Konnichiwa minna-san!
For the last three months that I’ve been learning Japanese, the idea of giving up never crossed my mind until last week, last Sunday to be exact. I’ve been having a very sh*tty week and also having a hard time juggling between work, reading, watching anime/movie, then blogging. It also didn’t helped that I’ve been having a hard time at work and it’s really stressing me out. And the negative vibes last week finally had a toll on me and the thought of stopping the lesson just came to mind.
But after watching this verb conjugation video in YouTube, my enthusiasm magically came back. I’ve been following this channel in Youtube named Learning Kanji for like two months ago but never really got the chance to watch a full video of his tutorial because I’ve been focusing on learning Japanese grammar for now. I thought he’s only teaching kanji and when I stumbled on his verb conjugation video, I got curious so I watched it and dang! I’m magically recharged. I have to say that Misa-sensei is one of the best on explaining things more easily but Learning Kanji uses a very different approach. It’s a bit messy when you compare it to other Japanese tutorials in Youtube but Learning Kanji always tries his best on explaining things completely. It’s super duper complete actually and he has a habit on repeating things for a couple of times especially if he think that the topic is too difficult for us. And I find it really favorable for me because it gives me a lot of time to process the new information and won’t give me an information overload.
And for today’s update, I am only updating two lessons. It’s technically one lesson as the first lesson is only an add-on lesson in Misa-sensei’s Japanese Grammar lessons in Youtube. I’ve noticed lately that I’ve been pushing myself too hard and been pursuing three lessons a week so I decided to take it slow this time.
Last week, I studied information conjugation of verbs and I have to say that it was quite difficult to learn compared to conjugating verbs formally but it’s all good, *wink. For this week, I am learning how to differentiate ageru (to give), morau (to receive) and kureru (to give). You see, Japan loves giving gifts so it’s really ideal to how to differentiate these verbs from each other. Aside from that, I am learning how to say “haven’t done yet” too which I was confused at first because I did an almost the same lesson back in Lesson #20. Btw, you can follow on my update below to see how they differentiate from each other.
And again, this is not an attempt to create a tutorial but just sharing what I’ve learn from Misa-sensei’s Grammar Lessons for Absolute Beginners in Youtube. You can see what I’ve been learning from Lessons 1-26 here.
Click on the lesson number to read the whole update.Ageru VS. Kureru Vs. Morau
You can go back to lessons #9, #11 and #12 to know how to conjugate verbs formally. Then check out lessons #13 -14, and #15 – #17 for the TE or request form. And for conjugating verbs informally, check out lessons #19, #24 and #26ageru => to giveEx: To give a present
=> Purezento wo agemasu <formal>
=> Purezento (wo) ageru <informal> For TO someone, you always use the particle NI.
Ex: I gave presents TO my family
=> Kazoku ni purezento wo agemashita <formal>
=> Kasoku ni purezento (wo) ageta <informal>
kodomotachi => children (you use it if you want to emphasize that there’s a lot of kids)
kodomo => can both mean child and children
Ex: Santa Claus gave presents to the children
=> Santa san wa kodomotachi ni purezento wo agemashita <formal>
=> Santa san wa kodomotachi ni purezento (wo) ageta <informal>
AGERU
used when:
- I give something to someone/you
- Someone/you give something to someone else
but never:
- Someone/you give something to me
VS
KURERU
used only when:
- Someone/you give something to me
Ex: This year, Santa Claus didn’t gave me a present
=> Kotoshi wa Santa san wa (watashi ni) purezento wo kuremasen deshita <formal>
=> Kotoshi wa Santa san wa purezento (wo) kurenakatta <informal>
Ex: My friend gave me a book
=> Tomodachi wa hon wo kuremashita <formal>
=> Tomodachi wa hon (wo) kureta <informal>
tanjoubi => birthday
My dad gave me a car on my birthday
=> Chichi wa tanjoubi ni kuruma wo kuremashita <formal>
=> Otousan wa tanjoubi ni kureta <informal>
morau => to receive / to get
KURERU
- when using kureru, it’s always required to mention WHO gave it to me/you.
- kureru is used to give emphasis that THIS person gave it to me/you.
VS
MORAU
- when using morau, it’s not required to mention WHO gave it to me/you
- morau is more about myself/yourself; eg. I/you receive this, I/you receive that etc.
Ex: I received a letter
=> Tegami wo moraimashita <formal>
=> Tegami (wo) moratta <informal>
kutso => shoes
I got shoes on Christmas
=> Kurisumasu ni kutso wo moraimashita <formal>
=> Kurisumasu ni kutso (wo) moratta <informal>
kaban => bag
I got a bag on Christmas
=> Kurisumasu ni kaban wo moraimashita <formal>
=> Kurisumasu ni kaban (wo) moratta <informal>
kara => from
- it’s usually used with: from somewhere or from what time
Ex: From Tokyo
=> Toukyou kara
From 1 o’clock
=> Ichi ji kara
someone ni something wo morau
= to receive something from someone
I got a letter from my friend
=> Tomodachi ni tegami wo moraimashita <formal>
=> Tomodachi ni tegami (wo) moratta <informal>
(it DOESN’T mean I receive it TO someone but I receive it FROM someone)
douryou => colleague / co-worker
I received a present from my co-worker
=> Douryou ni purezento wo moraimashita <formal>
=> Douryou ni purezento (wo) moratta <informal>
What’s the difference between:
My co-worker gave me a present (Douryou wa purezento wo kuremashita / kureta) and I got a present from my co-worker (Douryou ni purezento wo moraimashita/moratta) ?
- They both mean the same thing but kureru is more about the person WHO gave it to me/you while morau is all about me/you who got the present.
- With kureru, it give emphasis on the person WHO gave it to me/you. It’s usually used with the particle GA.
Ex: Mr. Tanaka gave me a present
=> Tanaka san ga purezento wo kuremashita <formal>
=> Tanaka san ga purezento (wo) kureta <informal>
(it means, Mr. Tanaka IS THE ONE who gave me a present)
Mr. Tanaka gave me a present
=> Tanaka san wa purezento wo kuremashita <formal>
=> Tanaka wan wa purezento (wo) kureta <informal>
(focusing on WHAT Mr. Tanaka did, which is giving me a present)
To know more about WA and GA particles, just refer to lesson #10.
When someone ask you “Who gave ~ to you”, your answer should always use the particle GA to put emphasis on the person who gave it to you.
Ex: Mr. Tanaka gave me ~
=> Tanaka san ga ~ kuremashita <formal>
=> Tanaka san ga ~ kureta <informal>
(when you use the particle WA instead of GA in the sentence above, it will become a bit strange)
But when you ask, you say either of the two:
=> Dare ga kuremashita ka? <formal> / Dare ga kureta? <informal>
(who gave it to you?)
or
=> Dare ni moraimashita ka? <formal> / Dare ga moratta? <informal>
(who did you get/received it from?)
and when answering this question, you say:
=> ~ ga kuremashita <formal> / ~ ga kureta <informal>
(~ gave it)
or
=> ~ ni moraimashita <formal> / ~ ni moratta <informal>
(got it from ~)
New vocabularies learned from this lesson:
- kodomotachi => children (you use it if you want to emphasize that there’s a lot of kids)
- kodomo => can both mean child and children
- tanjoubi => birthday
- kutso => shoes
- kaban => bag
- kara => from / because
- douryou => colleague / co-worker
- maruraa => scarf
- choko => chocolate
LESSON 27: Haven’t Done Yet
For TE / request form, refer to lessons #13 -14, and #15 – #17 to learn more.TE form + (i) nai <informal>TE form + imasen <formal>
= haven’t done ~ yet Tabenakatta means didn’t eat and not haven’t eaten yet.
(to watch, see, look) miru => mite
mite(i)nai / miteimasen
= not looking now / have not looked (watched) yet
Have never seen before
=> Mita koto ga arimasen <formal>
=> Mita koto (ga) nai <informal>
(you use this form when you never had the experience before)
TE form + (i) nai / imasen
= have not ~ (for a while or yet)
* means you’ve ~ it before but haven’t ~ for a while or not yet (but you are planning to)
Ex: Have you seen / Did you see the new movie?
=> Atarashii eiga wo mimashita ka? <formal>
=> Atarashii eiga (wo) mita? <informal>
No, I haven’t seen it (yet)
=> Iie, miteimasen <formal>
=> Uun, mite(i)nai <informal>
mite(i)nai/miteimasen
- this is the most appropriate response on the question above
- it’s like, you haven’t seen it but is planning to watch it soon
VS.
mita / mimashita
- sounds like a bit weird of a response
- it’s like, you said that you gonna watch it yesterday but decided not to after all
But when you are talking about a certain TV show that was shown last night or the other day:
Did you watch the drama yesterday? / Did you watch yesterday’s drama?
=> Kinou no dorama mimashita ka? <formal>
=> Kinou no dorama mita? <informal>
Nope, I didn’t watch it
=> Iie, mimasen deshita <formal>
=> Uun, minakatta <informal>
=> Iie, miteimasen <formal>
=> Unn, mite(i)nai <informal>
(it means, you taped it but haven’t watched it yet)
(to eat) taberu => tabete
I didn’t eat breakfast
=> Asagohan wo tabemasen deshita <formal>
=> Asagohan (wo) tabenakatta <informal>
(you didn’t eat breakfast)
I didn’t eat breakfast yet
=> Mada tabeteimasen <formal>
=> Mada tabete(i)nai <informal>
(haven’t eaten breakfast yet but you are planning to)
Not yet?
=> Mada?
I haven’t eaten breakfast yet
=> Mada asagohan wo tabeteimasen <formal>
=> Mada asagohan (wo) tabete(i)nai <informal>
(to decide) kimeru => kimete
decide it quickly
=> Hayaku kimeru
kimete(i)nai / kimeteimasen
= haven’t decided yet
<verb> ka kimete(i)nai / kimeteimasen
= haven’t decided whether to do or not
Ex: Haven’t decided WHETHER I’ll eat or not
=> Taberu ka kimeteimasen <formal>
=> Taberu ka kimete(i)nai <informal>
nani wo <verb> ka kimete(i)nai / kimeteimasen
= haven’t decided WHAT ~
Ex: Haven’t decided what I’ll eat
=> Nani wo taberu ka kimeteimasen <formal>
=> Nani (wo) taberu ka kimete(i)nai <informal>
(to read) yomu => yonde
yonde(i)nai / yondeimasen
= not reading now / haven’t read yet
Did you / Have you read this book (already)?
=> Kono hon wo yomimashita ka? <formal>
=> Kono hon (wo) yonda? <informal>
I haven’t read this book yet
=> Kono hon wo yondeimasen <formal>
=> Kono hon (wo) yonde(i)nai <informal>
zenbu => everything / all
Haven’t finished reading / Haven’t read it all
=> Mada zenbu yondeimasen <formal>
=> Mada zenbu yonde(i)nai <informal>
(to say, tell) iu => itte
itte(i)nai / itteimasen
= haven’t told / haven’t said
shinjitsu => truth <formal>
Did you tell the truth?
=> Hontou no koto wo iimashita ka? <formal>
=> Hontou no koto (wo) itta? <informal>
Haven’t said / Haven’t told yet
=> Mada itteimasen <formal>
=> Mada itte(i)nai <informal>
kokuhaku suru => to confess (someone’s love)
hito => person
barentaindee => Valentines Day
A lot of people confess their love on Valentines Day
=> Takusan no hito wa barentaindee ni kokuhaku shimasu <formal>
=> Takusan no hito wa barentaindee ni kokuhaku suru <informal>
Did you already confess your love? / Did you already ask him out?
=> Mou kokuhaku shimashita ka? <formal>?
=> Mou kokuhaku shita? <informal>
I haven’t confessed / ask him out yet
=> Mada kokuhaku shiteimasen <formal>
=> Mada kokuhaku shite(i)nai <informal>
When they confess, they usually say:
I like you! Please go out with me
=> Suki desu. Tsukiatte kudasai!
tsukiau => to go out with someone / to date
keeki => cake
Did you already make / bake it?
=> Mou tsukurimashita ka? <formal>
=> Mou tsukutta? <informal>
I haven’t made yet
=> Mada tsukutteimasen <fornal>
=> Mada tsukutta <informal>
New vocabularies learned from this lesson:
- kimeru => to decide
- zenbu => everything / all
- shinjitsu => truth <formal>
- kokuhaku suru => to confess (someone’s love)
- hito => person
- barentaindee => Valentines Day
- tsukiau => to go out with someone / to date
- keeki => cake
There’s some new vocabularies in these lesson and I really enjoy learning about them. Also, in Lesson 27, we’ve got to learn the Japanese way on how to ask someone on a date (though, I learn some of them by watching anime). And I think it’s really a good dating culture because before they date, they confess their love first. Save’s you a lot of time thinking if the other person likes you right?
Btw, for the earlier lessons, you can refer to my previous updates for lessons 1-26. If you want to study Japanese language as well, I am highly recommending Misa-sensei’s youtube tutorial for Japanese Grammar Lessons for Absolute Beginners. Jaa mata ne!