Vocabulary
People-related
奥[おく]さん① Wife (someone else's), noun
- 奥さんはとても優しいです。
- Okusan wa totemo yasashii desu.
- Your wife is very kind.
妻[つま]① My wife, noun
- 妻と一緒に旅行に行きました。
- Tsuma to issho ni ryokou ni ikimashita.
- I went on a trip with my wife.
歌手[かしゅ]① Singer, noun
- 彼は有名な歌手です。
- Kare wa yuumei na kashu desu.
- He is a famous singer.
大統領[だいとうりょう]③ President, noun
- 大統領が演説をしました。
- Daitouryou ga enzetsu o shimashita.
- The president gave a speech.
首相[しゅしょう] Prime Minister, noun
- 首相が記者会見を行いました。
- Shushou ga kisha kaiken o okonaimashita.
- The prime minister held a press conference.
Other Nouns
送別会[そうべつかい]④ Farewell party, noun
- 送別会を開きました。
- Soubetsukai o hirakimashita.
- We held a farewell party.
歓迎会[かんげいかい]③ Welcome party, noun
- 歓迎会に参加しました。
- Kangeikai ni sanka shimashita.
- I attended a welcome party.
都合[つごう]⓪ Convenience, schedule, noun
- 明日の都合はどうですか。
- Ashita no tsugou wa dou desu ka.
- How is your schedule for tomorrow?
予定[よてい]⓪ Plan, schedule, noun
- 何か予定がありますか。
- Nanika yotei ga arimasu ka.
- Do you have any plans?
予約[よやく] Reservation, noun
- レストランを予約しました。
- Resutoran o yoyaku shimashita.
- I made a reservation at the restaurant.
転勤[てんきん]⓪ Job transfer (within a company), noun
- 彼は転勤になりました。
- Kare wa tenkin ni narimashita.
- He was transferred to a new position.
転職[てんしょく] Changing jobs, noun
- 転職を考えています。
- Tenshoku o kangaeteimasu.
- I am considering changing jobs.
おもちゃ② Toy, noun
- 子供におもちゃを買いました。
- Kodomo ni omocha o kaimashita.
- I bought a toy for my child.
火事[かじ]① Fire, noun
- 火事が発生しました。
- Kaji ga hassei shimashita.
- A fire broke out.
期間[きかん]① Period, duration, noun
- この期間にたくさん勉強しました。
- Kono kikan ni takusan benkyou shimashita.
- I studied a lot during this period.
携帯[けいたい]⓪ Mobile phone, noun
- 携帯を忘れました。
- Keitai o wasuremashita.
- I forgot my mobile phone.
携帯電話 Mobile phone, noun
- 携帯電話で連絡しました。
- Keitai denwa de renraku shimashita.
- I contacted them using my mobile phone.
Verbs
やります To do, verb
- 宿題をやります。
- Shukudai o yarimasu.
- I will do my homework.
します To do, verb
- 勉強します。
- Benkyou shimasu.
- I will study.
Adjectives
嬉[うれ]しい③ Happy (momentary emotion), adjective
- 誕生日にプレゼントをもらって、嬉しかったです。
- Tanjoubi ni purezento o moratte, ureshikatta desu.
- I was happy to receive a gift on my birthday.
楽しい Fun (continuous emotion), adjective
- 夏休みにとても楽しかったです。
- Natsuyasumi ni totemo tanoshikatta desu.
- I had a lot of fun during summer vacation.
眠い[ねむい]⓪ Sleepy, adjective
- 今日はとても眠いです。
- Kyou wa totemo nemui desu.
- I am very sleepy today.
重い[おもい]⓪ Heavy, adjective
- この荷物は重いです。
- Kono nimotsu wa omoi desu.
- This luggage is heavy.
急[きゅう]⓪【形2】 Sudden, urgent, adjective
- 急に雨が降りました。
- Kyuu ni ame ga furimashita.
- It suddenly started raining.
Adverbs
まあまあ③ So-so, adverb
- まあまあですね。
- Maa maa desu ne.
- It's so-so.
まだまだです。 Still far from it (humble), adverb
- まだまだです。
- Madamada desu.
- I still have a long way to go.
あんまり④ Not really (used with negatives), adverb
- あんまり好きじゃないです。
- Anmari suki ja nai desu.
- I don't really like it.
Interjections
ごめん Sorry, interjection
- ごめん、遅れました。
- Gomen, okuremashita.
- Sorry, I'm late.
ごめんなさい I'm sorry, interjection
- ごめんなさい、間違えました。
- Gomennasai, machigaemashita.
- I'm sorry, I made a mistake.
すみません Excuse me; Thank you, interjection
- すみません、助けてください。
- Sumimasen, tasukete kudasai.
- Excuse me, please help me.
ううん No (casual), interjection
- ううん、違います。
- Uun, chigaimasu.
- No, that's not right.
いや No (casual, with negative tone), interjection
- いや、行きたくない。
- Iya, ikitakunai.
- No, I don't want to go.
うん Yes (casual, avoid overuse), interjection
- うん、そうだよ。
- Un, sou da yo.
- Yeah, that's right.
Grammar Points
1. Polite and Plain Forms
Japanese has two main forms of speech: polite (丁寧形) and plain (普通形). Polite forms are used in formal situations or when speaking to someone of higher status, while plain forms are used among friends, family, or in informal settings.
Usage Scenarios for Polite and Plain Forms
| Scenario | Polite Form | Plain Form |
|---|---|---|
| Formal situations | Use polite form | Do not use |
| Letters, emails | Use polite form | Do not use |
| Among friends, family | Do not use | Use plain form |
| Books, newspapers, essays | Do not use | Use plain form |
Verb Conjugation: Polite vs. Plain Forms
| Tense | Polite Form | Plain Form |
|---|---|---|
| Non-past affirmative | ます | Dictionary form |
| Non-past negative | ません | ない form |
| Past affirmative | ました | た form |
| Past negative | ませんでした | なかった form |
Adjective and Noun Conjugation: Polite vs. Plain Forms
| Tense | Polite Form | Plain Form |
|---|---|---|
| Non-past affirmative | です | だ |
| Non-past negative | ではありません | ではない |
| Past affirmative | でした | だった |
| Past negative | ではありませんでした | ではなかった |
Omission Rules in Plain Speech
- In questions, 「か」 can be omitted, and a question mark (?) is used instead.
- 「はい」 can be shortened to 「うん」, and 「いいえ」 to 「ううん」.
- In questions with nouns and な-adjectives, 「だ」 is often omitted.
- 「～ている」 is often shortened to 「～てる」 in casual speech.
2. ～けど (casual) / が (formal)
「けど」 is the casual form of 「が」 and is often used in daily conversations to indicate contrast or to introduce a topic.
- Contrast: 日本の生活は忙しいけど、楽しい。
- Nihon no seikatsu wa isogashii kedo, tanoshii.
- Life in Japan is busy, but fun.
- Topic introduction: 明日から連休だけど、どうするか決めた？
- Ashita kara renkyuu da kedo, dou suru ka kimeta?
- Starting tomorrow is a long holiday, have you decided what to do?
3. って = という (to indicate hearsay)
「って」 is the casual form of 「という」 and is used to convey hearsay or uncertain information.
- 太田、今度中国へ転勤だって。
- Oota, kondo Chuugoku e tenkin da tte.
- I heard Oota is being transferred to China this time.
- 北京だって。
- Pekin da tte.
- I heard it's Beijing.
4. かな (to express uncertainty)
「かな」 is used to express the speaker's uncertainty or doubt about something.
- 明日は雨かな。
- Ashita wa ame kana.
- I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.
5. わね (sentence-ending particle)
「わ」 expresses emotion and is mostly used by women; 「ね」 seeks confirmation.
- 今日は暑いわね。
- Kyou wa atsui wa ne.
- It's really hot today, isn't it?
6. 話し方 (method of doing something)
Remove 「ます」 from the ます-form of a verb and add 「方」 to indicate the method of doing something.
- 読み方 (way of reading)
- 書き方 (way of writing)
Dialogue Practice
Basic
A: 森さんは毎晩テレビを見ますか。
A: Mori-san, do you watch TV every night?
B: はい、見ます。
B: Yes, I do.
A: 昨日のパーティーはどうでしたか。
A: How was yesterday's party?
B: 楽しかったです。
B: It was fun.
Workplace
A: 太田さんは今度中国へ転勤だって。
A: I heard Oota-san is being transferred to China this time.
B: そうですか。北京ですか。
B: Really? Is it Beijing?
A: はい、北京だって。
A: Yes, I heard it's Beijing.
Daily Life
A: 明日の都合はどうですか。
A: How is your schedule for tomorrow?
B: ちょっと都合が悪いです。
B: It's a bit inconvenient.
A: そうですか。じゃあ、また今度。
A: I see. Let's do it another time then.
Cultural Insights
Language Culture
Use of Polite Language: In Japanese, the choice between polite and plain forms depends on the relationship between the speaker and the listener. Polite forms are used in formal situations or when speaking to someone of higher status, while plain forms are used among friends and family.
Expressive Features: In Japanese, 「って」 is often used to convey hearsay or uncertain information.
Social Culture
Workplace Culture: In Japan, job transfers (転勤) within a company are common, and employees are expected to adapt to new work environments.
Social Etiquette: Using polite language to show respect and courtesy is crucial in social interactions.
Summary and Key Points
This lesson focused on the differences between polite and plain forms and their usage in different contexts. By comparing the polite and plain forms of verbs, adjectives, and nouns, we learned how to choose the appropriate speech style based on the listener. Additionally, we studied casual expressions like 「って」 for hearsay and 「けど」 for contrast. Through dialogue practice, we reinforced the application of these concepts in real-life scenarios.