Grammar Chapter 1 (Question sentences Continued)

Last post I commented on how you can make questions by adding か now remember that is only for yes or no questions. Sometimes you will have to add a question word like なん／なに in the question.

We see this in our dialouge when Mary asks Takeshi what time is it-

すみません、いまなんじですか。
Excuse me, now what time is it?(Excuse me what time is it now?)

Sometimes the format might change a bit like when asking this question:

せんもんはなんですか。
Your Major, what is it? (What is your major?)

Grammar Chapter 1 (Making sentences and Question sentences)

Making Sentences

So far you have seen examples of sentences in the dialouges. Just remember, for basic sentence structure we can use the XはYです Form. (X is Y, As for X, it is Y)

Also remember that sometimes the Japanese omit subjects when it is obvious of what they are talking of. So be sure to listen carefully! This also helps you out so instead of saying:

わたしはがくせいです。わたしはにねんせいです。わたしは。。。ect.

You can instead just omit the subject and continue as:

わたしはがくせいです。にねんせいです。

Another note is that for nouns like gakusei/sensei, there is no difference between a plural and singular form and you will use both. (Meaning it could mean in the case of "gakusei"-I am, you are, she is a student/We are, you are, they are students)

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Making Question Sentences

Making a question sentence is simple! All you have to do is add -かat the end of a sentence!

For Example:

がくせいです。

I am a student.

がくせいですか。

Are you a student?

Lesson 1 Vocab

Hiragana/Katakana	Kanji	Romaji	English
あの		ano	um...
いま	今	ima	now
えいご	英語	eego	English (language)
がくせい	学生	gakusee	student
〜ご	〜語	...go	language
こうこう	高校	kookoo	high school
ごご	午後	gogo	P.M.
ごぜん	午前	gozen	A.M.
〜さい	〜歳	...sai	...years old
〜さん		...san	Mr./Ms....
〜じ	〜時	...ji	o'clock
〜じん	〜人	...jin	people
せんせい	先生	sensei	teacher; Professor ...
せんもん	専門	senmon	major
そうです		soo desu	That's right.
だいがく	大学	daigaku	college; university
でんわ	電話	denwa	telephone
ともだち	友達	tomodachi	friend
なまえ	名前	namae	name
なん／なに	何	nan/nani	what
にほん	日本	nihon	Japan
〜ねんせい	〜年生	...nensee	...year student
はい		hai	yes
はん	半	han	half
ばんごう	番号	bangoo	number
りゅうがくせい	留学生	ryuugakusee	international student
わたし	私	watashi	I
アメリカ		amerika	U.S.A.
イギリス		igirisu	Britain
オーストラリア		Oosutoraria	Australia
かんこく	韓国	kankoku	Korea
スウェーデン		Sueeden	Sweden
ちゅうごく	中国	Chuugoku	China
かがく	科学	kagaku	science
アジアけんきゅう	アジア研究	ajiakenkyuu	Asian studies
こくさいかんけい	国際関係	kokusaikankei	international relations
コンピューター		konpyuutaa	computer
じんるいがく	人類学	jinruigaku	anthropology
せいじ	政治	seeji	politics
ビジネス		bijinesu	business
ぶんがく	文学	bungaku	literature
れきし	歴史	rekishi	history
しごと	仕事	shigoto	job; work; occupation
いしゃ	医者	isha	doctor
かいしゃいん	会社員	kaishain	office worker
こうこうせい	高校生	kookoosei	high school student
しゅふ	主婦	shufu	housewife
だいがくいんせい	大学院生	daigakuinsee	graduate student
だいがくせい	大学生	daigakusee	college student
べんごし	弁護士	bengoshi	lawyer
おかあさん	お母さん	okaasan	mother
おとうさん	お父さん	otoosan	father
おねえさん	お姉さん	oneesan	older sister
おにいさん	お兄さん	oniisan	older brother
いもうと	妹	imooto	younger sister
おとうと	弟	otooto	younger brother

Above is a table I found online of the vocab from the book, it  lists all of them. Make sure you know Ano- Watashi

http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/sheaa/projects/genki/vocab_main.html

Lesson 1 Dialogues- New Friends （あたらしともだち）

 Mary, and International Student who has just arrived in Japan, speaks to a Japanese student.

Dialogue 1
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メアリー：すみません。いまなんじですか？
たけし：じゅうにじはんです。
メアリー：ありがとうございます。
たけし：いいえ。

Sumimasen. Ima nanji desu ka?
jyuuni ji han desu.
arigatou gozaimasu.
iie.

Mary: Excuse me. What time is it now?
Takeshi: It is half past 12.
Mary: Thank you.
Takeshi: You're Welcome.

 Dialogue 2
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たけし：あの、りゅうがくせいですか？
メアリー：ええ。アリゾナだいがくのがくせいです。
たけし：そうですか。せんもんはなんですか？
メアリー：にほんごです。いまにねんせいです。

Ano. Ryuugakusei desu ka?
ee. Arizona daigaku no gakusei desu.
sou desu ka. Senmon wa nan desu ka?
Nihongo desu. ima ninensee desu.

Takeshi: Um... are you an international student?
Mary: Yes. I am a student at the University for Arizona
Takeshi: I see. What is your major?
Mary: Japanese. I am a sophmore now.

This is the blog that will be used for the Japanese Lessons I am teaching

 Greetings,

I am Alivieina (or Ashley) I am currently teaching intro classes to Japanese (basic stuff). This is a site intended for the use of my students.


Useful Links:

http://www.realkana.com/hiragana/

http://www.ncsu.edu/project/japaneseonline/JpOnline.htm