in general , ippan ni

In general often use when we speaking, we will use when explain something that doesn't know the exact number. see example below to get more explanation about word "In general"

General Training　
一般研修
ippan kensyuu


何時一般研修始めるか
nanji ippankensyuu hajimeruka.
What time the general training start?

In General
一般に
ippanni


Example
一般に日本語は英語より　難しいです
ippanni nihongo wa eigo yori muzukashiidesu.
in generally Japanese is more difficult than english.

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kisaten de, In the coffe shop

this conversation located before go to kissaten (coffe shop)or still looking for kissaten.

A : あそこの喫茶店　良いと思うんだ
asokonokisaten iito omounda
Over there is good coffe shop, i think

B : どち？駅の前ですか。
dochi?ekino mae desuka?
where ? front of station ?

A　：そ。。、この喫茶店でいろいろのコーヒあるですよ、トラジャとか、イタリア、ブラジルのコーヒあるよ。
so.., kono kissaten de iroirono kohi arudesuyo, toraja toka, itaria, buraziruno kohiaru yo.
yes right, at those coffee shop has various coffee like toraja, Italian and coffee from Brazil.

B　：　良いですね、じゃ行くか。
iidesune, jya ikuka
hmm.. it's sound good, let's go.

this situation of the conversation located at kissaten (coffe shop)

A　：ざねんね、こんでいますね。
zanenne, konde imasune
it's bad, it's very crowded isn't it?

B　：　ええ、今日は日曜日ですからね
ee, kyou wa nichiyoubi desukarane
yes, that's because sunday today.

A　：　どこか　開いて　いませんか。
dokoka aite imasenka ?
Do you see any empty seat ?


B　：　あ、むこ　開いているですよ、出口のとなりですけど。
aa, muko aite iru desuyo, deguchinotanaridesukedo.
yops, there is same over there,they near exit door, i though.

A　：　かいませんよ、じゃ行きましょう。
kaimasenyo, jyaikimasyou.
that's no a problem's , let's go

B　：　うん
Un
Yes

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te (form) + mite , i want to try to

when we buy something, like clothes,shoes, television, computer and others, some times we want to try before we decide to buy it. we can use this phrase formula

Verb te (form) + mite
(I) want to try + ...


for the example :
1. i want to try to read this book
この　本　を　読んで　見たい　です。
kono hon wo yonde mitai desu.

2. can i try this computer ?
この　パソコン　を　使って　見ても　良いですか
kono pasokon wo tsukatte mitemo iidesuka

3. try to remember
思い出して　見て
omoidasite mite

4. try to walking
歩いて　見て
aruite mite

5. please.., try to understand me
私に　分かって　見て　くれて　だよ、お願い
watashini wakatte mite kurete dayo, onegai

let's learn with picture, this picture below shown Mr. takayama (TK) want to try the jacket before decide to buy it

see the dialog below
TK : この　ジャケト　きれいですね。すみません　この　ジャケト　きて見ても　良いですか？
kono jaketo kirei desune. sumimasen kono jaketo kitemitemo ii desuka
hmm... this jaket is beautiful, excuse me, can i try this jaket?

A : 良いですよ、あそこの　へや　はいて　いただきませんか。
iidesuyo, asokono heya haite itadakimasenka
yes sure, please use change room over there

TK：ああ。。　ありがとう。
aaa.... arigatou
Thanks


second picture is shown some one ask to try to eat the cake that was she make.


for this situation those women will says :
Please try to eat this cake
この　ケーキ　食べて見て　ください。
kono ke-ki tabete mite kudasai.

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Complete explanation of Tokoro Desu

at this blog was explain that phrases contains tokoro desu, consist of three parts they are :

1. dictonary form + tokoro desu.
2. te form + iru tokoro desu.
3. ta form + tokoro desu.

the true meaning of tokoro is place, but if joint with others sentence and phrases, the meaning was change, see more at posting before about tokoro desu.

to explain more clearly what the different of each phrases iru tokoro see this picture below
1. dictonary form + tokoro desu.

those picture shown someone prepare to eating, at those time the right expression is
taberu tokoro desu
食べる　ところ　です

2. te form + iru tokoro desu.


at those picture you see that somebody eating something, this condition is perfect when we use te from + tokoro desu.so the right expression is

tabete iru tokoro desu
食べて　いる　ところです

3. ta form + tokoro desu.


those picture shown that somebody have just already ate, at this situation the right expression is

tabeta tokoro desu
食べた　ところ　です。

from explanation in each post about tokoro desu, and this post, we hope this explanation more completely and easy to understanding.

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ta (form) + iru tokoro , Just finished

to express that we have just finished something that we was done, we should use this expression method,

Ta (form) + tokoro


this form almost use with tattaima (Just now) for example
林さん、たった今　電話　あった　ところ　ですよ。
hayashisan, tattaima denwa atta tokoro desu.
Mr.hayasi, it was just this phone

see the other example below to learn how to use ta (form) tokoro desu

X : takayama san wa mou tabemasita ka?
高山さん　は　もう　食べましたか。
　　 Mr.takayama　do you has already ate?

T : hai, tabeta tokoro desu
はい、たべた　ところ　です。
　　i just has ate it.

if you still confused how to make ta- form, please read posting about te- form, the way to make te form and ta form is same, just change te with ta.

gabatte !!

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How ... , how long, how to -donogurai,do noyouni

to ask How in Japaneses Language, we can say with Do no youni , but if your sentence after how to is verb for example : how to read, how to write, is more easy to understand for Japanese people when you say with (...kata), see more example below

How to take this picture
dono youni kono kazou wo torimasuka

どのように この画像を取りますか。

How to make this cake
do no youni kono ke-ki wo tsukuru?

どのようにこのケーキを作る

sentence below use ... + kata to express how to + ..., learn the different with last sentence,

how to use this machine
kono kikai no tsukai kata wa dou desuka?
この　機械　の　使い方　は　どうですか。

how to write kanji ?
kanji no kakikata wa doudesuka ?
かんじ　の　書き方　は　どうですか。

How long
to express how long ... diffent with both of ... kata and dono youni, but use Dono gurai, for example

How long have you been here ?
donogurai koko ni irunoka.
donogurai koko ni imasuka.
どの　ぐらい　ここに　いるのか。

How much time will it take?
donogurai jikan ga kakarimasuka
どのぐらい　時間　が　かかりますか

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te (form) + iru tokoro desu

continued from previous post about tokoro desu(ところ）, now if before word tokoro is te from and iru, the meaning is still doing (V.ing), is same as When we talk about events that are actually happening now, or the present continuous tense in English grammar. here the formula

-ing form
Verb (te form) + iru tokoro desu,

here is the example

今食べているところです。
ima tebete iru tokoro desu.
now, we are eating.

then what the different from te iru, actually we can use te iru to express present continuous tense, but te form + iru tokoro is polite from, and this form have more intention what we feeling when doing conversation. see more example below to, firts example using tokoro and second sample using shite iru

1. A: kaigino shiryou wa mou dekimashitaka ?
会議の　資料　は　もう　できましたか。
have you finished the meeting stuff ?
B :sumimasen, mada desu . ima jyunbishite iru tokoro desu.
　　　　すみません、まだ　です。　今準備しているところ　です
i'm sorry , not yet. now still preparing.

2. A: ima nanio shite imasuka?
　　　　今　何を　していますか。
what you doing now?

B: heya o syoujishite imasu.
　　　　部屋を　商事して　います。
(I'm) cleaning my room

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will+Verb. Ing (just) ...tokoro desu

... tokoro desu, have some meaning, at this post is will explain first meaning if before word tokoro is jisyou kei (dictionary form) the sentence will have "will+V.ing" , here the example

A :ocha o mo nondaka?
do you have drink the tea?

B: iie, korekara nomu tokoro desu.
not yet, from now i will drink the tea.

not always but korekara is a completely nice words to accomplice before tokoro used.
korekara have meaning from now　or from this.

this the other example in more complete sentence:
ちょうど　今から　ケーキ　を　食べる　ところ　です、一緒に　いかが　ですか。
cyoudo ima kara keki o taberu tokoro desu, isshouni ikaga desuka.
happenstance/accidentally from this we will eating cake, let's eat it together.

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Mr. yamaguchi give me a book - ... watashini kureta

reverse from previous post, at this post we will learn to express givenness from any body to our, as you can see at the title.

Mr. yamaguchi give me a book
yamaguchi san wa watashini hon o kuremashita.
山口さん　は　私に　本を　くれました。

why use kuremashita, remember the rule that ageru, agemasu or agemashita (in past form) can not use to express givenness to our self. then how to express ? you must says with kuremashita, kureta. the formula is

A (names/she/he) + give + me + .. (Noun)
A (names/she/he) + wa + watashi ni+ ..(Noun) o + kuremashita

see more example below
先生は　私に　カメラを　くれました
sensei ha watashini kamera o kuremasita
teacher give me camera

村さんは　私に　二つりんごを　くれました
murasan ha watashini futatsuringo o kuremasita
Mr. mura give me twice apple

那賀林さん　は　私に　赤い靴　を　くれた。
kobayashisan ha watashini akai kutsu o kureta.
Mr.Kobayashi give me a red shoes.

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i give book to mr yanagi - watashiha .... agemashita

This topic is about how to express givenness or appropriations, the sample example you can see as in title, i give book to mr. yanagi in japanese we could say

watashi wa yanagi san ni hon o agemashita
私はやなぎ　さん　に　本を　上げました。

from those example here the formula to express givenness.

i give+..(A).+ to + ....(names/she/he)
私は　(names/she/he) に+ (A)を　上げます（あげます）。

if the action is past action, you must says it in past to
here the others example

1. i give ballpoint to Mrs. yuki
watashiwa Yuki san ni borupen wo agemashita
私は　雪さん　に　ボルペン　を　あげました。

2. I give cake to Mr.nomura
watashiwa Mr.nomura san ni ke-ki wo agemashita
私は　野村　さん　に　ケーキ　を　あげました。

3. I give a jacket to sora.
boku ha sora kun ni jaketo wo ageta
ぼく　は　空くん　に　ジャケト　を　上げた。

now try to make a sentence by your self.

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ga dekimasu, i can..., able to

the simple way to express that we can do something is by "... ga dekimasu" it's mean i can.. or i able to, for the example, i can drive, you can says "watashiwa unten ga dekimasu" or " unten suru koto ga dekimasu" see more example below

if we using Noun the basic grammar that we must use is
N + ga dekimasu
ができます
able to ...

if we using verb the basic grammar formula is
(Dictionary form) verb + koto ga dekimasu
。。。　ことができます
can., able to...

example
私はかんじ　が　読めることができます。
watashi ha kanji ga yomeru koto ga dekimasu.
i able to read kanji

私は感じが　書くことができます。
watashi ha kanji ga kaku kotoga dekimasu
i able to write kanji.

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tara ii desu ka, ..should....

this the others basic grammar in Japanese, ... tara ii desu ka, it's mean "... should have ...", but it's sometimes hove more meaning than that, so let's see example below to learn more.

Where should (I) ...
Doko .... tara idesuka

for example
Doko de kutsu wo kattara ii desuka
どこで　靴　を　買ったら　いいですか？
where should i buy shoes ?

doko de hon wo karitara ii desuka
どこで　本を　借りたら　いいですか。
where should i borrow the book ?

When should ...
itsu... tara ii desuka

example sentence
itsu kono posokon wo kittara ii desuka
いつ　この　パサコン　を　切ったら　いいですか
when i should turn of this computer ?

itsu kono akai botan wo ositara ii desuka
いつ　この　赤い　ボタン　を　押したら　いいですか。
when i should click this red button ?

What Should i do
Do shitara ii desuka

this simple expression is important, especially when we late, or we confuse what must we do if something wrong happen, basically by says " do shitara ii desuka" nihonjin (japanese people) was understand that you in confusing,
this more complete example

時間に　間に合わない　とこ　どしたら　いいですか。
jikan ni maniawanai toki doshitara ii desuka?
if i have late, what should i do ?

困った　ことが　あれば　どしたら　いいですか。
komatta koto ga areba doshitara iidesuka
if ia has troubled what should i do?

this various simple expression i hope useful for you, keep studying
勉強しましょう！！

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please... ( te-form) + kudasai

now we was learn about te-form, what for, this one of the ~te form structure is "~ te kudasai （～てください）," which expresses a request.

.... てください
... tekudasai
please .....

see more example below

1. 書いて　ください。kaite kudasai ーplease write.
２．読んで　ください。yonde kudasai - please read.
3. 食べて　ください。　tabete kudasai - please eat.
4. 来て　ください。　kite kudasai - please come, japanese people same times says " mata kite kudasai" it's mean " please come again "
5. 飲んで　ください。　nonde kudasai - please drink.
6. 教えて　ください。　oshiete kudasai - please teach (me).
7. 勉強して　ください。　benkyouhite kudasai - study please.
8. 待って　ください。 matte kudasai - please wait.
9. 立って　ください。　tatte kudasai - please stand up.
10. 言って　ください。　itte kudasai - please tell.
11. 見せて　ください。　misete kudasai - please　show.
12. 貸して　ください。kashite kudasai　please rent.
13. 見て　ください。 mite kudasai - please look.

now let's learn more with sentence
1. ちょっと　待って　ください。 chotte matte kudasai - please wait a minute, or more polite when we says しょしょ　待って　ください　－　shosho matte kudasai, it mean please wait a while.
2. ゆっくり　話して　ください。　yukkuri hanashite kudasai. －　please talk slowly.
3.　ボルペン　貸して　ください。　borupen kashite kudasai. - please borrow me a bullpens.

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te form - japanese verb

after we learn how to make dictionary form in Japaneses verbs, now let's learn how to make te- form （て）in Japaneses verbs,
first i want to tell that your computer is able to read Japaneses words, like kanji and furigana, although in other way I'll still write some in romanji,

as we know from others post, that Japanese verbs, divide into 3 groups (see at conjugation post), The -te form of a verb which does not have a tense or mood combines with other verb forms. if you know well about ta-from, It may be formed from the plain past tense by changing the ending -ta to -te. but if you don't know much about ta - form, don't worry, see the pattern below in each groups.

Groups 1
trow away ki line in masu form, or ku line in dictionary form, and change by formula below :
ki --> i te
kakimasu -> kaku -> kaite (write)
kikimasu -> kiku -> kiite (listen)
hatarakimasu -> hataraku -> hataraite (work)

gi --> i de
isogimasu -> isogu - > iso ide (hurry)

mi --> n de
nomimasu -> nomu -> nonde (drink)
yomimasu -> yomu -> yonde (read)

bi --> n de
yobimasu -> yabu - > yonde (calling people)

ri --> tte
furimasu -> furu -> futte
arimasu -> aru -> atte
kaerimasu -> kaeru -> katte (buy)
norimasu -> noru -> notte ( go ing with )

chi --> tte
tachimasu -> tachiru - tatte
machimasu - > - matte

shi -> - te
kashimasu -> kashu -> kashite
hanashimasu -> hanashu -> hanashite

Groups2
from masu form, throw away the masu and change with te, or from dictionary from, trow the ru and change with te, see below

tabe-masu -> tabe-ru ->tabe-te ( eat)
oshie-masu -> oshie-ru -> oshiete (give a lesson)

exception :
mi-masu -> miru -> mite
oki-masu -> okiru -> okite

groups 3
same as groups2, trow the shimasu and chage with shite , or form dictionary form, trow the suru change with shite.

renraku shimasu -> renraku suru -> renraku shite
shimasu - > suru -> shite

exception
kimasu - kuru - kite

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hajime ha, first...

this word, Hajime (始め） written, speel with hajimewa, it's has meaning first.., but some times, it's should be first time or first of all, it's depend of the sentence that we use, let's learn it by use the sentence

X : how your japanese ?
あなたの　日本語は　どう　ですか？
　　anatano nihongo ha dou desuka?
Y : first time i can not speak at all
始めは　ぜんぜん　話しません。
　　　hajimewa zensen hanasjimasen
X : how about hiragana and katakana ? you can write and read it ?
ひらがなと　かたかな　は　どうですか？もよめますか？かけますか？
hiragana to katakana ha doudesuka? mouyomemasuka? kakemasuka?
Y : i can read and write hiragana, but.. i can not write katakana
ひらがな　は　かくとよめることができる　でも　かたかなは　かけません。
　　　hiragana wa kaku koku to yomeru ga dekiru demo katakana wa kakemasen

初めて
First Time
if we want to say it's first time in japanese, you can say hajimete desu

X: in this year i was twice go to japan, how about you?
今年は二回日本へ　行きました。あなたはどう？
　　kotoshi ha nikai nihon he ikimasita, anata ha dou ?
Y : it's fisrt time
初めてです。
　　hajimete desu.

oke, below is more about same useful phrase or words, hope you like it to improve your japanese

First week
最初週(さいしょしゅう)
saisyoshu

first love
最初愛(さいしょあい)
saisyoai

first year
最初年(さいしょどし)
saisyodoshi

first day
最初日(さいしょび)
saisyobi

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masu form to dictionary form

The dictionary form (basic form) of all Japanese verbs end with "u" vowels. if we open dictionary, the listed word is dictonary form for verbs, noun still same, because it doesn't change when use in sentence, and is the informal or not polite, present affirmative form of the verb. This form is used among close friends and family in informal situations.

masu form, always end with masu vowels, this from not listed in the dictionary, we must change by our self, because of that we must know how to change dictionary form to masu form, or masu form to dictionary from, as we know Japanese verbs divide into 3 groups (see here if you don't remember) for each groups have different way to change or transform in other form, see below
Group 1
erase the masu then subtite i line with ku line, for example
kakimasu, - kaki - kaku - write
nomimasu , - nomi - nomu - drink
hairimasu, - hairi - hairu - enter
kaerimasu, - kaeri - kaeru - go home
isogimasu, - isogi - isogu - rush
hatarakimasu, - hataraki - hataraku - working
arukimasu, - aruki - aruku - walking

Group 2
the step is same, first erase the masu from, then give ru at the end of words, see example below :
tabemasu - tabe - taberu - eating
abimasu - abi - abiru - take a shower
demasu - de - deru - go out, out
hajimemasu - hajime - hajimeru - begin
kakemasu - kake - kakeru - using ( a glass)
kaemasu - kae - kaeru - to change
wasuremasu - wasure - wasureru - forget

the characteristic of Group 2 is almost the verb before masu have e vowels or e line in hiragana charts

Group 3
this groups is easies berween thow groups before, you just need to replace masu with ru, for example :
shimasu - suru - doing
benkyou shimasu - benkyou suru - studying
sanpo shimasu - sanpo suru - playing around
kekkon shimasu - kekkon suru - get married
shokuji shimasu - shokuji suru - eating ( dinner)

i recommended you download wakan , a free japanned dictonary for your PC

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Japanese Verbs - Verb Conjugations

last post i was write a lot of useful phrase, because some phrase use verb, and in Japanese verbs will change depend on usage, it's become problem if we doesn't know about verb change and verb conjugations in Japanese,

in Verb conjugations, japanese verbs divide into 3 groups, we called group 1,2 and group 3, here a brief explanation for each groups
actually and usually when we learning Japanese use masu form, like tabemasu, kakimasu, nomimasu, akimasu etc, why because it's polite. beside that form, various form in japanese verb are, te form,dictionary form, ta form, syou from, and others

Groups 1
all Japanese verbs that end with i vowels like ki, i, ri, shi, chi,mi, etc, before masu, include groups 1,but just very litle exception like mimasu (groups 2)
here the sample
kakimasu - write
nomimasu -drink
kikimasu listen
arimasu - have, exist
kashimasu - give to borrow
machimasu - wait
kaimasu - buy
furimasu - rain is drop
yomimasu - read
araimasu - wash
hairimasu - enter (room)
ikimasu - going to
asobimasu - playing

Groups 2
all Japanese verbs that end with e vowels like, ke, me, re, te, he, etc before masu in masu form is groups 2, except mimasu, abimasu, imasu, kimasu( have vowels i but include groups 2)
example
tabemasu - to eat
misemasu - give sea some think
abimasu - get shower
akemasu - open
dekimasu - able to
demasu - out
imasu - exist (for human, and animal)
kaemasu - change
kakemasu - make a phone call
kangaemasu - think
kimasu - wear ( clothes)
kuremasu - give (to me)
nemasu - sleep
yamemasu - stop ( from comapany, school etc)

Groups 3
all verb that end with shimasu, or verb that at end always using word shimasu,is group 3, here for example
shimasu - doing
benkyou shimasu - learning, studying
jisshu shimasu - practice
kengaku shimasu - looking at factory
kimasu - come (exception)
shoukai shimasu - introducing (some one)
sooji shimasu - cleaning
unten shimasu - ride a car
kekkon shimasu - get married

you must not forget those rule, becouse is important when we change a verb from other form to another form

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what you doing ?

tanaka is teacher is senior high sechool, when he give same practice to his student, he found yamada doing something wrong

tanaka : yamada kun, nani wo yatte irun da?
yamada : ah.. eeto.. origamai desu
tanaka : origami..!! ima wa mathematic no rensyu da yo
yamada : so desuka..
tanaka : un, jya kono tesuto yatte mitte
yamada : watashi desu ka ?
tanaka : mochiron, hayaku..!!
yamada : demo chotto.. mathematic ha omosirokunai sensei
tanaka : kankei nai.. yatte miyo !
yamada : hai... ganbarimasu..

here is translation in Inglis

tanaka : yamada what you doing now!!
yamada : ah.. making origami
tanaka : arigami, now is time for mathematic lesson
yamada : are you sure
tanaka : youp, now do it this test sheet
yamada : for me ?
tanaka : of course, do it faster
yamada : but.. teacher mathematic is not interesting for me
tanaka : no relation, let's do it
yamada : oke, i will

here is the grammar for v. ing
in japanese v.ing usually use following grammar
te form + imasu (polite)
te from + iru

here some example
what you doing
nani wo yatte iru da?
nani wo yatte imasuka ? (polite)

i am eating rice now
watashi ha gohan wo tabate irum desu
watashi ha gohan wo tabete imasu (polite)

i learning kanji now
watashi ha kanji wo benkyou shite imasu
watashi ha kanji wo benkyou shite iru

how to make or convert te from from dictionary form ?
see other tutorial

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I’m afraid it’s time

when we go with friend, meet our friend or go somewhere, then we look that we don't have time or we 'll late for our schedule, use this expressions is very useful, Japanese's people very straight in time, so remember your schedule well

I’m afraid it’s time
そろそろ時間ですが
sorosoro jikan desuga

here is other example for using soro-soro
そろそろ帰らないといけないのですが
sorosorokaeranai to ikenainodesuga
I’m afraid I have to go now

it's better if in first sentence we says, sumimasen or gomennasai, that mean we are sorry to have to go

そろそろ　行きましょう
sorosoro ikimasyou
we doesn't have time let's go !

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should have 。。tara ii desu ka

now let's learn how to request advice from friend, teacher or other people, we can use following form

.... tara ii desu ka?
...たら　いい　ですか？
should have...

here some example sentence that request advice from another pople
1. Where should i buy a car ?
どこ　で　車を　買ったらいいですか？
doko de kuruma wo kattara iidesuka?

2. 時間がないばいわ　どしたら　いい　ですか？
jikan ga naibaiwa doshitara ii desuka?
if (we )do not have time, what should we do ?

3. おなかが　つきました　とき　何を食べたらいいですか？
onakaga tsukimasita toki nani wo tabetara ii desuka?
when (we) hungry what kind of food should we eat ?

it' easy right..
remember the sentence form, and try to make sentence by your self

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TAXI.., should you ...

now in this post we will learn about phrase and conversation when call taxi, in japan taxi is easier to be find, in every strategic place like station we will find it.

when we won to ask taxi driver can we
開いていますか ー　hiraiteimasuka　
You open?

when the taxi driver says
いいよ、どこへ　行くんですか - Iiyo, doko e ikundesuka
Youp, where you going / where is your destination
it's mean they ask about the destination or somewhere place that you would to go

平田(ひらた)　駅(えき)お願(ねが)いします - Hirata eki onegeaishimasu
Hirata station, please..
Onegeishimasu, this words is useful to asking some help

phrase below show how to asking some help in other way
..... て　くださいませんか。
.....te (te form) kudaisamasenka
Should You

for more sample look at below
暑(あつ)いですね、まどを　開(あ)けて　くださいませんか？
Atsui desukara mado wo akete kudasaimasenka ?
is hot, should you open the window

なかなか　電車(でんしゃ)　に　まに合(あ)うので　少(すこ)しい　早(はや)くして　くださいませんか。
Nakanaka densya ni maniaunode sukhosi hayakute kudasaimasenka ?
it's seem that i will late, should you drive more faster please.. ?

ちょっと　ここで　まって　行(い)って　くださいませんか。
Chotto koko de matte itte kudasaimasenka ?
would you mind to wait a minute here

how much we must pay ? use this expression
両(りょう)う金(きん)　は　いくらですか。
Ryoukin ha ikura desuka


note :
after kanji, between sign (...) is the spelling of kanji in hiragana

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be famous for, famous

famous,this words is important to introduce or explain the famous think of town or country, by introducing the famous think we should make conversation more fresh and enjoyable, how to make a brief introduction using word famous, see example below :

it's famous
。。。＋有名です
...+ yumei desu

this the example for that phrase
1.テレビ　なら　パナソニク　は　一番(いちばん)　有名(ゆうめい)です。
Terebi nara panasoniku ha ichiban yuumei desu.
Talking about television factory, Panasonic is famous.
2.この　本は　有名ですね。
Kono hon ha yuumei desune.
This book is fomous

the other phrase of famous is
。。。で　有名で　ある
de yuumei de aru
Be famous for

see example of sentence below
1. 大阪(おおさか)は　たこ焼(や)き　で　有名であるよ。
Oosaka ha takoyaki de yuumeide aruyo.
Osaka is famous for takoyaki

2.この　町(まち)は　みかんのレストラン　で　有名である。
Kono machi ha mikan no resutorant de yuumeu de aru.
this town is famous for orange restaurant

if you understand indonesian language or malaysia language you can download pdf version here

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Opinion, In my opinion ..

now we will learn about phrase that contain word opinion, and how to tell our opinion in Japaneses language, ok, it's easy, see the patern below

Opinion
意見/いけん - iken

in my opinion ...
私の意見では。。。

there is example when use in sentence
1. In my opinion you are wrong
私の意見ではあなたは間違えているだよ。－　watashino iken deha anata Ha machigaete iru dayo.
2. in my opinion this book is very good.
私の意見では　この本はいいと思います。　－ watashino iken deha kono hon ha ii to omoimasu.

how to express is very nice opinion ?! you can say this one
いい　意見ですね。
ii iken desune..

any other opinion ?
他の意見がありますか？
hokano iken ga arimasuka ?

have nice study

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Would you mind opening the window?

to say Would you mind+... in japanese is easy, you can use the following phrase

...mo yoroshii desuka?　。。。＋も　よろしいですか？
... mo ii desuka? 。。。＋も　いいですか？

this some example for those phrase :

1. Would you mind opening the window?
まど　を　あけても　よろしいですか？　Mado wo aketemo yoroshii desuka
2. Would you mind i read this book ?
この本　を　よんでも　いいですか？ kono hon wo yonde mo ii desuka ?
3. Would you mind i use this ballpoint ?
この　ボルーペン を　使っても　よろしいですか？ kono boru-pen wo tsukatte mo yoroshii desuka
4. Would you mind i take a picture
者品　を　とっても　いいですか？ - syashin wo totte mo ii desuka

it's easy right !

mado : window
akeru : open
(ake-nai, ake-masu,akeru,akeru-toki,akereba,akero,akeyou,aketa)
yoroshii / ii : good, ok
mado o akeru : open the window
hon : book
yobu : read
(yobanai, yobimasu, yomereba, yomero, yonda, yonde)

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Greetings and Daily Expressions

Ohayou gozaimasu. 　おはようございます - (Good Morning)
Konnichiwa. 　こんにちは。-　(Hello/Good afternoon.)
Konbanwa. 　こんばんは。-　(Good evening.)
Oyasuminasai. 　おやすみなさい。-　(Good night.)
Unlike English, it is mostly used before going to bed, but you can say it when your friend live to go home after party for example.
Itte kimasu いって　来ます　ー'll be back when leaving (and planning to return)
Itte rasshai いって　らっしゃい　-（Good bye )go and return -the reply to "ittekimasu", said to the person leaving
Tadaima ただいま　（I'm back )ー　by the person returning home
Okaeri nasai おあ帰りなさい　-(Welcome home ) the reply to "tadaima", to the person returning
Okaeri　お帰り - same as okaerinasai, but this non formal use.
Ogenki desu ka - お元気ですか　－ (are you well / how are you)
Doomo arigatoo gozaimasu どうも　ありがとう　ございます。- (Thank you very much)
Doo itashimashite どう　いたしまして　－　(you are welcome ) to reply arigatou
jya mata ne - じゃ　またね -　(see you)- non formal use
mata ashita - また　明日 - (see you tomorrow) - formal use

note :
People do not say "sayonara（さよなら）" when leaving their own home. "Ittekimasu（いってきます）" is normally used. The response to "Ittekimasu（いってきます）" is "Itterasshai（いってらっしゃい）". "Dewa mata（ではまた）or jya mata(じゃ　また）" is also often used as "see you later", similar to the English expression.

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I am sorry but

I am sorry but, this phrase use when we refuse invitation from our friends, it's simple look this patern

1.もうしわけありませんけど。。。- mousiwake arimasenkedo
2.すみませんけど。。。 - sumimasen kedo
3.ごめんなさいけど。。。- gomennasai kedo
I am sorry but　。。

those third phrase have same meaning,number one more polite than number two and three, see this example below :

1.すみませんけど ほうしありません。- sumimasen kedo housiku arimasen, - i'm sorry but i'd rather you didn't
２．すみませんけど、ちょっと忙しいので。sumimasenkedo, chotto isogashinode. - i'm sorry but i'm little busy.
３．ごめんなさい、じしんがないですね。gomenasai kedo,jishin ga naidesune. - i'm sorry but i don't have feeling to do that

it' easy right ! take your note and make your own sentence, have fun !

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asking for kanji

this conversation about asking kanji, james ask for nomura about the meaning of kanji , see the conversation below :

James : ええと、野村さん、ちょっといいですか？
野村：　はい、何ですか？
James :このかんじは　なんと読むん　ですか？
野村：　入り口です。
James :どよう　いみ　ですか、まだ分かりません。？
野村：　入るなときはここからですね、でるはぜったいにできません。
James :そうですか？まだ分かりませんね、ゆっくり話してください、
野村：　入るなときはここからですね、でるはぜったいにできません。
James :ええと。。、すみません、英語で言ってくださいませんか？
野村：　This side just for entrance, you cannot exit from here.
James :日本語は私に難しいですね、
野村：　じゃ。。もっと連取いいと思います、がんばってください。

below, i write latin version for those conversation,

James : eeto, nomura san, chotto ii desuka?
nomura：　hai nandesuka ?
James :kono kanji ha nanto yomun desuka?
Nomura : iriguchi desu
James :doyou imidesuka, mada wakarimasen.
Nomura : hairunatokikokokaradesune, deruha zettaini dekimasen.
James :soudesuka, mada wakarimsen, yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
Nomura san: hairunatokikokokaradesune, deruha zettaini dekimasen.
James :ee to sumimasen, eigo de iite kudasaimasenka ?
野村：　This side just for entrance, you cannot exit from here.
James : nihongo ha watashi ni muzukasii desune
Nomura: jya.. motto rensyu ii to omoimasu, ganbattekudasai.

and this the translation's in English.
James : Mr. nomura, pardon me .
Nomura：youp … what can I help ?
James : how to spell this kanji
Nomura : iriguchi desu / entrance
James : what the meaning , I still don’t understand Nomura : when you need enter this room, you would enter from here, you should not exit from here
James : hmm.. could you speak more slowly
Nomura san: hairunatokikokokaradesune, deruha zettaini dekimasen. / when you need enter this room, you would enter from here, you should not exit from here
James : pardon me, please say it in English ?
nomura：　This side just for entrance, you cannot exit from here.
James : japanese is difucult for me
Nomura: i think you just need more practice !

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At leat , Not least than

to say what minimum we have, these use this phrase

No least than / at leasｔ
小さなくたも

see more example below:

1.he has at least ２ ball
彼は小さくたも二ボルーは有ります。- kareha chiisakutamo ni(2) boru- ha arimasu.

2.at least he never late
彼は小さくたもまだ遅れましたよ。　－　kareha chiisakutamo mada okuremashita yo.

3.he bring at least 3 ballpoints.
彼は小さくたも三ボルーペン　持っている。－kare ha chiisakutamo san(3) boruupen motteiru.

now get your note, and practice with this phrase, just remember the phrase words

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Thank You For

say thanks is important to socializing with our friend, or relation, basically we can say arigatou (ありがとう）to express thank for kindness or help from our friends, but thank you for... is more complete, see the patern of phrase below :

Thank You for...
。。。してくれて、ありがとう。

ok,this is the example
1.手伝ってくれて　ありがとうー　tesudatte kurete arigatou - thanks for you help
2.映画館してくれて　ありがとうー　eigakan site kurete arigatou - thanks for the movie
3.メールをしてくれて　ありがとう　－　meru wo site kurete arigatou - thanks for email

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if i were ... , i would ...

some times we think, if i was here i would help you, those sentences khan be write in formula below

If S +were + N, I would
which S = subject
N = Noun
in japanese language
もし＋N+なら、S。。。

look more this example below :
1. もし日本人なら、あなたに結婚することができるのに。　－mosi nihonjin nara, kekkon suru koto ga dekiru noni, - if i japanese people, i would marry with you.

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Think twice before ...

before we want to do something, we need to think more, to express more about that we can use the following phrases

Think　twice before .../ think well
よく考える　 ー yoku kangaeru

1.試験取る前によく考える。- shiken toru maeni yoku kangaeru. - think twice before (you) take exam

2.パーチィ　入る前に　よく考えてください　－patyi irumaeni yokukangaetekudasai - think well before joint the party.

3.アメリにカ行く前によく考えてください　－ amerika ni iku maeni yoku kangaetekudasai - please think twice before you go to america.

4.彼に結婚する前によくかんがえる。　-kare ni kekkon suru maeni yoku kangaeru - thik twice before you married with him.

this phrase is more like idioms for think it well, let's try to make other sentence.

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About....

in this sectin let's learn to make sentence in English with first word is about ..
then change to Japanese language, it's easy
look the formula below :

About ...
...について。 - nitsuite

for more explanation how to use those phrase see some example below :
1. 私は５年ほど金型設計について勉強しまた。 - watashiwa 5 nen hodo kanagata sekkei nitsuite benkyoushimashita - i was learn about molding design in 5 years.
2. ゴミの分けてについて、この髪読んでください　－gominowakete nitsuite, kono kami yonde kudasai - about garbage searation please read this paper.

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I would like ...

those English ekspresion is important when we want to some think..,what is the phrase in japanese language that meant i would like.. or i want..

。。。したい/。。。ほしい
... sitai / ... hoshii

look at example below :

1. この　本を読みたいです。 －　kono hon o yomitai desu, - i want to read this book
2. この本を借りたいですね、- kono hon o karitaidesune, - i would like to borrow this book
3. コーヒーに砂糖を入れてしたいです。　- kohi ni sato o iretesitaidesu, - i would like sugar in my coffe
4. 疲れましたから、早く寝ってしたいですね、－　tsukaremasitakara,hayaku nettesitai desune　－because i feel tired, i want to sleep quikly
5. いい車ですね、私いはほしいな。。－ii kuruma desune, watashiwa hoshii na.., - nice car! i want too.. (i loved too)
6. 明日は外食べしたい気分ですね。　－ ashita wa gaisoyokusitai kibun desune - i feel like eating out tomorrow

how does the example, it's easy right, now try to make your our sentences...

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Time and Calendar

TIME

1 o’clock ichiji (一時)
2 o’clock niji (に時)
3 o’clock sanji （三時）
4 o’clock yonji 　 （四時）
5 o’clock goji (五時）
6 o’clock rokuji （六時）
7 o’clock shichiji （七時）
8 o’clock hachiji （八時）
9 o’clock kuji (九時）
10 o’clock juuji （十時）

1 minutes ippun　　　　　(一分)
2 minutes nifun　　　　　(２分)
3 minutes sanpun 　　　(三分）
4 minutes yonpun　　　　（四分）
5 minutes gofun　　　　　(五分）
6 minutes roppun　　　　（六分）
7 minutes nanafun　　　（七分）
8 minutes happun　　　　（八分）
9 minutes kyuufun　　　（九分）
10 minutes juppun　　　　（十分）

this example for mentioning a time in Japanese language
1.何時　ですか？- nanji desu ka. - what time is it ?
2. 五時です。 　 - go ji desu - 5 o' clock
3. 六時午後です。 - roku ji gogo desu　－　6 o' clock PM
4. 何時　会いますか。 － when we'll meet?
5. 二時　十五分　まえ　です。 －it's quarter to two.
6. 午前　九時　五分　ぐらいです。 　gozen kyuu ji gofun gurai desu - about 9.05 A.M
7. 十時半です。 　－ jujihan desu - it's 6.30

半 han half Goji han desu. It’s 5:30.
過ぎ sugi after Juuji juugofun sugi desu. It’s 10:15.
まえ mae before Juuji juugofun mae desu. It's a quarter to ten..
午前 gozen a.m. Gozen hachiji desu. It’s 8 a.m.
午後 gogo p.m. Gogo juuji desu. It’s 10 p.m.
正午 shougo noon

Relative Time
朝 asa morning
昼 hiru noon
午後 gogo afternoon
夕方 yuugata evening

一昨日 ototoi day before yesterday
昨日 kinou, sakujitsu yesterday
今日 kyou today
明日 ashita tomorrow
明後日 asatte day after tomorrow

先々週 sensenshuu week before last
先週 senshuu last week
今週 konshuu this week
来週 raishuu next week
再来週 saraishuu week after next

先々月 sensengetsu month before last
先月 sengetsu last month
今月 kongetsu this month
来月 raigetsu next month
再来月 saraigetsu month after next

一昨年 ototoshi year before last
昨年 sakunen last year
去年 kyonen last year
今年 kotoshi this year
来年　 rainen next year
再来年 sarainen year after next

Weekdays
月曜日 Monday getsuyoubi
火曜日 Tuesday kayoubi
水曜日 Wednesday suiyoubi
木曜日 Thursday mokuyoubi
金曜日 Friday kinyoubi
土曜日 Saturday doyoubi
日曜日 Sunday nichiyoubi

Months
January 一月 ichigatsu
February 二月 nigatsu
March 三月 sangatsu
April 四月 shigatsu
May 五月 gogatsu
June 六月 rokugatsu
July 七月 shichigatsu
August 八月 hachigatsu
September 九月 kugatsu
October 十月 juugatsu
November 十一月 juuichigatsu
December 十二月 juunigatsu

Season, Time of Year

Actually The Japanese people are often very proud of their four distinct seasons; summer, spring, winter and fall. they have also one more - the rainy season,but rainy season will come between spring and summer .

春 haru spring
夏 natsu summer
秋 aki autumn
冬 fuyu winter
梅雨 tsuyu rainy season

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Japanese Basic Words Order

Sentence structure
The basic Japanese word order is Subject Object Verb. Subject, Object, and other grammatical relations are usually marked by particles, which are suffixed to the words that they modify, and are thus properly called postpositions.

The basic sentence structure is topic-comment. For example, Kochira-wa Tanaka-san desu (こちらは田中さんです). Kochira ("this") is the topic of the sentence, indicated by the particle -wa. The verb is desu, a copula, commonly translated as "to be" or "it is" (though there are other verbs that can be translated as "to be"). As a phrase, Tanaka-san desu is the comment. This sentence loosely translates to "As for this person, (it) is Mr./Mrs./Miss Tanaka." Thus Japanese, like Chinese, Korean, and many other Asian languages, is often called a topic-prominent language, which means it has a strong tendency to indicate the topic separately from the subject, and the two do not always coincide. The sentence Zō-wa hana-ga nagai (desu)　(象は鼻が長いです) literally means, "As for elephants, (their) noses are long". The topic is zō "elephant", and the subject is hana "nose

BASIC WORD ORDER
The sentence order is very different from English. In English we use Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) but in Japanese it is usually Subject-Object-Verb (SOV). look at example below
English - I drink coffee (S - V - O)
Japanese - 私は　コーヒ　を　飲みます（watashi ha kohi o nomimasu) (S - O - V)

Make Question ?
when make question in japanese, you just add ka （か） in end of sentence, see example below :
雪さんはりんごがすきですか？ yukisan ha ringo ga suki desuka? - mrs.yuki do you like apple ?
田端さん、パンを食べますか？tabatasan ha pan wo tabemasuka? mr. tabata dou you eat bread ?
いつ　帰りますか？itsu kaerimasuka - when go home ?
この　かばん　は　いくらですか？kono kanban ha ikura desuka?- how much this bag ?
今、何時ですか？ima, nanji desuka - now what time is it ?

remember:

1.ha it spell with wa when it's became particle in sentence
2. particle かka is added to the end of statements
3. Word order is not changed as in English
4. In Japanese (see right example) the ? (Question mark) is not required (optional)
5. Just like in English, the last syllable goes up in intonation
6. In spoken Japanese sometimes the ka can be dropped if you have the upwards
intonation at the end. But for now, let's stick to using the ka

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Let's Shopping

Shopping (かいもの）kaimono

Japanese department stores are much bigger than their North American counterparts. Many of them have five to seven, or even more floors, and you can buy almost anything there. Department stores used to be called "hyakkaten (百貨店）," but the term "depaato （デパート）" is more common today.

this common exspresion that use by Sales Counter
いらっしゃいませ- Irasshaimase = welcome
いかがですか - Ikaga desu ka = How do you like it?
何かお探しですか -Nanika osagashi desu ka = May I help you?
かしこまりました - Kashikomarimashita = Certainly

Here are some useful expressions for shopping
これは　いくら　ですか - kore wa ikura desuka = how much this ?
じゃ　これ　を　ください - jya.. kore o kudasai = i take this
ー　が　ありますか - .... ga arimasuka = do you have ....
みかん　が　ありますか？ mikan ga arimasuka = do you have orange ?
ちょっと　みて　も　いい　ですか。- chotto mite mo ii desu ka = can i look it ?
すかって　みて　も　いい　ですか。- sukatte mite mo ii desu ka = can i try use it ?

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Masu From To Shita (Past Form)

There are four methods of converting the dictionary form of a u-verb to the past tense, depending on the type of verb it is:

1. First the verbs that end with -す:

su → shita

出す　→　出した
食べます　→　食べました。
　　　寝ます　→　　寝ました。
　　　飲みます　→　飲みました。
　　　休みます　→　休みました。

2. Now, the verbs that end with く and ぐ:

ku → ita
　　
gu → ida

書く　→　書いた
　　
注ぐ　→　注いだ

3. When a verb ends with う,る, or つ, change the final hiragana character to tta:

使う　→　使った


作る　→　作った



4. For ぶ, む, or ぬ verbs, change the final to nda:

飛ぶ　→　飛んだ

含む　→　含んだ

死ぬ　→　死んだ

There are, however, exceptions:

する　→　した

行く　→　行った

くる　→　　きた

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Introduce your self (shokai)

Watashiwa Yamada desu
we should establish who you are. this chapter you will learn introducing your self in easy way but still polite, If you want to say "I am yamada." You would say: Watashi wa yamada desu. Watashi means 'I.' Wa is a particle which marks the subject of a sentence. It roughly means 'as for' so, the sentence translates to "As for me, I'm yamada." You can also just say "yamada desu." which just means 'I am yamada.' Men and boys can also use the form "Boku wa .... desu." Boku also means I, but is used by males only.The word 'you' in Japanese is anata, but be careful not to use it unless you're very familiar with someone as it is slightly personal. It's better to just use the person's name when referring to them.
using desu is polite when we talk to other people especially when we don't know more slightly personal, or when we talking to respect higher position people like our boss.

わたしは　やまだ　です。
Watashi wa yamada desu.
My name is yamada.

わたしは　けんしゅせい　です。
Watashi wa kensyusei desu.
I'm a student.

わたしは　にほんじんです。
Watashi wa nihon jin desu.
I'm Japanese people.

せんもん　は　はんばい　です。
Senmon wa hambai desu.
my profession is marketing

ロベト　です。
robert desu.
I am robert

ぼく　は　ロベト　です。
Boku wa robert desu.
I am robert

Conversion

Tanaka :
はじめまして。　わたしは　田中　です,どぞ　よろしく　おねがいします。
Hajimemasite, watashi wa tanaka desu.Dozo yorosiku, onegaishimasu.
How do you do, I am tanaka, Nice to meet you

Yamada :
わたしは　やまだ　です,どぞ　よろしく。
Watashi wa yamada desu.Dozo yorosiku.
I ma Yamada, Nice to meet you too.
ええと。。あなたの　くには　　タイ　ですか、　日本　ですか。
Eeto…, anatano kuni wa tai desuka, nihon desu ka.
mmmmm, your country is Tai or Japan ?

Tanaka :
日本　です、すみません。あの　ひとは　だれ　ですか？
Nihon desu, Sumimasen, ano hito wa dare desuka?
My country is japan, excuse me, who is he ?

Yamada ：
ロベトさんです。
robert san desu.
he is robert.

Tanaka ：
かいしゃは　どちら　ですか。
Kaisya wa dochira desuka.
Where is he working ?

Yamada ：DELL です。
DELL desu
at Dell

Tanaka ：
なんの　かししゃｄすか？
nanno kaisya desu ka.
What kind of Company ?

Yamada ：
コンピュター　の　かししゃ　です。
Kompyuta no kaisya desu.
Computer Company

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Japanase Number

One hundred until nine hundred

100 hyaku, 　　　百
200 nihyaku、　　二百
300 san byaku　　三百
400 yon hyaku　　四百
500 ｇo hyaku　　五百
600 rop pyaku　　六百
700 nana hyaku　　七百
800 hap pyaku　　八百
900 kyuu hyaku　九百

Thousand
1000 sen 千
2000 ni sen　二千
3000 san zen　三千
4000 yon sen　　四千
9000 kyu sen　　九千

10 000 ichi man　一万
20 000 ni man　　　二万
30 000 san man　　三万
90 000 kyu man　　九万
100 000 ju man　　十万
1000 000 hyaku man　百万
10 000 000 sen man　千万
100 000 000 ichi oku　　一おく


Ask Number
ikura and ikutsu
1. Ikura
it's used for ask price, when we buy some things, see example below
この　りんごは　いくらですか。
kono ringgo wa ikura desuka.
How Much this apple

百円　です。
hyaku en desu.
one hundred yen.

赤い本　は　いくら　ですか。
akai hon wa ikura desuka.
How much those red book.

二百　円　です。
ni hyaku en desu.
Two hundred en.

2. Ikutsu
ikutsu use for number of goods, a litle goods like hon, fruits, bullpens, etc.see example below :

この　みかん　は　いくらですか
kono mikan wa ikura desuka
How much this orange

一つ　二百　円　です。
hitotsu ni hyaku en desu.
one pieces 200 en.

these complete list
1 pieces hitotsu ひとつ
2 pieces futatsu ふたつ
3 pieces mittsu　　みっつ
4 pieces yottsu　　よっつ
5 pieces itsutsu　　いつつ　
6 pieces muttsu　　むっつ
7 pieces nanatsu　　ななつ
8 pieces yattsu　　やっつ
9 pieces kokonotsu　ここのつ
10 pieces too　　とお

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Grammar Sumary Basic

This page is not meant to be comprehensive. It is merely a brief summary of a few points about Japanese grammar that beginners might find useful. If you have no clue about Japanese grammar, this is the place to start.

Japanese Word Order
In English sentences words are generally placed SVO (subject, verb, object). Ex: The girl eats the apple. The girl is the subject, eats is the verb, and the apple is the object.

In Japanese sentences, however, words are generally arranged SOV (subject, object, verb). Ex: Kore wa pen desu. Kore (this) is the subject, desu (is) is the verb, and pen is the object. (The use of wa is explained further down this page.)

In general, the beginner can assume Japanese word order to take the form of TTOPV - Topic/Time Object Place Verb.

Just a note on translating here. When beginning to study Japanese, people often make the mistake of translating too literally. For example, a person will read 'Pen desu.', which translates in English as 'It is a pen.'. But, the person will translate it as 'Pen it is.' because they don't allow for the change in word order between the languages. It may be hard at first, but please try not to 'cut and paste' between the two languages. That will only be difficult to unlearn later on.

Articles (a, an, the)
Japanese doesn't use any equivalent of a, an, or the. In translating from English to Japanese these can simply be dropped. In translating from Japanese to English be careful to put the correct article back in though. Since Japanese doesn't use them there may be cases where more than one of the articles is OK.

For example, the sentence Inu wa koko ni iru. can mean either 'A dog is here.' or 'The dog is here.'

Nouns and Pronouns
Most Japanese nouns do not change form as they can in English. For instance, most nouns (with the exception of nouns referring to people) have no plural form. Thus 'cat' and 'cats' are both the same word neko.

There are ways to show there is more than one of something if necessary. There are counters or words like takusan (many/a lot) or samazama (various).

Pronouns also don't change form as they do in English. As an example, she, her, and hers indicate the same person. However, in Japanese she, her, and hers are all indicated with the word 'kanojo' and a particle is used to determine which of the English equivalents is being used. Pronouns do usually have a plural form.

Particles
One of the first things that often throws English speakers when studying Japanese is particles. What is a particle? Well, it's something that the English language doesn't have that Japanese does.

Particles help you tell which part of a sentence is which. Particles always follow the word or clause they modify. Particles really have no meaning on their own; they just serve to modify sections of a sentence. (Some particles have a rough equivalent in English if they are of the 'preposition' variety.)

One of the most basic mistakes when starting to learn Japanese is to 'translate' the particles. Unfortunately there is often no good English equivalent. (For instance, Japanese uses a spoken question mark.) Thus translating too literally will make the English tend to come out strange. It may be difficult for English speakers who are used to every word having meaning, but try and think of most particles more as 'function' words as opposed to 'meaningful' words.

Counters
As stated in the nouns section, most words in Japanese do not have a 'plural' form. Instead different types of things have different counters. This is something similar to saying 'five glasses of water' in English. You wouldn't just say 'five water'. The difference with Japanese is that everything requires this type of qualifier. To see some types of counters, see the Counters page.

Name Suffixes
There are several name suffixes that are generally added to the end of names in Japanese.

-San is the usual suffix placed after names. It is a respectful term. This suffix is kind of like Ms. or Mr. but it is gender-neutral and makes no reference to marital status. -San should never be used after your own name.

-Sama is a more honorific form of -san. This is most often heard in the word okyaku-sama, honored guest/customer.

-Chan is a diminutive form of -san. It is usually used after the given name of close friends or younger family members. It is also used after the names of pets.

-Kun is a casual suffix. It is usually used after the names of peers in a casual situation. In schools, boys will often be addressed by this suffix. In office situations, higher ups will often address subordinates with this suffix.

All of the suffixes can be used for either sex. -San and -sama are also often used after titles in addition to names. The example of okyaku-sama is given above.

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Using Desu

Desu です(to be) is the most basic Japanese verb. Note that desu, like other Japanese verbs, comes at the end of the sentence, this is commonly used in:

Introduce Your Self
私はアメリカ人です。Watashi wa Amerika jin desu.　
I am an American.

山本さんの車は大きいです。Yamamoto san no kuruma wa ookii desu.
Yamamoto's car is large.

Explain an impression.
富士山は　たいへん　きれい　です。fujisan wa taihen kirei desu.
Fuji Mountain is very beatifull.

東京は　横浜　より　人が　多い　です。Tokyo wa yokohama yori hito ga ooi desu.
Many people in Tokyo than Yokohama

Explain an thing
これは　あなたの　パソコン　ですか？korewa anatano pasocon desuka.
this is your computer?
はい　そうです。hai sou desu.
youp it's my computer.

これは　本です。korewa hon desu.
this is a book

Polite answer
伸びたさん　は　何さい　ですか？nobita san wa nansai desuka.
how old Mr.Nobita?
２１　さい　です。21 sai desu.
21 years old

今　何時　ですか？ima nanji desuka.
what time is it ?
１　時　です。ichi ji desu.
one a clock.

大阪　まで　どの　ぐらい　かかりましか？Osaka made dono gurai kakarimasuka.
How long the time until Osaka?
２　時間　ぐらです。ni jikan gurai desu.
About 2 ours.

事務所は　どこ　ですか。Jimushyuo waa doko desuka ?
Where is the office ?
事務所は　あそこ　です。Jimushyu0 wa asoko desu.
Office is over there.

when you hear a question using desu at end of sentence, is pollite to answer those question using desu at the end of sentence too

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Japanese Pronunciation

Vowels
Japanese has five basic vowels. They are romanized as a　（あ） i （い） u （う） e （え）and o（お）. They are pronounced something like the 'a' in 'awful', the 'ee' in 'feet', the 'oo' in 'mood', the 'e' in 'met', and the 'o' in 'cold'. Listen to the example sound files at the bottom of the page for more help.
If vowels are written in combination, each vowel should be pronounced separately. For instance ai sounds like 'eye' to the English speaker and oo is pronounced by stretching out the o sound.
The combination ei is not pronounced ay. Instead, it is usually pronounced as an enlongated version of the e (as in met).
The vowel u is usually pronounced faintly or dropped entirely when found in the syllable su. This is especially true at the end of words such as desu or -masu which tend to sound like des and mas. Another example is suki which tends to be pronounced as ski.

Consonants
Most Japanese consonants are pronounced the same way they are in English. There are some important differences, however.
1. The letter g is always pronounced as in 'gone' and never as in 'gin.'
2. The ch combination is always pronounced as in 'chocolate' and never as in 'charade.'
3. The fu syllable is pronounced more like 'who' is in English, except that it is more clipped and is made by bringing the lips close together rather than by bringing the upper teeth close to the lower lip like in English.
4. The Japanese r is nothing like the English 'r.' Rather, it is more like a clipped L sound. It is pronounced something like the 'dd' in the name Eddy. It is made by flicking the tip of the tongue off of the gums behind the top front teeth. This sound is used as a substitute for the 'L' and 'R' sounds in foreign words.
5. The tsu sound has no good examples of use in English. Instead, listen to these examples. The voice sample has the syllable tsu followed by tsunami (tidal wave), tsuki (moon), tsubasa (wings), and tsuri (fishing).
6. The y that is found in some words is never a vowel as it can be in English. Thus, Toyota is not pronounced 'toy-o-ta' as it is in English, but to-yo-ta. The y can also act as a glide. Thus, Tokyo which is often pronounced 'to-ky-o' in English, is actually pronounced to-kyo in Japanese.
7. The n in Japanese has two pronunciations. The first is at the beginning of na, ni, nu, ne, and no, where it is pronounced the same as it is in English. The other is where n stands by itself. (With no vowel following it within the same word.) Here, it is pronounced as a nasal 'n.'

Double Consonants
When a word contains double consonants, the double k's in bakkin (a penalty or fine) for example, they are pronounced separately, with a slight space separating the two. In this case, the double k's are pronounced something like the 'kc' in bookcase.

Particles Wo, Ha, and He

When you see the character wo in a sentence, it is actually pronounced more like o. When ha is used as a particle to mark the subject of a sentence, it is pronounced like wa. Ha is also pronounced as wa when used in the words konnichiha and konbanha. When he is used as a particle in a sentence it is pronounced as e.

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Japanase Greating

Good morning = ohayo gozaimasu (おはよう　ございます）
One can also say just "Ohayou（おはよう）". This is casual, and should not be used with one's boss.

Good afternoon, Hello = konnichiwa　（こんにちは）

Good evening = konbanwa　（こんばんは）

Goodnight = oyasumi nasai　（おやすみなさい）
Unlike English, it is mostly used before going to bed.

Goodbye = sayonara　（さようなら）
Sayounara（さようなら)" can be also used instead of "sayonara（さよなら)." People do not say "sayonara（さよなら）" when leaving their own home. "Ittekimasu（いってきます）" is normally used. The response to "Ittekimasu（いってきます）" is "Itterasshai（いってらっしゃい）".

See you later = dewa mata nochihodo　（では　また　のちほど）
"Dewa mata（ではまた）" is also often used as "see you later", similar to the English expression

How are you? = o genki desu ka　（お　げんき　ですか）

Fine, and you? = genki desu. anata wa　（げんきです、あなたは）

Pleased to meet you = hajimemashte（はじめまして）

My name is _____ = watashi wa _____ desu（わはしは　＿＿　です）

Excuse me = sumimasen　（すみません）

I'm sorry = gomen nasai（ごめんなさい）
(eg I trod on your foot)

Thank you
domo　（ども）
arigato（ありがとう）
arigato gozaimasu（ありがとう　ございます）
domo arigato gozaimasu（ども　ありがとう　ございます）
(in iincreasing order of formality)
You're welcome = do itashimashte（どう　いたしまして）

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