Genki Chapter 5 Grammar

5.1.1 Using Present Affirmative and Negative Forms of い-Adjectives and な-Adjectives

• 🎞️ 
• 🎞️ 

Usage: In Japanese, both い-adjectives and な-adjectives can be used to describe nouns in their present affirmative (positive) and negative forms. This allows you to express whether something is or is not a certain way using adjectives.

Present Affirmative Form:

• For い-adjectives, simply use the adjective itself.
• For な-adjectives, add です (desu) after the adjective.

Present Negative Form:

Usage: There are two negative forms: ないです (naidesu) and あまりせん (amari sen).

• The ないです pattern is more colloquial, while
• あまりせん is more conservative and suitable for written language.

Present Affirmative Form:

• For い-adjectives, simply use the adjective itself.
• For な-adjectives, add です (desu) after the adjective.

Present Negative Colloquial Form (ないです - Naidesu):

• For both い-adjectives and な-adjectives, add ないです (naidesu) after the adjective to form the negative present form.
• This pattern is commonly used in casual conversation.

Examples:

• きれいな (kirei na) - beautiful

• この花はきれいです。 (Kono hana wa kirei desu.)

  • This flower is beautiful.

• この絵はきれいじゃないです。 (Kono e wa kirei janai desu.)

  • This painting is not beautiful.

• おいしい (oishii) - delicious

• この料理はおいしいです。 (Kono ryouri wa oishii desu.)

  • This dish is delicious.

• このケーキはおいしくないです。 (Kono keeki wa oishikunai desu.)

  • This cake is not delicious.

Present Negative Conservative Form (あまりせん - Amari Sen):

• For both い-adjectives and な-adjectives, add あまりせん (amari sen) after the adjective to form the negative present form.
• This pattern is more formal and suitable for written language.

Examples:

• きれいな (kirei na) - beautiful

• この花はきれいです。 (Kono hana wa kirei desu.)

  • This flower is beautiful.

• この絵はきれいあまりせん。 (Kono e wa kirei amari sen.)

  • This painting is not beautiful.

• おいしい (oishii) - delicious

• この料理はおいしいです。 (Kono ryouri wa oishii desu.)

  • This dish is delicious.

• このケーキはおいしくあまりせん。 (Kono keeki wa oishiku amari sen.)

  • This cake is not delicious.

5.1.2 Conjugating Adjectives: The Case of “いい” (Good)

Usage: Unlike verbs, adjectives in Japanese generally conjugate fairly uniformly. However, one irregularity to be aware of is the behavior of the adjective “いい” (ii) which means “good.”

• In all forms except the dictionary form, the first syllable of “いい” changes to “よ” (yo).
  • Compound adjectives built with “いい,” such as “かっこいい” (kakkoii, cool), also follow this syllable change pattern.
  • When negating these adjectives, “よくないです” (yokunai desu) is used.

Examples:

• いい (ii) - good

  • この本はいいです。 (Kono hon wa ii desu.)
    • This book is good.
  • このテレビはいいじゃないです。 (Kono terebi wa ii janai desu.)
    • This TV is not good.

• かっこいい (kakkoii) - cool (compound adjective with “いい”)

  • この車はかっこいいです。 (Kono kuruma wa kakkoii desu.)
    • This car is cool.
  • あのジャケットはかっこよくないです。 (Ano jaketto wa kakkoyokunai desu.)
    • That jacket is not cool.

5.1.3 Using Degree Adverbs with Adjectives

Usage: To express degrees of intensity with adjectives, you can use degree adverbs before the adjectives.

Here are examples for various degree adverbs:

• とても暑いです (Totemo atsui desu) - Very hot
• すごく速いです (Sugoku hayai desu) - Extremely fast
• めちゃくちゃおいしい (Mechakucha oishii) - Incredibly delicious
• かなり大きいです (Kanari ookii desu) - Quite big
• 少し高いです (Sukoshi takai desu) - A little expensive
• ほんのり甘い (Honnori amai) - Slightly sweet
• 全然違う (Zenzen chigau) - Completely different
• まったく同じ (Mattaku onaji) - Exactly the same
• ほとんど完成 (Hotondo kansei) - Almost complete

5.2 Using Past Affirmative and Negative Forms of い-Adjectives and な-Adjectives

• 🎞️ 
• 🎞️ 
• 🎞️ 

い-Adjectives:

• Past Affirmative: Change the last い to かった and add です for politeness.

  • Example:
    • 高い (takai) - “high” becomes 高かったです (takakatta desu) - “It was high.”

• Past Negative: Change the present tense くない to くなかった and add です for politeness.

  • Example:
    • 寒い (samui) - “cold” becomes 寒くなかったです (samukunakatta desu) - “It wasn’t cold.”

な-Adjectives:

• Past Affirmative: Add でした for politeness.

  • Example:
    • 静か (shizuka) - “quiet” becomes 静かでした (shizukadeshita) - “It was quiet.”

• Past Negative: Add じゃなかったです for politeness.

  • Example:
    • 簡単 (kantan) - “easy” becomes 簡単じゃなかったです (kantan janakattadesu) - “It wasn’t easy.”

Exception いい: first syllable is changed to よ:

• The い-adjective いい (ii) - “good” has an irregular
  • past affirmative form: よかったです (yokatta desu) - “It was good.”
  • past negative form: よくなかった” (yokunakatta) - “*It wasn’t good”.

5.3 Modify nouns with adjectives

• 🎞️ 
• 🎞️ 

Usage: Both い-adjectives and な-adjectives can be used to modify nouns, but they are used differently.

い-Adjectives (i-adjectives):

1. Structure: い-adjectives directly attach to nouns without any additional particles.

Examples:

• きれいな花 (kirei na hana) - Beautiful flower.
• 速い車 (hayai kuruma) - Fast car.

2. Conjugation: い-adjectives can be conjugated to express different tenses, degrees, or negations without the need for auxiliary verbs.

Examples of conjugation for the adjective “速い” (fast):

• 速かった車 (hayakatta kuruma) - The car was fast.
• 速くない車 (hayakunai kuruma) - The car is not fast.

な-Adjectives (na-adjectives):

1. Structure: な-adjectives require the particle “な” when they modify nouns.

Examples:

• 静かな場所 (shizukana basho) - Quiet place.
• 美味しい食べ物 (oishii tabemono) - Delicious food.

2. Conjugation: な-adjectives do not conjugate like verbs or い-adjectives. When used to modify nouns, they remain in their base form.

Examples:

• 静かな部屋 (shizukana heya) - Quiet room.
• 美味しい料理 (oishii ryouri) - Delicious cuisine.

3. Negative Form: To express the negative form of a な-adjective when modifying nouns, you add “じゃない” (ja nai) after the adjective.

Example:

• 静かじゃない場所 (shizuka janai basho) - Not a quiet place.

5.4.1 すき(な) and きらい(な) Adjectives

Usage: In Japanese, some adjectives function similarly to verbs in English, as they require both a subject and an object to convey the meaning correctly. Two common adjectives that follow this pattern are すき(な) (suki na) and きらい(な) (kirai na).

すき(な) (to be fond of; to like):

• すき(な) is used to express affection or a positive feeling toward something.
• It is followed by the object or thing that you like, and you use the particle “が” (ga) to mark the object.
• You can also use the particle “の” (no) instead of “が” when the object is a noun.

Examples:

• 私は犬がすきです。 (Watashi wa inu ga suki desu.) - I like dogs.
• あの映画がすきです。 (Ano eiga ga suki desu.) - I like that movie.
• 彼女は花の絵がすきです。 (Kanojo wa hana no e ga suki desu.) - She likes paintings of flowers.

きらい(な) (to be disgusted with; to dislike):

• きらい(な) is used to express a negative feeling or dislike towards something.
• Like すき(な), it is also followed by the object or thing you dislike, and you use the particle “が” (ga) to mark the object.

Examples:

• 彼は虫がきらいです。 (Kare wa mushi ga kirai desu.) - He dislikes bugs.
• その音楽がきらいです。 (Sono ongaku ga kirai desu.) - I dislike that music.
• 私は試験がきらいです。 (Watashi wa shiken ga kirai desu.) - I dislike exams.

5.4.2 大好きです and 大嫌いです: Expressing Strong Likes and Dislikes

Usage: In Japanese, you can express strong likes and dislikes by using the phrases “大好きです” (daisuki desu) for “like very much” and “大嫌いです” (daikirai desu) for “hate.”

• These expressions are commonly used and convey a high degree of affection or aversion, often more directly than using the degree modifier “とても” (totemo) with “好きです” (suki desu) and “嫌いです” (kirai desu).

大好きです (daisuki desu) - Like Very Much:

• 大好きです is used to express a strong liking or love for something or someone. It conveys a high level of affection.
• You can use it to talk about things, activities, or people you have strong positive feelings for.
• It can be followed directly by the object of your affection, or you can use it with the particle “の” (no) when the object is a noun.

Examples:

• 彼は音楽が大好きです。 (Kare wa ongaku ga daisuki desu.) - He loves music very much.
• 私は大好きな映画を見るのが好きです。 (Watashi wa daisuki na eiga o miru no ga suki desu.) - I like watching my favorite movies.
• このケーキは大好きです。 (Kono keeki wa daisuki desu.) - I love this cake.

大嫌いです (daikirai desu) - Hate:

• 大嫌いです is used to express a strong dislike or hatred towards something or someone. It conveys a high level of aversion.
• You can use it to talk about things, activities, or people you strongly dislike.
• Similar to 大好きです, you can follow it directly with the object of your dislike, or use it with the particle “の” (no) when the object is a noun.

Examples:

• 彼は虫が大嫌いです。 (Kare wa mushi ga daikirai desu.) - He hates bugs.
• この映画は大嫌いです。 (Kono eiga wa daikirai desu.) - I hate this movie.
• 私は大嫌いな食べ物を食べるのが嫌です。 (Watashi wa daikirai na tabemono o taberu no ga iya desu.) - I don’t like eating food I hate.

5.4.3 好きでも嫌いでもないです (Suki demo kirai demo nai desu): Expressing Neutrality

Usage: In Japanese, when you want to convey that you have neither a strong liking nor a strong disliking for something, you can use the phrase “好きでも嫌いでもないです” (suki demo kirai demo nai desu).

• “でも” (demo) means “even” or “or.”.
• You can use this expression to express neutrality when asked about your preferences or feelings toward something. It indicates that you don’t have a strong positive or negative sentiment about the subject.
• This phrase is a polite and neutral way to express your indifference or lack of strong feelings. It can be a useful expression when you want to remain diplomatic or avoid expressing a clear preference in certain situations.

Examples:

• この映画、好きでも嫌いでもないです。 (Kono eiga, suki demo kirai demo nai desu.) - I neither like nor dislike this movie.
• あのレストランの料理は、好きでも嫌いでもないです。 (Ano resutoran no ryouri wa, suki demo kirai demo nai desu.) - I neither like nor dislike the food at that restaurant.
• この本は読むのが面倒くさいけど、好きでも嫌いでもないです。 (Kono hon wa yomu no ga mendoukusai kedo, suki demo kirai demo nai desu.) - This book is a bit tedious to read, but I neither like nor dislike it.

5.4.4 好きな and 嫌いな as Modifiers of Nouns

• 好きな色 (suki na iro) - Favorite color.
• 好きな本 (suki na hon) - Favorite book.
• 好きな食べ物 (suki na tabemono) - Favorite food.
• 嫌いな音楽 (kirai na ongaku) - Disliked music.
• 嫌いな映画 (kirai na eiga) - Disliked movie.
• 嫌いな飲み物 (kirai na nomimono) - Disliked drink.

5.5 -ましょう / -ましょうか for Suggesting a Plan of Action

🎞️ 

Usage: In Japanese, you can use the grammar pattern “-ましょう” (-mashou) or “-ましょうか” (-mashou ka) to make suggestions or proposals for a plan of action.

• These forms are used to express willingness and politeness when suggesting something to others.

To use this grammar, you typically take the verb stem (the dictionary form of the verb without the -ます ending) and add “-ましょう” (-mashou) to it for informal suggestions, or “-ましょうか” (-mashou ka) for more formal or polite suggestions.

• You can use “-ましょう” (-mashou) and “-ましょうか” (-mashou ka) when you want to make a suggestion, offer a plan, or propose an action to someone. The choice between the informal and formal forms depends on the level of politeness you want to convey.
• “-ましょうか” (-mashou ka) is generally more polite and is suitable for formal situations, while “-ましょう” (-mashou) is used in informal or casual conversations among friends and peers.
• These expressions are versatile and can be applied to various situations, from suggesting going somewhere together to proposing activities or plans. They are polite ways to engage in conversations and interactions with others.

Examples:

• 食べる (taberu) - to eat

  • 食べましょうか？ (tabemashou ka?) - Shall we eat?
  • 食べましょう！ (tabemashou!) - Let’s eat!

• 行く (iku) - to go

  • 行きましょうか？ (ikimashou ka?) - Shall we go?
  • 行きましょう！ (ikimashou!) - Let’s go!

• 見る (miru) - to see or watch

  • 見ましょうか？ (mimashou ka?) - Shall we watch/see?
  • 見ましょう！ (mimashou!) - Let’s watch/see!

5.6 Counting Flat Objects with 枚

Usage: In Japanese, when you want to count items, you typically use specific counter words (助数詞, josuushi) for different kinds of items. These counter words help specify the type of objects you are counting.

• One common counter word is “枚” (mai), which is used to count flat objects, such as sheets of paper or photographs.

To count flat, thin objects like sheets, photographs, or cards, you can use the counter word “枚” (mai) immediately after the number.

Examples:

• 1 枚 (ichi mai) - one sheet/photo/card
• 2 枚 (ni mai) - two sheets/photos/cards
• 3 枚 (san mai) - three sheets/photos/cards

Usage:

• Counter words like “枚” (mai) are used to make counting more precise in Japanese. It’s essential to pair the appropriate counter word with the type of objects you are counting to be clear and accurate.