1. Basic Word Order

The sentence order is very different from English. In English we use Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), but in Japanese it is usually (but not always!) Subject-Object-Verb (SOV).

Notice the "extra" words wa & o. These are called particles (or grammatical markers) and tell us a lot about the function of the word it follows. Don't worry! We will get to particles soon enough.

You can read more on Japanese Word Order here.

2. です, the Copula

です is a copula (a word used to link the subject of a sentence with a predicate). It shows that something is or isn't something else. It is one of the very few irregular forms in Japanese. です can act like the English "to be" (you know; is, am, are...) in the sense that です is used to explain who or what something or someone is. It is also used when equating one thing with another.

Let's take a look.

Most of the time you want to use the "to be" verb you will use です. Later we will learn other forms to show existence.

3. "and" - と、そして

There are several ways to say "and" (connecting words and phrases). Let's look at two of them:

4. 2 Basic verb forms - ～dictionary、～ます

There are many ways to conjugate verbs, but here we will focus on two present tense forms: "dictionary form" (also known as "plain form") and " ~masu form" (also known as "polite form")

You will notice some other changes between the two forms. I would recommend learning about the three verb groups here, but for our purposes right now, just memorize a few examples and try to find patterns with other verbs. And remember: Mistake making is memory making! (As long as you correct yourself, of course.)

5. Making Questions - か

Making questions in Japanese is easy! -- REALLY! Usually you can change a statement into a question by just adding a か ka to the end!

See "Questions and Question Words - 10 minute lesson" for more on this.

6. Question Words

By mastering these question words, your conversational skills will be much stronger!

You can do a lot more with 何, see here.

For more on this please see our "Questions and Question Words" guide.

7. Possessive "s" - の

This is another nice thing about Japanese.

To show relationship or possession between two things just put a の (no) between them. The trick is knowing (erm... のing) which goes to the left of the no and which goes to the right...

Think of の as a 's (apostrophe S)

8. "but" - でも

But, a small word, but... There are other "buts" but demo is the most common. Learn this first and you can pick the others up later.

9. Pronouns

Pronouns are not used nearly as much in Japanese as they are in English. Often the pronoun is used once and then after (until the topic shifts to someone else) the pronoun is dropped. Still they are very important!

See the "I, Me, You, Thou..." guide for more on pronouns.

10. Fillers - ええと

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!

11. Introduction to Particles

Particles may seem a little foreign to you at first, but for the most part, they aren't too difficult to grasp.

These particles are placed after a word (or phrase) and show its relationship (grammatical function) to the rest of the sentence.

In other words, the particle itself isn't really translatable, but it tells you a lot about the function of the word it follows.

The best way to learn to use them is to memorize useful examples and try them out for size!

Comparing は and が (by Paul_b)

The topic particle は can easily be confused with the subject particle が. That is because は overrides が, in other words, in a sentence something can very easily be both the topic and the subject of that sentence. In such cases the が "disappears" and it looks like the は is acting as a subject marker.

Take this simple sentence.

What is the subject of the sentence? That's right - "I" watashi is. But because "I" is also the topic only the topic marker は is used. Now we'll let Clay continue and say another sentence ...

See the "Particles and Conjunctions" guide for more on this.

Do you have an iPhone/iPod Touch? You may be interested in this iPhone App for mastering Japanese Particles. It is produced by TJP's good friends over at JapanNewbie.com. It covers the basic particles plus those found on the JLPT N5 and N4 tests. Use the Study Mode and Quiz to test yourself. Click here to jump to the iTunes Japanese 101: Particles page

12. "if" - もし

We will look at a few examples that actually contain fairly advanced grammar. In other words, to say "if..." you must start with もし moshi-- and this is easy. However, you must also change the verb at the end with a ～ば ba, たら tara, or なら nara or some other conditional.

That being said, you should become familiar with もし moshi since it is extremely useful. Try to memorize one or two example sentences and then listen or look for other examples online or with friends.

13. Using ～さん

The equivalent to Mr. or Mrs. or Miss. is ～さん

For more on this see our article on keishou, "敬称 Name Titles".

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:

Learn this and you can use all -i adjectives!

The -na adjectives don't change! But when placed before nouns they add a -na

げんき genki (healthy, active, fine) げんきな子 genki na ko (healthy child)

Past Tense

For now let's stick with the -masu form of verbs

PAST = MASU MASHITA

たべます tabemasu (to eat) たべました tabemashita (ate)
のみます nomimasu (to drink) のみました nomimashita (drank)

PAST NEGATIVE = MASU MASEN DESHITA

たべます tabemasu (to eat) たべません　でした tabemasen deshita (didn't eat)
のみます nomimasu (to drink) のみません　でした nomimasen deshita (didn't drink)

The "-masen" is the negative part

Very とても

Sometimes mom's cooking isn't just oishii (delicious) it is VERY OISHII!

Add とても totemo before adjectives to say "very"

とても　おいしい　です。
totemo oishii desu.
It's very delicious!

とても　大きな木。
totemo ookina ki.
A very big tree.

OTHER VERY WORDS: You can ignore this if you like...

非常に hijou ni
超 chou (kind of slang - chou means "super-")

To Want ～がほしい

Saying "I want (something)" is pretty easy.  Just say the thing you want and add ga hoshii to it.

のみもの　が　ほしい　です。 
nomimono ga hoshii desu. 
(I) want a drink.

NOTE: The desu is optional and is usually dropped.  nomimono ga hoshii. is perfectly fine in spoken Japanese.

Next, let's ask a question.  Can you figure out how to do it?  That's right add a ka REVIEW HERE

ケーキ　が　ほしい　です　か？ 
ke-ki ga hoshii desu ka? 
Do you want cake?

Want to do~ ～たい

First get the ～ます masu form of the verb you want to do.  Then drop the ～ます masu and add ～たい tai. 

たべます tabemasu (to eat)		たべ　tabe		たべたい tabetai (want to eat)
のみます nomimasu (to drink)		のみ　nomi		のみたい nomitai (want to drink)
します shimasu (to do)		し shi		したい shitai (want to do)

There are 2 words in Japanese that are translated as "this" in English:

これ kore - When "this" is not connected to a noun - hang on you will get it in a minute

これ　は　何　です　か？ kore wa nan desu ka? What is this? これ　は　ねこ　です。 kore wa neko desu. This is a cat.

HINT To say "This is" or "is this" the kore will probably be followed by a は wa

That それ・その

This and that. Now we are on the THAT part.  So this THAT refers to objects near the listener (not the speaker)

それ sore - when "that" is not connected to a noun

That over there あれ・あの

あれ are - when "that" is not connected to a noun

Must do なければなりません

TO MAKE IT:  plain negative form - i +　 ければ　なりません kereba narimasen

ピーマン　を　食べなければ　なりません。　
[Would be 食べない 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 useful usage is:

～しなければ　なりません
The し shi is from suru (to do)

勉強　しなければ　なりません。
benkyou shinakereba narimasen.
(I) must (have to) study.

しなければ　なりません。
shinakereba narimasen.
(I) must (have to) do (it).

た ほうがいい

CONSTRUCTION: ta form (#3) + ほう　が　いい　hou ga ii

休んだ　ほう　が　いい。
yasunda hou ga ii.
It would be better to rest.

聞いた　ほう　が　いい。
kiita hou ga ii.
It would be better to ask (someone).

NOTE: The ta form is the same as the past tense. (But obviously it is not past here)

better / worse than より、のほうが

Isn't it? でしょう

If you want to state your opinion and then encourage someone to agree, use deshou. 

フィリピンは暑いでしょう?
firipin wa atsui deshou? 
The Philippines is hot, isn't it?
[You are expecting a 'yes' answer]

痛いでしょう？
itai deshou?
It hurts, doesn't it?
[You see someone who has just slammed their head in the low doorway]  

But usually でしょう is used to mean 'probably':

雨が降るでしょうね。
Ame ga furu deshou ne. 
It will probably rain, don't you think?

And another common usage is どうでしょう meaning 'how about...' or 'what do you think about'

うどんはどうでしょう？
udon wa dou deshou? 
How about some Udon?

said といいました

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

「俺はスーパマン」と言いました。
ore wa su-paman to iimashita.
He said, "I am Superman."

あの絵は十世紀に作ったと書いてあります。
ano e wa juu seiki ni tsukutta to kaite arimasu.
The book says (it is written) that this painting was made in the 10th century.

It can also be used to mark sound effects of things or animals:

あの犬は「ワン」と言いました。
ano inu wa 'wan' to iimashita.
That dog barked, "bark"

There are many other usages for 'to.' Paying attention to each usage will help you get a good grasp.

Negative adjectives

To learn more about adjectives click here.

Negative verbs

話せます hanasemasu - can speak becomes...

私は、日本語が話せません。
watashi wa nihongo ga hanasemasen.
(I) can`t speak Japanese.

分かります wakarimasu - understand becomes...

私は、英語が分かりません。
watashi wa eigoga wakarimasen.
(I) don`t understand English.

If you can make the -masu form, just drop the す and add the せん。

You may have noticed there are no `no` words needed to make a negative like in English. You simply modify the verb`s ending.

To make the negative in the plain, or simple, form by taking the basic stem and adding ない to it.

With the `ru` verbs you simply drop the る and add ない as in 忘れる wasureru (to forget)...

日本語を忘れない。
nihongo o wasurenai.
(I) don`t forget Japanese.

And for the `u` verbs we change the ending `u` sound to a `a` sound as in 書く kaku -> 書か...

手紙を書かない。
tegami o kakanai.
(I) don`t write letters.

Finally we come to する and the other irregular verbs.

する is しない in the simple form and しません in the polite form

スカイダイビングをしません。
sukaidaibingu o shimasen.
(I) don`t do sky diving.

And 来る kuru is 来ない konai and 来ません kimasen in the formal...

ゴジラが来ない。
gojira ga konai.
Godzilla doesn`t come.

To review the 3 types of verbs click here.

Plan to 予定、つもり

If you plan on speaking Japanese these two words are very useful.予定 yotei and つもり tsumori

To add つもり or 予定 to any verb just find the simple form...

日本に行くつもり/予定です。
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 する verb

あなたと結婚するつもり/予定です。
anata to kekkon suru tsumori (or yotei) desu.
I intend to marry you.

You can also use it with nouns by sticking a の before the tsumori and after adjectives. But for now concentrate on the verb usage.

Punctuation 。、「」

Let`s quickly go over some common Punctuation thingies:

Should/Must はず

You should know はず. It is easy and useful, therefore you have no excuse :)

Hazu shows an expectation that something should happen. In other words, you are pretty sure something is true. Let`s see how it works...

To add はず to any adjective just add it...

そのかばんは、高いはずです。
sono kaban wa, takai hazu desu.
That bag must be expensive.
[It is expected to be expensive]

Just add it to the simple form of any verb

あなたは、ゴジラを知っているはずです。
anata wa, gojira o shitteiru hazu desu.
You should/must know Godzilla.

Because II ので

We have looked at some 'becauses' that mainly act as a preposition. ので comes at the end of the phrase.

In English we start the phrase with `because`; in Japanese you often say the reason first and then the because...

Just add it after an adjective...
そのかばんは高いので、ずっと使うつもりです。
sono kaban wa takai node, zutto tsukau tsumori desu.
Since that bag was expensive, I plan on using it for a long time.

Just add it to the simple form of any verb
ゴジラが来るので、東京は怖いところです。
gojira ga kuru node, toukyou wa kowai tokoro desu.
Since Godzilla comes, Tokyo is a scary place.

After a noun or a -na adjective add a NA before NODE...
私はまだ学生なので、お金がない。
watashi wa mada gakusei na node, okane ga nai .
Because I am still a student, I don`t have any money.

Although のに

Using 何

Easy to... ～やすい

たべ ます tabe masu [to eat]　　たべ やすい tabe yasui [easy to eat]

Did you see that?  If you know the -masu form of the verb, you can easily drop the -masu and add a yasui.  

わかり ます wakari masu [to understand]　　わかり やすい wakari yasui [easy to understand]

Hard to... ～にくい

たべ ます tabe masu [to eat]　　たべ にくい tabe nikui [hard to eat]

 If you know the -masu form of the verb, you can easily drop the -masu and add a nikui.  

わかり ます wakari masu [to understand]　　わかり にくい wakari nikui [hard to understand]

Looks like ～みたい

Looks like
we made it - as Barry Manilow would say - at least we made it half way!

台風が　来る　みたい。taifuu
ga kuru mitai. It looks
like a hurricane. [This could mean
you are looking at storm clouds, OR someone told you a hurricane is coming
and you are reporting that possibility]

And just stick it after a noun

この 景色は　夢　みたい。
kono keshiki wa yume mitai.
This scenery looks like
a dream. [Useful if visiting Mt. Fuji - or, alternatively, if you have
bad dreams, a garbage heap...]
あの　人は　日本人　みたい。
ano hito WA nihonjin mitai.
That person looks like
he's [or she's] Japanese.

There is another usage of -mitai where it can mean 'try and see' when added
to the て form of a verb:
やってみたい yatte mitai - I'll give
it a shot.
食べてみたい tabete mitai - I'll taste
and see.
That is a bit different from the above, but it is also very useful!

I've heard ～そう

While みたい can convey info you have heard as well as what you see, ～そう is mainly used for info that originated elsewhere. - I heard...

Construction:
1) simple verb + ~sou + desu/da

ゆきちゃんは　肉を　食べない そう　だ。
yuki chan WA niku o tabenai sou DA
I heard Yuki doesn't eat meat.

2) -i adjective + ~sou + desu/DA

田中さんの新しいパソコンは　とても　高い そう　です。
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... ～ように

Construction:
1) simple verb + ~you ni

私が言う　ように　して。
watashi ga iu you ni shite.
Do as I say.

2) noun + ~ no you ni

あなた　は　熊のプーさん　のように　かわいい　です。
anata wa kuma no pu-san no you ni kawaii desu.
You are as cute as Winnie the Pooh

like, as if, apparently らしい

This is similar to ~sou where the speaker is repeating info heard from another source. The only difference may be ~rashii may be based on more reliable information.

山田さん　は　帰った　らしい　です。
yamada san wa kaetta rashii desu.
It sounds like Mr. Yamada has come home.

2) noun + ~rashii

There are a few nouns with rashii that you can remember as a word in itself. This meaning is slighly different from the above verb construction. Instead of meaning info heard elsewhere, when added to a noun it means the speaker thinks something looks like something. Here are a few:

男らしい otokorashii - manly (like a man)
女らしい onnarashii - girly (but perhaps 女っぽい onnappoi is used more)
犬らしい 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...)
アメリカらしい amerikarashii - American-ish (substitute any country)

Another similar construction with nouns is ~ppoi - as seen above with onnappoi. When added to nouns to mean 'looks like...' ~ppoi is the same as ~rashii

Let's... ～しましょう

Construction:
1) ~masu verb - masu + mashou

Here are a few quick and useful examples:

行きましょう。
ikimashou.
Let's go.

遊びましょう。
asobimashou.
Let's play.

先生と話しましょう。
sensei to hanashimashou.
Let's talk to the teacher.

日本語を勉強しましょう。
nihongo o benkyou shimashou.
Let's study Japanese.

This example uses suru. Another example would be:

スカイダイビングしましょう。 sukai daibingu shimashou. Let's go sky diving.

Won't you...? ～ませんか？

Why don't we study Japanese grammar?

ok. Since we have the above construction (using a negative to suggest doing something) in English, this grammar point isn't too difficult to grasp.

Construction:
1) ~masu verb - masu + masen ka

どこか行きませんか。
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...]

映画を見ませんか。
eiga o mimasen ka .
Why don't we see a movie.

何か飲みませんか。
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 "ね"

This is used at the end of a sentence and contains a variety of meanings. We will look at it as a question tag.

As a question tag: don't you... isn't it...

あなたはにんじんが嫌いですね。 anata wa ninjin ga kirai desu ne. You don't like carrots, don't you?

その映画はとてもいい映画だったね。 sono eiga wa totemo ii eiga datta ne. Don't you think that was a good movie?

今日は暑いですね。 kyou wa atsui desu ne. Today is very hot, isn't it?

If you want to use ne as a question tag, it helps to nod your head, or change the inflection to let the listener know you would like a response. It is usually used when the speaker feels fairly certain his listeners agree with what was said.

A very useful phrase for whenever something good happens is:

いいね。 ii ne. Isn't that great!

When, that time とき

Using とき toki - at the time when...

With a noun add a の

And with verbs...

Using こと、もの

Koto - intangible things

いい事はありません。
ii koto wa arimasen.
There isn't anything good.

大事な事を教えます。
daiji na koto o oshiemasu.
I will tell you an important thing.

昨日の事はすみませんでした。
kinou no koto wa sumimasen deshita.
I am sorry about what happened yesterday. (yesterday's thing)

Mono - tangible things

その黒いものは猫かなあ。
sono kuroi mono wa neko kanaa.
I wonder if that black thing is a cat?

おいしいものが食べたい。
oishii mono ga tabetai.
I want to eat something good.

One useful phrase using koto is:

どういうこと？
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 場合

This is one that should be learned by useful examples

非常の場合はボタンを押してください。
hijou no ba ai wa botan o oshite kudasai.
In case of emergency push the button.

その場合はどうすればいい？
sono ba ai wa dou sureba ii?
In that situation, what should I do?

テストがあった場合、私は病気になります。
tesuto ga atta ba ai, watashi wa byouki ni narimasu.
Should a test be given , I will get sick.

Etc... and... など、とか

First a few ways to list multiple items:

や ya - and, and so forth

ピーマンやほうれん草が嫌いです。
pi-man ya hourensou ga kirai desu.
I don't like green peppers, spinach and the like.

とか toka - or, and, and so forth

熊のプーさんとかドラえもんとかキティちゃんが好きです。
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.

食べ物の中ではピザとかフライドポテトなどが好きです。
tabemono no naka dewa piza toka furaido poteto nado ga suki desu.
As for foods, I like things like pizza or french fries.

About くらい or ぐらい

About how much? About how many?

お客様はどのくらい来ましたか？
okyakusama wa dono kurai kimashita ka?
About how many customers came?

ええと、１００人くらい来ました。
eeto, hyaku nin kurai kimashita.
Let me see, About 100 people.

You can use this with time:

８時ぐらい
hachi ji gurai
about 8 O'clock

Or counting anything:
２匹くらい ni hiki kurai - about 2 (animals)
１０冊ぐらい juu satsu gurai - about 10 books

How about ...? どう

To ask the state of something (how something is doing) use the useful dou (desu ka).

最近はどうですか？
saikin wa dou desu ka?
How's it going recently?

コーヒーはどう？
ko-hi- wa dou?
How's the coffee? or it could mean How about some coffee?

天気予報はどう？
tenki yohou wa dou?
How's the weather forecast looking?

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

しまった、ちゃった

This literally means 'to complete, finish' but can (and usually does) involve a regret over having done something. Also it can be used sarcastically to mean the speaker really wanted to do something, but gives a halfhearted apology. For example, 最後のクーキーを食べてしまった。 I unfortunately ate the last cookie. Of course there really wasn't anything unfortunate about it.

The construction is usually after the ~te form of any verb

全部のお金を使ってしまいました。
zenbu no okane o tsukatte shimaimashita.
Unfortunately, I spent all my money.

私は完全に日本語を忘れてしまった。
watashi wa kanzen ni nihongo o wasurete shimatta.
Unfortunately, I have completely forgotten Japanese.

Another very useful variation is ~chatta. This is informal and is used by both male and female speakers. chau is made by combining te shimau -> chau

試験に落ちちゃった。
shiken ni ochichatta.
I flunked the test unfortunately.

or in the present tense

ケーキを全部食べちゃう。　
ke-ki o zenbu tabechau.
I will eat all the cake.

---

An important point by Mukade in the forums:
In the Kansai area, the use of ちゃった is limited to female speakers.

I learned both in the classroom, of course, since they are standard dialect. But when I moved here to Osaka, people started asking me if I was gay, since I kept using ちゃった all the time.

If I could help prevent someone else from having to go through the same "hard knocks" learning process that I did, it would make me very happy.

Please do... ～てください

Here's how you boss people around. Well, in a nice way...

add kudasai (please) after the ~te form of any verb

ゆっくり話してください。
yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
Please speak slowly.

もっと大人らしくしてください。
motto otona rashiku shite kudasai.
Please act more grown-up.

ここで右に曲がってください。
koko de migi ni magatte kudasai.
Please turn right here.

Please give me... ～をください

Another use for kudasai is "please give me..."

その本をください。
sono hon o kudasai.
Please give me that book.

５００円をください。
go hyaku en o kudasai.
Please give me 500 yen.

On, In, Above, Behind

のうえに no ue ni - on top of
机のうえに本があります。 tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu. There is a book on (top of) the desk.

のしたに no shita ni - under...
机のしたに本があります。 tsukue no shita ni hon ga arimasu. There is a book under the desk.

の後ろに no ushiro ni - behind...
机の後ろに本があります。 tsukue no ushiro ni hon ga arimasu. There is a book behind the desk.

Why don't we...? ～ませんか？

Why don't we study a little more?

どこかで食べませんか？　
dokoka de tabemasen ka?
Why don't we eat somewhere.

何か飲みませんか？　
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 を

Pronounced o but written in Japanese as wo. Simply put, を is the 'direct object marker or particle' which indicates the previous word is the direct object. There are cases when the English would not consider it a direct object, though. Learn some examples and give it a try. This particle is one of the easier ones...

私はりんごを食べました。　
watashi wa ringo o tabemashita.
I ate an apple. (apple is the を)

音楽を聞きたいです。　
ongaku o kikitai desu.
I want to listen to music. (music is the を)

テレビを買うつもりです。　
terebi o kau tsumori desu .
I intend to buy a TV. (tsumori means'intend to'; TV is the を)

A Closer look at に

In most cases the particle へ can be used interchangeably with に. But に has a wider application so for now just stick with に

Showing movement toward... Like 'to'

日本に行きたい。　
nihon ni ikitai.
I want to go to Japan. (direction TO Japan)

どこに行きたいですか。　
doko ni ikitai desu ka.
Where do you want to go?

Meaning 'on' or 'in'

紙に絵を描きました。　
kami ni e o kakimashita.
I drew a picture on a piece of paper.

In time - 'at'

六時に会いましょう。　
roku ji ni aimashou.
Let's meet at 6.

A Closer look at で

This is used mainly for location.

Used for location of where something happens

デパートで帽子を買いました。　
depa-to de boushi o kaimashita.
I bought a hat at the Department store.

日本で何をしましたか？　
nihon de nani o shimashita ka.
In Japan, what did you do?

Observe the difference between に and で:

マクドナルドに行きたい。　
makudonarudo ni ikitai.
I want to go to McDonalds.

マクドナルドで食べたい。　
makudonarudo de tabetai.
I want to eat at McDonalds.

A Closer look at が

This is the 'subject marker / particle'.

雨が降っています。　
ame ga futteimasu.
It's raining.

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

雨は空から降ってくる水です。　
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

わたしは猫が好き。　
watashi wa neko ga suki.
I like cats.

Question words always use GA

何がおいしい？　
nani ga oishii?
What tastes good?

誰が来ました？　
dare ga kimashita?
Who came?

どこが一番いいところですか？　
doko ga ichi ban ii tokoro desu ka?
Where is the best place?

If II たら

A while back we found もし as the word that means 'if'. たら is added to the end of verbs to give the meaning of 'if this is done, then this will happen'

It is formed by finding the simple past form and adding a ら

あなたが来たら、彼は帰る。　
anata ga kitara kare wa kaeru
If you are coming, he will go home.

The simple past form of 来る is 来た.The 2nd phrase is conditional on the たら phrase.

ゴジラに会ったら、どうしよう？　
gojira ni attara doushiyou.
What should I do if I meet Godzilla?

You can also use it with nouns by using the simple past form of desu: だった

お金持ちだったら、大きな家が買えるのに。　
okanemochi da tara ookina ie ga kaeru noni.
If only I were rich, I could buy a large house.

Softener ちょっと

1) こい！ koi

or

2) あのう、すみません、たいへん恐れいれますが、ちょっとこちらへいらっしゃってくださいませんでしょうか？

both mean 'come here' but #2 is much more polite being cushioned by many soft, indirect words. One of these words is ちょっと.

ちょっと means 'little' or 'small amount' but it is often used to soften an otherwise painful 'no' or 'your request is impossible; live with it'

ちょっと難しいですが。　
chotto muzukashi desu ga.
That's a little difficult. (this may be said when the request is impossible)

ちょっと出来ないです。　
chotto dekinai desu.
It can't be done.

ちょっと分からないです。　
chotto wakaranai desu.
I'm not really sure.

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

The power ender "よ"

When you want to impress upon your listener the importance or truth of what you are saying stick a よ at the end of the sentence.

本当ですよ。　hontou desu yo. It's the truth, I tell ya! (Perhaps the speaker suspects the listener doesn't believe what he just said)

フロリダの１２月は暑いですか？　fururida no 12 gatsu wa atsui desu ka? Is December in Florida is pretty hot?

結構 寒いですよ。　kekkou samui desu yo. Actually, it is pretty cold.

It is very useful for rumors or explaining a truth you know someone may not swallow at first:

鈴木さんは宇宙人ですよ。　suzuki san wa uchuujin desu yo. Suzuki is an alien, you know.

The non-but でも/ても Even if、although

We have studied　も which means 'also'. When added after the て form of a verb or adjective it brings on the meaning of 'even if'. Let's investigate:

冗談を言っても、彼は笑いません。
joudan wo ittemo, kare wa waraimasen.
Even if you tell a joke, he won't laugh.

And an adjective:

冷たくても、食べられます。
tsumetakutemo taberaremasu.
Even if it is cold, I can eat it.

And just stick it after a noun

スーパマンでも、そんなことはできないよ。
su-paman demo　sonna koto wa dekinai yo.
Even Superman can't do that!

The best, -est いちばん

While it means #1, it is also used as a superlative- most or -est

食べ物の中で何が一番好きですか？
tabemono no naka wa nani ga ichiban suki desu ka?
Out of all foods, what do you like the best?

富士山は、世界で一番高い山じゃない。
fujisan wa sekai de ichiban takai yama ja nai.
Mt. Fuji isn't the tallest mountain in the world.

About... ～について

This is added to mean 'this sentence is ABOUT the previous word'. Simply stick it after the noun you want to talk about.

番組についてのお知らせです。
bangumi ni tsuite no oshirase desu.
This is an annoucement about the program (TV for example).

あの映画についてどう思う？
ano eiga ni tsuite dou omou?
What do you think about that movie?

Can't, not allowed いけません/いけない

This is how to say something is forbidden to do. Perhaps easiest way to us this is to stick it after the て form of a verb and は (wa - topic particle).

知らない人と話してはいけません。
shiranai hito to hanashite wa ikemasen.
Don't speak to strangers.

Often in casual speech, the ては becomes ちゃ (or じゃ) as in:

その映画を見ちゃいけませんよ。
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 だめ for a similar effect: 私の本を読んじゃだめ。watashi no hon o yonja dame. You can't read my book!

Easy kanji prefixes

Easy Counters

In English, we just take a number (1,2,3...) add a noun and an "s" to count items. But in Japanese different types of objects have different counters. Plus some numbers change pronunciation slightly when added with their counter. Don't worry too much about the pronunciation changes since you will be understood. And even if you mess up and count with the wrong counter, you should be understood, but just a tip... don't count people with "pikki" (used with animals!)

First, there are 2 ways to count numbers - the 'native' and the 'Chinese' way. Actually the 'native' counting system only goes up to 10 and is pretty much only used for counting up to two people and for counting general things. If you are feeling lazy, just learn the "Chinese" numbers for now.

If you haven't studied numbers yet, go to this page to learn all about them before proceeding: How to Count

Here is a quick review::

Note the two red alternate readings on the "Chinese" side. These are pronunciations based on the "native" readings but are often used in conjunction when counting other "Chinese" numbers.

Ok, now for counters.

Let's go through some common counters one by one and then I will give a list of many other counters:

Counter: nin | Usage: people [pay attention to the red lines.]
一人 （ひとり） 1 person [irregular]
二人　（ふたり） 2 people [irregular]
三人　（さん　にん） 3 people [now we simply add the Chinese numbers to にん]
四人　（よ　にん） [し　にん is NOT used. Probably because し means death... Also notice the dropped ん from よん; hihlordjp from the discussion forums on this site brought up an interesting but obscure (I think) pronunciation - よったり or よたり. It is in the dictionaries although I had never heard it. ]
五人　（ご　にん）
六人　（ろく　にん）
七人　（しち　にん OR なな　にん） [It seems しちにん is used more often, but ななにん is also used]
八人　（はち　にん）
九人　（きゅう　にん or く　にん)
十人　（じゅう　にん）
十一人 　（じゅう　いち　にん） etc...

Counter: hiki | Usage: most animals
一匹　（いっぴき） [notice the H changes to a P]
二匹　（にひき）
三匹　（さん　びき） [notice the H changes to a B this time.]
四匹　（よんひき）
五匹　（ごひき）
六匹　（ろっぴき） [notice the H changes to a P AND the く becomes a small　っ]
七匹　（なな　ひき or しち　ひき） [probably ななひき is most used]
八匹　（はっぴき or はち　ひき）
九匹　（きゅう　ひき）
十匹　（じゅっぴき） [notice the small っ - this occurs when there is a soft sound after like H]

Counter: hon | Usage: long, slender objects like pencils, bottles, arms...
一本　（いっぽん）
二本　（に　ほん）
三本　（さん　ぼん）
四本　（よん　ほん）
五本　（ご　ほん）
六本　（ろっぽん）
七本　（なな　ほん）
八本　（はっぽん or はち　ほん）
九本　（きゅう　ほん）
十本　（じゅっぽん）

Other Counters:

* notice this can be pronounced as じっ instead of じゅっ. This is to make it clearer and is often used in broadcasting. You may also encounter this with hon and hiki. For now, you can just say, じゅっ...

The Explanatory "んです"

You may have heard this quite a lot and wondered what it's all about! It is most often used, informally, when:

1) To explain something
2) To show emphasis

んです is short for のです; Informal usage;

plain form verb + んです

何をしているんですか。
nani o shite iru n desu ka .
Whatcha doing?

テレビを見ているんです。
terebi o mite iru n desu.
Watching TV.

-i Adjective + んです

この映画は面白いんです。
kono eiga wa omoshiroi n desu.
This movie was great!

And it can be used as a way to stress a point

パーティに行かないでしょう。
pa-ti ni ikanai deshou
You won't be able to make it to the party, right?

いいえ、僕は行くんです。
iie, boku wa iku n desu.
No, I'm going!

---

いったい、どうしたんですか？
ittai, doushita n desu ka.
Just what exactly happened (to you)!!!?

の as a Pronoun

の can be used in place of a noun (indefinite pronoun) to mean "one" or "some."

Construction:　
Use in place of noun

青いの。
aoi no.
The blue one.

安いのがほしい。
yasui no ga hoshii.
I want the cheap one.
(computer, car, book, anything)

How to... ～かた

Attach かた 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 ~ます form of a verb minus the ます and then add かた.

漢字の読み方
kanji no yomi kata
How/Way to read (a) kanji

漢字の書き方
kanji no kaki kata
How/Way to write (a) kanji

NOTE: Since it becomes a noun phrase, you should use の as above.

Let's ask, "Please teach me how to use chopsticks correctly."

はしの正しい使い方を教えてください。
hashi no tadashii tsukai kata o oshiete kudasai.
Please teach me how to use chopsticks correctly

Please don't しないでください

Sometimes you have to tell/ask people to not do something.

Construction:
Take the ます form of a verb and drop the ます
Add ないで　ください

ケーキを食べないでください。
ke-ki o tabe naide kudasai.
Please don't eat the cake.

スカイダイビングをしないでください。
sukaidaibingu o shinaide kudasai.
Please don't go skydiving.

Have Done ことがあります

This is a very useful construction. Simply add it after a simple past form of a verb:

Construction:
Take the simple past form of a verb
Add ことがあります

アメリカに行ったことがありますか？
amerika ni itta koto ga arimasu ka?
Have you been to America?

納豆を食べたことがあります。
nattou o tabeta koto ga arimasu.
(I) have eaten natto before.

I'll Have... にします

To decide to have... にします

Very often this phrase is used to say, "I'll have (some food or drink)." Next time you go to a Japanese restaurant, give this a try.

なににしますか？
nani ni shimasu ka?
What will you have?

私はてんぷらにします。
watashi wa tenpura ni shimasu
I'll have tempura.

About ~ほど

To say 'about' as in "about a week" or to show an approximate degree of something, use ~ほど

１週間ほど
isshuu kan hodo
About a week

駅は１０キロほどさきです。
eki wa jukkiro hodo saki desu.
The train station is about 10 kilometers ahead.

これは５，０００円ほどで買えます。
kore wa go sen en hodo de kaemasu.
This can be bought for about 5000 yen.

Even if たとえ　～ても

Sometimes you need to sound poetic. This construction fits perfectly into that mood.

Construction:　VERBS
たとえ +
Take the て form of a verb
Add ても

たとえ世界が終わっても・・・
tatoe sekai ga owattemo
Even if the world ends...

たとえ失敗してもまた頑張りましょう。
tatoe shippai shitemo mata ganbarimashou..
Even if we fail, let's keep at it.

Make the negative form of the verb with ても:

たとえ二度と会えなくても忘れません。
tatoe nido to aenaku temo wasuremasen.
Even if we shall never meet again, I won't forget.

And and ～たり

Construction:　
Take the た form of a verb (simple past)
Add たり

立ったり座ったり。
tattari suwatari
Standing and sitting

ドルが上がったり下がったり。
doru ga agattari sagattari
The dollar is rising and falling.

きょうは買い物をしたりレストランで食べたりしてたくさんのお金を使った。
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 ながら

Construction:　
Take the ます form of a verb and drop the ます (the stem)
Add ながら

音楽を聴きながら勉強をしました。
ongaku o kiki nagara benkyou o shimashita.
While studying, I listened to music.

本を読みながらご飯を食べます。
hon o yomi nagara gohan o tabemasu.
While eating a meal, I read a book.

May I? ～てもいいですか？

Asking permission and Being polite go hand in hand. Here is how you do both in Japanese.

Construction:　
Take the て form of a verb
Add もいいですか？

電話を使ってもいいですか？
denwa o tsukattemo ii desu ka?
May I use the phone?

休んでもいいですか？
yasundemo ii desu ka?
May I take a break? (from work, from studying, etc)

ちょっと話してもいいですか？
chotto hanashitemo ii desu ka?
May I say something? (I'd like to speak a little)

Not much あまり

Not much; not really--Followed by a negative verb

Construction:　
Used in a negative sentence

日本語があまり上手じゃない。
nihongo ga amari jouzu ja nai
I'm not really good at Japanese.

あまりよくない。
amari yokunai
(That's) not really good.

踊りはあまりうまくない。
odori wa amari umaku nai
I'm not really good dancing.

お金はあまりない。
okane wa amari nai
I don't have much money.

The power "そう"

そう, for our purposes today, means, "That's right" or "That's so" (the latter being an easy way to remember)

Construction:　
This useful word is used in various idiomatic ways. It is best to learn each as an example by heart.

そうです。
sou desu
Yes, that is right.

そうですか？
sou desu ka?
Is that so?; Really?; You don't say?

そういえば・・・
sou ieba
Now that you mention it; Speaking of that...

そう考えると
sou kangaeru to
Seen from that light; Thinking like that; From that point of view

そうしたら
sou shitara
If you do it that way...; if done that way...

そうしないと
sou shinai to
If you don't do it that way...

And there are many more you will come across! Listen to how そう is used in conversation.

Polite Japanese 敬語

A) Humble (謙譲語 kenjougo) - This is when referring to oneself or one's family members and (usually) speaking to someone higher up in social rank, position or some other criteria for determining status. However even some people with high positions may choose to use the humble form with those under him/her.
B) ~masu - As mentioned above ~masu / desu is actually 丁寧語 teineigo or polite language, but I'm using the familiar ~masu form for an easy comparison to the the kenjougo and sonkeigo forms.
C) Respectful (尊敬語 sonkeigo) - This is what you say to your boss or those higher up when speaking to them. If you are speaking about yourself, you will use the humble form.

　 For a more detailed explanation and many more examples see here.

Polite Part II

社長と話しましたか？ shachou to hanashimashita ka? Company president - with - talk - ? Did you speak with the boss? (normal)		社長とお話になりましたか？ shachou to o hanashi ni narimashita ka? Did you speak with the boss? (polite)
何か飲みませんか？ nanika nomimasen ka? something - won't drink - question Won't you drink something? (normal)		何かお飲みになりませんか？ nanika o nomi ni narimasen ka? Won't you drink something? (polite)

お + stem + ください This also makes a 'normal' verb exalted; it is used when asking things - 'please give me'

売ってください。 utte kudasai. Please sell (me this). (normal)		お売りください。 o uri kudasai. Please sell (me this) (honorific)
食べてください。 tabete kudasai, Please eat. (normal)		お食べください o tabe kudasai. Please eat. (polite)

Giving and Receiving あげる、くれる、もらう

あげる、くれる、もらう

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

The Word:　あげる
When you, the speaker, give something to someone, use あげる

これをあなたにあげます。
kore o anata ni agemasu.
I will give you this.

NOTE: The receiver is the one with the に particle (あなたに to you).

 

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

田中さんがこれを私にくれました。
tanaka san ga kore o watashi ni kuremashita.
Tanaka gave this to me.

NOTE: Again, the receiver is the one with the に particle. (私に to me)

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

私が友達からケーキをもらいました。
watashi ga tomodachi kara ke-ki o moraimashita.
I received a cake from a friend. (My, the receiver, point of view)

NOTE: If から is used, the meaning should be pretty clear (友達から from a freind), but you can also use に to show who is doing the action as in:

私が友達にケーキをもらいました。
watashi ga tomodachi ni ke-ki o moraimashita.
I received a cake from a friend.

NOTE: The use of に with もらう can seem confusing considering に is used to mean the receiver in the other two cases

Level / degree of something ～さ

Add さ to adjectives to express a degree or amount

Construction:　-i adjectives:
Remove the trailing い and add さ

ぞうさんの高さは何ですか？
zou san no takasa wa nan desu ka?
What is the height of an elephant

NOTE: The さ shows a degree; this can be a higher, lower, wider, thinner, etc amount. (we could be asking the height of an ant)

Construction:　-na adjectives:
Just add the さ without the な

この車の静かさは驚くべきです。
kono kuruma no shizukasa wa odoroku beki desu.
This car's quietness is amazing.

NOTE: The finished product (adjective + さ) becomes a noun phrase and is treated as a noun grammatically.

Just Did... ばかり

Showing a completed action: just...

Construction:　
Add ばかり after the simple past of a verb

食べたばかりです。
tabeta bakari desu.
I just ate.

たてたばかりの家。
tateta bakari no ie.
A newly built house.

今来たばかりです。
ima kita bakari desu.
I just arrived.

Can II たべられます、よめます

Potential form of Verbs.

Before starting this lesson, you may want to review the groups of the verbs.

Construction:　The ~u Group (group 1 verbs)
Verb Root + eru

書く kaku to write kak (verb root) kakeru able to write

漢字が書けますか？
kanji ga kakemasu ka?
Can you write kanji?

[NOTE: use が with the potential form]

Construction:　The ~ru Group (group 2 verbs)
Verb Root + rareru

食べる taberu to eat tabe (verb root) taberareru able to eat

ピーマンが食べられますか？
pi-man ga taberaremasu ka?
Can you eat green peppers?

Construction:　The irregular Group (group 3 verbs)
The two irregular verbs should be memorized:

くる こられる
する できる

パーティにこられますか？
pa-ti ni koraremasu ka?.
Can you come to the party?

NOTE: You can also easy do this with any Simple Past Verb + ことができる More...