46. Verbs With Nouns

     This section cover more usage of verbs, this time how we combine with nouns. For example, we may wish to say "I have seen that film" or "I am going to see that film". The verb will change accordingly.

A Collegue's Arrival
     A collegue is coming from London to Japan.

Kurozumi:    Ashita wa Jyonson-san ga Nihon ni kuru hi desu ne.
Suzuki:    Ee, sö desu.
Kurozumi:    Dare ka naritaküköma de mukae ni itte kuremasen ka.
Suzuki:    Watashi ga kökimasu. Jikan ga arimasu kara.
Kurozumi:    Kesa tanonda shigoto wa kyöjyü ni owarimasu ka.
Suzuki:    Hai, dekimasu.
Kurozumi:    Ja, onegaishimasu. Tokoru de, Jyonson-san o shitte imasu ka.
Suzuki:    Rondon no jimusho ni ita hito desu ne.
Kurozumi:    Ee.
Suzuki:    Shashin de mita koto ga arimasu.
Kurozumi:    Naritakükö ni tsuku jikan wa 14-ji 50-pun desu. Hiköki wa hayaku tsuku koto mo arimasu kara, hayame ni chüshoku o sumasente shuppatsu shite kudasai.
Suzuki:    Hai. Jyonson-san no tomaru hoteru wa doko desu ka.
Kurozumi:    Watanabe-san ga shitte imasu kara, Watanabe-san ni kiite kudasai.
Suzuki:    Hai.

     Which translates to:
Kurozumi:    Tomorrow is the day Mr. Johnson comes to Japan isn't it?
Suzuki:    Yes, that's right.
Kurozumi:    Won't someone be going to meet (him) at Narita Airport?
Suzuki:    I'll go. I have time.
Kurozumi:    Will the work (I) asked (you to do) this morning be finished today?
Suzuki:    Yes, I can (do it).
Kurozumi:    All right, please meet him. By the way, do you know Mr. Johnson?
Suzuki:    He's (one of the) people in the London office, I believe.
Kurozumi:    Right.
Suzuki:    I've seen his picture.
Kurozumi:    His arrival time at Narita Airport is 14:50. Since planes sometimes arrive early, please finish lunch earlier and leave.
Suzuki:    Yes. Where's the hotel Mr. Johnson is staying at?
Kurozumi:    Ms. Watanabe knows. Please ask her.
Suzuki:    I see.

dare ka dah-ray kah Someone, anyone

mukae ni itte (iku) moo-kai nee ee-tay Go to meet      mukaeru - to meet/greet.

jimusho jim-oo-show Office

hayame ni ha-ya-may nee Early

chüshoku chew-shock-oo Lunch

shuppatsu shitte kudasai shoo-pat-su! shih-tey koo-dah-sai Please leave      shuppatsu suru - to leave.

tomaru tom-ah-roo To stay/stop at

kiite kudasai key-tay koo-dah-sai Please listen      kiku - to listen.

Grammar - Verb + Noun      There is a special relationship between verbs and nouns that shows when they are used together. The noun stays the same but the verb will change to adapt to the action on the noun. In the examples below we see the -ta form of the verb 'kau' come into play because the action has happened - the company has bought the book. In the case of the company will buy the book, the dictionary form is used. Kore wa kaisha ga katta hon desu. - kau -> katta (To buy) koh-ray wah kai-sha nga kah-tah hon dis This is a book the company bought. Kore wa kaisha ga kau hon desu. - kau (To buy) koh-ray wah kai-sha nga cow hon dis This is a book the company will buy.

Sentences Using Verb + Noun

Watashi ga mita eiga desu - miru -> mita (To see)
wah-tah-she nga mih-tah ay-ga dis
I have seen that film.

Watashi ga miru eiga desu
wah-tah-she nga mih-roo ay-ga dis
I am going to see that film.


Watashi ga shita shigoto desu - suru -> shita (To do)
wah-tah-she nga shih-tah shih-goh-toe dis
I have done that work.

Watashi ga suru shigoto desu
wah-tah-she nga suh-roo shih-goh-toe dis
I am going to to do that work.


Watashi ga tabeta banana desu - taberu -> tabeta (To eat)
wah-tah-she nga tah-beh-tah ba-na-na dis
I have eaten that banana.

Watashi ga taberu banana desu
wah-tah-she nga tah-bear-oo ba-na-na dis
I am going to eat that banana.

Peter-san ga tabeta banana desu
Peter-san nga tah-beh-tah ba-na-na dis
Peter has eaten that banana.

Grammar - Past Tense -i Adjective + Noun      As with verbs and nouns we see a change when adjectives preceed nouns also. The noun stays the same but the adjective will change. We have changed adjectives similarly in the past (see Present and Past Tense adjective reminder tables back in a previous section).      Without a noun Oishikatta desu. - oishii -> oishikatta (Tasty) oi-she-ka-tah dis It was tasty.      Note that the present tense version is simply "oishii desu". Atsukatta desu. - atsui (Warm) at-soo-ka-tah dis It was warm.      And the present tense version is simply "atsui desu".

Sentences Using -i Adjectives + Noun

Takakatta hon - takai -> takatta (expensive)
tah-ka-kat-tah hon
A book which was expensive.

Furukatta hon - furui -> furukatta (old)
foo-roo-kah-tah hon
A book which was old.

Isogashikatta hito - isogashii -> isogashikatta (busy)
ih-so-nga-shi-kah-tah he-toe
A person who was busy.

Yasashikatta shigoto - yasashii -> yasashikatta (easy)
yah-sa-she-kah-tah she-go-toe
Work that was easy.

Grammar - Particle Mo - No Time To      We know that particle 'mo' can be used to show that something does not exist , but since it has been a while since we have used this method let us look at a specific use: "There is no time". Mai nichi, isogashii desu ka my nee-chee, ih-so-nga-she dis kah Are you busy every day? Ee, tegami o kaku jikan mo arimasen. ay, teh-ga-mey o kah-koo jih-kan moe ah-ree-ma-sen Yes, there is not even time to write a letter.

Conversations Using 'jikan mo arimasen'

Mai nichi, isogashii desu ka my nee-chee, ih-so-nga-she dis kah Are you busy every day? Ee, eiga o miru jikan mo arimasen. ay, ay-ga o mih-roo jih-kan moe ah-ree-ma-sen Yes, there is not even time to see a film. Ee, benkyo o suru jikan mo arimasen. ay, ben-key-oh o soo-roo jih-kan moe ah-ree-ma-sen Yes, there is not even time to study. Ee, _____ no renshü o suru jikan mo arimasen. ay, _____ no ren-shoe o soo-roo jih-kan moe ah-ree-ma-sen Yes, there is not even time to practice _____. Ee, pürü de oyogu jikan mo arimasen. ay, poo-roo deh o-yo-goo jih-kan moe ah-ree-ma-sen Yes, there is not even time to swim in the pool.

jogging o suru jog-ing o su-roo To do jogging gohan o taberu go-han o ta-bear-oo To eat lunch tegami o kaku teh-gah-me o kah-koo To write a letter benkyö o suru ben-key-oh o suh-roo To study yomu hon o yoh-moo To read a book terebi o miru teh-ree-bee o me-roo To watch television Oxford ni iku Oxford nee ee-koo To go to Oxford

Questions Asking Who Did Some Action

Pätí ni kita hito wa dare desu ka. - kuru -> kita (To come)
pah-tee nee key-tah he-toe wah dah-ray dis kah
Who came to the party?

Kimura-kun desu.
Kimura-kun dis
Mr Kimura.

     Other questions asking who did some action:
Kyo-nen kekkon shita hito wa dare desu ka. - kekkon suru -> kekkon shita (To get married)
key-oh-nen keh-kon she-tah he-toe wah dah-ray dis kah
Who got married this year?

Kasa wasureta hito wa dare desu ka. - wasuremashita -> wasureta (To forget/lose)
kah-sah wah-soo-reh-tah he-toe wah dah-ray dis kah
Who lost an umbrella?

Mada kite inai hito wa dare desu ka. - kite imasen -> kite inai (To not be here)
mah-dah key-tay ih-nai he-toe wah dah-ray dis kah
Who is not yet here?
     Pay attention to this, where imasen (negative) becomes inai (not).
     Mada - as yet/still. With negative - not yet.

Mada möshikonde inai hito wa dare desu ka. - möshikomu imasen -> konde inai (To not apply for)
mah-dah moh-she-kon-day ih-nai he-toe wah dah-ray dis kah
Who has not yet applied?
     Again imasen (negative) becomes inai (not).

Kaigi ni shüseki shite inai hito wa dare desu ka. - shüseki shimasen deshita -> shüseki shite inai (To not attend)
kai-nge! nee shoe seh-kee she-tay ih-nai he-toe wah dah-ray dis kah
Who did not attend the meeting?


Who Is That Person?

Ano hito wa dare desu ka.
Who is that person?

Dono hito desu ka.
Which person?

Mugane o kakete iru hito desu.
The person with the glasses.

Aa, ano mugane o kakete iru hito desu ka. Are wa Loft-san desu.
The person with the glasses? That is Mr. Loft.

     Consider this second example where the person in question is coughing (seki o suru). With the change in syntax noted, try to swap in different actions or items to identify the person.

Ano hito wa dare desu ka.
Who is that person?

Dono hito desu ka.
Which person?

Seki o shite iru hito desu.
The person who is coughing.

Aa, ano seki o shite iru hito desu ka. Are wa Cutler-san desu.
The person who is coughing? That is Miss Cutler.

     You may recognise shite iru as shite imasu - it is the dictionary form.

     The following can be easily added to the above example.
ima tachimashita - standing (tatsu - to stand) -> ima tatte.
ookii koe de waratte imasu - loud laughing (warau - to smile/laugh, ookii koe - big voice) -> ookii koe de waratte iru.
     And note when no change is necessary.
kami ga mijikai desu - (kami ga mijikai - short hair) -> kami ga mijikai hito desu.
se ga takai desu - (se ga takai - (He) is tall) -> se ga takai hito desu.
isu ni suwaru desu - (isu ni suwaru - to sit on a chair) -> isu ni suwatte iru hito desu.



Sentences Using Dictionary Form Mid-Sentence
     The sentences below show how to give advice.

Supein-go ga dekiru hito wa dare desu ka. dekimasu (be able to) -> dekiru
Who is a Spanish person?

(Anata wa) James-san ni au hi wa itsu desu ka. aimasu (to meet) -> au
At what time are you meeting Mr. James?

Kinö suraido o minakatta hito wa kyö mite kudasai. mimasendeshita (did not see) -> minakatta
Regarding the person who did not see the slides yesterday, please see them today.

Eigo ga wakaranai hito ni wa Nihongo de setsumei shimashö. wakarimasen (not understand) -> wakaranai
To those people who do not understand English, let's explain in Japanese.

Kinö konakatta hito ni kono tegami o okutte kudasai. kimasen deshita (did not come) -> konakatta
To those people who did not come yesterday, please distribute this letter.
     kubaru - to distribute.

Kyö katta mono no naka de kore ga ichiban takakatta desu. kaimashita (did buy) -> katta
?????????

Best-san ga tomatte iru hoteru o shite imasu ka tomatte imasu (is staying) -> tomatte iru
Do you know which hotel Mrs. Best is staying at?

Kore wa pan o yaku dögu desu. yakimasu (to be burned or roasted/grilled) -> yaku
This pan is a utensil for roasting/grilling.
     dögu - cooking utensil.

Kyö okane o harau hito wa kochira de haratte kudasai. haraimasu (to pay) -> harau
Today as far as paying money is concerned please pay this person ?????????????????????????????????

Kore wa tsuma ga eranda nekutai desu. erabimashita (did choose) -> eranda (erabu)
This is a necktie my wife chose.
     tsuma - one's own wife.



Mid-Sentence - Dictionary Form and -te Form
     The following shows the use of present plain form (kaeru) in mid sentence. We use this rather than -te form because we are saying "when I returned home X happened". The use of "when" is indicating a present event, as opposed to "after" (see the next example).
Watashi wa kinö uchi e kaeru-toki, eki de Nishimura-san ni aimashita. - kaeru (to return), au (to meet)
Yesterday when I returned home I met Mr. Nishimura at the station.
     Note the use of -toki to mean "when <action>". By itself toki means 'time' but it can be added to verbs.

     The next example uses -te form in mid-sentence because the action has happened in the past ("After I ate ice-cream...").
Takusan aisukurímu o tabete, onaka ga itaku narimashita. - taberu (to eat), naru (to become (naturally))
After I ate a lot of ice-cream I had a stomach ache.

     And again, the action has happened in the past so -te form is used.
Maiban watashi wa o-furu ni haitte kara ban-gohan o tabemasu. - hairu (to enter or come in), taberu (to eat)
Every evening after entering the bath, I eat an evening meal.

47. I Think / Probably...

     Sometimes we just don't know something for sure and need to convey that we are guessing. For example if you were at home you would not say "the park is quiet

Going To Kyoto
     Mr. Crook wants to go to Kyoto and so asks Mr. Akao about the best way to get there.

Crook:    8(hatchi) gatsu no 10(ju) ka goro Kyöto e asobi ni ikitai to omoimasu ga, shinkansen to hiköki to dochira ga benri desu ka.
Akao:    Shinkansen no hö ga benri da to omoimasu yo. Demo shinkansen no shite iken wa mö nai to omoimasu. Hiköki no kippu mo tabun urikire deshö.
Crook:    Dö shite desu ka.
Akao:    8(hatchi) gatsu no naka goro wa O-Bon de, kuni e kaeru hito ga özei imasu. 10(ju) ka goro kara, kono kisei rassho ga hajimarimasu kara, ryokö wa yameta hö ga ii desu yo.
Crook:    Suzuki-kun mo 10(ju) ka ni Kyöto no ie ni kaeru to kikimashita ga...
Akao:    Ee, kara wa 1 ka getsu mae ni kippu o katta to itte imashita.
Crook:    Sö desu ka. Ja, Kyöto made kuruma de donogurai kakarimasu ka.
Akao:    10 (ju) jikan ijö kakaru to omoimasu yo. Suzuki-kun wa kyo nen wa kuruma de ikimashita ga, sugoi jütai datta to itte imashita.
Crook:    Nihon wa hito mo kuruma mo ooi desu kara ne. Rasshu no nai tokoro e ikitai desu ne e.
Akao:    Rasshu no nai tokoro ga arimasu yo.
Crook:    Doko desu ka.
Akao:    Doko da to omoimasu ka. O-Bon no koro no Tokyö desu yo.
Crook:    Naruhodo.

     Which translates to:
Crook:    Around August 10th I think I'd like to take a (pleasure) trip to Kyoto. Which is more convenient, the Shinkansen or a plane?
Akao:    The Shinkansen is more convenient. But there are no more reserved tickets and plane tickets are probably sold out too.
Crook:    Why is that?
Akao:    The O-Bon festival is around the middle of August. There are many people returning to their hometowns. The homecoming rush starts around the 10th. It'd be best to give up your trip.
Crook:    I heard Suzuki's going back to his home in Kyoto on the 10th also.
Akao:    He said he bought a ticket a month early.
Crook:    Is that so? How long does it take to get to Kyoto by car?
Akao:    I guess it'd take more than 10 hours. Suzuki went by car last year and said the congestion was terrible.
Crook:    It's because Japan has lots of people and cars, wouldn't you say? I'd like to go someplace where it is not crowded.
Akao:    There is a place without crowds.
Crook:    Where?
Akao:    Where do you think it is? It is Tokyo around O-Bon.
Crook:    I see.

omou Think

shitei-ken Reserved ticket      lit. appointment ticket

mö...nai any/no more

urikire Sold out

naka-goro Around the middle

kuni Hometown, birthplace

özei Lots of people

kisei Homecoming

rasshu Rush

yameru To give up

ie House / Home

ijö More than

jütai Any/no more

öi Many / Much

naruhodo I see / It's reasonable

Grammar - Quoting Another Person      In our opening conversation we see Mr. Akao relaying information from Mr. Suzuki e.g. "He said he bought a ticket a month early". To quote a third party we must use a special syntax. Hayashi-san wa Kyöto ni ikitai to itte ikimashita Mr. Hayashi said he wanted to go to Kyoto.      to itte comes from 'to iu' - 'with speak'. iu conjugates to itte (see the verb conjugation table in Section 43: Have You/Do You Usually...?). Loft-san wa Tokyo to itte suite imasu. Mr. Loft said Tokyo is crowded. Takashi-san wa kippu to itte kaimashita. Mr. Takashi said he bought a ticket. Tanaka-san wa Osaka o shitte iru to itte imashita. Mr. Tanaka said he knows Osaka.

Omou - To Think
     The verb 'omou' - to think - is used in asking why someone thinks something is the way it is, or to state your own belief. Consider the examples below where 'omou' is used.

Naze da to omoimasu ka.
Why is it, do you think?

Dare ga sö itta to omoimasu ka
Who do you think said so?
     Just like "Can you guess who said it?".

Ashita wa suto desu kara, densha mo basu mo ugokanai to omoimasu.
There's a strike tomorrow, so I expect the trains and buses won't be running.

Conjugation of verbs preceeding 'to omoimasu'

     We must use the plain form of verb conjugation with 'to omoimasu'. You can read about this later on.

Regular I Verbs

Present Form

Past Form

tsukau To Use

tsukawanai To not use

tsukatta To have used

tsukawanakatta To not have used

     -masu form is tsukaimasu.
Regular II Verbs

Present Form

Past Form

iru To exist (imasu)

inai To not exist

ita To have existed

inakatta To not have existed

Irregular Verbs

Present Form

Past Form

kuru / suru To come / do

konai / shinai To not come / do

kita / shita To have come / done

konakatta / shinakatta To not have come / done

Conjugation of adjectives preceeding 'to omoimasu'

     With -i adjectives we often follow with 'desu' e.g. oishikatta desu - it was tasty. But with 'to omou' it is not necessary, so we simply say 'oishikatta to omoimasu' - I think it was tasty.

-i Adjectives

Present Form

Past Form

akai Red

akakunai Not red

akakatta Was red

akakunakatta Was not red

     -na adjectives use 'desu' but conjugated - we just leave off the 'na' part as usual e.g. 'genki da to omoimasu' - I think (he) is healthy.
-na Adjectives

Present Form

Past Form

shizuka da Is quiet

shizuka dewa(ja)nai Is not quiet

shizuka datta Was quiet

shizuka dewa(ja)nakatta Was not quiet

Ano hito wa Sumisu-san no okusan dewanai to omoimasu.
I think that person over there is not Mr. Smith's wife.

Kaigi wa mada owatte inai to omoimasu. owatte imasen (not finish)
I think the meeting has not finished.

     Similarly you can also use 'tabun' which means 'probably'.
Ashita wa tabun ame deshö
Tomorrow will probably be rainy.


A New Projector
     But for now, let's look at a more simple example of using 'omou'. Here we have a one person asking another's opinion about a new projector, which can be answered with many different responses but all adhering to the same syntax.

Atarashii projekuto o dö omoimasu ka.
What do you think of the new projector?

Taihen da to omoimasu.
I think it is difficult.

Muzukashii da to omoimasu.
I think it is difficult.

Omoshiroi da to omoimasu.
I think it is interesting.

Tsumaranai da to omoimasu.
I think it is dull.

Taikutsu da to omoimasu.
I think it is boring.

Riséchi ga hitsuyö da to omoimasu. (hitsuyö(na))
I think it is necessary/indispensable.

Muzukashii shigoto da to omoimasu.
I think it is difficult work.


Yes I think so / No I think not
     Sometimes we are asked questions to which we cannot be totally sure of, so we may want to state that we think the statement is true or false, but do not know for sure.

Yanagisawa-san wa kimasu ka.
Is Mr. Yanagisawa coming?

Pos. Hai, kuru to omoimasu.
Yes, I think he is coming.

Neg. Iie, konai to omoimasu.
No, I think he is not coming.


Conversations Using Yes I Think / No I Think Not
     With what we have just learned we can now state the we think an action has / has not happened. More examples follow.

Conversation #1 - Work By Tomorrow
Kono shigoto wa ashita made ni dekimasu ka - ashita made ni (by tomorrow)
Are you able to do this work by tomorrow?

Pos. Hai, shigoto o suru to omoimasu.
Yes, I think I can do the work (by then).

Neg. Iie, shigoto o shinai to omoimasu.
No, I think I cannot do the work (by then).

Conversation #2 - Will the luggage arrive today
Nimotsu wa kyöjü ni tsukimasu ka - tsuku (to arrive)
Will the luggage arrive today?

Pos. Hai, tsuku to omoimasu.
Yes, I think it will arrive.

Neg. Iie, tsukanai to omoimasu.
No, I think it will not arrive.

Conversation #3 - The News
Shushö wa kono nyüsu o mö shitte imasu ka
Is the Prime Minister in this news?

Pos. Hai, shitte iru to omoimasu.
Yes, I think so.

Neg. Iie, shitte inai to omoimasu.
No, I think not.

Conversation #4 - Children
Cutler-san wa kodomo ga arimasu ka
Does Miss Cutler have any children?

Pos. Hai, aru to omoimasu.
Yes, I think there are (children).

Neg. Iie, aranai to omoimasu.
No, I think there are not any.

Conversation #5 - Has he returned?
Yanagisawa-san wa mö kaerimashita ka
Has Mr. Yanagisawa returned?

Pos. Ee, mö kaeru to omoimasu.
Yes, I think he has returned.

Neg. Iie, aranai to omoimasu.
No, I think there are not any.

Grammar - Particle 'ka' - I Don't Know      The following is a new way of using 'ka' as a particle. Since it is a particle that replaces others in some situations it can have different meanings. <verb dict. form>/<adjective> ka wakarimasen = I don't think <action>      This is confusing and difficult to explain, so let's try to use some practical examples to help.      Perhaps there is some fried beef and you are speaking to someone about your friend who may be vegetarian (but you are not sure). Taberu ka wakarimasen. - Here, 'ka' means "with" as 'mo' can. I don't know if [he] can eat (it).      As we said, we are using 'ka' to link "not understand" with an action. This is quite confusing, so let's look at more examples. Peter-san ga taberu ka wakarimasen.      I don't know if Peter can eat. Oishii ka wakarimasen.      I don't know if it is tasty. Past Tense      Be careful with the past tense, as there are two different meanings. Oishikatta ka wakarimasen. - present tense about an object in the past.      I do not know if it was tasty (perhaps speaking of a meal someone else had last night). Oishii ka wakarimasendeshita. - past tense about an object that was also in the past.      I did not know if it was tasty (perhaps talking about a meal you had something new for the first time).

Grammar - Why Is That?      In our opening conversation we see Mr. Crook enquiring as to why Mr. Akao believes shinkansen and plane tickets are sold out. Shinkansen no hö ga benri da to omoimasu yo. Demo shinkansen no shite iken wa mö nai to omoimasu. Hiköki no kippu mo tabun urikire deshö. The Shinkansen is more convenient. But there are no more reserved tickets and plane tickets are probably sold out too. Dö shite desu ka. Why is that?      The simplest way to answer such questions is with the syntax below. <verb> kara desu. Because of <verb>. Consider this example: Onaka ga suite imasu ka. - Are you hungry? (lit is your stomach empty?) Iie, suite imasen. - No, I am not hungry. Dö shite desu ka - Why is that? Tabemono o taberu kara desu. - Because I have eaten food.

Conversations Asking Why Is That?
     The following short conversations use 'kara desu' to answer the question 'dö shite desu ka'. Note that you are not restricted to using the syntax <verb> kara desu - adjectives can also be used.

Conversation #1 - Why is your work busy?
Shigoto wa isogashii desu ka.
Is your work busy?
Hai, isogashii desu.
Yes, busy.

Dö shite desu ka
Why is that?
Mina-san wa genki kara dewa arimasen.
Because everybody is not well.


Conversation #2 - Shall we go to the park?
Köen ni ikimashö ka.
Shall we go to the park?
Iie, ikimasen.
No, let's not.

Dö shite desu ka
Why is that?
Atsui to hito ga ooi kara desu.
Because it is hot and there are too many people.

48. Plain and Polite Form

     So far we have been using the polite form of verbs, that is to say we have been using the -masu form. Politeness is very good, however when reading a document or perhaps writing in a diary, or some medium where politeness is not required the -masu form is not used. To put it in terms closer to English, you would not write a post it note to yourself saying "Please remember to buy some bread". You would simply put "Get bread".
     For adjectives, we just remove the 'desu' ending to the sentence. For example, "it is cold" goes from "samui desu" to "samui".

Grammar - -i Adjectives Plain Form      We can give -i adjectives a more neutral meaning very easily. We can simply remove 'desu' from the end of the sentence to achieve this. Present Tense Samui desu -> Samui It is cold Samukunai desu -> Samukunai It is not cold Past Tense Samukatta desu -> Samukatta It was cold Samukunakatta desu -> Samukunakatta It is not cold

Sentences Using -i Adjectives Plain Form


Atsui - Hot (air temp.)
Tenki wa atsui.
The weather is hot.

Tenki wa atsukunakatta.
The weather was not hot.


Ooki - Big
Biru ga ooki.
The building is big.

Biru ga ookunai.
The building is not big.


Ureshii - Happy
Watashi wa ureshii.
I am happy.

Watashi wa ureshikunai.
I am not happy.


Omoshiroi - Interesting
Watashi no shigoto wa omoshirokatta.
My work was interesting.

Watashi no shigoto wa omoshirokunakatta.
My work was not interesting.


Warui - Bad
Kibun ga warui.
I am feeling bad.

Kibun ga warukatta.
I was feeling bad.

Grammar - -na Adjectives Plain Form      To give -na adjectives a more neutral meaning in the way we did with -i adjectives we must change not the adjective itself but 'desu' that follows. Present Tense Genki desu -> Genki da I am well Genki dewa arimasen -> Genki dewanai I am not well Past Tense Genki deshita -> Genki datta I was well Genki dewa arimasendeshita -> Genki dewanakatta I was not well

Sentences Using -na Adjectives Plain Form


Shinsetsu(na) - Helpful
Brian-san wa shinsetsu da.
Brian is helpful.

Brian-san wa shinsetsu datta.
Brian was helpful.

Kirei(na) - Pretty/Clean
Sono hana wa kirei da.
That flower is pretty.

Koko wa hana ga kirei datta.
Here, there was a pretty flower.

Grammar - Verbs Plain Form      Verb conjugation into plain form is achieved in a similar way to that of -i adjectives. Present Tense Kaimasu -> kau Buy Kaimasen -> kawanai Not buy Past Tense Kaimashita -> katta Did buy Kaimasendeshita -> Kawanakatta Did not buy      IMPORTANT: When asking questions you MUST use the polite form of the verb i.e. Sake o nomimasu ka. Are you drinking sake?      Always use the polite form when addressing someone.

Plain Conjugation of Desu      It may surprise you to know that 'desu' can be conjugated into plain form. da Is dewanai Is Not datta Was dewanakatta Was Not      So one could write about a vehicle in a diary or some other document not requiring the polite form. Torakku datta / Torakku dewanakatta. It was a truck / It was not a truck.

Sentences Using Verbs Plain Form


Shabushabu o taberu.
I eat shabushabu.

Shabushabu o tabenai.
I do not eat shabushabu.

Shabushabu o tabeta.
I ate shabushabu.

Shabushabu o tabenakatta.
I did not eat shabushabu.


To See

Present Form

Past Form

miru To see

miranai To not see

mita Did see

miranakatta Did not see

Watashi ga eiga o miranakatta.
I did not see the cinema

To Listen

Present Form

Past Form

kiku To listen

kikanai To not listen

kitta Did listen

kikanakatta Did not listen

Watashi wa shídí o kiku.
I am listening to a CD.

To Drink

Present Form

Past Form

nomu To drink

nomanai To not drink

nonda Did drink

nomanakatta Did not drink

Mizu o nomu.
I am drinking water.

To Buy

Present Form

Past Form

kau To buy

kawanai To not buy

katta Did buy

kawanakatta Did not buy

Watashi wa hana o katta.
I bought a flower.

To Read

Present Form

Past Form

yomu To read

yomanai To not read

yonda Did read

yomanakatta Did not read

Kinö, watashi wa hon o yomanakatta.
I didn't read my book yesterday.

To Study

Present Form

Past Form

benkyö o suru To study

benkyö o shinai To not study

benkyö o shita Did study

benkyö o shinakatta Did not study

Kinö Nihon-go no benkyö o shimashita ka.
Did you study Japanese yesterday?
     Important: When asking questions we must use polite form!.

To Shop

Present Form

Past Form

kaimono o suru To shop

kaimono o shinai To not shop

kaimono o shita Did shop

kaimono o shinakatta Did not shop

Shümatsu, watashi wa kaimono o suru.
This weekend I will be shopping.

     The verb 'suru' conjugates the same for each thing that is being done. See below.
Sen getsu, watashi ga pãtí o shinakatta.
Last month I did not have a party.

Mike-san wa shigoto o yoku suru.
Mike is working well.

Masomi-san wa tenisu o amari suru.
Masaomi does not play tennis very well.

Kyö watashi ga sentaku o shinai.
Today I am not doing the washing.

Kinö watashi ga sampo o shinakatta.
I did not walk yesterday. (active walking)

     Note that regular walking is arukimasu, so

To Walk (Regular)

Present Form

Past Form

aruku To walk

arukanai To not walk

arutta Did walk

arukanakatta Did not walk

     Kiru (to put on (clothes)) is a special case. Remember these conjugations!

To Put On (Clothes)

Present Form

Past Form

kiru To put on

konai To not put on

kita Did put on

konakatta Did not put on

Mada köto o konai.
I have not yet put on the coat.

To Take Off (Clothes)

Present Form

Past Form

numu To take off (clothing)

nuganai To not take off

nuida Did take off

nuganakatta Did not take off

Tenki wa samui datta kara, köto o nuganakatta.
Because it was cold, I did not take off my coat.

To Sell

Present Form

Past Form

uru To sell

uranai To not sell

utta Did sell

uranakatta Did not sell

Hon-ya wa toriniku o uranai.
The bookshop does not sell chicken.

To Fall (Rain/Snow)

Present Form

Past Form

furu To fall

furanai To not fall

futta Did fall

furanakatta Did not fall

Kon shü ame ga furanakatta.
Last week it did not rain.

To Hold

Present Form

Past Form

motsu To hold

mottanai To not hold

motta Did hold

mottanakatta Did not hold

Ringo wa mottanakatta.
I did not hold the apple.
     Remember -tsu verbs conjugate to 'chi'masu e.g. motsu -> mochimasu.

To Make

Present Form

Past Form

tsukuru To make

tsukuranai To not make

tsukutta Did make

tsukurakatta Did not make

Kodomo no kuruma o tsukutta.
I made a child's car.

49. Obligations

     By obligations we mean things you must do, for example if you must go to the shop right now because they will close shortly, or because the trains are on strike you must go by bus, things like that. You may find this section more useful than you realise!

Prep School
     Mr. Smith meets Mr. Suzuki's daughter Nozomi on her way to town as he walks up the driveway to their home.

Sumisu:    Nozomi-san, odekake desu ka.
Nozomi:    Ee, kore kara dekake nakereba narimasen.
Sumisu:    Ima sugu desu ka.
Nozomi:    Gomen nasai. Kyöshü ni yobikö no möshikomi o shinekereba narimasen kara..
Sumisu:    Yobikö
Nozomi:    Ee. Ichiban hairitakatta daigaku ni gökaku dekimasen deshita kara, rainen mata shiken o ukemasu.
Sumisu:    Sö desu ka. Ja, itterasshai.
Nozomi:    Itte mairimasu.

     At the school:
Nozomi:    Möshikomi no shoroi wa kore de ii desu ka. Kore, nyü gaku kin to 3(san)ka getsubun no shugyöryö desu.
         Sorekara samä kösu mo möshikomitai to omoimasu ga, ato de yübin de möshikon dewa ikemasen ka.
Madoguchi no hito:    Yübin demo ii desu yo. Shiharai mo wazawaza koko made konakute mo ii desu yo. Ginkö ni furigon de kudasai.
Nozomi:    Genkin kaki tomede mo ii desu ka.
Madoguchi no hito:    Hai, dochira demo kekkö desu.

     Which translates to:
Smith:    Nozomi, are you going out?
Nozomi:    Yes I have to (go out).
Smith:    Right now?
Nozomi:    Sorry. I have to register at a prep school today.
Smith:    Prep School?
Nozomi:    Yes, I did not pass the exam for the university I wanted to attend, so I will take the exams again next year.
Smith:    Well well. Goodbye.
Nozomi:    Bye.

Nozomi:    Are (my) application papers ok? This is the entrance fee and here is three months' tuition. I think I'd like to register for the Summer
         course also. Can't I register later by mail?
Clerk:    Yes, mail is ok. As for payment, you don't have to go to the trouble of coming here. Please transfer it to our bank.
Nozomi:    Is sending it by registered-cash mail ok?
Smith:    Yes, either will be fine.

yobikö Prep school

gökaku suru To pass an examination / to succeed      gökaku - success

ukeru Take (an exam) / receive, undergo

itte rasshai Goodbye

itte mairimasu Goodbye      Another form of goodbye.

nyügaku-kin Entrance fee

san-kagetsu-bun 3 months' worth      -bun is portion or share.

jugyö-ryö Tuition      -ryö is fee or charge.

samä kösu Summer course

ato de After      'mata ato de' - "see you later".

yübin Mail

<verb>-te wa ikenai Must not do <verb>

shiharai Payment

wazawaza (suru) Go to the trouble of      Without 'suru' this can mean 'especially'.

<verb>-te mo ii Don't have to do <verb>.

furikomu To Transfer

genkin kakitome Registered mail for cash      Without 'genkin' this is just registered mail.

dochira demo Either      And kekkö(na) - fine.

Grammar - You Must Do - nagereba narimasen      When it is imperative that an action is undertaken by yourself we can specify this by changing the dictionary form of the action to its -nai form than removing -nai and replacing with -nagereba narimasen. Dekakenakereba narimasen - dekakeru -> dekakenai -> dekakenakereba (To buy) I must go out. Oxfordo ni ikanakereba narimasen - iku -> ikanai -> ikanakereba (To go) I must go to Oxford. Tabenakereba narimasen - taberu -> tabenai -> tabenakereba (To eat) I must eat. Kawanakereba narimasen - kau -> kawanai -> kawanakereba (To buy) I must buy. Okinakereba narimasen - okiru -> okinai -> okinakereba (To get up) I must get up. Nihon wa okinakereba narimasen - tobu -> tobanai -> tobanakereba (To fly/jump) As far as Japan in concerned, I must fly.

Sentences Using I Must Do
     Below we see sentences using 'I must do' relating to objects and places.

Ogaku ga suite imasu kara, tabemono o tabenakereba narimasen. - taberu -> tabenai -> tabenakereba (To eat)
Because my stomach is empty, I must eat food.

Kyö wa yasumi dewa arimasen kara, kaisha ni ikanakereba narimasen. - iku -> ikanai -> ikanakereba (To go)
Because today is not a holiday, I must go to the office.

Jitensha o nao o shinakereba - nao o suru -> shinai -> shinakereba (To fix)
I must fix my bicycle.

Nodo o itai desu kara, kusuri o nomanakereba narimasen. - nomu -> nomanai -> nomanakereba (To drink)
Because my throat is sore, I must drink medicine.
     itai (soreness) - itamu (to be sore).

Kyö wa basu mo chikatetsu mo suto desu kara, kuruma de ikanakereba narimasen yo. - iku -> ikanai -> ikanakereba (To go)
Since both buses and subways are on strike today, (you) must go by car.

Grammar - You Need Not Do - mo ii desu      We have seen what form to use when we must do something, but what about when the reverse is true? In this situation we can use 'mo ii desu', which is to give permission, but with a negative form of the verb. We literally say "it is ok not to do X". Ikanakute mo ii desu - iku -> ikanai -> ikanakute (To go) It is OK not to go. Tabenakute mo ii desu - taberu -> tabenai -> tabenakute (To eat) It is OK not to eat.      As a comparison, consider how to give permission using -te mo ii desu: Mado o akette mo ii desu. - akeru -> akette (To open) It is OK to open the window.      And shineru (to close) becomes shineta.

Sentences Using You Need Not Do
     Remember to convert the verb to -nai form, remove -nai, and add nakute followed by 'mo ii desu'.

Tenki wa ame desu kara, sakkä o shinakute mo ii desu. - sakkä o suru -> shinai -> shinakute (To play football)
Because the weather is raining, you do not have to play football.

Ashita gakkö ni ikanakute mo ii desu. - iku -> ikanai -> ikanakute (To go)
You do not have to go to school tomorrow.


Pasupöto o miseranakereba narimasen ka. - miseru -> miseranai -> miseranakute (To show)
Do I have to show my passport now?

Hai, onegaishimasu.
Yes, please.

Iie, ima miseranakute mo ii desu.
No, it is ok not to show it now.


Kyö jü ni shiraseranakereba narimasen ka. - shiraseru -> shiraseranai -> shiraseranakute (To inform)
Do I have inform (someone) within today?

Hai, onegaishimasu.
Yes, please.

Iie, shiraseranakute mo ii desu.
No, it is ok not to.


Questions Asking "Must I...?"

Ima okane o harawanakereba narimasen ka. Do I have to pay money now? Hai, onegaishimasu. Yes, please. Iie, ima harawanakute mo ii desu. No, it is ok not to pay now. Ofisu ni konakereba narimasen ka. Must I come to the office? Hai, onegaishimasu/konakereba narimasen. Yes, please/you must come. Iie, konakute mo ii desu. No, you need not come. Namae o kakanakute mo ii desu ka. Is it ok to not write my name? Hai, kakanakute mo ii desu. Yes, it is ok not to write it. Sumimasen ga, kaite kudasai. Excuse me, please write (your name).

moshikomi o suru To make an application denwa o suru To make a phone call shashin o toru To take a photo kaimono o suru To go shopping mukae ni iku Go to meet an arriving passenger chikatetsu de iku To go by subway hiköki de iku To go by plane kurejit-tökado de harau To pay by credit card okane de harau To pay by cash minna-san ni setsumei suru To inform everyone

Grammar - You Must Not - Can't I? - ikemasen (ka)      We can use ikemasen to specify that something must not be done.      Likewise do note that ikemasen ka is used to mean "can't I <perform some action> ?". Byöin de tabako o suite wa ikemasen. You must not smoke at the hospital. Crook:   Kono heya o tsukatte wa ikemasen ka. - Can't I use this room? Brian:   Dözo, tsukatte mo ii desu yo. - Yes you can use it. Brian:   Sumimasen ga, tsukawanai de kudasai. - Excuse me but please do not use it.

Sentences Using You Must Not / Can't I?

Kurasu ni okureru (okurette) wa ikemasen. - okureru (to be late for)
You must not be late for class.

Kösaten ni kuruma de tomette wa ikemasen. - tomeru (to stop / park)
You must not park your car at a crossing.

Kuruma de kiite wa ikemasen ka. - kuru (to come)
Can't I come by car?
Sumimasen ga, kuruma de konai de kudasai.
Please do not come by car.

Niwa de shashin o toritte wa ikemasen ka. - shashin o toru (to take a photograph)
Can't I take a photo in the garden?
Dözo toritte mo ii desu.
You may [take photos in the garden].

Grammar - Go To Do An Action      In our opening example Nozomi-san is going someplace to perform an action. This is an often used expression and, although we have covered it before, it is certainly worth revisiting. Convert to -masu form and remove -masu. Chokoréto o kai ni ikimasu. - kau -> kai (To buy) I am going (someplace) to buy chocolate. Köen de jogging o shi ni ikimasu. - suru -> shi (To do) I am going to the park to do jogging. Mi ni ikimasu. - miru -> mi(To see) Go to see. Tabe ni ikimasu. - taberu -> tabe(To eat) Go to eat. Hanashi ni ikimasu. - hanashi -> hanashi(To speak) Go to talk. Kiki ni ikimasu. - kiku -> kiki(To listen) Go to listen.

Grammar - Doing X Whilst Doing Y - Nagara      Convert to -masu form and remove -masu, add 'nagara' then the other action. Watashi no imoto wa terebi o mi nagara gohan o tabemasu. - miru -> mi(To watch) My younger sister watches television while eating. Watashi wa shi-di o kiki nagara jogging o shimasu. - kiku - kiki (To listen) I listen to a CD while jogging. Hotaru o mi nagara ryötei no shujin to hanashimashita - miru - mi (To watch) While watching fireflies we talked to the proprieter of the inn.