We are going to continue our study on Japanese grammar in this post with our third lesson on particles. We are going to take a look at the particle も.
The particle も can be used to indicate similarity as in the words ‘too’ or ‘also’. This particle replaces が or は, when used:
A: 私がえいがすきです。
B: 私もえいががすきです。
A: I like movies
B: I also like movies
This is a reasonably simple use of も, which can also be used in a double patternsuch as in the following sentence:
A: えいががすきですか、おんがくがすきですか。
B: えいがもおんがくもすきです。
A: Do [you] like movies, or do [you] like music?
B: [I] like both movies and music.
Remember that because も marks a similarity to something previously mentioned, you cannot use も out of the blue. It requires a prompt either by someone else, or by something you yourself just said.
A second use of も is after the て form of verbs and verbal adjectives. In this use, も acts as an emphatic contrasting particle, meaning something like the English “even [by/if] …”. The phrase below
“Even [by] leaving now, [you] probably won’t make it.” translates to いま いっても まにあわない でしょう。
There are two special things that concern this particle. One, a special case of this use of も is in combination with the copula です, which becomes でも. We will look at this in a later post.
The second is this particle can be used with question pronouns. Have a look at the examples below:
なに means “what”, なにも means “anything” when followed by positive verb or “nothing”, when followed by a negative verb.
どこ means “where”, どこも means “anywhere” when followed by a postive verb or “nowhere”, when followed by a negative verb.
だれ means “who”, だれも means “anyone” when followed by a postive verb or “no one”, when followed by a negative verb.
This rule continues for words like どんな (what kind of?), どっち (which way?), いつ (when?), どうして (why?) and so forth and so forth.
As you can see the simple use of particles can greatly change the context and meaning of the Japanese language. If you have ever taken the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) before you will know one whole section of the grammar test is devoted to particles. Particles are important. So we will continue our study of them. Look forward to the next post on the particle の.
Japanese verbs……in my first post on verbs I introduced you to the plain form verbs, also known as the dictionary form verb. Now, allow me to introduce “masu”. Masu form verbs differ to dictionary form verbs in that the masu form is used in formal situations. As a general rule the dictionary form is used when speaking to family and close friends. The “masu” form is used at the workplace, when meeting people for the first time and when speaking to “important” people. The “masu” form could be called the polite form.
Japanese verbs fall into three groups based on the plain/dictionary form.
In this lesson you will learn “dictionary” form and “masu” form of present tense affirmative verbs. Having to learn these two fundamental verb forms is a challenge and, unfortunately this is just the beginning. There are very difficult verbs forms ahead that will deprive of sleep if you let the frustration of trying to understand them get to you. I strongly recommend you put a great deal of your study time into learning verbs.
It is probably best to start with irregular verbs because there are only two and you’ll use them daily.?Here they are;
Irregular Verbs
It is probably best to start with irregular verbs because there are only two and you’ll use them daily.?Here they are;
Ru-ending Verbs
Ru-ending verbs can be broken in two groups; eru-ending and iru ending verbs. Knowing this will help you identify Ru-ending verbs form U-ending verbs. Some U-ending verbs do end with “ru” such as the verb “noru”(ride) and can confuse students.The masu form is made by dropping the ru and adding masu. Pretty easy stuff!
U-ending Verbs
U-ending verbs are a little more complicated and require more attention. The way the verbs conjugate depends on the vowel or consonant that proceeds the u. When conjugating to the “masu” form just drop the u and add “imasu”. Have a careful look at the chart;
In this Japanese lesson Kaoru Sensei will teach you numbers 1 to 10. Very easy stuff. Once you know numbers then it is very easy to tell the time, state your age and so on.
Large Japanese Numbers
It is Japanese units and large numbers that students find difficult to learn and memorize. In Japanese there is the unit “man”, 10,000. In English there no equivalent unit. As there is no English equivalent students find large numbers in Japanese very difficult to read, remember and translate into English. Having this extra unit in their number system can really throw you.
Also Japanese think and speak numbers in terms of yen (“cents”) rather than dollars in regard to money. For example, for 1 dollar the Japanese equivalent is 100 yen. As a result, large dollar amounts become very large yen amounts and are difficult to work out and read. We will look at large numbers in a later lesson. The table below is just an introduction to Japanese units.
The Japanese language can be extremely convenient. There is no small talk, in most cases you don’t need to state the subject or object or sentences, and there are single words and expressions that can express a way of thinking or ideology that have no equivalent in English.
If there is one word that is used and repeated more than any other in Japanese it is “Gambarimasu”. A quick look at a dictionary would tell you the word translates to “good luck” or “do your best”. However, as you will soon discover with many Japanese words, this one has a more complex meaning and importance in Japanese social culture. “Gambaru” or gambaru-ism is the primary philosophy of the Japanese.
Gambatte Meaning
I first remember hearing the word when working at a restaurant. I was making salads and slicing raw fish at a counter bar. A male customer was quite surprised to see me working there. We had a conversation about why and what I was doing in Japan. At the end of our conversation when he was getting ready to leave he said “Gambatte kudasai”. I wasn’t sure what he meant and my co-workers were unable to explain to me the meaning of the expression. Later, I found out the expression meant “Please, do your best”. I found this a little odd – a customer telling a me, either as a foreigner or staff member to do my best. Then I began hearing the word more and more.
The term is used as encouragement, as a promise, as a dedication or a battle cry. When baseball players golfers, singers, sumo wrestlers, newly elected politicians and others are interviewed they invariably promise to gambaru. It is used and said almost in every situation imaginable. Well-wishers seeing friends and co-workers off abroad yell out “Gambatte”. Newly hired employees pledge that they will do their absolute best for their company by gambaru-ing. Control Freak parents expect nothing less than their children to gambaru in the their school work.
You hear it so often that you begin to understand that it is an important cultural expression, rather than someone expressing their intentions to be all they can be. Also, I have noticed parents often say it to their children as an expression of love ( my interpretation) , rather than an expectation of high performance. I saw parents say to their kids “Gambatte ne” on countless of occasions when they dropped them off to kindergarten. It had me confused for while, because it was kindergarten, children no older then 3 or 4 years old. I thought it was strange to be saying “Do your best” to children at such a tender age. The I realized it was just a parting greeting, much like when we say “Have fun” to our own children.
It takes years to learn Japanese and understand the language. Some words are so culturally ceremented that you need to experience several years of living in Japan to finally get them. It can be a very interesting learning process, but it is frustrating. So “Gambatte” and do your best.
Kanji…to learn it or not to learn it – that is your question. Learning to read Kanji at a level equivalent to a native Japanese speaker does take a considerable amount of effort, commitment and most of all time. If you are wanting to read a Japanese newspaper or get to level where you can enter a Japanese university, then you are on very long road to Kanji proficiency.
Being able to read Japanese has numerous benefits and I certainly recommend learning Kanji if you desire to speak Japanese. I often tell new students of Japanese to think about learning Kanji in terms of a very beneficial learning process rather than just a means to be able to read Japanese.
Here is a sample audio lesson from our Kanji Supremacy Package.
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