Japanese Self-Studying Updates (Lessons 24-26)

Konnichiwa minna-san!

Another week means another updates for my Japanese language self-study! Last week, I’ve got to learn some new phrases that are most commonly used in everyday conversation, so even though there we’re some terms that I’m having a hard time reading, I still had a blast learning about them.

For this week, I’ve got to deal with another verb form. For the last two months, I think majority of what I’ve learn we’re about different ways to conjugate verbs so I thought that’s the end of it. But for this week, I’ll be dealing with them again, hihi, and nope, I’m definitely not complaining, *wink. The last time, I’ve learn about conjugating verbs formally and in case you doesn’t know, in Japan, you need to speak formally with strangers, when at work or with elders, and then you talk informally with friends and family. So since I’m done with formal conjugation of verbs, right now I need to learn how to do it informally.

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 1-23 here.

Click on the lesson number to read the whole update.

LESSON 24: Informal Negation of Verbs

You can go back to Lesson #11 to know how to negate verb formally.How to informally negate iru/eru ending verbs:
– change ru into nai

(to eat) taberu => tabenai
I don’t eat meat
=> Oniku (wo) tabenai

(to watch, see or look) miru => minai
I don’t watch tv
=> Terebi (wo) minai

Interesting thing about nai is that it can have different meaning base on the intonation you use:
minai <low intonation> = don’t watch (negation)
minai? <high intonation> = wanna watch? (inviting)
You use high intonation when inviting or suggesting something then low intonation for negation.
Ex. Wanna eat ramen?
=> Raamen (wo) tabenai?

How to informally negate other verbs (consonants + u)
– change u into a and add nai

(to write or draw) kaku => kakanai
I don’t/won’t write a letter
=> Tegami (wo) kakanai

(to drink) yomu => yomanai
I don’t read books
=> Hon (wo) yomanai
I don’t really read books
=> Anmari hon (wo) yomanai

(to drink) nomu => nomanai
I don’t drink
=> Osake (wo) nomanai

Would you like to drink? (formal)
=> Osake (wo) nomimasen ka?
negation (masen) + ka = inviting

(to talk or speak) hanasu => hanasanai
I/we don’t talk in Japanese
=> Nihongo (wo) hanasanai

(to go) iku => ikanai
I don’t/won’t go to school
=> Gakkou ni ikanai
I won’t/don’t go to work tomorrow
=> Ashita shigoto ni ikanai

(to wait) matsu => matanai
I don’t/won’t wait more than 10 minutes
=> juppun ijou matanai

Informal negation for verbs with u ending (vowels + u)
– change u into wa and add nai

(to sing) utau => utawanai
I don’t/won’t sing
=> Utawanai

(to say or tell) iu => iwanai
I don’t/won’t say
=> Iwanai

Sometimes, informally, you can just change nai into n (informally rough)
e.g. tabenai => taben

(to buy) kau => kawanai
I won’t/don’t buy clothes
=> Fuku (wo) kawanai

Informal negation for irregular verbs:

• (to do) suru => shinai
• (to come) kuru => konai

benkyou suru => benkyou shinai
I don’t study everyday
=> Mainichi benkyou shinai

(to get nervous) kinchou suru => kinchou shinai
I don’t get nervous
=> Kinchou shinai

(to worry) shinpai suru => shinpai shinai
I don’t worry
=> Shinpai shinai

(to bring <something>) motte kuru => motte konai
I will not bring
=> Motte konai

New vocabularies learned from this lesson:

• jippun (old way) / juppun (more modern) => 10 minutes
• ijou => more than (but not used for comparison)
• fuku => clothes
• kinchou suru => to get nervous
• shinpai suru => to worry

LESSON 25: Don’t Do ~

informal negation (nai) + de
= (please) don’t do ~

This is not the harshest “don’t”

(to eat) taberu => tabenai
(Please) Don’t eat
=> Tabenaide (kudasai)
Don’t eat my candy without asking!
=> Katteni watashi no okashi (wo) tebanaide!

(formal negation) masen + de = WRONG!
(informal negation) nai + de = CORRECT!

(to watch, see or look) miru => minai
(Please) Don’t look
=> Minaide (kudasai)
Don’t look at my phone
=> Keitai (wo) minaide

(to sleep) neru => nenai
Don’t sleep/don’t fall asleep
=> Nenaide

(to forget) wasureru => wasurenai
Don’t forget
=> Wasurenaide
Don’t forget your promise
=> Yakusoku (wo) wasurenaide

naide + ne
= yeah? / okay?
ne is added to soften the don’t ~

Don’t forget, okay?
=> Wasurenaide ne?

denwa wo suru or denwa wo kakeru => to call / to make a phone call

Remember: <verb> + no
= <verb>ing
The no particle makes the verb a noun.

Don’t forget to call me, okay?
=> Denwa (wo) suru no (wo) wasurenaide ne?

<verb> no (wo) wasurenaide
= don’t forget to do ~

kagi wo kakeru => to lock
Don’t forget to lock
=> Kagi (wo) kakeru no (wo) wasurenaide
okuru => to send
Don’t forget to send the pictures, yeah?
=> Shashin (wo) okuru no (wo) wasurenaide ne?

(to open) akeru => akenai
Don’t open the window
=> Mado (wo) akenaide

(to close) shimeru => shimenai
Don’t close yet
=> Mada shimenaide

(to go) iku => ikanai
(Please) Don’t go
=> Ikanaide (kudasai)

(to cry) naku => nakanai
(Please) Don’t cry
=> Nakanaide (kudasai)
(what you usually say when comforting someone)
It’ll be alright
=> Daijoubu da yo

yo => used when telling something or an advice

• when used with noun, you need to add da after the noun

genki dashite => cheer up (lit. let your energy out)
dasu => to take ~ out / put out
uso => lie <noun>

This is usually used like: really? / seriously? / you kidding!
e.g. Hontou ni?! uso!
= really? / seriously? / you kidding? / no way!

uso wo tsuku => to lie

tsuku is like iu (to say) but only used in certain expressions. Tsuku combined with other words can mean a lot of things, like: tsuku => to arrive

Don’t lie
=> Uso (wo) tsukanaide
hontou no koto => truth (lit. true thing)
Please tell the truth
=> Hontou no koto (wo) itte
Don’t lie to me. Please tell me the truth
=> Uso (wo) tsukanaide. Hontou no koto (wo) itte

(to wait) matsu => matanai
Don’t wait!
=> Matanaide!
(to yell) donaru => donaranai
Don’t yell, okay?
=> Donaranaide ne?
Don’t yell at me! (saying with stress)
=> Donaranaide yo!
(lit. Why are you yelling at me! Don’t yell at me!)

Yo can be kind, teasing or rough depending on the tone you use.

(to forget) wasureru =>wasurenai
Don’t forget, okay?
=> Wasurenaide ne?
Don’t forget, will you?
=> Wasuerenaide yo?
(in a teasing tone)

daremo => nobody

• it has to be used with negative verbs

e.g. No one will go / nobody will go
=> Daremo ikanai

(to tell or say) iu => iwanai
to tell TO someone => use the particle ni
To tell/say to the teacher
=> Sensei ni iu
darenimo => to nobody
Don’t tell anybody/nobody
=> Darenimo iwanaide
Don’t tell anybody/nobody, okay?
=> Darenimo iwanaide ne?

(to buy) kau => kawanai
Don’t buy expensive things / Don’t buy anything expensive
=> Takai mono (wo) kawanaide

(to worry) shinpai suru => shinpai shinai
Don’t worry
=> Shinpai shinaide

(to come) kuru => konai
(Please) Don’t come
=> Konaide (kudasai)

New vocabularies learned from this lesson:

• katteni => without permission or without asking
• keitai => phone
• wasureru => to forget
• yakusoku => promise
• denwa wo suru or denwa wo kakeru => to call / to make a phone call
• kagi wo kakeru => to lock
• okuru => to send
• genki dashite => cheer up (lit. let your energy out)
• dasu => to take ~ out / put out
• uso => lie <noun>
• uso wo tsuku => to lie
• hontou no koto => truth (lit. true thing)
• donaru => to yell
• daremo => nobody
• darenimo => to nobody
• mono => thing

LESSON 26: Informal Past Tense Negation of Verbs

For past tense informal, refer to Lesson #19
For formal past tense conjugation, refer to Lesson #12

Nai (informal negation) is considered an i-adjective

didn’t
= nakatta
e.g. I didn’t watch/see
=> Minakatta

sakuban / sakuya (formal) => last night
kinou no yoru (informal) => last night (lit. yesterday’s night)
ban => evening (from around 4-7 pm)
yoru => night (from around 7-12 midnight)

(to watch, see or look) miru => minai => minakatta
I didn’t watch tv last night
=>Kinou no yoru terebi (wo) minakatta

(to eat) taberu => tabenai => tabenakatta
I didn’t eat breakfast today
=> Kyou (wa) asagohan (wo) tabenakatta

(to borrow) kariru => karinai => karinakatta
I didn’t borrow money
=> Okane (wo) karinakatta

To borrow something from someone
=> someone NI kariru Particle NI could also be used with to borrow from someone (kariru), to give from someone (kureru) and to give to someone (ageru)

I didn’t borrow money from mum
=> Okaasan ni okane (wo) karinakatta

(to give) ageru => agenai => agenakatta
I didn’t give Christmas presents to my family
=> Kazoku ni kurisumasu purezento (wo) agenakatta

to give (ageru)

• I give something to someone or someone give something to someone else but NEVER someone give something to me.

to give (kureru)

• someone give something to me

kureru => kurenai => kurenakatta
Santa Claus didn’t give me a present
=> Santa san wa purezento (wo) kurenakatta

Kureru already have a meaning “to give to me” so no need to add “to me” in the sentence

(to read) yomu => yomanai => yomanakatta
I didn’t read a newspaper
=> Shinbun (wo) yomanakatta
kinou no asa / kesa => this morning
I didn’t read this morning’s newspaper
=> Kesa no shinbun (wo) yomanakatta

(to drink) nomu => nomanai => nomanakatta
I didn’t drink anything
=> Nanimo nomanakatta

nani + mo + negation
= nothing  / not anything

I did not drink anything at the party
=> Paateii de nanimo nomanakatta

(to grab or take) toru => toranai => toranakatta
I didn’t take a picture
=> Shashin (wo) toranakatta
I didn’t take many pictures
=> Anmari shashin (wo) toranakatta

(to stand) tatsu => tatanai => tatanakatta
I didn’t stand
=> Tatanakatta

(to win) katsu => katanai => katanakatta
Japanese soccer team didn’t win
=> Nihon no sakkaa chiimu (wa) katanakatta

(to buy) kau => kawanai => kawanakatta
kawa nakatta (kawa <short pause> nakatta) => there was no river
kawa => river
nakatta => could also means didn’t exist
I didn’t buy anything
=> Nanimo kawanakatta

nani + ka

• means something
• nanka (more informal)

Did you buy something on Black Friday?
=> Burakku furaidee ni nanika katta?
I didn’t buy anything
=> Nanimo kawanakatta

(to tell or say) iu => iwanai => iwanakatta
My dad didn’t say anything
=> Otousan (wa) nanimo iwanakatta

benkyou suru => benkyou shinai => benkyou shinakatta
I didn’t study yesterday
=> Kinou bekyou shinakatta

(to come) kuru => konai  => konakatta
Nobody came to my party
=> Watashi no paateii ni daremo konakatta

New vocabularies learned from this lesson:

• sakuban / sakuya (formal) => last night
• kinou no yoru (informal) => last night (lit. yesterday’s night)
• ban => evening (from around 4-7 pm)
• yoru => night (from around 7-12 midnight)
• okaasan => mom (informal)
• kazoku => family
• kurisumasu purezento => Christmas present
• kureru => to give (something to me)
• santa san => Santa Claus
• kinou no asa / kesa => this morning
• nanimo => nothing / not anything (used only with negation)
• katsu => Japanese breaded pork
• chiimu => team
• kawa nakatta (kawa <short pause> nakatta) => there was no river
• kawa => river
• nakatta => could also means didn’t exist
• burakku furaidee => Black Friday
• chichi => father (formal)
• otousan => father (informal)

As usual, I’ve met some new vocabularies that we’re hard to say but with practice, I’m sure I could say them correctly, *wink. I’m not yet familiar with these lessons but I’m already excited to start the next lesson, haha. I don’t remember having this kind of enthusiasm while I was still in school, lol.

For the earlier lessons, you can refer to my previous updates for lessons 1-23. 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!

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