Japanese Self-Studying Updates (Lessons 36 and 37)

Konnichiwa minna-san!

Kyou wa getsuyoubi desu. (Today is Monday) Which means it’s time again for another update for my Japanese self-study! I know I mentioned from my previous update that I am considering to do video updates instead of the usual written updates like this one but with the holiday coming, I can’t allocate time to do it. So aside from the fact that I’m not ready, I’m really juggling with my time. So maybe February next year I could finally save the guts to do it, haha. But what I have in mind is not a weekly video update but maybe just a summary of atleast 10 lessons that I did. And now that I am already in lesson 37, I am going to create atleast three videos and that’s really a lot and I’m starting to feel pressured haha. But hopefully this holiday I could finalize the idea so I could finally do it, *wink.

By the way, in case you forgot or didn’t know, I did my very first attempt of recording myself in front of a camera almost eight months ago and if I’m not mistaken, it took me a LOT of trial and errors until I finally exhausted myself and just wrap it up, lol. And if I’m going to do it again, I need to allocated atleast a day (or maybe half a day?, haha) for the shoot. It’s really daunting when I think about it, so let’s just drop it for now, hehe.

So for the previous lesson, I studied go to do / in order to ~ and then how to say let’s ~ in Japanese. It was actually one of the easiest lessons I did so far so it only took me two or three days to really learn it from the heart. For this week’s lessons, I can’t think it’s going to be another easy one because lesson 37 is quite confusing. But I can do it. Ganbarou!

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 1-35 here.

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

LESSON 36: I Think

omou => to think

Unlike English, you always omou (to think) at the end of the sentence.

Ex: I think it’s cute
=> Kawaii to omou

~ to omou
= I think ~

The TO particle is used as a quotation mark.

For na-adjective with to omou
= change the ending na into da and then add to omou at the end.
Ex: I think it’s quiet
=> Shizuka da to omou

da is the informal of desu

da
=> mainly used in anime/drama

In formal sentences, we always put desu at the end of the sentences with nouns or adjectives.
Ex: I’m Japanese
=> Nihonjin desu
This is a pen
=> Kore wa pen desu

But in anime/drama, you often hear this da. <fiction sounding / sounds arrogant in real life>
Ex: I’m Japanese
=> Nihonjin da
This is a pen
=> Kore wa pen da

They don’t usually use this da in real life because it sounded arrogant or bossy. But with na-adjectives or noun with to omou, you are required to use them with da.
I think…
=> i-adjectives / verbs / negation + to omou
=> na-adjectives / noun + da + to omou

Ex: I think Pikachu is cute
=> Pikachu wa kawaii to omou

To make the sentence formal, just conjugate omou into its MASU form, which is omoimasu.

=> Pikachu wa kawaii to omoimasu
I think Japanese is difficult
=> Nihongo wa muzukashii to omou
I think Japan is beautiful
=> Nihon wa kirei da to omou
I think that man is a writer
=> Ano atokonohito wa sakka da to omou
sakka => writer
I think English is easy
=> Eigo wa kantan da to omou
I think tomorrow is my friend’s birthday
=> Ashita wa tomodachi no tanjoubi da to omou
I think Tanaka is a good person
=> Tanaka san wa ii hito da to omou
I think Misa is a good teacher
=> Misa sensei wa ii sensei da to omou

Negation

Ex: I think it’s not cute
=> Kawai kunai to omou

noun / na-adjective + janai
= ~ is not

I think Ken is not American
=> Ken wa amerika jin janai to omou

This janai / nai is always treated as an i-adjective that’s why we didn’t use “da” in the example above. <janai + to omou>

I think the library is not quiet
=> Toshokan wa shizuka janai to omou

VERB

Ex: I think I will go
=> Iku to omou

masu + to omou – WRONG!
plain verb + to omou – CORRECT!

I think I’ll eat dinner
=> Bangohan wo taberu to omou
I think I’ll wait
=> Matsu to omou

VERB NEGATION

Refer to lesson 24 to know more about informal negation of verbs.
Ex: I think I will not go
=> Ikanai to omou
I think Mike will not go
=> Maiku wa ikanai to omou
I think Mike will not go to work tomorrow
=> Maiku wa ashita shigoto ni ikanai to omou
I think Kevin is eating now
=> Kebin wa (ima) tabete(i)ru to omou
For present progressive verbs, just refer to lessons 13-17.
I think Kevin is not eating (now)
=> Kebin wa (ima) tabete(i)nai to omou
For negation of present progressive verbs, just refer to lesson 27.
I think Kevin already ate
=> Kebin wa mou tabeta to omou
For informal past tense of verbs, go to lesson 19.
I think I will have pizza for dinner
=> Bangohan wa piza wo taberu to omou
I think dogs are cute
=> Inu ga kawaii to omou
I think Suzuki is a doctor
=> Suzuki san wa isha da to omou
I think this is not a shampoo
=> Kore wa shanpuu janai to omou
I think Pikachu likes ketchup
=> Pikachu wa kechappu ga suki da to omou
I think Mom bought new TV
=> Okaasan wa atarashii terebi wo katta to omou
I think I’ll study Japanese tomorrow
=> Ashita wa nihongo wo benkyou suru to omou

New vocabularies learned from this lesson:

• omou => to think
• da =>informal of desu
• sakka => writer
• Kebin => Kevin
• shanpuu => shampoo
• kechappu => ketchup

LESSON 37: Said

iu => to say
monku wo iu => to complain
monku => complaint <noun>
waruguchi wo iu => to bad mouth / to call names
kageguchi wo iu => to talk behind someone’s backHow do you say ~ in Japanese?
=> ~ wa nihongo de nan to iimasuka? <formal>
=> ~ wa nihongon de nan te iu? <informal>TO particle is used as:

• and
• with
• quotation mark

For the previous lesson, we also use the to particle as a quotation mark so for the verb iu (to say), it also follows the same rule:

• noun / na-adjective + da + to iu
• i-adjective / verb / negation + to iu

To make the sentence formal, just conjugate the last verb, which is iu to its MASU form.

Ex: I said it’s cold
=> Samui to iimashita <formal>
You could say samui to itta but more informally, they use tte:
=> Samui tte itta <informal>

~ to itta                 VS       ~ tte itta
said (book style)    VS   said (casual)

You might see this to itta in books on something formal. But depending on the book, they would use either the MASU form or the plain form. The plain form doesn’t always mean it’s casual, like you’re talking with friends. The MASU form is formal but also polite. It’s used when you are talking with your boss, strangers or someone older than you to show respect. But books are usually written for everyone (boss, kids, students, etc.) to read. That said, books doesn’t have to be polite to a specific person so they are not often written in the MASU form but use the plain form.

For the sentence samui to itta, even if it using the informal verb past tense, the to particle makes it sound formal.

Ex: I said Tanaka is a good person
=> Tanaka san wa ii hito da to iimashita <formal>
=> Tanaka san wa ii hito da tte itta <informal>
I said I will not go to the party
=> Paateii ni ikanai to iimashita <formal>
=> Paateii ni ikanai tte itta <informal>

someone ni ~ tte itta / ~ to iimashita
= I said ~ to someone

Ex: A mother said to her child that dinner is ready
=> Hahaoya wa kodomo ni bangohan ga dekita to iimashita <formal>
=> Okaasan wa kodomo ni bangohan ga dekita tte itta <informal>

haha => my mother <formal>
hahaoya wa => a mother <formal>
okaasan wa => a mother, someone’s mom, my mom
~ ga dekita => ~ is done / ready

tte itta / to iimashita
= I said / (s)he JUST said
tte itte(i)ta / to itteimashita
= he / she / they said
*when you quote someone else’s
(I heard ~ say) a long time ago <eg. yesterday, 1 hour ago, 1 year etc.>

Another scenario

tabete(i)ru / tabeteimasu
=> eating now / have been eating for a while
Go to lessons 13-17 to know more about present progressive verbs.
tabete(i)ta / tabeteimashita
= was eating / had been eating

Ex: Ben (just) said he’s busy
=> Ben wa isogashii to iimashita <formal>
=> Ben wa isogashii tte itta <informal>
Tom (just) said he’s busy
=> Tomu wa isogashii to iimashita <formal>
=> Tomu wa isogashii tte itta <informal>
Tom said he’s busy (I heard Tom say)
=> Tomu wa isogashii to itteimashita <formal>
=> Tomu wa isogashii tte itte(i)ta <informal>
What did you just say?
=> Nan to iimashita ka? <formal>
=> Nan te itta? <informal>
You said you didn’t like Japan (before)
=> Nihon ga suki janai to itteimashita <formal>
=> Nihon ga suki janai tte itte(i)ta <informal>
Satsuki said she likes sushi
=> Satsuki wa sushi ga suki da to itteimashita <formal>
=> Satsuki wa sushi ga suki da tte itte(i)ta <informal>
Misa said Canada is cold
=> Misa wa Kanada wa samui to itteimashita <formal>
=> Misa wa Kanada wa samui tte itte(i)ta <informal>
My friend said he/she will come to the US
=> Tomodachi wa Amerika ni kuru to itteimashita <formal>
=> Tomodachi wa Amerika ni kuru tte itte(i)ta <informal>
My friend said he/she’s been studying Japanese
=> Tomodachi wa nihongo wo benkyou shiteiru to itteimashita <formal>
=> Tomodachi wa nihongo wo benkyou shite(i)ru tte itte(i)ta <informal>

tenki => weather
tenki youhou => weather forecast
ame => rain <noun>
furu => to precipitate, to fall (eg. rain)
Tomorrow will be rainy (lit. rainy weather)
=> Ashita wa ame
It will rain tomorrow
=> Ashita wa ame ga furu <verb>
The weather forecast said it will rain tomorrow
=> Tenki yohou wa ashita wa ame ga furu to itteimashita <formal>
=> Tenki yohou wa ashita wa ame tte itte(i)ta <informal>
shiken / tesuto => exam / test
~ will appear on the exam / test
= ~ wa shiken / tesuto ni deru
The teacher said this will be on the exam
=> Sensei wa kore wa shiken ni deru to itteimashita <formal>
=> Sensei wa kore wa tesuto ni deru tte itte(i)ta <informal>
(lit. The teacher said this will appear on the exam)
My doctor said I can’t / not allowed to go outside
=> Sensei wa soto ni detewa ikenai to itteimashita <formal>
=> Sensei wa soto ni decha dame da to itte(i)ta <formal>
Go to lesson 29 to learn more about don’t/can’t <forbid>

Since you can’t put the MASU form in the middle of the sentence, for the formal ~te wa ikemasen, you transform it into ~te wa ikenai

For the previous example, you can use isha (doctor) but if it is obvious that you are talking about your doctor, you can just use sensei.

My friend said he/she wants to go to Japan
=> Tomodachi wa nihon ni ikitai to itteimashita <formal>
=> Tomodachi wa nihon ni ikitai tte itte(i)ta <informal>
Misa said this lesson is difficult
=> Misa sensei wa kono ressun wa muzukashii to itteimashita <formal>
=> Misa sensei wa kono ressun wa muzukashii tte itte(i)ta <informal>

Summary:

~ tte itta / ~ to imashita
= I said / (s)he JUST said
~tte itte(i)ta / ~to itteimashita
= he /she / they said *telling a story*
(I heard ~ say)

New vocabularies learned from this lesson:

• monku wo iu => to complain
• monku => complaint <noun>
• waruguchi wo iu => to bad mouth / to call names
• kageguchi wo iu => to talk behind someone’s back
• isogashii => busy
• Tomu => Tom
• tenki => weather
• tenki youhou => weather forecast
• ame => rain <noun>
• furu => to precipitate, to fall (eg. rain)
• shiken / tesuto => exam / test
• ressun => lesson

That’s it for this week guys!

For the earlier lessons, you can refer to my previous updates for lessons 1-35. And again, 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. Arigatou Gozaimasu. Jaa mata ne!

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