ESSENTIAL JAPANESE GRAMMAR

ESSENTIAL JAPANESE GRAMMAR:

(Important)        1.stem of verb(nothing and i), (v)+ます/(n,adj)+です                                  

                2. addressing people

                3. question marker (か/の/nothing(raise intonation at the end))

                                + make mini-question inside a larger sentence (can follow with どうか)

                                + make question words 誰、何、何処、どれ、いつ (who,what,where,which,when) become

someone誰か, something何か, somewhere何処か, one from manyどれか, sometimeいつか

                                nobody誰も,nothing何も, nowhere何処も, not any and ALLどれも, neverいつも

                everybody誰も, nothing何も, everywhere何処も, any and ALLどれも, alwaysいつも

anybody誰でも, anything何でも, anywhere何処でも, whicheverどれでも, anytimeいつでも

(Important)4.Compound sentences

                                noun-adj: で , くて (い)

                                verb: positve: conjugate-->past tense, た-->て,　だ-->で

                                                negative: くて(い)

                5.Reason,causation

                                [reason(+ だ with noun/な-adj)] から [result]

                                *+ から + です.

                                だ/です + から               

                                [reason(+ だ with noun/ + な with な-adj)] ので [result]

                6. Using のに to mean "despite"

                                [sentence 1] のに + [sentence 2]

                7. Using が　/ けど to mean [but]or[and], same use as のに

                8. Expressing multiple reasons using し

                                （だし/し）

                9. Expressing multiple actions or states using たりする

                                Verb,adj,noun:conjugate to past tense and add り and at the very end + する

                10. Other uses of て-form

                                a. ている for enduring states (progressive tense)

                                                conjugate-->te-form + いる

                                b. enduring state-of-being vs enduring state of action

                                c. motion verbs: verb completed(て) and exist(いる)

                                d. using てある for resultant states: (state of completion,past tense)

                                                conjugate-->te-form + ある(finish)

                                e. using the ておく form as preparation for the future

                                                conjugate-->te-form +おく/とく

                                f. using motion verbs (いく, くる) with the て-form

                                                conjugate-->te-form +　いく(行く)　/　くる（来る）

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1. Potential Form

                a. Expressing the ability to do something

(Important)b. The potential Form

                                る --> られる ; う-->え + る

                                exception: する --> できる

                                                   くる --> こられる

                                ===>all potential verbs become RU-verb

                c. Potential forms do not have direct objects

                                never use it with を, just use it with が,は

                d. Are みえる（見える） and きこえる（聞こえる） exceptions?

                e. ある , yet another exception

                                ありえる : ある + える = possibly exist

2. Using する and なる with the に particle (~[よう]になる/する) - stにする : to decide on st

                a. Using なる and する for nouns and な-adj : n/な-adj + に +なる/する

                b. Using なる with い-adj (adverb + verb) : い-adj to adv + なる

                c. Using なる and する with verbs: original verb + こと（事）/よう（様） + になる/する

3. Conditionals (と, なら, ば, たら)

                a. Expressing natural consequence using と

                                [condition] + と + [result]

                                [state-of-being] + だと + [result]

                b. Contextual conditionals using [なら(ば)]

                                [assumed context] + なら(ば) + [result] (never だ)

(Important)c. General conditionals using ば : focus on the condition

                                For verbs: う-->え + ば

                                For い-adj or negative endings(ない) : い-->ければ

                                For nouns or な-adj: + で + あれば

                d. Past conditional using たら(ば) : focus on the result

                                turn to past tense + ら(ば)

                e. How does もし fit into all of this?

                                もし is just a supplement to the conditionals,

                                もし shows uncertainty.

4. Expressing "must" or "have to" (~だね, ~いけない, ~ならない, ~ても)

                a. When there's something that must or must not be done

                b. Using だめ, いけない and ならない for things that must not be done

                    (0) Take the て-form, + は (particle) + だめ/いけない/ ならない*(生ける, なる)

(Important)c. Expressing things that must be done

                    (1) Negative て-form + は(particle)=なくては + だめ/いけない/ならない

                    (2) Negative verb + と(conditional) + だめ/いけない/ならない (often use)

                    (3) Negative verb + ば(conditional)=なければ + だめ/いけない/ならない

                d. Various short-cuts for the lazy

                                1 = なくちゃ == have to

                                2 = negative verb + と(conditional)

                                3 = なきゃ  ==  have to

                                with 0, replace ては = ちゃ, では = じゃ

                e. Saying something is ok to do or not do

                                て-form + も + いい, 大丈夫, 構わない...

                                ~てもいい => ~ていい / ~でもいい => ~でいい

5. Desire and Suggestions (たい, ほしい, volitional, ~ たらどう)

                a. How to get your way in Japan

                b. Verbs you want to do with たい

                                stem + たい = い-adj (but can use it with particles)

                c. Indicating things you want or want done using ほしい

                                ほしい is い-adj

 

[The volitional form is used to indicate a will to set out to do something]

 

(Important)d. Making a motion to do st using the volitional form (casual)

                                Casual:  る-verb: る--> よう

                                                う-verb: う-->お + う

                                                (exception: しよう, こよう)

                e. Making a motion to do something using the volitional form (polite)

                                Polite: stem + ましょう

                f. Making suggestions using the ば or たら conditional

                                ~ば/たら(condition) + どう

6.Performing an action on a relative clause (と, って)

                a. The direct quote

                                『 quote 』　+ と

                b. The interpreted quote

                                quote + と + verb (言う)

                                なに + と + verb (言う)

                                なめ + と + verb (言う)

                                volitional form + と + verb (思う)

                                question + か + と + verb (考える)

                                (a state-of-being for a noun or な-adj) + だ + と + verb

                c. Using って as a casual version of と

                                と + ... + .... + v.v... = って

                                って everywhere

                                は (particle) = って

7. Defining and describing (と言う)

                a. The various uses of 言う

                b. Using 言う to define

                                something + と言う

                c. Using 言う to describe anything

                d. Rephrasing and making conclusions with と言う

                                と言う + か

                e. Using って or て for と言う

                                と言う... can be replaced by って

                                だって = とわいっても

                f. Saying ゆう instead of 言う

8. Trying something out or attempting to do something (~てみる, volitional + とする)                  

                a. Let's try some stuff

                b. To try something out

                                て-form + みる

                c. To attempt to do something

                                volitional-form + とする

9. Giving and receiving (あげる, やる, くれる, もらう)

                a. When to use あげる (from the giver's point)

                                give st to someone: + あげる

                                give of the favour(help): て-form + あげる

                b. Using やる to mean あげる

                                やる for giving to animal, あげる for giving to people

                c. When to use くれる (from the receiver's point)

                ==> what have you will use くれる, what don't have you will use あげる

                d. When to use もらう (can use から to emphasize the giver)

                e. Asking favors with くれる or もらえる(千円を貸してくれる？/千円を貸してもらえる？)

                f. Asking someone to not do something

                                negative  form + で  + くれる / もらえる.

10. Making requests (~ください, ~ちょうだい, ~なさい, command form)

                1. ~ください - a special conjugation of くださる

                                + ください = please

                                in casual speech: drop the ください part

                                ください is always at the end of the sentence

                2. Using ~ちょうだい as a casual request

                3. Using ~なさい to make firm but polite requests

                                (positive) stem of verb + なさい

                                drop さい to make it casual: stem + な

(Important)4. The command form

                                る-verb: る --> ろ

                                う-verb: う --> え

                                exception: する --> しろ

                                                   くる --> こい

                                                   くれる --> くれ

                5. Negative command:

                                (all) verb + な

11. Numbers and Counting

                1. Number System

                                いち に さん し/よん ご ろく しち/なな はち きゅう じゅう

                                ひゃく せん まん おく ちょう

                                exception: さんびゃく, ろっぴゃく, はっぴゃく, さんぜん, はっせん, いっちょう

                                numbers smaller or less than 1 : ゼロ + てん + 1 number + 1 number ....

                                                                                                 マイナス + number

                2. Counting and counters

                                a. Dates:

                                                へいせい(平成)from 1989 (ex: 平成 12 年 = 2000)

                                                しょわ(昭和) 1926-1989

                                                ねん / がつ / にち

                                                year-month-day

                                                exception: しがつ, しちがつ, くがつ

                                                                   なんにち

                                                                   ついたち, ふつか, みっか, よっか, いつか

                                                                   むいか, なのか, ようか, ここのか, とおか

                                                                   じゅうよっか, じゅうしちにち, じゅうくにち

                                                                   はつか, にじゅうよっか, にじゅうしちにち, にじゅうくにち

XXXX 年 YY 月 ZZ 日

                                b. Time:

                                                hour: number + じ

                                                minute: number + ふん

                                                second: number + びょう

                                                exception: よじ, しちじ, くじ

                                                                   いっぷん, さんぷん, よんぷん, ろっぷん, はっぷん, じゅっぷん

                                c. A span of time:

                                                hours, days, weeks, years + かん

                                                exception: いちにち, いっしゅうかん, はっしゅうかん

                                                months + ヶ + げつ

                                                exception: いっヶげつ, ろっヶげつ, じゅっヶげつ

                                d. Other counters　１（２）３（４）６（７）８１０

                                                人（にん）: ひとり, ふたり, よにん... しちにん...(pass 10:1, 2 use　like normal)

                                                本（ほん）: いっぽん, さんぼん, ろっぽん, じゅうぽん                        

                                                枚（まい）: normal

                                                冊（さつ）: いっさつ, はっさつ, じゅっさつ

                                                匹（ひき）: いっぴき, さんびき, ろっぴき, はっぴき, じゅっぴき

                                                歳（さい）: いっさい, はっさい, じゅっさい (はたち, not にじゅっさい)

                                                個（こ）: いっこ, ろっこ, はっこ, じゅっこ

                                                回（かい）: いっかい, ろっかい, じゅっかい

                                                ヶ所／箇所（かしょ）: いっかしょ, ろっかしょ, はっかしょ, じゅっかしょ

                                                つ: ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ, よっつ, いっつ, むっつ, ななつ,　やっつ,　ここのつ,　とお

                                                                (pass 10: use like normal)

                                e. Using め to show order

                                                number + counter + め = order (いちばんめ = the first

                                                                                                                いっかいめ = the first time

                                                                                                                よにんめ = the fourth person)

12. Casual Patterns and Slang

                1. Basic principles of Slang

                                The fundamental goal of slang is to reduce mouth movement

                                               

                2. Sentence ordering and particles (or the lack thereof)

                                example: なに それ?

                                                みた あの人?

                3. Using じゃん instead of じゃない to confirm

                                じゃん is always used to confirm the positive.

                                じゃん can be at the end of any sentence

                                can use with か --> じゃんか

                4. Using つ for という

                                という --> つ

                                という --> っつ (for more emphasis)

                5. Using ってば and ったら to show exasperation

                                といえば --> ってば

                                といったら --> ったら

                6. Using なんか just about everywhere

                7. Showing contempt (hatred) for an action with ~やがる

                                stem + やがる

13. More sentence-ending particles

                1. な and さ sentence-ending particles

                                さ is used everywhere like よ

                                な is used like ね

                                かな is used like "wonder"

                2. かい and だい sentence-ending particles:

                                かい and だい are strongly masculine

                                かい is for y/n question

                                だい is for open-ended question

                3. Gender-specific sentence-ending particles

                                わ like よ but make u sound feminine

                                かしら like かな but make u sound feminine

                                ぞ and ぜ like よ but make u sound manly

                4. That's a wrap

SPECIAL EXPRESSION

                1. Causative verb

                                ru-verbs: る --> させる

                                u-verbs: to negative and ない-->せる

                                exception: する--> させる

                                                   くる--> こさせる

                2. Shortened causative:

                                ru-verbs: る--> さす

                                u-verbs: to negative and ない-->す

                                exception: する-->さす

                                                   くる-->こさす

                3. Passive verb:

                                all passive verbs become ru-verbs

                                ru-verbs: る-->られる

                                u-verbs: to negative and ない --> れる

                                exception: する --> される

                                                   くる --> こられる

                4. Causative-passive:

                                to causative then to passive

                5. Honorific and humble forms

                                watch the table on page 224 for verb of honorific and humble.

                                use masu-form, u-verb: る-->り

                6. Other substitutions

                                ある-->ござる-->ございます

                                です-->でござる-->でございます

                7. Honorific and humble conjugation

                                ごor お + noun

                                a. Honorific conjugation 1: お + stem + に + なる

                                b. Honorific conjugation 2: お + stem + です

                                c. ください with honorifics: になる --> ください

                                d. Humble conjugation: お + stem + する

                                example: ぜんえんから　おあずかり　いたします

                                e. Making honorific requests

                                                honorific verb to Special Masu-Conjugation(SMC) and す --> せ

                                                or less formal: remove ます after conjugating to SMF

                                                Example: いらっしゃいませ！いらっしゃい！

(MADE BY VICTOR CHEN)