Day #2.8.1

Lesson 12 (Part II)

• Differences between ‘na’  adjective endings and ‘i’ adjective endings
• Asking about past events

1. ‘NA’ vs ‘I’ ADJECTIVE ENDINGS

In short, ‘na’ adjective endings follow noun endings in terms of negatives and tenses.

‘na’ adjectives:

きのう は ひまでしたか。
–  –  –  –  –  –  いいえ、ひまじゃありませんでした。

‘i’ adjectives:

パーティー は たのしかった ですか。(past tense)
–  –  –  –  –  –  いいえ、パーティー は たのしくなかった。(past tense x negative)

2. ASKING ABOUT PAST EVENTS

とうきょう は どうでしたか。
–  –  –  –  –  –  とても きれいでした。(na adjective)

きのう の てんき は どうでしたか。
–  –  –  –  –  –  てんき は あめでした。(noun)

きのう タイ レストラン で たべました。
–  –  –  –  –  –  そですか。タイりょうり は どうでしたか。
とても からかったです。(i adjective)

きのう はじめて おすし を たべました。
–  –  –  –  –  –  どうでしたか。
とても おいしかったです。

きのう はじめて かぶき を みました。
–  –  –  –  –  – どうでしたか。
とても きれいでした。

–  –  –  –  –  – きのう はじめて いけばな を しました。
どうでしたか。
とても むすかしかったです。

きのう はじめて にほん の おさけ を のみました。
–  –  –  –  –  – どうでしたか。
ちょっと あまかったです。

Day #2.5.2

Lesson 10 (Part III)

• Describing in detail
• Asking for something – shopping “do you have ~”
• North / South / East / West

「みんな の にほんご」は ありません か。|”Minna no Nihongo” wa arimasen ka? | Do you have the “Japanese Language” book?

チリソース は ありません か。| Do you have chilli sauce?
– – – – – – みぎの おくに スパイス・コーナーが あります。| Deep inside the spice corner.


すみません、ノート は ありません か。| Excuse me, do you have notebooks?
– – – – – – ノート ですか、 あの いちばん の たな です。| Notebooks? At the top most shelf.

 

 

 

すみません、でんち は ありません か。| Excuse me, do you have batteries?
– – – – – – でんち ですか、あの いちばん した の たな です。| Batteries? At the bottom most shelf.

すみません、けしゴム は ありません か。| Excuse me, do you have erasers?
– – – – – – けしゴム です か、あの うえ から さんたんめ の たな です。| Erasers? Third shelf from the top.

すみません、セロテープ は ありません か。 | Excuse me, do you have scotch tape?
– – – – – – セロテープ です か、あの した から にたんめ の たな です。| Scotch tape? Second shelf from the bottom.

2. NORTH / SOUTH / EAST / WEST

北海道 | Hokkaido – きた | North

東京都 | Tokyo – ひがし | East

大阪府 | Osaka – にし | West

京都府 | Kyoto – みなみ | South

 

Day #2.5.1

Lesson 10 (Part II)

• Asking “what is there ~”
• Asking “who is there ~”
• More on ‘あります | arimasu’ and ‘います | imasu’
• Location of things/ people

1. ASKING “WHAT IS THERE ~”:

Just add the “what” question ‘なに | nani’ into the sentence.

テーブル の うえ に なに が あります か。| What is there on the table?

– – – – – – ほん が あります。| There is a book.

– – – – – – ほん と はさみ が あります。| There is a book and scissors.

– – – – – – ほん や はさみ が あります。| There is a book and scissors.

– – – – – – なに も ありません。| There is nothing.

**The particle ‘ya | や’ is used to list two or more nouns.

2. ASKING “WHO IS THERE ~”:

To ask who, add ‘だれ | dare’ into the question.

うけつけに だれが いますか。 | Who is there at the reception?

– – – – – – マットさん が います。| Matt is there.

3. MORE ON ‘あります | arimasu’ and ‘います | imasu’:

これ は マットさん の へや。 | This is Matt’s room.

マットさん の へや に ねこたち が ります。| There are cats in Matt’s room.

ベッド の うえ に ねこ が ります。 | There is a cat on the bed.

もうふ の した に ねこ が ります。 | There is a cat under the blanket.

てにもつ の なか に ねこ が ります。 | There is a cat in the luggage.

てにもつ の となり に ねこ が います。 | There is a cat beside the luggage.

つくえ の うえ に ねこ が います。 | There is a cat on the desk.

まど の まえ に ねこ が います。 | There is a cat in front of the window.

コーヒーテーブル の した に ねこ が います。 | There is a cat under the coffee table.

4. LOCATION OF THINGS/ PEOPLE: 

Basically, the difference between talking about the existence of a thing and the location of a thing is the sentence structure and the particle used. In English it’s something like “There is a watch on the table” and “The watch is on the table”.

とけい は どこに あります か。 | Where is the clock?

– – – – – – とけい は たな の うえ に あります。| The clock is on the shelf.

カメラ は どこに あります か。 | Where is the camera?

– – – – – – カメラ は たな の うえ に あります。 | The camera is on the shelf.

We can also use previous knowledge of asking where something is:

ほん は どこ です か。

– – – – – – たな の うえ です。

じてんしゃ は どこ に あります か。| Where is the bicycle?
– – – – – – くるま の うえ に あります。| On top of the car.

シャシン は どこ に あります か。| Where is the photo?
– – – – – – ほん の うしろ に あります。| Under the book.

 

いぬ は どこ に います か。| Where is the dog?
– – – – – – 男の人 と 女の人 の あいだ に ります。| Between the man and woman.

 

スーパー は どこ に あります か。| Where is the supermarket?
– – – – – – ほんや の となり に あります。| Next to the bookstore.

いぬ は どこ に いますか。| Where is the dog?
スーパー の まえ に います。| In front of the supermarket.

ぎんこう は どこ に あります か。| Where is the bank?
ポスト と デパート の あいだ に あります。| Between the department store and post box.

 

 

Day #2.4.2

Lesson 10 (Part I)

• Describing the existence of things and people
• Describing the location using prepositions

1. EXISTENCE: There’re two main things to note before proceeding: a) In forming a sentence about the existence of things and people, the particle ‘が | ga’ is used. b) The verb ‘あります | arimasu’ means to exist, and this is used when referring to things (non animate objects). The verb ‘います | imasu’ also means to exist, but is used when referring to people, animals, etc (animate).

いす が あります。| Isu ga arimasu. | There is a chair.

先生 と 学生 が います。| Sensei to gakusei ga imasu. | There are students and a teacher.

いぬ が います。| Inu ga imasu. | There is a dog.

To add a location to the above, the particle ‘に | ni’ is used:

あそこ に くるま が あります。 | Asoko ni kuruma ga arimasu. | There is a car over there.

へや に ねこ が ります。| Heya ni neko ga rimasu. | There is a cat in the room.

公園 に おとこ の 人 と おんな の 人 が ります。| Kouen ni otoko no hito to onna no hito ga rimasu. | There is a man and a woman at the park.

2. PREPOSITION: The prepositional words are added to the description of the place, and this is situated in the beginning of the sentence.

テーブル の 上 に はな が あります。| Teburu no ue ni hana ga arimasu. | There are flowers on top the table.

テーブル の 下 に かばん が あります。 | Teburu no shita ni kaban ga arimasu. | There is a bag under the table.

たかい びる の ちかく に としょかん が あります。 Takai biru no chikaku ni toshokan ga arimasu. | There is a library beside the tall building.

Isu no shita ni neko ga rimasu. | Isu no shita ni neko ga rimasu. | There’s a cat under the chair.

れいぞうく の なか に いろいろ たべもの が あります。| Reizouku no naka ni iroiro tabemono ga arimasu. | There’s various of food in the refrigerator.

Day #2.4.1

Lesson 9 (Cont)

• Stating reason (‘Why’ questions)
• Using reasons in a conversation

1. REASONS

By explaining why, we use the word ‘から | kara’, something like “because” in English.

じかん が ありません から、しゅくだいを しません。| Jikan ga arimasen kara, shukudai o shimasen. | I didn’t do my homework because I didn’t have time.

今日 は ようじ が あります から、はやく 帰ります。| Kyou wa youji ga arimasu kara, hayaku kaerimasu.

Structure: Reason + *conjunction kara + Action

Giving a reason answers the “Why” question; why did you do this/ why didn’t you do that?

どうして しんぶん を よみませんか。| Doushite shinbun o yomimasen ka? | Why didn’t you read the newspaper?

– – – – – – – じかん が ありません から、しんぶん を よみません。| Jikan ga arimasu kara, shinbun o yomimasen. | I didn’t read the newspaper because I didn’t have time.

どうして かばん を かいませんでしたか。| Doushite kaban o kaimasen deshita ka? | Why didn’t you buy the bag?

– – – – – – – おかね が ありません から、かばん を かいませんでした。| Okane ga arimasen kara, kaban o kaimasen deshita. | I didn’t buy the bag because I had no money.

えいが が すき です から、毎晩テレービ を みます。| Eiga ga suki desu kara, maiban terebi o mimasu. | I watch TV every night because I like movies.

Asking “Why” in a conversation:

どうして です か。| Doushite desu ka? | Why?

*たくさん | takusan | a lot/ many

*はやく | hayaku | quickly

Day #1.10.1

Today we finished up on the last section of Lesson #6 and started on Lesson #7. Time is flying by too quickly! I’ve got a new assignment, another 400-word essay about “what I did last weekend”. Sounds pretty exciting, but I’ve got to make it my best composition cause it’s counted towards my grade. Anyway, the last section of Lesson #6 is all about inviting a friend to join you to do an activity, like asking your best friend out to have coffee. Previously we did “doing an activity with a friend”, so this is a step up.

Lesson #7 is the final lesson, and here’s the breakdown of what we will be doing:

• Describe “already” and “not yet”
• Describe “do ~ using ~”
• Family members
• Asking “what’s ~ in Japanese?”

Lesson #6

INVITING SOMEONE

Dialogue between two friends:

A: Why don’t we have coffee together? | Isshoni kohi wo nomimasen ka? | いっしょに コーヒー を のみません か。

B: Sounds good. | E, I desu ne. | ええ、いいですね。

A: Well, let’s go to Starbucks. | Ja, Sutabakkusu e ikimashou.| じゃ、スターバックス へ いきましょう。

B: Wakarimashita. | わかりました

When inviting someone to join you in an activity, the verb needs to be conjugated. In the case of asking “Why don’t we…”, the verb ‘nomimasu’ —> ‘nomimasen’. When signalling to the other person, “let’s go”, the verb ‘ikimasu’ —> ‘ikimashou’

Lesson #7

DESCRIBING “ALREADY | もう” & “NOT YET | まだ” 

Q:

Have you already eaten breakfast? | Mou asagohan o tabemashita ka? | もう あさごはん を たべました か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  Yes I already ate. | Hai, mou tabemashita. | はい、もう たべました。

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  No, not yet. | Ie, mada desu. | いいえ、まだです。

Q:

Have you done your homework already? | Mou shukudai o shimashita ka? |もう しゅくだい を しました か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  Yes I’ve already done it. | Hai, mou shimashita. | はい、もう しました。

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  No, not yet. | Ie, mada desu. | いいえ、まだ です。

DESCRIBING “USING”

The particle used to describe “by what means” is ‘de | で’. It is also used for transportation like we learnt in Lesson #4. Besides being a direction marker, it is a “means marker”.

Cut paper with/ using scissors. | Hasami de kami o kirimasu. | はさみ で かみ を きります。

There’re two objects in this sentence, and the placement is different from an English one. In English, the object that one is using is placed at the end. In Japanese, this is the opposite. The object that you are using opens the sentence. Literally translated, ‘Hasami de kami o kirimasu’ = “Scissors | using | paper | cut”

Send a report by fax. | Fakusu de repoto o okurimasu. | ファクスで レポートを おくります。

Eat rice using chopsticks. | Ohashi de gohan o tabemasu. | おはしで ごはんを たべます。

Q:

“How” do you eat sushi? |Nan de osushi o tabemasu ka? | なんで おすしを たべますか。

(A literal translation would be “by what means” do you eat sushi?)

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  I eat using chopsticks. | Ohashi de tabemasu. | おはしで たべます。

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  I eat using my hands. | Te de tabemasu. | てで たべます。

The particle has many uses, and another important one involves it being used in sentences like “I write a report in Japanese”. The literal translation is “I write a report using Japanese”. Again, the particle ‘de’ is a marker for “using/ with”.

I write a report using Japanese. | Nihongo de repoto o kakimasu. | にほんご で レポートを かきます。

The sentence structure is similar to describing “using” as explained above. The subject that is being used, in this case, Japanese, opens the sentence.

Q:

“Using what” do you write your report? | Nan de repoto o kakimasu ka? | なにごで レポートを かきますか。

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  I write using Japanese. | Nihongo de kakimasu. | にほんごで かきます。

ASKING “WHAT’S ~ IN JAPANESE”

This section covers how to ask a subject in Japanese. The particle ‘de’ is used as a means marker again.

How do you say “thank you” in Japanese? | “Thank you” wa nihongo de nan desu ka? | “Thank you” わ にほんご で なん です か。

“Thank you” in Japanese is ‘arigatou gozaimasu’. | “Thank you” wa nihongo de ‘arigatou gozaimasu’ desu.|

“Thank you” は にほんごで ‘ありがとう ございます’ です。

Chopstick culture! The Japanese are rather particular about table etiquette, and rightfully so! Here’re some taboos that you should not do when you’re in Japan, or rather, anywhere for that matter; it’s a good idea to cultivate such habits!

おはし マナー:

Day #5.2

We moved on to Lesson #4 today; Lesson #4 is all about time and numbers:

• 4 Seasons
• Telephone numbers
• Time Vocabulary
• Asking and telling time

4 SEASONS

The four seasons in Japanese are

1. Spring | haru| はる
2. Summer | natsu | なつ
3. Autumn | aki | あき
4. Winter | fuyu | ふゆ

TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Telephone number is ‘denwa bangou | でんわばんごう’

To ask someone for their number, we say

What’s your phone number? | Denwa bangou wa nan ban desu ka? | でんわばんごうは なんばんですか。

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  96738827. | kyuu roku nana san hachi hachi ni nana desu. | きゅう ろく なな さん はち はち に なな です。

Numbers are rattled off one by one (at least for beginners).

TIME

Time | Jikan | じかん

HOUR:

Hour | Ji | じ

 

 

Reading time by the hour is relatively the same as reading numbers from 1 to 12, with three exceptions, 4 o’clock, 7 o’clock and 9 o’clock. These timings are read as ‘yo ji’, ‘shichi ji’ and ‘ku ji’ respectively.

 

MINUTE:

Minute | Pun | ぷん

Readings in minutes are dichotomized in two groups: one that pronounces ‘fun’ and one that pronounces ‘pun’. The list on the right shows that 2, 5, 7 and 9 are pronounced with a ‘fun’ instead of ‘pun’ at the end. E.g. 2 mins | Nifun | にふん So every 12th minute, 22nd minute and so on are pronounced with a ‘fun’ too. >>> 12 mins | Juu nifun | じゅう にふん

For the list on the left, it is important to take note that only the 3rd and 4th minute don’t have an extra small っ that represents a double letter.

TELLING TIME:

Q:

What is the time now? | Ima nan ji desu ka? | いま なんじ です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  3 o’clock. | Sanji desu. | さんじ です。

Different ways to tell time

*To tell the time 3.30, instead of saying ‘Sanji sanjuppun’, we can say ‘Sanji han’. ‘Han’ is a way of saying “half past three”.

*To tell the time 3.50, instead of saying ‘Sanji gojuppun’, we can say ‘Yoji juppun mae’. ‘Mae’ is used as an English equivalent of saying “10 mins before 4”, or “10 mins to 4”. The structure goes: hour + min + *mae

*Telling a time period like from 3.00 to 5.00, we use the words ‘kara’ which means “from” and ‘made’ which means “to”.

Q:

From what time to what time is the restaurant open? | Resutoran wa nanji kara nanji made desu ka? | レストランは なんじから なんじまで ですか。

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  From 10 o’clock to 4 o’clock. | Juuji kara yoji made desu. | じゅうじ から よじ まで です。

Day #5.1

Today we learnt things related to prices:

1. How to ask for the price of an object
2. How to tell the price of an object

ASKING THE PRICE

‘Ikura desu ka | いくら です か’ roughly translated means “How much is this?”

Q:

How much is this book? | Kono hon wa ikura desu ka? |  この ほん は いくら です か。

TELLING THE PRICE

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  That book is 345 yen. | Sono hon wa 345 en desu. | その ほん は 345えん です。

Prices in dollars and cents are read as ‘doru’ and ‘sento’.

E.G. $10 | Juu doru | じゅう どる

E.G. 30¢ | San juu sento | セント

We also learnt how to speak in a Department Store with regards to an item that we wish to purchase.

At the department store:

1.

Q: Where is this necktie from? | Kore wa doko no nekutai desu ka? | これ は どこ の ねくたい です か。

A: Italy. | Itaria desu. | イタリア です。

Q: How much is it? | Ikura desu ka? | いくら です か。

A: 7,300 yen. | 7,300 en desu. | 7,300 えん です。

2.

Q: Where is this watch from? | Kore wa doko no toke desu ka? | これ は どこ の とけ です か。

A: Switzerland. | Suisu desu. | スイス です。

Q: How much is it? | Ikura desu ka? | いくら です か。

A: 18,800 yen. | 18,800 en desu. | 18,800 えん です。

Besides asking where an item is from and how much it costs, we also add the phrases ‘0 mise te kudasai’ and ‘o kudasai’ which mean “please show me” and “please give me” respectively.

At the wine section in the Department Store:

Q: Excuse me, please show me this bottle of wine. | Sumimasen, sono wain o misete kudasai. | すみません、その ワイン を みせて ください。

A: Here you go. | Hai, dozo. | はい、どぞ。

Q: Is this wine from France? | Sore wa Furansu no wain desu ka? | それ は フランス の ワイン です か。

A: No, it’s from Italy. | Ie, Itaria no wain desu. | いいえ、イタリア の ワイン です。

Q: How much is it? | Ikura desu ka? | いくら です か。

A: 4500 yen. | 4500 en desu. |  4500 えん です。

Q: Then, please give it to me. | Ja, kore o kudasai. | じゃ、これ を ください。

Day #4.2

This segment is a continuation of Lesson #3. It includes:

• Asking “what floor”
• Asking someone about school
• Asking someone about work – what company and what it is (Apple Inc, Computers)
• Asking about the place of origin an object is (i.e. This bag is from Japan)
• Asking about the brand name of an object (Uniqlo t-shirt)

FLOORS/ LEVELS 

Q:

Which level is the Wine section at? | Wain uriba wa nan kai desu ka? | ワイン うりば は なんかい です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  The Wine section is at basement 1. | Wain uriba wa chika ikkai desu. | ワイン うりば は ちかいっかい です。

ASKING SOMEONE ABOUT THEIR SCHOOL

Q:

What school are you from (Where is your school)? | Daigaku wa dochira desu ka? | だいがく は どちら です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  Osaka University. | Oosaka daigaku desu. |  おおさか だいがく です。

ASKING SOMEONE ABOUT THEIR COMPANY

Q:

Which company are you from? | Kaisha wa dochira desu ka? | かいしゃ は どちら です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  Apple. | Appuru. | アップル です。

Q:

What kind of company is it? | Nan no kaisha desu ka? | なんの かいしゃ です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  Computer company. | Konpyuta no kaisha desu. | コンピューター の かいしゃ です。

ASKING ABOUT PLACE OF ORIGIN 

Q:

Where is this bag from? | Sono kaban wa doko desu ka? | その かばん は どこの かばん です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  This bag is from Japan. | Nihon no kaban desu. | にほん の かばん です。

ASKING ABOUT THE BRAND NAME

Q:

What brand is this shirt? | Sore wa doko no shyatsu desu ka? | それ は どこ の シャツ です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  It’s Uniqlo. | Uniqlo no shyatsu desu. | ユニクロ の シャツ です。

Day #4.1

Today’s lesson recapped the six main demonstratives and introduced a more in-depth dialogue on visiting a friend to give a gift. We also started on Lesson #3:

• How to discuss and talk about places
• Locations demonstratives

DEMONSTRATIVES

1. Pertaining to objects:

What kind of book is that? | Sore wa nan no hon desu ka? | それ は なん の ほん です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  A Japanese book. | Nihongo no hon desu. | にほんご の ほん です。

2. Pertaining to possession:

Whose book is that? | Sore wa dare no hon desu ka? | それ は だれ の ほん です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  Yamada’s book. | Yamada no hon desu. | やまだ の ほん です。

DIALOGUE 

Santousu: Konnichiwa. Santousu desu. Korekara osewa ni narimasu. | I’ll be taken care of by you ⇒ I hope for your kind assistance hereafter.

Yamada: Kochira koso yoroshiku. | Same to you.

SOUVENIRS FROM JAPAN

Souvenir | Omiyage

A list of souvenirs will be added in the Vocabulary section. This section will be continued in Day #11.2.

Lesson #3

There are 6 main location demonstratives, grammatically similar to the first 6 possession demonstratives.

• Koko | Here
• Soko | There (near you)
• Asoko | Over there
• Kochira | Here*
• Sochira | There (near you)*
• Achira | Over there*

*polite form of koko, soko and asoko respectively

To ask a question of where, we use the word ‘doko’. Places will be added under the Vocabulary section.

LOCATION DEMONSTRATIVES 

Where is the toilet? | Toire wa doko desu ka? | トイレ は どこ です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  Over there. | Asoko | あそこ です。

Where is your house? | Uchi wa doko desu ka? | うち は どこ です か。

–  –  –  –  –  –  Orchard. | Ochaado desu. | オーチャード です。