WORD ORDER AND SENTENCE BUILDING

Japanese usually places the main verb or description at the end of the sentence. Short particles placed after nouns show how each part is connected to that final information. In 私は学生です。 (Watashi wa gakusei desu.), は marks 私 as the topic, and 学生です gives the main information.

A particle is a short word placed after a noun to show its job. For example, を often follows the person or thing affected by an action, に marks many times and destinations, and で marks the place where an action happens. Japanese usually puts the main verb or description at the end.

A helpful starting pattern is TOPIC + は + DETAILS + FINAL VERB OR DESCRIPTION. Japanese often leaves out information that is already clear, especially 'I,' 'you,' or a repeated object.

Examples:

私は学生です。 (Watashi wa gakusei desu.) – I am a student.

田中さんは先生です。 (Tanaka-san wa sensei desu.) – Tanaka is a teacher.

私は本を読みます。 (Watashi wa hon o yomimasu.) – I read a book.

母はスーパーで野菜を買います。 (Haha wa suupaa de yasai o kaimasu.) – My mother buys vegetables at the supermarket.

七時に起きます。 (Shichiji ni okimasu.) – I get up at seven.

東京へ行きます。 (Tookyoo e ikimasu.) – I go to Tokyo.

猫がいます。 (Neko ga imasu.) – There is a cat.

机の上に本があります。 (Tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu.) – There is a book on the desk.

今日は忙しいです。 (Kyoo wa isogashii desu.) – I am busy today.

この町は静かです。 (Kono machi wa shizuka desu.) – This town is quiet.

明日、友だちと映画を見ます。 (Ashita, tomodachi to eiga o mimasu.) – Tomorrow I will watch a movie with a friend.

コーヒーは飲みません。 (Koohii wa nomimasen.) – I do not drink coffee.

MAKING POSITIVE STATEMENTS

A positive statement says that something is true, exists, or happens. Its ending depends on whether the final information is a noun, an adjective, or an action. For example, 会社員です。 (Kaishain desu.) uses です after a noun.

A noun takes です in a polite positive statement: NOUN + です. A polite action normally ends in ます for non-past time and ました for past time. An adjective, a describing word, follows one of two patterns: an い-adjective can stand before polite です, while a な-adjective ends the sentence with です and does not keep な.

会社員です。 (Kaishain desu.) – I am an office worker.

日本語の先生です。 (Nihongo no sensei desu.) – I am a Japanese teacher.

毎日勉強します。 (Mainichi benkyoo shimasu.) – I study every day.

駅で待ちます。 (Eki de machimasu.) – I wait at the station.

昨日料理しました。 (Kinoo ryoori shimashita.) – I cooked yesterday.

この本はおもしろいです。 (Kono hon wa omoshiroi desu.) – This book is interesting.

部屋はきれいです。 (Heya wa kirei desu.) – The room is clean.

来週大阪へ行きます。 (Raishuu Oosaka e ikimasu.) – I will go to Osaka next week.

MAKING NEGATIVE STATEMENTS

A negative statement says that something is not true or that an action does not happen. Japanese forms the negative by changing the ending of the final word. For example, 肉を食べません。 (Niku o tabemasen.) means 'I do not eat meat.'

A polite verb changes ます to ません, or ました to ませんでした for past time. Nouns and な-adjectives commonly take じゃないです or the more formal ではありません. An い-adjective changes final い to くないです, so 高い becomes 高くないです. The other parts of the sentence normally remain in the same order.

Examples:

肉を食べません。 (Niku o tabemasen.) – I do not eat meat.

今日は働きません。 (Kyoo wa hatarakimasen.) – I will not work today.

昨日行きませんでした。 (Kinoo ikimasen deshita.) – I did not go yesterday.

テレビを見ませんでした。 (Terebi o mimasen deshita.) – I did not watch television.

学生じゃないです。 (Gakusei ja nai desu.) – I am not a student.

日曜日ではありません。 (Nichiyoobi dewa arimasen.) – It is not Sunday.

この町は静かじゃないです。 (Kono machi wa shizuka ja nai desu.) – This town is not quiet.

部屋はきれいではありません。 (Heya wa kirei dewa arimasen.) – The room is not clean.

このかばんは高くないです。 (Kono kaban wa takaku nai desu.) – This bag is not expensive.

今日は寒くないです。 (Kyoo wa samuku nai desu.) – It is not cold today.

その映画はおもしろくなかったです。 (Sono eiga wa omoshiroku nakatta desu.) – That movie was not interesting.

天気はよくなかったです。 (Tenki wa yoku nakatta desu.) – The weather was not good.

あまり忙しくないです。 (Amari isogashiku nai desu.) – I am not very busy.

ぜんぜんわかりません。 (Zenzen wakarimasen.) – I do not understand at all.

猫はいません。 (Neko wa imasen.) – There is no cat.

FORMING QUESTIONS

Japanese questions usually keep the same word order as statements. A polite yes/no question commonly adds か at the end, while an information question places a question word where the missing answer belongs. 学生ですか。 is therefore the question form of 学生です。

Use か at the end of a polite question. If information is missing, put a question word in the same place where the answer would go.

Yes/No Question Formation

A yes/no question asks whether a complete statement is true. In polite Japanese, the basic pattern is POLITE STATEMENT + か. The topic, object, and final verb or description remain in their normal positions.

Answer with はい or いいえ, then repeat the important part when this makes the meaning clearer. This is especially helpful after a negative question.

Examples:

学生ですか。 (Gakusei desu ka.) – Are you a student?

日本語を話しますか。 (Nihongo o hanashimasu ka.) – Do you speak Japanese?

明日来ますか。 (Ashita kimasu ka.) – Will you come tomorrow?

コーヒーが好きですか。 (Koohii ga suki desu ka.) – Do you like coffee?

この電車は東京へ行きますか。 (Kono densha wa Tookyoo e ikimasu ka.) – Does this train go to Tokyo?

昨日勉強しましたか。 (Kinoo benkyoo shimashita ka.) – Did you study yesterday?

部屋は静かですか。 (Heya wa shizuka desu ka.) – Is the room quiet?

寒いですか。 (Samui desu ka.) – Is it cold?

田中さんはいますか。 (Tanaka-san wa imasu ka.) – Is Tanaka here?

時間がありますか。 (Jikan ga arimasu ka.) – Do you have time?

ここで写真を撮ってもいいですか。 (Koko de shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.) – May I take a photo here?

もう一度言いますか。 (Moo ichido iimasu ka.) – Will you say it once more?

Wh-Questions

Information questions ask for a missing person, thing, place, time, or reason. The question word stands in the same position as the expected answer and keeps the particle required by that position. In これは何ですか。, 何 asks for the missing identity.

Keep the particle that shows the missing information's job. Use 何を for 'what' as an object and だれと for 'with whom.' Use どこに for a destination or place of existence and どこで for the place of an action.

Examples:

これは何ですか。 (Kore wa nan desu ka.) – What is this?

何を食べますか。 (Nani o tabemasu ka.) – What will you eat?

だれが来ますか。 (Dare ga kimasu ka.) – Who will come?

だれと行きますか。 (Dare to ikimasu ka.) – With whom will you go?

どこに住んでいますか。 (Doko ni sunde imasu ka.) – Where do you live?

どこで昼ご飯を食べますか。 (Doko de hirugohan o tabemasu ka.) – Where do you eat lunch?

いつ日本へ行きますか。 (Itsu Nihon e ikimasu ka.) – When will you go to Japan?

どれがあなたのかばんですか。 (Dore ga anata no kaban desu ka.) – Which one is your bag?

どの電車ですか。 (Dono densha desu ka.) – Which train is it?

どうして日本語を勉強しますか。 (Dooshite Nihongo o benkyoo shimasu ka.) – Why do you study Japanese?

何時に起きますか。 (Nanji ni okimasu ka.) – What time do you get up?

何人来ますか。 (Nannin kimasu ka.) – How many people will come?

どんな音楽が好きですか。 (Donna ongaku ga suki desu ka.) – What kind of music do you like?

どちらがいいですか。 (Dochira ga ii desu ka.) – Which is better?

お名前は何ですか。 (Onamae wa nan desu ka.) – What is your name?

How-Questions

Japanese uses several expressions for different meanings of English 'how.' どうですか asks about a condition or impression, while どうやって asks about a method. Amount, price, and clock time use other question expressions. どのくらい asks about amount, distance, or duration, いくら asks about price, and 何時 asks about clock time. Each expression occupies the same place where its answer would appear.

Examples:

元気ですか。—はい、元気です。 (Genki desu ka? Hai, genki desu.) – How are you? I am well.

この料理はどうですか。 (Kono ryoori wa doo desu ka.) – How is this dish?

駅までどうやって行きますか。 (Eki made doo yatte ikimasu ka.) – How do you get to the station?

これはどうやって使いますか。 (Kore wa doo yatte tsukaimasu ka.) – How do you use this?

日本語をどのくらい勉強しましたか。 (Nihongo o dono kurai benkyoo shimashita ka.) – How long have you studied Japanese?

駅までどのくらいかかりますか。 (Eki made dono kurai kakarimasu ka.) – How long does it take to get to the station?

水をどのくらい飲みますか。 (Mizu o dono kurai nomimasu ka.) – About how much water do you drink?

これはいくらですか。 (Kore wa ikura desu ka.) – How much is this?

りんごはいくつありますか。 (Ringo wa ikutsu arimasu ka.) – How many apples are there?

おいくつですか。 (Oikutsu desu ka.) – How old are you?

漢字はどうやって覚えますか。 (Kanji wa doo yatte oboemasu ka.) – How do you memorize kanji?

旅行はどうでしたか。 (Ryokoo wa doo deshita ka.) – How was the trip?

仕事はどうですか。 (Shigoto wa doo desu ka.) – How is work?

どのくらい日本にいますか。 (Dono kurai Nihon ni imasu ka.) – How long will you be in Japan?

どうしたんですか。 (Doo shitan desu ka.) – What happened?/What is wrong?

NOUNS: NO GRAMMATICAL GENDER, FLEXIBLE NUMBER, AND COUNTERS

Japanese nouns normally keep the same form regardless of grammatical gender or number. 学生 (gakusei), for example, can mean 'student' or 'students' depending on context. Exact quantities are often expressed with a number and a counter.

When the number matters, Japanese often uses a counter, a short counting word chosen for the kind of thing. 一人 means 'one person,' and 二人 means 'two people.' Learn the number and counter together because some readings change.

Examples:

学生 (gakusei) – student or students by context.

学生たち (gakusei-tachi) – the students as a group.

一人 (hitori) – one person.

二人 (futari) – two people.

三人 (sannin) – three people.

本一冊 (hon issatsu) – one book.

本二冊 (hon nisatsu) – two books.

りんご三個 (ringo sanko) – three apples.

猫が二匹います。 (Neko ga nihiki imasu.) – There are two cats.

水を一本ください。 (Mizu o ippon kudasai.) – Please give me one bottle of water.

DETERMINERS AND CORE PARTICLES

Japanese does not have direct equivalents of English 'a' and 'the.' Context, pointing words, numbers, and particles show how a noun is being used. Forms such as この, その, and あの identify a specific noun and must appear directly before it.

この, その, and あの must come before a noun: この本 means 'this book.' Add the particle after the whole phrase: この本を読みます。 The particle shows what the complete noun phrase does in the sentence.

Examples:

本を読みます。 (Hon o yomimasu.) – I read a/the book.

この本を読みます。 (Kono hon o yomimasu.) – I read this book.

その店は安いです。 (Sono mise wa yasui desu.) – That shop is inexpensive.

あの人は先生です。 (Ano hito wa sensei desu.) – That person over there is a teacher.

どの電車ですか。 (Dono densha desu ka.) – Which train is it?

水があります。 (Mizu ga arimasu.) – There is water.

猫がいます。 (Neko ga imasu.) – There is a cat.

駅で新聞を買います。 (Eki de shinbun o kaimasu.) – I buy a newspaper at the station.

友だちにメールを送ります。 (Tomodachi ni meeru o okurimasu.) – I send an email to a friend.

家から学校まで歩きます。 (Ie kara gakkoo made arukimasu.) – I walk from home to school.

Cultural Tip: The title さん is widely useful after another person’s name in polite and neutral interaction. It is not normally attached to your own name. Job titles and relationship terms may replace a second-person pronoun.

PRACTICE SECTION

Fill in the Blanks

1- Complete with the object particle: 本__________読みます。

2- Rewrite with an explicit group meaning: 学生 → __________.

True/False

1- The main predicate commonly comes near the end of a Japanese sentence.

2- Japanese nouns must agree with masculine or feminine adjectives.

Translation

1- Translate: I read this book.

2- Translate: There are two cats.

3- Translate: Where do you eat lunch?