Lesson 3: People

Lesson 3 is about people. here are words you need to know now:

hito-person

jin-this is a suffix added to country's name to describe nationality

go-this is a suffix added to country's name to describe language

onna no hito-female person

otoko no hito-male person





nanjin-what nationality?

onna-woman

otoko-man

kuni-country


COUNTRY-(IN JAPANESE)-LANGUAGE-PEOPLE
Philippines-Firipin-Firipingo-Firipinjin


Japan-Nihon-Nihongo-Nihonjin


England-Irigisu-Irigisugo-Irigisujin


France-Furansu-Furansugo-Furansujin


U.S.-Amerika-Amerikajin-Eigo





Example sentences:





Watashi wa Firipinjin desu.


I am Filipino.





Anata wa nanjin desu ka.


What nationality are you?





Anata wa Nihonjin desu ka.


Are you Japanese?





Onna wa dake desu ka.


Who is that woman?





Now you try...

lesson 2

Lesson 2 is all about you and me. Yes, you read it right! If you want to be able to speak in japanese, then you have to know how to introduce yourself right?

Here are some words you need to know now:
Watashi- I
Boku- I (for males only)
Anata- You
namae-name
wa-this is the subject marker
no-this is a possesive particle
dare-who
neko-cat
kaban-bag

example:

Watashi wa Dhenski desu.
I am Dhenski.

Dhenski desu. (plain form)
I am Dhenski.

Boku wa Dhenski desu.
I am Dhenski.

Neko no namae wa nan desu ka.
What is the cat's name?

Neko no namae wa Felix desu.
The cat's name is Felix.

When asking the name of the person you are speaking to, you say "Onamae wa nan desu ka". When asking, it is more polite if you add 'O' before the word namae.

"no" is a possesive particle hence if you want to ask "What is YOUR name" you say " Anata NO namae wa nan desu ka."

examples:

Onamae wa nan desu ka.
What is your name?

Watashi no namae wa Dhenski desu.
My name is Dhenski.

Now you try...

Dare is the japanese word for 'who'. So if you want to ask "Who is it?" you say "dare desu ka"? or if you want to ask to whom does one thing belongs to you say "Dare NO desu ka."

example.

Dare no neko desu ka.
Whose cat is it?

Watashi no neko desu.
It's my cat.

Dare no kaban desu ka.
Whose bag is it?

Brian-san no kaban desu.
It's Brian's bag.

Anata no desu ka.
Is this yours?

Hai, watashi no desu.
Yes, it's mine.

Now you try...

lessOn 1

The first thing you need to learn when constructing a sentence in japanese is the word "desu" This is pronounced as 'dess'. This word means "i am", "it is" "these are" or "those are".

example:

isu-chair

enpitsu-pencil

Isu desu.

It's a chair.

Those are chairs.

Enpitsu desu.

It's a pencil

Those are pencils.

Dhenski desu.

I am Dhenski.

Now you try....

In order to make the sentence a question, all you need to add is "ka" at the end of the sentence, hence:

Isu desu ka.

Is it a chair?

Are those chairs?

Enpitsu desu ka.

Is it a pencil?

Are those pencils?

Brian-san desu ka.

Are you Brian?

Is it Brian?

We add "san" at the end of Brian when the sentence is a question because it reffers to someone else, rather than the person speaking. You do not need to add 'san' on your own name.

the negative form of desu is dewa arimasen or janai desu. The first one is more formal.

example:

Isu dewa arimasen.

It is not a chair.

Those are not chairs.

Enpitsu janai desu.

It is not a pencil.

Those are not pencils.

Brian-san janai desu.

I am not Brian. (san is placed after Brian because you are saying that you are not him.)

To answer someone who asks you is it or is it not (e.g. Is it a chair?), then you have to answer either of these:

Hai- yes

Iie-no

example:

Isu desu ka? ( Is it a chair?)

Hai, isu desu. (Yes, it is a chair.)

Iie, isu dewa arimasen. (No, it is not a chair.)

To ask "what is this or what is that", you say Nan desu ka. (pointing to an object)

example:

Nan desu ka. (what is it?)

Isu desu. (It's a chair.)

Now you try....

pOints tO remember

befOre we start tO learn the basic sentence cOnstructiOn, there are few things we need tO knOw...

1. when we cOnstruct an english sentence, for example;

the bOy drinks the milk. the bOy is the subject, drinks is the verb and the milk is the Object, hence SVO or subject, verb, Object.

in cOnstructing japanese sentences, hOwever, the arrangement Of the wOrds are SOV or subject, Object, verb. fOr example;

kOre wa hOn desu.

kOre (this)-subject

hOn(bOOk)-Object

desu(is)-verb

2. english nOuns dO change depends On whether it is singular Or plural in fOrm e.g. dOg Or dOgs. japanese nOuns, hOwever, dO nOt change. there are what we call 'cOunters' in japanese language which tells whether the subject is in singular Or plural in fOrm.

this alsO gOes fOr japanese prOnouns.

3. suffixes.

san-this is the japanese wOrd fOr mr. Or miss. the gender is neutral.

sama-this is More pOlite fOrm Of san. usually fOr custOmers Or impOrtant peOple.

4. there are nO japanese equivalent fOr articles like a, an or the.

vOcabulary-family

family-kazOku

father-chichi/OtOsan

mOther-haha/Okaasan

Older brOther-ani/Oniisan

Older sister-ane/Oneesan

yOunger brOther-OtOuto/OtOutOsan

yOunger sister-imOutO/imOutOsan

sOn-musukO

daughter-musume

uncle-Ojisan

aunt-Obasan

nephew-Oisan

niece-meisan

cOusin-itOkO

grandfather-Ojiisan

grandmOther-Obaasan

grandchild-magO

siblings-kyOudai

vOcaulary-hOme

entrance-genkan

living rOOm-ima

kitchen-daidOkOrO

bedrOOm-shinshitsu

bathrOOm-OfurO

flOOr-yuka

garden-niwa

dOOr-dOa

ceiling-tenjOu

rOOm-heya

wall-kabe

windOw-madO

bed-beddO

chair-isu

furniture-kagu

mirrOr-kagami

cOuch-sOfaa

bathtub-OfurO

table-teeburu

tOilet-tOire

washer-sentakuki

stOve-renji

television-terebi

vOcabulary-tatemOnO

building-tatemOnO

church-kyOukai

bank-ginkOu

airpOrt-kuuyOu

bOOk stOre-hOnya

cOllege-daigaku

department stOre-depaato

bakery-panya

barbershOp-tOkOya

hOspital-byOin

hOuse-uchi

hOtel-hPteru

fish shOp-sakanaya

dormitory-ryOu

train statiOn-eki

restaurant-resutOran

pharmacy-kusuriya

shOp-mise

museum-hakubutsukan

bar-Omise