Elementary JapaneseJapanese words

*Welcome to the Elementary Japanese course!* Do you want to learn *basic phrases* and *grammar*? Japanese is a very complex language. It is good to study it step by step to understand how the whole language structure works. In this course, we introduce *Greetings*, *Basic sentence structure*, how to *ask for things*, and how to *make suggestions*. *Greetings* Do you know how to say *Hello* or *Good morning* in Japanese? Let's learn basic greetings for everyday communication! In Japanese, we call them "あいさつ" - *aisatsu* which means greeting.

*See you!* In Japanese, there are special phrases we use when leaving or entering: "いってきます" literally means *I will go and come back*. It consists of two verb "いく" *go* and "くる" *come*. The literal meaning of "いってらっしゃい" is *Please go and come*. This is a response to *Off I go*. We use "しつれいします" when entering or leaving a place (e.g. an office). We can also use it when we end a phone call. Literally, it means *Excuse me*. There is a special phrase we use before and after meals as well: We use "いただきます" before eating. "いただく" is a humble form of *to receive*. After the meal, you say "ごちそうさまでした" to show appreciation towards the person who prepared the dish for you and the meal you ate.

*Nice to meet you!* Let's learn some basic phrases for self-introduction! In Japanese, it is called "じこしょうかい". We always use "はじめまして" at the beginning before we start introducing ourselves. Literally, it means *Let me introduce myself*. We say "よろしくおねがいします" after finishing our self-introduction. Do not forget it, otherwise, your communication partner will be still waiting to hear more from you :) Depending on the situation "よろしくおねがいします" can be also used when asking someone (for help, a favor, etc).

*How do I make a sentence?* Let's look at the basic sentence structure. Sentences like *I am Japanese*, *It is 9:00* or *My brother is at high school* will be translated into Japanese using the desired noun and the word "です" which can be translated as (it) *is*. *!* In Japanese, *verbs* are always at the end of the sentence *!* Note that many sentences in Japanese do not have a subject. Subjects can be omitted whenever it is clear to the speaker *what* or *who* they are referring to.

*Introducing a topic* If we want to specify what or who we are talking about, we attach the particle "は" *wa* behind the word or phrase we want to talk about. Particle *wa* indicates a *topic*. We will learn about *particles* later but in general, *particles* are attached to words or phrases and indicate how these phrases relate to the rest of the sentence. We always give a few example sentences but feel free to make your own with the words you know! :)

*Questions* Let's learn how to make a question! It is very easy since you already know how to make sentences with "です". Here we will learn a new particle "か" *ka*. To make a question you just add *ka* at the end of a sentence. See? I told you, it's easy! :) You can extend your questions with a *question word* "なん" (what). Try to answer these questions!

*Possessive and connective particle* Let's learn new particles! Particle "の" - *No* connects two nouns. It can act like a possessive, showing ownership, and more generally, as a way to turn any noun into a modifier. Particle "の" is very versatile. Particle "と" has two functions: One is to connect two nouns meaning *and*. Second means *with*. See the example sentences to explore other alternatives.

*May I?* When asking for something, there are two possibilities with the same meaning. 1. "(を) ください" 2. "(を) おねがいします" They both mean *Please* or *May I*. When giving something you say "(を) どうぞ" *There you go* We also included some phrases of how to say that you did or did not understand.

*Pointing words* How to say *this*, *that*, *here* or *there*? Let's look at it together! First, we introduce *pointing words* that we use when talking about things that we don't know the names of: "これ" *this thing here*, meaning a thing that is close to you "それ" *that one*, meaning a thing that is close to the communication partner "あれ" *that one over there*, a thing that is neither close to the speaker nor the listener "どれ" *which* If we want to be more specific, we can use "この", "その" and "あの". Unlike *kore*, *sore* and *are* which always stand alone, these words have to be followed by a noun! The logic is the same for *here*, *there* and *over there*: "ここ" *here* "そこ" *there* "あそこ" *over there* "どこ" *where*

*Me too* Time for another particle! Particle "も" means *too*. It indicates, that that item or person, *too*, has the given property. We use it instead of the particle "は". Let's have a look at some examples!

*Negation* We learned how to say (it) *is* by using "です". To negate a statement we use "ではありません" instead of "です" at the end of a sentence. Another alternative is じゃありません.

*Verb conjugation - Present tense* Here we learn how to conjugate Japanese verbs. Is it important to keep in mind that there are *two categories* of verbs that follow regular conjugation patterns. *Ru-verbs* and *u-verbs*. It is important to distinguish between them! First, let's have a look at *ru-verbs*: An example verb can be "みる" *miru* (dictionary form). We call them *ru-verbs* because you add the suffix *ru* to the verb base (*mi*, in the above example) to form the dictionary form. To make a *present-tense affirmative* form, we add the suffix "ます" *masu* to the verb base. *Mi-ru* = *Mi-masu* To make the *present-tense negative* form, we add the suffix "ません" *masen* to the verb base. *Mi-ru* = *Mi-masen* The second category are *U-verbs* - verbs that end with *u*: They are a bit trickier because you add an extra vowel *i* when you conjugate them. But do not worry, we will show you how to do it! The dictionary form of an *u-verb* like のむ *nomu* can be broken down into the base (*nom*) and the suffix *u*. The long forms like "のみます" and "のみません", then, are formed with the base form plus suffixes *imasu* and *imasen*. Try to make an affirmative or negative from the given verbs! In Japanese, there are two *irregular verbs*: "する" *Affirmative* is "します", *negative* is "しません" "くる" *Affirmative* is "きます", *negative* is "きません"

*Particles of movement, time, direct objects, and place* Let's learn more particles so we can build sentences with the verbs we learned! Nouns used in sentences generally must be followed by particles, which indicate the relations that the nouns bear to the verbs. Particle "で" indicates * where* the event described by the verb takes place. Particle "に" has many meanings. Here we will learn it as: 1) a goal toward which things move 2) the time at which an event takes place Particle "へ" indicates the *goal of movement*. It can be replaced with "に" and vice-versa. Particle "を" indicates *direct objects*, the kind of things that are directly involved in, or affected by, the event.

*Shall we play tennis?* How do you ask someone to go to a cinema with you? We use "〜ませんか" if we want to give a suggestion. It is made from the present tense negative verb plus the question particle.

*Frequency adverbs* Time for some *frequency adverbs*! We use the adverbs below with affirmative. "ときどき" *sometimes* "よく" *often* "まいにち" *every day* These adverbs have to be used with a negative verb at the end! "あまり" *not much* "ぜんぜん" *not at all*, *never*

*Having, being.* How would you say you have a *sister*, or a *TV in your room*? Depending on whether you are a person, an animal or a non-living thing, the following rules apply "ある" For *non-living things*, it is to have/to be. "いる" For *living* things, to have/to be Both verbs are used with a particle.

*Verb conjugation - past tense* Last time we learnt about conjugation in the present tense, this time we will look at conjugation in the past tense. The *past tense* looks like this, where ~ is the stem of the verb *Affirmative* - I did (present tense - I do) *Negative -* I didn't (present tense - I didn't)