Lesson1 AISATSU

Lesson1

AISATSU

By Cookie 93

​(Most common Japanese honorifics)

GRAMMAR​
　　　

1. Word order(1)

Japanese basic word order in a sentence is S(subject)/T(topic) – O(object) – V(verb).
English basic word order, on the other hand, is S(subject)/T(topic) – V (verb) – O (object).

･English･･････

･Japanese････

​★Please tell me your name using this sentence formula.

Please look at the simple Japanese sentence below.​

『Watashi』= I, 『wa』= particle, 『desu』 is the polite form of the verb meaning "to be" or "is".​ In this sentencec, 『desu』= am.
It is the verb used to describe two things as being equal, that is, Watashi (Topic) = Kumi (information).
"desu" is basically attached to nouns, adjectives, and other limited parts of speech.

​e.g.
Watashi wa Seeko desu. ("desu" is verb (am).) ・・・・・・・・・・・・・I am Seeko.

Jon-san wa Oosutoraria-jin desu. ("desu" is verb (is).) ・・・・・・・・・John is Australian.
Yuki-san wa kawaii (adjective) desu.("desu" is verb (is).)・・・・・・・・Yuki is cute.
Sushi wa oishii (adjective) desu.("desu" is verb (is).)・・・・・・・・・・Sushi is delicious.

​※ Sentences above without "desu" = Casual speech.

In addition, verbs are not changed between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person, or in plurals.

​On page 5, we studied Japanese basic word order which is S(subject)/T(topic) – O(object) – V(verb).
But in dairy conversation, the subject/topic of a sentence can often be omitted whenever they think it is clear to the listner what or who they are talking about. Sentences without subjects/topics are very common in Japanese.

A: (Anata wa) Nihon-jin desu ka? ・・・・・・・・・Are (you) Japanese?

B: Hai, (watashi wa) Nihon-jin desu. ・・・・・・・・Yes, (I) am Japanese.

e.g.

e.g.

Watashi wa Seeko desu. ・・・・・・・・ I am Seeko.

Anata wa Amerika-jin desu ka? ・・・・・Are you American?

Jon-san wa Oosutoraria-jin desu. ・・・・John is Australian.

Watashi-tachi wa Nihon-jin desu. ・・・・・We are Japanese.

​🔶Japanese personal pronouns singular and plural

Particles are small grammatical markers that follow nouns, phrases, or clauses.
Japanese relies on particles to show function and meaning.

A single noun can mean very different things depending on the particle attached to it.
Understanding particles is essential for building correct sentences and for reading Japanese smoothly.

​2. Particle

🔶 Nihon ni iki-masu.・・・・・I'm going to Japan.
🔶 Nihon de tabe-masu.・・・I'm going to eat (something) in Japan.

Please look at the sentences below. After "Nihon", there are two different particles.
"ni" shows destination, "de" shows place of the action.

​e.g.
Watashi wa Jon desu. ・・・・・・・・・・Talking about me I am John.
Seeko-san wa Nihon-jin desu. ・・・・・・・As for Seeko/she/is Japanese .

​2-1. Particle "Wa"

The particle "wa" indicates the topic.
Therefore, the word preceding "wa" often becomes a subject.
"Wa" is translated into English as "as for...", "talking about..." etc.

3. "desu" and "de wa ari-masen"​ (ja ari-masen)

"desu" is the polite form of the verb meaning "to be" or "is".​
"de wa ari-masen" is used for the negative form of "desu". "ja ari-masen" is also the negative form. This expression is a bit more casual than "de wa ari-masen".
You can use "desu" after your name, your age, your occupation, name of food, places etc...

e.g.
Watashi wa Kumi desu.・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・I'm Kumi.

Watashi wa Nihon-jin de wa ari-masen. ・・・・・・・・I am not Japanese.

Jon-san wa Amerika-jin ja ari-masen. ・・・・・・・John is not American. 

​A wa Raamen desu.・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・A is Ramen.

​B wa Sushi desu.・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・B is Sushi.

​4. Particle "Ka"

When particle "ka" is put at the end of a sentence, it becomes a question.

​

e.g.

Anata wa Amerika-jin desu ka? ・・・・・・・Are you American?  

Seeko-san wa Nihon-jin desu ka? ・・・・・・Is Seeko Japanese?

​5. Nihon, Nihon-jin, Nihon-go

​・Nihon ⇒ Japan

​・Nihon-jin ⇒ Japanese people

​・Nihon-go ⇒ Japanese language

​・Itaria ⇒ Italy

​・Itaria-jin ⇒ Italian people

​・Itaria-go ⇒ Italian language

​・Furansu ⇒ France

​・Furansu-＿ ⇒ French people

​・Furansu-＿ ⇒ French language

​・Kankoku ⇒ Korea

​・Kankoku-＿ ⇒ Korean people

​・Kankoku-＿ ⇒ Korean language

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watashi wa Nihon-jin desu.

​watashi wa Nihon-jin de wa ari-masen.

​EXERCISES 1 : X wa Y desu/de wa ari-masen

ja ari-masen.

watashi wa Amerika-jin ＿＿＿

​watashi wa Amerika-jin ＿＿＿

watashi wa Chuugoku-jin ＿＿＿

​watashi wa Chuugoku-jin ＿＿＿

watashi wa Furansu-jin ＿＿＿

​watashi wa Furansu-jin ＿＿＿

watashi-tachi wa Nihon-jin ＿＿＿

​watashi-tachi wa Nihon-jin ＿＿＿

​we=watashi-tachi

anata-tachi wa Itaria-jin ＿＿＿

​anata-tachi wa Itaria-jin ＿＿＿

​you (plural)=anata-tachi

kare wa Doitsu-jin ＿＿＿

​kare wa Doitsu-jin ＿＿＿

​he=kare

kanojo wa Kankoku-jin ＿＿＿

​kanojo wa Kankoku-jin ＿＿＿

she=​kanojo

formula: ＿＿＿＿＿ wa ＿＿＿＿＿ desu

e.g. watashi wa Sora desu.

★ Look at the profiles and describe them in Japanese.

★ Translate the following sentences into Japanese using ~wa ~desu.

1) Mr. Ogawa is Japanese.
⇒ ＿＿＿＿＿＿ wa ＿＿＿＿＿＿ desu.

2) Mr. Ogawa is not American.

3) Mr. Ogawa is a teacher (Sensee).

​2. Introduce yourself as follows and substitute the words given for the ones underlined.

​

e.g.

Konnichiwa

Hajimemashite​

Watashi wa Seeko desu.​

(Doozo) yoroshiku​ onegai shi-masu.

​

​

1) Jon​​

2) your name

​

​★Other expression using particle "wa"

(+) ​Watashi wa keeki ga suki desu.・・・・・・・・・・I like cakes.

(-) Watashi wa keeki wa suki de wa ari-masen.・・・・I don't like cakes.

(+) Watashi wa piano ga deki-masu.・・・・・・・・・I can play piano.

(-) Watashi wa piano wa deki-masen.・・・・・・・・・I can't play piano.
(+) Watashi wa tokee ga ari-masu.・・・・・・・・・・I have a watch.
(-) Watashi wa tokee wa ari-masen.・・・・・・・・・I don't have a watch.

​Q. Nani ga suki desu ka?

​Q. Nani ga deki-masu ka?

​A. Watashi wa Nihon-go ga

deki-masu.

A. Watashi wa inu ga suki desu.

​Q. Nani ga suki desu ka?

​Q. Nani ga deki-masu ka?

​sushi

​neko

​raamen

ringo

​inu

yasai

​piano

​ee-go

suiee

gitaa

​tenisu

​A. Watashi wa ＿＿ ga suki desu.

​A. Watashi wa ＿＿ ga deki-masu.

​★Repeat the following sentences after the teacher.

​1) Watashi wa Nihon-jin desu.

2) Seeko-san wa Amerika-jin de wa ari-masen.

3) Jon-san wa Oosutoraria-jin desu.

4) Anata-tachi wa Chuugoku-jin desu ka?

5) Watashi-tachi wa Nihon-jin de wa ari-masen.

6) Kanojo wa Sora-san desu.

7) Kare wa Amerika-jin de wa ari-masen.

8) Anata wa Itaria-jin desu ka?

9) Watashi wa Furansu-go ga deki-masu.

10) Kanojo wa keeki ga suki desu.

11) Yuki-san wa Supein-go wa deki-masen.

12) Ken-san wa Sushi wa suki de wa ari-masen.

🔶Shitsumon (questions)🔶

🔷Tanjoobi wa itsu (=when) desu ka?
🔷Kurisumasu wa itsu desu ka?

​Vocabulary