Review 2: Understanding Everyday Japanese

This lesson is designed to solidify your understanding of everyday Japanese by revisiting core grammar, expanding essential vocabulary, and introducing more nuanced expressions. We'll focus on applying these elements in practical scenarios. This lesson builds upon previous lessons, including "Maybe, Probably: Expressing Conjecture (～でしょう, ～かもしれません)," and will prepare you for upcoming topics, such as "Describing Nouns: Complex Clauses."

Key Grammar Points: Deep Dive

We'll revisit fundamental particles, verb conjugations, adjective types, and question formation. However, we'll go beyond simple repetition and focus on common errors and subtle nuances.

Particles: Beyond the Basics

Understanding particles is crucial. Let's delve deeper:

• は (wa): Topic marker. Don't confuse it with が (ga). は marks the topic of the sentence, which may not always be the subject.

  • Example: 私は学生です。(Watashi wa gakusei desu.) As for me, I am a student. Here, "I" is the topic.
  • Common Error: Using は where が is needed.

• が (ga): Subject marker. Indicates the subject of the sentence or emphasizes new information.

  • Example: 猫がいます。(Neko ga imasu.) There is a cat. (Introducing the existence of a cat.)
  • Example: 私がしました。(Watashi ga shimashita.) I did it. (Emphasizing that I specifically did it.)
  • Example: 誰が来ましたか。(Dare ga kimashita ka?) Who came? ga after dare emphasizes you are looking for the subject.
  Exercise: Fill in the blank with は or が: 今日____暑いですね。(Kyou ____ atsui desu ne.)

  Answer: 今日**は**暑いですね。(Kyou **wa** atsui desu ne.) (It's hot today, isn't it?)

• を (wo/o): Direct object marker. Indicates the object of a transitive verb.

  • Example: 本を読みます。(Hon wo yomimasu.) I read a book.
  • Important Note: This particle is pronounced "o," not "wo."

• に (ni): Indicates a point in time, location, or indirect object.

  • Time: ３時に会います。(San-ji ni aimasu.) I will meet at 3 o'clock.
  • Location (destination): 東京に行きます。(Tokyo ni ikimasu.) I will go to Tokyo.
  • Indirect Object: 友達にプレゼントをあげます。(Tomodachi ni purezento wo agemasu.) I will give a present to my friend.

• で (de): Indicates location of an action, means of transportation, or a reason.

  • Location of Action: 図書館で勉強します。(Toshokan de benkyou shimasu.) I study at the library.
  • Means of Transportation: 電車で行きます。(Densha de ikimasu.) I will go by train.
  • Reason: 病気で休みました。(Byouki de yasumimashita.) I took a break because I was sick.

• へ (e): Indicates direction (toward). Often interchangeable with に, but with a stronger sense of direction. Pronounced "e" but written with the hiragana へ.

  • Example: 学校へ行きます。(Gakkou e ikimasu.) I go toward school.

• から (kara) / まで (made): From / Until.

  • Example: ９時から５時まで働きます。(Kuji kara goji made hatarakimasu.) I work from 9 AM to 5 PM.
  Exercise: Translate: I study Japanese at the library from 1 PM to 3 PM.

  Answer: 私は図書館で一時から三時まで日本語を勉強します。(Watashi wa toshokan de ichiji kara sanji made nihongo o benkyou shimasu.)

Verb Conjugations: Beyond Polite Forms

Let's look at the four main verb forms, and how to make use of each. We'll use the verb 食べる (taberu - to eat) as an example:

• Present/Future (Dictionary Form): 食べる (taberu) - to eat. Used for informal statements, dictionaries, and future actions that are certain.

• Past Form: 食べた (tabeta) - ate. Used for actions that have already happened.

• Negative Form: 食べない (tabenai) - doesn't eat, won't eat. Used for negative statements in informal settings.

• Polite Form (Present/Future): 食べます (tabemasu) - will eat, eats. Used for polite statements in present or future.

• Polite Form (Past): 食べました (tabemashita) - ate (polite). Used for polite statements about past actions.

• Polite Form (Negative): 食べません (tabemasen) - will not eat, does not eat (polite).

• Polite Form (Past Negative): 食べませんでした (tabemasen deshita) - did not eat (polite).

  Verb conjugation is highly variable depending on verb ending. Ensure to memorize both forms of Group 1 (U-Verbs) conjugations!

  Exercise: Conjugate the verb "飲む (nomu - to drink)" into past negative polite form.

  Answer: 飲みませんでした (nomimasen deshita) - did not drink (polite).

Adjectives: Beyond Simple Descriptions

• い-adjectives (i-adjectives): End in い (i).

  • Example: 高い (takai) - expensive, high.
  • Conjugation:
    • Past: 高かった (takakatta) - was expensive
    • Negative: 高くない (takakunai) - is not expensive
    • Past Negative: 高くなかった (takakunakatta) - was not expensive

• な-adjectives (na-adjectives): Require な (na) when modifying a noun.

  • Example: きれい (kirei) - beautiful, clean.
  • Usage: きれいな花 (kirei na hana) - a beautiful flower.
  • Conjugation (using the copula です (desu)):
    • Present: きれいです (kirei desu) - is beautiful
    • Past: きれいでした (kirei deshita) - was beautiful
    • Negative: きれいではありません (kirei dewa arimasen) OR きれいじゃないです (kirei ja nai desu) - is not beautiful. The second one is less polite.
    • Past Negative: きれいではありませんでした (kirei dewa arimasen deshita) OR きれいじゃなかったです (kirei ja nakatta desu) - was not beautiful. The second one is less polite.
  Exercise: Translate: That restaurant is not delicious (use な-adjective "不味い (mazui - bad tasting)").

  Answer: あのレストランは美味しくないです。(Ano resutoran wa mazuku nai desu.) - Using the alternative, more formal, version, あのレストランは美味しくありません。(Ano resutoran wa mazuku arimasen.)

Question Formation: Beyond Just Adding "か"

• Adding か (ka) to the end of a statement makes it a question.

  • Example: そうですか。(Sou desu ka?) Is that so?

• Question words:

  • 何 (nani/nan): What
  • どこ (doko): Where
  • いつ (itsu): When
  • 誰 (dare): Who
  • なぜ (naze) / どうして (doushite): Why
  • いくら (ikura): How much
  • どのように (dono you ni) / どう (dou): How

  Important Notes:

  • 何 changes to なん (nan) before counters that start with d, n or t. Example: 何時 (nan ji) - what time?
  • "Why" has two common options - naze is more formal and asks a question, while doushite often implies more surprise.
  • Dou (how) has several common uses. It can also be used for asking "How about...?", e.g., コーヒーはどうですか (Koohii wa dou desu ka) - How about some coffee?
  Exercise: Ask "Why are you studying Japanese?" using both "naze" and "doushite".

  Answers: なぜ日本語を勉強していますか。(Naze nihongo o benkyou shite imasu ka?) / どうして日本語を勉強しているんですか。(Doushite nihongo o benkyou shite irun desu ka?)

Essential Vocabulary: Expanding Your Repertoire

Let's broaden your vocabulary beyond the basics.

• Greetings and common phrases:

  • Adding お (o) to words like "genki" to make them more polite. Example: お元気ですか (O-genki desu ka?) - How are you? (polite)
  • Using どうも (doumo) as a casual "thank you" or "excuse me."
  • いただきます (itadakimasu) - Said before a meal (a polite way of receiving)
  • ごちそうさまでした (gochisousama deshita) - Said after a meal (thank you for the meal)

• Numbers, days of the week, and time expressions:

  • Counters: Learn common counters for different objects (e.g., 一つ (hitotsu) for general objects, 一人 (hitori) for people, 一冊 (issatsu) for books). The correct counter depends on what you are counting.
  • Time: Expressing time precisely using 時間 (jikan - hours) and 分 (fun/pun - minutes). For example, 2時間30分 (ni-jikan sanjuppun) - 2 hours and 30 minutes.
  • Days of the month have special pronunciations. For example: 1st (一日 - tsuitachi), 2nd (二日 - futsuka), 3rd (三日 - mikka), etc.

• Family members, places, and common objects:

  • Different words for "older brother," "older sister," etc., depending on whether you are talking about your own family or someone else's. For your own family, use 兄 (ani) and 姉 (ane). For someone else's, use お兄さん (oniisan) and お姉さん (oneesan).
  • Learn words for common places like コンビニ (konbini - convenience store), デパート (depaato - department store), and 病院 (byouin - hospital).
  • Expand your knowledge of everyday objects, like 携帯電話 (keitai denwa - cell phone), パソコン (pasokon - personal computer), and 冷蔵庫 (reizouko - refrigerator).
  Exercise: Translate: "My older sister works at the hospital."

  Answer: 姉は病院で働いています。(Ane wa byouin de hataraite imasu.)

Useful Expressions: Mastering Nuances

Let's expand your conversational toolkit.

• Asking for directions:

  • 〜はどこですか？ (～ wa doko desu ka?) - Where is ~?
  • 〜へはどうやって行きますか？ (～ e wa douyatte ikimasu ka?) - How do I get to ~?
  • 〜の近くにありますか？ (～ no chikaku ni arimasu ka?) - Is it near ~?
  • Useful phrases like "まっすぐ (massugu - straight ahead)," "右 (migi - right)," and "左 (hidari - left)."

• Ordering food:

  • 〜をください (～ o kudasai) - Please give me ~.
  • おすすめは何ですか？ (Osusume wa nan desu ka?) - What do you recommend?
  • アレルギーがあります。(Arerugii ga arimasu.) - I have an allergy. (Specify the allergy).
  • "For here or to go?": 店内で召し上がりますか、お持ち帰りですか？ (Tennai de meshiagarimasu ka, omochikaeri desu ka?)

• Shopping:

  • いくらですか？ (Ikura desu ka?) - How much is it?
  • 高いですね。(Takai desu ne.) - It's expensive, isn't it? (Can be used to politely imply you'd like a discount, but don't expect it!)
  • これをください。(Kore o kudasai.) - I'll take this.
  • クレジットカードは使えますか？(Kurejitto kaado wa tsukaemasu ka?) - Can I use a credit card?

• Expressing likes/dislikes:

  • 〜が好きです (～ ga suki desu) - I like ~.
  • 〜が嫌いです (～ ga kirai desu) - I dislike ~.
  • 〜は得意です (～ wa tokui desu) - I'm good at ~.
  • 〜は苦手です (～ wa nigate desu) - I'm not good at ~.
  • More nuanced expression: 〜に興味があります (～ ni kyoumi ga arimasu) - I'm interested in ~.
  Exercise: Roleplay: You are at a restaurant. Ask the waiter for their recommendation, and then order what they suggest.

  Possible Answer: すみません、おすすめは何ですか？ (Sumimasen, osusume wa nan desu ka?) (Waiter responds: このラーメンが美味しいですよ。(Kono ramen ga oishii desu yo) - This ramen is delicious!). じゃあ、ラーメンをください。(Jaa, ramen o kudasai.) (Okay, ramen, please).

Practice: Real-Life Scenarios

Let's put your knowledge to the test with a few scenarios.

Scenario 1: Asking for Directions

You are lost in a train station and need to find the ticket gate for the Shinkansen.

Possible Dialogue:

You: すみません、新幹線の改札口はどこですか。(Sumimasen, Shinkansen no kaisatsu-guchi wa doko desu ka?) - Excuse me, where is the ticket gate for the Shinkansen?

Station Attendant: あちらです。まっすぐ行って、右に曲がってください。(Achira desu. Massugu itte, migi ni magatte kudasai.) - It's over there. Go straight and turn right.

You: ありがとうございます。(Arigatou gozaimasu.) - Thank you very much.

Scenario 2: Ordering Food

You are at a ramen shop. You want to order a bowl of ramen and a side of gyoza.

Possible Dialogue:

You: すみません、ラーメンと餃子をください。(Sumimasen, ramen to gyouza o kudasai.) - Excuse me, ramen and gyoza, please.

Shop Staff: はい、ラーメンと餃子ですね。他に何かありますか。(Hai, ramen to gyouza desu ne. Hoka ni nanika arimasu ka?) - Yes, ramen and gyoza. Is there anything else?

You: いいえ、結構です。(Iie, kekkou desu.) - No, that's all.

Shop Staff: かしこまりました。(Kashikomarimashita.) - Certainly.

Scenario 3: Shopping for Souvenirs

You are in a souvenir shop and want to buy a small trinket.

Possible Dialogue:

You: このキーホルダーはいくらですか。(Kono kiihorudaa wa ikura desu ka?) - How much is this keychain?

Shop Staff: 500円です。(Gohyaku en desu.) - It's 500 yen.

You: これをください。(Kore o kudasai.) - I'll take this.

Shop Staff: ありがとうございます。(Arigatou gozaimasu.) - Thank you very much.

Continue to expand your ability to have realistic conversations by listening to native speakers.