Japanese Self-Studying Updates (Lessons 13 and 14)

Happy Monday everyone. It’s time again for another updates for my weekly Japanese self-study sessions. For the previous week, I’ve got to learn about MASU verbs negation, past tense as well as its past negation. Unlike adjectives, verb is a very vast topic in Japanese language and I really enjoy learning about them. For this week, I’ve got to learn about the request form of verb as well as its present continuous form.

And once  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 1-12 here.

Note: Click on the lesson number to read the whole update.

LESSON 13: Request (TE) form + Present Continuous (doING)

TE form for iru/eru ending

• changing ru to te

kudasai – please

• comes from the verb kudasaru -> you do something and I will really appreciate it.

blackboard -> kokuban
cookies -> kukkii
younger sister -> imouto
older brother -> oniichan

Examples:
(to eat) taberu -> tabete

• (Please) eat my cookies
  -> Kukkii wo tabete (informal)
  -> Kukkii wo tabete kudasai (formal)

(to look, see, watch) miru -> mite

• (Please) look at the blackboard
  -> Kokuban wo mite (informal)
  -> Kokuban wo mite kudasai (formal)

Note: In Japanese, they use wo particle – (please look at ~)

(to sleep) neru -> nete

• (Please) sleep
  -> Nete (informal)
  -> Nete kudasai (formal)
• It’s already 11 o’clock. (Please) Go to sleep!
  -> Mou juuichi ji. Nete! (informal)
  -> Mou juuichi ji. Nete kudasai! (formal)

(to wake up) okiru -> okite

• (Please) wake up
  -> Okite (informal)
  -> Okite kudasai (formal)
• Senpai (older students/co-workers) wake up!
  -> Senpai, okite kudasai!

Note: Always talk formally to strangers, older people, or at work.

Present Continuous

• use TE form + iru (to be <verb>ing now)
• user TE form + imasu (formal)

recently -> saikin

baby -> akachan

red -> aka

chan -> suffix added when calling girls in a cute way

Info: New born babies are usually red

Examples:

(to eat) taberu -> tabete iru (tabete imasu)

• To be eating / Have been eating
  -> Tabete(i)ru (informal)
  -> Tabete(i)masu (formal)

Note: To make you sound more native, you can pronounce it as “tabeteru“, and that goes with formal form as well  “tabetemasu“. Note: For formal writing, it is necessary to use the complete form which is “tabete imasu“.

• I’m eating dinner
  -> Bangohan wo tabete(i)ru (informal)
  -> Bangohan wo tabete(i)masu (formal)

(to watch, see, look) miru -> mite iru (mite imasu)

• I’m watching tv
  -> Terebi wo mite(i)ru (informal)
  -> Terebi wo mite(i)masu (formal)
• I’ve been watching “My name is Earl”
  -> “My name is Earl” wo mite(i)ru (informal)
  -> “My name is Earl” wo mite(i)masu (formal)
• Recently, I’ve been watching “My name is Earl”
  -> Saikin “My name is Earl” wo mite(i)ru (informal)
  -> Saikin “My name is Earl” wo mite(i)masu (formal)

(to sleep) neru -> nete iru (nete imasu)

• The baby is sleeping
  -> Akachan wa nete(i)ru (informal)
  -> Akachan wa nete(i)masu (formal)

Note: wo particle is usually used with verbs but baby (akachan) is not an object but a topic, so we use the topic marker, wa, instead.

(to wake up) okiru -> okite iru (okite imasu)

• okite iru (okite imasu) means I’m awake and not I am waking up.

TE + iru (imasu) – usually means doing something now

• but it can also indicate the state of something

Example:

yaseru – to lose weight

• te form: yasete -> please lose weight
• present continuous : yasete iru (yasete imasu) -> to be thin or skinny

Note: Some verbs in TE + iru use the state of something, but most of them means doing something now.

Another examples:

(to teach) oshieru -> oshiete iru (oshiete imasu)

• (Please) teach me Japanese
  -> Nihongo wo oshiete (informal)
  -> Nihongo wo oshiete kudasai (formal)
• Misa sensei is teaching Japanese
  -> Misa sensei wa nihongo wo oshiete(i)ru (informal)
  -> Misa sensei wa nihongo wo oshiete(i)masu (formal)
• I’m teaching English in Tokyo
  -> Toukyou de eigo wo oshiete(i)ru (informal)
  -> Toukyou de eigo wo oshiete(i)masu (informal)

New vocabularies learned from this lesson:

• please -> kudasai
• cookies -> kukkii
• blackboard -> kokuban
• younger sister -> imouto
• older brother -> oniichan
• recently -> saikin
• baby -> akachan
• red -> aka
• chan -> suffix added when calling girls in a cute way

LESSON 14: TE Form + Present Continuous for u/tsu/ru Ending

TE form for u/tsu/(-a/-u/-o +) ru ending

• change the ending into tte (small tsu + TE)

Ex: of u verbs

• to meet -> au
• to say -> iu
• to buy -> kau

Ex: of tsu verbs

• to win -> katsu
• to hold -> motsu
• to stand (up) -> tatsu
• to wait -> matsu

Ex: of (-a/-u/-o +) ru verbs

• to become -> naru
• to ride/board/get on (transportation) -> noru

TE Form and Present Continuous (u verbs)

boyfriend -> kare (mainly used by women) or kareshi

girlfriend -> kanojo

once/one time – ikkai or ichido (formal)

mou + number + counter = ~ more (eg. one more time)

one more time -> mou ikkai or mou ichido (formal)

Examples:

(to buy) kau -> katte -> katte iru (katte imasu)

• I’ve been buying coffee everyday
  -> Mainichi koohii wo katte(i)ru (informal)
  -> Mainichi koohii wo katte(i)masu (formal)

(to meet) au -> atte -> atte iru (atte imasu)

• Meet my boyfriend
  -> Kare ni atte

Note: In Japanese, when meeting someone, they usually use the particle ni (direction). Lit. To go meet someone.

(to say) iu -> itte -> itte iru (itte imasu)

• Please say it one more time
  -> Mou ikkai (mou ichido) itte kudasai

(to head) mukau -> mukatte -> mukatte iru (mukatte imasu)

• I’m on my way to work
  ->Shigoto ni mukatte(i)ru (informal)
  -> Shigoto ni mukatte(i)masu (formal)

TE Form and Present Continuous (tsu verbs)

a little (bit) – chotto

shoushou – equivalent of chotto (very very formal)

bus -> basu

Examples:

(to wait) matsu -> matte -> matte iru (matte imasu)

• Wait a sec! (lit. wait a minute)
  -> Chotto matte! (informal)
  -> Chotto matte kudasai! (formal)

***

Info: Japan has so many levels of formality. Employees to customer, you need to be very very formal.

Example:

• Please wait a moment
  -> Shoushou omachi kudasai
  (super formal: employees talking to the customer)

***

• I’m waiting for a bus
  -> Basu wo matte(i)ru (informal)
  -> Basu wo matte(i)masu (formal)

(to stand up) tatsu -> tatte -> tatte iru (tatte imasu)

Note: Just like in matsu, they usually use chotto when asking favor or request.

• Stand up a bit/little
  -> Chotto tatte

TE Form and Present Continuous (-a/-u/-o + ru verbs)

salt -> shio

right -> mige (direction)

left -> hidari

train -> densha

bullet train -> shinkansen

Examples:

(to take, grab, or pass) toru -> totte -> totte iru (totte imasu)

• Please take that book
  -> Ano hon wo totte kudasai
• Please pass (take) me the salt
  -> Shio wo totte kudasai
• Please take a picture
  -> Shashin wo totte kudasai

(I/you/someone/something turns) magaru -> magatte -> magatte iru (magatte imasu)

• Please turn right
  -> Mige ni magatte kudasai

Note: Remember to use ni particle when referring to direction.

(to to ride/board/get on <transportation>) noru -> notte -> notte iru (notte imasu)

• Please get on the train
  -> Densha ni notte kudasai

Note: notte iru (notte imasu) -> you are riding or on a <transportation>

• I’m on a bullet train
  -> Shinkansen ni notte(i)ru (informal)
  -> Shinkansen ni notte(i)masu (formal)

TE Form and Present Continuous (irregular verbs)

Examples:

(to return/to come home) kaeru -> kaette -> kaette iru (kaette imasu)

• Please go home
  -> Kaette kudasai

(to cut) kiru -> kitte -> kitte iru (kitte imasu) (pronunciation: kIru)

• Please cut my hair
  -> Kami wo kitte kudasai

Info: (to wear) kiru -> kite -> kite iru (kitte imasu) (pronunciation: kirU) – conjugates like iru/eru ending verbs

(to go) iku -> itte -> itte iru (itte imasu)

Note: itte iru (itte imasu) – only means have been going to ~

• I’ve been going to the restaurant everyday
  -> Mainichi resutoran ni itte(i)ru (informal)
  -> Mainichi resutoran ni itte(i)masu (formal)

New vocabularies learned from this lesson:

• to meet -> au
• to win -> katsu
• to hold -> motsu
• to stand (up) -> tatsu
• to become -> naru
• to ride/board/get on (transportation) -> noru
• boyfriend -> kare (mainly used by women) or kareshi
• girlfriend -> kanojo
• once/one time – ikkai or ichido (formal)
• mou + number + counter = ~ more (eg. one more time)
• one more time -> mou ikkai or mou ichido (formal)
• shoushou – equivalent of chotto (very very formal)
• bus -> basu
• salt -> shio
• right -> mige (direction)
• left -> hidari
• train -> densha
• bullet train -> shinkansen
• (I/you/someone/something) turns -> magaru
• to head -> mukau
• to cut -> kiru
• to wear -> kiru

I guess these two lessons were one of my most anticipated lessons so far. It’s just amazing how a single verb can transform into a lot of forms in Japanese. There’s a total of 44 lessons and I’m heading to lesson 15 soon. This makes me so excited on what I will learn more in the next lessons.

For the earlier lessons, you can refer to my previous updates for lessons 1-12. 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!

Subscribe To Blushing Geek