@ indicates the destination or direction, We can call ga a subject particle and @ a
direction particle.
You will become familiar with the eight main structure particles in this textbook:
ga, 0, ni, e, de, to, kara and made
Git is our symbol for structure particles, because these particles show the
bones (the grammatical structure) of the sentence.
(18)2) Discourse particles
Discourse particles do not express grammatical relationships; they convey the
speaker's attitude expressed by marking out a word as a topic contrasting it with
others, omitting or emphasizing it
Discourse particles are dependent on the context or the situation in which they
are used.
There are two groups of discourse particles.
(1) Topic particles: wa and mo
The topic particles wa and mo make a word the topic of the sentence, For
| instance, watashi, I and Tanaka-san, Miss Tanaka are the topics in the following
sentences.
Watashi wa Tookyoo e ikimasu. As for me, I will go to Tokyo.
| Tanaka-san mo Tookyoo e ikimasu. As for Tanaka-san, she will go to
Tokyo, too.
(2) Final particles
Added to the end of the sentence, final particles express the speaker's emotions
of doubt, emphasis, caution, hesitation, wonder, admiration and the like.
Tookyoo e ikimasu ka. Are (you) going to Tokyo?
Tookyoo e ikimasu ne. (You) are going to Tokyo, aren't you?
Tookyoo e ikimasu yo. (1) will go to Tokyo, you know.
Ka is used to signal a question, ne for soliciting the listener's agreement or
confirmation, and yo to indicate that the listener is being informed of something.
is our symbol for discourse particles. The contrast between the live fish
and the ‘skeleton illustrates how discourse particles are used to ent
h the basic
sentence structure with substance and feeling.
3) Connective particles
Connective particles link nouns or sentences:
Tookyoo to Yokohama e ikimasu.
I will go to Tokyo and Yokohama,
Ashita nichiyoobi na node, Tookyoo e ikimasu.
Twill go to Tokyo, as tomorrow is Sunday.
@ is our symbol for connective particles.
(19)5. The Japanese language and social relationships |
In Japan, as in many other parts of the world, language can be used to indicate
social position. The Japanese language has certain words and forms (grouped together
under the label ‘levels of speech’) which are used to express the social distance
between the speaker and the other participants in a conversation. This distance has two
dimensions: vertical and horizontal.
1) Vertical distance (Social status)
Traditional Japan was a strictly stratified society, with social status based upon
seniority and rank. While modern Japanese society has undergone profound changes,
resulting in a significant reduction of the privileges and power derived from social
status, expression of social status in speech is still taken seriously, even when the
subject of the conversation is not within earshot,
Both seniority and rank contribute to social status; in this book, we will, for the
sake of easy reference, refer to a ‘person of higher social status’ as a Higher, and a
‘person of lower social status’ as a Lower. Where appropriate, ‘senior’ and ‘junior’ will
also be used. Persons of equal social status/age will be referred to as Equals.
‘Honorific and humble forms’ (called keego in Japanese $L9, L10, L18, L19
Grammer Notes for details) can be matched with either style of speech when referring
to one’s interactions with a Higher.
casual style
—_ keego (honorific and humble forms)
formal style
For example, a university student will normally use casual speech when talking
with a student in a junior year or a close friend of approximately the same age or year,
but will use formal speech when addressing an older student or a teacher. Honorific and
humble forms combine with casual or formal speech when a teacher is referred to,
regardless of whether that teacher is present or not.
(20)In a university
Kimura sensee
(a teacher)
Suzuki-san
(a senior student)
Buraun-san, Tanaka-san,
Yamashita-san
(friends)
OO-san
(a junior student)
Similar usage can be observed in companies and most other social groups in Japan.
‘The major exception is the family, where during the past decades the use of formal
speech when addressing older siblings or parents has generally been abandoned.
However, honorific elements such as 0- or -san are still used for addressing senior
family members only.
In a company
jooshi (superiors)
dooryoo (colleagues)
buka (subordinates)
(21)Ina family
otoosan/okaasan (parents)
oniisan/oneesan (elder brothers
& sisters)
otooto/imooto (younger brothers
& sisters)
2) Horizontal distance
‘The Japanese traditionally have a strong sense of belonging to a group; this may
be their family, school, company or even their country. The term ‘ingroup’ (uchi) refers
to those who are considered to be members of the group with which one identifies in a
particular situation. ‘Outgroup’ (soto), on the other hand, refers to those perceived as
being outside this group. Thus, people of the same social status (Equals) can be quite
distant if they belong to a different group.
Horizontal distance is basically expressed through the use of formal speech,
although honorific and humble forms are frequently added. (An exception is when an
adult speaks to an outgroup child, a situation where casual speech is normally used
because of the marked difference in seniority.)
Outgroup
»
»
of
Ingroup A
formal
(22)In Japan group consciousness takes precedence over social status. Thus, honorific
s are never used to refer to an ingroup person when speaking to an outsider, even
form:
if the ingroup person is a Higher. Conversely, humble forms are used for referring to
members of one’s own group when talking to outsiders. For example, an employee will
normally refer to his company president using honorific forms when talking to a fellow
employee of the same company, but when speaking to an employee from another
company, he will use humble forms for his company president.
Depending on the ingroup/outgroup relationship between speaker and listener,
therefore, the same person can be accorded high or low social status.
Besides social status and the uchi/soto relationship, there are other factors
contributing to the choice of the speech level. These include the formality of the
situation in which the conversation takes place, the topic, and even the speaker's
emotional state. Speech levels are not predetermined but change in accordance with
yarious combinations of these factors,
(23)Compared with other aspects of learning the Japanese language, pronunciation is
relatively easy. This is because the language uses only five vowels, and each consonant
is generally followed by a vowel to form a basic unit of sound called a mora (a syllable
like unit)
Pronouncing Japanese like a native speaker, however, requires a mastery of the
Japanese sounds and moras as well as of pitch accent and intonation that only comes
with much time and patience. To achieve this goal, it is important that you make a
conscious effort to listen to as much Japanese as possible and constantly imitate what
you hear.
Here are some suggestions to help you learn the correct pronunciation. First,
listen carefully and repeatedly to the Japanese sounds until you are aware of the
differences between the sounds of Japanese and those of your mother tongue.
[1. Mora
The basic unit of Japanese pronunciation is called a mora. You may wonder what a
mora is: each mora corresponds to one beat in the regular staccato rhythm that
characterizes the pronunciation of Japanese words or sentences, and therefore takes
roughly the same amount of time to pronounce.
@_ One-mora words:
1. @ 2 @ 3. @
ha te me
i c »
@ _ Two-mora words:
1@@e@ 200 3086
imu too ha na
ay ton ae
® Three-mora words:
1.@e@e 28088 3:@0@@0806
ta ba ko rin go ki t te
Rows DAT ot
(24)@ four-mora words:
1.@@e@e@0@ 200080 3080080
a i sa tsu da i ga ku to shoka n
veo Hw Ww ¢ ELIDA
Note that the examples above include such diverse one-mora units as the second 0
in too, the n in ringo, the sho in toshokan, the first t in kitte, and the | in alsatsu
Since the words in each example have an equal number of beats, they take about
the same length of time to pronounce.
‘The standard dialect of Japanese can be written with about 100 distinct moras
(given below). Moras can be divided into six groups according to their structure:
1. Single vowels: a, i, u, @, 0
A consonant + a vowel: ka, ki, ku, ke, ko.
3. A semi-vowel that is /y/ or /w/ + a vowel: ya, yu, YO, Wa
‘A consonant + a semi-vowel +vowel: kya, kyu, kyo..
‘The single nasal consonant /N/: n in ringo, hantai
The first (voiceless) consonant of a double consonant:
The first t in kitte, k in gakkoo, p in shippai
os
1) The five single vowels
The Japanese vowel system is rather simple with its five vowels, whose sounds
remain unchanged regardless of their environment. How many vowels does your own
language have?
First listen carefully to the pronunciation of your teacher, then try imitating it
Can you hear the differences between Japanese vowels and those in your own language?
Rely on your auditory impression of each sound for learning the Japanese vowels.
1 /a/ is pronounced approximately like [a] in ‘up’
Tyas /i/ is pronounced approximately like [i] in ‘ear’
°34 /u/ is pronounced approximately like [wu] in ‘look’ but without
rounding the lips.
Rs /e/ is pronounced approximately like [e] in ‘pen’
33 /o/ is pronounced approximately like [o] in ‘short’ (but shorter,
than when pronounced in British English)
Note that two vowels and long vowels consist of two moras.
1@@ 2@@ 3@@ 14@@ 500 60 @
a ie ue oi oo ii
BS Bo
Sw war ZR BW2) Consonants with vowels
‘A Japanese consonant is usually followed by a vowel; together, these make up one
mora. Listen carefully to each mora, then try to imitate it as closely as you can. The
traditional order is as follows:
Chart 1. The 5 vowels and 63 consonant/vowel combinations
(including the 4 semi-vowel/vowel combinations)
ij 2 3 [4] 5 [6[7[ 8] 9
a |kal sa ta [na] ha ma] ya] ra| wa
ifki} shi | chi | ni} ni [mil - Jr] -
Csi) | ti)
u {ku} su tsu [nu] fu
(uu) Chu)
elke] se te |ne| he
o [ko] so to |no| ho
alternative form of romanization
if u [we 13
kog| soz [tod | bobop
ga | 2a | da | ba pa
gi ii - | bi pi
(‘zi)
gu | zu - | bu pu
ge | ze | de | be pe
go | 20 | do | bo po
(26)3) Semi-vowel/vowel combinations
See Chart 1. Column 7.
4) Consonant/semi-vowel/vowel combinations
Chart2, 33 C+S+V
kog | soz t a h pod | im r
kya sha cha nya hya pya mya rya
(sya) | Ctya)
kyu | shu | chu | nya | hyw | pyw | myw | ryu
(syu) | Ctyu)
kyo | sho | cho | nyo | hyo | pyo | myo | ryo
Csyo) | (tyo)
gya ja - - bya - -
(aya)
gyu iu i - byu - =
(ayu)
gyo jo - - byo = -
(ayo) |
5) The single nasal consonant /N/
‘The single nasal consonant /N/ makes up one mora by itself, Pronounced on its
own, /N/ is similar to the ‘ng’ sound in words like ‘going’ or ‘spring’ although it is
longer than the English sound.
Used only in combination with other sounds, /N/ is never found at the beginning
of a word; it is pronounced in different ways depending on the sound following it as
[m], [n], [p], or a nasal vowel.
(in the alternative Hepburn Romanization system, this sound is written as. ‘m'
when followed by ‘p’’b''m’, and as 'n’ when followed by other consonants. In this
textbook, we use 'n’ in romanization and A in Hiragana)
1. Pronounced as [m]
When followed by /p/, /b/ or /m/, /N/ is pronounced as [m].
{sampo] SAE a walk
[gambaru} WANES to do one’s best
(tfmmoku] BAS silence2. Pronounced as [n]
When followed by /t/, /d/, /n/ or /r/, /N/ is pronounced as [n]. When
followed by /s/, it also sounds quite close to [n].
[hontoo] ALF true
[honda] (EAE ‘person’s name
[honno] (EAD a little
(honrai] Ab originally
3. Pronounced as [y]
When followed by /k/ or /g/, it is pronounced as {y]
[kapgaeru] PAMRS to think
[degki] TAR electricity
4. When followed by a vowel or semi-vowel, /N/ gives the preceding vowel a
nasal quality,
[seNeN] AAA 1,000 yen
[kaNyo] DAL intervention
6) Double consonants
Double consonants are written as ‘pp’, ‘tt, ‘s:
‘kk’ in romanization, but in
hiragana the first consonant is written with a small >. This first consonant is
not released and makes up one mora itself.
Double consonants should be pronounced with special care, because in Japanese
the distinction between single and double consonants is very important, there being
many pairs of words that are distinguished only by this feature
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of your teacher. If you find double
consonants difficult to pronounce, try making a slight pause directly before the double
consonant to give yourself time to get ready for it.
shippai Lotta failure
matte EoT wait!
shikkari Lowry firmly
massugu got? straight on
(28)[2. Accent and intonation
1) Accent
Unlike English, which uses stress accent, Japanese uses pitch accent, which is
pased on the two relative pitch levels of high and low.
Try to establish a habit of listening closely to your teacher's pronunciation to pick
up the pitch levels.
In standard Japanese, there are four accent patterns:
1) Only the first mora of a word is low ; from the second mora onwards,
all moras are given high pitch.
When a word is followed by a particles such as ga, this particle too
stays on a high pitch.
2) The first mora is low and all following moras are high; however, a
following particle such as ga comes down to a low pitch
3) The first mora is low, one or more following moras high, and further
moras low.
4) Only the first mora is high; all ensuing moras are low.
On this page the mark ' is used to indicate where the pitch rises within a word
and the mark 1 to show where it falls.
ni Thongo EAS Japanese
ni"hongo de (MEATS in Japanese
yu Tubi! nkyoku WIDAEES post office
yu Tubi? nkyoku e DWIDARECN to the post office
yuFubilnkyoku desuka =WIUWAREC THA (Is it) the post office?
2) Intonation
Intonation plays an important role in communicating the speaker's feelings and
intentions toward the listener.
Falling intonation usually conveys the finality of a statement, while rising
intonation generally indicates a question
In this book, the mark 7 indicates rising intonation, whereas \ is used to show a
fall in intonation as illustrated in the examples below:
A: Tookyoo e ikimasu ka.7 EVELINOSETA. Will you go to Tokyo?
B: Ee, ikimasu.\ RA VEES. Yes, I will.
A: Soo desu ka. THTIM Really.
Further explanation on intonation will be given in ¥ ¢ 1B -2.Japanese is written in a combination of three scripts, Hiragana, Katakana and
Kanji. The Roman alphabet (Roomaji) is also sometimes used, largely for the
convenience of foreigners. Look at the following example:
Hiragana: OAL
Katakana: EWY
Kanji: HE
Roomaji: higashi
All of the above can be used to represent the Japanese word higashi, east.
Like Roomaji, both Hiragana and Katakana represent sounds. In theory, Japanese
sentences can be written in either Hiragana or Katakana only, but except for some
special cases such as childrens’ books or telegrams, Japanese is usually written in a
combination of Hiragana and Kanji, with an admixture of Katakana (and occasionally
Roomaji).
ROUMIEECH.
Watashi no namae wa Yamashita desu.
‘My name is Yamashita.
‘The underlined parts in the above sentence are Kanji, Whereas the letters of the
Roman alphabet generally represent a single sound, Hiragana and Katakana represent
moras or syllables. Kanji generally express even larger units, which can be equated
with basic units of meaning.
For example, the two-Kanji word #€F represents the sound kanji, which can be
analyzed into kan China/Chinese and ji character; the combination meaning Chinese
character(s). Kanji are therefore best understood as representing the sound of blocks of
meaning.
Roughly speaking, Kanji represent blocks of meaning, whereas Hiragana express
the grammatical relations between them.
Because of their different visual impact, this way of combining Kanji and Hiragana
in running text without any spaces between them (you may have already noticed this
from the above example) enables readers of Japanese to recognize word boundaries even
without spacing.
(30)t
1
Katakana are used to express words of foreign origin, much like italics or
ing in European languages. Look at the following example:
ROBMIEY AULT.
Kare no namae wa Sharuma desu.
His name is Sharma.
vunderlini
‘The underlined part | is in Katakana because Sharma is an Indian name.
Broadly speaking, Katakana are used for foreign words from countries other than those
also using Chinese characters, with the vast majority stemming from English
Nearly 2000 years ago, Kanji were introduced to Japan from China, Several
centuries later, Hiragana and Katakana developed from Kanji were to express Japanese
syllables phonetically. The following is an example of how Hiragana and Katakana were
derived from Kanji:
Kanji [ka] /Teuwa(eru)} ada
/™
* oh
\ ™
Katakana #% = Hiragana
Katakana were often formed from a part of a Kanji, whereas Hiragana resulted
from cursive abbreviation of an entire Kanji
We suggest that before you start this book you learn the 46 basic letters and
sounds of Hiragana, and learn how they are used in combination. Thereafter, you can
start learning the Katakana set.
In order to familiarize you with the way Japanese is written in Japan, Kanji and
Kana are used in this book. However, Kanji readings are indicated in Hiragana
alongside the Kanji. By way of a warm-up, the sentences in the Grammar Notes and
Conversation Notes are given in Kanji and Kana followed by romanization for the first
four lessons only.
If you wish to become proficient in reading and writing Japanese, you will have to
learn Kanji, Although thousands more are found in dictionaries, the number of Kanji for
Gaily use in Japan is now about 2,000; the basic 1,000 are sufficient to read about 90%
of the Kanji used in a newspaper.| 1. Hiragana
yr The basic 46
SS Combination with
alelslals small #. oy
al ij|ulelo ya yu yo
K)/m»)ae)]e]uje Se) kw] ee
ka | ki | ku | ke | ko kya | kyu | kyo
S| @&] uv) ) ee se Le | Le | Le
sa | shi | su | se | so sha | shu | sho
Tle] e}o}ele be | b0l/br
ta | chi | tsu | te | to cha | chu | cho
N)/ &@/) tet] alalo te iw lice
na | ni | nu | ne | no nya | nyu | nyo
H) we) Oo) & |) A | Oe | Ow | OE
ha | hi | fu | he | ho hya | hyu | hyo
M| El] &)& |) Oo) Ae | Aw | ae
ma | mi | mu | me | mo mya | myu | myo
Y) ? |e] mw) ALE
ya yu yo
R/5/o |S |r| 4 De | owl oe
ra | ri | mw | re | to tya | ryu | tyo
Wlo}e |) 5 | AL e
wa °
N| A
A
(32)Hiragana (Handwritten shapes)
x The basic 46
1 UE oO
A vx Combination with
H a) Z b small e. w. &
a i u e ° ya yu yo
K/Ov 3) < IT] z S| Sp) Se
ka | ki | ku | ke | ko kya | kyu | kyo
sJF/L Gt % Las Lp) Ly
sa shi su se so sha | shu | sho
rb ls) tle
w Tg |S |da 4a) D Sab] IS
fa | nt | su | ne | no nya | nyu | nyo
HEU Arla lle Uy Ow) Oy
ha | ni | fu | he | ho hya | hyu | hyo
wlE]H/ OO) +t Fts| utp] Oh
ma | om | mu | me | mo mya | myu | myo
roel bla l£
ya yu yo
RF 5|Y|ZlHI4 Ws} Jp] Ye
ra | ri | ww | re | ro rya | ryu | ryo
4Hiragana
sx With two dots ~
Gl[m|ae|)/o];}Rrye ¥e | Xo) Fz
ga | gi | gu | ge | go gya | gyu | gyo
Zz) S| ul |e) ze Ue | Uw |e
za | ji | zu | ze | zo ja | ju | jo
p/ xe |e) a) cle
da | ji | zu | de | do
Bi] we | wo] wR) S| We | Ow | OE
ba | bi | bu | be | bo bya | byu | byo
yx With a small circle °
p| ge | oe) & | L5GI
vo
tso
fo
kwo
(39)4. Hiragana exercises
[Exercise 1]
Swgjgan
aii eo ral is | s nee
u te is FZ pa
1. BW love 2. WR house 3. FA above
4. 39 to chase 5. BF to meet 6. SEV blue
7. RK picture 8. BBW many 9. WW good
10. WAR no
[Exercise 2] # 2 { HES 23 |e + Th) a
ka ki ku ke ko I YR z Mf >
V2
S ¥
1. &¢ to hear 2. to write 3. So here
4. Baw red 5. RB station 6. BA hill
7. UF pond 8. CA wice 9. & tee
10. FH to buy
(Exercise 3] & Lt & Ay? jatlsaylig
sa shi su se so ry ny “y act z
By $
1, FL sushi 2. BS moming 3. WH chair
4. 5% lie 5. BAL sweets 6. WS umbrella
7, EAM world 8. FS like 9. FOL alittle
10. Las salt
[Exercise 4] = Be < x [ae me lo Es
a chi tsu te to 2 )
23)°B pp
a C
1. °C hand 2, &B land 3. 72D to stand up
4. BW hot 5. Baa near 6. 72m expensive
7. TO iron 8. DR desk 9. Li under
10. ACD subway, underground (train)
(40)[exercise 5] %
. ete
yaw
md
10. BO
- tee
4. BE
7S
10. We
7. B®
ya
1, PE
4, wD
na ni
[Exercise 8] PW
ia
nu ne
seven
- BETS you
meat
cloth
[exercise 6] Wk O RW
ha hi
hu he
mother
person
box
flower/nose
1. oe
4. ER name
rain
10. datrie sleepy
DR
yu
mountain
dream
7. PFW cheap
. PEL
®
no
~ KE two
5. 43da_ money
iE
ho
[exercise 7] FAB wYw
ma mi mu me mo
&
yo
2.
5.
8.
easy/gentle
LR dog
. DO day/fire
» a ye8
- EL star
3. TIS what?
6. Smee fish
9. 4c cat
3. (BIE check
6. Anda ship
9. WB eight
3. WE now
6. Ot to drink
9. Sta cold
2
fe
WS snow
NP 100m
DEW strong
3. Kw to read
6. EW winter
9. PFA holiday[Exercise 9] 6 D0 BRD See Gee
ra ri mu re 10 lz ay 4 YA %
+
1. 6 sky 2. wa he 3. 3B to sleep
4. TH this 5. #
x
2 UL accident — 2. WME wind 3. LW quiet
» &U Gorclock 5. MEK family 6. OS knee
ReOCE = yy
da ji zu de do te b “)
= 7/Tt
- EZ where? 2. 788 who? 3. EGF please
- 5T am 5. COB exit 6. HAE university
wow A ra =
ba bi bu be bo me u 7 wey
AV AE
« SIE noodle 2. BRE pig 3. PS wall
+ LARA newspaper 5. WEIR SL native language
. FOES O Monday
Loe e a
mame ITY SAE
\
v
+ RAD pencil 2. WANE toast
+ SANZ a walk 4. SAKA 3 minutes(Exercise 17] Double consonants 2
ss-/-tt-/-kk-/-pp.
2?
1, SoU magazine 2. oT stamp
3. Ko& diary 4. FolA marriage
5, BoA ticket
[Exercise 18] Combination with small #, w. x?
Se SH Sr Fe XH FE
kya kyu kyo gya gyu gyo
Le Le» Lz Lew Uw Us
sha shu sho ja ju jo
be bw BE
cha chu cho
ke Ke KE
nya nyu nyo
1. BS guest 2, BaIaA last year
3. WL doctor 4. L@a& hobby
5. ULE dictionary 6. BES tea
7. Broek alittle 8. CAM &< a hind of Japanese food
9. POUE she 10. FRA fishing boat
[Exercise 19] Combination with small #, , 2 (continued) :
Oe Dw Br Te Ow Wr Te Bo OE
hya hyu hyo bya byu byo pya pyu pyo
Av Rw BE
mya myu myo
De Dw Dx
ya yu ryo
1, B&< 100 2. SAO < 300
3. BoBe< 600 4. SAAS mountain range
5. De abbreviation 6. LOE effort
7. 0®F=F fashion 8. DERA Japanese inn
(44)[exercise 20] Long [ee] sound:
Ab He te Te ale nv Oe hie
ee kee see tee nee hee mee ree
Fe #e te ne
gee zee dee bee
“Ae
pee j
1, AWO English 2. BIW watch/elock
3. HAR teacher 4, Tsar polite
5. Ned peace 6. OWL name card
7. SRW beautiful 8. FUER art
9. FSA tax 10. BANU South America
Exceptions: RA yes /BIARSA elder sister
[Exercise 21] _ Long [00] sound:
BI 55 25 £5 OF WG BI AI
00 ko soo too noo hoo moo roo
5 5 EG 1x5
goo zoo doo boo
15
nod poo
ZIV cleaning
%OF yesterday
1, W245 school
3. BYALA thank you
5. EFVD law WEIL younger sister
7. BIW corridor KBEIW Sunday
9. SF elephant 10. ‘CAIEF telegram
1. ASF number 12. EL hat, cap
Exceptions: BW many /BBEW big
CBS to freeze “COBY ice
EBS topassty ZAEBW far
BSW Osaka ete.
wanePre-Session
1. Predicates
2. Actual use of predicatesPredicates
Predicates conjugate according to whether they are
(1) plain (= non-polite) or polite,
(2) positive or negative,
(3) non-past or past.
This can be illustrated as follows.
1) verb “| (1) (2) (3)
2) -iadiective plain positive non-past
3) na adjective polite negative past
4) noun + da
Let's take a verb as an example. In step (1), you choose between the plain (=
non-polite) and polite forms. There are two speech styles in Japanese, casual (=
informal) and formal, from which you make a choice according to the relationship
between yourself (the speaker) and the listener.
‘The plain form is used in casual style sentences, while the polite form is used in
formal style sentences. Introduction I. Grammar
In_step (2). you choose between the positive and negative forms
In_step (3), you choose either the non-past or the past form. Use non-past for
describing a habitual action or state, or an action/state in the future. Use past for
actions or states that have already taken place.
(48)1) verb: ku (/)(will) go.
Positive Negative
Casual | Non-past | iku ikanai
style
(Plain) | Past ita ikanakatta
Formal | Non-past | ikimasu ikimasen
style
(Polite) | Past ikimashita ikimasen deshita
Formal style indicator: -mas-
Negative indicator: -na(i)- (casual style)
-masen- (formal style)
Past indicator: -ta-
2) -iadjective: omoshirol (It) is interesting.
Positive Negative
Casual | Non-past | omoshiroi omoshiroku nai
style r ~
(Plain) | Past omoshirokatta omoshiroku nakatta
Non-past | omoshiroi desu omoshiroku arimasen
Formal omoshiroku nai desu
style
(Polite) | Past omoshirokatta desu | omoshiroku arimasen deshita
omoshiroku nakatta desu
<-i adjective>
Formal style indicator: -des-
-mas- (negative)
Negative indicator: -na(i)- (casual style)
-arimasen- (formal style)
Past indicator: -ta
(49)3) na adjective: genkida (J) am well,
Positive Negative
Casual _|Non-past | genki da genki ja nai
style -
(Plain) | Past genki datta genki ja nakatta
Non-past | genki desu genki ja arimasen
Formal genki ja nai desu
style
(Polite) | Past genki deshita genki ja arimasen deshita
genki ja nakatta desu
4) noun + da: Yamada-san da It is Yamada-san.
Positive Negative
Casual | Non-past | Yamada-san da Yamada-san ja nai
style
(Plain) | Past Yamada-san datta | Yamada-san ja nakatta
Non-past | Yamada-san desu | Yamada-san ja arimasen
Formal Yamada-san ja nai desu
style
(Polite) | Past Yamada-san deshita | Yamada-san ja arimasen
deshita
Yamada-san ja nakatta desu
/
(50)
Formal style indicator: -des-
-mas-
Negative indicator: -ja na(i)- (casual style)
-jaarimasen- —_ (formal style)
Past indicator: -tafe. Actual use of predicates
Now that you are familiar with Japanese predicates, let's study them in natural
conversation.
1) Verb sentences (sentences which end in a verb)
[Examples]
Non-past
Question Answer
(casual) Iku.7 [>] (casual) Un, iku. (positive)
$$$ Uun, ikanai. (negative)
Will you go? Yes, I will go.
No, I won't go.
(formal) Ikimasu ka.7_ |-————~ (formal) Ee, ikimasu, (positive)
lie, ikimasen. (negative)
Past
Question Answer
(casual) Itta.7 f-—— (casual) Un, ita. (pos.)
Uun, ikanakatta. (neg.)
Did you go? Yes, I did go
No, I didn't go.
(formal) Ikimashita ka.7_ |] (formal) Ee, ikimashita. (pos.)
_ _—— lie, ikimasen deshita. (neg.)[Explanation]
‘The final particle ka is added to the end of a formal question. In a casual
question, ka is omitted; instead, rising intonation is used to signal the question. Avoid
using plain form+ ka, as in iku ka—it sounds rude.
Both un and ee mean yes. Ee(sometimes hai) is more polite than un.
Uun and iie mean no, but tie (sometimes pronounced ie) is politer than un.
The casual style is used between people who are close, such as family members or
g00d friends.
The formal style is used between speakers whose relationship is rather distant
and formal, such as between strangers or between a student and a teacher. When one
speaker is perceived to be of lower social status than the other (for instance, a junior
student at school, or a company employee of lower rank), styles often occur on a one-
way basis: the Lower will normally use the formal style towards the Higher, while the
Higher might use the casual style in return.
Non-past
Question Answer
(casual) Iku.7 (casual) Un, iku. (pos.)
Uun, ikani. (neg.)
(formal) Ikimasu ka.” (formal) Ee, ikimasu. (pos.)
lie, ikimasen. (neg.)
Past
Question Answer
(casual) Itta.7 (casual) Un, itta. (pos.)
Uun, ikanakatta. (neg.)
(formal) Ikimashita ka.* (formal) Ee, ikimashita. (pos.)
lie, ikimasen deshita. (neg.)
(52)2) Adjective sentences (sentences ending in an ~i adjective or a na adjective
(1) -i adjectives
[Examples]
Question Answer
(casual) Omoshiroi.7 |} + (casual) Un, omoshirol. (pos.)
Uun, omoshiroku nai. (neg.)
Is it interesting? Yes, it’s interesting.
No, it isn’t interesting.
(formal) Omoshiroi desu ka. |—+ (formal) Ee, omoshiroi desu. (pos.)
lie, omoshiroku arimasen.
(neg.)
omoshiroku nai desu.
Past
Question
Answer
(casual) Omoshirokatta.*
(casual) Un, omoshirokatta. (pos.)
Uun, omoshiroku nakatta.
(neg.)
Was it interesting?
Yes, it was interesting.
No, il wasn’t interesting.
(formal) Omoshirokatta desu ka.7
Co
(formal) Ee, omoshirokatta desu. (pos.)
lie, omoshiroku arimasen
deshita.(neg.}
omoshiroku nakatta desu.
(53)[Explanation]
Just as with verb sentences, ka is usually omitted in a casual question using an
adjective sentence, too.
Desu is added to the plain form of an -i adjective to make the polite form.
The casual and formal styles can occur together as follows:
Non-past
Question Answer
(casual) Omoshirol.7 (casual) Un, omoshiroi. (pos.)
Uun, omoshiroku nai. (neg.)
(formal) Omoshiroi desu ka.”
(formal) Ee, omoshiroi desu. (pos.)
lie, omoshiroku arimasen.
(neg.)
omoshiroku nai desu.
Past
Question Answer
(casual) Omoshirokatta.* (casual) Un, omoshirokatta. (pos.)
Uun, omoshiroku nakatta.
(neg.)
(formal) Omoshirokatta desu ka.7
(54)
(formal) Ee, omoshirokatta desu. (pos.)
lie, omoshiroku arimasen
deshita.(neg.)
omoshiroku nakatta desu.(2) na adjectives
1 [ Examples)
Non-past
Question Answer
(casual) Genki.7 |} (casual) Un, genki (pos.)
Uun, genki ja nai, (neg.)
Are you well? Yes, I’m well.
No, I'm not well.
(formal) Genki desu ka.7 |} (formal) Ee, genki desu. (pos.)
lie, genki ja arimasen. neg.)
genki ja nai desu.
Past
Question Answer
(casual) Genki data.» | (casual) Un, genki datta. (pos.)
Uun, genki ja nakatta. (neg.
Were you well? Yes, I was well
No, I wasn't well.
(formal) Genki deshita ka.7 |+—| (formal) Ee, genki deshita. (pos.)
lie, genki ja arimasen
deshita.(neg.)
genki ja nakatta desu[Explanation]
Do not use genki da ka” or genki ka in a casual question, because it sounds
very rude. Da is also normally omitted in casual positive answers.
Casual and formal styles occur together as follows.
Non-past
Question Answer
(casual) Genki.7 (casual) Un, genki. (pos.)
Uun, genki ja nai. (neg.)
(formal) Genki desu ka.7 (formal) Ee, genki desu. (pos.)
lie, genki ja arimasen. —(neg.)
genki ja nai desu
Past
Question Answer
(casual) Genki datta.7 (casual) Un, genki datta. (pos.)
Uun, genki ja nakatta. neg.)
(formal) Genki deshita ka.7 (formal) Ee, genki deshita. (pos.)
(56)
lie, genki ja arimasen
deshita.(neg.)
genki ja nakatta desu.3) Noun sentences (sentences ending in noun + da)
Noun + da works in the same way as a na adjective in both the casual and the
formal styles.
[Examples]
Non-past
Question Answer
(casual) Yamada-san.7_ |») (casual) Un, Yamada-san. (pos.)
LI Uun, Yamada-san ja nai. (neg.)
Is it Yamada-san? Yes, it’s Yamada-san,
No, it isn't Yamada-san.
(formal) Yamada-san desu ka.” [+ (formal) Ee, Yamada-san desu. (pos.)
lie, Yamada-san ja arimasen.
(neg.)
Yamada-san ja nai desu.
Past
Question Answer
(casual) Yamada-san datta.7. | —~ (casual) Un, Yamada-san data. (pos.)
Uun, Yamada-san ja nakatta.
(neg.)
“Was it Yamada-san? Yes, it was Yamada-san,
No, it wasn't Yamada-san,
(formal) Yamada-san deshita ka.7 || (formal) Ee, Yamada-san deshita. (pos.)
ss lie, Yamada-san ja arimasen
deshita.(neg.)
Yamada-san ja nakatta desu.
(s7)[Explanation]
Casual and formal styles occur together as follows.
Non-past
Question
Answer
(casual) Yamada-san.7
(casual) Un, Yamada-san. (pos.)
Uun, Yamada-san ja nai. (neg. )
(formal) Yamada-san desu ka.7
(formal) Ee, Yamada-san desu. (pos.)
lie, Yamada-san ja arimasen.
(neg.)
Yamada-san ja nai desu.
Past
Question
Answer
(casual) Yamada-san datta.7
(casual) Un, Yamada-san data. (pos.)
Uun, Yamada-san ja nakatta.
(neg.)
(formal) Yamada-san deshita ka.7
(formal) Ee, Yamada-san deshita. (pos.)
lie, Yamada-san ja arimasen
deshita.(neg.)
Yamada-san ja nakatta desu.
(58)Midori Tanaka
>.
a
r
)
ra
Lisa Brown
oh
Tadashi Suzuki
Characters in Model Conversations
He is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at the
University of Matsumi. He is Yamashita and Sharma's academic
advisor. He is 54 years old and married. He has two daughters.
He is in the first year of the Ph.D. course in Computer Science. He
is 25 years old and single. He is reliable and hardworking. He
lives in an apartment house near the university.
He is a research student now and going to sit for the entrance
examination for the Ph.D. course in Computer Science next year.
He is 27 years old and married. His wife and one year-old baby
are now in their country, India, He is a hardworking and logical
type. He lives in the dormitory.
She is in the first year of the M.A. course in Business Administ.
ration, but she is using computers for statistical analysis and
comes to Prof. Kimura's office. She is 23 years old and single. She
is frank, active and cheerful, She likes Yamashita-san. She lives in
the dormitory.
She is British and she is in the first year of the M.A. course in
Business Administration. She is learning statistical analysis by
using computers together with Tanaka-san. She is 24 years old
and single. She is a quiet and naive woman, so she sometimes feels
puzzled when Suzuki-san forces his attentions on her.
He is an assistant in the Department of Computer Science and
Yamashita's senior. He is 30 years old and single. He is
aggressive and sometimes overconfident but good-natured and
optimistic. He likes Lisa. He is a member of the university chorus
club.Human Relationships and Situations
in the Model Conversations
University
Reception party L1
Dormitory L4, LS
Dormitory office L6
Professor's office L8
Library L15
Seminar room L20, 123, L24
a
Yamashita
Tanaka
Lisa Brown
M.A. course in
Business Administration
Professor Kimura
Ph.D. course in
Computer Science
Prof. Kimura's wife
AW,
Prof. Kimura's home L19
Anil
Sharma
Post office L2
Restaurant L3
Hospital L9, L22
Neighbour
Apartment house L21
Department store L10
Bookshop L11
Road L12
Coffee shop L13, L17
® Phoning
Hospital L7
Bus company office L14
Taxi company L16
Prof. Kimura's home L18
(60)MITTS
Leja
Introducing people
OBJECTIVES:
GRAMMAR
and: connective particle
CONVERSATION
1. Formal introductions
2, Addressing people
3. Short questions and responses
4. Aizuchi
S-1. How to start a conversation —1. At a party
S-2. How to introduce yourself or others
S-3. How to end a conversation —1. After a meetingModel Conversation |
Characters : Professor Kimura (#4), Yamashita (INF), Anil Sharma (70 +
yxy)
Situation —: Yamashita-san meets his academic advisor Kimura-sensee at a reception,
Kimura-sensee introduces Sharma-san, a student from India to him.
Flow-chart :
Starting a conversation At the party
4
Introduction
4
Talking about one’s country
| and area of specialization
4
—K-F4-T—
KH 1 HS, ECA. Stoke
WF tiki
}, He. CAB IS,
AH FCA bide
* * *
AR NECA, C65. TY ROTH YeNesA,
Pele CHELT. Tabs Ye wvtto
WF t4. 27d.
* OH XUVEA, FHEOWMRBOUP CATT.
WR HlFtr. EFTLALS
aM EZRLALA
* * *
WoF Aka, 7
DRT Ta ye eety
Var EWA TC REV.
WF dy be, Yee eh, bO, BUElie
DeWTi4 yuk CH.fire Introducing people
LEITH Mo CBM.
rayvta-ICH.
db, 18 bY ea-YEAT HL.
LEACH LAL BHMMYLEF.
PoBHIE, LOL.
i
ion, * 7 x
Lene, VASA, Eko
PHT ido Vey RULES.
UDELT.
Jaw yey
CH. HIE
arm
WE SAR AAKFOKEROLE TH. IF SADMMIEI YK a-7T
Fo Ve VSAI Y FOREACH. Ye VSADBMbIY Kay
THe FEAL Ye VP EAA EE OMREOFE TT| Words in the conversation
R-FA- paatii party
bb Oh
WS A PELECA Yamashita-kun (addressing people)
me yes
b Oh (used when noticing something
/ someone)
Te Ast professor, teacher
cob this (polite)
4yF Indo India
YHUssr Sharuma SA. Sharma-san (addressing people)
cr is/am/are
3b my, our
RE WASeILD seminar, professor's office
te then, in that case
5D Um (often used before addressing
a stranger.)
bE BMI someone else's country (43 is for
politeness)
cary SHA GA someone else's field of study (= is
also for politeness)
avta-y konpyuuta computer, computer science
(eC I (casual, used by male speaker)
BE again
broke (Come here) for a moment.
Bk Ea little is used here as an attention getter. DLE 2BIL.
b. Kk Oh, professor.
is a kind of interjection. DE & H1BI3
5e"E is used to refer to teachers, doctors, and politicians, but not normally
to indicate teacher as an occupation. For that, 3fii (kyooshi) may be used.
Scen2zTTS Introducing people
A: BBs What is your job?
Bi BRORM CT. T'm a high school teacher.
rable. Good afternoon. /Hello.
(lit. Today (is a good day).) SCN S-1
UBELT. How do you do?
Used when meeting for the first time, COCN S-2
Lib. Nice to meet you. /Thanks. /Sorry.
/Please./ete.
A handy expression for greetings, thanks, apology, requests, ete.
DLBCN S-2
LIEESLS« Glad to meet you. (lit. Please be kind (to
‘me.)) CN1,S-2
RAL Well. /Let me see,
Used when hesitating before replying. > 1BI3
~EMA TK ES. Please call me~. &> CN S-2
ZUTTM SW I see. /Really? /Is that so?
Pronounced with falling intonation. With rising intonation, it becomes a
question. >CN4
~ ATT. You see, ~/I'm telling you~
~ATCPF is used to emphasize that one is giving an explanation.
DLSGNV ,L7GNI
SOLS BHVLET. I'm glad to meet you.
This is a polite way of saying ¥ @KAUL<. OCN1,S-2
Chbce And you.
This is used not only for greetings but also for requests, thanks, apology,
ete,
DM ALEAELALK. I'm glad to meet you.
Bicbhece, LALKe I'm glad to meet YOU.
@ AL &4sHNAEF. Thank you.
BIcb6rz, Thank YOU.
@ A:tAEA, I'm sony.
Biz, THEI, FAERA. No, no. Lam sony.ENUe, Eke See you again. CN S-3
SHNUe/Le DFE wBIZ
RLLES. Please excuse me. &>CN S-3
A polite way of saying goodbye. This phrase is used when one leaves a
meeting, ends a telephone conversation, etc.
— Words in the report ———
BAKE LOAD Matsumi University
Keb AAT CWA graduate school
Pe ASK EV student
BEE Dw aascatye foreign student
AACE AbotaAty Prof. KimuraZz
[ Explanation]
(1/You/He/She) am/are/is a student. is expressed in Japanese as:
PETH
Gakusee desu.
Desu (and da, the plain form of desu) is equivalent to English am / are / is.
‘The negative form of desu is ja arimasen (or the more formal de wa arimasen).
PELESYV ETA.
Gakusee ja arimasen. (1/You/He/She) am/are/is not a student.
PETES) EtA.
Gakusee de wa arimasen.
‘To make the statement a question, add ka to the end of the sentence:
PETIT. Am /are /is (I/you / he / she) a student?
Gakusee desu ka
The following is a table showing the polite and plain forms of [N] desu.
Polite and plain forms of [N] desu
Non-past Past
Positive Negative Positive Negative
Polite |(N] desu | [N] ja arimasen [N] ja arimasen deshita
[N] de wa arimasen [N] de wa arimasen deshita
Plain | [N] da IN] ja nai {N] data | [N] ja nakatta
IN] de wa nai [N] de wa nakattaae (fand <1
liscourse particles
Examples
DQ YAVTSAR FETT. Sharma-san is a student.
Sharuma-san wa gakusee desu.
Q KASABPELP HY ETA. Kimura-san isn't @ student.
Kimura-san wa gakusee ja arimasen,
QD TIVVSEASPETH. Brown-san is also a student.
Buraun-san mo gakusee desu.
[Explanation]
1. wa: topic particle
Attach wa to the word you want to talk about and put it at the beginning of the
sentence, then add a comment or question, Let’s call this a topic sentence. Look at the
following illustration.
Topic Comment
| Watashi wa = gakusee desu.
As for me, Tam a student,
~ Sharuma desu,
Tam Sharma.
[Kuni wa = A. Indo desu,
As for my country, itis India,
A Amerika ja arimasen.
it isn't America.
Senmon wa ——
As for his field,
o
Sharuma-san wa =
As for Sharma-san,
nan desu ka.
what is it?
|
gakusee desu ka.
ts he a student?[N] wa is often omitied when it is understood from the situation. Topic sentences
such as Watashi wa gakusee desu can be translated simply as I am a student. as long
TS Introducing people
‘as the topic is not stressed (by intonation). <>L2GNIIl, L3GNI, LAGNA
2. mo: also
Mo also, too, can also be used to make a word a topic. All you need to do is to
replace wa with mo.
lL. VAM SAREETH. Sharma-san is a student.
Sharuma-san wa gakusee desu,
2. TIVLELOPETHS Broun-san is also a student.
Buraun-san mo gakusee desu.
3. VYUTSABAELS SV EA. —Sharma-san isn't a teacher.
Sharuma-san wa sensee ja arimasen.
4. TIVYEASKEULS SY EVA. — Brown-san isn't a teacher, either.
Buraun-san mo sensee ja arimasen.
Il. Question sentences
— Examples
D ALY VVSARMEETID. Is Sharma-san a foreign student?
Sharuma-san wa ryuugakusee desu ka.
BlAR, BEECH. Yes, he’s a foreign student.
Ee, ryuugakusee desu.
DUA, HEELS HY ETA. No, he isn’t a foreign student.
lie, ryuugakusee ja arimasen.
Q ASM CHA. What's your field of study?
Senmon wa nan desu ka.
Biayta-yct. It’s computer science.
Konpyuuta desu.[Explanation]
1, Yes/No questions
@ is called a Yes/No question, because it requires an answer that begins with ee
(or the more formal hai) yes in a positive response, or lie (or ie, a short form of ile)
‘no in a negative one. The answer is then completed with [N] desu, / [N] ja arimasen,
DCNIC,E & H2AW
Note that in © Sharuma-san wa, the topic, is omitted in B's answer. It is usual to
omit (N] wa when answering a question beginning with [N] wa, because the topic is
understood from the context. S>CN3
Sharuma-san wa
ryuugakusee
Ee, ryuugakusee
desu.
desu ka.
You can also simply answer Soo desu That's right. (lit. It is so.), or Soo ja
arimasen (lit. It’s not so.); in a negative response you can also use Chigaimasu That's
incorrect. (lit. It's different.)
AL YA UPSALMPEETT AY
Sharuma-san wa ryuugakusee desu ka.
Is Sharma-san a foreign student?
Bizz, FHTH.
Ee, soo desu.
Yes, he is.
VA, SIULHV EtAe SVR, SAVES,
Tie, soo ja arimasen. /lie, chigaimasu.
No, he isn't.
Avoid addressing the listener with anata wa you, which is felt to be too direct.
Instead, use the name with san attached,
This means that the sentence Sharuma-san wa gakusee desu ka can have two
meanings:
10TTS __ Introducing people
(1) when Sharma-san is a listener,
‘Sharuma-san wa gakusee desu ka.
a1) &
a \
ae
Sharma-san, are you a student?
(2) when Sharma-san is a third person,
‘Sharuma-san wa gakusee desu ka.
Is Sharma-san a student?
Watashi and watakushi are equivalent in
meaning, but the latter is more formal.
2. nan; dare/donata; doko/dochira: question words
The question word nan means what? and dare/donata mean who?, donata being a
polite equivalent of dare. Doko/dochira mean where? or which direction?, dochira being
a polite equivalent of doko.
Question words are used as follows.
A: Senmon wa nan desu ka. What's your field of study?
+
B: Koogaku desu. (My field of study is) engineering.
‘A: Sensee wa donata desu ka. Who is your teacher?
4
B: Kimura-sensee desu. It's Kimura-sensee.
A: Okuni wa dochira desu ka. Which country are you from?
4 (lit. Where is your country?)
Be Amerika desu. America. (lit. It's America.)
1| ¥, <1: maditying nouns
|
Examples —
D YrUVSALLY FOFETH.
Sharuma-san wa Indo no gakusee desu.
Sharma-san is a student from India.
@ BoOGMsavesa—y¥ ct.
Watashi no senmon wa konpyuuta desu,
My field of study is computer science
[Explanation} |
The combination [N] no [N] has a variety of meanings, which result from the
relationship between the first (modifying) noun and the second (modified) noun.
Witness the following examples:
(modifying) [N] + no + (modified) [NV
{od
watashi no | kamera ‘my camera
Sharuma-san | no | senmon Sharma-san’s field of study 1
Sharuma-san | no | kuni Sharma-san's country
Indo no | ryuugakusee a foreign student from India
Indo no | Sharuma-san Sharma-san from India |
Nihongo no | sensee a teacher of Japanese
daigakuin no | gakusee 4 postgraduate student
tomodachi | no | Buraun-san my friend Brown-san
No can also join three or more nouns:
Yokohama daigaku | no | kyooiku | no | sensee
@ teacher of education at Yokohama University
12‘79S Introducing people
_——_.!|,.—M
1, CHUA Y FOYA VTECH.
Kochira wa Indo no Sharuma-san desu.
This is Sharma-san from India.
2 YRUPSEAOKEELEE THD.
Sharuma-san no sensee wa donata desu ka,
Who is your (Sharma-san's) teacher?
; lv. @® ECA) Ua someaWelparlce)|
The connective particle to and links nouns. It cannot be used to join whole
sentences
sensee to gakusee
a teacher and a student
Sharuma-san to Buraun-san to Kimura-sensee
Sharma-san, Brown-san and Kimura-sensee
YAWLELETFIIYEAAPETT.
Sharuma-san to Buraun-san wa ryuugakusee desu,
Sharma-san and Brown-san are foreign students.
13
1, Formal introductions (Casual introductions S>L11CN2)
a. In Japanese speech, there are several levels of formality. Compare the following
expressions:
EGTA BBV LET. Tm very glad to meet you. (very formal
Doozo yoroshiku onegai shimasu. expression used to a Higher Of)
EALSBMULET. (to a Higher 8)
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
EXTEALS. (to an Equal BI)
Doozo yoroshiku.
ALK. (to a Lower @))
Yoroshiku.
v ‘
iL
b. 4 or Zean be attached to the front of some nouns as a formal way of saying your
(country), your (research), ete, Although there are some exceptions, 43 is normally used
with native Japanese words and Z'with words of Chinese origin. See the following
examples:
BM BCI okuni someone else’s country
BAW BEEZ onamae someone else's name
BEF BLOE oshigoto someone else’s job
CHP CAA gosenmon someone else's profession
CMR CAS wF gokenkyuu someone else's research
Note that 43 and & cannot be used for yourself, but they can be used for third
persons:
14FS Introducing people
—\—™__.___————
O YrvVSAORMEI YE CH.
Sharuma-san no okuni wa Indo di
Sharma-san's country is India,
xX BOBMIEIY ECS.
Watashi no okuni wa Indo desu.
O WHKEO TMI YE 2—F THY ETA.
Yamada-sensee no gosenmon wa konpyuuta dewa arimasen.
Yamada-sensee's specialization is not computer science.
X BOCMMIAYE2—¥ THY ZttAd
‘Watashi no gosenmon wa konpyuuta dewa arimasen.
You may see the Kanji # used for both 43 and ; the expressions below are
examples where ## does not mean your etc. but makes the word it is attached to more
polite:
APR BCHSW — otearai toilet
PBA CHALW — goannai information
c. Business cards called %4#) (meeshi) are exchanged when business people and
other persons, such as administrators and university professors are introduced to each
other:
&
Ps wm
x WLAFLS AH
a P
x
coe i. mt BR Ez
aN
~ 305-1059 a LRAT |
ip TRL (One) S24
| University of Matsumi
J ‘School of Engineering
Prof. KIMURA Ichiro assistant
address 1+ SUZUKI Tadashi
{telephone number
15In formal situations Japanese people bow to each other when meeting and taking
leave. This bow is called UX (ojigi). The best way to perfect your ojigi is to
observe the way the Japanese do it. Recently, shaking hands is also common when
Japanese meet foreigners, although you will find that bowing and shaking hands will
often occur simultaneously!
2. Addressing people
a. When addressing people, ~ & A (Mr./Mrs./Miss etc.) can be attached either to
their family name or to their first name.
O yxweSA — Sharumasan Mr. Sharma
O T=VEA Aniru-san Anil
O MSA Tanaka-san Miss/Mrs. Tanaka
O BEDSA Midori-san Midori
However, you cannot attach SA to your own name:
xX MY VeSATT.
Watashi wa Sharuma-san desu,
b. ~¢ A: is used to address men who are younger or the same age as the speaker in
a relationship of familiarity. Kimura-sensee calls Yamashita IF ¢ A because he knows
Yamashita well, At the moment, he is using ~ & A for addressing Sharma, but once he
has become more familiar with Sharma, he may well switch to ~¢ A.
*NOTE* = ~%* A is often attached to children's names when calling them by
their given names. For example, a mother may call her son Yoshio &L
85 © A, or perhaps use the contraction kobe A.
© @2 @
WED @
o>
Yoshio Yoshio
©. When referring to teachers, professors, doctors and so on, ~J@/E is attached to
their family names. For such a person, Jé4& is normally used on its own:
16“3% Introducing people
@ ~~ Student: WEOT YP. 7 What is your specialization?
Sensee no gosenmon wa.
Professor: T¥ta—-¥TH. It's computer science.
Konpyuuta desu.
When two professors are present, it is better to use their names to make it clear
which one you are addressing:
@_— Student: AAAEOO UME. 7
Kimura-sensee no gosenmon wa.
What is your specialization, Kimura-sensee?
ProfessorK: 2v¥a-—¥THo.
Konpyuuta desu.
It’s computer science.
Student: HMPAEOC ETE. 7
Tanaka-sensee no gosenmon wa.
How about you, Tanaka-sensee?
Professor T: CH.
Keezai desu.
Economics.
3. Short questions and responses |
a. Short questions
When asking information about someone's country, field of study and such like, a
shortened form of question is often used, omitting the part in rounded brackets. This
leaves just the topic, which is said with rising intonation:
BME (LGGTIAD). 7 — (Where is) your country?
Okuni wa (dochira desu ka)
CHP CATHAY). 7 — (What is) your field of study?
Gosenmon wa (nan desu ka).
FEE (L%7T HFA). 7 (Who is) your professor?
Sensee wa (donata desu ka)
*NOTE* question sentences/question words GNI
|