Go to : dai / dake / de / demo / e / ga / gurai, kurai / ka / kana, kashira / kara / keredomo / made / made ni /mo / ne / ni / no/ shika / to / wa / w(o)

/ ya / yo / yori / ze / zo

dai = interrogative particle 'dai' is an interrogative sentence-ending particle used in informal male speech for wh-questions (i.e. who, what, when, where, why), as well as "how". It transforms a regular declarative sentence into a question, and should be pronounced with a rising intonation. 1.dare dai? Who is it?

2. nani suru n dai? What are you doing?

3. doushite sonna ni iya na kao suru n dai? Why are you making such an awful face? 4. kaigi wa itsu dai? When is the meeting? a) Please keep in mind that "dai" cannot be used for yes-no questions, in other words you cannot answer to a question ending in "dai" with a "yes" or "no" since it requires a detailed or specific answer. However when a sentence ends in 'kai' you can respond with a "yes" or "no". "kai" has the same function as "dai", there are two differences between them though: 1. "dai" cannot be used for yes-no questions, while "kai" can. 2. "dai" can only be used with wh-questions, while "kai" is used with nouns/adjectives.

b) When "dai" is used with verbs, always use the informal (a.k.a plain) form of verbs. Do not use the formal form of verbs with "dai" or "kai" dake = only, just 'dake' is used after nouns,verbs or adjectives to express limit or exclusiveness. Think of it as 'only' or 'just'. 1. miteru dake desu. = I'm just looking. 2. hoshii no wa kimi dake desu. = The only thing I want is you. 3. kimi dake wo omotteru = I'm thinking only of you. 4. jibun no tame dake ni ikitai. = I want to live only for myself. 5. sore dake desu. = That's all.

a) This expression is usually written in hiragana only. b) When used with 'dekiru = can / be able to do ' it becomes an adverb meaning "as ... as possible". ex: dekiru dake hayaku hashitta. I ran as fast as possible. yomeru dake yonda. I read as much as I could read. c) dake is commonly found in such compounds as koredake (this much/all this), soredake/aredake (that much/all that), and doredake (how much).

de = (1. at, in(location) / 2. by(means)/ 3.with, from, out of(material, ingredient) / 4.because of, due to(cause,reason)

'de' is a particle with many meanings. It means (at, in, on, by, with, from, because of, for). Though the basic function of the particle 'de' is to mark the location or means of an action. Let's look at examples for all the usages!

Usage 1: [Indicating location of an action] (at, in, on) 'de' is used after a noun to point out the place where an action occurs or will occur. When used in this manner it takes on the meaning of (at, in, on ) ex> [gakkou de = at school] ex>[kouen de = in the park / at the park] Construction: [ Place] + [de] + [verb/noun]

1.kyou tomodachi no uchi de benkyou shimasu. (I'm going to study at a friend's house today.) 2.karera wa paatii de atta. (They met at a party.) 3. kouen de kagi wo nakushita. (I lost the keys in the park.) 4. koko de matte kudasai. = Please wait here. (lit: here-at-wait-please) 5. kippu wa doko de kaemasu ka? = Where can I buy tickets? (lit: ticketswhere-at-can I buy-?) 6. yane de nanika oto ga suru. = I hear a sound on the roof. 7. konban wa soto de tabemasu. = I'm going to eat out tonight.

Usage 2: [Describing means used to go to a place or to do something] (by,with,in,using) When 'de' is used to describe the means of transportation the meaning is "by"(see#1-5). When 'de' is used to describe the tool with which one does an action, the meaning changes to "with"(see#6). However when 'de' is used to describe the method or instrument which one uses to communicate with, the meaning changes to "in, using" (see #7-9) Construction [noun] + [de]

1. hikouki de kimashita. = I came by plane. [ by means of an airplane] 2. kuruma de ikimashou ka? = Shall we go by car? [by means of a car] 3. aruite de ikimasu. = I'll go by foot. [by means of walking] 4. koukuubin de okuritai no desu. = I want to send it by airmail. 5. funabin de nannichi gurai kakarimasu ka? = How many days will it take by seamail? 6. hashi de gohan wo taberu. = eat with chopsticks 7. eigo de itte kudasai. = Please say it in English. [sense: Say it using the method of English] 8. sukaipu de hanashimashita. = We talked using skype. 9. tomodachi to eigo de hanasu. = I talk to my friend in English. 10. jibun de tsukurimashita. = I made it myself.

Usage 3: (to indicate reason) (because of, due to, for )

'de' is also used to give the listener a reason for an action or reason for a state of being. Sentence examples: 1. kaori wa kaze de yasunde imasu. = Kaori is absent due to a cold. / Kaori is absent because of a cold. 2. kare no okaasan wa gan de nakunarimashita. = His mother died of cancer. 3. seijitsu na hitogara de shirareru. = He is known for his sincere personality. (sense: due to his sincere personality) 4. otousan ga byouki de byouin ni iku you ni narimashita. = My father was sick, so I wound up going to the hospital.

Usage 4: (describing material or composition) (with, from, out of) When 'de' is used to describe what type of material or indredient something is made from, then the meaning changes to (from, out of , by using)

1. sake wa kome de tsukurareru. = Sake is made from rice. / Sake is made out of rice. 2. watashi wa kami de bara wo tsukirimashita. = I made a rose out of paper. 3. kono soosu wa yooguruto de tsukurimashita. = This sauce is made by using yogurt. / This sauce is made out of yogurt.

a) Don't confuse the the location indicator 'de' with the 'de' found in the negative '-naide kudasai' form which means (please don't X). ex:

koko de tabako wo suwanaide kudasai. (lit: here-in-tabako-don't smoke please.) Please don't smoke here. ----b) Don't confuse 'de' with the 'de' derived from the copula 'da' which has a totally different usage.

demo = (1. but / 2. any / 3. even / 4. or something)

Usage 1: Click here to see how 'demo' acts as a conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however'.

Usage 2: (Any) When used with question words such as (nan, itsu, dare, doko, dou) the meaning is 'any'. ex: nandemo = anything daredemo = anyone / anybody itsudemo = anytime dokodemo = anywhere doudemo = anyway dochirademo = eitherway /whichever way (dochira demo ii desu = Either way is okay.)

Usage 3: (even) The third meaning is "even". Take a look at the examples below for a clearer idea of how it's used.

1. sensei demo wakaranai deshou. = Even the teacher probably won't be able to understand it. 2. iya demo yaranakereba naranai. = I have to do it, even if I hate it. 3. kodomo demo dekimasu. = Even a child can do it. 4. ima demo anata ga suki. = Even now, I love you. 5. nichiyoubi demo benkyou shinakereba naranai. = I have to study even on sundays.

Usage 4: (or something/or somewhere)

1. koohii demo ikaga desu ka? = Would you like some coffee (or something)? 2. anata wa amerika kara demo kimashita ka? = Did you come from Amerika or somewhere?

e = (destination indicator) 'e' is a destination indicator. It's used to indicate that the noun that comes before it is the destination towards which the verb will be directed. It can mean "to/towards/in/into/on/onto" Construction

[Place noun] + [e] + [verb]

1. gakkou e ikimasu. = I go to school. 2. nihon e ikitai = I want to go to Japan. 3. itsu amerika e ikimasu ka? = When are you going to America? 4. kinou eigakan e ikimashita. = I went to the movie theather yesterday. 5. nihon e itta koto ga arimasu ka? = Have you ever been to Japan? 6. mishi e mukatte kudasai. = Please face towards the west. [lit: west-to-go towards-please]

ga = (1. subject marker/ 2.subject emphasizer, distinguisher) ga is a subject marker. It's placed after a noun to indicate that it's the subject of the sentence. Ga is used in neutral descriptions of observable actions or situations(see ex#1,2). The second usage of "ga" is to show special emphasis in order to distinguish a particular person or thing from all others(see ex#3,4,5). 1. tegami ga kimashita. = The mail came. 2. ame ga futte imasu. = Its raining. 3. watashi ga shimashita. = I did it. 4. toukyou ga ookii desu. = Tokyo is big. 5. nani ga omoshiroi desu ka? = What is interesting? (In the above sentence "ga" is placed after "nani" to emphasize "what thing (in specific)".

Usage 2: (Subject emphasizer / distinguisher) "ga" is used for emphasis, to distinguish a person or thing from all others. If a topic is marked with "wa," the comment is the most important part of the sentence. On the other hand, if a subject is marked with "ga," the subject is the most important part of the sentence. In English, these differences are sometimes expressed in tone of voice. Compare these two sentences. ex: noriko wa toshokan ni ikimashita. Noriko went to the library.

noriko ga toshokan ni ikimashita. Noriko (is the one who) went to the library. kutsu ga hoshii desu. = I want shoes (it is shoes that I want) a) When a question word such as "who" and "what" is the subject of a sentence, it is always followed by "ga," never by "wa." To answer the question, it also has to be followed by "ga." dare ga kimasu ka. Who is coming? miu ga kimasu. Miu is coming. ---b) ga in a Special Circumstance The object of the sentence is usually marked by the particle "wo," but some verbs and adjectives (expressing like/dislike, desire, potential, necessity, fear, envy etc.) take "ga" instead of "wo."

 kuruma ga hoshii desu. (never "kuruma wo hoshii.") I want a car. nihongo ga wakarimasu. I understand Japanese.

gurai / kurai = (about / approximately )

'gurai' also pronounced (kurai) is used to indicate that the quantity given is approximate or an estimate. 'kurai' is always placed after the quantity or extent that it estimates. dono gurai jikan ga kakarimasu ka? = How many hours will it/you take? kyou san juu peeji kurai yonda. = I read about 30 pages today. osaka made wa nanpun gurai kakarimasu ka. = (about) How many minutes will it take to Osaka? kanji wa dono gurai yomemasu ka. = How many kanji can you read? kinou no paatii ni nijuunin gurai ga kimasita. = (About) twenty people came (to) yesterday's party.

ka = (Question marker)

'ka' is the equivalent of the English question mark[?]. It's placed at the end of a statement to turn it into a question. You can turn any sentence in Japanese into a question by placing 'ka' at the end. Yes, It's that simple! Construction

Simply place at the end of a sentence to turn it into question form.

a)okiniwa ni atsui desu. = It's hot in Okinawa. b)okinawa ni atsui desu ka = Is it hot in Okiniwa? -a) ano hito wa sayuri desu. =That person over there is Sayuri. b) ano hito wa sayuri desu ka = Is that person over there Sayuri?

extra sentence examples: 1. wakaru ka? = Do you understand? (formal form is "wakarimasu ka?") 2. nan-sai desu ka? = How old are you?

a) 'ka' has another usage. It's placed in after each noun in the sentence to express choices or options the speaker or listener may have. ex: 1. densha ka basu ka de ikimasu. = I will go either by train or by bus. 2. nani wo nomitai desu ka? koohii ka juusu ka ?= What do you want to drink? Coffee or juice? 3. docchi no hou ga ii? banira ka chokoreeto ka ? = Which is better? vanilla or chocolate? ----b) nanika is most commonly used to mean "something" ex: nanika choudai. = Give me something.

----c) 'kke' is another sentence ending particle that acts as a question marker, but this grammar is used only in conversation and is used when asking a question in order to confirm/affirm something. (i.e something you have forgotten) ex: nan da kke. = What was it (again) ? dare da kke. = Who is it (again)? ----d) There are other ways of asking a questions, but they are considered informal. Go to "kai" "dai" to learn these informal question forms.

kana / kashira = (I wonder)

"kana" and it's feminine counterpart "kashira" are both sentence ending particles used by the speaker to express his/her uncertainty or doubt about something. It can be used as a question to onself or as a request to the listener.Think of it as "I wonder..?" or "could it be..?" in English. Construction: Always placed after plain forms but never used together with 'da' [da is always omitted)

1. doushite hitori de dekaketa no kana. = I wonder why he/she went out alone? 2. kore de ii kana. = I wonder if it's okay.

3. nakamaru san wa eigo ga dekiru kana. = I wonder if Mr. Nakamaru can speak English. 4. ashita wa ame kana. = I wonder if it will rain tomorrow. 5. kare wa sensei datta kashira. = I wonder if he was a teacher? (Could he have been a teacher?) 6. watashi no ki no sei kashira = Could it be my imagination?

a) When spoken, the last [a] in 'kana' is elongated --> [kanaa] b) kashira is the formal form of expressing uncertainty. c) kana is considered masculine speech so it's used mostly by males, while "kashira" is considered as feminine speech therefor it's used only by women. (although sometimes a female speaker might use"kana", but you won't hear a male speaker using "kashira".)

kara = (1.from[point in space or time] / 2. because, since[reason or cause])

Usage 1: 'kara' is placed after the origin/source from which an action or an object came. It can refer to a beginning point in space (from) or a beginning point in time(since). In this usage 'kara' will always come after a noun.

1. watashi wa sapporo kara kimashita. = I came from Sapporo. [lit: I from Sapporo came ] 2. tomodachi kara tegami wo moraimashita. = I got a letter from a friend. 3. koko kara. = From here / From here on 4. umareta toki kara koko ni sunde imasu. = I've been living here since I was born. [lit: from when born-here I living] 5. konban hachiji kara benkyou suru koto ga dekimasu ka? = Can you study from 8:00 tonight?

Usage2: *for second usage of kara click here to go to the conjugations page to see how kara works as a conjunction.

a)kara and made are often used together to mean "from something to something" or "from some time to sometime" ex: 1. koko kara osaka made dono gurai desu ka? = How long does it take from here to Osaka? 2. nanji kara nanji made nemasu ka? = From what time to what time do you sleep? 3. niji-han kara yonji made bdenkyou shimasu. = I will study from 2:30 to 4:00. 4. yuugure kara yoake made = From dusk till dawn. ...but ofcourse each one can be used independently from eachother.

b) do not confuse "kara" with the conjunction "-te kara". When you see the particle 'kara' placed after the -te form of a verb the meaning of 'kara' changes to "after". ex: shokuji shite kara terebi wo mimashita. = I watched television after having my meal.

keredomo = (but, however,although)

keredomo is a particle that joins two clauses while showing a sense of contrast or opposition between them. Think of it as "but, however, although, even though".

Although Clause 1 is X , Clause 2 is X . 1. shigoto wa kibishii keredo, yarigai ga aru . = The work is hard , but it's rewarding . 2. depaato wa takai keredo, benri. = Department stores are expensive, but convenient. 3. tsukareteiru keredomo, mousukoshi ganbarimasu. = Although I'm tired, I'll go on a bit longer. 4. kaneko san ni denwa wo kaketa keredomo, rusu deshita. = I called Kaneko, but she was out. 5. watashi wa nihongo wo hanasu keredomo, heta desu. = I speak Japanese, but I'm not good at it.

6. hiragana wa yasashii kedo, kanji wa muzukashii desu. = Hiragana is easy, but Kanji is difficult. 7. kuruma ga arimasen keredomo, unten dekimasu. = I don't have a car, but I can drive. 8. kare wa wakai keredo, kangae no shikkari shita hito desu. = Although he's young, he's a sound thinking person.

kedo , keredo , kedomo are colloquial variants.

made = (until, up to, through, as far as)

'made' is used to express a temporal or spacial limit. Think of it as "until" or "up to a certain point".

1. juu-peiji made yomimashita. = I read through page ten. [sense: up to the point of page ten] 2. mainichi juuichi-ji made benkyou shimasu. = I study until 11:00 everyday. 3. atarashii no wo kau made kore wo tsukatte kudasai. = Please use this until I buy a new one. 4. boku wa roku sai made nihon de sodatta. = I was raised in Japan until I was 6 years old. 5. kono densha wa nagoya made ikimasu. = This train will go to nagoya. [sense: up to Nagoya]

made ni = (before,by,within) "made ni" is a compound word composed of the particle "made" ("until") and the particle "ni" ("in"). The use of the "ni" particle indicates that something will occur within the limit set by "made". "Made ni" is therefore similar to the English words "by," "before" and "within", with the appropriate translation depending on the context.

1. goji made ni denwa ga dekimasu ka? = Will you able to phone by 5:00? 2. okyakusan ga kuru made ni, dekiagaru to omoimasu. = I think it will be finished by the time the guests come.

mo = (includer)

mo is ..well an "includer". It's purpose is to add a person, place, or thing into the sentence. It translates into "too","also" "as well" and in negative sentences it translates to "either" in English. Construction noun + mo + noun

1. kare mo kaishain desu. = He's also an office worker. 2. boku mo ikimasu. = I'm going, too. 3. kanojo mo ocha wo nomitakatta. = She wanted to drink green tea too. 4. imouto mo bijutsukan e ikitai to iimashita. = My younger sister said she also wants to go to art museum. 5. karera mo nihon-jin desu. = They're also Japanese.

6. haha ni mo ageta.= I gave some to my mom too. [ lit: mom-to-also-gave]

a) 'mo' can be used many times in one sentence, take a look at the following example: watashi wa nihongo mo supeingo mo dekimasu. = I can also speak Japanese and Spanish. Please note that when using the "something [mo] something [mo]" pattern in a sentence you are implying that there is also another thing you can do..but it's left out of the sentence since it's implied that there is something else. For example, Let's say you can speak Japanese, Spanish and English, but the person you are speaking to already knows you can speak English, so you leave out English which is already implied and therefore you use the "mo + mo" patern with the remaining languages that the listener didn't know you could speak. However, if you want to include everything you do know in one sentence and not imply anything else..in that case you use "to", for example: watashi wa nihongo to eigo wo dekimasu. = I can speak Japanese and English. (sense: that is all I know, just those two & nothing else) ------b) 'mo' almost always goes directly after a noun like this--> [noun] mo (see above # 1-5) *but sometimes mo is placed after another particle like "ni" like this ---> [noun] ni + mo ex: 1. okaasan ni mo ageta. = I gave some to mom also. (lit: mom-to-also-gave) 2. anata ni mo. = Same to you, too!

It's perfectly normal for "mo" to come after another particle instead of coming directly after a noun. In the example above the "ni" merely helps point out who person receiving the action is.

ne = (isn't it? , right? , don't you think?) ne is a particle that is placed at the end of a sentence to check or ask for agreement from the listener. Think of it as a tag question.You will no doubt hear 'ne' spoken ALOT in everyday conversation. Construction: Place at end of sentence.

1. ii o-tenki desu ne it's nice weather, isn't it? 2. takai desu ne It's expensive, isn't it? 3. nihongo ga wakarimasu ne You understand Japanese,don't you? 4. kare wa nihon ga totemo suki desu ne? He really likes Japan, doesn't he? 5. yamada san desu ne? Your Mrs. Yamada, aren't you?

The sentence ending particle ne is also in other ways. It's used to:

1) to add emphasis to a statement (this ne is actually nee, since it has an elongated e.)

ex: Your friend is overly excited about a new dress she bought, you say "what a cute dress!" your friend responds in agreement: " nee?!" which means "RIGHT?!" as in "yea, isn't it?!"

2) to grab the listener's attention ex: ano ne, sensei no namae oboetteru? = Hey, do you remember the teacher's name? * ano ne = hey ../ you know../ you see../ about that thing../

ni = (1. indirect object marker / 2. to / 3. )

The particle ni is one that has many uses. It is a highly flexible particle, therfore it can alot of confusion. But don't panic, let's look at the different usages of ni one by one along with examples so that you get a clear picture of how it functions.

USAGE 1: "ni" as a indirect object marker.

ni is an indirect object marker. It marks the indirect object of a sentence by coming after it. The indirect object of a sentence is the object in the sentence which the action is being done for. So in the example :
watashi wa haha ni nekkuresu wo ageta. (I gave my mom a book.) In this sentence the action of "giving a necklace" is being done for the sake of "mom" therfore we consider "haha" as the indirect object of the sentence and place ni after it to mark it as so.

1. kare wa sensei ni ringo wo ageta. = He gave the teacher an apple. 2. anata ga watashi ni kureta kuruma. = The car which you gave me. 3. watashi ni oshiete. = Teach me. 4. oniisan ni okotte ita. = I was angry at my older brother. 5. watashi ni wa okotte iru? = Are you angry at me? 6. sensei ni naritai desu. = I want to become a teacher.

Usage 2: (to) ni is also used as a direction indicator. ex: gakkou ni dekakete shimaimashita. = He went off to school. rainen wa nihon ni ikitai. = I want to go to Japan year. ashita yuubinkyouku ni ikanakereba naranai. = I have to go to the post office tomorrow.

Usage 2: (at [time], on [date], in [month]) ni is also used to refer to the time at which something happens. ex: 1. gozen ichi-ji ni kaetta. = I returned at 1:00am. 2. juu ichi ji ni kaimono ni ikimasu. = I'm going shopping at 1:00. 3. kyuu ji ni neta. = I slept at 9:00.

4. getsuyoubi ni ikimasu. = I'll go on Monday. 5. shigatsu ni nihon e ikimasu. = I'm going to Japan in April. *please note that "ni" is optional with seasons. It is okay to leave 'ni' out of the following sentence. ex: kotoshi no natsu [ni] nihon e ikimasu. = I'm going to Japan this summer. usage 3 (at/in/on) "ni" is also used to indicate the location in which an action or state of being is taking place. ex: 1. ima kyoto ni sunde imasu. = I'm living in Kyoto now. [lit: now - kyoto in living.] *In this example the action taking place is "living" and the location where that action is taking place is "kyoto" Therefore we place "ni" after kyoto. 2. doko ni sunde imasu ka? = Where are you living? / Where do you live? [lit: where - in - living ?] 3. natsu yasumi ni wa nani wo shimasu ka? = what are you going to do during summer vacation? (sense: in summer vacation) 4. gakkou ni imasu. = I'm at/in school. 5. koori wa mizu ni uku. = Ice floats on water. Usage 5 (to ) ni is also used to indicate the purpose/reason for which something is done ex: 1. otera e inoru ni ikimashou ka? = Shall we go to the Shrine to pray? (in order to pray)

Usage 6 (for) 'ni' can also be used to point out for who or for what something is done or felt. anata no tomodachi ni yorokonde. = I am happy for your friend. kanojo ni nekkuresu wo katte agemashita. = I bought a necklace for her.

USAGE 6: (by) ni is also used to indicate who the giver of the action is:

tomodachi ni purezento kuremashita. I was given a gift by a friend.

USAGE 6: (made + ni = by a specific time) When used with "made" it means "by" as in "by a specific time." ex: 1. roku ji made ni ie ni kite kudasai . = Please come to my house by 6 o'clock. 2. kono shukudai wo ashita made ni shite kudasai. = Please do this homework by tomorrow

no = (Possesive marker ) The particle "no" is used between two nouns in order to indicate possesion, relation and location. Because of it's various usages it tends to cause some confusion. The main usage of the particle "no" is to indicate ownership of a person, place or thing.

1. kore wa anata no pen desu ka? Is this your pen? 2. sono kissaten no koohi wa oishii desu. That coffe shops's coffee is delicious. 3. dare no saifu desu ka? Whose wallet is it? 4. miki no neko no namae wa akira desu. Miki's cat's name is Akira. 5. nihon no tabemono wa oishii desu. Japanese food is delicious. 6. watashi no meishi desu. (This) is my business card. tsugi no shiken wa raishuu aru rashii. = It seems the next test will be next week. ashita no ban = tomorrow evening (lit : tomorrow's evening) tsugi no shiken = next's test

a) "no"can be used many times in a sentence (see ex#4 above) b)At times you can omit the second noun after the 'no' . So instead of having no in between two nouns like this: noun no noun Watashi no kaban (My bag.) we can have no come in between one noun and a copula like this: noun no copula Watashi no desu. (Its mine.) ex: kaban wa watashi no desu. <--as you can see the second noun has been omittedand replaced by a copula. (The bag is mine.) ano mise no desu. It's that store's. (The thing being refered to belongs to that store.) anata no desu ka? = Is it yours?

shika: = 1. nothing but, only / 2. no choice but to...

'shika' is a particle used to indicate two things: 1)That the amount specified is all that there is, and nothing more. (here the pattern is [noun + shika + negative verb](see#1-5) 2)That is is no other choice or option. (here the pattern is [verb in plain present form + shika nai] (see#6-8) Shika is always used with the negative form of a noun or verb.

*When 'shika' comes after a noun the meaning is "There only this" or "There nothing but this"(see#1-5) *When 'shika' comes after a verb it means "There's no choice but to..." "There's no option" (see#6-8) Construction:

1.kenji wa nihongo shika wakarimasen. Kenji only understands Japanese. 2.sore shika arimasen. That's the only one left. 3. momo wa hitotsu shika arimasen. There's only one peach. 4.isha shika aitakunai. The doctor is the only one I want to see. / I only want to see the doctor. 5.hiragana shika kakinai. I can only write hiragana. 6. souji wo suru shika nai. I have no choice but to clean. 7.shiken no tame ni benkyou suru shika nai. I have no choice but to study for the exam. 8. yaru shika nai. There's no choice but to do it.

a) it can be confusing at first to grasp the concept of shika since the verb is in the negative form, but it helps to read the sentence in this order: kenji wa nihongo shika wakarimasen __1______4 ____3_____ 2____ 1.as for kenji , 2.doesn't understand, 3.anything but , 4.Japanese. Then simply re-order the words into the proper English equivalent. When we do that we get--> (Kenji only understands Japanese.) ---b) The particles 'wa', 'ga' and 'o' are usually omitted with 'shika', but other particles can come before it, as in the following example:: ex: kaneda san wa nihongo shika dekimasen. (Mr Kaneda can only speak Japanese.) [wa] precedes 'shika' in this sentence, also note that the particle "ga" which would normally go here has been omitted since shika is in it's place instead.

---c) The copula "da/desu" never comes after 'shika', unlike 'dake' which can have a copula come after it. 1. sore shika da. [Wrong] 2. sore dake da/desu. [Correct]

to = 1. and / 2. with / 3.

'to' is a particle meaning "and". It's used to connect two or more nouns or pronouns. 'to' is placed after every noun/pronoun you are trying to connect in a sentence except for the very final noun/pronoun. This is the most common function of the particle 'to' but it has other usages as well. Construction: noun [to] noun (ex: kami to pen = pen and paper) (ex: kuro to shiro = black and white) pronoun [to] pronoun (ex: kenji to yuki = Kenji and Yuki) (boku to kimi = You and I )

1. otokonohito to onnanohito wa aruite imasu. = The man and woman are walking. 2. watashi no sukina iro wa murasaki to aka desu. = My favorite colors are purple and red. 3. hideo to akiko wa kekkon shite iru. = Hideo and Akiko are married. 4. seetaa to kutsu wo kaitai n desu. = I want to buy a sweater and shoes. 5. watashi wa getsuyoubi to nichiyoubi ni nihongo wo benkyou shimasu. = I study Japanese on Fridays and sundays. 6. inu to neko ga suki. = I like dogs and cats. 7. kanojo wa nihongo to supeingo ga dekimasu. = She can speak Japanese and Spanish. 8. kanojo to no yakusoku wo wasureta. = I forgot the promise I made to her. [lit: with her's promise - I forgot]

a) The particle 'ya' which also means "and" has a very similar function to the particle 'to'. The difference is that 'ya' implies that there are other things in the sentence that are left out (They left out because it would take too long to list every specific thing). While 'to' implies that the things mentioned are the only things in the list and nothing else. So using 'ya' after nouns in a sentence let's the listener know that the list of objects are incomplete but implied. While using 'to' after nouns let's the listener know that the list is complete. Compare the following: 1. gyuunyuu to chiizu wo katte kudasai. = Please buy milk and cheese. (sense: All I need you to buy are milk and cheese.) 2. gyuunyuu ya chiizu wo katte kudasai. = Please buy milk, cheese etc.. (Sense: buy milk, cheese among other things I need.) 1. neko to inu ga hoshii. = I want a cat and a dog. [sense: I want a cat and a dog and nothing else, just those two animals] 2. faamu ni wa uma ya buta ya ushi ga imasu. = There are horses, pigs, and cows in a farm. [sense: there are horses,pigs,cows as well as other kinds of animals in a farm.)

b) 'to' can be used more than once in a sentence. ex: inu to neko to tori no naka de wa dore ga ichiban suki desu ka? Among dogs, cats, and birds, which do you like the best?

Usage 2: (with)

to is also used to indicate the person with whom an action is done with.

1. watashi to issho ni ikimasen ka? = Won't you go with me? 2. watashi wa tomodachi to eiga wo mi ni ikimashita. = I went to see a movie with a friend. 3. kodomo to issho ni kouen ni ikimashita. = I went to the park with the children. 4. dare to issho ni? = With who?

to is often used together with [issho ni] which means "together". So [to issho ni] means [together with]. Sometimes the indirect object marker [ni] is omitted. [to issho ni]

Usage 3: (quotation marker)

'to' also acts as a quotation marker. It is placed after what someone said to indicate that it's a quotation or placed after what someone thinks or hears. It is used together with verbs like [iu = say], [omou = think], and [kangaeru = think, consider].

jun wa ashita kuru to iimashita. = Jun says he'll come tomorrow. yasuo ga "hottoite kure yo" to iimashita. = yasuo said "Leave me alone!" kanojo wa ato de kuru to itta. = She said she would come later. nan to iimashita? = What did you say? tsuri ni ikou to omou. = I think I'll go fishing.

kare ga daijoubu da to omoimasu. = I think he's alright. watashi wa kimi ga gakkou ni iru to omotta. = I thought you were at school. chotto takai to omoimasen ka? = Don't you think it's a litte expensive? haha ni denwa wo shiyou to omotte imasu. = I'm thinking of calling my mom. imouto wa kyoushi ni naru to kangaemasu. = My younger sister is considering becoming a teacher. kenji wa nyuuin shita to kiita. = I heard that Kenji had been hospitalized. shigoto wo yameru to kangaete imasu. = I'm thinking about quitting my job. (I'm considering quitting my job.) watashi wa eiga wo miru to omou. = I think I will see a movie. boku wa basu de ikou to omou. = I think I'll go by bus. nobuo wa pasukon wo kau to omotte imasu. = Nobuo is thinking of buying a computer. yuriko wa daijoubu da to omotta. = Yuriko thought that there would be no problem.

to iu

to omou to omou = think that... [*casual* present] *always refers to the speaker's own thoughts, never someone else's thoughts. to omoimasu = think that.. [*polite*present]

to kangaeru

to itta = said that... [*casual* past form] to iimashita = said that...[*polite* past form]

to kangaeru = consider that...[*casual* present]

to omotta = thought that... to kangaeta = considered [*casual* past form] that...[*casual* past to omoimashita = thought form] that...[*polite* past form] to omotte iru = Thinking that...[informal present ongoing] 1. used when talking about to kangaemasu = something another person consider that..[*polite* has been thinking about. present] 2. used when talking about something you've been thinking about for some time. to omotte imasu= Thinking to kangaemashita = that...[*casual* present considered that ... ongoing ] [*polite* to omotte ita = was thinking that...[past ongoing] to kangaete iru = am/is considering that..*casual* to kangaete ita

to omotte imashita=

to omoimashita = though to kangaete imasu = that...[*polite* past tense] *polite*present ongoing to kangaete imashita = *polite*past ongoing

wa = as for, speaking of (topic particle) wa is a topic marker.Think of the topic as something that has already been introduced into the conversation or that is part of the general knowledge. You'll place the particle "wa" after the noun/pronoun(person,place,thing) under discussion in the sentence. So what comes before "wa" is the topic, and what comes after "wa" Construction: noun/pronoun [wa]

1. daichi wa kyoushi desu. Daichi is a teacher. (lit : as for Daichi, he is a teacher) 2. watashi no suki na supoutsu wa tenisu desu. My favorite sport is tennis. (lit: as for my favorite sport, it is tenis) 3. watashi wa nihongo ga wakarimasu. I understand Japanese. (lit: as for me, Japanese is understood) 4. hirugohan wa san-ji ni tabemashita. I ate lunch at 3 o'clock. (lit: Speaking of lunch , I ate it at 3:00)

5. kyou wa samui deshita. Today was cold. (lit: as for today, it was cold ) 6. kore wa ikura desu ka? = How much is this? (as for this, how much is it?)

a) More than one particle can be used in a sentence (see ex#2,3,4 *blue indicates particle) b) Although the main usage of the particle 'wa' is to indicate what/who the topic of a sentence is, 'wa' is also used after a noun to to show contrast. wa can be used in more than one clause in a sentence, to set the topic of each clause. It is often used this way in two clauses to show contrast. ex: 1.I eat sushi, but I don't eat nato. sushi wa tabemasu ga natou wa tabemasen. 2.eigo wa muzukashii desu ga, nihongo wa muzukashiku nai desu. English is difficult, but Japanese is not difficult.

c) Sometimes 'wa' is used instead of the emphatic yo in casual feminine speech. This emphatic 'wa' comes at the end of the sentence just as "yo" would.. ex: dame da yo <--here the yo acts as an emphaziser dame da wa! <--here the wa acts an emphaziser as well Don't do that (lit: it's bad.)

d) 'wa' is never used after a question word or phrase such as 'nani(what), dare(who), dono(which)..etc.' ga is used instead. ex1: correct: dare ga kimashita ka? = Who came? incorrect: dare wa kimashita ka? ex2: correct: nani ga atta ka? = What happened? incorrect: nani wa atta ka?

wo/o = (direct object marker)

The particle "wo" sometimes pronounced "o" marks the direct object of the sentence. It is placed after the object receiving the action in a sentence and before the verb which is doing that action. Like so ---> [Object receiving action] wo [Verb doing action to object] Construction: object receiving action [wo] Verb doing action

Direct object ex: 1. senshuu sono hon wo yomimashita. I read that book last week.

2. kenji wa terebi wo mite imasu. Kenji is watching television. 3. sushi to natou wo tabemashita. I ate sushi and nato. 4. bangohan wo tabemashou ka? Shall we eat dinner? 5. nihon de tokei wo kaimashita. I bought a watch in Japan. 6. warui yume o mita. = I had a bad dream. 7. enpitsu wo kashite kureru? would you please lend me your/a pencil? 8. Hamada san to tenisu wo shimashita. I played tennis with Mr. Hamada. 9. kinyoubi ni nani wo shimashita ka ? What did you do on Friday?

a) Please note that "ni" is considered the indirect object marker while "wo" which we have gone over is the direct object marker. Look at the example below and observe what role ni and wo play in the same sentence. ex: watashi wa ando ni hon wo agemashita. I gave ando a book. It would seem that the direct object is "ando" therefore the "wo" should come after him and not "ni", but the book is the one really receiving the action from the verb since it's

the book that being given and not Ando, when you analyze it that way you realize that indeed the "wo" belongs after the object that is receiving the action. So what is being given in this sentence? That's right, the book is being given..therefor "wo" comes after it. ----b) The particle "wo" is sometimes used with verbs such as walk. run, drive, go through etc, when speaking of continous motion and a finite place or distance. ex: 1. takeshi san wa gobangai wo arukimashita. takeshi walked along fifth avenue. 2. kouen wo hashirimashita. I ran through the park. ----c) When using the -tai (want) ending, 'ga' is preferred over "wo". So do not be confused that 'ga' is used instead of 'wo'. Just remember these exceptions. soba ga tabetai. correct (I want to eat ramen.)

soba wo tabetai. understood but does not sound as natural when used with -tai ending. (I want to eat soba.) Although the usage of "wo" in thi sentence is understood and not necessarily incorrect, it still comes across as unnatural/odd sounding to native Japanese. So stick to "ga" when you are using the -tai ending, although you may be inclined to use 'wo'...

---d) People often ask "Is it wo or o ?" The answer is both! Although it is mainly pronounced as 'o' it is sometimes pronounced as "wo" for special emphasis, but you should know that when typing Japanese on a keyboard you must type "wo" to ge the correct particle character which is ''. if you type in "o" you simply get the hiragana character ' which is not correct. You will however type in 'o' when using any other word containing an 'o' except when it's being used as a particle. so: "ocha"(green tea) is written --> while: "ocha wo nonda. "(I drank green tea.) is written -->

ya = (and)

'ya' is used to

yo = (emphazising sentence ending particle) yo is used at the end of a short phrase or sentence.'yo' implies that the speaker has a strong conviction or is assertive about new information which is given to the listener. It's used attract the listener's attention, or emphazise a statement. Think of it as the English "you know", "certainly" or

"I tell you". 'yo' has two usages, it's used to emphasize an action(see #1,2) or command (see # 3,4) or simply to assure the listener about the information being given (see #5,6,7). 'yo' is also used at times to brag about something (see #8,9)

Construction: Place at end of sentence/statement.

1. kurasu ni ikimashita yo. = I DID go to class. / I went to class, you know. 2. tom san no paati wa sugoku yokatta yo! = tom's party was really good. 3. benkyou shinasai yo! = Study! 4. yamete yo! = Stop it! 5. uso ja nai yo! [I assure you] It's not a lie! 6. hontou desu yo! = [I assure you] It's true! 7. tatta sen'en deshita yo. = It was only one thousand yen, you know. 8.nihongo no shiken wo goukaku shita yo. = [ofcourse] I passed the Japanese language test. 9. kantan desu yo. = [ofcourse] It's easy.

a) adding yo to these phrases/sentences gives more emphasis to the information being given.

b) 'ze' and 'zo' are other sentence ending particles that act in a similar manner as the particle 'yo', the difference is that 'ze' and 'zo' are reserved for informal conversations only and it is considered masculine speech. ze = elicits an agreement. used by men only in casual conversation. ex: shinpai shitanda ze. = I was worried about you. -------zo = emphasizes one's own opinion or judgement. ex: 1. sa, kaeru zo. = Come on, were going home.

yori = (than) 'yori' is a particle used to make a comparison between two nouns or pronouns.Think of it as 'than' in English. (yorimo) is also another variation of this word. The [mo] in yorimo means "also" and is optional.

1. ano hito wa toshi yori zutto wakaku mieru. = He looks much younger than his age. 2. (watashi wa) inu yori neko ga suki. = I likes cats more than dogs. 3. anata no kuruma wa watashi no yori mo atarashii desu. = Your car is newer than mine. 4. sakana wa niku yori herushii desu. = Fish is healthier than meat.

5. toukyou yori sapporo wa samui desu. = Sapporo is colder than Tokyo. 6. kono heya wa ano heya yori hiroi desu. = This room is more spacious than that room. 7. tetsuo wa kenji yori[mo] se ga takai desu. = Tetsuo is taller than Kenji.

ze = (emphasizing particle) 'ze' is a particle that acts similar to the particles 'yo' & 'zo', in that it's used to emphasize a statement. However, 'ze' is used only by male speakers and is used in casual conversations. [use only in informal situations]

1. ganbaru ze! = I'm going to give my best shot! 2. yatta ze! = I did it! 3. ikou ze = Let's go! 4. sono shigoto kun ni tanonda ze. = I'm counting on you to do the job. [here 'ze' is less forceful than if one were to use 'zo']

a) 'ze' is only used in informal speech and is considered more forceful than 'zo'. Avoid using 'ze' unless you are with people whom you have a close relationship with. If not, it's preferable that you stick with "yo" or even "zo" if you want to emphasize a statement or assure the listener of something.

zo = (Question marker)

'zo' act's similarly to 'yo' and 'ze' since it's also a sentence emphasizing particle. It is placed at the end of a sentence or a clause. 'zo' is used to confirm ones own assertion, opinion or judgement. 'zo' translates to "I tell you" or "you know" and has a less forceful feeling than 'ze', Adding 'zo' to the end of a sentence gives it an extra 'umph'.

1. kaeru zo. = Let's go home. 2. ganbaru zo. = I can do it! 3. sono shigoto kun ni tanonda zo . = I"m expecting you to get the job done. [using 'zo' as opposed to 'ze' makes the sentence sound more commanding and forceful than using 'ze'.] 4. o-shichau zo! - I'll give you a push! 5. Sa, dekakeru zo. (Well,I'm off.)

a) 'zo' is more often used when talking to someone else. Where as 'ze' is mostly used when talking to youself.