the wa is f irst.
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)
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
8/54
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 f or more on this.
Do you have an iPhone/iPod Touch?
You may be interested in this iPhone App for mastering JapaneseParticles. It is produced by TJP's good f riends over at
JapanNewbie.com. It covers the basic particles plus those f ound on theJLPT N5 and N4 test s. Use the Study Mode and Quiz to test yourself .
Click here to jump to the iTunes Japanese 101: Particles page
12. "if" -
We will look at a f ew 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, ornara or some other conditional.
That being said, you should become f amiliar with moshisince it is extremely useful. Try to memorize
one or two example sentences and then listen or look for o ther examples online or with f riends.
English Japanese
If you come.
moshi anata ga kitara.
If it's sunny.
moshi hare tara.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/japanese-101-particles/id340778943?mt=8http://www.japannewbie.com/http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/more_particles7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
9/54
Special useful phrases
moshi yokereba...
If it is ok with you... [let's do this...]
moshi hoshikattara,
If you want (it),
(when of f ering something to someone)
Chapter 2
13. Using
The equivalent to Mr. or Mrs. or Miss . is
Usage
Right afterthe name. It is used even with f riends. (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 f or girls and very young boys (kiti-chan = Hello Kitty)
(kun) - used f or young boys
(sensei) - used f or teachers [kurei sensei], doctors, and professionals
For now just use san. As you know f rom watching all the Karate Kidmovies, it is t he most common.
For more on this see our article on keishou, " Name Tit les".
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 ho t || -i + katta atsukunakatta - wasn't ho t || -i + kunakatta
Learn this and you can use all -i adjectives! The -na adjectives don't change! But when placed before
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/name_titles7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
10/54
nouns t hey add a -na
genki (healthy, active, fine) genki na ko (healthy child)
Past Tense
Fornow let's s tick with the - masu f orm 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 coo king 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. Just say the thing you want and add ga hoshiito it.
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
11/54
nomimono ga hoshii desu.
(I) want a drink.
NOTE: The desu is optional and is usually dropped. nomimono ga hoshii. is perfectly f ine in spoken
Japanese.
Next, let's ask a question. Can you f igure out how to do it? That 's right add a kaREVIEW HERE
ke-ki ga hoshii desu ka?
Do you want cake?
Want to do~
First get the masu f orm of the verb you want to do. Then drop the masu and add
tai.
Of course if you want to say "do you want to ..." Just add ka
ke-ki o tabetai desu ka?
Do you want to eat cake?
These 2 part icles wa & ga both do what in English is t he 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 ga suki 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 f irst
the wa is written with a hiragana ha but pronounced as wa
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_one/making_questions_ka7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
12/54
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).
Forliving things (people and animals) use ga imasu.
neko ga imasu.
There is a cat(s).
To s how 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 usef ul 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! Just add ga sukiaf ter 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."]
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/particles7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
13/54
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 fo llowed 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 desu change it to da which is the more casual form and add to omoimasu
1. The speaker is not t otally sure of the accuracy of his inf o...
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 f or the speaker, but may not be so f or the
listener.
nattou wa oishii to omoimasu.
I thinkNatto is delicious.
Basically you can say any sentence and if you want to so f ten it or show you are not sure, or show your
opinion add to omoimasu
http://thejapanesepage.com/culture/natto7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
14/54
24. "become" -
To show the state o f becoming... something, use ni narimasu.
The niis placed af ter what something is becoming (or became, or might become... depending on the
conjugation used, as t he examples illust rate below).
The narimasu means to become. Nouns and -na adjectives use ni narimasu. -i adjectives are dif f erent,
but f or 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 f riends.
* the ~mashou means "let's"
genki ni narimashita.
(I) have become f ine / healthy.
Also
mo means "also" or "to o" and like other particles, it is placed aft er the word it modif ies. 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 afterinu 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" -
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/dekimasu_canhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/mottohttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/suruhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/te_formhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_one/and_to_soshite7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
15/54
30. "~ing" -
31. "for example" -
32. "this" -
33. "that" -
34. "that over there" -
35. "must do" -
36. "bett er do..." -
37. "better/worse than" -
Making the form
Ifyou know how to make this form, you can do a lot ! Later we will look at other grammar points t hat are
based on the te f orm. By itself the te f orm 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 f orm f or each of the 3 types of verbs. If you are new to t he
"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 ). Just say it as you f eel 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 f eel f or how the verbs work.
Take the te f orm 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 f orm should be at least
f amiliar to you.
To do, play
Suru is a very usef ul 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 - t o (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 Japanese.
The o is the direct object marker.You will notice it moves around
sometimes. Don't worry about this now,just concentrat e 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.
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/verb_groupshttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/yorihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/hougaiihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/nakerebanarimasenhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/that_over_therehttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/thathttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/thishttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/tatoebahttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/teiru7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
16/54
shougi o suru. To play shogi (Japanese 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 - o r at least with the more part!
Relish the moment (while you can)
{ motto ~ = more ~ }
motto pi-man o tabenasai. Eat moregreen peppers.[~nasaiis like the te f orm in that it gives commands, but it is st ronger. ]
AND FOR THE:
{ motto ~ = ~er }
motto hayaku itte kudasai. (Next time) pleasesay (it) a little earlier.[Usef ul when someone tells you NOT to cut the yellow wire of the bombafteryou have done that...]
Can
There are a couple of ways to say "I can..." in Japanese. The easiest is dekimasu. Let's look at
how to f orm some sentences.
CAN + NOUN []
1 nihongo ga dekimasu.I can (speak) Japanese. [I can do Japanese.]
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 t he verb. Let's add the verb. koto means thing, but
here it is used to make a verb a noun so it will work with dekimasu.
1 nihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu.I can speak Japanese.
2 kanji o yomu kotoga dekimasu.I can read kanji.
Be creative and come up with things you can do!
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
17/54
FOR MORE ON THIS ...
30. "~ing" -
This is a very important grammar point. It corresponds to the English "~ing" form
Construction
f orm + 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 f or more on using for asking questions.)
anata wa benkyou shite imasu ka?
Are you studying?
For example
Anytime you want to make an illustration o r give an example this is the phrase to use.
watashi wa washoku ga suki desu.
I like Japanese style food.
tatoeba, gohan to misoshiru .
For example, rice and miso soup .
You can also ask someone this t o get more concre te information.
tatoeba, nani?
For example, what?
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/questionshttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/can7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
18/54
FOR MORE POWER WORDS...
This
This and that. Actually Japanese also has one more. They also have "that over there" - but we will get at
that later. There are 2 words in Japanese 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 desuka?What is this?
kore wa neko desu.This is a cat.
HINTTo say "This is" or "is this" the kore will probably be
followed by a wa
kono - When you put "this" before a noun, it changes to kono
kono neko wa pochidesu ka?
Is this cat, Pochi?.
iie kono inu wapochi desu.No. This dog isPochi.
HINTIt may seem strange at f irst, but aft er a while This
and That become second nature !
That This and that.
Now we are on the THAT part. So this THAT ref ers to objects near the listener (not the speaker)
sore - when "that" is not connected to a noun
sore wa nandesu ka?What is that?
HINTBegin to think of the words start ing with K's as "this" and
the S's as "that" words
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/small_words7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
19/54
sore wa nekodesu.That is a cat.
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.
HINTThis is used in the same way as
kono
That over there
This and that. Now we are on the THAT OVER THERE part. So this T HAT refers to o bjects not near the
listener or t he speaker.
are
- when "that" is not connected to a noun
are wa nan desu ka?What is that over there?
are wa neko desu.That over there is a cat.
HINTAnd now recognize A's mean That over t here
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.
HINTAgain the y ALL are used in the same
way.
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
20/54
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 Japanese children don't like green peppers)
Say that 5 times fast with your mouth full!
Perhaps the most usef ul 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 usef ul.
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 f orm 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)
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/hougaiihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/verb_formshttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/suru7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
21/54
This is a litt le conf using if you think too much on this! But I suggest memorizing one or two examples
and then you should be able to keep it s traight.
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 t ime studying the above example to understand how the ordering works. Not ice
in English we use either "less than" or "more than" and the meaning is understood by the order of "dogs"
and "cats" BUT in Japanese this is also ok:
watashi wa neko no hou ga inu, yori suki.
Chapter 438. "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 quest ion word -- dou -- Let's look at ways o f using dou.
dou desu ka? How is (it)? [Use this f or asking about f ood, or anything that isbeing done now]
dou deshita ka? How was (it)? [Use this to f ind out about past experiences -movie, last night's date, molded pizza you just ate...]
OT HER 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 orsomething has happened]
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/hard_nikuihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/easy_yasuihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/nanhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/nonihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/nodehttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/hazuhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/punctuationhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/yotei_tsumorihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/negative_verbshttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/negative_adjectiveshttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/iimashitahttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/deshouhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_four/how_dou7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
22/54
dou shiyou What shall (I or we) do? [This is o f ten used when you can't make a decisionand want help... doushiyou, ne!]
dou suru no? What will you do? [When you want to encourage someone to make adecision -- Well, what will you do?]
Isn't it?
Ifyou 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...' o r '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 of ten if you are quot ing 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 eff ects of things o r animals:
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
23/54
ano inu wa 'wan' to iimashita.
That dog barked, "bark"
There are many other usages f or '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, theadjective`s ending is modif ied with a negative ending. You will not ice a great s imilarity with t he verbal
endings.
With `i` adjectives the `i` changes to a `ku` bef ore 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` (o r dewa nai & dewaarimasen)...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 Japanese in the - masu form. (Ok, so I set that one up...) hanasemasu - can speak becomes...
watashi wa nihongo ga hanasemasen.
(I) can`t speak Japanese.
wakarimasu - understand becomes...
watashi wa eigoga wakarimasen.
(I) don`t understand English.
If you can make the -masu f orm, just drop the and add the
You may have not iced there are no `no` words needed to make a negative like in English. You simply
modif y the verb`s ending.
To make the negat ive in the plain, or s imple, form by taking the basic stem and adding to it.
With the `ru` verbs you simply drop the and add as in wasureru (to f orget)...
nihongo o wasurenai.
(I) don`t forget Japanese.
And f or the `u` verbs we change t he ending `u` sound to a `a` sound as in kaku -> ...
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/adjectives7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
24/54
tegami o kakanai.
(I) don`t write letters.
Finally we come to and the o ther irregular verbs.
is in the s imple form and in the polite fo rm
sukaidaibingu o shimasen.
(I) don`t do sky diving.
And kuru is konaiand kimasen in the f ormal...
gojira ga konai.
Godzilla doesn`t come.
To review the 3 types of verbs click here.
Plan to
Ifyou plan on speaking Japanese these two words are very usef ul.yoteiand tsumori
yoteiand 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 s tick either on the
end of a verb (simple form)... To add or to any verb just f ind the simple form...
/
nihon ni iku tsumori(or yotei) desu.
I intend to go to Japan.
[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 st icking a befo re the tsumori and after adjectives. But f or nowconcentrate on the verb usage.
Punctuation
Punctuation is in many ways similar to English. You have a comma, called a and a period at the endof 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
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/verb_groups7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
25/54
the acts like a comma. This is o f ten f ound af ter 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 so mething 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]
Just add it to t he simple f orm 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 Japanese you of ten say the reason f irst and then the
because...
Just add it after an adjective...
sono kaban wa takai node, zutto tsukau tsumori desu.
Since that bag was expensive, I plan on using it f or a long time.
Just add it to t he simple f orm of any verb
gojira ga kuru node, toukyou wa kowai tokoro desu.
Since Godz illa comes, Tokyo is a scary place.
Af ter a no un or a -na adject ive 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 of ten used to show disappointment in the current situation.
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
26/54
Just add it af ter an adjective...isshou kenmei benkyou shita noni, tesuto o ochita.Even though I studied really hard, I f lunked the t est .
Using
This is a very useful add-on.
Use it as a counte r:
nan ninhow many peoplekuru no wa nan nin desu ka? - How many people arecoming?
nan nenhow many years
nan nen amerika ni sunde imashita ka? -How many years did you live in America?
nan banwhat number tsugi wa nan ban desu ka? - What is the next number?
nan dowhat`s the temperature ondo wa nando desu ka? - What is the temperatureat?
nan you biwhat day of the week kyou wa nan youbi desu ka? - What is the day of theweek?
nan nichiwhich day
pa-ti wa nan nichi? - What day is the party?
nan kohow 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 kasomething nanika nomitai - I want something to drink
nan demoanything, whatever nandemo ii desu. - Anything is f ine.
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
27/54
nan tohow...! nan to subarashii hi. - What a wonderful day!
nan no tamewhat fo r koko ni kita no wa nan notame desu ka? - Why did you come here?
nantonakusomehow, in some way nantonaku wakaru. - I somehow understand.
Easy to...
It 's easy to add "easy to" to verbs! Consider the fo llowing verbs in the masu form:
tabe masu [to eat] tabe yasui[easy to eat]
Did you see that? If you know the -masu f orm 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 f orm 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" -
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/kurai_guraihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/etchttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/baaihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/kotohttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/tokihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/ender_nehttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/masenkahttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/mashouhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/rashiihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/younihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/like_younihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_five/looks_like_mitaihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/verb_formshttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/verb_forms7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
28/54
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 s to rm clouds, OR someone told you a hurricane is comingand you are report ing that possibility]
And just st ick it af ter a no un
kono keshiki wa yume mitai.
This scenery loo ks like
a dream. [Usef ul if visiting Mt. Fuji - or, alternat ively, 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 o f -mitai where it can mean 'try and see' when added
to the f orm of a verb: yatte mitai - I'll give
it a shot.
tabete mitai - I'll taste
and see.
That is a bit diff erent f rom the above, but it is also very usef ul!
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 usef ul tag which means ' just as...' or 'like this...'
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
29/54
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 inf o heard f rom another source. The only
dif f erence may be ~rashii may be based on more reliable inf ormation.
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 f ew nouns with rashii that you can remember as a word in itself . This meaning is slighly
dif f erent f rom the above verb construction. Instead of meaning inf o heard elsewhere, when added to a
noun it means the speaker thinks something looks like something. Here are a f ew:
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 s imilar construct ion with nouns is ~ppoi - as seen above with onnappo i. 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 usef ul. Let`s start...
Construction:1) ~masu verb - masu + mashou
Here are a few quick and usef ul examples:
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
30/54
ikimashou.
Let's go.
asobimashou.
Let's play.
sensei to hanashimashou.
Let's talk to the teacher.
nihongo o benkyou shimashou.
Let's study Japanese.
This example uses suru. Another example would be:
sukai daibingu shimashou. Let's go sky diving.
This const ruction is very easy if you know the masu (formal) f orm of the verb. If you are a beginner, you
probably want t o st ick with the ~masu f orm 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 dif f icult to grasp.
Construction:1) ~masu verb - masu + mashou
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 loo k at it as a quest ion
tag.
As a question tag: don't you... isn't it...
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
31/54
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 goo
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 inf lection to let the
listener know you would like a response. It is usually used when the speaker feels f airly certain his
listeners agree with what was said.
A very usef ul phrase f or whenever so mething good happens is:
ii ne. Isn't that great!
When, that time
Ifyou don't know when to say so mething, 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 to temo wakakatta ne. [looking at a photo ] When I was a s tudent, Iwas very young, wasn't I?
And with verbs...
simple past
f urorida ni itta t oki ni kore wo kaimashita. When I went t o Florida, I bought this.
non-pastf urorida ni iku toki wa omiyage wo kaimasu. When I go to Florida, I will buy souvenirs.
continuingneru toki itsumo futon de nemasu. When I sleep, I always sleep on a f uton.
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.
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/toki_tara_to7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
32/54
kinou no koto wa sumimasen deshita.
I am sorry about what happened yesterday. (yesterday's thing)
Mono - t angible 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 usef ul 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 usef ul 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 f ew ways to list multiple items:
ya - and, and so f orth
pi-man ya hourensou ga kirai desu.
I don't like green peppers, spinach and the like.
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
33/54
toka - o r, and, and so f orth
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 abo ut ...?" -
64.
65. "please do..." -
66. "please give me..." -
67. on, in, above, behind...
68. "why don't we...?" -
69. Closer look at
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/ohttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/why_dont_wehttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/on_inhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/o_kudasaihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/kudasaihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/chattahttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/how_about_dou7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
34/54
70. Closer look at
71. Closer look at
72. Closer look at
73. "if " II -
74. "sof t 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 f inal '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 docto r's
appointment, or af ter your f riend gets of f an important phone call)
This literally means 'to complete, f inish' but can (and usually does) involve a regret over having done
something. Also it can be used sarcastically to mean the speaker really wanted t o do something, but
gives a halfhearted apology. For example, I unfortunately ate the last
cookie. Of course there really wasn't anything unfo rtunate about it.
The construction is usually af ter the ~te f orm 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 Japanese.
Another very usef ul variat ion is ~chatta. This is inf ormal and is used by bo th male and f emale speakers.
chau is made by combining te shimau -> chau
shiken ni ochichatta.
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/power_ender_yohttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/chottohttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/tarahttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/gahttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/dehttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_six/ni7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
35/54
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
36/54
In spoken Japanese, the 'o ' is usually dropped.
On, In, Above, Behind
A good knowledge of pos ition part icles will help glue everything to gether. 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 o f ) 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 boo k behind the desk.
Why don't we...?
Why don't we study a litt le 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 Japanese as wo. Simply put, is the 'direct object marker or particle' whichindicates 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 part icle is one o f 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 t he particle can be used interchangeably with . But has a wider application so f or
now just s tick with
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
37/54
Showing movement toward... Like 'to'
nihon ni ikitai.
I want to go to Japan. (direction TO Japan)
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 t ime - '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 Japan, what did you do?
Observe the dif f erence between and :
makudonarudo ni ikitai.
I want to go to McDonalds.
makudonarudo de tabetai.
I want to eat at McDonalds.
A Closer look at
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
38/54
This is the 'subject marker / particle'.
ame ga futteimasu.
It's raining.
There is a subt ile dif f erence between WA and GA and I don't pretend to try to completely explain it. Yearsf rom now, you will st ill make WA/GA mistakes. Still, in general you can say WA is the main TOPIC and GA is
the more specif ic SUBJECT at hand. In the above example we say it is raining. The to pic isn't about rain.
We are simply stating the circumstances at the moment and the subject o f 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 f ound 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 f ormed by finding the simple past f orm and adding a
anata ga kitara kare wa kaeru
Ifyou are coming, he will go home.
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
39/54
The simple past f orm of is .The 2nd phrase is conditional on the phrase.
gojira ni attara doushiyou.
What should I do ifI meet Godzilla?
You can also use it with nouns by using the simple past f orm of desu:
okanemochi da tara ookina ie ga kaeru noni.
Ifonly I were rich, I could buy a large house.
Softener
Many years ago I fo und an example in a book o f how Japanese 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 sof t, indirect words. One of
these words is .
means 'little' or 'small amount' but it is o f ten used to sof ten an otherwise painful 'no' o r '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 'chot to ' is a bad word in Korean. If that is the case, chotto may not be that
sof t o f a word...
The power ender ""
When you want to impress upon your listener the importance or t ruth of what you are saying stick a
at the end of the sentence.
hontou desu yo. It's the truth, I te ll ya! (Perhaps the speaker suspects the listener doesn't
believe what he just said)
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
40/54
fururida no 12 gatsu wa atsui desu ka? Is December in Florida is pret ty
hot?
kekkou samui desu yo.Actually, it is pretty cold.
It is very useful fo r rumors or explaining a truth you know someone may not swallow at f irst:
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, no t allowed" -
80. Easy kanji pref ixes
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 if although
We have studied which means 'also '. When added af ter the form of a verb or adjective it brings on
the meaning of 'even if '. Let's invest igate:
joudan wo ittemo, kare wa waraimasen.
Even if you tell a joke, he won't laugh.
And an adject ive:
tsumetakutemo taberaremasu.
Even if it is cold, I can eat it.
And just st ick it af ter a no un
su-paman demo sonna koto wa dekinai yo.
Even Superman can't do that!
The best, -est
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapterthree/teiruhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/ni_shimasuhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/koto_ga_arimasuhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/shinaidehttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/katahttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/no_pronounhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/n_desuhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/countershttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/kanji_prefixeshttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/ikenaihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/nitsuitehttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/besthttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_seven/temo7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
41/54
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 af ter t he 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 f orbidden to do. Perhaps easiest way to us this is t o stick it af ter the f orm of a verb and (wa - topic particle).
shiranai hito to hanashite wa ikemasen.
Don't speak to strangers.
Of ten 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 f or a similar ef f ect: watashi no hon o yonja dame. You can'tread my book!
Easy kanji prefixes
There are a number of f airly easy kanji that will help dramatically increase your vocabulary. These kanji
have specif ic meanings that when added to other kanji or words, it changes the whole meaning in a
logical way.
- dai, oo - big
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
42/54
suki
to like
dai sukito reallylike, love
kirai
to dislike
daikiraito reallydislike,hate
ji shin
earthquake
dai jishina huge
earthquake
amerain
oo ame
heavy rain
Anot her s imilar word is: (small)
- mai - every (attached to time words)
asamorning
mai asaevery
morning
toshiyear
maitoshieveryyear
ban
evening
mai ban
every
evening
- kai - to meet (a suf f ix)
ongakumusic
ongaku kai
concert/recital
un dou
exercise,sports
undou kaiathletic
meet
Easy Counters
In English, we just take a number (1,2,3...) add a noun and an "s" t o count items. But in Japanese
dif f erent types of objects have dif f erent 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
ust a t ip... 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 fo r counting up to two people and for count ing
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
43/54
general things. If you are f eeling lazy, just learn the "Chinese" numbers f or now.
If you haven't studied numbers yet, go to this page to learn all about them befo re proceeding: How to
Count
Here is a quick review::
Native
Chinese
Note t he two red alternate readings on the "Chinese" side. These are pronunciations based on the"native" readings but are of ten used in conjunction when counting other "Chinese" numbers.
Ok, now for counters.
Let's go t hrough some common counters one by one and then I will give a list of many other counters:
Counter: nin | Usage: people [pay att ention 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 f rom 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 of ten, but is also used]
or )
etc...
Counter: hiki | Usage : most animals
[not ice the H changes to a P] [not ice the H changes to a B this t ime.]
[not ice the H changes to a P AND the becomes a small ] or [probably is most used] or
[not ice the small - t his occurs when there is a so f t
sound aft er like H]
Counter: hon | Usage : long, slender objects like pencils, bottles, arms...
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/count7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
44/54
or
Other Counters:
satsubooks and magazines
funminutes
haicups of liquids, drinks
maisheets of paper; flatobjects
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 of ten 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 of ten used, inf ormally,
when:
1) To explain something
2) To show emphasis
is short fo r; Inf ormal usage;
plain fo rm verb +
nani o shite iru n desu ka .
Whatcha doing?
terebi o mite iru n desu.
Watching TV.
- i Adjective +
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
45/54
kono eiga wa omoshiroi n desu.
This movie was great!
And it can be used as a way to st ress 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.
Just 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 ~ f orm of a verb minus the and then add .
kanji no yomi kata
How/Way to read (a) kanji
kanji no kaki kata
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
46/54
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 chopst icks correctly."
hashi no tadashii tsukai kata o oshiete kudasai.
Please teach me how to use chopsticks correctly
Please don't
Sometimes you have to t ell/ask people to not do something.
Construction:
Take the f orm 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 usef ul construction. Simply add it af ter a simple past f orm of a verb:
Construction:
Take the simple past f orm 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 of ten this phrase is used to say, "I'll have (some foo d or drink)." Next time you go to a Japanese
restaurant, give this a t ry.
nani ni shimasu ka?
What will you have?
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
47/54
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 s ay 'about ' as in "about a week" or t o 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 poet ic. This const ruction f its perfectly into that mood.
Construction: VERBS +
Take the f orm of a verb
Add
tatoe sekai ga owattemo
Even if the world ends...
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/canhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/bakarihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/sahttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/giving_receivinghttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/polite2http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/keigohttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/souhttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/amarihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/may_ihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/nagarahttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/tarihttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/tatoehttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_eight/hodo7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
48/54
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 f orm 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?
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
49/54
Asking permission and Being po lite go hand in hand. Here is how you do both in Japanese.
Construction:
Take the f orm 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 Japanese.
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 usef ul word is used in various idiomatic ways. It is best to learn each as an example by
heart.
sou desu
Yes, that is right.
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
50/54
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 conversat ion.
Polite Japanese
There are three basic types of honorif ics f or verbs. It depends on your social rank as to which fo rm to
use.
A) Humble (kenjougo) - T his is when referring to oneself or one's f amily members and (usually)
speaking to someone higher up in social rank, pos ition or some other criteria for determining status.
However even some people with high pos itions may choose to use the humble f orm with those under
him/her.
B) ~masu - As mentioned above ~masu / desu is actually teineigo or polite language, but I'm using
the f amiliar ~masu f orm fo r an easy comparison to t he 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 f orm.
Humble(speaking to your bossabout yourself)
Normal(speaking to your friends)
Respectful(speaking to your bossabout your boss)
haiken shimasu
mimasuto see
goran ni narimasu
moushimasu
You know this f rom "name tomoushimasu"
iimasu
to say
osshaimasu
itadakimasu
tabemasu
to eat
meshi agarimasu
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
51/54
mairimasu
This is the humble f orm fo rboth to come and go!
kimasu
to come
ikimasu
to go
irasshaimasu
This is the respectf ul f orm f orboth 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 hono rif ic (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 - questionWon'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) (honorif ic)
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 diff icult if you spend some time learning eachword's f unction. It is o f course more complex than this page allows, but t his should give you a f airly good
understanding.
The Word:
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/more_polite_languagehttp://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/more_polite_language7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
52/54
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 f rom 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 f rom 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 ofwith can seem confusing consideringis 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)
7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
53/54
Construction: -na adjectives:
Just 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 act ion: just...
Construction:
Add af ter 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 f orm of Verbs.
Befo re start ing 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) kakeruable 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) taberareruable to eat
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/verb_groups7/29/2019 Thejapanesepage.com-Fast Track 100 Grammar Points
54/54
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...
http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar/chapter_three/dekimasu_can