Japanese Lesson #17

Sō sureba... = if you do that...

Before = mae ni, after the plain form of verb

eg.

Sono fakkusu o Nagoya shisha ni okuru mae ni, misete kudasai. (Before you send that fax to the Nagoya branch, please show it to me.

Watashi wa neru mae ni, itsumo hon o yomimasu. (Before I go to sleep, I always read a book.

After = -te from with kara

eg.

Kabuki o mite kara, dokoka e nomi ni ikimashō ka. (After we've seen Kabuki, shall we go for a drink somewhere?)

Sono shukudai o owatte kara, sugu neta hō ga ii to omoimasu. (After you finish your homework, I think you should go

straight to bed.)

Shashin ga dekite kara, misete kudasai ne. (When the photographs are done, please let me see them.)

Sō sureba = if we do so

suru > sureba (if I/you do)

kuru > kureba (if I come)

kaku > kakeba (if I write)

harau > haraeba (if I pay)

okuru > okureba (if I send

aru > areba (if I have)

tsukuru > tsukureba (if I make)

dekiru > dekireba (if I can)

eg.

Moshi dekireba, kotoshi gaikoku e ikitai n'desu. (If I can, I want to go abroad this year)

Ame ga fureba, dekakeru yotei o yamemashō. (If it rains, let's drop the plan to go out.)

-if something doesn't happen

tsukawanai > tsukawanakareba ( if I/you don't use)

ikanai > ikanakareba > if I don't go

wakaranai > wakaranakareba (if I don't understand)

nai > nakareba (if there isn't)

dekakenai > dekakenakereba (if we don't go out)

kawanai > kawanakereba (if I don't buy)

matte inai > matte inakereba (if he isn't waiting)

eg.

Hoka ni shitsumon ga nakereba, kore de owarimashō. (If there aren't any more questions, let's finish here.)

Jikan ga nakereba, shikata ga arimasen. (If you don't have time, it can't be helped.)

-i adj, add kareba

atsui > atsukareba > if it's hot

ii/yoi > yokereba (if it's good)

isogashi > isogashikereba (if you are busy)

hoshi > hoshikereba (if you want)

takai > takakereba (if it's expensive)

samuku nai >samuku nakereba (if it's not cold)

yasuku nai > yasuku nakereba (if it's not cheap)

yoku nai > yoku nakereba (if it's not good)

tōku nai > tōku nakereba (if it's not far)

eg.

Ashita tenki ga yokereba, dokoka e ikimashō ka. (If the weather's nice tomorrow, shall we go somewhere?)

Hazukashikereba, jiko shōkai o Eigo de shite mo ii desu. (If you are shy, it's okay to introduce yourself in English.)

desu > de areba/nara (if it is)/ de nakereba (if it isn't)

eg.

Kirai nara, tabenakute mo ii desu. (If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it.)

Nichiyōbi de nakereba, iku koto ga dekimasen. (If it is not Sunday, I can't go.)

Mazu (First of all)

Sore kara (and then/after that)

soshite (then)

sono ato (after that)

sono tsugi ni (next)

saigo ni (finally/at the end)

eg.

Mazu Igirisu ni itte, sore kara Furansu ni itte, saigo ni Itaria ni ikimashita. Totemo tanoshikatta desu yo. (First we went to Britain, then we went to France, and finally we went to Italy. It was really enjoyable.)

Tame ni = for/in order to

eg.

Kono jisho wa gaijin no tame desu. (This dictionary is for foreigners.)

Kare wa shigoto no tame ni raigetsu Yōroppa ni ikimasu. (He's going to Europe next month on business.)

Kitte o kau tame ni yūbinkyoku e ikimasu. (I'm going to the post office in order to buy some stamps.)

Counting flat things = mai

eg.

Kyōto made ni-mai kudasai. (Two tickets to Kyoto, please.)

Kono hagaki wa, ichi-mai ikura desu ka. (How much is one of these postcards?)

Vocabulary

au mae ni : before meeting

dekakeru : go out

denki-dai : electricity charges

denki : electricity

denwa-dai : telephone charges

Eikaiwa : English conversation

fūtō : envelope

gasu-dai : gas charges

gasu : gas

hagaki : postcard

harau : pay

ikeba : if we go

jisho : dictionary

jūbun : enough, sufficient

kabuki : Japanese classical play

kakikonde : please fill in/out

kippu : ticket

kitte: stamp

kōkūbin : airmail

kozutsumi : parcel

-mai : counter for flat objects

mazu : first of all, to begin with

miseru : show

o-azukari shimasu : receive, be entrusted with

okuru : send

purezento : present

ranchi : lunch

saigo ni : finally, at the end

sono ato : after that

soshite : then

sureba : if I do

tamago : egg

tame ni : for the purpose of, benefit of

-te kara : after ...ing

tsukuru : make

yameru : quit, stop, cease, drop (idea/plan)

yōji : errand, chore, something to do

yon-mai : four (flat objects)

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