Month: November 2018

Particles overview

は (pronounced “wa”): topic marker (“as for X, …”) presents the topic you want to talk about

を (pronounced “o”): indicates direct object = what is involved/affected by the event. used with verbs. ほん を よみます = I read a book

に: movement and time. 日本 に いきます = I go to Japan. Used for months/days of the weeks and numerical time expressions but not for relative time expressions (today, tomorrow), regular intervals (every day, sometimes) and “when” (いつ). Time: ごる or ごるに instead of に = approximately (12:00 ごるに = at about 12:00)

に : between な-Adjectives + noun = Adverb. しずか　に　のみました = drank quietly

ヘ (pronounced “e”): for movement equal to に (but not for time!)

で: place. うち で = at home

も: also. 私も日本人です = i am also japanese

も: questionword + も = strong negation. こうえんに何もありません = in the park is nothing. 木の下にだれもいません = nobody is under the tree.

と: and. そこ に 本 と 木 です = there is a book and a tree

What/who/how much… question words

なに / なん = what

いくら = how much (いくらですか = how much is is? このとけいはいくらですか = how much is this watch?) 

どれ = which one (use with が not with は – > どれがあなたのえんぴつですか = which one is your pen?) 

どの + noun = which [noun]. Question word and also used with が. どのとけいが1000えん ですか = which watch is 1000 yen? 

どこ = where (トイレはどこですか = where is the toilet?) 

だれ = who (だれですか = who is it?)

いつ = when (いつが暇ですか = when are you free?)

どう = how (これはどう書きますか = how does one write that? どうですか = How is it?)

なぜ / どうして = why (その本はなぜつまらなかったんですか = why was that book boring?)

use 〜んですか instead of only 〜ですか if you want more of an explanation instead of only a short answer

Adverbs

Order: Adjective + verb

な Adjectives

Put に between Adj without な + Verb 

Think of Adverb+verb as one entity and treat like normal verbs.

しずか　に　のみました = drank quietly

い-Adjectives

Replace い of the Adjective with　く and add verb

はやく　たべました = ate quickly

Exception: いい becomes よく

よく　できました = did (something) well

よく わらいました = had a good laugh = laughed a lot

Numbers

Note: Numbers are usually written in arabic numerals. It’s in Hiragana here for the pronunciation/logic.

1: いち
2: に
3: さん
4: し／よん (both work)
5: ご
6: ろく
7: しち／なな (both work)
8: はち
9: きゅう
10: じゅう

11: じゅういち
12: じゅうに
14: じゅうし／じゅうよん (both work)
17: じゅうしち

20: にじゅう
40: よんじゅう (use よん not し)
70: ななじゅう (use なな not しち)

35: さんじゅうご
42: よんじゅうしち / よんじゅうなな

100: ひゃく
200: にひゃく
300: さんびゃく❗
400: よんひゃく(use よん)
500: ごひゃく
600: ろっぴゃく❗
700: ななひゃく(use なな)
800: はっぴゃく❗
900: きゅうひゃく

397: さんびゃくきゅうじゅうなな
943: はっぴゃくよんじゅうさん

1’000: せん / いっせん
2’000: にせん
3’000: さんぜん ❗
4’000: よんせん (use よん)
5’000: ごせん
6’000: ろくせん
7’000: ななせん (use なな)
8’000: はっせん ❗
9’000: きゅうせん

10’000: いちまん
40’000: よんまん

100’000: じゅうまん (10+10’000)
1’000’000: ひゃくまん (100+10’000)
10’000’000: いっせんまん (1’000 + 10’000)
100’000’000: いちおく

I-Adjectives

Adjective before noun

Adj. + noun: Just concatenate without particle.
はやいくるま　です = it is a [fast car]
Use with でした etc.

はやい　くるま　ですた = it was a [fast car]

Look at [Adj. + noun] as a single entity grammar-wise, eg. teat as a normal noun. For example use with の like you would with a normal noun: Joのはやいくるま = Jo’s fast car

Adjective after noun

Noun + Adj.: Use は particle 
くるま　は　はやい　です = this car is fast
But DO NOT use with でした, じゃありません and じゃありませんでした !

Conjugation:
〜い　present/future
〜かった　past
〜くない　negative
〜くなかった　past negative

Add です for politeness (です for all tenses)

あたらしかったです
It was new

Exception: いい (good) uses the alternate version (よい) of the word for conjugation.

いい　→　Good

よかった　→　Was good

よくない　→　Not good

よくなかった　→　Was not good

Na-Adjectives

Right before a noun = with な
After a noun = no な

After a noun: Use は
は [ajd without na] です (or でした etc.)

Before a noun:
しぜんな　もり です = It is a natural forest
な after the adjective is similar to の: Used to describe the following noun

treat (なadj+noun) as a single entity and use like a normal noun

Want

ほしい – when you want something
Use like suki/kirai: [something] が ほしい です
くるま　が　ほしい　です = I want a car
なに　が　ほしい　ですか？ = What do you want?

〜たい Form – when you want to do something
Stem of verb (polite form without ます) + たい
たべます (to eat) -> たべ (stem) + たい = たべたい (want to eat)

Use conjugation of i-Adjectives so just conjugate たい like any i-Adjective:
たべたい want to eat
たべたかった wanted to wat
たべたくない not want to eat
たべたくなかった did not want to eat

What?

なに / なん = what (何)
なん = shortened, used before です or before a “counter” like じ (o’clock) or さい (years old). なに before a particle and in なにじん (person of what nationality)

なん ですか = What is it?
これ　は　なん　ですか = What is this?

何の = what kind of, used with nouns. これ は 何の 本 です か = what kind of book is this?

Useful: これ, それ and あれ