Genki Chapter 10 Grammar

10.1.1 Aのほうが Bより (property): A is more (property) than B

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Usage: This grammatical structure is used in Japanese to compare two nouns or adjectives and express that one has a higher degree of a certain property than the other. It is often used when making comparisons or preferences.

Examples:

• この車のほうがあの車より速いです。 (Kono kuruma no hō ga ano kuruma yori hayai desu.) - This car is faster than that car.

• この本はあの本より面白いです。 (Kono hon wa ano hon yori omoshiroi desu.) - This book is more interesting than that book.

• 私の家のほうが彼の家より大きいです。 (Watashi no ie no hō ga kare no ie yori ōkii desu.) - My house is bigger than his house.

• このレストランの料理はあのレストランの料理より美味しいです。 (Kono resutoran no ryōri wa ano resutoran no ryōri yori oishii desu.) - The food at this restaurant is tastier than the food at that restaurant.

• あの山のほうがこの山より高いです。 (Ano yama no hō ga kono yama yori takai desu.) - That mountain is taller than this mountain.

10.1.2 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)?

Usage: This Japanese grammatical structure is used to compare two items or options and inquire which one possesses a specific property to a greater degree. It’s a way to ask a question to determine a preference or characteristic of the two options.

Examples:

• この店とあの店、どちらのほうが安いですか？ (Kono mise to ano mise, dochira no hō ga yasui desu ka?) - Between this store and that store, which one is cheaper?

• この車とあの車、どっちのほうが速いですか？ (Kono kuruma to ano kuruma, docchi no hō ga hayai desu ka?) - Between this car and that car, which one is faster?

• 彼女と彼、どちらのほうが優れていますか？ (Kanojo to kare, dochira no hō ga sugureteimasu ka?) - Between her and him, who is more outstanding?

• この本とあの本、どちらのほうが面白いですか？ (Kono hon to ano hon, dochira no hō ga omoshiroi desu ka?) - Between this book and that book, which one is more interesting?

• このレストランとあのレストラン、どちらのほうが有名ですか？ (Kono resutoran to ano resutoran, dochira no hō ga yūmei desu ka?) - Between this restaurant and that restaurant, which one is more famous?

10.2 {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)]

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Usage: This Japanese grammatical structure is used to express that among a group of items or options, A possesses a certain property to the highest degree. It’s a way to emphasize that A is the most of a particular quality among the specified options.

Examples:

Certainly, here are more examples using the grammar pattern:

1. スポーツの中で、どれが一番楽しいと思いますか？

   • サッカーが一番楽しいと思います。 (Among sports, which one do you think is the most enjoyable?
   • I think soccer is the most enjoyable.)

2. このクラスの中で、誰が一番優秀だと思いますか？

   • 田中さんが一番優秀だと思います。 (Among the students in this class, who do you think is the most outstanding?
   • I think Mr. Tanaka is the most outstanding.)

3. あの映画館の中で、どの映画が一番人気ですか？

   • スパイダーマンが一番人気です。 (Among the movies in that movie theater, which one is the most popular?
   • Spider-Man is the most popular.)

4. これらの曲の中で、どの曲が一番懐かしいですか？

   • 「Yesterday」が一番懐かしいです。 (Among these songs, which one is the most nostalgic?
   • “Yesterday” is the most nostalgic.)

5. この本の中で、どの章が一番興味深いですか？

   • 最後の章が一番興味深いと思います。 (Among the chapters in this book, which one do you find the most interesting?
   • I think the last chapter is the most interesting.)

10.3.1 の (Placeholder to avoid repetition)

Usage: の (no) is used when a noun follows an adjective or another noun, and it is clear what you are referring to. It acts as a placeholder or a way to avoid repeating the noun. In this context, it can be translated as “one” or “ones.”

Examples:

• あの青い車は高いですが、この赤い車は安いです。 (Ano aoi kuruma wa takai desu ga, kono akai kuruma wa yasui desu.) - That blue car is expensive, but this red one is cheap.

In this example, “の” is used to avoid repeating the noun “車” (kuruma) or “car.” Instead of saying “この赤い車” again, you can use “この赤いの” to refer to the red one.

• 彼女は医者ですが、彼は教師です。彼は若いのです。 (Kanojo wa isha desu ga, kare wa kyoushi desu. Kare wa wakai no desu.) - She is a doctor, but he is a teacher. He is young (one).

In this example, “の” is used to refer to “young one” (若いの) to describe the teacher without repeating “教師” (kyoushi) or “teacher.”

10.3.2 の (Possessive Usage)

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Usage: の (no) is not only used as a particle to indicate possession but can also be used to refer to things owned by a person or characterized by a place name. It is equivalent to “mine,” “yours,” “his,” “hers,” “its,” “theirs,” and so on in English.

Examples:

• これは私の本です。 (Kore wa watashi no hon desu.) - This is my book.
• あれは彼女の車です。 (Are wa kanojo no kuruma desu.) - That is her car.
• これらは日本の伝統的な料理です。 (Koreraha Nihon no dentouteki na ryouri desu.) - These are traditional Japanese dishes.

In these examples, の is used to indicate possession, indicating that the book belongs to “私” (watashi), the car belongs to “彼女” (kanojo), and the dishes are characterized by “日本” (Nihon) or Japan.

• 彼の車のほうが彼女のより速いです。 - His car is faster than hers.

10.4.1 つもり to express one’s intentions and plans for future actions

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Usage: つもり (tsumori) is used to indicate one’s intention or plan to do something in the future. It follows verbs in the present tense short forms to describe what a person intends to do. You can also use a verb in the negative form plus つもり to describe what you intend not to do or what you do not plan to do.

Examples:

• 週末にたけしさんとテニスをするつもりです。 (Shuumatsu ni Takeshi-san to tenisu o suru tsumori desu.)
  • I intend to play tennis with Takeshi this weekend.

In this example, つもり is used after the verb “する” (suru), which means “to do,” to express the speaker’s intention to play tennis in the future.

• 明日は試験があるので、勉強するつもりです。 (Ashita wa shiken ga aru node, benkyou suru tsumori desu.)
  • Since there is an exam tomorrow, I plan to study.

10.4.2 つもり + Past Tense: non-materialized intention

Usage: つもり (tsumori) followed by the past tense of a verb is used to talk about one’s original intention or plan, which ultimately did not materialize or was not carried out as initially intended. It allows you to express what you had intended to do but, for some reason, did not end up doing.

Example:

• お寺を見に行くつもりでしたが、天気がよくなかったから、行きませんでした。 (Otera o mi ni iku tsumori deshita ga, tenki ga yokunakatta kara, ikimasen deshita.)

  • I had planned to go see the temple, but the weather was bad, so I didn’t go.

• 昨日は映画を見に行くつもりだったが、仕事が忙しくて行けませんでした。 (Kinou wa eiga o mi ni iku tsumori datta ga, shigoto ga isogashikute ikemasen deshita.)

  • I had intended to go see a movie yesterday, but I couldn’t because work was too busy.

• 彼女にプレゼントを買うつもりだったけど、店が閉まっていました。 (Kanojo ni purezento o kau tsumori datta kedo, mise ga shimatteimashita.)

  • I had planned to buy a gift for her, but the store was closed.

• 旅行の予定があったが、予算が足りなくてキャンセルしました。 (Ryokou no yotei ga atta ga, yosan ga tarinakute kyanseru shimashita.)

  • I had a travel plan, but I canceled it because I didn’t have enough budget.

• パーティーに行くつもりで服を買ったけど、急用が入って行けませんでした。 (Paatii ni iku tsumori de fuku o katta kedo, kyuuyou ga haitte ikemasen deshita.)

  • I bought clothes with the intention of going to the party, but something came up, and I couldn’t go.

• 姉は留学するつもりだったが、家族の状況が変わり、行かないことに決めた。 (Ane wa ryuugaku suru tsumori datta ga, kazoku no joukyou ga kawari, ikanai koto ni kimeta.)

  • My sister had planned to study abroad, but due to a change in the family situation, she decided not to go.

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

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Usage: In Japanese, you can use くなる (kunaru) with い-adjectives to express the idea of “to become” or “to turn into.” When using くなる, you drop the final い from the adjective and add くなる, just like in their negative conjugations. This construction is commonly used to describe how something changes or becomes a certain way.

Pattern:

• Remove the い from the い-adjective.
• Add くなる.

Examples:

• 寒い (samui) - cold

  • 寒くなる (samuku naru) - to become cold

  • 今日は暖かいですが、明日は寒くなるでしょう。 (Kyou wa atatakai desu ga, ashita wa samuku narudeshou.)

    • Today is warm, but it will become cold tomorrow.

• 高い (takai) - high/expensive

  • 高くなる (takaku naru) - to become high/expensive

  • この地域の不動産価格は高くなっています。 (Kono chiiki no fudousan kakaku wa takaku natteimasu.)

    • Real estate prices in this area have become high.

• 忙しい (isogashii) - busy

  • 忙しくなる (isogashiku naru) - to become busy

  • 仕事が増えたので、最近は忙しくなっています。 (Shigoto ga fueta node, saikin wa isogashiku natteimasu.)

    • Because of the increased workload, I have become busy recently.

• 美味しい (oishii) - delicious

  • 美味しくなる (oishiku naru) - to become delicious

  • 料理の味が調理師の腕によって美味しくなります。 (Ryouri no aji ga chouri-shi no ude ni yotte oishiku narimasu.)

    • The taste of the food becomes delicious depending on the chef’s skills.

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

Usage: In Japanese, you can use になる (ni naru) to express the idea of “to become” or “to turn into” when dealing with both な-adjectives and nouns. This construction is commonly used to describe how something changes or becomes a certain way.

Pattern:

• For な-adjectives and nouns, simply add になる after them to indicate “to become.”

Examples:

• 健康 (kenkou) - health

  • 健康になる (kenkou ni naru) - to become healthy

  • 運動をすると、健康になります。 (Undou o suru to, kenkou ni narimasu.)

    • Exercising makes you become healthy.

• 静か (shizuka) - quiet

  • 静かになる (shizuka ni naru) - to become quiet

  • 夜遅くなると、町は静かになります。 (Yoru osoku naru to, machi wa shizuka ni narimasu.)

    • The town becomes quiet late at night.

• 友達 (tomodachi) - friend

  • 友達になる (tomodachi ni naru) - to become friends

  • 新しい学校で新しい友達になりました。 (Atarashii gakkou de atarashii tomodachi ni narimashita.)

    • I became friends with new people at the new school.

• 有名 (yuumei) - famous

  • 有名になる (yuumei ni naru) - to become famous

  • 彼女は映画で有名になりました。 (Kanojo wa eiga de yuumei ni narimashita.)

    • She became famous in the movies.

• 医者 (isha) - doctor

  • 医者になる (isha ni naru) - to become a doctor

  • 子供の頃から医者になりたかった。 (Kodomo no koro kara isha ni naritakatta.)

    • I wanted to become a doctor since I was a child.

10.5.3 Using なる for Relative Change with Comparison

Usage: When using an adjective with なる (naru), you can describe either an absolute change (e.g., “it has become warm, hence it is not cold any longer”) or a relative change (e.g., “it has become warmer, but it is still cold”).

• To make it clear that you are talking in relative terms, you can use the pattern for comparison together with なる.

Pattern:

• Adjective + なる (to become) + より (than) + Adjective

Examples:

• 暖かくなる (atatakaku naru) - to become warm

  • 寒くなる (samuku naru) - to become cold
  • 暖かくなる (atatakaku naru) - to become warmer

• 暖かくなるより寒くなる方が早い。 (Atatakaku naru yori samuku naru hou ga hayai.)

  • It gets colder faster than it gets warmer.

In this example, the use of より (yori) indicates a relative comparison. It suggests that the change towards becoming colder is faster compared to the change towards becoming warmer.

• 静かになる (shizuka ni naru) - to become quiet

  • 騒がしくなる (sawagashiku naru) - to become noisy
  • 静かになる (shizuka ni naru) - to become quieter

• 今、静かになるより騒がしくなるほうが難しい。 (Ima, shizuka ni naru yori sawagashiku naru hou ga muzukashii.)

  • Right now, it is more difficult to become noisier than to become quieter.

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

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Usage: In Japanese, you can use “何か” (nanika) to express “something,” and “何…も” (nani…mo) to express “not anything” or “nothing” when talking about various objects, actions, or situations. These expressions are often used to indicate the presence or absence of things or actions.

Examples:

• 何か食べますか？ (Nanika tabemasu ka?)
  • Do you eat something?

In this example, “何か” (nanika) is used to inquire if someone is going to eat something specific.

• 何も買わなかった。 (Nani mo kawanakatta.)
  • I didn’t buy anything.

Here, “何も” (nani mo) is used to indicate that nothing was bought.

• 何かお手伝いできますか？ (Nanika otetsudai dekimasu ka?)
  • Can I help with something?

In this sentence, “何か” (nanika) suggests offering assistance with a specific task or something in particular.

• 何も忘れないように注意してください。 (Nani mo wasurenai you ni chuui shite kudasai.)
  • Please be careful not to forget anything.

“何も” (nani mo) here emphasizes the importance of not forgetting anything.

• 彼は何も言わなかった。 (Kare wa nani mo iwanakatta.)
  • He didn’t say anything.

In this case, “何も” (nani mo) emphasizes that no words were spoken at all.

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

Usage: In Japanese, you can use “だれか” (dareka) to express “someone,” and “だれ…も” (dare…mo) to express “not anyone” or “no one” when referring to people. These expressions are commonly used to indicate the presence or absence of individuals.

Examples:

• だれかがドアをノックしています。 (Dareka ga doa o nokku shiteimasu.)
  • Someone is knocking on the door.

In this sentence, “だれか” (dareka) is used to indicate the presence of an unidentified person who is knocking on the door.

• だれもがこの問題を解けませんでした。 (Daremo ga kono mondai o tokemasen deshita.)
  • No one could solve this problem.

Here, “だれも” (daremo) emphasizes that not a single person was able to solve the problem.

• だれかが私の財布を拾ってくれました。 (Dareka ga watashi no saifu o hirotte kuremashita.)
  • Someone picked up my wallet for me.

In this example, “だれか” (dareka) is used to express gratitude towards an unidentified person who helped by picking up the wallet.

• だれもが驚きました。 (Daremo ga odorokimashita.)
  • Everyone was surprised.

In this sentence, “だれも” (daremo) indicates that every person present experienced surprise.

• だれか、この鍵を見つけましたか？ (Dareka, kono kagi o mitsukemashita ka?)
  • Did anyone find this key?

Here, “だれか” (dareka) is used to inquire if anyone located the key.

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

Usage: In Japanese, you can use “どこか” (dokoka) to express “somewhere,” and “どこ…も” (doko…mo) to express “not anywhere” or “nowhere” when referring to places. These expressions help specify the presence or absence of locations.

Examples:

• 彼はどこかに旅行に行った。 (Kare wa dokoka ni ryokou ni itta.)
  • He went on a trip somewhere.

In this sentence, “どこか” (dokoka) is used to indicate that he went on a trip to an unspecified location.

• 私はどこも特別な場所に行きませんでした。 (Watashi wa dokomo tokubetsu na basho ni ikimasen deshita.)
  • I didn’t go anywhere special.

Here, “どこも” (dokomo) emphasizes that there was no particular or special place I visited.

• どこかに鍵を置き忘れたようです。 (Dokoka ni kagi o okiwasureta you desu.)
  • It seems like I left my keys somewhere.

In this example, “どこか” (dokoka) suggests that the keys were left in an unspecified location.

• どこもかしこも雪で覆われていた。 (Dokomo kashikomo yuki de oowareteita.)
  • Everywhere was covered in snow.

Here, “どこもかしこも” (dokomo kashikomo) conveys that every place was uniformly covered in snow.

• 彼はどこかに隠れているのかもしれません。 (Kare wa dokoka ni kakurete iru no kamoshiremasen.)
  • He might be hiding somewhere.

In this sentence, “どこかに” (dokoka ni) suggests the possibility of his presence in an unspecified location.

10.7 で (De) with Nouns for Means of Transportation and Instruments

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Usage: In Japanese, the particle で (de) is used to indicate the means of transportation or the instruments/tools one uses to perform an action or go somewhere. It is commonly used when specifying how something is done or the mode of transportation used for travel.

Examples:

1. バスで学校に行きます。 (Basu de gakkou ni ikimasu.)

   • I go to school by bus.

   In this sentence, “バスで” (basu de) indicates that the means of transportation used to go to school is the bus.

2. 電車で東京に行く予定です。 (Densha de Tokyo ni iku yotei desu.)

   • I plan to go to Tokyo by train.

   Here, “電車で” (densha de) specifies that the mode of transportation for the trip to Tokyo is the train.

3. ペンで手紙を書いています。 (Pen de tegami o kaiteimasu.)

   • I am writing a letter with a pen.

   In this sentence, “ペンで” (pen de) indicates the instrument or tool (pen) used for writing the letter.

4. 自転車で公園に行きました。 (Jitensha de kouen ni ikimashita.)

   • I went to the park by bicycle.

   “自転車で” (jitensha de) specifies that the means of transportation used for the trip to the park is a bicycle.

5. 飛行機で旅行するのは楽しいです。 (Hikouki de ryokou suru no wa tanoshii desu.)

   • Traveling by airplane is enjoyable.

   Here, “飛行機で” (hikouki de) emphasizes the mode of transportation, which is an airplane, for traveling.