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Basic grammar
The Japanese grammar has lots of specific features, mostly because it is so scarcely related to other languages.
On the other hand it is very sensible, logically very well connected. Some of its features are:
1. in Japanese the predicate always stands at the end of the sentence
2. the verbs don't change depending on the person, gender or number
3. the nouns don't have plural or gender
4. the dependence between words in a sentence is expressed thru particles which follow the words affected.
Personal pronouns
First, the personal pronouns will be covered:
singular
plural
watashi
we
watashitachi
you
anata
you
anatatachi
he
she
kare
kanojo
they
karera
Particles
Particles are suffixes which follow promptly after the word that they relate to. They determine the function of
that word in the sentence. Some of the most common particles are:
WA
Example:
I Japanese am.
Notice, that "wa" is written as "ha" in hiragana. This is one of the few exceptions in Japanese.
Example:
Icoffee drink.
This is also an exception, because "wo" is written , but just "o" is read.
NI
- indirect object
- place marker
- time marker
Example:
jini okimasu .
Example:
Daigakue ikimasu.
NO
- indicates possession
Example:
MO
Example:
He too is a student .
"mo" replaces "wa" and indicates that the word before it also has some property
Greetings
English
Romaji
Kana
hajime mash'te
good morning
ohayoo (gozaimas')
good afternoon
konnichiwa
good evening
konbanwa
oyasumi (nasai)
see you
jaa
goodbye
sayonara
good night
In the phrase "hajime mashite" the second "i" is not pronounced. In "ohayoo gozaimasu" the "u" is not
pronounced. In general, when "su" is at the end of a word, "u" is never pronounced. The double "o" in "ohayoo"
stands for prolongation of the sound, like in "door" in english. The words in brackets can be omitted.
Polite phrases
English
Romaji
Kana
Ogenki desuka?
Thank you
Arigato
Kudasai
Dozo
Sorry (mistake)
Gomen nasai
Do you speak
english/japanese?
Anatawa eigo/nihongo o
hanashimasuka?
Yes/no/a little
Hai/iie/chotto
//
Do you understand?
Wakarimasuka?
I understand/I don't
understand
Wakarimasu/
wakarimasen
I don't know
Shirimasen