Lesson 8

1) Adjectives as predicates
Adjectives as predicates are used to say something is so-and-so. They are divided into two
groups, い(i)-adjectives and な-adjectives, according to the inflection. な(na)-adjectives loose
their な-ending when used as predicates.

Example of simple positive statement using the adjective/s

1. ワットさんは　しんせつ　です。 Mr.Watt is kind.

Wattosan wa shinsetsu desu.
2. ふじさんは　たかい　です。 Mt. Fuji is high.
Fujisan wa takai desu.

です(desu) at the end of an adjective sentence shows the speaker’s polite attitude towards the
listener. An i-adjective with い(i)- at the end comes before desu, whereas a な(na) adjective
without な(na) comes before desu.
2) negative adjectives

The negative form of な(na)-adjectives as predicates is じゃ　ありません (ja arimasen).

Example:
3. あそこは　しずか　じゃ　ありません。 It's not quiet there.
Asoko wa shizuka ja arimasen.
To make the negative form of an い- adjective, い at the end of the adjective is altered to くな
い.
Example:
4. この　ほんは　おもしろくない です。 This book is not interesting.
Kono hon wa omoshirokunai desu
The negative for ii desu is yokunai desu.

3) Questions
Questions using adjective sentences are made in the same way as those using noun or verb
sentences.

Example:
5. ペキンは　さむい　ですか。 Is it cold in Beijing?
Pekin wa samui desuka?

はい, さむい　です. Yes it is.

Hai, samui desu.

4) Adjectives as modifiers
An adjective can be put before a noun to modify it. In this case, な-adjectives do not ommit the
な-character.
Example:
6. ワットさんは　しんせつな　せんせいです。 Mr.Watt is a kind teacher.
Watto san wa sheinsetsu na sensei desu.
7. ふじさんは　たかい　やま　です。 Mt. Fuji is a high mountain.
Fujisan wa takai yama desu.

5) とても(totemo)/あまり(amari)
とても and あまり are adverbs of degree. Both come before the adjectives they are modifying.
とても means "very", あまり means "not very."
Example:
8. ペキンは　とても　さむい　です。Beijing is very cold.
Pekin wa totemo samui desu.

9. シャンハイは　あまり　さむくない　です。 Shanghai is not very cold.

Shanhai wa amari samukunai desu.

10. Tansan wa totemo kirei na gakusei desu. Ms. Tan is very beautiful student.

6) どう(dou)　ですか(desu ka?)
This question is used to ask an impression or an opinion about a thing, place or person, etc., that
the listener has experienced, visited or met.
Example:
11. にほん の　せいかつ は　どう　ですか。How is the life in Japan?
Nihon no seikatsu wa dou desu ka?
Tanoshii desu. It’s enjoyable.

7) A は　どんな B　ですか (A wa donna B desu ka)

When the speaker wants the listener to describe or explain A, this question pattern is used. B
denotes the category A belongs to.

Example:
12. ならは　どんな　まち　ですか。What kind of town is Nara?
Nara wa donna machi desu ka

13. ふるい　まち　です。 It's an old town.

Furui machi desu.
8) が (ga)

が is a conjunctive particle, meaning "but." It is used to link sentences.

Example:

14. にほん の　 たべもの は　おいしい　ですが、　たかい　です。

Nihon no tabemono wa oishii desu ga takai desu..

Japanese food is tasty, but expensive.

9) どれ (dore)
This interrogative is used to ask the listener to choose or designate one from more than two
things concretely shown or named.

Example:
15. ミラーさんの　かさ は　どれ　ですか。 Which is Mr. Miller's umbrella?
Miraa san no kasa wa dore desu ka?

16. あの　あおい　かさ　です。That blue one is.

Ano aoi kasa desu.

Helpful vocabularies
しずか です。(shizuka desu)
[positive な(na)-predicate]: it is quiet.
しずか じゃありません。(shizuka ja arimasen)
[negative な(na)-predicate]: it is not quiet.
たかい です。(takai desu)
[positive い(i)-predicate]: it is high.
たかくない。(takakunai)
[negative い-predicate]: it is not high.
しんせつな せんせいです。(shinsetsu na sensei desu)
[な(na)-modifier]: he is a kind teacher.
たかい やま です。(takai yama desu)
(い(i)-modifier): it is a high mountain.
とても (totemo)
very
あまり(amari)
not very
どう ですか (dou desu ka)
How is it?
A は どんな B ですか (A wa donna B desu ka?
What kind of B is A?
が(ga)
But

End of Lesson 8

Lesson 9
Useful vocabulary words

Wakarimasu わかります understand

Arimasu あります have

Suki na すき な like

Kirai na きらい な dislike

Jouzu na じょ うず な good at

Heta na へた な poor at

Hiragana ひらがな Hiragana script

Katakana かたかな Katakana script

Roomaji ローマじ The roman alphabet

Ryouri りょうり dish( cooked food) cooking

Kudamono くだもの Fruit

Drinks のみもの nomimono

Pork ぶたにく butaniku

Chicken とりにく toriniku

Beef ぎゅうにく gyuuniku

Mikan みかん orange

Banana バナナ saging

Ongaku おんがく music

Uta うた song

Dansu ダンス dance

Gitaa ギター guitar

Supootsu スポーツ sport

Sakkaa サッカー soccer

Tenisu テニス tennis

Jikan じかん time

Takusan たくさん many, much

Sukoshi すこし a little, a few

Yoku よく well/ often

Daitai だいたい almost, roughly

Zenzen ぜんぜん not at all ( used in a negative sentence)

Mochiron もちろん - of course

Doushite どうして why

kara because

Byouki びょうき I llness

Kusuri くすり medicine

Atama あたま head

Onaka おなか stomach

Itai いたい have a ( head ache)

(Atama ga) あたま が

Netsu ga arimasu ねつ が あります have a fever

Kaze wo hikimashita かぜ を ひきました have caught a cold

Yasumimasu やすみます take a day off

(Kaisha wo かいしゃ を) ( from a company)

Nan desu ka なん ですか may I help you

Sumimasen ga すみません が Excuse me, but—

Doushimashita ka どうしました か? What's the matter ( with you)

Lesson 9

Used of transitive verbs, adjectives, adverbs and interrogative words

 1) N が　あります / わかります (arimasu/wakarimasu)

 N が　すき　です(suki desu) / きらい　です (kirai desu)/じょうず　です(jouzu desu) / へた

です(heta desu)

 The object of a transitive verb　(a verb that requires one or more objects) is marked with を
(wo). However, objects of the verbs あります and わかります are marked with が. Such
adjectives as すき です / きらい　です / じょうず　です / へた　です require objects, and
these are marked with が too. The verbs and adjectives whose objects are marked with が are
those kinds that describe preference, ability, possession and the like.

Examples:

 わたしは　イタリア　りょうり が　すき　です。

Watashi wa Italia ryouri ga suki desu.

I like Italian food.

 わたし は　にほんご　が わかります。

Watashi wa Nihongo ga wakarimasu.

I understand Japanese.

 わたしは　くるま が　あります。

Watashi wa kuruma ga arimasu.

I have a car.

 2) どんな N (donna)
  Other than the usage you learned in Lesson 8, どんな is also used to ask the listener to name
one from a group which the noun after どんな denotes.

 どんな　スポーツ が　すき　ですか.

Donna supootsu ga suki desu ka

 What sports do you like?

Ans. Sakka ga suki desu. I like soccer.

Donna tabemono ga suki desu ka? What kind of food do you like?

Ans: Nihon ryouri ga suki desu. I like Japanese food

3) よく (yoku)/ だいたい daitai/ たくさん takusan / すこし sokoshi/ あまり amari / ぜんぜん zenzen
These adverbs are put before verbs to modify them. The following is a summary of their usage:

 Examples:

 えいご が　よく　わかります。I understand English very well.

Eigo ga yoku wakarimasu

 えいご が　だいたい　わかります。I mostly understand English.

Eigo ga daitai wakarimasu

  えいご が　すこし　わかります。I understand English a little.

Eigo ga sokoshi wakarimasu.

 えいご が　あまり　わかりません。I don't understand English so well.

Eigo ga amari wakarimasen

 おかね が　たくさん　あります。 I have a lot of money.

Okane ga takusan arimasu

 おかね が　ぜんぜん　ありません。 I don't have any money.

Okane ga zenzen arimasen

 すこし(sokoshi) and ぜんぜん (zenzen) can also modify adjectives.

 ここは　すこし　さむいです。 It's a little cold here.

Koko wa sokoshi samui deu.

 あの　えいがは　ぜんぜん　おもしろくない　です。

Ano eiga wa zenzen omoshirokunai desu.

That movie is not interesting at all.

 4 ) S から(because) S

 から connects two sentences together to denote a causal relationship. The first sentence is the
reason for second one.

Example:

 じかんが　ありませんから、しんぶんを　よみません。

 Jikan ga arimasen kara, shinbun wo yomimasen.

 Because I don't have time, I don't read the newspaper.

 You can also state the outcome first and add the reason after it.

Example

 しんぶんを　よみません。じかん が　ありませんから。

shinbun wo yomimasen. Jikan ga arimasen kara.

 I don't read the newspaper. Because I have no time.

  5) どうして (doushite / why)

 The interrogative どうして is used to ask a reason. The answer needs から(kara) at the end.

Example:

 どうして　しんぶん を　よみませんか。

Doushite shinbun wo yomimasen ka?

 Why don't you read a newspaper?

Ans.

 じかん が　ありませんから。Because I don't have time.

Jikan ga arimasen kara.

 The question どうして　ですか (doushite desu ka) is also used to ask the reason for what the
other person has said.

Example:

 わたし は　はやく　かえります。I'll go home early today.

watashi wa hayaku kaerimasu.

 どうして　ですか。 (doushite desu ka) Why?

 こども の　たんじょうび　ですから。

kodomo no tanjoubi desu kara. Because today's my child's birthday.

Lesson 10

Useful vocabularies
1. imasu います exist, be ( referring to animate things )
2. arimasu あります exist, be ( referring to inanimate things )
3 . iroiro [na] いろいろ「な」 various
4 . Otoko no hito おとこのひと 男の人 Man
5. Onna no hito おんなのひと 女の人 Woman
6. Otoko no ko おとこのこ 男の子 Boy
7. Onna no ko おんなのこ 女の子 Girl
8 . Inu いぬ 犬 Dog
9. neko ねこ 猫 Cat
10. ki き木 Tree
11. mono もの 物 Thing
12. Firumu フイルム Film
13. dinchi でんち 電池 Battery
14. hako はこ 箱 Box
15. suicchi スイッチ Switch
16. reisouko れいぞうこ 冷蔵庫 Refrigerator
17. teeburu テーブル Table
18. beddo ベッド Bed
19. tana たな 棚 Shelf
20. doa ドア Door
21. mado まど 窓 Window
22. posuto ポ.スト Mailbox, postbox
23. biru ビル Building
24. kouen こうえん 公園 Park
25. kissaten きっさてん 喫茶店 Coffee shop
27. ya ～や ～屋 ~ Store
28. noriba のりば 乗り場 A Fixed place to catch taxis, trains.etc
29. Ken けん 県 Prefecture
30. ue うえ 上 On, above, over
31. shita した 下 Under, Below, Beneath
32. mae まえ 前 Front, Before
33. ushiro うしろ Back, behind
34. migi みぎ 右 Right[ side ]
35. migi ひだり 左 Left [ side ]
36. naka なか 中 In, inside
37. soto そと 外 Outside
38. tonari となり 隣 Next, next door
39. chikaku ちかく 近く Near, vicinity
40. aida あいだ 間 Between, among
41. ya ～や～「など」 , and so on
42. ichiban いちばん～ the most ~ ( いちばん うえ: the top )
43. danme ーだんめ ー段目 The -th shelf (だん is the counter for shelves)
44. doumo sumimasen 「どうも」すみません。 Thank you
45. chilisoosu チリソース Chilli sauce
46. supaisu konaa スパイス コーナー Spice corner
47. Toukyou dizuniirando 東京ディズニーランド Tokyo Disneyland
48. yunyuuya sutoa ユニューや ストア Fictitious supermarket

Lesson 10 Grammar explained

 1) N が あります/います(imasu/arimasu)

 This sentence pattern is used to indicate the existence or presence of things or persons. They
are treated as the subject and marked with the particle が.

 あります is used when what is present is inanimate or does not move by itself e.g. things,
plants and places.

Examples:

 こうえんが　あります。 There is a park.

Kouen ga arimasu.

Sakura ga arimasu. There are cherry trees

kompyuutaa ga arimasu. There is a computer.

 When what is present is animate, います is used.

Examples:

 おそこに　ひとが　います There is a man over there.

asoko ni hito ga imasu.

Inu ga imasu. There is a dog.

kodomo ga imasu. There is child.

 2) A(place)に(ni)　B が ga)　あります/います(arimasu/imasu)
  The place where B is present is indicated by に.

 わたしの　へやに　つくえが あります。

Watashino hiya ni tsukue ga arimasu. There is a desk in my room.

 じむしょに　ミラーさんが　います。

Jimusho ni Meraasan ga imasu. Mr. Miller is in the office.

 You can ask what or who is present at/in the place by using this pattern. なに(nani) is used for
things and だれ(dare) is used for persons.

 ちか に なに が あります か。

Chika ni nani ga arimasu ka? What is there in the basement?

 うけつけに だれ が いますか。

Uketsuke ni dare ga imasu ka? Who is at the reception desk?

 3) A は(wa) B(place)に(ni) あります/います (imasu/arimasu)

 In this sentence pattern, the speaker picks up A as the topic, and explains where it is. The
particle attached to A is not (ga)が, which marks the subject, but は, which marks the topic.

Examples:

 ミラーさんは じむしょに　います。

Meraa san wa jimusho ni imasu.

Mr. Miller is in the office.

Wilmar sensei wa kyoushitsu ni imasu. Professor Wilmar is in the classroom.

Keitai denwa wa heya ni arimasu.

 4) A(thing/person/place) の B(position)

 うえ、(ue)した、(shita)うしろ、(ushiro)まえ(mae) みぎ、migi) (ひだり(hidari) なか

(naka)、そと(soto)、 となり (tonari)、ちかく(chikaku) are nouns denoting position.

Examples:

 つくえの　うえに　しゃしん が　あります。

Tsukue no ue ni shashin ga arimasu.

There is a picture on the desk.

  Yuubinkyoku wa ginkou no tonari ni arimasu.

The post office is next to the bank.

 5) A や(ya) B

 Nouns are connected in coordinate relation by the particle や(ya). While と(to) enumerates all
the items, や(ya) shows a few representative items. Sometimes など(nado) is put after the last
noun to explicitly express that there are also some other things of the kind.

 はこの なかに てがみや　しゃしんが　あります。Hako no naka ni tegami ya shashin

ga arimasu.

 There are letters and pictures in the box.

 はこの　なかに　てがみや　しゃしんなどが　あります。

Hako no naka ni tgami ya shashin nado ga arimasu.

There are letters, pictures and so on in the box.

 6) ですか (desu ka)

 か (ka)has the function to confirm. The speaker picks up a word or words he/she wants to
confirm and confirms it (them) using this pattern.

 すみません。ストアは　どこです か。

Sumimasen, Sutoa wa doko desu ka?

 Excuse me, but where is the Store?

 ストアですか？あの　ビルの　なかです。

Sutoa desu ka? Ano biru no naka desu.

The Store? It's in that building.

 7) A ありませんか (arimasen ka)

 By using the negative form ありませんか arimasen ka) instead of ありますか(arimasen ka)
you can be indirect and polite, showing that you are prepared for a negative answer.

チリソースは ありませんか.

Chiri soosu wa arimasen ka?

Do you ha a chilli sauce?

Lesson 11
• ひとつ one (thing) ふたつ two (things) みっつ three (things)よっつ four (things) いつつ five
(things) むっつ six (things) ななつ seven (things) やっつ eight (things)ここのつ

• nine (things) とお ten(things)

•  
• -にん[person] counter ひとり one person ふたり two people さんにん three people よにん
four people ごにん five people

• −だい

• [machine] counter(or vehicles like cars and bicycles)

• −まい

• [thin thing]/[flat thing] counter

• −かい times

• じかん hours(counter)

• −にち days(counter)

• いちにち one day ふつか two days みっか three days よっか four days いつか five days むい
か six days なのか seven days ようか eight days ここのか nine days とおか ten days

• −しゅうかん weeks(counter)

• −かげつ months(counter) −ねん years(counter)

• いくつ

• How many

• どのくらい

• how long(time)

• くらい

• about (approximate measurement)

• N だけ

• Only
Lesson 11

• 1) Saying numbers

• ひとつ、ふたつ。。。とお

• These words are used to count things up to ten. Eleven and higher are counted by using the
numbers themselves.

• 2) Counter Suffixes

• When counting some sorts of things or expressing the quantity of things, counter suffixes are
attached after the numbers.

• -にん / -人 number of people except for one and two

• ひとり and ふたり are used for one and two.

• 4 人(four people) is read よにん

• -だい / -台 number of machines or vehicles like cars and bicycles

• −まい / −枚 number of thin or flat things such as paper, dishes, shirts, CDs, etc.

• −かい / −回 times

• −ふん / −分 minutes

• −じかん / −時間 hours

• −にち / −日 days

• The number of days takes the counter suffix にち. However, from two to ten, the same words as
used for dates are used.

("One day" is いちにち, "two days" is ふつか, .... , "ten days" is とおか)
−しゅうかん / −週間 weeks
−かげつ / −か月 months
−ねん / −年 years
Quantifiers (numbers with counter suffixes) are usually put before the verbs they modify. However, this
is not always the case with length of time .
りんごを　４つ(よっつ)　かいました。 We bought four apples.
がいこくじんの　がくせいが　 2 人(futari)　います。There are two foreign students.
くにで　２か月(にかげつ)　にほんごを　べんきょうしました。I studied Japanese for two months in my
country.

• 3) Interrogatives
 • いくつ

• いくつ is used to ask how many about things which are counted as ひとつ、ふたつ、....

• みかんを　いくつ　かいましたか。How many mandarin oranges did you buy?

• 4 つ(よっつ)　かいました。I bought eight.

• なん

• なん is used with a counter suffix to ask how many.

• この かいしゃに がいこくじんが なんにん いますか。How many foreigners are there in

this company?

• どのくらい

• どのくらい is used to ask the length of time something takes.

• どのくらい にほんごを べんきょうしましたか。How long did you study Japanese?

• くらい

• くらい is added after quantifiers to mean "about."

• がっこうに せんせいが 三十くらい(さんじゅう nin くらい) います。There are about thirty teachers
in our school.

**4) Quantifier (period) に −かい verb

With this expression you can say how often you do something.
１か月に(いっかげつ)　2 回(にかい)　えいがを　みます。 I go to see movies twice a month.

5) Quantifier だけ/ N だけ
だけ means "only." It is added after quantifiers or nouns to express that there is no more or nothing (no
one) else.
やすみは　にちようびだけ　です。I only have Sundays off.