Related Grammar

General concept

• Flexible structure
• Long form (Dictionary Form) v.s. short form (Plain Form or Informal Form)
  • Informal Rules in Japanese Conversations
• 動詞の (Verb Short Form + の) => Noun

Verb categorization

• Based on forms
• Based on semantic characteristics

Present tense

• Present tense: Verbs
• Present tense:い-Adjectives and な-Adjectives
• Action in Progress: Activities verb (動作動詞) + ている
• もう～ました (Mou ~ Mashita): Have already
• まだ～でいません (Mada ~ Deimasen): Have not … yet

Past tense

• Past tense of “X は Y です
• Past tense: Verbs
• Past tense: い-adjective and な-adjective
• Past tense (short form): Verbs
• Past tense (short form) い-adjective
• Past tense (short form) な-adjective and noun
• Short Form Past Tense in Informal Japanese
• Past Tense (short form) in Informal Japanese

Negative form

• Negative form of a statement: じゃないです
• Past tense negative (short form): Verb
• Past tense negative (short form): Verb/Adj/Noun

Verb conjugations

• て-Form
  • Make request: てください (Te Kudasai)
  • Combine Verbs in a Sequence To Describe 2 Activities
  • Connect Verbs Loosely
  • Expressing Permission: てもいいです (Temooi desu)
  • Expressing Strong Prohibition: Te-Form + はいけません (Te-Form + Wa Ikemasen)

Pronouns

• これ/それ/あれ/どれ
• この/その/あの/どの

Adjectives

• Modify noun with adjectives
• Noun Modification with Verbs in Japanese
• 好きな and 嫌いな + N
• [Name]さん は [Body Part] が [Adjective] です

Adverbs

• Degree adverbs

Quantity

• Quantity Word たくさん
• Counting Flat Objects with 枚
• Counting people

Questions

• だれの
• 何か (Nanika) and 何も (Nanimo)
• でしょうか
  • でしょうか (deshou ka) with Short Form Predicates

Particles

• は: Topic Marker

• が: Subject Particle
  • は (Wa) and が (Ga)
• が: Question Words
• が: Answer to a question that seeks to identify a specific noun

• を: Mark the direct object of a transitive verb

• で: Indicate the location
• で: with Nouns for Means of Transportation and Instruments

• に: Location of an action, specifying a time
• に: Time reference

• へ: Expressing a general or less specific destination

• も: Show “too, also”
• も: Common Attributes or Shared Actions

• の: Placeholder to avoid repetition
• の: Possessive Usage

• や: to connect nouns, for listing examples

Ending words to express …

• Seek confirmation, agreement, or approval from the listener: ~ね/~よ
• An invitation or make a suggestion: ませんか
• Offering Assistance: ましょうか (Mashouka)
• Suggesting a Plan of Action: ましょう / -ましょうか
• Occupation or Habit
• Like/Dislike: すき(な) and きらい(な)
  • Strong Like/Dislike: 大好きです and 大嫌いです
  • Expressing Neutrality: 好きでも嫌いでもないです (Suki demo kirai demo nai desu)
• Convey what someone is thinking: と思います / ないと思います
  • Past Tense Short Form in Quoted Speech with ~と思います
• Convey the content of what was said: と言っていました
  • Past Tense Short Form in Quoted Speech with ~と言っていました
• Requesting Someone to Refrain from Doing Something: でください
• なければいけません and なきゃいけません can’t go without doing … / must …
  • Changing いけません to いけませんでした and Shortening to なきゃ for casual ton

Location related expressions

• ここ/そこ/あそこ/どこ
• Location words

Time related expressions

• Frequency Adverbs
• Bare Nouns and 時間 (Jikan)
• ぐらい to represent approximations duration

Express comparisons

• Aのほうが Bより (property): A is more (property) than B
• AとBと どちらのほう/どっちのほうが (property)。= Between A and B, which is more (property)?
• {AとBとC/Category X}の中でAがいちばん(property)。= A is the most (property) [among (the group of items/category X)]
• Using なる for Relative Change with Comparison

Express intension

• つもり to express one’s intentions and plans for future actions
• つもり + Past Tense: non-materialized intention

Express desire

• Verb Stem + たいです (tai desu) for Expressing “I Want to Do…
  • Variation in Particles with Verb + たい (tai) for Expressing Desire
  • When using Verb Stem + ない (nai) to Express Desire: Present and Past Forms is like い-adjective
  • Using ない + といっていました (nai + to itteimashita) to Report Someone Else’s Wishes
  • Using たがっている (tagatteiru) to Describe your observation on someone’s Desire

Express experience

• Using ～ことがある (~koto ga aru) to Describe Past Experiences
  • Responding to Questions with “ことがありますか” (koto ga arimasu ka)

Express status change

• い-Adjectives + くなる to Express ‘To Become’

• な-Adjectives/Nouns + になる to Express ‘To Become’

• 何か (Nanika) and 何…も (Nani…mo) for Expressing “Something” and “Not Anything”

• だれか (Dareka) and だれ…も (Dare…mo) for Expressing “Someone” and “Not Anyone”

• どこか (Dokoka) and どこ…も (Doko…mo) for Expressing “Somewhere” and “Not Anywhere”

Express explanation

• Using Short Form + んです (n desu) for Explanation
• Using んです in Questions for Clarification
• Using んです for Providing Additional Information or Explanation
• ので to give a reason or explanation for the situation
  • ので with な-Adjectives and Nouns

Other expressions…

• Expressing Existence: があります / います
• Explain Reasons or Causes: から (Kara)
• Adjective/Noun Te-forms for Joining Sentences
• Express the action of going somewhere in order to do the verb’s action: Verb Stem + に行く
• 動詞の + が好きです/“が嫌いです
  • 動詞の + が上手です/が下手です
• から (Kara) for Explanation in Japanese Grammar
• Using たり…たりする (tari…tari suru) to Express “Do A and B
• Using すぎる to Indicate Excess
• Using ほうがいいです to Give Advice