Quick Japanese 2 § Basic Sentence Structures
AFFIRMATIVE ends with “des”.
This is ( OBJECT/ADJ ). これは（ ）です。
Kohdeh-WA ( OBJECT/ADJ ) des. NEGATIVE ends with “ja-NYE-des”.
This is NOT ( OBJECT/な ADJ ). これは（ ）じゃないです。 Kohdeh-WA ( OBJECT/な ADJ ) ja-NYE-des.
* NEGATIVE ends with “ja-adima-SEN”. (This is textbook stuff and used in writing more.) This is NOT ( OBJECT/な ADJ ). これは（ ）じゃありません。 Kohdeh-WA ( OBJECT/な ADJ ) ja-adima-SEN.
QUESTION ends with “desKA?”
Is this ( OBJECT/ADJ )? これは（ ）ですか。
Kohdeh-WA ( OBJECT/ADJ ) desKA? ANSWERS
“Yes” Yes, it is. (lit. Yes, it is so.) はい、そうです。 Hye, SOH des.
“No” No, it is not. (lit. No. It is different.) いいえ、ちがいます。 Ee-AE, chig-gye-MAS.
“No” No, it is not. (lit. No, it is not so.) いいえ、そうじゃ ないです。 Ee-AE, SOH ja-NYE-des .
“No” No, it is not. (lit. No, it is not so.) いいえ、そうじゃ ありません。 Ee-AE, SOH ja-adima-SEN.
Examples
① Is this coffee? これは コーヒー ですか。
Kohdeh-WA COH-hee desKA?
… No, it's not. It's barley tea. いいえ、ちがいます。 むぎちゃ です。
Ee-AE, chig-gye-MAS. Moog-EEcha des.
② What is that? それは なん ですか。
Sohdeh-wa NAHN desKA?
… It's fried rice . チャーハン です。
CHAH-hahn des.
③ Is it delicious? おいしい ですか。
Oi-SHEE desKA?
… Yes, it is (delicious) . はい。 おいしい です。
Hye, Oi-SHEE des.
* Vocabulary ******************************************* • These are used only for things, NOT for people.
kohDEH This (these) as a noun (thing near the speaker) これ sohDEH That (those) as a noun (thing near the listner) それ ahDEH That over there (those) as a noun (thing far from both the speaker and the listner)あれ • These are used to address people (or direction in a polite form)
kohchee-dah This (these) {person(s) near the speaker} こちら sohchee-dah That (those) {person(s) near the listener} そちら ahchee-dah That (those) {person(s) far from both the speaker and the listner} あちら
NAH-nee? What? なに？ 何？
NAHN deska? What is it? なんですか？ 何ですか？
EE-ee good いい 良い
soo-GOH-ee great, amazing すごい
KEE-deh-eh beautiful, pretty きれい
mah-MAH so so, mediocre, (it's just OK.) まあまあ
toh-teh-MOH very とても
SOO-goh-koo greatly, really すごく
hohn-toh-oh-NEE really, truly ほんとうに 本当に
CHO-oh super (Japanese slang) ちょう 超
oi-SHEE delicious おいしい
mazz-OO-ee tastes bad まずい
ahtz-OO-ee hot あつい 熱い
tz-oomeh-TYE cold (for things, not for weather) つめたい 冷たい
den-SHAH train でんしゃ 電車
EH-kee train station えき 駅
h(ee)-TOH person ひと 人
tohmohdah-CHEE friend(s) ともだち 友達
KAH-deh he, boyfriend かれ 彼
KAH-nohjoh she, girlfriend かのじょ 彼女
wah-TAH-shta-chee us, we わたしたち 私達
KAH-dehdah them, they かれら 彼ら
watashee me, I わたし 私
ah-NAH-tah you (not used often. Use the person's name to address the listener.) あなた
§ Possessive
< Person + NOH + Object/Person > < 人＋の + 物／人 >
→ means “person's things/person”. “NOH” works as a modifier or “of” in English. Examples
④ This is my money. これは わたし の おかね です。
Kohdeh-WA watashi-NOH ohka-neh DESs.
⑤ This is not his money. これは かれ の おかね じゃ ないです。
Kohdeh-WA KAH-deh-NOH ohka-neh ja-NYE-des.
⑥ Whose money is this? これは だれ の おかね ですか。
Kohdeh-WA DAdeh-NOH ohka-neh DESka?
… It's mine. わたし の です。
Watashi-NOH des.
⑦ Whose is this? これは だれ の ですか。
Kohdeh-WA DAdeh-noh desKA?
… It's Dean's. ディーンさん の です。
Vocabulary **********************************************
kohNOH This (these) as an adjective (near the speaker) この sohNOH That (those) as an adjective (near the listner) その AhNOH That (those) as an adjective (far from both the speaker and the listner) あの
koh-koh here, this place (near the speaker) ここ
soh-koh there, that place (near the listener) そこ
ah-soh-koh over there, that place (far from both the speaker and the listener) あそこ *********************************************************************
⑧ These clothes are mine. この ふくは わたしの です。
KohNOH hooKOO-wa watashi-NOH des.
⑨ Whose is this cell phone? この けいたいは だれの ですか。
KohNOH keh-ehtye-WA DAdeh-noh desKA?
… It's Babi's. バビさんの です。
Babi-san-noh des.
§ 6W's & More (What, Where, When, Who, Why, How)
What is it? なん ですか。 NAN desKA? Where is it? どこ ですか。 DOH-koh desKA? When is it? いつ ですか。 IT-tsoo desKA? Who is it? だれ ですか。 DA-deh desKA? How is it? どう ですか。 DOH-oh desKA? Why is it? どうして ですか。 DOHSH-teh desKA?
A) Which is it? (out of two things) どっち ですか。 DOHT-tchi desKA?
A) How much is it? (price) いくら ですか。 Eek-oodah desKA?
B) How much is it? (amount/time) どのぐらい ですか。 DOH-noh goo-dye desKA?
* The above expressions work as complete sentences. But, when you want to be more specific with “it”, add the topic + wa before the above sentences.
< Topic-WA + 6W-Sentence > < Topic-は + 6W-Sentence > Examples
⑩ What is that? それ は なん ですか。
Sohdeh-WA NAN desKA?
… It's soba noodles. そば です。
SOH-bah des.
⑪ How is the soba? その そば は どう ですか。
SohNOH SOH-bah-WA DOH-oh desKA?
… It's really delicious! すごく おいしい です！
SOO-goh-koo oi-SHEE des!
⑫ Where is the restroom? トイレ は どこ ですか。
TOH-eedeh-WA DOH-koh desKA?
… It's over there. あそこ です。
ah-soh-koh DES.
⑬ Who is that person? あの ひと は だれ ですか。
Ahnoh h(ee)toh-WA DAH-deh desKA?
… (That's) my friend. わたし の ともだち です よ。
watashi-noh tohmohdah-chee DES(oo) *yoh.
⑭ Is that person your friend? あの ひと は あなたの ともだち ですか。
Ahnoh h(ee)toh-WA ah-NAH-tah-noh tohmohdah-chee desKA?
… No, it's not (my friend). いいえ、ちがいます よ。
⑮ This place is good (delicious), huh? ここ は おいしい です ね。 Koh-koh-WA oi-SHEE des(oo) *neh.
* “yoh” at the end of a sentence adds more conviction to tell the listener the information he/she doesn't know as in “I tell you.” Whereas “neh” at the end means “, right?” or “, huh?” as in asking the listener for agreement.
Summary & Guide
は works as a topic marker wa
これ は “This is/These are” or “Is this?/Are these?” kohdeh-WA それ は “That is/Those are” or “Is that?/Are those? sohdeh-WA あれ は “That (over there) is/Those are” or “Is that?/Are those?” adeh-WA この Noun は “This (Noun) is/These (N) are” or “Is this (N)?/Are these (N)?” koh-noh その Noun は
あの Noun は
です “it is/they are (I am/you, we are/he, she is)” des
じゃ ないです “it is not/they are not (am/are/is not)” ja-NYE-des じゃ ありません “it is not/they are not (am/are/is not)” ja-adee-maSEN
ですか “is it?/are they?” des-ka
MISTAKES; If you say these, it's automatically incorrect.
INCORRECT: この は kohnoh-WA
INCORRECT: これ (N) は kohdeh + (N) + wa
INCORRECT: この です kohnoh des
Remember these!
1) after の NOUN follows
2) after れ は (wa) or です(des) follows
3) after (N/ADJ) です／じゃないです／じゃありません／ですか follows
CORRECT: これ は kohdeh-WA
CORRECT: この (N) は kohnoh + (N) + wa
CORRECT: (N/ADJ) です des
MISTAKES; If you say these, it's automatically incorrect.
INCORRECT: (N) は + です
INCORRECT: (N) は + じゃない です / じゃありません
INCORRECT: (N) は + ですか
Practice
Fill in the blanks. 1) This is a pen.
( ) は ペン ( )。 2) This is my pen.
こ( ) は わたし( ) ペンです。 3) Is this your pen?
こ( ) ( ) あなた( ) ペンです( )。 4) This is not his pen.
こ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ペン( )です。 5) Is that cell phone yours?
そ( ) けいたい ( ) あなた( ) です ( )。 6) Is that cell phone John's?
そ( ) ( ) ジョンさん( ) けいたい です( )。 7) Whose cell phone is this?
こ( ) ( ) だれ( ) けいたい です( )。 8) This *book is just OK. *book ほん 本
こ( ) ほん ( ) ( ) です。 9) How is this book?
( ) ( ) どう ( )。 10) Where is my cell phone?
わたし( ) けいたい( ) どこ( )。 11) Who is that person?
あ( ) ひと( ) だれ( )。 12) It's my friend Michael.
わたし( ) ともだち の マイケルさん ( )。 13) That is delicious.
あ( ) ( ) おいしい ( )。 14) That is delicious tea.
あ( ) ( ) おいしい ( ) ( )。 15) That tea is delicious.
Composition Practice
Translate the sentences. Make up your own sentences. 1. What's that (thing near the listener)?
2. It's green tea. 3. Is it delicious? 4. How is that sashimi? 5. It's really delicious! 6. How is that tea?
7. It's hot (, huh?). * Write with/without “, huh?” 8. It's cold (, huh?). * Write with/without “, huh?” 9. How is that ramen.
10. It tastes bad (I tell you)! * Write with/without “, I tell you.” 11. It tastes delicious, huh? * Write with/without “, huh?” 12. Whose ramen is this?
13. It's mine. 14. It's my ramen.
15. It's not my ramen. It's his.
16. Who is that person (away from both you and the listener)? 17. That's my friend.
18. That's my friend, Jeff. 19. Where is your friend? 20. He's over there.
21. Where is the sushi restaurant?
22. It's here (I tell you). * Write with/without “, I tell you.” 23. Whose umbrella is this? KAH-sah かさ (umbrella) 24. That's mine.
25. That's my umbrella. 26. It's Jeff's.
27. It's Jeff's umbrella. 28. It's not Jeff's umbrella. 29. Who is Yoko's boyfriend?
30. It's John (I tell you). * Write with/without “, I tell you.” 31. Who is that person?
