1 Hopes, needs, feelings 1.1 Expressing what you/somebody know, hope or want 1.2 Personal feelings 2 Future and past 2.1 Future plans, try to, purpose (.. ni iku) 2.2 Having done, tried to, decided to 3 Adverbial phrases 3.1 Way of doing things 3.2 Time, before, while, after, whenever 3.3 Almost 3.4 Never and always 3.5 Ordinal numbers 3.6 Possibility 3.7 Skills 3.8 Easy/difficult, advantageous, substantial 3.9 Start and finish doing, completion 3.10 Movement (te kuru, te iku) 3.11 From now on, begin to (te iku, te kuru) 3.12 Considering or comparing something (same, different), in point of, unlike 3.13 Depending on 3.14 Directions 3.15 Facts, things generally accepted as 4 Conjunctional phrases 4.1 Reason and cause 4.2 In order to, for, to, so that 4.3 And, also, either, only (verbs and nouns/adjectives) 4.4 Even, even though, although 4.5 Limiting (Without, because not, not...but, but, instead of) 4.6 Whether 4.7 Than 4.8 Misc conjunctional 5 Adjectival phrases and pronouns 5.1 One 5.2 Some, something 5.3 Misc adjectives 5.4 Misc pronouns 6 Interacting with another person 6.1 Doing services for soneone, having services done 6.2 Allowance (No need to, don't have to, it's ok to) 6.3 Prohibitions 6.4 Obligations (must, have to) 6.5 Suggesting (ought to) 6.6 Asking permission 6.7 Asking favours 6.8 Imperative (Do...) 6.9 Let's, should we 6.10 Asking questions (ka, why) 6.11 Passive & causative 7 Insecure 7.1 Conditional (If, when, even if) 7.2 Assumptions 7.3 Like: looks like, seems like, sort of, such as 7.4 Hearsay and quoting 7.5 Checking (Was it ?) 7.6 Approximating 8 Changing the weight of the sentence 8.1 Emphasizing 8.2 Expressing gratitude 8.3 Especially humble forms 8.4 Especially polite/honorific forms 8.5 Habitual action 9 Slang 9.1 Abbreviations 9.2 Negative 9.3 Adverbial prefixes 10 Grammatical 10.1 Referencing 10.2 Strange particles 10.3 Nominalizing (no, koto, tokoro) and abstraction (koto: the fact that…) 10.4 Continuative and resultative 10.5 Other grammatical 11 Handy phrases 12 Special subjects 12.1 Verbs that take "o" as "about" 12.2 The many meaning of "nante" 12.3 The strange meaning og "natte iru" 12.4 Sonna ni / sore hodo 12.5 Yo and ne 12.6 The many usages of mo 12.7 The "ki" words 13 Unsorted 14 Comments Verb forms
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It is the practice that..., it is customary
that...
koto ni
natteiru
koto to
natteiru
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It is customary that I go to my sister's
every Sunday.
Mainichiyou ane no uchi ni iku koto
ni natteimasu.
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koto ni
shiteiru
koto to
shiteiru
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I make it a practice to take a short walk
every day.
Mainichi sukoshi sanpo suru koto ni
shiteimasu.
I make it a practice to socialize only with
rich people.
Kanemochi igai to wa tsukiawanai koto
ni shiteiru.
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It is so that, it is a rule that, it is
generally accepted that
ni naru
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This one is a wedding
dress.
Kotchi ga wedding dress ni narimasu
nee.
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In fact
jitsu wa...
... jitsu wa
...
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As a matter of fact I have never tried to
take (that train) either.
Watashi mo jitu wa notta koto ga nai
no da.
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Always
itsumo
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The children always want to eat
candy.
Kodomo wa itsumo okashi o
tabetagarimasu.
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Have never...
-ta tameshi ga (/wa)
nai
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He has never been mad.
Ano hito wa okotta tameshi ga
arimasen.
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Difficult to
V2-gatai
V2-nikui
V2-zurai
Opposite of
yasui
Gatai is only used in
writing
Only nikui can be used with
intransitive verbs.
Zurai describes only
undesireable situations.
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This book is hard to read.
Kono hon wa yominikui
desu.
A book which is difficult to
read.
Yominikui
hon
His behaviour is hard to
understand.
Kare no koui ga rikai
shigatai.
It’s hard to say that this project
was a success.
Kono purojekuto wa seikou shita to wa
iigatai.
This trip will be an unforgettable memory
for me.
Kono ryokou wa watashi ni totte
wasuregatai omide ni naru darou.
This door doesn’t open
easily.
Kono to wa
hirakinikui.
In this copy the letters are weak and hard
to read.
Kono kopii wa ji ga usukute yomi
zurai.
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Be hard to...
V2-kaneru
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It's hard to say, but...
Moushikanemasu
ga...
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Easy to...
V2-yasui
Opposite of
nikui
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I think Danish is a place where it is very
easy to live. A country that treats old people good.
Denmaaku wa totemo sumiyasui tokoro
da to omotteru. Toshiyori ni mo yasashii kuni.
This pen is easy to write
with.
Kono pen wa kakiyasui
desu.
A pen which is easy to write
with.
Kakiyasui
pen.
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Shown (heard) to advantage
V2-bae
limited usage
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That exhibition was much to look
at.
Ano tenrankai wa mibae ga
shita.
Music not pleasing to
hear.
Kikibae no shinai
ongaku.
Music pleasing to hear.
Kikibae no aru
ongaku
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Worth doing
V2-gai
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Because that child can learn everything
well, it is worth teaching him.
Ano ko wa nandemo yoku oboeru kara,
oshiegai ga aru.
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Be substantial
V2-de ga aru
??? Er dette korrekt???
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It takes one a long time to read this book
through.
Kono hon wa yomide ga
arimasu.
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As, in order to, that, because,
therefore
Vte
i-adjctives get –kute
added.
na-adjectives are followed by
de.
See also: -te
This usage is somewhat similar to the
English participal phrase, "Being warm, it is an easy place for people to
live".
See also:
4.3
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I am happy that the war is
over.
Sensou ga owatte ureshii
desu
Mr. Yamada won't come because he is
sick.
Yamada-san wa byooki de,
kimasen.
I feel fine cause the room is
bright.
Kono heya wa akarukute, kimochi ga ii
desu.
The doctor gives the patient medicin in
order to cure the disease.
Isha wa byounin ni nusuri o yatte
byouki o naoshimasu.
He is Japanese and therefore doesn't speak
English.
Ano hito wa nihonjin de, eigo ga
dekimasen.
Because this place is warm all year, it is
very easy to live here.
Koko wa ichinen-juu atatakakute
totemo sumiyasui desu.
I was really glad to hear what you told
me!
Kiite yokatta yo, hontou
ni.
!!!!!!!!!MORE
HERE!!!!!!!!!!
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And, and therefore
V2
This usage is more formal than using
–te.
Desu -> deari
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I read your letter and immediately wrote a
reply.
O-tegami o yomi, sugu ni henji o
kakimashita.
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because, therefore, since
kara
Vinf kara
Kara is typically the
speaker’s opinion, whereas node is a general
reason.
Also it places emphasis more on the result,
cf. node
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I like you, so don't worry about
it.
Kimi no koto wa suki dakara, ki ni
suru na.
Please wait for me, because I will come
(go) very soon.
Mou sugu iku kara matteite
kudasai.
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(implicit reason)
kara
Sometimes kara is an implicit reason, not
translated with any words.
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In Japan December is busy too. First of all
you have to write New Year’s cards...
Nihon demo 12 gatu wa isogashii yo. Mazu nengajou o
kakanakutewa ikenai kara ne...
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and
kara
node
If there is an implicit reason,
kara or node can be used for
“and”
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Before you wrote them in the hand, but
today we use computer, which is very convenient.
Mukashi wa "hand writing" tte de kaite ita
keredo, ima wa pasokon de kaku kara raku ni natta
yo.
He married a girl from a poor home, and
kept on being poor.
Binbou na ie no musume-san o
moraimashita node, aikawarazu binbou no mama deshita,
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node
Kara is typically the
speaker’s opinion, whereas node is a general
reason
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Because an important friend is dead, I'm
sad.
Taisetsu na tomodachi wa shinjatta
node, kanashinde iru.
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Precisely because
kara koso
Emphatic
|
Precisely because I go, he goes
too.
Watakushi ga iku kara koso, kare mo
iku n desu.
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Now that, since, if
kara ni wa
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If you do it at all, do a good
job.
Yaru kara ni wa ii shigoto o
shinasai.
If you say so, it must be
true.
Kimi ga iu kara ni wa hontou ni
chigainai.
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Just because
kara to itte
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Just because I am tired, I can't very well
sleep all the time.
Tsukareta kara to itte nete bakari
iru wake ni mo ikimasen.
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It’s not so that
wake dewa
nai
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It is not so that everybody each
day ?? at a conbini
Minna ga mainichi conbini de sumasu
wake dewa nai
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There is no reason not
to...
...V1-nai wake wa/ga
nai.
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There is no reason for him not to go, you
know.
Ano hito ga ikanai wake wa nai desu
yo.
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It is so that / To... /
When...
koto
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“oosouji” is when you clean up places you do not
normally clean.
“oosouji” tte wa itumo wa souji o shinai
tokoro made souji o suru koto.
In Japan it is so that prostitution is illegal. But in Denmark
it is not.
Nihon dewa baishun wa ikenai koto. Demo Denmaaku dewa
chigaun da ne.
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It is so that / because
mono
mon
Explains reason
Mono indicating a reason like
this, is only used in informal speech. Mon is yet more
informal
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I am impressed.
Erai mon da
naa.
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It's not that I don't...
-nai koto wa
nai
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It's not that I don't see movies; I don't
see them very often.
Eiga o minai koto wa arimasen ga
amari minai no desu.
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It doesn't mean that I
don't...
-nai wake dewa
nai
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It doesn't mean that I can't speak
Japanese; but I can't speak it too well.
Nihongo ga hanasenai wake dewa nai
ga, amari umaku wa hanasemasen.
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Only because
Vta bakari
ni
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Only because I was ill, I couldn't attend
my good friend's wedding.
Byouki datta bakari ni nakayoshi no
tomodachi no kekkonshiki ni deraremasen deshita.
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It is that...
...no? (a)
...no. (b)
The declarative sentence (b) is used by
women and children only.
Also used for emotinal
emphasis
See also no da
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Why are you crying? Cause mommy's
gone-
Doushite naiteiru no? O-kaasan ga
inai no.
He is so gentle you know.
Ano hito wa yasashii
no.
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It is that...
...no da
...n’ da
This makes the sentence more emphatic too.
The speaker is more interested in the answer, it is more than just a declarative
sentence.
da + n’ -> nan
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What are you doing?
Nani o shiteiru n’ desu
ka?
I am studying Japanese.
Nihongo o benkyou shiteiru n’
desu.
It was quiet.
Shizuka datta n’
da.
He was a teacher.
Sensei nan
da.
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..., that's how it is.
...,sou desu
ne.
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I live in that red building over
there.
Watashi wa ano akai tatemono ni
sundeimasu, sou desu ne. (??)
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Due to the fact that...
kankei jou
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Due to the fact that it is cold here even
in summer, plants do not grow well.
Koko wa natsu de mo kikou ga samui
kankei jou, shokubutsu ga yoku sodachimasen.
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And
to
And between two or more
nouns
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And (amongst other)
ya
And between two or more
nouns
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And their
to no
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First telle me about Mr. Yamada, Mr. Katou
and how they met.
Mazu, yamada-san to katou-san to no
deai o oshiete kudasai.
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And, then, after
Vte
Vte wa
Conjunction for sequence of
actions
See also uner cause
See also:
4.1
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I went home and made
dinner.
Uchi e kaette, shokuji o
shimashita.
I ate and then came.
Tabete
kimashita.
Sephiroth robbed the Sando of his life, and
returned to his castle.
Sephiroth wa Sando no inochi o
ubatte, shiro ni kaetta.
(ubau = snatch)
We went to the library, and
studied.
Toshokan ni itte, benkyou
shimashita.
Even during the vacation I am busy, because
we'll have exams right after the Christmas vacation is over.
Kurisumasu no yasumi ga owatte sugu
shiken ga aru kara yasumi-chuu mo isogashii.
Everyday he went gathering firewood in the
woods, bundled it on his 3 donkeys and went to sell it.
Mainichi, mori no naka de takigi o
atsumete wa, kore o 3tou no roba ni tsunde uri ni
ikimashita.
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Do... and
Vte ori
Vte ite
Vte ori is more format than
Vte ite. It can only be used in writing. Here it does not express
special politeness.
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Father is travelling in Tokyo now, and
Mother remains in Kyoto.
Chichi wa ima Toukyou ni ryokou shite
ori, haha wa Kyouto ni nokotte orimasu.
This entrance is for employees only and
other (ordinary) people cannot enter here.
Kono iriguchi wa juugyouin senyou ni
natte ori, ippan no hito wa koko kara wa hairenai.
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While / doing
Vte
Conjunction for simultaneous
actions
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He is laughing while
reading.
Hon o yonde waratte
imasu.
Pass the time reading a
magazine
Zasshi o yonde hima o
tsubusu
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Explaining
Vte
How the action of the main verbs is
performed
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I went by (riding a)
train.
Densha ni notte
ikimashita.
Me and my brother competed in
running
Oniisan to watashi ga hashitte
kyousou o shimashita.
Another one is when you describe the
ordering in a competition. (description of the counter
-chaku)
Hoka ni mo kyousou o shite junban o
iu
toki ni tukau koto wa
aru.< |