Grammar page 3
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| + | The third page of the grammar [[Lessons|lessons]]. | ||
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| + | Have you learned the [[Kana|kana]] yet? It's not good to have to rely on [[Romaji|romaji]] all the time. See [http://www.thejapanesepage.com/readarticle.php?article_id=2 Learn Hiragana] and [http://www.thejapanesepage.com/readarticle.php?article_id=171 Katakana lesson 1]. | ||
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== But でも == | == But でも == | ||
Revision as of 07:34, 21 August 2006
The third page of the grammar lessons.
Have you learned the kana yet? It's not good to have to rely on romaji all the time. See Learn Hiragana and Katakana lesson 1.
Contents |
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.
でも demo - but
日本語が好きでも、フランス語はきらいです。
nihongo ga suki demo, furansugo wa kirai desu.
I like Japanese, but I hate French.
But けれども
From most formal to least formal けれども keredomo けれど keredo and けど kedo.
- although, though
けれども can be used as a conjunction to join two sentences. It goes after the verb or copula (です / だ) of the first sentence.
コンピューターは好きだけど、高いです。
konpyu-ta- wa suki dakedo, takai desu.
I like computers but they are expensive.
Fillers ええと
In English, we have our "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!
何の動物が好きですか？ nan no doubutsu ga suki desu ka? What animal do you like?
ええと・・・、ねこがすきです。 eeto..., neko ga suki desu. Um..., I like cats.
Very とても
とても totemo, often written as とっても tottemo.
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!
とても大きな木です。
totemo ookina ki desu.
It is a very big tree.
OTHER VERY WORDS
非常に hijou ni 超 chou (kind of slang - chou means "super-")
I think と思います
This goes at the end to show that you believe what you say, but are not 100% sure. It is also used to show one's opinion. If there is a desu change it to da which is the more casual form and add to omoimasu
1. The speaker is not totally sure of the accuracy of his info...
熊のプーさんはくまだと思います。
kuma no pu-san wa kuma da to omoimasu.
Winnie the Pooh is a bear, I think...
Next is an example of showing one's opinion. It is true for the speaker, but may not be so for the listener.
なっとうはおいしいと思います。
nattou wa oishii to omoimasu.
I think Natto is delicious
Basically you can say any sentence and if you want to soften it or show you are not sure, or show your opinion add to omoimasu
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.
飲み物がほしいです。
nomimono ga hoshii desu.
(I) want a drink.
NOTE: The desu is not used in plain or informal Japanese.
Next, let's ask a question. Can you figure out how to do it? That's right add a ka
ケーキがほしいですか。
ke-ki ga hoshii desu ka.
Do you want cake?
ほしい hoshii is an adjective so can be conjugated just like other i-adjectives.
ケーキが欲しかったです。
ke-ki ga hoshikatta desu.
I wanted cake.
As ほしい hoshii is an adjective it can be used before nouns like other adjectives.
ほしい本があります。
hoshii hon ga arimasu.
There is a book I want.
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)
Of course if you want to say "do you want to..." Just add ka
ケーキをたべたいですか。
ke-ki o tabetai desu ka.
Do you want to eat cake?
～たい tai is an adjective and can be conjugated like normal i-adjectives.
死にたかったです。
shinitakatta desu.
I wanted to die.
As ～たい tai is an adjective it can also be used before nouns like other adjectives.
読みたい本があります。
yomitai hon ga arimasu.
There is a book I want to read.
There is / There are
For inanimate objects (objects, plants...), end the sentence with ～が あります ga arimasu
木です。 ki desu. It's a tree. [lit. tree is.]
木があります。 ki ga arimasu. There is a tree(s).
For living things (people and animals) use ～が います ga imasu.
ねこがいます。 neko ga imasu. There is a cat(s).
To show the negative just add -sen to the end
あります arimasu ありません arimasen Another more casual form of arimasu that you don't have to learn now is... ある aru ない nai
います imasu いません imasen Another more casual form of imasu that you don't have to learn now is... いる iru いない inai
Maybe you know these useful phrases:
お願いがあります。 onegai ga arimasu. I have a favor to ask. 問題ない。 mondai nai. No problem! [this is the casual form of arimasen]
To like... がすき
It is easy to like something and to say it! Just add ga suki after the object that you like:
ねこがすきです。
neko ga suki desu.
I like cats.
[note: Nouns don't change in number (no s) so it could mean "a cat". Also note the desu is often dropped in speech - "neko ga suki." is fine!]
Why なぜ、どうして
2 ways to say "why" are:
- なぜ naze - why
- どうして doushite - why
They are basically interchangeable and start at the beginning of the sentence and are followed by the question
なぜ（どうして）私のケーキをたべましたか？
naze (doushite) watashi no ke-ki o tabemashita ka?
Why did you eat my cake?
[There isn't a "you" but obviously you wouldn't be asking yourself this question.]
You can skip ahead to lesson 4 to read about the related なぜなら.
STOP and test yourself.
Continue to lesson 3 Go back and review lesson 1
