Japanese Lesson #16

Kamakura e itta koto ga arimasu ka. (Have you ever been to Kamakura?)

-ta koto ga arimasu ka = have you ever...?

eg.

Fuji san ni nobotta koto ga arimasu ka. (Have you ever climbed Mt. Fuji?)

Kamakura no daibutsu o mita koto ga aru kedo, Nara no daibutsu o mita koto wa arimasen. (I've seen the great statue of Buddha at Kamakura, but I haven't seen the one at Nara.)

Sonna koto o kangaeta koto ga nai n'desu yo! (I've never considered such a thing!)

Sashimi o tabeta koto ga arimasu ka. (Have you ever eaten raw fish?)

Hai, arimasu. (Yes, I have)

Hai, tabeta koto ga arimasu. (Yes, I have eaten it.)

Iie, tabeta koto ga arimasen. (No, I haven't eaten it.)

If = add -ra to the plain past tense of the verb

taberu > tabeta > tabetara (if I/you, eat)

iku > itta > ittara (if you go)

kuru > kita > kitara (if you come)

suru > shita > shitara (if you do)

aru > atta > attara (if there is)

naru > natta > nattara (if it becomes)

hanasu > hanashita > hanashitara (if you speak)

nomu > nonda > nondara (if you drink)

da > datta > dattara (if it is)

eg.

Ame ga futtara, uchi ni ite, bideo o mimashō. (If it rains, let's stay home and watch a video.)

O-kanemochi dattara, doko e ikitai to omoimasu ka. (If you were rich, where do you think you'd like to go?)

Yukkuri hanashitara, wakaru to omoimasu. (If you speak slowly, I think I'll understand.)

-negative

kuru > konai > konakatta > konakattara (if you don't come)

iku > ikanai > ikanakatta > ikanakattara (if you don't go)

suru > shinai > shinakatta > shinakattara (if you don't do)

nomu > nomanai > nomanakatta > nomanakattara (if you don't drink)

toru > toranai > toranakatta > toranakattara (if you don't take)

aru > nai > nakatta > nakattara (if there isn't)

eg.

Wada san ga sugu konakattara, dō shimasu ka. (If Ms. Wada doesn't come soon, what will we do?)

Jikan ga nakattara, shinakute mo ii desu yo. (If you don't have time, it's all right if you don't do it?)

-Moshi = if

eg.

Moshi mondai ga attara, oshiete kudasai. (If there are any problems, please let me know.)

-tara, add to -i adj

eg.

Takakattara, mochiron kaimasen. (If it's expensive, of course I won't buy it.)

Kibun ga warukattara, konakute mo ii desu yo. (If you are feeling bad, you don't need to come.)

-tara = how about? why don't we?

eg.

Soko de mattara dō desu ka. (Why don't we wait over there?)

Kotoshi no natsu yasumi ni, gaikoku e ittara dō desu ka. (How about going abroad this summer vacation?)

Koko de suwattara? (How about we sit there?)

Saki ni ittara? (How about if you go on ahead?)

dare mo (nobody/ not anyone)

doko mo (nowhere/ not anywhere)

nani mo (nothing/ not anything)

eg.

O-kane ga nakattara, nani mo dekimasen. (If you don't have money, you can't do anything)

Dare mo konakattara, dō shimashō ka. (If no one comes, what shall we do?)

Comparatives

Dotchi (which one)

This one (kotchi/kochira)

That one (sotchi/sochira)

eg.

Takushii to densha to, dochira no hō ga hayai desu ka. (Which is faster, a taxi or the train?)

Konna toki ni, densha no hō ga hayai to omoimasu. (At this time, I think the train is faster.)

O-sake to biiru to, dochira ga suki desu ka. (Which do you like, sake or beer?)

Doyōbi to nichiyōbi to, dotchi ga ii desu ka. (Which is better, Saturday or Sunday?)

naru (become/get)

eg.

Samuku narimashita ne! Mō sugu fuyu desu yo. (It's got cold, hasn't it! It's soon be winter!)

Natsu yasumi ga dandan chikaku natte imasu. (The summer vacationis gradually getting closer.)

Osoku natte, sumimasen. (It's becoming late, and I'm sorry.)

Nihongo ga taihen o-jōzu ni narimashita ne. (You've got really good at Japanese, haven't you!)

Kare wa kitto yūmei ni narimasu yo. (He's definitely going to become famous.)

Dareka = someone

eg.

Gomen kudasai! Dareka imasu ka! (Excuse me! Is there anyone there?)

Nanika tabemashita ka. (Have you eaten anything?)

Itsuka nomi ni ikimashō. (Let's go drinking sometimes.)

The weather

eg.

Dandan samuku natte imasu ne. (It's gradually getting colder, isn't it?)

Kinō, sugoi ame deshita ne. (That was incredible rain yesterday, wasn't it?)

Kyō wa atatakai desu ne. (It's warm today, isn't it?)

Mushiatsukute, iya desu ne. (It's horrible and humid, isn't it?)

Kaze ga tsuyoi desu ne. (The wind is strong, isn't it?)

Vocabulary

ame ga furu : it rains

ame : rain

are : look! listen!

atatakai : warm

byōki : ill

chiizu : cheese

chikai : close, nearby

daibutsu : large statur of Buddha

dandan : gradually

dare mo : no one

dareka : someone

dochira/dotchi : which one?

furu : fall,drop

hiroi : large, spacious

hō : direction, side

hoka ni : other, another, else

Hokkaidō : the northernmost of the four main islands of Japan

kaidan : steps, stairs

Kamakura : city close to Yokohama

kasa : umbrella

kaze : wind

kibun ga ii : feel good

kibun ga warui : feel bad

kitto : definitely

kochira/kotchi : this side, this one

koto ga arimasu ka : have you ever...?

kuraku : dark

mita koto wa arimasen : I have never seen

mochiron : of course

moshi : if

mushiatsui : hot and humid

narande imasu : are lined up

naru : become, get

noboru : climb, go up

o-kanemochi : rich person

okiru : get up, get out of bed

o-tearai : restroom

pikkunikku : picnic

saki ni : in advance, ahead

samuku natte : getting cold

shashin : photograph

shikata ga arimasen : it can't be helped

sochira/sotchi : that side, that one

sono hō ga ii : that would be best

sore dake ja nakute : not only that

sugoi : amazing, incredible

suwattara : if you sit

suzushii : cool

tabetara : if you eat

tattara : if you stand

tatte kudasai : please stand

tōi : far, distance

tsuyoi : strong

yokattara : if it's alright

yoku nakattara : if it's not all right

yuki : snow

Quoted from Berlitz Essential Japanese

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