Japanese verbs
October 21, 2018
Showing posts with label - Japanese grammar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label - Japanese grammar. Show all posts
Oct 21, 2018
Oct 12, 2018
Japanese particles
October 12, 2018
Asking questions in Japanese - ka : interrogative word
Hello. I'm Kosuke!
Today, let's learn how to ask questions in Japanese!
The most important word in this article is "か(ka)"!
Let's learn how to use it!
Index:
1. Summary
2. Particle "ka"
3. How to use "ka"
3-1. "desu" and "masu"
3-2. "desu-ka" and "masu-ka"
4. How to answer
5. Conclusion
1. Summary
2. Particle "ka"
3. How to use "ka"
3-1. "desu" and "masu"
3-2. "desu-ka" and "masu-ka"
4. How to answer
5. Conclusion
Oct 6, 2018
Japanese particles
October 06, 2018
Nagara - How to say "while" in Japanese
Today, let's learn about the word, nagara (ながら).
Nagara means "while" or "during".
Let's check how to use it with this article!
Aug 18, 2018
- Japanese grammar
August 18, 2018
Sama (さま) - polite way to call someone's name in Japanese
Hello. I'm Kosuke!
In the previous article, I explained about Japanese particle "を(wo)"!
を(wo) >>
In this article, let's learn how to use "さま (sama)"!
Please remember only one thing from this article:
"さま (sama)" is a very polite way to call someone's name.
In the past article, I have already explained about "さん (san)".
～さん (-san) >>
"さま (sama)" is very similar to "さん (san)".
However, "さま (sama)" is much more polite than "さん (san)".
How to use "～さま (-sama)" is like 'Mr.' or 'Ms.' in English.
Examples:
| English | Japanese | Romaji | Kanji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Sasuke | さすけさま | Sasuke-sama | さすけ様 |
| Ms. Smith | すみすさま | Sumisu-sama | すみす様 |
Like the examples above, "-sama" can be used for both male and female.
"さま (sama)" is put right after someone's name.
It can be used for both first name and last name.
If you don't remember about Romaji, please check this:
If you still don't remember basic Hiragana characters, please check this:
If you don't know what Kanji is, please check this:
Actually, "さん (san)" is a more common way to call someone in Japanese.
But if the person is very high ranked, we use "さま (sama)".
Also, you can use "さま (sama)" for your client.
When we first meet our client, we often use "さま (sama)".
When we can be frank with them, we start to use "さん (san)".
"さま (sama)" is very polite.
Sometimes, it is even too polite.
So sometimes even clients feel uncomfortable to be called with "さま (sama)".
Of course, you don't need to use "さま (sama)" for your friends.
However, when your girlfriend gets angry with you, you can use "～さま(-sama)" for your girlfriend. hehe
Also, "さま (sama)" is not only used for someone's name.
Please see the examples below:
| English | Japanese | Romaji | Kanji |
|---|---|---|---|
| God | かみさま | kami-sama | 神様 |
| King | おうさま | ou-sama | 王様 |
"かみ (kami) " means "God", and "おう (ou)" means "King" in Japanese.
Usually, we put "さま (sama)" right after these words to show our respect.
Also, "さま (sama)" is included in some greetings in Japanese.
"おつかれさまです" has many meanings.
But generally, we use "おつかれさまです" when we say good bye in the office.
It includes "さま" and "です".
As I explained in the past article, "つかれ (tsu ka re)" means "tiredness".
They put "さま (sama)" right after "tiredness" to show respect to their tiredness.
Also, Japanese people says "ごちそうさま (go chi so u sa ma)" after eating their food.
Actually, there is no "ごちそうさま" in English.
Japanese people always say this greeting after eating.
"ごちそう" means "meal".
They put "さま" right after "meal" to show their respect to the food and animals eaten by them.
Anyway!
Please remember only one thing from this article:
"さま (sama)" is a very polite way to call someone's name.
I hope this article helps you study Japanese!
Thank you for reading!
Related articles:
～さん (-san) >>
Greetings when you say good bye >>
Greetings when you meet someone >>
Hiragana chart >>
Romaji >>
～さん (-san) >>
Greetings when you say good bye >>
Greetings when you meet someone >>
Hiragana chart >>
Romaji >>
Aug 17, 2018
Japanese particles
August 17, 2018
Japanese particle "を(wo)" - Make nouns Object
Hello. I'm Kosuke!
In the previous article, we studied about "の(no)"!
～の(no) >>
As I explained in that article, "の(no)" is a post-positional particle.
(It can be replaced by ['s] or [of] in English!)
In this article, I would like to talk about another post-positional particle, "を(wo)"!
Aug 16, 2018
Japanese particles
August 16, 2018
Japanese particle "の(no)" - Make words possessive
Hello. I am Kosuke!
In the previous article, I talked about です and ます!
です and ます >>
In this article, I would like to talk about "の(no)"!
"の" is one of the "post-positional particles".
Japanese "post-positional particles" are "preposition" or "conjunction" of English.
However, you don't need to remember the name, "post-positional particle" here!
We have already studied some post-positional particles, like は.
～は(wa) >>
は and が >>
Like the articles above, は and が make a noun the subject of the sentence.
But の isn't a marker for the subject of a sentence.
Actually, we have already seen の in the past article about I, my, me and mine.
First person representation >>
In the article, we learned "わたし の(wa ta shi no)".
"わたし" means "I", and "わたしの" means "my".
Basically, の adds a meaning of "possession", even though there are other ways to use の.
Maybe, when you hear の, it means "possession" 80% of the time!
This "の" means ['s] or [of].
So, what about the remaining 25%?
In that cause, you should get angry with the Japanese speaker, and please say:
"Hey! Why are you using such difficult Japanese!? I always use very easy English for you! Also, I always bear with your inept English! Why do you use that difficult Japanese with me!? You are an awful person! I don't like you!!!!!!!".
.....OK!
Let's check the examples!
| 1. | に | ん | じゃ | の | む | ら | ||||
| ni | n | ja | no | mu | ra |
Meaning : "village of ninja"
| にんじゃ | ： | ninja | |||||||
| むら | ： | village |
If you still don't remember Hiragana chart, please check this:
If you don't know the Hiragana character "じゃ", please check this:
| 2. | む | ら | の | ど | う | じょ | う | ||||
| mu | ra | no | do | u | jo | u |
Meaning : "training hall of the village"
| どうじょう | ： | training hall |
If you don't remember the Hiragana character "ど", please check this:
| 3. | に | ん | じゃ | の | く | ん | れ | ん | ||||
| ni | n | ja | no | ku | n | re | n |
Meaning : "ninja's training"
| くんれん | ： | training |
| 4. | せ | ん | せ | い | の | し | ど | う | ||||
| se | n | se | i | no | shi | do | u |
Meaning : "teacher's coaching"
| せんせい | ： | teacher | |||||||
| しどう | ： | coaching, guidance |
| 5. | さ | す | け | の | ど | りょ | く | ||||
| sa | su | ke | no | do | ryo | ku |
Meaning : "Sasuke's effort"
| さすけ | ： | Sasuke (name of person) |
|||||||
| どりょく | ： | effort |
| 6. | あ | い | の | む | ち | ||||
| a | i | no | mu | chi |
Meaning : "whip of love"
| あい | ： | love | |||||||
| むち | ： | whip |
| 7. | た | い | りょ | く | の | げ | ん | か | い | ||||
| ta | i | ryo | ku | no | ge | n | ka | i |
Meaning : "limit of physical strength"
| たいりょく | ： | physical strength | |||||||
| げんかい | ： | limit |
| 8. | や | る | き | の | そ | う | し | つ | ||||
| ya | ru | ki | no | so | u | shi | tsu |
Meaning : "loss of motivation"
| やるき | ： | motivation | |||||||
| そうしつ | ： | loss, failure |
| 9. | さ | す | け | の | り | しょ | く | ||||
| sa | su | ke | no | ri | syo | ku |
Meaning : "Sasuke's resignation"
| りしょく | ： | resignation, turnover |
Like the examples above, の can be changed to ['s] or [of].
I think this conversion helps you understand the meaning of Japanese sentences.
This is the most common usage of "の"!
Just in case, let's see the examples of other ways to use の...
But you don't need to remember the sentences below!
さむらい と にんじゃ の どちら が すきですか？
Which do you like, samurai or ninja?
-> When we give an option, we use の like this...
げんき の ない にんじゃ
dispirited ninja
-> This sentence has the same meaning as "げんき が ない にんじゃ".
Sometimes, の and が have the same meanings...
But!!!!!!!
For now, please don't care about exceptions!
"の" has too many meanings!
Please just remember:
"の" means ['s] or [of].
I hope this article helps you study basic Japanese!
Related articles:
Aug 14, 2018
- Japanese grammar
August 14, 2018
です(desu) and ます(masu)
Hello. I'm Kosuke!
Have you already remembered many Japanese words?
Also, have you improved your skills in the art of the Ninja?
In the previous article, I talked about Japanese seasons!
Seasons of Japan >>
In this article, I would like to talk about "です (de su)" and "ます (ma su)"!
Have you ever heard these words?
When you listen to a Japanese conversation, you will listen to these words often.
Grammatically, these two words are called "auxiliary verb".
However, you don't need to care about the name here!
This blog is for Japanese beginners.
So I would like to explain a very basic part of grammar.
I will omit the complex topics as much as possible.
The purpose of this article is to allow you to form basic sentences in Japanese!
At first, the most important thing is...
'です(desu)' and 'ます(masu)' are put at the end of sentences when you speak politely.
Also, please see the table below to check the difference between "です(desu)" and "ます(masu)".
| Predicate of the sentence | Which should we use? |
|---|---|
| Noun | です |
| Adjective or Adjective verb | です |
| Verb | ます |
If you can't understand the table above right now, it is OK.
We will discuss the details in this article!
Also, maybe, the past article about 'は and が' will help you understand the table above:
If you don't remember all Hiragana characters, please check this:
First, please let me talk about 'です' here.
If you put 'です(desu)' at the end of the sentence, it makes the sentence polite.
Basic forms are like below:
・ [Subject] は [Noun] です。
・ [Subject] は [Adjective] です。
・ [Subject] は [Adjective verb] です。
は : wa
です : de su
-> 'A wa B desu' means 'A is B'.
Actually, there is no "adjective verb" in English.
So you can think the "adjective verb" is one kind of adjective.
Sometimes, "adjective verb" is called "na-adjective".
"Adjective verb" includes the word "verb" in its name, but it is not a verb.
You are reading this blog.
So I think you already know English well (probably, better than me hehe).
Basically, English adjective is corresponding to Japanese "adjective" or "adjective verb".
So you can think Japanese "adjective verb" is one kind of adjective!
When I explained about "～は(wa)" before, I used the two examples using 'です(desu)' below:
Examples:
| 1. | わ | た | し | は | が | く | せ | い | で | す | 。 | ||||
| wa | ta | shi | wa | ga | ku | se | i | de | su |
Meaning : "I am a student."
| わたし (wa ta shi) | ： | I | |||||||
| がくせい (ga ku se i) | ： | student |
| 2. | あ | な | た | は | し | ん | せ | つ | で | す | 。 | ||||
| a | na | ta | wa | shi | n | se | tsu | de | su |
Meaning : "You are kind."
| あなた (a na ta) | ： | you | |||||||
| しんせつ (shi n se tsu) | ： | kind |
If you don't know the resason why 'は' makes the sound 'wa' instead of 'ha', please check this:
The two examples above are polite sentences because 'です(desu)' is at the end of the sentences.
If you don't need to speak politely, you can use 'だ (da)' instead of 'です (de su)'.
1. わたし は がくせい だ。
(I am a student.)
2. あなた は しんせつ だ。
(You are kind.)
However, I think you don't need to use 'だ' for now.
It is OK for you to use only 'です(desu)' at first.
Using 'だ' is kind of difficult because it is not so polite.
For example, 'だ' is used when you want to say your opinion strongly.
Also, 'だ' is used when you write a research report to inform readers of facts directly.
In addition to that, there are some cases 'です' can't be replaced by 'だ'.
(when adjective is used)
So please don't care about 'だ' so much now, and let's use 'です(desu)' instead.
When you read or listen to 'だ', please just remember it is the same as 'です(desu)'.
So for now, let's focus on 'です(desu)'.
As I wrote above, basically, 'です(desu)' is used at the end of the sentence.
Basic forms are like below:
・ [Subject] は [Noun] です。
・ [Subject] は [Adjective] です。
・ [Subject] は [Adjective verb] です。
-> 'A wa B desu' means 'A is B'.
Please remember the three basic forms above!
Regarding 'ます(masu)', please just remember the form below:
[Subject] が [Verb] ます。
Like the form above, 'ます(masu)' is used after a verb.
Basically, [verb + ます] is the last part of the sentence in Japanese.
You can put some special words after [verb + ます], like 'ね(ne)', 'よね(yone)' or 'か(ka)'.
However, please don't care about these here.
Please check the examples to understand it!
Example:
Example:
| さ | す | け | が | あ | る | き | ま | す | 。 | |||||
| sa | su | ke | ga | a | ru | ki | ma | su |
Meaning : "Sasuke walks."
| さすけ | ： | Sasuke (name of person) |
|||||||
| あるき （あるく） |
： | walk |
Like the example above, if the predicate is a verb, you should put 'ます(masu)' at the end of the sentence!
However, you need to be careful about one thing when you use 'ます(masu)'.
It is related to あるき and あるく written above.
When you put 'ます(masu)' after the verb, it changes the form.
It's called "Verb conjugation".
There are many types of verb conjugation in Japanese.
Actually, I don't think you need to learn all of them for now.
Even Japanese children learn it in junior high school.
They use it before learning it or understanding the grammar.
You will get used to the patterns by listening to many Japanese conversations.
There are too many verbs and verb conjugations to remember one by one!
I wrote how I got used to studying a language in this:
Listening or Reading >>
Summary
In this article, it is enough if you remember the table below!
| Predicate of the sentence | Which should we use? |
|---|---|
| Noun | です |
| Adjective or Adjective verb | です |
| Verb | ます |
Also, please get used to the forms below!
・ [Subject] は [Noun] です。
・ [Subject] は [Adjective] です。
・ [Subject] は [Adjective verb] です。
・ [Subject] が [Verb] ます。Examples of the forms above are below!
・ わたし は がくせい です。
->(I am a student.)
->(I am a student.)
・ わたし は うつくしい です。
->(I am beautiful.)
->(Sasuke walks.)
Do you understand how to use です(desu) and ます(masu)?
In the next article, let's study about Japanese particle "の (no)":
I hope this article helps you study Japanese!
Thank you for reading!
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