Japanese Grammar Review Card Conjugating Verbs – Different grammars require different bases Base Ichidan (verbs that end in -iru/-eru) Godan (any non-ichidan or non-irregular verbs) Suru Kuru Some Godan V look like ichidan V (negative form minus -nai) I stem+ (verb minus -ru) - (verb minus final syllable) “a” sound* shi ko hashiru (run) kiru (cut) kaeru (return) shiru (know) shaberu (speak) hairu (enter) keru (kick) (masu form minus -masu) II “i” sound ki (dictionary form) III ru “u” sound suru kuru (conditional form minus -ba) IV re “e” sound sure kure (volitional form) V yō “ō” sound shiyō koyō TE te *BI of dipthong is wa (あ→わ) See song below shite kite TA ta shita kita BTE, BTA song for godan verbs (sung to the tune of Silver Bells) “u, tsu, ru … tte, bu, mu, nu … nde, Ku … ite, gu … ide, Su … shite, are the TE and TA bases… u, tsu, ru … tta, bu, mu, nu … nda, Ku … ita, gu … ida, Su … shita, are the TE and TA bases…” Some Japanese Parts of Speech Verb (V) – Does an action. Ends a sentence. Can be conjugated. I Adjective (IA) – Adjectives that end in ai/ii/ui/oi (not ei). Can act as adjectives or adverbs. Behaves similarly to verbs. Can be conjugated. Na Adjective (NA) – All other adjective. Can act as adjectives or adverbs. Behaves similarly to nouns. Does not conjugate. Noun (N) – Person, place, thing, or idea. Does not conjugate. Japanese sounds The only vowels that exist in Japanese are the following five: “a” (as in awesome) “i” (as in east) “u” (as in oops) “e” (as in ever) “o” (as in open) Particles: Particles mark parts of speech and other functions in a Japanese sentence. They usually come AFTER NOUNS wa は = subject marker ga が = secondary subject marker no の = noun linker/possessive ya や = “and” (etc implied) to と = “and” (exhaustive list) to と = “__”, quote marker to と = together, with de で = method marker de で = place of action ni に = place of exsistence ni に = time marker ni に = direction marker, “to” e へ = general direction kara から = “from” made まで = “until” o を = object marker ka か = “or” mo も = “also” N. ni tsuite について = about N. N. toshite として = as a N. N. o tōshite をとおして = through N. N. ni yotte によって = through N. towa とは = definition marker niwa には = within nimo にも = in also yori より = comparison Ending particles yo よ = exclamation, affirmation ne ね = agreement ka か = question marker Watch your particles! N. ni shitagau = follow N. N. ni kotaeru = answer to N. N. ni au = meet N. N. ni naru = become N. N. ni sumu = live in N. N. ni hairu = enter N. N. o kiku = listen to N. N. ni kiku = ask N. N. ni oshieru = teach N. Numbers 1 = ichi 一 2 = ni 二 3 = san 三 4 = shi/yon 四 5 = go 五 6 = roku 六 7 = shichi/nana 七 8 = hachi 八 9 = kyū 九 10 = jū 十 100 = hyaku 百 1000 = sen 千 10000 = man 万 Days of the Week Monday – getsuyōbi Tuesday – kayōbi Wednesday – suiyōbi Thursday – mokuyōbi Friday – kin’yōbi Saturday – doyōbi Sunday – nichiyōbi General Counter 1 = hitotsu 2 = futatsu 3 = mittsu 4 = yottsu 5 = itsutsu 6 = muttsu 7 = nanatsu 8 = yattsu 9 = kokonotsu 10 = tō Other Common Counters 1 person = hitori 2 people = futari 3+ people = # + nin Flat objects = # + mai Books = # + satsu Small objects = # + ko Cylindrical objects = # + hon Days of month 1st = tsuitachi 2nd = futsuka 3rd = mikka 4th = yokka 5th = itsuka 6th = muika 7th = nanoka 8th = yōka 9th = kokonoka 10th = tōka 20th = hatsuka 14th = jūyokka 24th = nijūyokka All others = # + nichi Months = # + gatsu Year = # + nen Time Words ototoi = day before yesterday kinō = yesterday kyō = today ashita = tomorrow asatte = day after tomorrow Existence Verbs iru = exist (animate) aru = exist (inanimate) sensenshū = week before last senshū = last week konshū = this week raishū = next week saraishū = week after next N. ni aru/iru = to be in N. N. ga aru/iru = to have N. Time # + ji = hours # + fun = minutes han= half past(2:30 niji han) gozen = a.m. gogo = p.m. 3:05pm= gogo sanji gofun sensengetsu = month before last sengetsu = last month kongetsu = this month raigetsu = next month saraigetsu = month after next ototoshi = year before last kyonen = last year kotoshi = this year rainen = next year sarainen = year after next mainichi = every day maishū = every week maitsuki = every month maitoshi = every year P.F. of aru aru nai atta nakatta

Grammar Patterns – Many patterns apply to more parts of speech than are included here. Refer to a text book for variations. BI + naide kudasai = please do not verb BI + nai tsumori = intend not to verb BI + nai yōni = so that you won’t verb BI + nakereba naranai/ikenai = must verb BI + nakute wa naranai/ikenai = must verb BI + nakute mo = even if you don’t verb BI + nakute mo ii = okay if you don’t verb BI + rareru = can verb (ichidan only, wo→ga) BI + rareru = passive form (ichidan only) BI + reru = passive form (godan only) BI + saseru = causative (ichidan) BI + seru = causative (godan) BI + zu ni = without verbing BI + naide = without verbing BI + ro = plain command form (ichidan) BII + hajimeru = start verbing BII + owaru = finish verbing BII + kata = way of verbing BII + mashō = let’s verb BII + masu box (see below) BII + nagara = while verbing BII + nasai = command form BII + nikui = verbing is difficult BII + yasui = verbing is easy BII + sō = seems like s.o./s.t. is going to verb BII + sugiru = verb too much BII + tai = want to verb BII + tsuzukeru = continue to verb o + BII + kudasai = (honorific) please verb o + BII + ni naru = (honorific) to verb o + BII + suru = (humble) to verb BIII + hō ga ii = it is better to verb BIII + kagiri = to the extent that you can verb BIII + koto ga dekiru = can verb BIII + mae ni = before verbing BIII + na = negative command form (don’t verb) BIII + tabi ni = every time I verb BIII + tame ni = in order to verb BIII + yōni = so that you verb BIII + tsumori = intend to verb BIV = command form (godan) BIV + ba = if you verb BIV + ru = can verb (godan, wo→ga) BV = volitional form, plain form of let’s verb BV + to suru = try to verb BTE … BTE / BII … BII = and for verbs/phrases BTE of desu = de BTE + iru = currently verbing BTE + iru = state of having verbed BTE + bakari suru = do nothing but verb BTE + hoshii = want s.o. else to verb BTE + ageru = verb (as a favor) for s.o. else BTE + itadakemasen ka? = invitation, won’t you please verb? BTE + itadaku = to receive (a favor) of s.o. verbing BTE + kudasaimasen ka? = invitation, won’t you please verb? BTE + kudasaru = verb (as a favor) for s.o. else (receiver’s perspective) BTE + miru = try out verbing (literally verb and see what happens) BTE + mo = even if you verb BTE + mo ii = you may verb BTE + shimau = completely verb or unfortunately BTE + wa naranai/ikenai = must not verb BTA + ato de = after verbing BTA + bakari = have just verbed BTA + hō ga ii = should verb (strong) BTA + koto ga aru = have verbed before BTA + ra = if and when you verb BTA + ri … BTA + ri suru = do things like … and … NA + na + noun = adjective modifying noun NA + ni + verb = adverb modifying verb IA stem + kereba = if IA IA stem + ku + verb = adverb modifying verb IA stem + ku = BII of IA IA stem + kute = BTE of IA N + dake = only N N + shika = except for N (end with negative) N + ga hitsuyō = need N N+ ga hoshii = want N N1 yori N2 + no hō ga NA/IA = N2 is more NA/IA than N1 N + no okage de = thanks to N N + no sei de = as a fault of N / because of N N1 + no yōna N2 = N2 like a N1 N + no yōni V = V like N N1 + to iu N2 = N2 called “N1” PF + sō = hearsay (I hear s.o./s.t. PF) PF + beki = should PF (no past tense) PF + deshō = probably PF, affirmation PF + kamoshirenai = probably PF PF + ni chigai nai = PF without a doubt PF + hazu = supposed/expected to PF PF + hodo = to the extent you PF PF + ka dō ka = whether or not you PF PF + kara = because PF (emphasis on reason) PF + node = because PF (emphasis on outcome) PF + koto = nominalized PF/phrase PF + nara = if PF PF + toki ni = when you PF PF + to omou = I think that PF/phrase PF + noni = despite, even though you PF PF + N = N that PFs (eg. oyogu hito = the person that swims) Masu Box V + - Present BII + masu BII + masen Past BII + mashita BII + masen deshita To make IA polite, add desu. You cannot conjugate this desu. You must conjugate the IA. Two reasons for plain form: Grammar calls for it Conversations where plain form is appropriate. Desu Box N/NA + - Present desu dewa arimasen Past deshita dewa arimasen deshita PF Desu Box N/NA + - Present de aru / da dewa nai / ja nai Past de atta / datta dewa nakatta / ja nakatta PF IA Box IA + - Present stem + i stem + kunai Past stem + katta stem + kunakatta PF Verb Box V + - Present BIII BI + nai Past BTA BI + nakatta Numeral s-/sh-/t-/ch- sounds h- sounds f- sounds p-/k- sounds wa- sounds 1 iss-/itt- (ｲｯX) ipp- (ｲｯX゜) ipp-/ikk- (ｲｯX) 3 (1000/10000/何) #b- (#X゛) #p- (#X゜) sanba- (ｻﾝﾊﾞ) 6 ropp- (ﾛｯX゜) ropp-/rokk- (ﾛｯX) roppa- (ﾛｯﾊﾟ) 8 hass-/hatt- (ﾊｯX) happ- (ﾊｯX゜) happ-/hakk- (ﾊｯX) happa- (ﾊｯﾊﾟ) 10 juss-/jutt- (ｼﾞｭｯX) jupp- (ｼﾞｭｯX゜) jupp-/jukk- (ｼﾞｭｯX) jippa- (ｼﾞｯﾊﾟ) 100 hyapp- (ﾋｬｯX゜) hyapp-/hyakk- (ﾋｬｯX) Exceptions: 4月&7月→ｼｶﾞﾂ&ｼﾁｶﾞﾂ 3千&何千→ｻﾝｾﾞﾝ&ﾅﾝｾﾞﾝ 4→ﾖ for 人 / 時 / 時間 7→ｼﾁ for人 / 時 / 時間 9→ｸ for 月 / 時 / 時間