Japanese Language : An Introduction

Core Content
  NIHONGO, the foreign language you will learn this semester,  is actually made up of two
parts. These are NIHON and GO.
  NIHON is the Japanese for Japan while GO is a suffix added after the name of a country to
mean the “language of” that country. Thus, NIHONGO is “language of Japan” or “Japanese
Language”.
            For Japanese language learners who are just at the beginning level, knowing the right form of
address is essential. I am referring to how one is supposed to address or call the teacher and vice-
versa.
            Teachers of Japanese are usually called “SENSEI”.   Sensei is a Japanese word which
translates in English to, you guess it right, teacher. And yes, that’s how I would like to be called by my
students.
Now, what about you Nihongo students? How should I address you or how should your
classmates address you? Well, you have probably heard of ~KUN and ~CHAN, especially if you are
an anime follower. ~KUN is used when calling a young boy while  ~CHAN is for addressing a young
girl.  But, because you are no longer kids, that means it’s inappropriate to use either
~KUN or ~CHAN when calling one of you.  So, what do I/we use? It’s ~SAN.  This is the preferred
form of address in our case..  ~SAN  is a suffix that is equivalent in English to Mr. or Ms. Use or add
~SAN  after one’s surname .
 

Introducing Oneself in Japanese

Module 1 | Lesson 2 – Introducing Oneself in Japanese
Core Content
 
           Similar to how one introduces himself/herself in English or in Filipino, self-introduction in
Japanese may be simple if basic expressions and information are used.
In our case, there are only four (4) basic lines which you need to understand and be familiar
with. These lines are :
(1) HAJIMEMASHITE,
(2) WATASHI WA ___ DESU.,
(3) WATASHI WA ___ KARA KIMASU, and
(4) DOUZO YOROSHIKU ONEGAISHIMASU.
Let's find out what each of these lines means.
HAJIMEMASHITE  is used to begin the introduction. It roots from the verb, HAJIMERU, which
means "to begin". When one says HAJIMEMASHITE, it's as if he/she is saying, "I am meeting you for
the first time, nice to meet you".   However, some translate the greeting as "HOW DO YOU DO".
              "WATASHI WA ___ DESU"  is a sentence that will help you say what your name
is.  WATASHI , which begins the sentence, is the Japanese for "I" while,  DESU, which ends the
sentence, acts as the copula verb/ linking verb. DESU is equivalent to the present tense form of the
verb to be (am, is and are) and to the future tense form (will be). The use of “DESU” makes the
sentence complete and  polite, hence, formal. 
’WA” is a particle; it does not have an English translation but it has a very important use in
sentence construction. Particularly, it is a subject marker particle.  ‘WA’ is always placed after the
subject of the sentence.
Finally, as for the blank, that is where you say / write your name.  In saying your name, it is
important to remember to always begin with your surname.
So, when I say (or write) “WATASHI WA DELGADO, MARY GRACE DESU", I mean to say ,”
I am Mary Grace Delgado”  in English.
          "WATASHI WA ____ KARA KIMASU" is another sentence. You may use it to say where you
come from.  Again, WATASHI is "I" and WA is the subject marker particle. What about the two other
words? KIMASU , just like DESU, is also verb. It is equivalent in English to the verb
"COME". KARA , just like WA, is also a particle. But unlike WA, KARA has an English translation and
it is the preposition "FROM".  Thus, "WATASHI WA TAAL KARA KIMASU"  in English is "I COME
FROM TAAL".
  Finally, we end the introduction with "DOUZO YOROSHIKU ONEGAISHIMASU".  This line
means  "I am pleased to meet you".
         By the way, please be reminded of the importance of observing Japanese culture. Since you
are learning Nihongo, you cannot not learn also about Japanese culture since language is part of
culture. And there are two distinct Japanese cultures which I hope you will also observe. These are
the BOWING (ojigi) and the POINTING AT YOUR NOSE whenever you say "Watashi.   

Useful Daily Expressions / Greetings

Module 1 | Lesson 3 – Useful Daily Expressions and Greetings
Core Content  
   
The following are just some of the useful daily expressions / greetings in English and the
Japanese translation for each.
Good Morning                              Ohayou Gozaimasu
       * used from sunrise until about 10 in the morning
Good Afternoon                          Konnichiwa
       * used from 10 in the morning until sundown;  also means
“hello”
Good evening                                   Konbanwa.
Good night                                         Oyasumi Nasai.
Thank you very much                        Doumo Arigatou Gozaimasu.
You are welcome.                             Dou itashimashite.
How are you?                                    Ogenki desuka.
I’m fine.                                               Genki desu.
Excuse me.                                        Sumimasen.
 Please wait for a while.                   Chotto matte kudasai.
Sorry, I am late.                                 Osoku natte sumimasen.
Congratulations!                              Omedetou Gozaimasu.
Happy Birthday                                Otanjoubi Omedetou Gozaimasu.
Goodbye.                                         Sayounara
         * used when you will not see the other person for quite a while
See you again.                                  Mata aimashou.
Take care.                                          Ki wo tsukete.
What is your name?                          Onamae wa nan desuka.
How old are you?                              Nansai desuka.
What is it?                                         Nan desuka.
Where is it ?                                      Doko desuka.
Who is it?                                          Dare desuka.
When is it ?                                      Itsu desuka.
Why/Why is it?                                 Doushite desuka.
How is it?                                         Dou desuka.
How much is it?                               Ikura desuka.
Do you understand?                       Wakarimasu ka.
I don’t understand.                           Wakarimasen.
I am sorry.                                        Gomen nasai.
 
           
A common expression among the Japanese is "sumimasen". In the previous page, you learned
that "sumimasen" basically means "Excuse me.". In some instances, however, "sumimasen" may
mean something else.. Find out other meanings of  this expression in the following article :  
 
 SUMIMASEN
 
If you are familiar with Japanese drama, or Jdorama as it is usually called among the fans, you
will have encountered the word "sumimasen" countless times. This is a very interesting word and it is
something that is more deeply ingrained in Japanese culture, for it can mean different things,
depending on how it is used. It is one of the first words learned by students of the Japanese language
because it is taught early on, and is a word that is commonly used in various situations. However, it is
only when one is already immersed in Japanese culture and tradition that the subtle meanings
of sumimasen in different contexts become clear.
 
Politeness and courtesy
 
For the Japanese, even the smallest of favors contribute to forming mutual responsibilities and
debts among the members of society. Public appearance and debt are top priority for the Japanese,
and they usually adopt a humble position. Their interactions with other people put them in "debt" in
various settings. This is clearly linguistically reflected in this particular word:  sumimasen.
Saying sumimasen is a way of acknowledging one's indebtedness to other people. It is said not
because the Japanese are always apologetic. For them, sumimasen is a more polite way of saying
thank you, as English speakers would normally utter.
 
Usage of sumimasen
 
Sumimasen is a formal and sincere way of apologizing. It can be used when offering an
apology to anyone, even to strangers. The Japanese use gomennasai, which
also means (I'm) sorry, when apologizing to someone they know personally, like family and close
friends.
Sumimasen can also be a thank you as well as an apology. Although difficult to fully describe
in English, the closest thing is a mixed feeling of thankfulness and regret. Let us say that you are
paying for something at a convenience store that costs 210 yen and you gave the clerk 300 yen. The
clerk asks you if you have 10 yen instead and you look around your bag for the exact change. The
clerk appreciates your effort to look for the 10 yen and pay the exact amount, so she
says sumimasen. She is saying that rather than arigatou, which means thank you, for her gratitude to
you is deeper.
The word can be used in making a request. The closest equivalents in English for this would
be "could you please," "do you mind" or "excuse me."
One of the words which is common among Japanese when they want to attract attention is to
say, "Konnichiwa," or "Ano" but these words are usually used among acquaintances. The Japanese
will say sumimasen as a polite way to get the attention of a stranger. It can also be used as a
conversation closer, in a way that shows regret in leaving the company of someone. Sumimasen can
also mean okay or yes, when used in a situation where someone who is quite busy takes the time to
acknowledge that a person is waiting to be served.
Confusing as it is, sumimasen is one word that you should include in your list of basic
Japanese words to learn.
Now that you have been introduced to useful daily expressions/greetings and the Japanese
translation for each, it is time to learn how to pronounce each one. For the correct pronunciation,
please watch the video I prepared.

Numbers in Japanese
 Module 2 | Lesson 1 –  Numbers in Japanese
 To learn numbers in Japanese, one has to start by learning the numbers one (1) to ten (10).
One                                                       ichi
Two                                                       ni
Three                                                    san
Four                                                      yon, yo, shi
Five                                                       go
Six                                                         roku
Seven                                                   nana, shichi
 Eight                                                     hachi
Nine                                                      kyuu, ku
Ten                                                        juu
 
 Yes, if you want to learn numbers in Japanese, the first thing you have to do is to familiarize
yourself with the numbers one ( 1 ) to ten ( 10 ). So please do memorize them.
The numbers one (ichi) to ten (juu) are the same numbers you will need to be able to say in
Japanese numbers higher than 10.  For this lesson, though, we shall focus first on the two-digit
numbers. That is, the numbers eleven (11) up to ninety-nine (99). To do that, just follow / do the
following techniques:
The numbers 11 to 19 start with a 10 (JUU) and followed by the number at the right. Hence, 11
is actually a 10 and a 1 (JUUICHI), 12 is a 10 and a 2 (JUUNI) so forth and so on.
To say in Japanese the numbers 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90, begin with the first number
(that is, the number at the left. In the case of 20, it is 2 while  in the case of 30, it is 3.) After this,
add a 10 (JUU). Hence, 20 is a 2 and 10 (NIJUU ), 30 is a 3 and a 10 ( SANJUU ) etc.
Finally, for two-digit numbers such as 21 to 29, 31 to 39 etc., insert a 10 (JUU) between the
numbers. Hence, 21 is a 2, a 10 and a 1 ( NIJUUICHI), 24 is a 2, a 10 and a 4 (NIJUUYON ) etc.
          To review the numbers 1 up to 99 in Japanese, you may click on the YouTube   video link I am
sharing here with you.

Telling One's Age, Nationality and Profession in Japanese

Module 2 | Lesson 2 –  Telling One’s Age, Nationality and Profession
Core    Content
                        One cannot write sentences in whatever language if he /she does not have enough words to
use. 
Thus, in every Nihongo Grammar Lesson that requires learners to construct / write sentences,
a set of vocabulary shall be introduced.                                                              For this module, here
is the list of Japanese words you have to be familiar with.
 
JAPANESE TRANSLATION IN
ENGLISH
RO-MAJI
I WATASHI
We WATASHITACHI
You ANATA
He, She, That Person ANO HITO
Teacher SENSEI
Student GAKUSEI
Company Employee KAISHAIN
Bank Employee GINKOUIN
Medical Doctor ISHA
Researcher KENKYUUSHA
 Engineer ENJINIA
University DAIGAKU
Yes HAI
No IIE
USA AMERIKA
UK IGIRISU
India INDO
Indonesia INDONESHIA
South Korea KANKOKU
Thailand TAI
China CHUUGOKU
Germany DOITSU
Japan NIHON
France FURANSU
Brazil BURAJIRU
Philippines FIRIPIN
 
Learning Nihongo is made easy because of patterns which you follow. These patterns are
supposed to guide you in order to correctly write your sentences in Japanese. 
In this lesson, the following are the sentence patterns.
           1. Subject wa N desu.
                     In this sentence pattern, the subject of the sentence is a person (noun or pronoun). The
subject is followed by the subject marker particle “wa”.
                     “Desu”, the copula, functions as the verb in the sentence and is equivalent to Am, IS or
ARE, depending on the subject of the sentence. The use of “desu” makes the sentence complete,
hence, polite.
                      N tells something about the subject. In this module, the N may be the subject’s name,
age, nationality or profession.
 
                      Example : 1.1      Watashi      wa     Grace    desu.    (I am Grace.)
                                        SUBJECT                         N (name of SUBJECT)
 1.2     Satou san     wa     kenkyuusha    desu. (Mr. Satou is a researcher.)
                                                      SUBJECT                        N (profession of SUBJECT)

           
                                       1.3   Yamada san    wa     Nihonjin    desu.(Ms. Yamada is Japanese. )
            SUBJECT                           N (nationality of  SUBJECT)

 
                        Again, SAN  is equivalent to or Ms. It is added after a name of a person. Thus, Mr.
Tanaka in English is Tanakasan in Japanese.
                        However, different suffixes are added when addressing young boys and girls. These
suffixes are  KUN for boys and CHAN for girls.
 JIN is another suffix added after the name of a country to mean “national
of”. Thus, American in English is Amerikajin in Japanese.
 SAI, also a suffix, refers to age. It is added after the number that
represents the age of a person. Thus, if a person is 17 years old, say 17 in
Japanese (as learned in the previous lesson, Information #3) and add SAI.
17 years old is JUUNANASAI.
 If one’s age is 8 or ends in 8 (18 years, 28 years old etc), this is an
exception. Instead of saying HACHISAI, 8 years old is HASSAI, 28 years
old is NIJUUHASSAI etc.
 To ask for one’s age, “NANSAI DESU KA.” is used.
    Example : Anata wa nansai desu ka. (How old are you?)
                      Watashi wa juunanasai desu. (I am 17 years old.) 
              2.Subject wa N ja arimasen.
 JA ARIMASEN is the present/ future negative form of “desu”. Thus, it is
equivalent to “am not”, “is not”, “are not” and “will not be”.
 JA ARIMASEN is the form used in daily conversation. It may be DEWA
ARIMASEN in formal speech or writing.
                                  Example :       Watashi wa isha ja arimasen.         ( I am not a doctor.)
             3. Subject wa N desu  ka.

 KA is a question marker. It is added at the end of a declarative sentence

to form a question. Thus, KA after Subject wa N desu forms an interrogative
statement.
                               Example :              Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu. (Ms. Yamada is  Japanese.)
                                                    Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu ka.  (Is Ms. Yamada Japanese ? )

 “Subject wa N desu ka” is answerable by either a YES (HAI) or a

NO (IIE). Here are several ways of constructing your answer.
             Example :             Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu ka.  (Is Ms. Yamada Japanese?)
             Answer :               If YES, say ( write ) :    Hai, + Subject wa N desu.
                                                  (Hai, Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu.)
                                                                                        Or      Hai, + N desu. 
                                    (Hai, Nihonjin desu.)
                              IMPORTANT : Both answers mean “Yes, Ms. Yamada is Japanese.
                                   
                 If your answer is NO, say (write) :  Iie, +  Subject wa N ja arimasen.
                                                                                 (Iie, Yamadasan wa Nihonjin ja arimasen.)
                                                                          Or        Iie, + N ja arimasen.
                                                                                     (Iie, Nihonjin ja arimasen.)
                           IMPORTANT : Both answers mean “No, Ms. Yamada is not Japanese.
 

4. The Particle MO 

 The particle MO  is added after a topic / subject instead of   (read as wa) when
the statement ( predicate) about the topic is the same                                           as the
predicate in the previous statement.
 The particle MO  is equivalent to “too” or “also”.
 
Example :       Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu.        ( Ms. Yamada is Japanese.)
                                                Satousan mo ( ) Nihonjin desu.       ( Ms. Satou is also Japanese.)
       
                If the particle MO () is used to ask a question, the following answer patterns are observed :
Example :       Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu.  (Ms. Yamada is Japanese.)
Satousan mo Nihonjin desu ka.  (Is Ms. Satou Japanese too? )
If YES :            Hai, Satousan mo Nihonjin desu.
If NO  :             Iie, Satousan wa Nihonjin ja arimasen. 
        5. N1 (no) N2
                     NO is a particle. It is used to connect two words to form the possessive.
                     Hence, if “Yamada san” is Mr. or Ms. Yamada, “Yamada san no “ is  /Ms. Yamada’s.
 
            Example :    IMC  shain  ( employee of IMC or IMC’s employee)
                                    Batangasu Daigaku  gakusei ( student of UB  or UB’s student)

 Demonstrative Words in the Japanese Language

 Module 3 | Lesson 1 Demonstrative Words in the Japanese Language
 Core Content
             Here is the list of vocabulary you need to be familiar with to go through this lesson :
This (thing here)                                                           kore
That (thing near you)                                                    sore
That (thing over there)                                                 are
Book                                                                             hon
Dictionary                                                                     jisho
Magazine                                                                     zasshi
Newspaper                                                                  shinbun
 Notebook                                                                     no-to
Pocket Notebook                                                        techou
Business Card                                                            meishi
Card                                                                             ka-do
Telephone Card                                                          terehon ka-do
 Pencil                                                                          empitsu
Ballpen                                                                        bo-rupen
Mechanical Pencil                                                      sha-pu penshiru
Key                                                                               kagi
            Watch, clock                                                                tokei
Umbrella                                                                      kasa
Bag                                                                              kaban
 Cassette tape                                                            kasetto te-pu
Tape recorder                                                             te-pu reko-da-
            Television                                                                    terebi
            Radio                                                                           rajio
            Camera                                                                       kamera
            Computer                                                                    kompyu-ta-
            Car                                                                               jidousha
            Desk                                                                            tsukue
            Chair                                                                            isu
            Chocolate                                                                   chokore-to
            Coffee                                                                         ko-hi-
            Wallet                                                                          saifu
            What                                                                            nan
 
1. Use of KORE, SORE , ARE
Kore , Sore, and Are are demonstrative pronouns. They are used to point at things.
Specifically, KORE is used to refer to a thing                                                                      near the
speaker, SORE to a thing near the listener and ARE to a thing far from both the speaker and
listener.
 Kore, Sore and Are may be used as subjects of sentences.
Thus, in the pattern “Subject wa N desu”, Subject is Kore, Sore or Are while N is the object
referred to.
 
Example :      Kore wa hon desu. ( This is a book.)
Sore wa hon desu. (That is a book.)
Are wa hon desu. (That over there is a book.)
 
2. Use of KONO, SONO, ANO
Kono, Sono and Ano are also demonstratives ;  specifically, they are demonstrative adjectives.
Unlike Kore, Sore and Are, Kono, Sono and Ano cannot be used alone as subjects of
sentences. When Kono, Sono or Ano is used                                                                  in the
sentence, it has to be immediately followed by a noun, i.e. the name of the thing or object referred to.
  
Example :            Kono hon wa watashi no desu. ( This book is mine.)
3. Sou desu / Sou ja arimasen
The word "SOU"  may be used to answer a question requiring an affirmative or negative
answer. Thus, "HAI, SOU DESU” is the                                                                       affirmative
response while "IIE, SOU JA ARIMASEN"  is the negative answer.
   
         Example :     Kore wa kagi desu ka. (Is this a key?)
…Hai, kagi desu.           (Yes, that is a key.)
Or     …Hai, sou desu.              (Yes, it is so.)
 
Kore wa bo-rupen desu ka.  (Is this a ball pen?)
… Iie, bo-rupen ja arimasen.  (No, that is not a ball pen.)
Or      … Iie, sou ja arimasen.           (No, it is not so.)
 

Interrogative Words in the Japanese Language

 Module 4 |Lesson 1 – Interrogative Words
Core Content
            For this lesson, a new set of vocabulary is introduced.
Here, this place                              koko
There, that place near you            soko
That place over there                    asoko
Where, what place                        doko
This way                                         kochira                      
That way                                         sochira
That way over there                       achira
Which way                                      dochira
Classroom                                      kyoushitsu
Dining hall, canteen                       shokudou
 Office                                             jimusho
 Conference room                         kaigishitsu
Reception desk                             uketsuke
 Lobby                                             robi-   
 Room                                             heya
 Toilet, Restroom                            toire(otearai)
 Staircase                                       kaidan
 Elevator                                          erebe-ta-
 Escalator                                        esukare-ta-
 Church                                            kyoukai
Country                                            okuni
 Company                                       kaisha
House, home                                  uchi
  Telephone, telephone call             denwa
 Shoes                                             kutsu
 Necktie                                           nekutai          
Wine                                                 wain
Tobacco, cigarette                          tabako
Counter (in a department store)    uriba
 Basement                                       chika
 What floor                                       ~kai(~gai)
  Italy                                                 Itaria
Switzerland                                    Suisu

1. KOKO, SOKO, ASOKO / KOCHIRA, SOCHIRA, ACHIRA

                In this lesson, additional demonstrative words are introduced. These are KOKO,
SOKO, and ASOKO plus KOCHIRA, SOCHIRA,                                                          and
ACHIRA. Similar to Kore, Sore and Are, Koko, Soko and Asoko as well as Kochira,  and Achira are
also demonstratives. But, unlike                                                               Kore, Sore and Are, Koko,
Soko and Asoko are used when referring to places while Kochira, Sochira and Achira are used when
referring to directions. 
 
               Example:           Koko wa kyoushitsu desu. (This is the classroom.)
                        Kyoushitsu wa koko desu. (The classroom is this place.)
                   Erebe-ta wa sochira desu. (The elevator is that way.)                               
Koko, Soko and Asoko may also be used to tell where a person or an object is. 
 
Example :          Tanaka san wa asoko desu. (Mr. Tanaka is over there.) 
 
In the sentence pattern, “Subject wa N desu.”,  the subject may be a person or object
while the N tells where the subject is. 
 
 Example :         Tanaka san wa kyoushitsu desu, (Mr. Tanaka is in the classroom.)
                             Denwa wa jimusho desu. (The telephone is in the office.)
 
              2. The Interrogative Word “DARE”
                          “DARE” is a Japanese word that translates in English to WHO, thus, “DARE” is an
interrogative word. When a question                                                                                uses
“DARE”, the basic thing you do is to drop it and replace with your answer which, in this case, is a
person. “DARE” is followed                                                                        by the particle “NO”, it
becomes equivalent to WHOSE.
                
                            Example :  Kore wa dare no hon desu ka. (Whose book is this?)
                                          … Kore wa Yamada san no hon desu. (This is Mr. Yamada’s book.)
                       
                          Take note that in the above example, I replaced “DARE” with YAMADA SAN.
 
           3.  The Interrogative Word “NAN”
                        In the previous module, you encountered the interrogative word “NAN” (WHAT).  In
this lesson, we again use  “NAN”                                                                                      in the
question pattern , “Subject   wa  nan  no N  desu ka.”  Let me explain the parts of this question.                         
In the question pattern,   “Subject   wa  nan  no N  desu ka.” :

o
 the subject may be KORE, SORE, or ARE  
 N is an object
 “nan no” is “WHAT KIND OF~” in  English
                      To answer the question, drop NAN  and replace it with your answer which, in this case,
is the KIND of N.
     Now, let’s ask the question, “KORE  WA  NAN  NO  HON DESU KA.” This translates in English
to, “WHAT KIND OF BOOK IS THIS?”                                                      Very obvious, our
answer in English would be ,”THIS IS A  JAPANESE/ JAPANESE LANGUAGE
BOOK.  Let’s translate our answer                                                                       to Nihongo : “KORE 
WA  NIHONGO  NO HON DESU.”
 

4. The Interrogative Word “DOKO” and “DOCHIRA”

” and                     “DOCHIRA” are both interrogative words. “DOKO”  means “where”
while “DOCHIRA” means “which direction”. However, “DOCHIRA”                                                   
can also mean “where” thus, it is more polite than “DOKO” .
                  To answer a question that uses “DOKO” or  “DOCHIRA”,  simply drop it and replace with
your answer which, in this case, can be the                                                         specific name of a
place or a demonstrative pronoun referring to a place or direction..
 
Example :          Otearai wa doko desu ka. (Where is the restroom?)
                  . . . Otearai wa  asoko desu. (The restroom is over there.)
 
                    Erebe-ta- wa dochira desu ka. (Which way to the elevator?)
                 . . . Erebe-ta- wa achira desu. (The elevator is that way over there.)
 
“DOKO” or  “DOCHIRA is also used to ask the name of a country, company, school or
any  place or organization a person belongs to.                         
“NAN” (what) cannot be used.
 
                          Example :       Anata no gakkou wa doko desu ka. (What is the name of your
school?)
          . . . Watashi no gakkou wa Batangasu Daigaku desu. (My school is University of Batangas.)

                                                 Okuni wa dochira desu ka. (What country are you from?)

                                               . . . Okuni wa Firipin desu. (My country is Philippines.)
           
            “Subject   wa  doko  no  N  desu ka.” is our last pattern for this lesson. Notice that the question
uses DOKO (where) but is followed by the particle NO plus an N.  The N is an object or a product.
Thus, in the question pattern ,“Subject   wa  doko  no  N  desu ka.”, we would like to find
our WHERE the N (object/product) is manufactured or made.  And to answer the question, just drop
the DOKO and replace it with the name of the place (country, most of the time) where the  N
(object/product) is made. Aside from the name of the place, the name of the company (manufacturer)
and even brand name may be used to answer the question.
For our example,  consider this picture :
To ask where the bag is made in Nihongo, we say (write),
“Kore wa doko no kaban desu ka.”
And to answer, we simply drop the DOKO and replace it with the place (company/brand) .
Let's assume our answer is "The bag is made in America".                                     In Nihongo,
that would be  “Kore wa AMERIKA no kaban desu.”
 

Telling Prices in Japanese

 Module 4 |Lesson 2 – Telling Prices in Japanese
  Core Content
            Before we go to sentence construction on asking for and telling prices, let us first learn how to
say numbers higher than 99.
For the numbers one hundred (100) up to nine hundred ninety-nine (999), add ~ HYAKU after
saying in Japanese the number                                                                            that occupies the
hundred place. ~HYAKU is a suffix equivalent to HUNDRED
Example :  200  ( 2 + hundred)              NIHYAKU
                               202  ( 2 + hundred + 2)        NIHYAKU NI
                               222  ( 2 + hundred + 22)      NIHYAKU NIJUUNI
 
            However, the technique previously explained does not apply to all. There are certain
exceptions to which no explanation was given. You just need to memorize what these exceptions are.
Take note, exceptions are to be observed both in the written and in the spoken Japanese.
 
           
100     HYAKU
300     SANBYAKU (pronounced SAMBYAKU)
            600     ROPPYAKU
            800     HAPPYAKU
 
             For the next set of numbers , one thousand (1,000) up to nine thousand nine  hundred ninety-
nine (9,999), add ~ SEN after saying in Japanese the number that occupies the one thousand place.
~SEN is a suffix equivalent to THOUSAND
 
Example :  2,000   ( 2 + thousand)                                    NISEN
                   2,200   ( 2 + thousand + 2 + hundred)           NISEN NIHYAKU
                   2,222  ( 2 + thousand + 2 + hundred + 22)    NISEN  NIHYAKU NIJUUNI
 
Just like in the hundred place, there are also exceptions for the second set. Again,  you need to
memorize what these exceptions are.
                                 1, 000          sen
                                  3, 000          sanzen
                                  8,000           hassen
 
            Third set are the numbers ten thousand (10,000) up to ninety-nine thousand nine hundred
ninety-nine (99,999). To say these numbers in Nihongo, add ~MAN after saying in Japanese the
number that occupies the ten thousand place. ~MAN is a suffix that refers to the ten thousand place.
NO EXCEPTIONS for this set.
 
Rei :  20, 000     NIMAN
                      22,222     NIMAN  NISEN  NIHYAKU  NIJUUNI     
 
 
Finally, what about the numbers one hundred thousand (100,000) up to nine hundred ninety-
nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (999,999) ? To say these in
Nihongo, add ~MAN after saying in Japanese the TWO-DIGIT number occupying the Hundred
thousand and ten thousand places. Thus, 200, 000  is actually 20 + MAN
   
                        200,000   NIJUUMAN
 
Now that you know how to say numbers higher than 99, let us then construct  sentences that
ask for and tell prices. These are your patterns :
 
          To ask for the price, “Subject  wa ikura  desu ka.”
 
          Just like “DOKO”, “DARE” ,and “NAN”, “IKURA” is also an interrogative word.  In
English, “IKURA” is HOW MUCH.
 
          To answer the question, simply drop “IKURA” and replace it with the PRICE of the subject. To
tell the price, again, just say (write) in Japanese the number that tells the
price and add the currency (EN for Japanese currency, DORU for dollars, and PESO for pesos.
 
          Example :            Enpitsu wa ikura desu ka. (How much is the pencil?)
              Enpitsu wa gojuu en desu. (The pencil is 50 yen.)
 
 

 Hiragana
 Module 5 |Lesson 1 –  Hiragana
   Core Content
The characters in Chart 1 (please see attached) are called Hiragana. Hiragana is the main
alphabet or character set for Japanese. There are 46                                          Basic Hiragana
characters for 46 different sounds.
Hiragana characters are used for writing “grammatical” elements such as particles and
endings of adjectives and verbs. They are also used to write words                        that are
of Japanese origin such as OHAYOU and ARIGATOU.
There are 5 vowels in Japanese. (a), pronounced "ahh", (i), pronounced like "e" in "eat", (u),
pronounced like "oo" in "soon", (e), pronounced like "e" in "elk",                      and (o), pronounced
"oh". All Hiragana characters end with one of these vowels, with the exception of (n). The only
"consonant" that does not resemble that of English                is the Japanese "r". It is slightly "rolled"
as if it were a combination of a "d", "r", and "l".
  
Chart 1  contains the 46 basic Hiragana characters and their sound / reading.
            /files/5466689/Hiragana_Chart_1(2).doc
      
             Two small strokes or dashes called “ten ten” ( ʺ ) when added to twenty (20) Hiragana
characters give the characters voiced sounds. These “dashes” are placed top right of the character.
For example, adding “ten ten” to any of the K characters changes the K to G.
A maru or small circle is added to  . These characters become , read as pa, pi, pu, pe, and po,
respectively.
Chart 2 shows additional Hiragana characters produced by adding "ten ten" or "maru".
/files/5466689/Hiragana_Chart_2.doc
Aside from changes created with the use of Ten Ten or Maru,  three (3) Hiragana characters -
YA, YU, and YO - may be combined with characters from the i – row except for the vowel itself. The
combination produces additional sounds.
Also, it is important to note that when combined, YA, YU or YO is written smaller than the other
character. For example, KI + YA = KYA .
Chart 3 shows the contracted Hiragana sounds and their respective characters.
/files/5466689/Hiragana_Chart_3.doc
 
 
  HIRAGANA TSU
The small Hiragana tsu is used to create “double consonants”, this means two non-vowels put
together, like tt or kk or pp).
Let’s take for instance  い ぷ ん .  In romaji, this would be spelled “ipun.” But, there is no
Japanese word as “ipun”.  The correct word is actually “ippun”,                                    a Japanese
word which has two p’s. In order to write said word in Hiragana, you add the small っ right before the
consonant you want to double up. Hence,                                  write “ippun” as いっぷん.
 

 Hiragana Stroke Order (Part 1)

  Module 5 |Lesson 2 –  Hiragana Stroke Order
  Core Content
          Writing / Drawing the Characters
         Just like how we learned writing each of the 26 characters in the English alphabet, learning
Hiragana also necessitates learning the stroke order we should follow in drawing each character.  So,
how do we draw each of the 46 basic Hiragana characters?
          Let's start with the 5 Vowels - A, I, U, E, and O.
 Now, the K characters - KA, KI, KU, KE, and KO.
  Next are the S characters - SA, SHI, SU, SE, and SO.
   Fourth set are the T characters - TA, CHI, TSU, TE, and TO.
   
Hiragana Stroke Order (Part 2)
Module 5 |Lesson 2 –  Hiragana Stroke Order
Learning Nihongo is not only about learning new words or phrases and making use of them to
construct sentences. When one decides to learn Japanese,                                 he / she should be
ready to learn a whole new set of characters.
           In the previous lesson, we started learning how to draw Hiragana characters. Specifically, you
were shown how to draw the first 20 characters including the
 5 vowels (A, I, U, E,O),   the 5 K (KA, KI, KU, KE, KO), the 5 S characters (SA, SHI, SU, SE,SO),
and the 5 T characters (TA, CHI, TSU, TE, TO).
          This is part of learning ho to draw Hiragana.
 Learning Outcomes
          At the end of the lesson, you should be able to :

o Recognize  Hiragana characters,
o Write words, phrases, or simple sentences in Hiragana, and
o Read words, phrases or sentences written in Hiragana.
  Core Content
         So, how do we draw the remaining Hiragana ? Let's find out, beginning with the N characters -
NA, NI, NU, NE, and NO.
  Then ,we have the H characters - HA, HI, HU/FU, HE, and HO.
   Next, let's draw the M characters -MA, MI, MU, ME, and MO.
   After the M are the 3 Y characters - YA, YU, and YO.
  Now, let's learn how to draw the five R Hiragana characters -RA, RI, RU, RE, and RO.
    Finally, to complete the 46 basic Hiragana characters, let's have WA, WO, and N/M.
    
Katakana
    Module 6 |Lesson 1 –  Katakana
  Core Content
 Another writing system the Japanese make use of is Katakana.
            Katakana, which means “fragmentary kana” ,is characterized by short, straight strokes and
angular corners.  It is used when writing down names of people,                       and things that are not
of Japanese origin. That is, if your name is not a Japanese name, use Katakana.
           
The Long Vowel Sound
Long vowels have been radically simplified in Katakana. Instead of having to think about vowel
sounds, all long vowel sounds are denoted by a simple dash ( ー ).


o メール (me-ru)  - email
o ケーキ (ke-ki)  -  cake 
                                                                                                   Chart 1
                                                               Basic Katakana Characters and  Sounds
Chart 2
                                       Additional Katakana Characters/Sounds with Tenten or Maru
  

ガ  ga  ギ  gi グ  gu ゲ  ge ゴ    go

ザ  za ジ  ji ズ  zu ぜ  ze ゾ  zo  

だ  da ヂ  ji ヅ  zu デ  de ド  do

バ  ba ビ  bi ブ  bu べ  be ボ    bo
パ  pa ピ  pi プ  pu ペ   pe ポ  po
 
 
                                                                                  Chart 3
                                                               Contracted Katakana Sounds

キャ     kya   キュ                     kyu    キョ           kyo

 シャ                   sha    シュ     shu    ショ           sho
  チャ         cha    チュ      chu   チョ     cho

   ニャ                nya   ニュ                    nyu   ニョ            nyo

   ヒャ                hya   ヒュ                    hyu    ヒョ           hyo

  ミャ                 mya   ミュ                  myu ミョ   myo

リャ                    rya リュ     ryu リョ   ryo
 ギャ                  gya   ギュ                  gyu   ギョ          gyo

    ジャ    ja   ジュ                   ju   ジョ           jo

   ビャ                bya   ビュ                  byu   ビョ          byo

   ピャ                pya    ピュ                 pyu ピョ   pyo

  
  Additional Letters

These additional letters are invented in modern era to describe the sound of foreign
languages.
 
Examples

ファ[fa]　ティ[ti]　ドゥ[du]　ウェ[we]　フォ[fo]

ァ, ィ, ゥ, ェ and ォ(small ア[a]　イ[i]　ウ[u]　エ[e]　オ[o]) are attached after particular letters.

 
Examples

ヴァ[va]　ヴィ[vi]　ヴ[vu]　ヴェ[ve]　ヴォ[vo]

ヴ is used for [v] sound.

 
 Writing / Drawing Katakana Characters
            Just like in the Hiragana lesson, learning the stroke order in drawing each Katakana character
is necessary.  The chart that follows  show you the stroke order (numbered) .
            To learn more about writing in Katakana, watch the following video.
      
 Telling Time in Japanese
Module 7 |Lesson 1 –   Telling Time in Japanese
Core Content
            To tell time in Japanese, the suffixes “~JI” ( o’clock)  , and “~FUN/~PUN” (minute), are
used.   “GOZEN” (A.M.) and “GOGO” (P.M.) are placed before the numbers   that tell the time.
           
            Specifically, to tell the hour, just say in Japanese the number that tells the hour and add "JI".
 
                        Example :       1:00 A.M.                   gozen  ichiji
                                                10:00 P.M.                 gogo  juuji
                       
           
            Hour  with special readings are :
 
                                                 4 o’clock                    yoji
                                                 7 o’clock                    shichiji
                                                 9 o’clock                    kuji
 
            To tell the minute hand, the suffix FUN or PUN is used.  Specifically, FUN  is used  if the
minute hand ends in 2,5,7 or 9.
 
                    Example :       1 : 02 A.M.                 gozen ichiji nifun
                                                1: 15 P.M.                  gogo ichiji juugofun
 
            The minute hand is read as  PUN  if it ends in 1,3,4,6,8 or 10. However, the reading will be as
follows :
 
                                                1  ippun 
                                                3 sanpun (read as SAMPUN)
                                                4 yonpun (read as YOMPUN)
                                                6 roppun 
                                                8 happun
                                                10 juppun
 
                        Example :       1 : 01 A.M.                 gozen  ichiji ippun
                                            1 : 13 P.M.                 gogo ichiji juusanpun
                                            1: 20 A.M.                  gozen ichiji nijuppun
 
 
            Finally, 30 minutes or half an hour is HAN.
 
                    Example :       1 : 30 P.M.                 gogo ichiji han
 
 
        Now that you know how to tell time in Japanese, let us use time in our sentences. To ask for
the time, the interrogative word “NANJI”  which is “WHAT TIME” in English, is used. To answer,
just drop “NANJI”   and replace with TIME.
 
        Example :         1.)    Ima, nanji desu ka. (What time is it now?)
                                           . . . Ima, gogo shichiji juugofun desu. (It is 7 :15 pm now.)                       
                                2.)     Chuugoku wa ima nanji desu ka. (What time is it in China now?)                         
. . .Chuugoku wa ima gogo kuji han desu.     (It is 9 P.M. in China now.)

Telling the Days of the Week in Japanese

 Module 7 |Lesson 2 –   Telling the Day of the Week in Japanese
Core Content
            To get through this lesson, you need to familiarize yourself with the days of the week in
Japanese.
Monday                                      Getsuyoubi
 Tuesday                                    Kayoubi
            Wednesday                              Suiyoubi
            Thursday                                  Mokuyoubi
 Friday                                       Kinyoubi
 Saturday                                  Doyoubi
 Sunday                                    Nichiyoubi
 
 To ask what day of the week it is, the interrogative word “NANYOUBI” is used. And to answer,
drop  “NANYOUBI” and replace with the day of the week.
            Example :  Kyou wa nanyoubi desu ka.(Today is what day/ What day is it today?)
                               . . .KYou wa Getsuyoubi desu. (Today is Monday.)
To ask for a day of the week in the past, use DESHITA instead of DESU. Deshita, the past-
positive form of  DESU is equivalent to was or were.
 

The Verb ~MASU

 Module 7 |Lesson 3 –   Verb ~MASU
Core Content
            For this last lesson, the following are the new vocabulary you need to be familiar with .   
           Get up, wake up                          okimasu 
           Sleep, go to bed                         nemasu
Work                                           hatarakimasu
            Take a rest                                 yasumimasu
            Study                                          benkyoushimasu
Finish                                          owarimasu
Department Store                     depa-to
            Bank                                           ginkou
            Post Office                                 yuubinkyoku
            Library                                        toshokan
 Art museum                              bijutsukan
Now                                            ima
             Morning                                     asa
            Daytime, noon                           hiru
Night, Evening                           ban (yoru)
            Day before yesterday               ototoi
            Yesterday                                   kinou
            Today                                          kyou
            Tomorrow                                   ashita
            Day after tomorrow                   asatte
            This morning                              kesa
            This evening, tonight                 konban
 Rest, holiday                            yasumi
            Lunchtime                                  hiruyasumi
            Every morning                          maiasa
            Every night                                maiban
            Everyday                                   mainichi
            Number                                      bangou
            What number                            nanban
            From ~                                       ~kara
            Up to~, until~                             ~made
            And                                             ~ to ~ 
  
          This last lesson introduces you to six new verbs : OKIMASU, NEMASU, HATARAKIMASU,
YASUMIMASU, BENKYOUSHIMASU, and OWARIMASU.                        These six verbs are
examples of ~MASU verbs and the reason for such is very obvious – they all end in ~MASU. 
           Just like in English, verbs in the Japanese language also take different tense and  form, or
they also CONJUGATE .That is, verbs in the Japanese language may be in
present, past or future tense and may be either in the positive form or in the negative  form. It is
important to note that the form of the verb in the present and in the future is the SAME.
To conjugate verbs in the Japanese language, drop ~MASU and change with ~MASEN
(present-negative form), ~MASHITA (past-positive form) or ~MASENDESHITA (past-negative form).
 
VERB TENSE POSITIVE FORM NEGATIVE FORM

PRESENT / FUTURE hatarakiMASU hatarakiMASEN

PAST hatarakiMASHITA hatarakiMASENDESHITA

            
For the copula DESU, its different forms are :

VERB TENSE POSITIVE FORM NEGATIVE FORM

PRESENT / FUTURE Desu ja arimasen

PAST Deshita ja arimasen deshita

 
  For our sentence patterns :
   1. Subject wa Verb.

o In this declarative sentence pattern, the subject is a person (noun or pronoun). The
verb, on the other hand, is one of the six verbs introduced in the lesson.
o In this sentence pattern, you will be able to tell what the subject does, did or will do.
Example : 1.1 Mainichi, Yamada san wa hatarakimasu.
 (Every day, Ms. Yamada works.)
                  1.2Ashita, Yamada san wa hatarakimasu.
(Tomorrow, Ms. Yamada will work.)
                 1.3Yamada san wa hatarakimasen.
(Ms. Yamada does not or will not work.)
                  1.4 Kinou, Yamada san wa hatarakimashita.
 ( Yesterday. Ms. Yamada worked.)
                  1.5 Kinou, Yamada san wa hatarakimasendeshita.
 (Yesterday. Ms. Yamada did not work.)
 2. Subject wa Verb ka.

o When added with the particle KA, the first sentence pattern becomes a question.
Specifically, the question pattern  ”Subject wa Verb ka“  is answerable either by a yes
(Hai) or a no (Iie).
o The answer patterns are
 
 (If yes) – Hai, subject wa Verb-positive form.
 (If no) – Iie, subject wa Verb-negative form.
Example : 2.1 Mainichi, Yamada san wa hatarakimasu ka.
                        (Does Ms. Yamada work everyday?)
If YES              ... Hai, mainichi Yamada san wa hatarakimasu.
(Yes, Ms. Yamada works everyday.)
If NO                ... Iie, maininchi Yamada san wa hatarakimasen.
                                    (No, Ms. Yamada does not work everyday.)
 
2.2. Kinou, Yamada san wa hatarakimashita ka.
                                    (Did Ms. Yamada work yesterday?)
If YES . . . Hai, Kinou Yamada san wa hatarakimashita.
                                    (Yes, MS. Yamada worked yesterday.)
If NO                ... Iie, Yamada san wa hatarakimasendeshita.
                                    (No, Ms. Yamada didnot work yesterday.)
 3. Subject wa nanji ni verb ka.

o This is another question. Again, we know it’s a question because of the particle KA at
the end of the sentence.
o This question uses the interrogative word NANJI which in English is “What time“.
o Take note that after nanji, the particle NI is used.
o To answer, replace NANJI with the specific time a particular action happens, happened
or will happen.
Example :  3.1 Anata wa nanji ni okimasu ka.           
(What time do you get up / wake up?)
                           . . . Watashi wa gozen goji ni okimasu.     
(I get up/wake up at 5 a.m.)
                   3.2 Kinou no ban, anata wa nanji ni nemashita ka.   
                        (Last night, what time did you go to bed?)
   . . . Kinou no ban, watashi wa gogo juuji ni nemashita.
(Last night, I went to bed at 10p.m.)

 Take note, that after the specific time which answers NANJI, the particle
NI is also used.
  4. Subject wa nanji (or nanyoubi) kara nanji (or nanyoubi) made Verb ka.
o In this question pattern, NANJI is used twice. Each NANJI is followed by a different
particle, KARA (from) follows the first while MADE (up to / until ) follows the second.
o In this question, we ask FROM WHAT TIME UNTIL WHAT TIME (or FROM WHAT DAY
UNTIL WHAT DAY if NANYOUBI is used) an action takes place, took place or will take
place.
Example : Anata wa nanji kara nanji made benkyoushimasu ka.
                        (From what time until what time do you / will you study?)
o To answer the question, just replace NANJI with time.
Example : Watashi wa gogo shichiji kara gogo kuji made benkyoushimasu.
                        ( I study /will study from 7P.M. until 9 P.M. )
o ”Nanji kara nanji made“ may also be used combined with the copula DESU while the
subject is a place or a establishment. In that case, the hours of operation of the subject
is asked for.
Example : De-pato wa nanji kara nanji made desu ka.
 (From what time until what time is the department store open?)
            . . .De-pato wa gozen juuji kara gogo kuji made desu.
              (The department store is (open) from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. )
o KARA and MADE do not always go together.
Example : Konban, anata wa nanji kara benkyoushimasu ka.
                           (Tonight, from what time will you study?)
            . . . Konban, watashi wa gogo hachiji kara benkyoushimasu.
                        (I will study from 8 p.m. tonight.)
o Aside from NANJI, we may also use NANYOUBI (what day of the week) in this question
pattern. In that case, the day of the week will replace NANYOUBI.
Example : Anata wa nanyoubi kara nanyoubi made hatarakimasu ka.
                        (From what day until what day do you work?)
            . . . Watashi wa Getsuyoubi kara Doyoubi made hatarakimasu.
                        (I work from Monday until Saturday.)
  The particle TO

o The particle TO is equivalent to ”and“. It is used to connect words.
      Example : Yamada san no yasumi wa Kayoubi to Suiyobi desu.
                              (Ms. Yamada’s rest days are Tuesday and Wednesday.)