ja nai vs "masen"

[dragon89]

Ok, I have a question about making something negative. As far as I know to make something negative when it isa masu verb you would change that to masen right?

So to say I eat cake would be watashi wa ke-ki tabemasu.
To say I don't eat cake would be watashi wa ke-ki tabemasen right?

But could you also say "watashi wa ke-ki tabemasu ja nai" or do you use Ja nai for words that don't end in masu? such as suki?

Explain kudasai (and arigatou in advance)

[Schattenjedi]

dragon89 wrote:
Ok, I have a question about making something negative. As far as I know to make something negative when it isa masu verb you would change that to masen right?

So to say I eat cake would be watashi wa ke-ki tabemasu.
To say I don't eat cake would be watashi wa ke-ki tabemasen right?

Correct, except you need to place the particle を after the object, ケーキ.

dragon89 wrote:
But could you also say "watashi wa ke-ki tabemasu ja nai" or do you use Ja nai for words that don't end in masu? such as suki?

Explain kudasai (and arigatou in advance)

ます　and ない are used on an either or basis. So it's either たべます or たべない.　すきな　is technically a な-adjective so you would conjugate it as such. Therefore: すきじゃない.

ください is added to the end of a て-form verb and signifies a polite command.

Edited to correct the correction

[hihlordjp]

It's たべない, actually. Not たべじゃない.

[Schattenjedi]

oopsssss, thx for the correction.

[dragon89]

arigato! That helps a lot!

[Darkslime]

Also, I believe that the ending -ません a polite suffix, while -ない is more informal. ^_^