Basic Japanese Language Course Grammar of the Lesson 1

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hiragana

Display/hide romaji Hiragana

Modern Japanese is written with a mixture of hiragana and katakana (simple set of syllables), plus kanji (a little bit complicated symbols) and may also include romaji (Roman letters). Hiragana is mainly used to write word endings, known as okurigana in Japanese. Hiragana are also widely used in materials for children, textbooks, animation and comic books, to write Japanese words which are not normally written with kanji, such as adverbs and some nouns and adjectives, or for words whose kanji are obscure or obsolete. Hiragana are also sometimes written above or along side kanji to indicate pronunciation. Hiragana used in this way are known as furigana. The hiragana consists of 48 syllables (the table shows 46 commonly used ones). The syllables are combinations of the consonants k, s, t, n, h, m, y, r, w and the vocals a, i, u, e, o but please note the exceptions shi, chi, tsu, fu and n. Example
anata

Hiragana a
a

i
i ki shi chi ni hi mi

u
u ku su tsu nu fu mu yu

e
e ke se te ne he me

o
o ko so to no ho mo yo

kstnhmyrw-

ka sa ta na ha ma ya ra wa

ri

ru

re

ro wo n

you Japan
nihon

Example

Hiragana with diacritics

hiragana

Additional sounds are represented using diacritics. Diacritics are simple symbols

Hiragana with diacritics

added to the basic symbols. gzdbpExample

go

a
ga za da ba pa

i
gi ji ji bi pi

u
gu zu zu bu pu

e
ge ze de be pe

o
go zo do bo po

language who
dare

Example

Hiragana combinations
hiragana

Additional sounds are represented using combinations of syllables ki, shi, chi, ni, hi, mi, ri (possibly with diacritics) and small versions of the syllables ya, yu, yo.

Hiragana combinations a kgshjchnhbpmrkya gya sha ja cha nya hya bya pya mya rya

u
kyu gyu shu ju chu nyu hyu byu pyu myu ryu

o
kyo gyo sho jo cho nyo hyo byo pyo myo ryo

Example
kyou

today

Katakana
katakana

The katakana consists of 48 syllables (the table shows 45 commonly used ones). Katakana have been used mainly to write non-Chinese loan words, onomatopoeic kwords, foreign names, in telegrams and for emphasis (the equivalent of bold, italic or s-

Katakana a
a ka sa

i
i ki shi

u
u ku su

e
e ke se

o
o ko so

upper case text in English).

tnhmyrw-

ta na ha ma ya ra wa

chi ni hi mi

tsu nu fu mu yu

te ne he me

to no ho mo yo

ri

ru

re

ro

Example
TAI

Thailand

Katakana with diacritics

katakana

Additional sounds are represented using diacritics. Diacritics are simple symbols added to the basic symbols.

Katakana with diacritics a gzdbpvga za da ba pa

i
gi ji ji bi pi

u
gu zu zu bu pu vu

e
ge ze de be pe

o
go zo do bo po

Example
INDONESHIA

Indonesia

Katakana combinations
katakana

Additional sounds are represented using combinations of syllables ki, shi, chi, ni, hi, mi, ri, fu, vu (possibly with diacritics) and small versions of the syllables ya, yu, yo, and rarely a, i, e, o.

Katakana combinations a k- kya g- gya i u

kyu gyu shu ju chu che she je cho

e
kyo

gyo sho jo

The katakana for with the initial "v" are sh- sha recent creations as the Japanese people are not used to pronounce "v". Instead they jja prefer to use "b". ch- cha n-

nya

nyu hyu byu pyu myu ryu fa fi va vi ve fe

nyo hyo byo pyo myo ryo fo vo

h- hya b- bya p- pya m- mya r- rya fvExample

FIRIPIN

Philippines Vienna (capital of Austria)

VIIN

Example

Sentence pattern: A is B.
A ha B desu

Expresses a relationship between A and B. This sentence is not only used to identify A and B, but it is also used to supply information concerning A at the time of the utterance. A and B are both Noun Phrases. A and be can be both things and people. Example
watashiha hayashidesu.

I am Mr. Hayashi. I am a teacher.

watashiha sensei desu.

Example Example
senseiha asokodesu.

The teacher is over there.

Sentence pattern: A is not B.

A ha B deha arimasen.

The negative of Example

watashiha hayashideha arimasen.

I am not Mr. Hayashi. I am not a teacher.

watashiha sensei deha arimasen.

Example Example
senseiha asokodeha arimasen.

The teacher is not over there.

Sentence pattern: Is A B?
A ha B desuka.

By adding to (A is B) and (A is not B), and adding a rising intonation, an interrogative sentence is formed. Interrogative sentences can also be formed by putting interrogative pronouns such as (who), (who), (which person) in B and adding to the end of the sentence. Note that interrogative pronouns cannot be used in A. Example
anataha gakuseidesuka.

Are you a student? Who is that person?

anokataha donatadesuka.

Example Example
hayashisenseiha donokatadesuka.

Which person is Mr. Hayashi? Which person is Mr. Hayashi? Attribute: A is en attribute of B; B of A

Wrong
donokataha hayashisenseidesuka.

A no B

By inserting a between two NPs an attributive NP is formed where the first NP A modifies the next NP B. This structure serves to introduce related information, including possession. Example
nihongono sensei

a teacher of Japanese Anna, a female student from Germany Mr Hayashi, the Japanese teacher Sentence pattern: A is B. C is B too.

Example
DOITSUno onnano gakuseino ANAsan

Example
nihongono senseino hayashisensei

A ha B desu. C mo B desu.

After giving information B about A, this structure is used to express the fact that B also holds of C. More than one can be used in one sentence. + = . Example
watashiha gakusei desu. ARIsanmo gakusei desu.

I am a student. Ali is also a student. I and Ali are students.

watashimo ARIsanmo gakusei desu.

Example Wrong
ARIsanhamo gakusei desu.

Ali is also a student

Mister...
~san, ~sensei

Usually used after a name of a person to address or refer to him/her politely. With teachers should be used instead. Example
konohitoha ARIsandesu.

This (person) is Ali. I am Ali.

watashiha ARIdesu.

Example Example
kono kataha hayashisensei desu.

This (person) is a teacher, Mr. Hayashi I am Ali.

Wrong
watashiha ARIsandesu.

Personal pronoun: you

anata

This is a second person singular pronoun, but there are severe restrictions on its usage. In an actual conversation, is used when

the name of the person is unknown, a woman speaks to her husband, a mother speaks to her children.

At the elementary level, at least the following points should be noted:

When speaking to a teacher, use , not , when you know the name of the person you are speaking to, it is better to use , not . Are you a teacher of Japanese? Are you a teacher of Japanese? Are you a student, Ali?
ARIsanha gakuseidesuka.

Example
senseiha nihongono senseidesuka.

Wrong
anataha nihongono senseidesuka.

Example Wrong
ARI, anataha gakusei desuka.

Are you a student, Ali?

and
anohito, dare and anokata, donata

Interrogative pronoun: who

When referring to people, (that person), (who) are usually used, and (that person), (who) are polite words with the same meaning. The Japanese custom is to use polite expressions when speaking to people they do not know well. So when speaking of somebody nearby (who is this person) should be used instead of (who is this person?).

Sentence pattern: A is not B.

A ha B ja arimasen

is the contracted form of is not B), and in conversation this form is usual.

(A