Japanese Self-Studying Updates (Lessons 9 and 10)

Happy Monday everyone! It’s time for another Japanese Self-Studying updates For this week, I’ve got to learn about the MASU form and other particles which I am really excited to share with you below.

Once again, let me remind you that I am not attempting for a tutorial but just sharing what I’ve learn from Misa-sensei’s Grammar Lessons for Absolute Beginners in Youtube.

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

LESSON 9 – MASU FORM

MASU form

• used for formal speech

How to make MASU form (for iru/eru ending)

• get rid of RU and put MASU
• Example: taberu (to eat) => tabeMASU

Another Examples:

• I eat sushi
  => sushi wo taberu (informal)
  => sushi wo tabeMASU (formal)
• I eat breakfast everyday
  => mainichi asagohan wo taberu (informal)
  => mainichi asagohan wo tabeMASU (formal)

miru (to watch, to see) => miMASU

Example:

• I watch TV every night
  => maiban terebi wo miru (informal)
  => maiban terebi wo miMASU (formal)

* time related words are usually placed in the beginning
* you can ofcourse change the word order but usually, time related words are placed at the beginning of a sentence.

***

Time in Japanese (time + ji)

ji – is a suffix used for o’clock.

• form: time + ji
• Examples: 1 o’clock => ichi ji, 2 o’clock => ni ji, 3 o’clock => san ji
• Irregulars: 4 o’clock => yo ji, 7 o’clock => shichi ji, 9 o’clock => ku ji

* in English, you can omit “o’clock” but in Japanese, the suffix “ji” is always necessary.

Particle NI – time marker

• Example: at 11o’clock => juichi ni ji

***

neru (to sleep) => neMASU

Example:

• I go to sleep at 11
  => juichi ji ni neru (informal)
  => juichi ji ni neMASU (formal)

okiru (to wake up) => okiMASU

Example:

• I wake up at 7
  => shichi ji ni okiru (informal)
  => shichi ji ni okiMASU (formal)

How to make MASU form (for other words – u verbs)

• change the U into I and put MASU
• Example: kiku (to write, to draw) => kikIMASU

hanasu (to speak, to talk) => hanaSHIMASU

*there’s no SI sound in Japanese, instead, they use SHI

Example:

• I speak English
  => Eigo wo hanasu (informal)
  => Eigo wo hanaSHIMASU (formal)

toru (to take, to grab) => torIMASU

Example:

• I take a picture sometimes
  => tokidoki shashin wo toru (informal)
  => tokidoki shashin wo torIMASU (formal)

How to make MASU form (for irregular verbs)

suru (to do) => shimasu

Examples:

• to study
  => benkyo suru (informal)
  => benkyo shimasu (formal)
• to play tennis
  => tenisu wo suru (informal)
  => tenisu wo shimasu (formal)
• to cook
  => ryouri wo suru (informal)
  => ryouri wo shimasu (formal)
• I like cooking
  => ryouri wo suru no ga suki desu
  *the “masu formed” verbs can only be placed at the end of the sentence, if it’s in the middle, use the dictionary/informal terms, eg. suru

*Japanese “R” sound is somewhere between “D”, “R” and “L”

kuru (to come) => kimasu

Example

• I’ll come tomorrow
  => ashita kuru (informal)
  => ashita kimasu (formal)

New vocabularies learned from this lesson:

• everyday => mainichi
• every night => maiban
• o’clock => ji (suffix)
• time marker => ni (particle)
• sometimes => tokidoki (onomatopoeia => heartbeat)
• food, cuisine => ryouri

LESSON 10: Particles

wa (は) – topic marker

• Example: My dog is small
  => watashi no inu wa chisai desu

ga (か) – subject marker

• putting emphasis on the word before ga
• Example: I’m Misa
  => watashi ga Misa desu
  (I am the one) who is Misa

wo (を) – object marker

• Example: I read a book
  => hon wo yomimasu

ni (に) – time marker

• Examples: I wake up at 7
  => shichi ji ni okimasu
• also used for days

***

Days in Japanese (with suffix yobi)

yobi – suffix added to days

Examples:

• Monday => getsuyobi
• Tuesday => kayobi
• Wednesday => suiyobi
• Thursday => mokuyobi
• Friday => kinyobi
• Saturday => doyobi
• Sunday => nichiyobi

***

• Example: on Monday
  => getsuyobi ni

***

Another Examples:

• I study Japanese on weekends
  => shumatsu ni nohongo wo benkyo shimasu

*we could also use wa (は) particle

VS
shumatsu wa nihongo wo benkyo shimasu
(on weekends, I study Japanese / as for weekends, I study Japanese)

• On January
  =>ichigatsu ni

*NI is not used for today, last month, last year, etc like we do in English

***

• NI could also used for to (direction)

***

kan – a suffix added to place where we watch or see something

• Example: cinema => eigakan

***

Examples:

• I’ll go to the cinema
  => eigakan ni ikimasu
• On Monday, I’ll go to the cinema
  => getsuyobi ni eigakan ni ikimasu *it’s not weird that you use NI more than once in a sentence
• The cats come to the house everyday
  => neku wa mainichi uchi ni kimasu

***

kaeru – to go home, return

• an exception
• masu form:kaerimasu
• Example: I’ll go home
  => uchi ni kaerimasu *it’s not weird if you add uchi (home) along with kaerimasu
• Another example: This year, I’ll go back to Japan
  => kotoshi nihon ni kaerimasu

***

de (で) – used to indicate the place at which an action or event takes place

• in or at <location>

Examples:

• In the cinema
  => Eigakan de
• I’ll see a movie in the cinema
  => Eigakan de iega wo mimasu

***

For Japanese restaurant, it’s ok to use nihon no resutoran but it can also mean like, restaurants in Japan. Instead, we use nihon riyouri (Japanese food/cuisine) or washoku (Japanese food) which is more common.

Japanese restaurant

=> nihon riyouri no resutoran

=> washoku resutoran

***

Other examples:

• I’ll eat dinner at the Japanese restaurant
  => nihon riyouri no resutoran de bangohan wo tabemasu
• I’ll buy a bento in the convenience store
  => konbini de obento wo kaimasu * bento (lunch box) – you can add O to make it more polite
• I’ll watch TV at home
  => uchi de terebi wo mimasu

***

• de particle could also be used as – by using (something)

Examples:

• I draw a picture with a pen (by using a pen)
  => pen de e wo kakimasu
• I eat sushi with chopsticks (by using chopsticks)
  => hashi de sushi wa tabemasu
• I talk on skype (by using skype)
  => Sukaipu de hanashimasu
• I take pictures with this camera
  => kono kamera de shahin wo torimasu

to (と) – accompaniment

• used with somebody or someone

Example:

• I’ll handout with my friends on Sunday
  => nichiyobi ni tomodachi to asobimasu * you could also use WA (は)particle instead of to (と)

New vocabularies learned from this lesson:

• small => chisai
• suffix added for days => yobi
• Monday => getsuyobi
• Tuesday => kayobi
• Wednesday => suiyobi
• Thursday => mokuyobi
• Friday => kinyobi
• Saturday => doyobi
• Sunday => nichiyobi
• weekends => shumatsu
• a suffix added to place where we watch or see something => kan
• cinema => eiga-kan
• art museum => bijutsu-kan
• library => tosho-kan
• house, home => ie
• to go home, return => kaeru
• this year => kotoshi
• Japanese food => washoku
• convenience store => konbini
• chopsticks => hashi
• bridge => hashi (different intonation with chopsticks => hashi)
• skype = > sukaipu
• friend => tomodachi
• to play, handout => asobu
• particle for used to indicate the place at which an action or event takes place => de
• particle for accompaniment => to
• grandma => obaachan

I’ve heard that there are a lot of other uses for each particles which I hope Misa-sensei will be tackling more in the future lessons. So for this week, I have two lessons to study and to get familiarize with until the next lessons. I can’t wait to learn more!

For the previous lessons, you can refer to my previous updates for lessons 1-8. 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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