1

The focus of this lesson is Introducing Yourself in Japanese

The phrase hajimemashite

Hajimemashite means "nice to meet you," and you can use it with anyone you are
meeting for the first time.

JAPANESE ROMAJI "ENGLISH

はじめまして。 Hajimemashite. "Nice to m

For Example:

1. A: Hajimemashite, Maki desu.

A: はじめまして、まきです。
A: "Nice to meet you! I'm Maki."
B: Hajimemashite, Merissa desu.
B: はじめまして、メリッサです。
B: "Nice to meet you! I'm Melissa."

Saying What Something Is ("A is B")

Let's take a look at the sentence pattern for saying what something is:

★ Sentence Pattern:

[A] wa [B] desu/"[A] is [B]"

In this pattern,
A = the item being talked about ("me," "you," "he," "the dog," "an apple," etc.)
B = what you are identifying it as ("Jennifer," "Raul," "a souvenir," "water," etc.)

Now, let's make some sentences using this pattern:

A / wa / B / desu / "English"
 1. Watashi ("I") wa Jenifā desu.
"I'm Jennifer."
2. Boku ("I") wa Rauru desu.
"I'm Raul."
3. Watashi wa pairotto ("pilot") desu.
"I'm a pilot."
4. Boku wa shefu ("chef") desu.
"I'm a chef."
5. Kore ("this") wa omiyage ("souvenir") desu.
"This is a souvenir."
6. Kore wa mizu ("water)" desu.
"This is water."

See how the wa and desu never change? To use this pattern, simply change parts A
and B!

For Example:

1. Kore wa sushi desu.

これはすしです。
"This is sushi."
2. Watashi wa Tōmasu Ejison desu.
わたしは、トーマスエジソンです。
"I'm Thomas Edison."
2

魚 [さかな] fish9 EXAMPLES

野菜 [やさい] vegetables1 EXAMPLE

水 [みず] water9 EXAMPLES

そうです [そうです] That's right.1 EXAMPLE

にく [にく] meat, flesh1 EXAMPLE

フルーツ [ふるーつ] fruit1 EXAMPLE

違います [ちがいます] That's wrong1 EXAMPLE

お菓子 [おかし] sweets, snacks, candy1 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The focus of this lesson is Asking Simple Questions in Japanese

Asking "Is A B?"

Let's take a sentence that uses our "A is B" sentence pattern that we learned in Lesson
7.

For Example:

1. Kore wa okashi desu.

これ は おかし です。
"These are sweets."

Let's say you have a plate of snacks in front of you that look sweet...but you can't really
tell! To turn the sentence above into a question ("These are sweets" → "Are these
sweets?"), we simply add ka to the end of the sentence.

So now you can ask:

1. Kore wa okashi desu ka.

これ は おかし ですか。
"Are these sweets?"

Let's try it with some other sentences:

Sentence "English" → Question

Kore wa mizu desu. "This is water." → Kore wa mizu desu ka?
(これはみずです。) (これはみずですか？)

Kore wa niku desu. "This is meat." → Kore wa niku desu ka?

(これはにくです。) (これはにくですか？)

Kore wa sakana desu. "This is fish." → Kore wa sakana desu ka?

(これはさかなです。) (これはさかなですか？)

Kore wa yasai desu. "This is a vegetable." → Kore wa yasai desu ka?

(これはやさいです。) (これはやさいですか？)

Kore wa furūtsu desu. "This is a fruit." → Kore wa furūtsu desu ka?

(これはフルーツです。) (これはフルーツですか？)

Replying "Yes, it is"/"Yes, that's right"

If you want to reply to the question "A wa B desu ka?" ("Is A B?") with an affirmative
answer, all you have to do is say...

Hai, sō desu.
はい、そうです。
"Yes, it is." / "Yes, that's right."

This literally means "Yes, it is so."

Replying "No, it isn't"/"No, that's wrong"

If you want to reply to the question "A wa B desu ka?" ("Is A B?") with a negative
answer, you simply say...
Iie, chigaimasu.
いいえ、違います。
"No, it isn't." / "No, that's wrong."

Iie（いいえ） means "No", and chigaimasu (ちがいます) is a verb literally meaning "to be
different".

For Example:

Kore wa kusuri desu ka?

これはくすりですか。
Is this medicine?

- Hai, sō desu.
はい、そうです。
"Yes, it is."

- Iie, chigaimasu.
いいえ、ちがいます。
"No, it isn't."
3

The focus of this lesson is Asking What Something Is in Japanese

This, That, and That Over There - Kore, Sore, Are

In Japanese, there are three different demonstrative pronouns that can be used for
"this" or "that" - kore (これ）, sore （それ）, and are （あれ）. They are part of the "ko-so-a-do"
series of words which we will introduce more of later.

Japanese English

これ(kore) this something close to you, that you can touch

それ(sore) that something nearby but which is not within reach / which is closer to the other pe

あれ(are) that something far away from you / far away from both you and the other person

For Example:

[The speaker is holding a cup.]

Kore wa kōhī desu.

これはコーヒーです。
"This is coffee."

[It is closest to the speaker. So kore is used.]

[The speaker points to something on the listener's desk.]

Sore wa konpyūta desu.

それはコンピューターです。
"That is a computer."

[It is not within the speaker's reach, but close to the listener. So sore is used.]

[The speaker points to a building across the street.]

Are wa byōin desu.

あれは病院です。
"That is a hospital."

[It is far from both of the speaker and the listener. So are is used.]

Asking "What is This?"/What is That?"

You can use the above words kore, sore and are to ask "What is this?" or "What is
that?" in Japanese. It is important to use the right word depending on the distance of the
object you're talking about so that the listener doesn't get confused, so be careful!

★ Sentence Pattern:

kore/sore/are wa nan desu ka?

これ・それ・あれはなんですか。
What is this/that/that over there?

For Example:
Two people are sitting at a restaurant table. A-san points to her own food and asks the
waitress:

Kore wa nan desu ka?

これはなんですか。
"What is this?"

[It is closest to the speaker. So kore is used.]

She then points at what B-san is eating and says...

Sore wa nan desu ka.

それはなんですか。
"What is that?"

[It is not within the speaker's reach, but close to the listener. So sore is used.]

They both look out of the window of the restaurant at a faraway mountain. A-san says...

Are wa nan desu ka.

あれはなんですか。
"What is that?"

[It is far from both of the speaker and the listener. So are is used.]
4

何時 [なんじ] what time1 EXAMPLE

今 [いま] now6 EXAMPLES

六時 [ろくじ] six o'clock1 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The focus of this lesson is Telling Time in Japanese

Asking What Time It Is

★ Sentence Pattern:

Ima nanji desu ka?

今何時ですか。
What time is it now?
ima（今）＝ now
nan-ji（何時）＝ what time
desu（で す）＝ Copula (linking verb), which is equivalent to the English “am,” “is” and
“are.”
ka（か）＝ Question marker

This is the most common expression used for asking the time. Ima（今）can be left
out. Nan-ji desu ka?（何時ですか。）＝ What time is it?

Saying What Time It Is

********** The hours of the day **********

Time Kanji Hiragana Roman charac

1:00 一時 いちじ ichi-ji

2:00 二時 にじ ni-ji

3:00 三時 さんじ san-ji

4:00 四時 よじ yo-ji

5:00 五時 ごじ go-ji

6:00 六時 ろくじ roku-ji

7:00 七時 しちじ or ななじ shichi-ji or nan

8:00 八時 はちじ hachi-ji

9:00 九時 くじ ku-ji

10:00 十時 じゅうじ jū-ji

11:00 十一時 じゅういちじ jūichi-ji

12:00 十二時 じゅうにじ jūni-ji

Be careful!

* 4:00 is not shi-ji or yon-ji, but yo-ji.

* 9:00 is not kyū-ji, but ku-ji.
* 7:00 is usually shichi-ji in daily conversation, but nana-ji is also acceptable.

For Example:

Polite Conversation

Ima nan-ji desu ka?

今、何時ですか。
What time is it now?

Yoji desu.
四時です。
It's four o'clock.

Ressun wa go-ji kara desu.

レッスンは五時からです。
The lesson starts at 5 o'clock.

Casual Conversation

Ima, nan-ji?
今、何時？
What time is it now?

Yoji.
四時。
It's four o'clock.

Ressun wa go-ji kara.

レッスンは五時から。
The lesson starts at five o'clock.
5

そこ [そこ] there, that place1 EXAMPLE

ここ [ここ] here, this place1 EXAMPLE

あそこ [あそこ] over there1 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The focus of this lesson is Asking Where Something is in Japanese

Asking the Location of Something

★ Sentence Pattern:

[Thing] wa doko desu ka?

[Thing] はどこですか。
Where is [thing]?
wa（は）＝ topic marking particle
doko（どこ）＝ where
desu（です）＝ copula (which is equivalent English "is, am, are.")
ka（か）＝ question marking particle

[Something] wa doko desu

トイレ は どこ です

Toire wa doko desu

おふろ は どこ です

O-furo wa doko desu

電気 は どこ です

Denki wa doko desu

かぎ は どこ です

Kagi wa doko desu

*Toire（トイレ）＝ restroom, lavatory

*O-furo（お風呂）＝ bathroom, bathtub
*Denki（電気）＝ switch for the lights (literally, electricity)
*Kagi（かぎ）＝ key

For Example:
  A:すみません。トイレはどこですか。
Sumimasen. Toire wa doko desu ka?
B: あそこです。
Asoko desu.
A:Excuse me. Where is the restroom?
B:It's over there.

Saying Where Something Is

★ Sentence Pattern:

[Thing] wa koko/soko/asoko desu.

[Thing] は ここ・そこ・あそこです。
[Thing] is here/there/over there.

Ko-so-a-do words for locations

ここ koko here

そこ soko there

あそこ asoko over there

どこ doko where

For Example:

東京駅はここです。
Tōkyō Eki wa koko desu.
"Tokyo station is here."
私は、ここです。
Watashi wa koko desu.
"I'm here."
6

メニュー [メニュー] menu6 EXAMPLES

注文 [ちゅうもん] order4 EXAMPLES

すみません [すみません] Excuse me2 EXAMPLES

お願いします [おねがいします] please1 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The focus of this lesson is Asking For Something in Japanese

Getting Someone's Attention with Sumimasen

In Japanese, the phrase that covers both "excuse me" and "I'm sorry" is sumimasen (すみ
ません).

Sumimasen.
すみません。
"Excuse me."

Sumimasen is the same as "excuse me" in English, and we can use it to get the
attention of someone, like a stranger or a clerk in a store or restaurant.

Asking for Something with Onegai Shimasu

The phrase o-negai shimasu basically means "please" in English, and we use it when
asking for something. To ask for something, simply say o-negai shimasu after you say
the name of the item or service that you want.

Formation

[item/service that you want] + onegai shimasu

For Example:

ITEM/SERVICE THAT YOU WANT + ONEGAI SHIMASU "ENGLISH

menyu (メニュー) onegai shimasu "Can I ge

(おねがいします) (literally, "

mizu (みず) onegai shimasu "Can I ge

(おねがいします) (literally,
Water, ple
chūmon (ちゅうもん) onegai shimasu "Can you
(おねがいします) (literally, "

Note that as seen in the examples above, we can use onegai shimasu to ask for things
like that aren't tangible (like a service).

The third example, chūmon onegai shimasu, literally means "order, please," and we use
it to ask the clerk to take the order.

Example Sentences

1. O-kaikei onegai shimasu.

おかいけいおねがいします。
"Can I get the check?" (literally, "Check, please.")
2. Sain onegai shimasu.
サインおねがいします。
"Can I have your signature/autograph?" (literally, "Sign, please.")
7

鳥肉 [とりにく] chicken (meat)1 EXAMPLE

豚肉 [ぶたにく] pork5 EXAMPLES

イギリス人 [イギリスじん] English, British (nationality)1 EXAMPLE

うどん [うどん] udon, Japanese wheat noodle1 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The focus of this lesson is Past and Negative Forms of the Japanese Copula

Making Present Tense Negative Statements with Desu

There are 3 negative forms of desu（です）. They are...

● de wa arimasen（ではありません）
● ja arimasen（じゃありません）
● ja nai desu（じゃないです）

Although all of these expressions are polite, de wa arimasen（で はありません) is the most
polite expression among these three.

Affirmative sentence: "I am Lori." → Negative sentence: "I am not Lo

Watashi wa Rorī desu. → Watashi wa Rorī de wa arimase

→ Watashi wa Rorī ja arimasen.

→ Watashi wa Rorī ja nai desu.

For Example:

A:こんにちは。ケントさん。
Konnichiwa. Kento-san.
Hi, Kent.

B:ケント じゃない です。私は ケンです。

Kento ja nai desu. Watashi wa Ken desu.
I'm not Kent. I'm Ken.

A:これはなんですか。これは とりにく ですか。

Kore wa nan desu ka? Kore wa toriniku desu ka?
What is this? Is this chicken?
B:とりにくではありません。ぶたにくです。
Toriniku dewa arimasen. Butaniku desu.
It's not chicken. It's pork.

Making Past Tense Affirmative Statements with Desu

Udon wa san-byaku-en deshita.

うどんは 三百円 でした。
"The udon was 300 yen."

The polite past tense of desu is deshita (でした）.

For Example:

1)これは １００円でした。
Kore wa hyaku-en deshita.
This was 100yen.

2)サー アイザック ニュートンは イギリス人でした。

Sā Aizakku Nyūton wa Igirisu-jin deshita.
Sir Isaac Newton was English.
8

スーパー [スーパー] supermarket1 EXAMPLE

時間 [じかん] time1 EXAMPLE

コンビニ [こんびに] convenience store2 EXAMPLES

アレルギー [アレルギー] allergy5 EXAMPLES

あります [あります] to be, to exist, to have, to be located;V1 -masu f

います [います] to be (animate), to exist; -masu form1 EXAMPLE

予定 [よてい] plan2 EXAMPLES

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz
Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is Using the Japanese Verbs Arimasu/Imasu

Arimasu: Talking about the Existence of Something

In Japanese, we use the word arimasu to talk about the existence of something, just like
we'd say "there is/are [item]" or "there isn't/aren't [item]" in English. When we say "Oh,
there's a supermarket" in English, we're talking about the existence of a supermarket,
right? In Japanese, we would use arimasu to express this.

★ Sentence Pattern:

[item, place] ga arimasu "There is [A]"/"[A] exists"

In this pattern, A = the thing or place that exists

ITEM GA ARIMASU "ENGLISH"

Sūpā (スーパー) ga arimasu "There's a superm

(が あります)

Konbini ga arimasu "There's a conve

(コンビニ) (が あります)

Gasorin sutando ga arimasu "There's a gas st

(ガソリンスタンド) (が あります)
★ In the dialogue, we saw the sentence Asoko ni, doraibu surū ga arimasu ("there's a
drive-thru over there...") with the phrase asoko ni in the beginning. This asoko ni means
"over there," and we can add it when we want to be more specific about the location
of something.

Arimasu: Talking about Having Something

We also use the word arimasu to talk about having something.

★ Sentence Pattern:

[thing] ga arimasu "I have [A].

In this pattern, A = the thing or place that exists

ITEM GA ARIMASU "ENGLISH"

arerugī ga arimasu "(I) have allergies

(アレルギー) (が あります)

Yotei ga arimasu "(I) have plans."

(よてい) (が あります)

Jikan ga arimasu "(I) have time."

(じかん) (が あります)

When it is obvious who we are talking to, we can use the above phrase
[thing] ga arimasu. But when we want to also mention the person who has something,
our pattern becomes:

★ Sentence Pattern:

[person] wa [thing] ga arimasu "[Person] h

In this pattern, A = the things or place that exists

PERSON WA ITEM GA ARIMASU "ENGLISH"

Kaori wa arerugī ga arimasui "Kaori has a

(かおり) (アレルギー) (が あります)
(は)

Taylor wa okane ga arimasu "Taylor has

(テイラー) (は) (お金) (が あります)

* Note: When talking about food allergies, it is common to put the name of the food
before the word arerugī (アレルギー) in Japanese to specify the type.

For Example:

1. chikin arerugī
チキンアレルギー
"allergic to chicken"
2. pīnattsu arerugī
ピーナッツアレルギー
"allergic to peanuts"
Imasu: Talking about People and Animals

Just like we use arimasu (Lesson 19), we also use imasu to express the meanings "to
be," "to exist," "to be located," or "to have." The difference is that we use imasu to talk
about animate objects, such as people and animals. When talking about people, it often
means that that person is currently around or on the premises. We often use it when
talking about family members, as in "I have a brother" or "I have a sister."

★ Sentence Pattern:

[animate object] ga imasu "There is ~"/"~ is here"

"I have ~" (for family members)

In this pattern, A = the animate object (person/animal) the person is talking about.

For Example:

ITEM GA IMASU "ENGLISH"

Teirā ga imasu "Taylor is here."

(テイラー) (が います)

hito ga imasu "There's a person

(ひと) (が います)

imōto ga imasu "I have a younge

(いもうと) (が います)
■ Note: To make imasu negative and say that an animate object doesn't exist,
use imasen instead.

For Example:

1. Kyōdai ga imasen.
きょうだいがいません。
"I don't have any siblings."
9

嫌い [きらい] to hate, dislike; Adj(na)1 EXAMPLE

大嫌い（な） [だいきらい（な）] very dislikeable, hate, hatred; na-adj1 EXA

犬 [いぬ] dog12 EXAMPLES

好き [すき] to like, likable; Adj(na)2 EXAMPLES

大好き [だいすき] love, really like;Adj(na)1 EXAMPLE

猫 [ねこ] cat8 EXAMPLES

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide
Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is Saying That You Like (or Don't Like) Something in
Japanese

Saying That You Like Something

First, let's go over how to say you like something.

★ Sentence Patterns:

[A] ga [suki] desu / "I like [A]"

To say that you LOVE something, you can use the word daisuki instead of suki.

[A] ga daisuki desu / "I love [A]"

For Example:

1. Keki ga suki desu.

ケーキがすきです。
"I love cake."
2. Supotsu ga daisuki desu.
スポーツがだいすきです。
"I love sports."

Saying That You Dislike Something

First, let's go over how to say you like something.

Next, let's go over how to say you don't like something.

★ Sentence Patterns:

[A] ga kirai desu / "I don't like [A]"

To say that you HATE something, you can use the word daikirai instead of kirai.

[A] ga daikirai desu / "I hate [A]"

For Example:

1. Neko ga kirai desu.

ねこがきらいです。
"I don't like cats."
2. Tomato ga daikirai desu.
トマトがだいきらいです。
"I hate tomatoes."
10

安い [やすい] cheap;Adj (i)1 EXAMPLE

楽しい [たのしい] enjoyable, fun; i-Adj1 EXAMPLE

静か [しずか] quiet, peaceful1 EXAMPLE

有名 [ゆうめい] famous ; Adj(na)1 EXAMPLE

古い [ふるい] old (for inanimate objects);-i adjective1 EXAMPLE

暇 [ひま] free (not busy), free time (-na adjective)1 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide
Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is An Introduction to Adjectives in Japanese

What are adjectives?

Adjectives are words that describe a noun. "Big," "small," and "red" are all examples of
adjectives. They give us more information about a particular thing. For example, in the
phrase "an old pen," "old" is the adjective. In Japanese, we have two types of
adjectives: i-adjectives and na-adjectives. I-adjectives come directly before the noun,
just as in English: furui pen ("old pen"). When na-adjectives come before a noun,
however, we insert "na" between the adjective and the noun. For example, tokubetsu
na pen ("a special pen"). That's why this type of adjective is called a na-adjective. The
biggest difference between these two types is in the ways that they conjugate, which we
cover in detail in Conjugation Lesson #3.

i-Adjectives

*Notice how they all end in -i

Kanji Hiragana Romaji

危ない あぶない abunai

赤い あかい akai

明るい あかるい akarui

甘い あまい amai

青い あおい aoi
新しい あたらしい atarashii

暖かい あたたかい atatakai

暑い／熱い あつい atsui

茶色い ちゃいろい chairoi

小さい ちいさい chiisai

近い ちかい chikai

古い ふるい furui

速い／早い はやい hayai

低い ひくい hikui

広い ひろい hiroi

良い いい / よい ii / yoi

忙しい いそがしい isogashii

痛い いたい itai

辛い からい karai

軽い かるい karui

黄色い きいろい kiiroi

汚い きたない kitanai
暗い くらい kurai

黒い くろい kuroi

短い みじかい mijikai

難しい むずかしい muzukashii

長い ながい nagai

多い おおい ōi

美味しい おいしい oishii

大きい おおきい ōkii

重い おもい omoi

面白い おもしろい omoshiroi

遅い おそい osoi

寒い さむい samui

狭い せまい semai

しょっぱい *しょっぱい shoppai

塩辛い *しおからい shio-karai

白い しろい shiroi

少ない すくない sukunai

酸っぱい すっぱい suppai

涼しい すずしい suzushii

正しい ただしい tadashii

高い たかい takai

楽しい たのしい tanoshii

遠い とおい tōi

つまらない つまらない tsumaranai

冷たい つめたい tsumetai

若い わかい wakai

悪い わるい warui

易しい／優しい やさしい yasashii

安い やすい yasui

Sample sentences

 i-adjective before copula

チョコレートはおいしいです。
Chokorēto wa oishii desu.
Chocolate is delicious.

 i-adjective before a noun

これは、おいしいチョコレートです。
Kore wa oishii chokorēto desu.
This is delicious chocolate.
Na-Adjectives

*The na-adjectives in this list are all in the dictionary form. When these na-adjectives
precede a noun, -na has to be added to the dictionary form.

KANJI HIRAGANA ROMAJI

安全 あんぜん anzen

便利 べんり benri

大事 だいじ daiji

駄目 だめ dame

不便 ふべん fuben

元気 げんき genki

下手 へた heta

暇 ひま hima

色々 いろいろ iroiro

上手 じょうず jōzu

簡単 かんたん kantan

嫌い きらい kirai
綺麗 きれい kirei

賑やか にぎやか nigiyaka

親切 しんせつ shinsetsu

失礼 しつれい shitsurei

静か しずか shizuka

好き すき suki

特別 とくべつ tokubetsu

有名 ゆうめい yūmei

Sample sentences

 na-adjective before copula

東京は静かです。
Tōkyō wa shizuka desu.
Tokyo is quiet.

 na-adjective before noun

これは、静かな車です。
Kore wa, shizuka na kuruma desu.
This is a quiet car.
11

近い [ちかい] near, close;Adj(i)1 EXAMPLE

ハンサム [ハンサム] handsome; Adj(na)1 EXAMPLE

遠い [とおい] far, distant; Adj(i)1 EXAMPLE

きれい [きれい] beautiful;Adj(na)1 EXAMPLE

暑い [あつい] hot; Adj (i)1 EXAMPLE

寒い [さむい] cold1 EXAMPLE

ふつう [ふつう] general, ordinary, usual1 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz
Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is Negative Forms of Adjectives in Japanese

Negative Forms of i-Adjectives

To make an i-adjective negative, remove the last -i (い) and replace it with -kunai (くない).
In informal Japanese, you don't need the copula.

For Example:

ADJECTIVE "ENGLISH" NEGATIVE FORM

atsui "hot" atsuku nai

(あつい) (あつくない)

samui "cold" samuku nai

(さむい) (さむくない)

chikai "close" chikaku nai

(ちかい) (ちかくない)

tōi "far" tōku nai

(とおい) (とおくない)

For Example:
 1. あまり、おおきくないね。
Amari, ōkiku nai ne.
"It's not that big, is it."
2. あたらしくない。ふるい。
Atarashiku nai. Furui.
"It's not new. It's old."

You can use the word amari (あまり) along with an adjective in the negative form to soften
your statement a little. It's similar to adding the word "really" or "very" to a negative
phrase in English, as in "It's not really/very far," which sounds less assertive than "It's
not far."

For Example:

1. とおくない。
Tōku nai. "It's not far." (sounds more assertive)
2. あまりとおくない。
Amari tōku nai.
"It's not really far." (sounds a bit softer, less assertive)

Polite Form: To make the negative form polite, simple add desu after -kunai or
replace nai with arimasen.

Negative Forms of Na Adjectives and Nouns

To create the negative form of na adjectives and nouns, we simply add the negative
copula janai (じゃない) after it.

[Na adjective + janai]

[Noun + janai]

Let's look at some different examples using common na adjectives.

NA ADJECTIVE "ENGLISH" NEGATIVE FORM "ENGLISH

kirei "clean"/"beautiful" kirei janai "not clean

(きれい) (きれいじゃない) "not beau

genki "energetic," "fine" genki janai "not energ

(げんき) (げんきじゃない)

hansamu (ハンサム) "handsome" hansamu janai "not hand

(ハンサムじゃない)

futsū (ふつう) "ordinary" / "normal" futsū janai "not ordin

(ふつうじゃない)

taihen "tough" taihen janai "not tough

(たいへん) (たいへんじゃない)

kantan "simple" kantan janai "not simpl

(かんたん) (かんたんじゃない)

Let's look at some different examples using nouns.

NOUN "ENGLISH" NEGATIVE FORM "ENG

nihonjin "Japanese" nihonjin janai "not J

(日本人) (日本人じゃない)

gakusei "student" gakusei janai "not a

(学生) (学生じゃない)

sensei "teacher" sensei janai "not a

(先生) (先生じゃない)
mizu "water" mizu janai "not w
(水) (水じゃない)

Polite Form: To make the negative form polite, you simply add desu after janai. We
saw this in the dialogue when Kent switched from casual Japanese to polite Japanese
by changing hansamu janai to hansamu janai desu ("I'm not handsome").

For Example:

1. かんじはかんたんじゃない。
Kanji wa kantan janai.
"Kanji is not easy."
2. 今日、先生は元気じゃない。
Kyo, sensei wa genki janai.
"The teacher isn't feeling well today."
3. これは水じゃない。サイダーだ。
Kore wa mizu janai. Saida da.
"This isn't water. It's cider."
12

おいしい [おいしい] delicious, tasty; Adj (i)1 EXAMPLE

大変 [たいへん] hard, tough1 EXAMPLE

とても [とても] very2 EXAMPLES

いい [いい] good, nice, pleasant, fine; Adj(i)2 EXAMPLES

楽しい [たのしい] enjoyable, fun; i-Adj1 EXAMPLE

花火 [はなび] fireworks2 EXAMPLES

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide
Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is Negative Forms of Adjectives in Japanese

Past Tense of Adjectives

As we explained in the previous lessons, there are two different types of adjectives: i-
adjectives, and na-adjectives. How we conjugate these adjectives depends on the type.
In this lesson, we will learn how to create the past tense of both types of adjectives ("It
was ~").

i-Adjectives

● How do we create the informal past form?

Step 1: Drop the final i (い)
Step 2: Add katta (かった)

● How do we create the formal past form?

Step 1: Drop the final i (い)
Step 2: Add katta (かった)
Step 3: Add desu (です)

English i-
adjective

fun たのしい
tanoshii
delicious おいしい
oishii

Examples:

1. アシュリー: とても楽しかったです。
Ashurī: Totemo tanoshikatta desu.
Ashley: "I had a lot of fun!" (Literally, "It was a lot of fun.")
2. アシュリー: お弁当もおいしかったです。
Ashurī: O-bentō mo oishikatta desu.
Ashley: "The bento was good too."

★ Note that the i-adjective ii (いい), meaning "good" or "well," is an exception to this rule.

NON-PAST PAST

いい よかったです
ii yokatta desu

For all of the above examples, please remember that desu (です) only serves to make the
phrase polite and is not needed when speaking informal Japanese.

Example:

本田大介:よかったですね、アシュリーさん。
Honda Daisuke: Yokatta desu ne, Ashurī-san.
Daisuke Honda: "Lucky you, Ashley!" (Literally, "That's great, Ashley!")

Na-Adjectives

● How do we create the informal past form?

Add datta (だった) to the dictionary form
● How do we create the formal past form?
Add deshita (でした) to the dictionary form

English na-adjec

beautiful きれい
kirei

tough 大変
taihen

Example:

アシュリー: 花火はとてもきれいでした。
Ashurī: Hanabi wa totemo kirei deshita.
Ashley: "The fireworks were really pretty."
13

Kana Rōmaji

いもうと [いもうと] younger sister1 EXAMPLE

寿司 [すし] raw fish on top of rice1 EXAMPLE

弟 [おとうと] younger brother6 EXAMPLES

見る [みる] to see, to watch, to look ; V22 EXAMPLES

飲む [のむ] to drink1 EXAMPLE

使う [つかう] to use1 EXAMPLE

食べる [たべる] to eat; V21 EXAMPLE

肉 [にく] meat4 EXAMPLES

話す [はなす] to speak, to talk; V11 EXAMPLE

 Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is Using Verbs in Japanese

Making Present Tense Verbs in Japanese

Just as with imasu and arimasu, the polite/formal form of present tense verbs in
Japanese ends with -masu. Compared to European languages such as English, French,
and German, Japanese verbs are very easy because they don't change form depending
on who the verb is talking about. For example, in English, we say "he eats" but "they
eat" (no "-s"). In Japanese, "he eats" is tabemasu (食べます), while "they eat" is
also tabemasu (食べます). The verb ending stays the same!

Plain form Masu Form "English"

taberu tabemasu "eat"

(たべる) (たべます)

nomu nomimasu "drink"

(のむ ) (のみます)

hanasu hanashimasu "speak"

(はなす) (はなします)
miru mimasu "see"/"watch"
(みる) (みます)

tsukau tsukaimasu "use"

(つかう) (つかいます)

Sample Sentences

1. Watashi wa tabemasu.
2. わたしはた べます。
"I eat."
3. Kare wa tabemasu.
かれはたべます。
"He eats."
4. Watashitachi wa tabemasu.
わたしたちはたべます。
"We eat."

Talking about Doing an Action Using Present Tense Verbs

Now we're going to look at how to make a sentence in Japanese describing an action
involving an object or a thing.

★ Sentence Pattern

[subject/person] wa [object/thing] o [verb]

おみず (o-mizu) + を (o) + のみます (nomimasu) = "[someone] drinks water"

SUBJECT/PERSON WA OBJECT/ O VERB

THING

Teirā wa sushi o tabemasu.

(テイラー) (は) (すし) (を) (たべます。)

Kaori wa mizu o nomimasu.

(かおり) (は) (みず) (を) (のみます。)

watashi wa nihon-go o hanashimasu.

(わたし) (は) (を) (はなします。)
(日本ご)

Imōto wa terebi o mimasu.

(いもうと) (は) (テレビ) (を) (みます。)

Otōto wa konpyūta (コンピュータ) o tsukaimasu.

(おとうと) (は) (を) (つかいます。)
You already learned that wa (は) marks the subject of a sentence in Japanese, but let's
have a quick reminder of what wa does. は literally means "as for [subject/person]."
When you see は right after a word, you know that the sentence is going to be about that
word.

For Example:

1. sara wa banana o tabemasu

サラはバナナをたべます
literally, "As for Sarah, she eats bananas." = "Sarah eats bananas."

You may not have seen wo (を) before. Sometimes we write wo (を) as wo but we
pronounce it as ["o"]. It comes between the noun and the verb in a sentence and tells
you what is done to the object.

Sample Sentences

1. Watashi wa niku o tabemasu.

わたしはにくをたべます。
"I eat meat."
2. (Anata wa) niku o tabemasu ka.
(あなたは)にくをたべますか。
"Do you eat meat?" *Anata = "you"
3. Otōto wa eigo o hanashimasu.
おとうとはえいごをはなします。
"My younger brother speaks English." * Eigo = "English language"
14

タクシー [タクシー] tax

i6 EXAMPLES

バー [バー] bar5 EXAMPLES

地下鉄 [ちかてつ] subway4 EXAMPLES

電車 [でんしゃ] train1 EXAMPLE

家 [いえ] house1 EXAMPLE

帰る [かえる] to return, to go home; V12 EXAM

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus
The Focus of This Lesson Is Using Particles "e" and "de" in Japanese

The Particle "e" (へ）

---------------------------------------------------------------------
私 はうちへ帰ります。
わたしはうちへかえります。
Watashi wa uchi e kaerimasu.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

 私/わたし/watashi = I, me
 は/wa = topic marking particle
 うち/uchi = home, house
 へ/e = direction particle
 帰ります/かえります/kaerimasu = to return, to go back (-masu form)

へ/e marks the place or goal towards which the action moves. When へ/e is used as a
particle, it is pronounced as "e" not "he."

Sentence Pattern

[topic] wa [direction] e [to go

to com
to retu

わたし は うち へ かえります

Watashi wa uchi e kaerim

わたし は バー へ いきます

Watashi wa bā e ikimas
キムさん は 東京 へ きます

Kimu-san wa Tokyo e kimas

*かえります= to return, to go back (-masu form)

*いきます = to go (-masu form)
*きます = to come (-masu form)

Particle に/ni indicates movement toward a place.

c.f.) うちへ かえります。/Uchi e kaerimasu.
うちに かえります。/Uchi ni kaerimasu.
In this context, に/ni and へ/e are interchangeable.

The Particle "de" (で）

---------------------------------------------------------------------
私 はタクシーでうちへ帰ります。
わたしはタクシーでうちへかえります。
Watashi wa takushī de uchi e kaerimasu.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

 私/わたし/watashi = I, me
 は/wa = topic marking particle
 タクシー/takushī = taxi
 で/de = particle of means, implement or transportation.
It is translated as "by" or "with" in English.
 うち/uchi = home, house
 へ/e = direction particle
 帰ります/かえります/kaerimasu = to return, to go back (-masu form)

Sentence Pattern
[topic] wa [means of transportation] de [direction]

わたし は タクシー で うち

Watashi wa takushī de uchi

わたし は 地下鉄 で バー

Watashi wa chikatetsu de bā

キムさん は 電車 で 東京

Kimu-san wa densha de Tokyo

[means of transportation]＋de and [direction]＋e can be switched.

[topic] wa [direction] e [means of transportation]

わたし は うち へ タクシー

Watashi wa uchi e takushī

わたし は バー へ 地下鉄

Watashi wa bā e chikatetsu

キムさん は 東京 へ 電車

Kimu-san wa Tokyo e densha

15

Kana Rōmaji

朝食 [ちょうしょく] breakfast2 EXAMPLES

する [する] to do ; V31 EXAMPLE

会う [あう] to meet; V12 EXAMPLES

来る [くる] to come;V31 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The focus of this lesson is Conjugating Formal Verbs in Japanese

In this lesson, we'll take a look at both formal and informal verbs in the non-past
affirmative, as well as how formal verbs conjugate in the negative, past, and negative-
past forms. We introduced both the masu and dictionary forms in Conjugation Lesson 5.

★ Non-Past Formal and Informal Verbs

Formal:

HIRAGANA ROMAJI ENGLI

あいます aimasu "to me

たべます tabemasu "to ea

します shimasu "to do

きます kimasu "to com

Informal/Dictionary Form:

HIRAGANA ROMAJI ENGLI

あう au "to me

たべる taberu "to ea

する suru "to do

くる kuru "to com

Conjugating a Verb in Formal (-masu) Form

★ Non-past Negative

1. Change -masu to -masen

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE EN

あいます ⇒ あいませ ん "do

aimasu aimasen

たべます ⇒ たべませ ん "do

tabemasu tabemasen

します ⇒ しません "do

shimasu shimasen

きます ⇒ きません "do

kimasu kimasen

★ Past Affirmative

1. Change -masu to -mashita

AFFIRMATIVE PAST AFFIRMATIVE

あいま す ⇒ あいまし た
aimasu aimashita

たべます ⇒ たべまし た
tabemasu tabemashita

します ⇒ しました
shimasu shimashita

きます ⇒ きました
kimasu kimashita

★ Past Negative

1. Change -masu to -masen deshita

AFFIRMATIVE PAST NEGATIVE E

あいま す ⇒ あいませ んでした "d

aimasu aimasen deshita

たべます ⇒ たべませ んでした "d

tabemasu tabemasen deshita

します ⇒ しません でした "d

shimasu shimasen deshita

きます ⇒ きません でした "d

kimasu kimasen deshita

Sample Sentences

■ Non-past Affirmative
私は朝食を食べます。
Watashi wa chōshoku o tabemasu.
"I eat breakfast".

■ Non-past negative
私は朝食を食べません。
Watashi wa chōshoku o tabemasen.
"I don't eat breakfast."
■ Past affirmative
私は朝食を食べました。
Watashi wa chōshoku o tabemashita.
"I ate breakfast."

■ Past negative
私は朝食を食べませんでした。
Watashi wa chōshoku o tabemasen deshita.
"I didn't eat breakfast."

*私 = watashi = "I"
*朝食 = chōshoku = "breakfast"
16

乗る [のる] t
o ride,
to take,
to get
on; V11
EXAMPLE

駅 [えき] station (train, subway, etc.)1 EXAMPLE

ランチ [らんち] lunch1 EXAMPLE

映画 [えいが] movie, film1 EXAMPLE

遊ぶ [あそぶ] to play, to hang out; V11 EXAMPLE

どこ [どこ] where2 EXAMPLES

読む [よむ] to read1 EXAMPLE

勉強 [べんきょう] study1 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is Making Suggestions and Invitations in Japanese

"Won't you~?"/"Why don't we~?"/"Will you~?" ーませんか

ビールを 飲みませんか。
Bīru o nomimasen ka?
Why don't we have a beer?

Today's grammar point is the usage of [verb] ＋ masen ka?（ません か). This phrase is used
to extend an invitation. bīru（ビール）＝ beer o（を）＝ object marking particle
nomimasen（飲みません）＝ polite negative form of verb nomu（飲む）, to drink ka（か）＝
question marker

Formation

[masu stem of a verb] ＋ masen ka?

English Dictionary form Polite Form (-masu) Polite Negative

to meet au（会う） aimasu aimasen

to go iku（行く） ikimasu ikimasen

to speak hanasu（話す） hanashimasu hanashimasen

to wait matsu（待つ） machimasu machimasen

to play asobu（遊ぶ） asobimasu asobimasen

to read yomu（読む） yomimasu yomimasen

to ride noru（乗る） norimasu norimasen

to eat taberu （食べる） tabemasu tabemasen

to see miru（みる） mimasu mimasen

to do suru（する） shimasu shimasen

to come kuru（来る） kimasu kimasen

Sample Sentences:

明日、一緒に 映画に 行きませんか。

Ashita, issho ni eiga ni ikimasen ka?
Will you go to the movie with me tomorrow?

1 時に 駅の前で 会いませんか。
Ichi-ji ni eki no mae de aimasen ka?
Why don't we meet in front of the station at 1:00?
"Shall we~?"/"Why don't we~?" ーましょうか

The second point of this lesson is -mashō ka, which is used to politely suggest, propose
or invite. This form is called the present polite volitional. Mashō ka is composed of the
polite, volitional form of the masu auxiliary verb mashō, in addition to the sentence-
ending interrogative particle "ka". This creates a very polite expression that can be used
to make a suggestion, proposition or an invitation to someone of higher status. You can
think of it as "why don't (we)~" or "shall (we)~" in English.

Formation

Let's look at how to make this formation.

First we take a verb in its masu form, take away -masu, and attach -mashō ka.

Verb in masu form Take away -masu Attach -m

tabemasu tabe- tabemas

mimasu mi- mimashō

ikimasu iki- ikimashō

norimasu nori- norimash

shimasu shi- shimash

 1. どこに行きましょうか。
Doko ni ikimashō ka.
Where shall we go?
2. ランチ を 食べましょうか。
Ranchi o tabemashō ka.
Why don't we eat lunch?
3. 勉強しましょうか。
Benkyō shimashō ka.
Shall we study?

Note: Mashō ka is similar to -masen ka, but the expression -masen ka is more polite
than the mashō ka pattern, as masen ka is asking whether or not the listener will
do/would like to do something.

Sample Sentences:

1. パスタを作りましょうか。
Pasuta o tsukurimashō ka?
"Shall I fix some pasta?"
2. タクシーに乗りましょうか。
Takushī ni norimashō ka?
"Shall we take a taxi?"
17

寝る [ねる] to go to bed, to sleep;V21 EXAMPLE

ある [ある] to exist (for inanimate objects); to have2 EXAMPLES

行く [いく] to go3 EXAMPLES

待つ [まつ] to wait; V11 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is Informal Japanese Verbs

Informal Japanese Verb Formation

●-masu form vs plain form●

So far the verbs we have introduced have been in the -masu from: ikimasu,
wakarimasu, mimasu, tabemasu, shimasu, kimasu. They have a corresponding form
called the plain form or the dictionary form. In order to look up the verbs in a dictionary,
you need to know the dictionary form (ie the plain form) of the verb.

●Three verb inflection patterns●

i)When masu is preceded by - i ⇒ Class 1 verb

There are three classes of Japanese verbs.

ii)When masu is preceded by - e or a one syllable sound ⇒ Class 2 verb

iii)"kimasu/to come", "shimasu/to do" ⇒ Class 3 verb or irregular verb

See the following chart.

Class 1 verbs
(1) Drop -i masu
(2) Add u

English masu form Dictio

to meet あいます/ai masu あう/au

to go 行きます/iki masu 行く/iku

to speak はなします/hanashi masu 話す/ha

to drink 飲みます/nomi masu 飲む/no

to wait 待ちます/machi masu 待つ/ma

to exist あります/ari masu ある/aru

Class 2 verbs
(1) Drop masu
(2) Add ru

English masu form Dictionary fo

to eat 食べます/tabe masu 食べる/taberu

to see みます/mi masu みる/miru

to sleep 寝ます/ne masu 寝る/neru

Class 3 verbs
Irregular

English masu form Dictionary form

to do します/shi masu する/suru

to come 来ます/ki masu 来る/kuru

* Notice that the dictionary form of class one verbs ends in an -u sound, whereas the
dictionary form of class 2 verbs ends in e-ru or i-ru. That is why class one verbs are also
called "u verbs" and class two verbs are also known as "ru verbs."

Casual style speech and polite style speech

There are two speech styles in Japanese, casual and polite. The speaker makes a
choice according to the relationship between themselves and the listener. The plain
dictionary form is used in informal situations, while the masu form is used in formal
situations.
Compare:

"What are you going to have?"

Mother → Guest

 何を食 べますか。/Nani o tabemasu ka?

Mother → Daughter

 何(を)食べる。/Nani (o) taberu?

The mother uses the -masu form when speaking to a guest. She uses plain form to ask
her own daughter the same question. When the sentence ending particle か/ka is added
to a polite sentence, the sentence becomes a question. In a casual sentence, instead of
adding the particle か/ka, the speaker's intonation rises at the end of the sentence.
18

学校 [がっこう] school4 EXAMPLES

買う [かう] to buy ; V11 EXAMPLE

学食 [がくしょく] school cafeteria1 EXAMPLE

コンピューター [コンピューター] computer1 EXAMPLE

ビール [ビール] beer10 EXAMPLES

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is the Negative Forms of Class One Japanese Verbs
In this lesson, you'll learn how to create the negative form of Class One verbs, which
means you'll be able to say things like "I'm not going to [verb]" or "I don't [verb]" in
informal Japanese.

Negative Forms of Class One Verbs

Let's take a look at how to create the negative form of Class One verbs in Japanese.

Here are the two steps:

1) Drop the final -u sound

2) Add –anai

For Example:

Affirmative "English" Negative

iku "to go" ⇒ ikanai

(いく) (いかない)

nomu "to drink" ⇒ nomanai

(のむ) (のまない)

tsukau "to use" ⇒ tsukawanai

(つかう)* (つかわない)

kau "to buy" ⇒ kawanai

(かう)* (かわない)
*Note that for verbs that end in -u, you add -wanai when forming the negative.

When you use the negative verb in a sentence, it can either mean that you are not
going to do something (in the future) or that you do not do something (as a general
rule). You can often figure out which nuance the speaker intends from the context.

Sample Sentences

1. ビールを飲まない。
Biiru o nomanai.
"I don't drink beer."
2. 今日は学校に行かない。
Kyō wa gakkō ni ikanai.
"I'm not going to school today."
3. コンピューターを使わない。
Konpyūtā o tsukawanai.
"I don't use computers."
19

起きる [おきる]
to wake
up, to
get up;
V21
EXAMPLE

テレビ [テレビ] TV1 EXAMPLE

出る [でる] to leave; V21 EXAMPLE

半 [はん] half (when used with time half past)1 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is the Negative Form of Class Two Verbs

In the last lesson, we looked at how to create the negative form of Class One verbs. In
this lesson, you'll learn how to create the negative form of Class Two verbs, which
means you'll be able to say things like "I'm not going to [verb]" or "I don't [verb]" in
informal Japanese. You will also learn how to say the time you will do an action, as in "I
will wake up at six o'clock."

The Negative Form of Class Two Verbs

Let's take a look at how to create the negative form of Class Two verbs in Japanese.
Note that Class Two verbs always end in -ru. (Also note, however, that not every verb
that ends in -ru is a Class Two verb).

Here is the step: change the final -ru to –nai.

Affirmative "English" Negative "Engli

miru "to watch," "to see" ⇒ minai "don't/d

(みる) (みない)

okiru "to get up" ⇒ okinai "don't/d

(おきる) (おきない)

taberu "to eat" ⇒ tabenai "don't/d

(たべる) (たべない)

Sample Sentences
 1. わたしは甘いものを食べない。
Watashi wa amaimono o tabenai.
"I don't eat sweets."
2. ケントはテレビをみない。
Kento wa terebi o minai.
"Kent doesn't watch TV."

Saying the Time You Will Do an Action

In a previous lesson, you learned how to tell time in Japanese by adding -ji (時) to the
number of the hour: for example, ichi ("one") plus ji is ichi-ji, which means "one o'clock."
Here, you will learn how to say that you do an action at a certain time.

To say what time you or someone else does an action, say the time, add the particle ni,
and then add the action.

Structure: [time] + ni + [action]

TIME NI ACTION "ENGLISH"

Ichi-ji ni taberu "I eat at one o'clo

(一時) (に) (たべる)

Roku-ji ni okiru "I get up at six o'

(六時) (に) (おきる)

Jūichi-ji ni neru "I go to sleep at

(十一時) (に) (ねる)
Sample Sentences

1. 六時にでます。
Roku-ji ni demasu.
"I'll be leaving at six o'clock a.m."
Rokuji is "six o'clock," followed by the particle ni and the polite verb demasu,
meaning "to leave."
2. 五時半に起きます。
Go-ji-han ni okimasu.
"I'll get up at five-thirty a.m."
Go-ji-han is "five-thirty," followed by the particle ni and the polite verb okimasu,
meaning "to get up."
20

来る [くる] to come;V31 EXAMPLE

授業 [じゅぎょう] class, lesson2 EXAMPLES

大丈夫 [だいじょうぶ] OK, all right, no problem1 EXAMPLE

サッカー [サッカー] soccer, football1 EXAMPLE

むずかしい [むずかしい] difficult1 EXAMPLE

先生 [せんせい] teacher9 EXAMPLES

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide
Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is Negative Forms of Class 3 Verbs Suru and Kuru

In the last two lessons, we looked at how to create the negative form of Class 1 and
Class 2 verbs. In this lesson, you'll learn how to create the negative form of Class 3
verbs, which means you'll be able to say things like "I'm not doing ____ " or "I'm not
coming" in informal Japanese.

The Negative Form of Class 3 Verbs

Let's take a look at how to create the negative form of Class 3 verbs in Japanese. Note
that there are only two Class 3 verbs in Japanese: suru (meaning "to do")
and kuru (meaning "to come"), and that they conjugate irregularly.

Affirmative "English" Negative "Eng

する "to do" ⇒ しない "don

suru shinai

くる "to come" ⇒ こない "don

kuru konai

Sample Sentences
 1. まどかはサッカーをしない。
Madoka wa sakkā o shinai.
"Madoka doesn't play soccer."
2. 今日 ケントはサッカーをしない。
Kyō kento wa sakkā o shinai.
"Kent is not going to play soccer today."
3. 明日学校に来ない。
Ashita gakkō ni konai.
"I'm not going to school tomorrow."

The Phrase Daijōbu ("It's fine"/"I'm fine"/"No problem")

The word daijōbu (大丈夫) is one of the most common words you will encounter in
Japanese. It literally means "all right" or "no problem," and its exact meaning depends
on the situation. When we say it with rising intonation, it becomes a question to ask
whether someone/something is all right.

For Example:

Statement ("I'm/it's okay") Question ("Are y

Informal Japanese Daijōbu. Daijōbu?

(大丈夫。) (大丈夫？)

Formal Japanese Daijōbu desu. Daijōbu desu ka?

(大丈夫です。) (大丈夫ですか？)

Example:
 1. 黒川先生：大丈夫ですか。授業は難しいですか。
Kurokawa sensei: Daijōbu desu ka. Jugyō wa muzukashii desu ka.
Ms. Kurokawa: "How are you getting on? Are your classes difficult?"

Here, Ms. Kurokawa is asking Kent whether everything is all right in regards to his
classes. If Kent wanted to say that everything was all right, he could simply reply
with Daijōbu desu (大丈夫です.).
21

聞く [きく] to listen, to hear, to ask; V11 EXAMPLE

曲がる [まがる] to turn;V11 EXAMPLE

待つ [まつ] to wait; V11 EXAMPLE

急ぐ [いそぐ] to hurry, to rush;V11 EXAMPLE

買う [かう] to buy ; V11 EXAMPLE

話す [はなす] to speak, to talk2 EXAMPLES

飲む [のむ] to drink1 EXAMPLE

遊ぶ [あそぶ] to play, to hang out; V11 EXAMPLE

 死ぬ [しぬ] to die, V11 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is The -Te Form of Class 1 Japanese Verbs

In this lesson, you'll learn how to create the -te form (which is the imperative form in
English grammar) of class 1 verbs in order to give commands in Japanese!

The -Te Form of Class 1 Verbs

We can sort class 1 verbs into several groups according to the final syllable of their
dictionary forms.

★ Class 1 verbs that end in -ku, -gu ⇒ ite, ide

English Dictionary te-form -te form meaning

Form
"to hear, listen" きく きいて "Listen!"
kiku kiite

"to hurry" いそぐ いそいで "Hurry!"

isogu isoide

*EXCEPTION!"

"to go" いく いって "Go!"

iku itte

★ Class 1 verbs that end in -mu, -bu, -nu, ⇒ nde

English Dictionary te-form -te form meaning

Form

"to drink" のむ のんで "Drink!"

nomu nonde

"to play" あそぶ あそんで "Play!"

asobu asonde

"to die" しぬ しんで "Die!"

shinu shinde

★ Class 1 verbs that end in -u, -tsu, -ru, ⇒ tte

English Dictionary te-form -te form meaning

Form
"to buy" かう かって "Buy!"
kau katte

"to wait" まつ まって "Wait!"

matsu matte

"to turn" まがる まがって "Turn!"

magaru magatte

★ Class 1 verbs that end in -su ⇒ shite

English Dictionary te-form -te form meaning

Form

"to speak" はなす はなして "Speak!"

hanasu hanashite
22

開ける [あける] to open, V21 EXAMPLE

閉める [しめる] to close1 EXAMPLE

出る [でる] to leave; V21 EXAMPLE

教える [おしえる] to teach, to tell; V21 EXAMPLE

見る [みる] to see, to watch, to look ; V22 EXAMPLES

見せる [みせる] to show, to display;V22 EXAMPLES

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide
Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is the -Te Form of Class 2 and 3 Japanese Verbs

In the last lesson, we looked at how to create the -te form of Class 1 verbs. In this
lesson, you'll learn how to create the -te form of Class 2 and 3 verbs in order to give
commands in Japanese!

The -Te Form of Class 2 and 3 Verbs

Let's take a look at how to create the -te form of of Class 2 and 3 verbs in Japanese.
Note that there are only two Class 3 verbs in Japanese: suru (meaning "to do")
and kuru (meaning "to come"), and that they conjugate irregularly.

Class 2

1. Omit the final -ru sound

2. Add -te

English Dictionary te-form -te form meaning

Form

"to open" あける あけて "Open!"

akeru akete

"to close" しめる しめて "Close [it]!"

 shimeru shimete

"to eat" たべる たべて "Eat!"

taberu tabete

"to look, to see" みる みて "Look!"

miru mite

"to show" みせる みせて "Show [me]!"

miseru misete

"to teach, to tell" おしえる おしえて "Tell [me]!"

oshieru oshiete

"to leave, to でる でて "Leave!"

appear" deru dete

Class 3

English Dictionary te-form -te form meaning

Form

"to do" する して "Do!"

suru shite

"to come" くる きて "Come!"

kuru kite
23

仕事 [しごと] work, job2 EXAMPLES

着る [きる] to wear, to put on; V21 EXAMPLE

今 [いま] now6 EXAMPLES

彼女 [かのじょ] she, girlfriend1 EXAMPLE

僕 [ぼく] I (masculine)1 EXAMPLE

撮る [とる] to take (a photo), to make (a film); V11 EXAMPLE

浴衣 [ゆかた] light cotton kimono1 EXAMPLE

写真 [しゃしん] photograph1 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide

Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson is Talking About Current Actions in Japanese

In this lesson, you will learn about te iru (ている) to talk about on-going actions and states

Te-form of a verb plus iru/imasu

In this lesson, we are focusing on using [te-form of a verb]＋[iru/imasu]. This construction

can express two meanings but we will be focusing on only one of them. [Te-form of a
verb]＋[iru/imasu] represents a present progressive action (like -ing in English).

To make this construction, we put the verb in the te-form and add iru (いる) or imasu (いま
す).

[ verb te-form + iru/imasu ]

English Dictionary and te-form te-form + iru te-form ＋ imasu

(informal) (formal)

"to use" 使う ⇒ 使って 使っている 使っています

tsukau tsukatte tsukatte iru tsukatte imasu

"to swim" 泳ぐ ⇒ 泳いで 泳いでいる 泳いでいます

oyogu oyoide oyoide iru oyoide imasu

"to speak" 話す ⇒ 話して 話している 話しています

hanasu hanashite hanashite iru hanashite imasu
"to drink" 飲む ⇒ 飲んで 飲んでいる 飲んでいます
nomu nonde nonde iru nonde imasu

"to look" 見る ⇒ 見て 見ている 見ています

miru mite mite iru mite imasu

"to eat" 食べる ⇒ 食べて 食べている 食べています

taberu tabete tabete iru tabete imasu

"to do" する ⇒ して している しています

suru shite shite iru shite imasu

★ Note that in casual speech, the first "i" in iru or imasu can be omitted. We saw this in
the dialogue when Ichiro says: "Shashin o totte ru." Normally it would be "Shashin o
totte iru", but the "i" is omitted.

Let's take a look at different sentences that use the te-form:

INFORMAL FORMAL

Non-past Affirmative 一郎は写真をとる。 一郎は写真をとりま

("Ichiro takes pictures") Ichirō wa shashin o toru. Ichirō wa sh

Present Progressive 一郎は写真をとっている。 一郎は写真をとって

("Ichiro is taking pictures") Ichirō wa shashin o totte iru. Ichirō wa sh

Question 一郎は写真をとっている？ 一郎は写真をとって

("Is Ichiro taking pictures?") Ichirō wa shashin o totte iru? Ichirō wa sh

Question ("what") 一郎は何をとっている？ 一郎は何をとってい

("What is Ichiro taking pictures of?") Ichirō wa nani o totte iru? Ichirō wa na

Question ("what") 一郎は何をしている？ 一郎は何をしていま

("What is Ichiro doing?") Ichirō wa nani o shite iru? Ichirō wa na
For Example:

1. 豊田一郎: 僕は仕事をしています。アキバの写真をとっています。
Toyota Ichirō: Boku wa shigoto o shite imasu. Akiba no shashin o totte imasu.
Ichiro Toyota: "I'm working. I'm taking pictures of Akihabara."
2. 豊田一郎: 今、秋葉原にいる。写真をとってる。
Toyota Ichirō: Ima, Akihabara ni iru. Shashin o totteru.
Ichiro Toyota: "Yeah. I'm in Akihabara right now. I'm taking pictures."
3. 私は日本語を勉強しています。
Watashi wa Nihon-go o benkyō shite imasu.
"I'm studying Japanese."
4. 彼女は浴衣を着ています。
Kanojo wa yukata o kite imasu.
"She is wearing a yukata."
24

急ぐ [いそぐ]
to hurry,
to
rush;V11
EXAMPLE

中央 [ちゅうおう] center, middle1 EXAMPLE

下さい [ください] please1 EXAMPLE

改札口 [かいさつぐち] ticket entrance1 EXAMPLE

待つ [まつ] to wait; V11 EXAMPLE

曲がる [まがる] to turn;V11 EXAMPLE

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide
Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson is Making Requests in Japanese

In this lesson, you will learn how to ask someone to do something using [te-form of
verb] + kudasai (ください).

[Te-form of a Verb] + Kudasai (ください)

Now that we know how to make the te-form of a verb, we can use it to ask something to
do something. By adding kudasai (ください) to the te-form of a verb, we create a
command.

[te-form of a verb] + kudasai

Verb (dictionary form) Te-form of a verb + kudasai "P

いそぐ → いそいで + ください "P

isogu → isoide + kudasai

まつ → まって + ください "P

matsu → matte + kudasai

曲がる → 曲がって + ください "P

magaru → magatte + kudasai

来る → 来て + ください "P
kuru → kite + kudasai
Some Examples:

1. 駅員: 中央改札口を出てください。
Eki'in: Chūō kaisatsu guchi o dete kudasai.
Station Attendant: "Please go out of the central ticket gate."
2. 駅員: じゃ、来てください。
Eki'in: Ja, kite kudasai.
Station Attendant: "All right, please come with me."
25

心配する [しんぱいする] to worry; V31 EXAMPLE

荷物 [にもつ] luggage, baggage1 EXAMPLE

走る [はしる] to run; V11 EXAMPLE

入る [はいる] to get into, to enter, to join ; V11 EXAMPLE

部屋 [へや] room1 EXAMPLE

遠慮する [えんりょする] to hesitate, to be humble; V3, to pass on1 EXA

Add to Flashcard Deck

Add to Word Bank

Slideshow

Take Quiz

Lesson Notes
Hide
Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson is Asking Someone Not to Do Something in Japanese

Now that we know how to use the te-form of a verb to ask something to do something,
we can change the te-form into the negative form to ask someone not to do something.

Telling Someone Not to Do Something

To tell someone not to do something, we put the verb into the informal negative form
and then add de kudasai (でください). Let's quickly review how to make this negative form:

■ Class 1 verbs (-u verbs)

1. Drop the final -u sound

2. Add -a nai

ENGLISH DICTIONARY FORM PLAIN NEGATIVE

"to run" 走る 走らない

hashiru hashiranai

"to go" 行く 行かない

iku ikanai

"to speak" 話す 話さない

hanasu hanasanai

"to buy" 買う 買わない

 kau kawanai *

* For the class 1 verbs that have dictionary forms ending in hiragana u (う), we add -
wanai (わない) instead of anai (あない).

■ Class 2 verbs (-ru verbs)

1. Drop the final ru sound

2. Add nai

ENGLISH DICTIONARY FORM PLAIN NEGATIVE FORM

"to eat" 食べる 食べない

taberu tabenai

"to see" 見る 見ない

miru minai

■ Class 3 verbs (Irregular verbs)

Remember that the two irregular verbs don't follow any pattern and so their different
forms must be memorized.

ENGLISH DICTIONARY FORM PLAIN NEGATIVE FORM

"to do" する しない

suru shinai

"to come" 来る 来ない

kuru konai
Adding de (で) to the negative form of the verb creates an informal command.

★ [ informal negative form of verb ] + de ＝ "Do not [verb]"

Adding -de kudasai (でください) to the negative form of the verb creates a formal
command:

★ [ informal negative form of verb ] + de kudasai ＝ "Please do not [verb]"

DICTIONARY FORM INFORMAL NEGATIVE + DE （KUDASAI）

行く [iku] 行かない 行かないで (ください)

"to go" ikanai ikanai de (kudasai)

見る [miru] 見ない 見ないで (ください)

"to see" minai minai de (kudasai)

遠慮する [enryo suru] 遠慮しない 遠慮しないで (ください)

"to hesistate" enryo shinai enryo shinai de kudasai

Some Examples:

1. 光岡（父）:さぁ、入って、荷物を置いて。遠慮しないでくださいね。
Mitsuoka (chichi): Sā, haitte, nimotsu o oite. Enryo shinai de kudasai ne.
Mr. Mitsuoka: "Come in and put your stuff down. Please don't hesitate."
2. アシュリー:心配しないでください。
Ashurī: Shinpai shinai de kudasai.
Ashley: "Please don't worry about me."
3. 走らないでください。
Hashiranai de kudasai.
"Please don't run."
4. あの部屋に入らないでください。
Ano heya ni hairanaide kudasai.
"Please don't go into that room."