Konnichiwa minna san! (Hello everyone!)
It’s time again for another updates for my Japanese language self-study. And just like last week, I decided to take up three lessons for this week. I’ve been learning so much for the past last two months but instead of feeling overwhelmed, I’m feeling ecstatic. Don’t get me wrong, learning Japanese isn’t like a walk in the park but it makes me happy whenever I encounter some phrases that I’m familiar with because of the previous anime that I’ve watched or Jpop song that I’ve heard and being able to really understand them. And I’m the happiest when I finish the lesson without any questions at all then proceeds to the next one.
For this week’s lessons, I’ve got to learn some new phrases that is most commonly used in everyday conversations so as usual, I’m feeling smug for learning about it, haha.
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 1-20 here.
Note: Click on the lesson number to read the whole update.LESSON 21: Want To
- transform the verb into MASU form (refer to Lesson #9 on how to transform into MASU form)
- change MASU into TAI
- g. taberu (informal: to eat) => tabemasu (formal: to eat) => tabetai (I want to eat)
Want to <formal>
- just put DESU after TAI
- <verb> tai desu
(to go) iku => ikimasu => ikitai
I wanna go to Japan
=> Nihon ikitai <informal>
=> Nihon ni ikitai desu <formal>
I’ve never been to Japan. But I wanna go (to Japan).
=> Nihon itta koto nai. Demo, (Nihon) ikitai <informal>
=> Nihon ni itta koto ga arimasu. Demo, (Nihon ni) ikitai desu <formal>
(to return home) kaeru => kaerimasu => kaeritai
Note: For kaeru, it’s not wrong if you use it with uchi / ie (house)I wanna go home
=> Kaeritai <informal>
=> (Uchi ni) kaeritai desu <formal>
yasumu => to rest / to take a day off
yasumi => (noun.) rest / day off / holiday
yasumu => yasumimasu => yasumitai
To take a day off from work / don’t wanna go to work
=> Shigoto yasumitai <informal>
=> Shigoto ni yasumitai desu <formal>
(to speak / talk) hanasu => hanashimasu => hanashitai
To speak Japanese
=> Nihongo wo hanasu
To talk in (by using) Japanese
=> Nihongo de hanasu
I want to talk in (by using) Japanese
=> Nihongo de hanashitai <informal>
=> Nihongo de hanashitai desu <formal>
(to sleep) neru => nemasu => netai
motto => more
I want to sleep more
=> Motto netai <informal>
=> Motto netai desu <formal>
(to see / watch / look) miru => mimasu => mitai
I want to watch tv
=> Terebi mitai <informal>
=> Terebi wo mitai desu <formal>
I want to watch anime
=> Anime ga mitai desu <formal>
=> Anime mitai
(to eat) taberu => tabemasu => tabetai
I want to eat sushi
=> Sushi tabetai <informal>
=> Sushi wo tabetai desu <formal>
(to drink) nomu => nomimasu => nomitai
I’d like to drink tea
=> Ocha nomitai <informal>
=> Ocha ga nomitai desu <formal>
(to read) yomu => yomimasu => yomitai
I want to read manga
=> Manga yomitai <informal>
=> Manga ga yomitai desu <formal>
I’ve been reading manga in English. But I’d like to read them in (by using) Japanese
=> Eigo de manga yonde(i)ru. Demo, nihon de yomitai <informal>
=> Eigo de manga wo yondeimasu. Demo, nihon de yomitai desu <formal>
New vocabularies learned from this lesson:
- yasumu => to rest / to take a day off
- yasumi => (noun.) rest / day off / holiday
- motto => more
- kariforunia => California
- tai => Thailand
- dorama => drama
LESSON 22: Don’t Want To Do
- from tai form, change the last i into kunai
Note: Since tai form is considered i-adjective, they are conjugated the same way. Refer to Lesson #5 for the negation and Lesson #6 for the past tense and past negation of i-adjectives.
Do not want to <verb>
- <verb> takunai
- g. tabetakunai => don’t want to eat
Wanted to <verb>
- <verb> takatta
- g. tabetakatta => wanted to eat
Did not want to <verb>
- <verb> takunakatta
- g. tabetakunakatta => did not want to eat
(to go) iku => ikitai => ikitakunai => ikitakatta => ikitakunakatta
I don’t want to work
=> Shigoto ikitakunai <informal>
=> Shigoto ni ikitakunai desu <formal>
I wanted to go to work
=> Shigoto ikitakatta <informal>
=> Shigoto ni ikitakatta desu <formal>
I did not want to go to work
=> Shigoto ikitakunakatta <informal>
=> Shigoto ni ikitakunakatta desu <formal>
(to study) benkyou suru => benkyou shitai => benkyou shitakunai => benkyou shitakatta => benkyou shitakunakatta
I wanna study Japanese. But I don’t wanna study Kanji
=> Nihongo benkyou shitai. Demo, Kanji benkyou shitakunai <informal>
=> Nihongo wo benkyou shitai desu. Demo, Kanji wo benkyou shitakunai desu <formal>
(to wait) matsu => machitai => machitakunai => machitakatta => machitakunakatta
I don’t wanna wait!
=> Machitakunai! <informal>
=> Machitakunai desu! <formal>
(to win) katsu => kachitai => kachitakunai => kachitakatta => kachitakunakatta
I wanted to win!
=> Kachitakatta! <informal>
=> Kachitakatta desu! <formal>
makeru => to lose
makeinu => loser
makeru => maketai => maketakunai => maketakatta => maketakunakatta
I don’t want to lose
=> Maketakunai <informal>
=> Maketakunai desu <formal>
(to meet) au => aitai => aitakunai => aitakatta => aitakunakatta
Info: In Japan, they don’t usually say “I miss you” to someone.I miss you ~
~ ga koishii
(normally about things, e.g. food)
I miss ramen
=> Raamen koishii <informal>
=> Raamen ga koishii desu <formal>
hayaku => sooner, early, quick, fast
Info: Soon as in “Christmas is soon”, they use “mousuku“.I can’t wait to see you! / I want to meet you soon (er)!
=> Hayaku aitai <informal>
=> Hayaku aitai desu <formal>
I wanna meet Obama
=> Obama aitai <informal>
=> Obama ni aitai desu <formal>
machigaeru => to make a mistake
machigaeru => machigaetai => machigaetakunai => machigaetakatta => machigaetakunakatta
I made a mistake!
=> Machigaetakatta! <informal>
=> Machigaetakatta desu! <formal>
Shippai suru => to fail
shippai suru => shippai shitai => shippai shitakunai => shippai shitakatta => shippai shitakunakatta
I don’t want to fail
=> Shippai shitakunai <informal>
=> Shippai shitakunai desu <formal>
(to listen) kiku => kikitai => kikitakunai => kikitakatta => kikitakunakatta
iiwake => excuse
I don’t want to hear your excuses!
=> Iiwake kikitakunai! <informal>
=> Iiwake wa kikitakunai desu! <formal>
(to watch / look / see) miru => mitai => mitakunai => mitakatta => mitakunakatta
I wanted to see the movie
=> Eiga mitakatta <informal>
=> Eiga ga mitakatta desu <formal>
(to buy) kau => kaitai => kaitakunai => kaitakatta => kaitakunakatta
I wanted to buy this
=> Kore kaitakatta <informal>
=> Kore wa kaitakatta desu <formal>
New vocabularies learned from this lesson:
- isha => doctor
- haisha => dentist (tooth doctor; tooth => ha, doctor => isha
- oya shirazu => wisdom tooth
- oya => parents
- shirazu => (old word) not know
- makeru => to lose
- makeinu => loser
- hayaku => sooner, early, quick, fast
- mousuku => soon (as in, “Christmas is soon”)
- machigaeru => to make a mistake
- Shippai suru => to fail
- iiwake => excuse
LESSON 23: May I? / Can I Do? / Can I Use? <permission>
<verb in TE form> + mo ii (desu)
= may I ~? / can I ~? / Is it okay to ~?
(to eat) taberu => tabete
Can I eat? / Is it ok if I eat?
=> Tabete mo ii? <informal>
=> Tabete mo ii desu ka? <formal>
(lit. even if I eat, would it be alright?)
TE form + mo
= even if ~
e.g. tabetemo => even if I eat
futoru => to get fat
takusan => a lot
I don’t get fat even if I eat a lot
=> Takusan tabetemo futorimasen
ii desu yo <formal>, ii yo <informal> = sure, go ahead / you can / you may
<verb / i-adjective> + yo, <noun / na-adjective (without “na“)> + yo
- telling something new to the listener
- or trying to get their attention
abunai => dangerous
It’s dangerous! / watch out!
=> abunai yo!
It’s good (tastes good)
=> Oishii yo
(lit. you might not know it but it tastes good)
You can also add the verb like:
You can eat
=> Tabetemo ii yo
(to watch / look / see) miru => mite
arubamu => album
Can I look at the album?
=> Arubamu mitemo ii? <informal>
=> Arubamu wo mitemo ii desu ka? <formal>
(to use) tsukau => tsukatte
Can I use the computer? / Is it ok if I use the computer?
=> Pasokon tsukattemo ii? <informal>
=> Pasokon wo tsukattemo ii desu ka? <formal>
denwa => phone
Can I use the phone?
=> Denwa tsukattemo ii? <informal>
=> Denwa tsukattemo ii desu ka? <formal>
otearai => bathroom (less direct than toire)
Can I use the toilet?
=> Toire tsukattemo ii? <informal>
=> Otearai wo tsukattemo ii desu ka? <formal>
(to borrow) kariru => karite
Can I borrow your bathroom? (lit. Can I use the bathroom?)
=> Toire karitemo ii? <informal>
=> Otearai wo karitemo ii desu ka? <formal>
=> Otearai wo okari shitemo ii desu ka? <super formal>
kariru => informal
karimasu => standard formal style
okari suru / okarishimasu => super formal / super polite
=> Okaerai wo okari shitemo ii deshou ka? <super super formal>
Can I borrow a pen?
=> Pen karitemo ii? <informal>
=> Pen wo karitemo ii desu ka? <formal>
(to go) iku => itte
Can I go to Tokyo?
=> Toukyou ittemo ii? <informal>
=> Toukyou ni ittemo ii desu ka? <formal>
Can I go to Tokyo alone?
=> Hitori de toukyou ittemo ii? <informal>
=> Hitori de toukyou ni ittemo ii desu ka? <formal>
tazuneru => to visit <very formal>
asobiniiku => to visit (someone’s house)
- it’s most commonly used
- comes from the verbs asobu => hang-out, and iku => to go
- basically it means, to go hangout
To visit / go over (hangout) to a friend’s house
=> Tomodachi no uchi ni asobiniiku <informal>
=> Tomodachi no uchi ni asobiniikimasu <formal>
asobiniiku
- (I / someone) go over (to someone’s place)
asobinikuru
- (Someone) come over (to my place)
My friend will come over to my place
=> Tomodachi wa uchi ni asobinikuru <informal>
=> Tomodachi wa uchi ni asobinikimasu <formal>
shitsumon wo suru => to ask a question
shitsumon => question
shitsumon wo suru => shitsumon wo shite
May I ask a question?
=> Shitsumon shitemo ii? <informal>
=> Shitsumon wo shitemo ii desu ka? <formal>
(to listen) kiku => kiite
- could also mean to ask
Can I ask your name?
=> Namae kiitemo ii? <informal>
=> Namae wo kiitemo ii desu ka? <formal>
Can I ask you something…?
=> Chotto kiitemo ii…
hairu => to enter / get in <irregular>
hairu => haitte
May I come in?
=> Haittemo ii? <informal>
=> Haittemo ii desu ka? <formal>
New vocabularies learned from this lesson:
- futoru => to get fat
- takusan => a lot
- abunai => dangerous
- arubamu => album
- otearai => bathroom (less direct than toire)
- tazuneru => to visit <very formal>
- asobiniiku => to visit (someone’s house)
- shitsumon wo suru => to ask a question
- shitsumon => question
- hairu => to enter / get in <irregular>
While getting over with the lessons above, I have to say that there were some terms that sounds like a tongue twister to me, for example: shippai shitai (want to fail), shippai shitakunai (don’t want to fail), shippai shitakatta (wanted to fail) and shippai shitakunakatta (did not want to fail). While they may have been a pain in the tongue (get what I mean?, haha) but I really had a great time learning them and I’m excited to learn more!
For the earlier lessons, you can refer to my previous updates for lessons 1-20. 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!