Learn Japanese

Japanese Step 01

Classroom - Japanese, Learn Japanese / By

Step 1

Let’s learn the simplest sentence of Japanese language, here. See the following sentences. The sentence structure is very simple, but you can tell many information.
Kore wa keitai desu

Kore wa keitai desu.

This is a mobile phone.

Watashi wa Susan desu

Watashi wa Susan desu.

I’m Susan.

Greg-san wa Kanada-jin desu

Greg-san wa Kanada-jin desu.

Greg-san is a Canadian.

Grammar Notes

This structure is called Wa-Desu structure. This simply means [Noun A] is [Noun B].

Kore means “this”.

Keitai means “mobile phone”.

Watashi means “I”.

-san is a honorific title like “Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms.” This can be added to either a family name or a first name, of a male or a female. When we talk with another person face to face, we do not use Anata “You”. We omit the subject “You” or we call his/her name with -san.

Kanada means “Canada”. One’s nationality such as a Japanese or an American is made by adding -jin to a country name. Kanada-jin means “a Canadian person”.

Wa is a particle and follows the subject of a sentence. The particle wa has various roles in a sentence. You should learn it step by step.

Put simply, Desu corresponds to the English, “is/are/am.”

Although some words have plural form, Japanese nouns generally do not have plural form. Kore wa keitai desu can be “This is a mobile phone” or “These are mobile phones”.

Practice 1

Let’s practice the following words.

keitai mobile phone
jisho dictionary
chizu map
koohii (a cup of) coffee
gakusei (school) student

Practice 2

Nihon Japan Nihon-jin a Japanese
Amerika America, USA Amerika-jin an American
Kanada Canada Kanada-jin a Canadian
Furansu France Furansu-jin a French

Practice 3

Let’s make sentences and speak it.

Kore wa jisho desu.
This is a dictionary.
Kore wa chizu desu.
This is a map.
Kore wa koohii desu.
This is (a cup of) coffee.

Practice 4

Let’s make sentences and speak it.

Greg-san wa Kanada-jin desu.
Greg-san is a Canadian.
Tanaka-san wa Nihon-jin desu.
Tanaka-san is a Japanese.
Smith-san wa Amerika-jin desu.
Smith-san is an American.
Susan-san wa gakusei desu.
Susan-san is a student.
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Japanese Lessons 02

Classroom - Japanese, General, Learn Japanese / By

Basic Japanese Grammar – 文法

Japanese grammar is quite simple and straight forward but very different from English grammar so most English speakers find it rather confusing. For instance, in Japanese the verb always comes at the end. The best thing you can do when learning Japanese is to learn it from the bottom up and not compare it to English grammar.

The Japanese language uses what we will refer to as particles to mark the various parts of the sentence. The main particles are: (These particles will be described in more detail below)
は wa (the Hiragana “ha” is pronounced “wa” when it immediately follows the topic) topic marker
が ga subject marker
を wo (pronounced “o”) direct object marker
に ni direction marker, time marker, indirect object marker
へ e (the Hiragana “he” is pronounced “e” when it immediately follows a place or direction) direction marker

The particles “wa” (は) and “ga” (が): The particle “wa” marks the topic of the sentence and the particle “ga” marks the subject of the sentence. In the example, “I know where you live” (watashi wa anata ga doko ni sunde iru ka shitte iru), “I” would be the topic while “you” would be the subject.

Not all Japanese sentences have both a topic and subject and, in many cases, the topic is implied in Japanese (for example, the “I” (watashi wa) would be left out of this sentence because it is implied that since I am talking I am the one that knows where you live). Many Japanese books and teachers teach that “wa” and “ga” are the same thing and it doesn’t matter which you use when. This is not the case but I wouldn’t worry too much about keeping them straight at first – it will come with time. The particle “wo” (を): The particle “wo” (or “o”) marks the direct object of a Japanese sentence. In the example, “I’m going to take her home” (watashi wa kanojo wo ie ni okuru), “her” would be the direct object. The particle “ni” (に): The particle “ni” can be used to mark the direction, time, or the indirect object of a Japanese sentence. An example of a direction marker can be seen in the previous example “I’m going to take her home” (watashi wa kanojo wo ie ni okuru). In this case, the “ni” acts like a “to” – “I’m going to take her ‘to’ home”. The particle “e” (へ) can be used in this way as well but usually implies more of a general direction as opposed to a specific place. The particle “ni” is also used to mark time in a Japanese sentence. For example, “I’m leaving at 3 o’clock” (watashi wa sanji ni hanareru). The final use for the particle “ni” in Japanese grammar is that of indirect object marker. In the example, “I was taken home by him” (watashi wa kare ni ie made okurareta), “him” is the indirect object. Note: The “watashi wa” in all of the example sentences used above would normally be left out as it is implied.]]>

Japanese Lessons 01

Classroom - Japanese, Learn Japanese / By

Japanese Vocabulary

Vocabulary – 単語

Now that you’ve at least started learning the Japanese alphabets, let’s learn some basic vocabulary words and simple Japanese phrases. I will list the Kanji, Hiragana, Romaji (the word sounded out using English letters), and the English meaning for each Japanese word or phrase. Most Japanese words have Kanji for them but I will only include the Kanji if that word is typically written that way. Keep in mind that the Japanese language has different levels of politeness that change based on who you are talking to. I will refer to these as “ultra-formal”, “formal” (or “polite form”), “normal” (or “plain form”), “informal”, and “rude” (we won’t be covering too much of the rude form, however).

漢字 – Kanji ひらがな – Hiragana Romaji (English Letters) English Meaning
私 わたし watashi I (formal for males, normal for females)
僕 ぼく boku I (normal for males)
彼 かれ kare he
彼女 かのじょ kanojo she
あなた あなた anata you (singular/normal)
これ これ kore this (noun)
ここ ここ koko here
この この kono this (descriptive – ex. this pen)
それ それ sore that (noun)
そこ そこ soko there
その その sono that (descriptive – ex. that pen)
人 ひと hito person
犬 いぬ inu dog
猫 ねこ neko cat
家 いえ ie house
ありがとう ありがとう arigatou Thank you. (normal)
ありがとう ございます ありがとう ございます arigatou gozaimasu Thank you. (formal)
どういたしまして どういたしまして douitashimashite You’re welcome. (normal)
おはよう おはよう ohayou (sounds like “Ohio”) Good morning. (informal)
おはようございます おはようございます ohayou gozaimasu Good morning. (normal and formal)
こんにちは こんにちは konnichiwa Hello. (normal)
こんばんは こんばんは konbanwa Good evening. (normal)
さよなら さよなら sayonara Goodbye. (normal)
頑張ってください がんばってください gambatte kudasai (can also be written “ganbatte kudasai”) Hang in there
気をつけてください きをつけてください ki o tsukete kudasai (can also be written “ki wo tsukete kudasai”) Be careful, Take care
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Japanese Particles

Classroom - Japanese, Learn Japanese / By

Japanese Grammar – Particles

 All about Japanese Particles

The function of Japanese particles

Japanese particles are small words that indicate relations of words within a sentence. They follow other words such as nouns, verbs, adjectives are parts of a sentence. Some but not all can be compared to prepositions in English. The Japanese language uses a total of 188 particles.

List of 188 Japanese particles

No Particle Meaning / usage
1 は (wa) Indicantes the topic of a sentence
2 か (ka) At the end of a sentence indicating a question
3 が (ga) Indicates the subject of a sentence
4 に (ni) Indicates a location
5 の (no) Indicates possession
6 は (wa) Indicates a contrast between 2 items
7 に (ni) Indicates time or frequency
8 へ (e) Indicates direction
9 を (wo/o) Indicates the direct object of a verb
10 と (to) Used to connect and list up multiple items
11 や (ya) Used to connect and partially list up multiple items
12 など (nado) Used with や (ya) to partially list up multiple items
13 も (mo) means “too”, “either”, “also”
14 も (mo) both…and…, neither…nor…
15 に (ni) Indicates the indirect object of a verb
16 に (ni) Indicates the surface of a object where some action takes place
17 で (de) Indicates the location of an action
18 と (to) Together with
19 の (no) Indicates an apposition
20 から (kara) Indicates a starting point in time or place
21 より (yori) Indicates a starting point in time or place but more formal than kara (20)
22 まで (made) Indicates a limit on time, space or quantity
23 くらい (kurai) Indicates an approximate amount
24 ほど (hodo) Indicates an approximate amount
25 ばかり(bakari) Indicates an approximate amount
26 で (de) Indicates a means or material
27 か (ka) Indicates a choice or alternative
28 を (wo/o) Indicates a point of departure
29 を (wo/o) Indicates a route of a movement/motion
30 に (ni) Indicates a point of arrival
31 に (ni) Indicates an entering motion
32 に (ni) Used together with a verb to express a purpose
33 と (to) Used when quoting someone
34 と いう (to iu) Indicates the name of something
35 とか (toka) “something like”
36 で (de) Indicates a limit or scope
37 と (to) Indicates a comparison
38 より (yori) Indicates a comparison
39 より (yori) Indicates superlative
40 くらい (kurai) Indicates a comparison
41 ほど (hodo) Indicates a comparison in a negative sentence
42 か (ka) someone, something
43 も (mo) “nothing”, nobody”, nowhere” if used with an interrogative word
44 に (ni) Used with a verb to indicate a change or choice
45 をする (wo/o suru) Expresses an occupation or position
46 でも (demo) Indicates emphasis
47 でも (demo) Together with an interrogative word it means “anything”, “anyone”, any time”
48 で (de) Indicates a cause or a reason
49 から (kara) Indicates a source such as a giver, a cause or material
50 に (ni) Indicates a person who gives something or who provides a service
51 は (wa) + が (ga) Indicates the relation between an object / subjects and a verb or adjective
52 が (ga) Connects two sentences with the meaning “but…”
53 を (wo/o) Used with an verb expressing emotions, it indicates the cause of this emotion
54 で (de) Indicates a state / condition of something
55 で (de) Limits numbers
56 だけ (dake) Indicates a limit on things or amounts
57 だけ (dake) Indicates a limit on an action or state
58 で (de) Indicates the time of completion or expiration of something
59 でも (demo) Following a noun, means “or something like this”
60 も (mo) Emphasizes in a positive or negative way
61 でも (demo) Indicates two or more items as an example of a larger list
62 ばかり (bakari) Indicates that an item, state or action is a single one
63 ばかり (bakari) Indicates an action was just completed
64 ところ (tokoro) Indicates that an action takes place, just took place or is about to take place
65 が (ga) Indicates the subject of subordinate clause when it is different from the subject of the main clause
66 から (kara) conjunction meaning “after” or “since”
67 ながら (nagara) Indicates that an action is happening simultaneously
68 が (ga) Indicates the subject of a relative clause
69 の (no) Indicates the subject of a relative clause
70 から (kara) Used as a conjunction and indicates a cause or reason
71 ので (node) Indicates a strong reason
72 の (no) Indicates a modified pronoun
73 の (no) Used to nominalize verbs & sentences
74 なら (nara) Used as a conjunction and indicates a supposition or condition
75 なら (nara) Indicates a topics and is used as an alternative to wa (No.1)
76 と (to) Indicates a condition that results in an inevitable outcome
77 ば (ba) Used as a conjunction to express a probable results
78 ばいい (ba) “all you have to do…”
79 ば (ba) Used to enumerate two or more actions or states
80 たら (tara) Used as a conjunction, indicates a supposition or condition
81 たら (tara) Used as a conjunction to indicate that one action takes place before the action described in the main sentence
82 ところ (tokoro) Used as a conjunction to indicate a condition that brings about a discovery
83 ても (temo) a conjunction meaning “even if”
84 ても (temo) Used with a set of contrasting verbs and adjectives
85 ても (temo) Together with an interrogative word it means “no matter what/where/who”
86 ては (tewa) Indicates a condition which will bring a negative conclusion
87 のみ (nomi) Indicates a limit (similar to だけ　dake)
88 まで (made) “even”, used to emphasize
89 さえ (sae) “even”, used to emphasize
90 さえ (sae) “if only” or “as long as”
91 のに (noni) “although”, “in spite of the fact that”
92 ながら (nagara) “although”, “though”, “but”
93 とか (toka) Indicates that a list of two ore more things or actions is not exhaustive
94 たり (tari) List of two or more actions in no particular sequence
95 たり (tari) Indicates actions or states that alternate
96 のに (noni) Indicates a purpose or function
97 のです (no desu) Asks for an explanation or reason
98 きり (kiri) Indicates a limit to an amount
99 きり (kiri) Indicates the last time a certain incident occured
100 とも (tomo) Used with numbers and counters to mean “both” or “all”
101 ながら (nagara) Used with numbers and counters to mean “both” or “all”
102 しか (shika) Used with a negative verb to indicate limits on conditions or quantities meaning “only”
103 しかない (shika nai) used with a verb meaning “to have no choice but to”
104 し (shi) Used as a conjunction, indicating two or more actions or states
105 し (shi) Used as a conjunction indicating a reason
106 とも (tomo) Indicates inclusion
107 に (ni) Indicates the one acting or the one acted upon
108 か (ka) Indicates uncertainty about something
109 か (ka) Indicates uncertainty about a state or reason
110 だの (dano)  Indicates two or more items or actions of a longer list (similar to toka とか)
111 だの (dano) Indicates a pair of opposite actions or states
112 など (nado) “something to the effect”
113 やら (yara) Indicates two or more items of a longer list
114 やら (yara) Indicates uncertainty
115 ても (temo) Indicates an approximate limit with the meaning of “at the most”
116 とも (tomo) Indicates an approximate maximum or minimum
117 は (wa) Indicates that a number is the higher or lowest limit
118 と (to) Emphasizes a number in a negative sentence
119 など (nado) Indicates examples
120 くらい (kurai) Expresses an extent of an action or condition similar to ぐらい gurai
121 ほど (hodo) Indicates the extend of an action or condition
122  ほど (hodo) “the more… the more…”
123 だけ (dake) “as… as…”
124 だけ (dake) “the more… the more…”
125 と (to) “about to do something”, “trying to do something”
126 と (to) “even if…”, “whether… or not”
127 なり (nari) “either…”, “whether…or”
128 なり (nari) “anything”, “anyone”, “any time”
129 こそ (koso) Emphasizes the word preceding it
130 こそ (koso) Emphasizes a reason or a cause
131 ては (tewa) Expresses repetition of an action
132 に (ni) Joins two or more nouns to indicate a list of items
133 に (ni) Connects two or more items to indicate a matching or a contrast
134 にしては (ni shite wa) Indicates a generally agreed upon standard
135 にとって (ni totte) Indicates an effect or value of a person or thing
136 について (ni tsuite) “about”, “concerning” something or someone
137 とも…とも (tomo… tomo) “can’t say whether… or…”
138 が (ga) “even if”, “whether… or not”
139 は (wa) Emphasizes contrasting elements
140 として (toshite) Indicates status, capacity or function
141 として (toshite) Provides emphasis in a negative sentence
142 ばかりでなく(bakari de naku) “not only… but also”
143 だけ (dake)  used to express “not only…but also”
144 のみ (nomi) used to express “not only…but also”
145 なり (nari) “as soon as”
146 がはやいか (ga hayai ka) “as soon as”
147 やいなや (ya ina ya) “as soon as”
148 かないうちに (ka nai uchi ni) “no sooner had”, “hardly had”
149 ばかり (bakari) Indicates the only action left to do
150 ばかりに (bakari ni) Emphasizes a reason or cause
151 すら (sura) Emphasizes in the meaning of “even”
152 など (nado) Expresses a humble attitude towards an item
153 とも (tomo) “no matter what”, “even if”
154 ともあろうひと (tomo aroo hito) To express that someone did something not to be expected
155 どころか (dokoro ka) “far from”, “not to mention”
156 だけに (dake ni) Indicates a cause or reason
157 までもない (made mo nai) “there is no need to…”
158 ものの (mono no) “but” or “although”
159 ところで (tokoro de) “even if”
160 けれども (keredomo) Connects 2 sentences meaning “but” or “although”
161 けれども (keredomo) Indicates a preliminary remark
162 が (ga) Used to soften a statement or refusal
163 けれども (keredomo) Indicates a desire
164 ね (ne) At the end of a sentence to confirm a statement
165 ね (ne) At the end of a sentence to soften a request or suggestion
166 ね (ne) At the end of a sentence to indicate a reason or cause
167 ねえ (nee) At the end of a sentence to indicate emotion
168 よ (yo) At the end of a sentence to state a strong conviction
169 よ (yo) At the end of a sentence to articulate a request or suggestion
170 かしら (kashira) At the end of a sentence to express uncertainty, a request or a question and mainly used by women
171 かな (kana) At the end of a sentence to express uncertainty, a request or a question and mainly used by men
172 な (na) At the end of a sentence and used by men to confirm a statement
173 な (na) At the end of a sentence to express a prohibition, used by men
174 なあ (naa) At the end of a sentence to express emotion, used by men
175 なあ (naa) At the end of a sentence to express a desire
176 の (no) At the end of a sentence to express a question or soften a command, used by women
177 わ (wa) At the end of a sentence to soften a statement, used by women
178 さ (sa) At the end of a sentence to indicate slight emphasis, used by men
179 こと (koto) At the end of a sentence to indicate emotion, used by women
180 こと (koto) At the end of a sentence to express a suggestion or invitation, used by women
181 もの (mono) At the end of a sentence to express a reason or excuse
182 とも (tomo) At the end of a sentence to express an assertion
183 ものか (monoka) At the end of a sentence to express a negative determination, used by men
184 や (ya) At the end of a sentence to soften a statement, request or suggestion, used by men
185 たら (tara) At the end of a sentence to indicate a suggestion or proposal
186 やら (yara) At the end of a sentence to indicate a rhetorical question with a negative implication
187 ぜ (ze) At the end of a sentence to add for to sentence, used by men
188 ぞ (zo) At the end of a sentence to add force to a sentence or to express a question to oneself
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Survival Japanese

Classroom - Japanese, Learn Japanese / By

Japanese Language Basics

Shall we learn Japanese?

Let’s start to learn Japanese. You can make various sentences just using basic vocabulary. We introduced basic sentence structures of Japanese language as your first step. You can also learn basic Japanese grammar through making simple sentences.
Kore
wa
 
keitai
desu
Kore wa keitai desu.
This is a mobile phone.
Watashi
wa
 
Susan
desu
Watashi wa Susan desu.
I’m Susan.
Greg-san
wa
 
Kanada-jin
desu
Greg-san wa Kanada-jin desu.
Mr Greg is a Canadian.
Grammar Notes
This structure is called Wa-Desu structure. This simply means [Noun A] is [Noun B].
Kore means “this”.
Keitai means “mobile phone”.
Watashi means “I”.
-san is a honorific title like “Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms.” This can be added to either a family name or a first name, of a male or a female. When we talk with another person face to face, we do not use Anata “You”. We omit the subject “You” or we call his/her name with -san.
Kanada means “Canada”. One’s nationality such as a Japanese or an American is made by adding -jin to a country name. Kanada-jin means “a Canadian person”.
Wa is a particle and follows the subject of a sentence. The particle wa has various rolls in a sentence. You should learn it step by step.
Put simply, Desu corresponds to the English, “is/are/am.”
Although some words have plural form, Japanese nouns generally do not have plural form. Kore wa keitai desu can be “This is a mobile phone” or “These are mobile phones”.
Practice 1
Let’s practice the following words.
keitai
mobile phone
jisho
dictionary
chizu
map
koohii
(a cup of) coffee
gakusei
(school) student
Practice 2
Nihon
Japan
Nihon-jin
a Japanese
Amerika
America, USA
Amerika-jin
an American
Kanada
Canada
Kanada-jin
a Canadian
Furansu
France
 
 
Furansu-jin
a French
Practice 3
Let’s make sentences and speak it.
Kore wa jisho desu.
This is a dictionary.
Kore wa chizu desu.
This is a map.

Everyday Greetings

Learn Japanese greeting phrases which are used in everyday life.
In Japanese language, there are various greeting phrases according to the situation or season.
But, the daily greetings are simple. Here are common phrases in everyday situation. Let’s learn them and use them today.
ohayoo gozaimasu–Good morning
Hajimemashite--How do you do, Pleased to see you; To the person whom you meet for the first time
konnichiwa–Good afternoon
konbanwa–Good evening
oyasumi nasai–Good night
ja mata–See you, Bye
mata ashita–See you tomorrow
sayonara–Good-by
hisashiburi–Long time, no see
o-genki desu ka?–Are you fine?; It is often translated into “how are you”, but it’s not used to the people whom you meet every day like English “how are you?”, but to the people whom you meet after a long time. Ohayoo, konnichiwa and atsui desu ne etc. are used to the people whom you meet every day.
atsui desu ne–It’s hot, isn’t it?.
 These expressions on weather are used as daily greetings, like English “How are you?”.
samui desu ne–It’s cold, isn’t it?
ii tenki desu ne–It is a fine day, isn’t it?
Gomennasai–I’m sorry; Casual expression of apology
Sumimasen–Excuse me, Sorry; In daily conversation, suimasen is often used and it is also used as a light apology. The polite form is Sumimasen.
itte kimasu–Said when you go out. (lit. Go and come back)
itterasshai–Reply to itte kimasu
tadaima–When you return to your home or office.
Okaerinasai–Reply to tadaima
o-saki ni shitsurei shimasu–When you leave office earlier than others.
otsukaresama deshita–1) Reply to o-saki ni shitsurei shimasu
2) When you finished something which you did with others such as a meeting.
o-saki ni doozo–Go ahead
ki o tsukete--lit. “be careful”, To the person who will go to travel like “Have a nice trip” in English
omedetoo gozaimasu—Congratulations
ki ni shinaide–Don’t mention it
doozo o-hairi kudasai--Please come in
doozo o-kake kudasai–Please have a seat
doozo o-suwari kudasai--Please sit down, Please have a seat
Ganbatte!--Good Luck!, do your best, try hard

Foods and Drinks.

Learn Japanese words related to foods and drinks. Here, we have introduced many vocabulary such as lunch, dinner, beef, pepper, etc. The adjectives such as tasty, sweet, spicy, are also presented.   






Essentials
















English




Japanese












Hello




おはよう – ohayō












Good evening




こんばんは – konbanwa












Goodbye




またね – mata ne












See you later




また後でね – mata ato de ne












Yes




うん – un












No




ううん – uun












Excuse me!




すみません – sumimasen












Thanks




ありがとう – arigatō












Thanks a lot




どうもありがとう！ – dōmo arigatō!












Thank you for your help




助かった、ありがとう – tasukatta, arigatō












Don’t mention it




どういたしまして – dōitashimashite












Ok




オーケー – ōkē












How much is it?




すみません、値段は　いくらですか？ – sumimasen, nedan wa ikura desu ka ?












Sorry!




ごめん！ – gomen !












I don’t understand




わからない – wakaranai












I get it




わかった – wakatta












I don’t know




知らない – shiranai












Forbidden




禁止 – kinshi












Excuse me, where are the toilets?




すみません、 トイレはどこですか？ – sumimasen, toire wa doko desu ka ?












Happy New Year!




明けまして　おめでとう！ – akemashite omedetō !












Happy birthday!




お誕生日　おめでとう！ – otanjōbi omedetō !












Happy holiday!




よいお年を！ – yoi otoshi wo !












Congratulations!




おめでとう！ – omedetō !













 

Family

 













English




Japanese












Do you have family here?




家族もここに住んでいるの？ – kazoku mo koko ni sunde iru no ?












My father




僕のお父さん – boku no otōsan












My mother




僕のお母さん – boku no okāsan












My son




僕の息子 – boku no musuko












My daughter




僕の娘 – boku no musume












A brother




弟 – otōto












a sister




妹 – imōto












a friend




女友達 – on’na tomodachi












My boyfriend




私の彼氏 – watashi no kareshi












My girlfriend




僕の彼女 – boku no kanojo












My husband




私の夫 – watashi no otto












My wife




僕の妻 – boku no tsuma













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