Japanese Grammar Patterns

Legend:
WH Question Words denote who, what, when, where, why, how, etc.
Parenthesis () around any given word(s) may denote three different things:
#01. The word(s) within the parenthesis are hiragana, romanji, or English readings of the
preceding Japanese text.
#02. If the word(s) within the parenthesis are featured with a / mark, then the inputs on either
side of the / are acceptable choices to fill in the parenthesis by themselves, but only by
themselves, as in only one of the choices can be used.
#03. The word(s) within the parenthesis are optional usage relative to the correct grammar. *This
is often the case in there is only one word in the parenthesis, usually denoting a particle that is
optional.
Brackets [] around any given word(s) denote them as different interpretation of the grammar
pattern when translated into English. Because of this focus on understanding the actual meaning
of the grammar pattern, no word(s) appearing in brackets should be used as reference for correct
grammar.
as the moraic consonant:
With the exception of the standalone and complementary consonant, , Japanese consonants all
appear with a succeeding vowel (ka, shi, chi, nu, he, mo). The special case, , is considered a
moraic nasal because it counts as a single beat singularly and also a single beat when attached to
another consonant to make a complex consonant (benri, tango, ginko).
i and u devoiced:
When the vowels i or u appear between voiceless consonants or at the end of a sentence, they are
commonly devoiced, or unpronounced. Despite the nonpronunciation, the two syllables still take
up a single mora of time for pronunciation.
Examples:
Ohay gozaimasu = Ohay gozaimas
Ashita = ashta
Long vowels:
Japanese short and long vowels directly shift the word in both pronunciation and definition. With
the exception of the vowels e and o, all vowels are elongated by simply adding an extra
following (aa, ii, uu). The vowel e is most commonly elongated by adding a following i, though
there are a few authentic Japanese words that were historically and still are pronounced with ee
instead of ei (onsan, ). Similarly, the vowel o is most commonly elongated by adding a

following u, though there are also a few authentic Japanese words that were historically and still
are pronounced with oo instead of ou (kii, kri).
Long consonants:
When a small (formally referred to as a sokuon ) appears before a consonant , that
consonant is elongated. This is the romanized equivalent of double consonant letters (rippa
). *This usage should not be confused wherein the sokuon appears after a vowel to represent an
interjection ().
Pitch accent:
Japanese is considered a pitch-accent language because words and their definitions are
dependent on articulation of pitch (sake meaning both salmon and alcohol). While this is a
noteworthy distinction in the language, heavily influenced by region and culture, as with a
majority of linguistic semantics, is predominantly influenced by conversational context.
X is Y. X Y (/)
X is not Y X Y ( //)
Questions
When asking a simple yes or no question in Japanese, simply add a to the end of the sentence.
When asking a who, what, when, where, why or how question, use the interrogative version of
the same word in regular sentences. For a who question, use either the casual dare or the
respectful donata.
Example(s):
Kono hito wa Jouji desu. = Kono hito wa dare desu ka?
Ano kata wa Jouji-sensei desu. = Ano kata wa donata desu ka?
For a what question, use nan.
Example:
Kore ha kabutomushi desu ne. = Korea ha nan desu ka?
Noun Modification (NOUN NOUN)
To signify a relationship between two nouns, is placed between them.
Example(s):
Watashi no konpyt = My computer
Amerika no sakk chmu = Americas soccer team
Daigakusei no Jouji Washington = University student Jouji Washington

 referential to something that is closer to the speaker

referential to something that is closer to the addressee
referential to something that is close to neither the speaker nor the addressee
referential to something that is unknown
Example(s): Kore, zore, are, dore Koko, soko, asoko, doko Kono, sono, ano, dono
as also
is used to indicate the re-appearance or repetition or predicates, including verbs, adjectives,
and nouns.
Example(s):
A-san wa eiy desu yo.
B-san mo eiy desu.
In some cases, it is necessary to have repeated usage of .
Example(s):
A-san mo B-san mo eiy desu.
as location marker
is used to indicate a location wherein a thing or person exists in.
Existential Verbs arimasu imasu irasshaimasu
Example(s):
King Kong wa World Trade Center no ue ni imasu.
When using the negative form, is used instead of .
Example(s):
Watashi no konpyt ni wa porn ha arimasen.
Affirmative and Negative Predicate
nanika (something) dareka (someone) donataka (something *respectful) the affirmative
predicates are used with the particle (and not the particle because the particle is the
topic marker, which can only be used when the referred entity is known by both the speaker and
the addressee).
Example(s):

Dareka ga imasuka?
nanimo (anything) daremo (anyone) donatamo (anyone *respectful) the negative predicates
never use the particle
Example(s): Nanimo iwazu ni heya wo deta.
In the case of the particle succeeding a predicate, it occurs before the negative but after the
affirmative
Example(s): Doko ka ni nuigurumi ga arimasuka?
Are there stuffed animals somewhere?
Doko ni mo arimasen yo.
No there are none anywhere.
NOUN X and NOUN Y is a particle that connects X and Y. can only be used when and if
X and Y are nouns.

Kin, toriniku to gohan o tabemashita

as final particle
is used at the end of a sentence to proclaim new information.
Example(s):
A:
Doko demo konbini o mitsukeraremasendeshita
B:
Actually, theres one right there
is most commonly used in formal speech, as it can on occasion make the speaker seem
assertive with the continual stream of new information.
form
The form is used in polite speech and can be an indication of a present state or future and
habitual activity.
Present: Ima Togashi-sensei wa doko ni irasshaimasuka?
Ima Togashi-sensei wa studio ni irasshaimasu.

Future: Ashita nani wo shimasuka?

Ashita, Hunter x Hunter wo mimasu.
Habitual: Manga wo yoku yomimasuka?
Hai, manga wo yoku yomimasu.
as object marker
As in English, transitive verbs in Japanese are not only linked to a subject but also a direct
object. While the subject is indicated by or , the director object is indicated by .
Anime wo mimasu.
Manga wo yomimasu.
In many cases, such as negative clauses, the is modified to another particle, such as , or
dropped entirely.
Example(s):
Nani ka chuumon shimasuka?
Iie, nani mo nomimasen.
and as word beautifiers
The characters and are commonly added as prefixes to words to symbolize either the
speakers respect to the person for whom the beautifier is used or a respect towards the cultural
significance of something. For example, the in is used to address the conversation
partner with respect and as such should never be used in lieu of the standard when
addressing yourself. In its own respect, as a beautifier, the prefix present in words such as
, and relay the speakers conscious value towards these entities. The in
and the in have the same effect of respect and beautification respectively (though in
the case of , the pronunciation of alone is never actually used). Another point to consider
is that in not applying the beautifier to such words, you can adversely convey that you do not
value these entities. It can become contentious what impression that may give off, particularly
with entities such as money. Whats best to keep in mind is the context of the conversation and
the culture of the language itself. While it may be admirable to denounce the value of money in
Western societies (though even in Western societies, the tone of the speaker and the impression
he or she gives off is highly influenced by the context of the conversation), modern Japanese
society has gone as far as appropriating values of wealth, commerce and fortune in their
mythology, folklore and religion, deeming these all highly sought after and respected qualities in
their own right. Relatively, the beautifier is mainly used with native Japanese words, and
the beautifier is generally used with Chinese loan words, while neither are used with
European loan words.
as a location marker

Where as the particle is used in conjunction with existential verbs to indicate the subjects
state of being, the particle is used in conjunction with action verbs to indicate the location in
which the action was performed.
Example(s):
Heya de anime wo mimasu.
as an instrument marker
When is used as an instrument marker, it indicates by what means an action occurs.
Example(s):
Nihongo de tegami wo kakimasu.
Kuruma de Akihabara ni ikimasu.
Hashi de osushi wo tabemasu.
*A special case in which the is dropped is in the presence of the verb , or to walk. As
opposed to Aruite de konbini e ikimasu, Aruite conbini e ikimasu is the correct grammar.

and as destination markers

The two particles and are interchangeable particles used when referring to something
moving from one location to another. In these cases, the is pronounced as . When used
subsequent to interrogatives such as (doko) and (dokoka), these particles are not
dropped.
Example(s):
(/)
Uchi ni kaerimasu .
(/)
Are you planning on going somewhere tomorrow?

as and or with and as by oneself

As with the Noun Noun form, in this pattern similarly suggests a company between or
amongst things. commonly occurs with , which means together. means a
person is doing something by him or herself.

Example(s):

Ashita, George to issho ni ice cream wo tabemashita.

Hitori de Akihabara ni ikimasu.

X Y
This pattern is applicable to measures of both time and space, in which the first particle
indicates the beginning and the second particle indicates the end.
Example(s):

Watashi wa kyou, kyuuji kara sanji made class ga arimasu.

Kisha wa California kara New York made ikimasu .

Pre- Form + as Lets VERB or Shall we VERB

Verbs in this conjugation form are interpreted as a suggestive shall we or lets meaning. In
some cases, the form may seem too assertive; this is mediated by the more polite
question form, .
Example(s):

Anime wo mimashouka? (Shall we watch some anime?)

Party ni ikimashou! (Lets go to the party!)

Verbal Nouns

Some nouns can be used as verbs simply by following them with the basic verb , which
means to do. Generally, they can be used with or without the particle in between the noun and
; but if a direct object is involved, there cannot be two particles in the same clause so one
must be omitted. The easiest way to do this is to drop the between the noun and the but
in many cases, the corresponding to the direct object can be dropped instead.
Example(s):

Tennis no renshuu wo shimasu.

Tennis wo renshuu shimasu.

as a final particle
The particle commonly appears at the end of a sentence in rising intonation. Its common
purpose is request an expression of agreement towards ones own statement. Conversely, it can
also be used to express that you agree with the preceding statement by evoking somewhat of a
rhetorical tone.
Example(s):

Ashita wa shiken desune. (Tomorrow is the test, isnt it?)

Iidesune. (Thats nice, isnt it?)

Soudesune. (Thats right, isnt it?)

as an object marker
As opposed to the object marker , the object marker is used with certain verbs to induce a
sense of directionality. It is commonly used with verbs when they involve interaction with other
people.
Example(s):

Ashita tomodachi ni aimasu. (I am meeting my friend tomorrow)

Watashi wa jitensha ni notta. (I rode a bicycle.)

Past Tense Form

In past-tense of a verb in polite form is a matter of taking the -form of the verb and
changing the into . Similarly, the past-tense polite form of is .
The negative form of the polite past-tense instead changes the of the -form into
and into either or .
Example(s):

Kinou atarashii One Piece wo mimashitaka? (Did you watch the new One Piece yesterday?)

Iie, mimasendeshita. .. (No, I did not)

Dictionary Form
The dictionary form of verbs is the most basic conjugation form of verbs (or perhaps it can be
considered as the only form that isnt a conjugation, thus making it the most basic form) and is
the form that verbs appear in dictionaries, thereby aptly naming them so.
The dictionary form parallels the -form in that they are of the same grammatical nuance but
are used depending on casualness and politeness, respectively.

Dictionary Form VERB + as I intend/plan to VERB

This construct is primarily used to express ones own intentions. Given that conveying someone
elses intent ions is considered presumptuous it is accordingly considered impolite to use this
grammar pattern for a second or third-person subject. In some cases, it is acceptable to use the
pattern in interrogative form with a second-person subject, given that the speaker is considerably
familiar with the said addressee.
Example(s):

Nihongo wo narau tsumori desu. (I plan to learn Japanese.)

Negative Form VERB + as I intend/plan not to VERB
Example(s);

Kiyou, gakkou ni ikanai tsumori desu. (Im planning on not going to school today.)

Pre- Form VERB + as (Wont you/Would you like to) VERB?

This construct is predominantly used to make a suggestion towards some activity or to invite
someone to engage in some activity, however in some cases it can be quite literally interpreted as
a genuine negative-form question, such as , -
(Wasnt Washington-sensei on television yesterday?). This form is very similar
to the -Form because both make efforts towards insisting upon a certain action, but this
form can be interpreted as less assertive.
Example(s):

Kurasu no ato de crepes wo tabe ni shopping center ni ikimasenka? (Would you like to go to the
shopping center after school to eat crepes?)

X Y as X has Y
Example(s):

Watashi wa ima jyugyou ga arimasu. (I have class right now.)

CLAUSE X CLAUSE Y as because of CLAUSE X, CLAUSE Y

The particle is placed at the end of the first clause to connect it as the reasoning behind the
second clause. This is a reversal of the English CLAUSE X because CLAUSE Y in that its
the first clause that is the cause, not the effect. It is possible to present the two clauses in reverse
order, similar to English convention, by splitting the phrase into two separate sentences, with

 appearing at the very end, after the second sentence. When used this way, the second sentence
is interpreted as an afterthought.
Example(s):

Watashi no computer ga kowareta kara konya game wo play suru koto wa dekimasen. (I cant
play games tonight because my computer broke.)

as Why is that?
This expression can be interpreted as somewhat of a critical interrogation, making the speaker
susceptible to seeming too assertive or standoffish. The common response to this expression
usually ends with , which translates to because.

Ashita party ni iku koto ha dekimasen. ( I cant go to the party tomorrow.)

Y:
Ehh, doushitedesuka? (Ehhh, how come? )
X:
Juku ga arimasu. (I have cram school.)

NOUN X NOUN Y as NOUN X, NOUN Y, (and the like/and so forth/among other

things/etc.)
Example(s):

Kotoshi atarashii camera ya kutsu ya backpack nado wo kaitai. (I want to buy a new camera,
shoes, and backpack this year.)

as already and as yet

Example(s):


Ara ara, mou jyuu ichiji desune. (My oh my, its already eleven oclock isnt it?)

Iie, mada desu. (No, not yet.)

or alternatively:
Iie, mada kyuuji desuyo. (No no, its still nine oclock.)

Verb Conjugation: Negative Form

The Form is the casual form of negative speech. To form the Negative Form for verbs, drop the final i of the Pre- Form and change it to an a, adding right after. If the
Pre- Form ends with i without a preceding consonant, the Negative Form additionally
acquires the consonant w.
Example(s):
ikimasu ikanai
nomimasu nomanai
aimasu awanai
kaimasu kawanai
The Negative Form of-verbs is a simple change from their Form in that it is a
simple transformation of the into .
Example(s):
taberu tabenai
mimasu minai
The verb in its Form defies the general guideline of
conjugation in that the Negative Form is instead of the expected
. Given this, the Dictionary Form of verbs could be considered a more reliable base
form when conjugation to different forms.

Pre- Form VERB + + (//) as go/come/return to VERB

Example(s):

Kurasu no ato de crepes wo tabe ni shopping center ni ikimasenka? (Would you like to go to the
shopping center after school to eat crepes?)

Watashi wa tomodachi to ai ni restaurant ni ita. (I went to the restaurant to meet with my
friends.)

Dictionary Form VERB + as can/be able to VERB

Example(s):

Doyoubi ni toshokan de au koto ga dekimasuka? ( Can you meet at the library on Saturday?)

Plain Form + / as an explanation

as the negative scope marker

The particle is used in negative sentences to make for much more natural grammar.
Additionally, it implies a contrastive counterpart to the negative scope, in that despite the
sentence being negative, there is an unmentioned and implicit positivity.

Game wo kaimashita? (Did you buy the game?)

(This implies that the speaker bought something else
of perhaps more importance.)
Iie, game ha kaimasendeshita. (No, I didnt buy the game.)

Answer to Negative Yes-No Questions

Unlike in English, in which the answer to both affirmative questions and negative questions are
the same, in Japanese, responses are based upon the exact question not the answer.

Ashita au koto ga dekimasuka? (Can you meet tomorrow?)

,
Hai, dekimasu. (Yes I can.)
or alternatively:
Iie, dekimasen. (No, I cannot.)

Ashita au koto ga dekimasenka? (Cant you meet tomorrow?)

,
Hai, dekimasen. (Thats right, I cant.)
Or alternatively:
Iie, dekimasu. (No, I can .)

Adjectives
Grammatically speaking, there are two kinds of adjectives in Japan, -adjectives andadjectives.
-adjectives
The Plain Form of -adjectives ends with the character, and this form, as should be
expected, expresses the adjective in the present tense. In polite speech, is added after the
adjective; and in casual speech, the adjective stands alone.
Example(s):
(atarashii) new

 (omoshiroi) interesting, amusing

(tanoshii) fun
(subarashii) wonderful, great
-adjectives Negative Form
For the Negative Form of -adjectives, the in the Plain Form is dropped, in order to derive
what is called the stem form, and either or is added at the end. As
should be apparent, is more polite than . A more casual variation can
also be achieved by dropping the in .
Example(s):
(kowaikunai) not cute
(omoshirokuarimasen) uninteresting
(kanashikunai desu) not sad
When -adjectives are used to modify nouns, the Plain Form is used, without .
Example(s):
(omoshiroi hito) interesting person
(utsukushii ongaku) beautiful music
-adjectives
For the most par t, -adjectives do not end with the character but there are some particular
exceptions, such as the words and . -adjectives require
the at the end of the sentence to form a sentence.
Example(s):

Kono party wa nigiyaka desune. (This party is lively, isnt it?)

Kono toshokan toku ni ha shizuka desu kara totemo suki desu. (I like this library a lot because it
is particularly quiet.)
-adjectives Negative Form

To form the Negative Form of -adjectives, all instances of are dropped and either
or or is added at the end. As per the norm,
is the most polite of the three, and other more casual variations can be formed by
dropping instances of polite speech such as .
Example(s):
( shizukajyanai desu) not quiet
(tokubetsu de ha arimasen) not special
The reason -adjectives are called -adjectives is because of the character added at the end
when used to modify nouns. This construct is similar to the character needed by nouns when
they are used to modify other nouns.
Example(s):
(suteki na kamigata) splendid hairstyle
(shinsetsu na hito) kind person
-adjectives are considered the more authentic Japanese adjectives of the language because they
involve a more direct conjugation, as opposed to -adjectives that are very comparative to
nouns in that they require the sentence-finalizing and have more separated conjugations. In
consideration to this, the form of -adjectives is much more accommodating to the entry of
foreign words into the Japanese language. A common observation of this that one can make is
with many modern English loan-words, the character follows; and historically speaking, most
-adjectives are Chinese loan-words.
Example(s):
(shy na) shy
(tropical na) tropical

Multiple Adjectives
When combining two adjectives in order to describe something, one must take notice of which
category each adjective falls into, -adjectives or -adjectives.
ADJ 1 and ADJ 2
When an -adjective is used first, its stem form is added with .
Example(s):
(tanoshikute nigiyaka) fun and lively

When a -adjective is used first, its stem form is added with a much simpler .
Example(s):
(kirei de akarui) beautiful and bright
ADJ 1 but ADJ 2
When using multiple adjectives to convey alternating connotation, as in both positive and
negative impressions, the conjunctive particle is used in lieu of and .
Example(s):

Watashi no kateikyoushi wa yasashii desuga kibishii desu. (My tutor is nice but strict.)
When the second adjective used is subjective on behalf of the speaker, the first adjective used is
understood as the preemptive reason for such judgment.

- Sentence Construction
Because the Japanese language has separate markers for the topic and the subject of a
sentence,
the particles and , it
allows for a unique grammatical construction of sentences.
The general outline for the - sentence construction is TOPIC , SUBJECT
DESCRIPTION. For simplicitys sake, the direct translation of this format could be interpreted
as , Regarding the topic TOPIC, SUBJECT is DESCRIPTION.
Example(s):

California ha yachin ga sugoku takai desu. (In California the rent is very expensive.)

George Washington ga seikaku ga subarashii desu. (Regarding George Washington, his

personality is wonderful.)
Multiple descriptors can also be used with this format.
Example(s):
,

Watashi no gakkou ha sensei ga shinsetsu de, tabemono ga oishikute, campus ga kirei desu.

X Y as There is Y in/at X
In this construct the particle signifies that Y is an activity instead of a thing that occurs in or
at X.
Example(s):

Kouen de relay race ga arimasu. (There is a relay race happening at the park.)

Soto de kenka ga aru. (There is a fight going on outside.)

Adverbs
In Japanese, adverbs are commonly used in conjunction with the particle but there also exists
a set of even more common adverbs which do not use the particle at all. These are the
common degree verbs.
very
Example(s):

Kono shukudai ha totemo muzukashii desu. (This homework is very hard.)

Keitai denwa ha totemo benri desune. (Cellphones are really convenient, arent they?)
- very (casual, used more for conversation)
Example(s):

Kono boushi ha sugoku kirei desuga sukoshi takai desu. (This hat is very pretty but its a little
expensive.)

() a little
Example(s):

Kono boushi ha sugoku kirei desuga sukoshi takai desu. (This hat is very pretty but its a little
expensive.)
a little (casual, used more for conversation)

Watashi no otouto ha chotto urusai desu. (My little brother is a little nosiy.
and are commonly used as euphemistic expressions in that they do not provide
clear subjections on the speakers behalf. Due to this, and are more naturally
used in negative statements to soften what may be a harsh statement if otherwise expressed
forthrightly. When used in the positive form, they express the connotation that the albeit positive,
the characteristic may have not met expectations.
not at all
Example(s):

Kanojo wa zenzen kawakunakatta. (She wasnt cute at all.)

not really
Example(s):

Watashi wa amari jyouzu jyanai. (I am not very good.)

and are only used in negative-form sentences.

as but/however
Example(s):

Yuenchi ni ikimashitaga amari tanoshimimasendeshita. (I went to the amusement park but I

didnt really have fun.)

Watashi wa party ni ikitai ga isogashii. (I want to go to the party but Im busy.)

X (/) as How is X?
and are used to inquire about ones opinion about something.
is the more formal version of this construct.
Example(s):

Benkyou wa ikaga desuka. (How are your studies?)

Kinou no shiken wa doudeshitaka? (How was yesterdays test?)

XY as What kind of Y is X?
Example(s):

Jouji Washington, what kind of person is your friend?

// as this/that way
The set of words // are used to mean directions such as here and there,
but they are commonly used as a polite way to refer to people. It is not appropriate to use any of
these expressions to refer to oneself because of this implicit politeness.

Kochira wa George Washington desu. (This is George Washington.)


Achira wa donate desuka. (Who is that person over there?)

Achira wa George Washington ni desuyo. (Thats George Washington 2.)

Verb Conjugation: -Form

To conjugate -verbs into the -Form, drop the from the dictionary form and replace it with
a .
Example(s):

() ()
The two irregular verbs that disregard this guideline are:
() ()

To conjugate -verbs that end with into the -Form, drop the from the dictionary form
and replace it with a .
Example(s):


To conjugate -verbs that end with or into the -Form, drop the or from the
dictionary form and replace it with a .
Example(s):




To conjugate -verbs that end with into the -Form, drop the from the dictionary form
and replace it with a .

Example(s):


To conjugate -verbs that end with into the -Form, drop the from the dictionary form
and replace it with a .
Example(s):

To conjugate -verbs that end with or or into the -Form, drop the or or
from the dictionary form and replace it with a .
Example(s):



To conjugate -verbs that end with into the -Form, drop the from the dictionary form
and replace it with a .
*The distinction between regular -verbs and -verbs that end with is that when these verbs
are conjugated into the -form, -verbs drop the to replace it with a (
) while -verbs that end with drop the to replace it with a (
).
Example(s):


The common verb is another irregular verb in that its -Form is
.

-Form VERB + as Please do VERB and -Form VERB + as the

more polite Would you please do VERB?
Example(s):

Shashin wo totte kudasaimasenka. (Would you please take a photograph?)


Shizuka ni natte kudasai. (Please quiet down.)
To change the context of this construct into requesting a negative action, replace the -Form of
the verb with the -Form of the verb followed by a .
Example(s):

Shashin wo toranaide kudasai. (Please do not take photographs.)

Urusaku naranaide kudasai. (Would you please not become noisy?)

-Form VERB + as am VERBing

Example (s):

Computer wo tsukatte imasu. (I am using the computer.)

George Washington wa nete iru. (George Washington is sleeping.)

as still
When appears in an affirmative sentence, it takes on the meaning still instead of yet.

Mada hayai kara kaeru koto wa dekinai yo. (Its still early so we cant go home yet.)

X (/) as How about X?

In addition for asking for ones opinion about something, this construct can be used to offer one
something.

Coffee wa doudesuka. (How about some coffee?)

XY(/) as X (likes/hates) Y
This construct derives from the TOPIC SUBJECT DESCRIPTOR form in that it is slightly
altered to convey TOPIC OBJECT DESCRIPTOR.
Example(s):

George Washington wa inu ga suki desu. (George Washington likes dogs.)

George Washington wa inu ga daisuki desu. (George Washington loves dogs.)
*An interpretation of the first example that provides for a more vivid interpretation of the
construct semantically is, In regard to George Washington (for George Washington), dogs are
liked.

Jouji Washington wa karai tabemono ga kirai desu. (George Washington hates spicy food.)

Jouji Washington wa daikarai tabemono ga kirai desu. (George Washington really hates spicy
food.)

XY(//) as X is(good/bad/good) at Y
This construct is grammatically identical to the XY(/) because it also derives
from the TOPIC SUBJECT DESCRIPTOR form. Notice that both and are
both used to described goodness at an activity; the distinction is that while is used as
someone elses objective judgement, is considered as a subjective analysis. When
describing what you think to be your own talents, it is best to use in order to convey that

this is your subjective opinion that others might no agree with and not come off as extremely
assertive of your skill.
Example(s):

Watashi wa video game ga tokui desu. (I am good at video games.)

Anata wa nihongo ga jyouzu desu. (You are good at Japanese.)

Watashi wa sekkyokutekina katsudou ga heta desu. (I am poor at proactive activities.)

Nominalization/Gerunds
In order to change verbs into their respective noun phrases, simply take the Dictionary Form of
the verb and add or right after it.
Example(s):




Comparisons (between two entities)
Question Form:
XYA
X to Y to de ha, dochira no hou ga A desuka? (Between X and Y, which one is more A?)
Answer Form:
XYXYA
X to Y to de ha, X no hou ga Y yori A desu. (Between X an d Y, X is more A than Y.)
* XYYXA is also an acceptable construction
A more implicit construction wherein the two compared objects are obvious from context:

A / A
Dochira no hou ga A desuka. / Dochira ga A desuka.
XA
X is more A.
*Clauses must be nominalized when used in comparisons. This is necessity is identical to the
English manner of comparison. Consider the grammatically correct Which is better, reading or
watching it? and the grammatically incorrect Which is better, read or watch it? Though the
English language does have flexibility in that the re-arranged format Is it better to read or to
watch it? is perfectly grammatically correct. Indeed, the Japanese language too is flexible in
that there are alternate grammatical structures that can be used to compare entities, but we stick
with this recognized form in this lesson.
*When a nominalized clause appears before , the particle is truncated completely.
Example(s):
Question:

Nihongo no manga wo yomuno to America no comic wo yomuno to de ha, dochira no hou ga

tanoshii desuka? (Between reading Japanese manga and reading American comics, which is
more fun?)
Answer:
()
Comparisons (between more than two entities)
XYZXA(Among X, Y, Z etc., X is the most A.)
*When comparing two entities, we always use the phrase regardless of the nature of
the comparison, but with comparisons amongst more than two entities, we use the respective
WH Question Word.
is used for people, in a plain manner.
is used for people, in a polite manner.
is used for places.
is used for things in general.
Example(s):

MMORPGFPSMOBA
MMORPG to FPS to MOBA to de ha, dore ga ichiban tanoshii desuka. (Among MMORPG,
FPS, and MOBA games, which is the most fun?)

Kami-sama to Gojira-sama to Kanama Madoka-sama, donate ga ichiban suki desuka. (Among
God, Godzilla, and Kaname Madoka, who do you like the most?)
*Notice the presence of polite speech due to the necessity for respects towards God, Godzilla
and Kaname Madoka, or otherwise known as Godoka.

New York to Paris to Tokyo to de ha, doko ga ichiban kirei desuka. (Among New York, Paris,
and Tokyo, which place is the most beautiful? )
*Notice the difference between English and Japanese in that in English the WH Question Word
which is used for even locations, but in Japanese remains as the appropriate WH
Question Word.
Comparisons (in a select group)
Instead of listing individual options to be chosen from, one can refer to the most A entity, X, of a
category, Y, of entities with one or more similar traits. The construct Y is used in this
form. In this case, the WH Question Word is replaced by () because there is
no longer a list of options to choose from. , , and retain their regular
usage.
Example(s):

Anime no naka de, nani ga ichiban omoshiroi desuka. (In anime, what [which] is the most
interesting?)

Candy no naka de, nani ga ichiban suki desuka. (Of candy, what [which] do you like most?)

Requesting an object
X(/) (Please give me X. / Would you give me X, please?)
*The latter is more polite.
Example(s):


Nomimono wo kudasai. (Give me a drink. / Please give me a drink. / Id like a drink.)

Sono tankoubon wo kudasaimasenka. (Would you give me that volume? / Could you let me have
that volume?)

Counters:
Perhaps one of the most needlessly complicated constructions in the Japanese language is its
select-not-so-few counters meant to denote entities of differing qualities. As opposed to English
wherein four cans of soda and four people use the same sequential terminology, in Japanese,
if we were to use the same entities, the words cans and people would be transformed into
different words entirely, used only in the case of counting such objects. Listed are the more
common counters for various entities.
People
Example(s):
etc.
*The counter for one person and two people are the irregular instances, the rest that follow
are coordinate with the standard procedure of counting.
Things (in general)
Example(s):


*Essentially each counter in this grouping is irregular so its best to remember the variance of
each one.
Things (in general)
Example(s):
/
/ etc.,
Using Counters:
Counters most commonly appear after the nouns that they quantify. Additionally, particles are
used as per the norm, succeeding the subject or direct object and not the appended counter.
When used to quantify verbs, counters may also commonly appear before the verb itself.
Example(s):


Watashi wa pasucon ga nidai arimasu. (I have two computers.)

Watashi wa nido kare wo ketobashita. (I kicked him twice.)

Osake wo mou ippai kudasai. (One more cup of alcohol please.)

X as decide on X
Example(s):

Chicken katsu ni shimasu. (I decide on the chicken katsu.)

Osoi desukara, sono kaiketsu ha ashita ni shimashou. (Its getting late so lets figure out the
solution tomorrow.)

form VERB + as have VERB-ed before

Example(s):

Kono eiga wo mita koto ga aruka? (Have you seen this movie.)

Iie, demo zokuhen wo mita koto ga aru. (No, but Ive seen the sequel before.)

Osushi wo tabeta koto ha arimasen. (I have never eaten sushi before.)

*Note the usage of particle for positive construction and the particle for negative
construction.

Intransitive and Transitive Verbs

Like the English language, Japanese has both intransitive and transitive, as in verbs revolving
around only a single entity and verbs revolving around the relationship between two entities.
Unlike the English language, Japanese makes a clear-cut divide between the two types of verbs
in that any given verb cannot be both intransitive and transitive. However, fortunately, two
different verbs that are technically intransitive or transitive versions of each other will still
resemble each other rather closely. An introductory example would and
which mean to start (something) and to start respectively.

as the direct object marker

Wherein the particle is used to mark the direct object of a clause, the particle is used to
mark the indirect object marker, or in other words, the recipient entity of a verb. In most cases,
the can be translated and interpreted as to but can also adopt such meanings as from.
Example(s):

Watashi wa kanojo ni tegami wo kaita. (I wrote a letter to her.)

Tomodachi ni okane wo ageta. (I gave my friend some money.)

The verb to wear

Here we come across another instance of the Japanese language being considerably strict with its
guide-lines. Whereas in English, the verb to wear is a general-use action for quite literally any
given object that one can wear, the Japanese language has a different verb for every group of
wearable objects, categorized by similar qualities.

and as about/approximately
While is used to approximate a quantity or duration, is used to approximate
a point in time. At times, is used in lieu of to represented an approximate
point in time as well, but should never be used in lieu of to represent an
approximate quantity or duration.
Example(s):

Gohan ga dekita made nanjikan gurai kakarimasuka? (How long until the rice is done?)


Kono anime no fansub wa jyuuniji goro ni detekuru. (This animes fan-subs come out around
twelve.)

as it costs X/it takes X time

The verb is used to represent the effect of expense, in time and cost. When used,
respective particles are omitted from the clause.
Example(s):

Kono download wa nanjikan kakarimasuka? (How long does this download take?)

Kono computer wa dono gurai kakarimasuka? (How much does this computer cost?)

Verb Conjugation: form

The form is used to, but not always, represent past-tense actions and acts as the casual
counterpart to the conjugation. In order to conjugate a verb into its form, simply take
its form conjugation and replace the or with or respectively.
Example(s):
ate
read
made
reduced

Modifying Nouns with Clauses

In addition to noun modification with adjectives and other nouns, noun modification with clauses
can be applied to Japanese sentences, similar to the English structure of NOUN X that Y,

wherein X is the particular noun and that + Y is a descriptor clause such as that I saw the
other day. When this construct is used, the predicate of the clause modifying the noun is
maintained in Plain Form, which includes the Dictionary Form, the Form, the Form, and
the Form but not the Form, the Form, the Form, or the
Form. The reason for this is because when a noun-modifying clause is used in a sentence,
there are always at least two predicates in the sentence. Since the predicate within the nounmodifying clause must appear before the other predicate, it is only necessary to use the polite
form, if desired, of the final predicate. In summation, the noun-modifying clause can be in Plain
Form while the succeeding predicate can be in Polite Form or both can be in Plain Form, but
there is no instance wherein the noun-modifying clause can be in Polite Form.
Example(s):

Niku wo taberu hito. (Person who eats meat.)

Katta team ha? (Which is the team that won?/Which team won?)

Akihabara e iku densha wa doko desuka? (Where is the train that goes to Akihabara?)

Manten wo totta hito. (Person who scored perfectly.)

Sanka shitakunakatta hito. (Person who didnt want to participate.)

(Past Tense)
The that concludes a sentence is a construct that we ignored for the most part in the
beginning, but it actually represents many nuances, such as tense, and furthermore, has just as
many tense-conjugations as regular verbs do.
Plain Form:
Affirmative Non-past
Affirmative Past
Negative Non-past

Negative Past
Polite Form:
Affirmative Non-past
Affirmative Past
Negative Non-past or
Negative Past or

-Adjectives ( Affirmative Past Tense):

When adjectives are not immediately succeeded by or any of its conjugated forms (,
), it needs to conjugated according to its intended usage. To conjugate an -Adjective into its
past-tense, simply replace the at the end with .
Example(s):
was fun
was delicious
was interesting
*The irregular adjective to this construct is , which reverts back to its original form of
before becoming to mean was good.
-Adjectives (Negative Past Tense):
To conjugate an -Adjective into its negative past-tense, simply replace the at the end with
(), or, for more formality.
Example(s):
was not fun
was not delicious
was not interesting
Connecting -Adjectives:

When two or more -adjectives are used together to describe the same entity, it is only the
finally listed adjective that is conjugated according to usage; all prior adjectives are conjugated
into the Form, which is derived by replacing the at the end of the -adjective with.
Example(s):
was interesting and fun
big and loud
When we mean to connect -adjectives that are in their negative conjugation, we change the
to .
not fun and boring
not nice and awful

-Adjectives (Past Tense):

-adjectives are conjugated into the past tense form by simply using the stem words themselves
and adding the appropriate conjugation of immediately afterwards.
Example(s):
was energetic
not lively
was not pretty
Connecting -Adjectives:
When two or more -adjectives are used together to describe the same entity, it is only the
finally listed adjective that is conjugated according to usage; all prior adjectives are conjugated
into the Form, which is derived by adding at the end of the -adjectives stem.
Example(s):
quiet and calm
convenient and fast
When we mean to connect -adjectives that are in their negative conjugation, we use the
/

 conjugation of at the end of all -adjectives except the last appearing, which
is conjugated regularly.
Example(s):
was not kind and not sympathetic/was not kind or
sympathetic
*Notice that we can connect -adjectives and -adjectives interchangeably by adhering to their
respective guidelines of conjugation.
Example(s):
was not lively and was not fun/was not lively or fun
*This can be a tricky construct to grasp as there is another grammatical construct, X(
/)Y which translates to not X, but Y and practically has the opposite meaning as
the form we see presented here.

as an object marker
We are familiar with the particle being the most prominent direct object marker, but there a
handful of exceptions wherein is the correct object-marking particle. Perhaps the most
common example is when used with the adjective , as in . There are also two
verbs, and that strictly use the particle as their object marker.
Example(s):

Sore ga yoku wakaru yo. (Thats something I understand well./Thats something I fully
understand.)

Tenis ga dekiru. (I can play tennis.)

Omae wo taosu koto ga dekiru. (I can defeat you.) *This is a rather confrontational sentence and
example that you will most likely never hear in real-life speech.

Sequential Voicing:
Sequential voicing occurs when the relationship between two words needs to be sequentially
expressed, by means of voicing the first sound from the second word. This process is most
commonly seen in compound-words that are simply the same word twice, such as (
) and . Notice how the second in () is
effectively applied a dakuten (voicing mark) and is then pronounced as instead of .
The same pattern occurs for . However, it is not only compound-words that
are double instances of a word that receive this transformation. Words such as
and exhibit the same transformation. In contrast, the
double-instance compound-word experiences no such transformation
because there isnt an established method in devoicing the vowel. However, this is not the
guideline that should be used to determine when to employ sequential voicing and when to not.
For the most part, it is a common occurrence, but has no definitive criteria, so as a speaker of the
language, you must gradually encounter these words and remember them.

X as (I/We) want X or Do you want X?

The -adjective is used to express a desire. Despite being an -adjective and being
conjugated as such, s structural use is more similar to that of a verb.
Example(s):

Watashi wa inu ga hoshii desu. (I want a dog.)

Inu ga hoshikatta desuga ima neko ga hoshii desu. (I wanted a dog before but now I want a cat.)
Cake ga hoshii desu. (I want cake.)

Ittai nanika ga hoshii ka darouka? (What on earth do you want?/Just what is it exactly that you
want!?)

Sore wa hoshiku arimasendeshita. (I did not want that.)

*Notice that when no subject is explicitly stated, it is implied to be the speaker unless the
sentence is a question, in which the implied subject is the addressee.

*The question form of this construct can at times be construed by addressees as much too
assertive speech, so it is best to be careful in using this construct when speaking to people who
should or must be shown respect.
XY as X wants Y
As touched upon earlier, it can be construed as impolite to ask about a persons wants. Even
more so, it is considered considerably impolite to state a persons wants for them; because of
this, in lieu of the grammatical construct , is used when referring to
a third-person subjects wants. conveys the idea that the subject is showing
signs of such wants as opposed to the idea subject directly feels that way. In contrast to ,
is a verb and acts as such in sentence construction. More specifically, the
Dictionary Form, is a verb and is another verb of itself, and together they make
the connected form . As a result of this, the particle used in conjunction with
is as opposed to the particle used with .
Example(s):

Kanojo wa nomimono wo hoshigatte iru. (She wants something to drink.)

Kodomotachi wa yasai deha naku niku ga hoshigatte imashita. (The children wanted meat
instead of vegetables.)

Pre-Form VERB as (I/We) want to VERB or Do you want to VERB?

Pre-Form VERB as (I/We) dont want to VERB
Pre-Form VERB as (I/We) want to VERB or You dont want to
VERB?
Whereas the X construct is used to express a desire for something, this construct is
used to express a desire to do something. Similar to the X, PRE-FORM VERB
is regarded as having -adjective conjugations.
Example(s):

Gakkou e ikitakunai da. (I dont want to go to school.)

Sono densha wo noritai desu. (I want to ride that train.)


Studio Ghibli no atarashii eiga ga mitai desuyo. (I want to see Studio Ghiblis new movie.)

Nani ga shitai desuka? (What do you want to do?)

*Notice that the particle used for direct object marking can be either or , but for negative
constructions the particle is the most natural.

XPre- Form VERB as X wants to do VERB

Similarly to the grammatical construct XY, XPre- Form VERB
is used to express a third-person subjects desire to do something. That being
said, it is also similar to XY in that it can be construed as an impolitely
assertive choice of words (and grammatical structure) so it is best to be cautious with its usage.
The particle used to mark direct object in this grammatical construct is always .
Example(s):

Watashi no tomodachi mo sono game wo kaitagatteiru. (My friend also wants to buy that game.)

Imouto wa issho ni asobitagatteiru kara kiyou wa au koto ga dekinaidesu. (My little sister wants
to play together so I cant meet with you today.)
*Notice how all subjects are persons of established familiarity, i.e. friends and family members.

Quantifiers:
Quantifier-words are used to express a general quantity of the entity that they modify.

Verb Conjugation Potential Form

The Potential Form of verbs is used to express the ability to do the verb. It can be used
interchangeably with the Dictionary Form VERB + construct and is actually the
more commonly used of the two. The Potential Form conjugation works differently for -verbs,
-verbs, and irregular verbs.
-verbs: Replace the with
Example(s):

-verbs: Replace the with
Example(s):




*The verb is rather unique in that it has two potential forms that can be used
interchangeably, the other being
Irregular Verbs:

*Notice that is exactly what is used in VERB +, so to say the grammar
construct quite literally translates to I can do VERBing

*The conjugated Potential Form is pronounced
Example (s):

Kono kanji ga rikai dekimasuka? (Can you understand these Chinese characters?)

Niku ga taberareruka? (Can you eat meat?)

18

Mada 18 sai dakara osake ga nomemasen. (I cant drink alcohol because Im still eighteen years
old.)
*The Japanese language is known to be rather intermittent in its amendments. The Potential
Form is an example of a new approach that has gained considerable legitimacy. This new
Potential Form pattern disregards the in the add-on for-verbs, making conjugations
such as and into and respectively. Frustratingly
enough, although this innovation has caught on enough to appear in official Japanese-languages
texts, such as newspapers, the revision does not span across every single -verb, so it is left up
to the speaker to remember which -verbs can be conjugated in this way and still be correctly
understood. Of course, for conveniences sake, it is much easier to strictly follow the
conjugation.

Form VERB + as has VERB-ed

Here is where the Japanese language becomes a bit precarious for non-native speakers, showing
itself to be a language of aspect more so than a language of tense. While the grammatical
construct Form VERB + can be used as is VERB-ing (as aforementioned), it can also
be used as has VERB-ed, making it into somewhat of a contradictory construct, in regard to
tense. The emphasis in this form is on a change in state of being as a result of something
occurring.
Example(s):
|
Sono mise wa hirakimashita. (That store opened.) | Sono mise wa hiraite imasu. (That store is
open./That store has opened.)

Kare ga America kara kite imasu. (He has come from America.)
*Notice how this should not be confused with, He is currently on his way coming here from
America. The implication is that he has already arrived and is more so in the process of visiting,
not coming.

George Washington shitte imasuka? (Do you know George Washington?/Have you gotten to
know George Washington.)
*Similarly, notice here that this sentence should not be interpreted as Are you in the process of
knowing George Washington? But rather, Do you know George Washington? implies that
you have already completed the process of knowing, or more grammatically correct, getting to
know George Washington. The phrase is highly common in conversational Japanese
and it being a fine example of this grammatical construct should serve as a proper reminder of
how Form VERB + can mean both is VERB-ing and has VERB-ed.

*Similarly to, there are many verbs that when conjugated in the Form + are
implicitly interpreted to mean the has VERB-ed form of Form VERB + as opposed to
the is VERB-ing form. Some examples are , which means has
disappeared/vanished/gone out, and , which means has finished/ended. In a
sense, this makes it easier to distinguish between the two forms by having certain verbs that can
mean only one of the two forms, but as a result, it is the accountability of the learning speakers to
encounter these cases and keep them in mind.
XY as when X, Y
The construct is used to express something, Y, in relation to a particular time, X. It can be
used with verbs, nouns, and adjectives, but only uses the Plain Form of all three. There is also
another of grammatical construction that should be taken to mind, that being the two separate
clauses, X and Y, brought into on sentence. Similar to how X is always conjugated in the Plain
Form because it is the subordinate clause of the sentence and need not be in Polite Form even
when the speaker means to be polite so long as the main clause, Y, is itself conjugated in Polite
Form, the subordinate clause X also has a tenuous relationship with the way it relays the tense of
the sentence despite any given way it is conjugated.
Dictionary Form Verbs:
if the main clause is in the past tense that indicates that the subordinate clause had not yet been
completed when main clause occurred
if the main clause is in non-past tense that indicates that the subordinate clause has not yet been
completed when the main clause occurs
Example(s):

Gakkou e iku toki ni taiyaki wo kaimashita. (When I went to school, I bought taiyaki./I bought
taiyaki on the way to school.)
*Notice how because buy is in its past-tense, the act of buying taiyaki, the main clause, is
completed before the act of going to school, the subordinate clause, is completed.

Gakkou e iku toki ni taiyaki wo kaimasu. (When I go to school, I will buy taiyaki. Ill buy
taiyaki on the way to school.)
*Similarly, notice how the act of going to school, the subordinate clause, will not be completed
at the time of buying taiyaki, the main clause, occurring.

The VERB Form + also exhibits similar peculiarities when used with
Example(s):


Shukudai wo shite iru toki ni mendokusai na George Washington ga uchi ni kimashita. (When I
was doing my homework, the troublesome George Washington came over.)
*Notice how even though the is in a non-past tense form, the past-tense conjugation of
in the main clause accommodates for the entire sentence, changing when I am doing
my homework to when I was doing my homework.

Form Verbs:
When using the VERB Form with, the subordinate clause is completed before the main
clause.

Nihon e itta toki ni, Akihabara e ikimashita. (When I went to Japan, I went to Akihabara.)

*Notice how the act of going to Japan is completed before the act of Akihabara is.

Adjectives:
For adjectives, the tense of the sentence is denoted strictly by the main clause.
Example(s):
,
Sabishii toki ni taberu. (Whenever I am lonely, I eat.)

Sabishii toki ni tabemashita. (When I was lonely, I called a friend.)

Sabishikata toki ni tabemashita.(When I was lonely, I called a friend.)

*Notice how and mean the exact same
thing despite having the adjective lonely in non-past tense and past-tense respectively. Because
the main clause is conjugated into past-tense with, the whole sentence is denoted as
past-tense, so either sentence is satisfactory in expressing, When I was lonely, I called a friend.

For-Adjectives, , for non-past, and , for past, are inserted after the respective
adjective and before . The same guidelines for-Adjectives in regard to tense control also
apply for -Adjectives.
Example(s):

Aparto ga nigiyaka na toki ni toshokan e iku. (When my apartment is lively, I go to the library.)

Apart ga nigiyaka na toki ni toshokan e ikimashita. (When my apartment was lively, I went to
the library.)

Apart ga nigiyaka na toki ni toshokan e ikimashita. (When my apartment was lively, I went to
the library.)
*Again, notice how and
mean the exact same thing despite differences in the
subordinate clauses own tense.

Nouns:
For nouns, , for non-past, and , for past, are inserted after the respective noun and
before . The same guidelines for adjectives in regard to tense control also apply for nouns.

Koukousei no toki ni takusan club katsudou wo shimasu. (People do a lot of club activities when
they are high school students.)

Koukousei no toki ni takusan club katsudou wo shimashita. (I did a lot of club activities when I
was a high-schooler.)

Koukousei datta toki ni takusan club katsudou wo shimashita. (I did a lot of club activities when
I was a high-schooler.)

VERBAL NOUN (/) as (go/come) to do VERBAL NOUN

The grammatical construct is very similar to the Pre- Form VERB + (/) in that
it expresses the purpose associated with going/coming somewhere.
Example(s):

Toshokan e benkyou ni iku. (Im going to the library to study.)

Counter e chumon ni iku. (Im going to the counter to order something.)

Onegai ni kimashita. (I have come to make a request.)

Using adjectives as adverbs

Fortunately, the Japanese language has a relatively simple method in modifying adjectives into
adverbs that mirrors the English languages method of modifying adjectives, such as the
adjective technical, into adverbs, such as the respective adverb technically, by simply adding
a suffix to the stem word.
For -Adjectives, we simply add to the stem of the respective adjective.
Example(s):
slow,

slowly

good,

well

For -Adjectives, we simply add to the stem of the respective adjective.

Example(s):
quiet,

quietly

simple, simply

X Y as Because X, Y

This grammatical construct is very similar to the X Y construct in that it is used to express
X as the cause of Y; in fact, the two constructs are commonly seen as interchangeable
expressions. However, there are important distinctions to be made between the two constructs.
In the usage of X Y , X is almost always in Plain Form. When is used with X and Y
in Polite Form, the construction comes off as almost overly polite, which may or may not be
your intention as the speaker. Additionally, when is used, Y cannot be a command. Notice
that the establishment here is that is subtly more polite than . Accordingly, when
is used with X and Y in Plain Form, it can come off as very casual.
Example(s):

Mada natsuyasumi na node mainichi tanoshimitai desu! (Because it is still summer vacation, I
want to have fun every day!)

Sugoku nemukatta node shukudai wa dekinakatta. (Because I was very sleepy, I was unable to
do the homework.)

Rainen nihon e ikimasu node Nihongo wo manande imasu. (Because I am going to Japan next
year, Im learning Japanese.)
*Notice that for both -Adjectives and Nouns, , for non-past tense, and , for pasttense, are inserted before .
*It is important to note that when two clauses are connected by a form such as or or
in such a way that one is designated as a subordinate clause and one a main clause, then the
subject of the subject of the subordinate clause should be indicated with the particle instead of
if the two clauses feature two different subjects.

VERB Form as to try and do VERB or do VERB and see what it is like
In this grammatical construct, is most frequently written in hiragana instead of a respective
kanji in order to differentiate from other common verbs such as and .
Example(s):

Nihon ryouri wo tsukutte mitai desu. (I want to try and make Japanese cuisine.)

Tennis wo shite mita ga dame deshita. (I tried to play tennis but it was hopeless.)

Yatte miyou!! (Lets give it a try!!)

Nattou wo tabete mita ga zenzen suki de ha arimasendeshita. (I tried eating natto but I didnt like
it at all.)

VERB Dictionary Form + as in order to VERB or for the sake of doing VERB
Example(s):

Manten wo toru tame ni tetsuya shita. (In order to get a perfect score, I stayed up all night.)

Katsu tame ni yoku renshuu shimashita. (We practiced really hard in order to win.)

Hannin wo mitsukeru tame ni mina wo jinmon shita. (They questioned everyone in order to find
the culprit.)

X VERB Dictionary Form + as it will turn out that X VERBs

Example(s):

Itsumo jyujyou de shukudai wo dashite wasurete shimau node mainichi no you ni campus ni
kaeru koto ni naru. (Because I always end up forgetting to turn my homework in during class, it
turns out everyday that I have to return to campus.)
and , although simply different conjugations of ,
express very divergent implications, specifically that what has turned out to be is a direct result

of someones directly influential decision to make it so. When is used, an

emphasis is placed upon the actual decision-making; and when is used, the
emphasis is placed upon the actual resulting activity.
Example(s):

George Washington ha isha ni naru koto ni natta. (It was decided that George Washington would
become a doctor.)

Matsuri no theme ha doubutsu wo motodzuku koto ni natte iru. (Its been decided that the theme
of the festival would be animals.)
Although the connotation is not obvious from the grammatical structure, is
often used to express something as a common practice.
Example(s):

Nanika ga rikai dekinakereba office hours e iku koto ni natte iru. (Youre suppose to go to office
hours if you cant understand something.)

Jyugyou de mina wa koe ni dashite sanka suru koto ni natte iru. (Everyone is supposed to
participate aloud in class.)
*We can make the connection from this grammar pattern to the similar form, which
is much more assertive. In many cases, speakers will forthrightly use this instead of
the construct, even if it is a decision that was made by their own will, in order to
soften the impression that the gravity of the result leaves.

*100
as so long as as far as
This form is commonly used to express something is true so long as a certain condition is
true, or formulaically, X Y as so long as X, Y. This form is strictly used with the Plain
Form of verbs, adjectives, and nouns.
For verbs, this means the Dictionary Form VERB , the Negative Form VERB
, or the Form VERB .

For-Adjectives, this means the Dictionary Form -ADJECTIVE or the Negative

Form -ADJECTIVE .
For-Adjectives, this means the Dictionary Form -ADJECTIVE + , or the
Dictionary Form -ADJECTIVE + .
For nouns, this means the NOUN + or the NOUN + .
Example(s):

Shinde inai kagiri, tsuzukeru. (As long as (Im not dead/ I havent died), I can continue going.)

George Washington wa iku kagiri, tanoshii hazu da. (As long as George Washington goes, it
ought to be fun.)

Genki de aru kagiri, mondainai. (As long as I have energy, theres no problem.)
Common verbs that are used with this form are and . Notice
how each convey a range of information from which the speaker derives their judgment from.
Example(s):

Watashi ga shiru kagiri, kanojo wa koibito ga arimasen. (As far as I know, she doesnt have a
boyfriend.)

Watashi ga kiita kagiri, sono Karasuno koukou wa tsuyoi volleyball team ga aru. (As far as I
have heard, Karasuno High School has a strong volleyball team.)

X B as on top of X, Y or X, and moreover, Y, or X, and even more so, Y

This grammatical construct is used to express multiple descriptors of an entity, in which the
succeeding descriptors are given more prominence. While Y is considered to be more
substantial, this does not mean to say that X and Y should be of inverse connotations. If X is a
positive point, Y too should be a positive point, but even more so positive. Conversely, if X is a
negative point, Y too should be a negative point, but even more so negative.

We use the Plain Form of verbs, adjectives, and nouns with this grammatical construct.
For verbs, this means Plain Form VERB + .
For -Adjectives, this means Plain Form -ADJECTIVE + .
For -Adjectives, this means the -ADJECTIVE + (///) + .
For Nouns, this means the NOUN + (///) + .
Example (s):

Samui ue ni kurai dakara, soto ni ikitakunaiyo. (Its cold, and moreover, its dark, so I dont want
to go outside.)

Ano hito wa handsome de aru ue ni okane ga aru dakara josei ni moteru. (That person is popular
with girls because he is handsome, and moreover, has money.)

or as in such a way as or in the manner such as

This grammatical construct is used to express a manner o in which something is done. It is
similar to the X Y form but has a greater implication of being an example, in that the X
and Y in X, Y Z are interpreted more as examples of Z, as opposed to be
distinctly separate entities that bear similarities to Z.
Example(s):
SNS

Shakaijin wa SNS no profile wo tsukuru, smartphone no app wo tsukau toiu fuu ni, internet de
yoku renraku shite iru. (In ways such as making online profiles and using smartphone
applications, society is communicating online.)

Hikikomori no hito wa net de kaimono suru, housou shokuhin wo taberu toiu fuu ni futsuu na
shakaijin to ha kotonaru seikatsu ga arimasune. (Recluses have a different life-style from the
normal people of society, in such a way as how they shop online and eat packaged foods, dont
they?)

 as in exchange for
is a grammatical construct that can also be used to express something that occurred in
exchange, or in compensation, for something else. It is used strictly with the Plain Form of verbs,
adjectives, and nouns.
For verbs, this means Plain Form VERB +.
For -Adjectives, this means Plain Form -ADJECTIVE +.
For -Adjectives, this means the -ADJECTIVE + (/) +.
For Nouns, this means the NOUN + (/) +.
Example(s):

Kono apato wa ookii kitchen ga aru kawari ni semai furoba ga aru. (This apartment has a large
kitchen in exchange for a narrow washroom.)

Kono keyboard wa yasui kawari ni sugu ni kowarareru da. (In exchange of being low-priced, this
keyboard will break easily.)

X Y as as a result of X, Y, or after doing X, Y, or based upon doing X, Y

while doing X, Y is an issue in (terms/the range) of X, Y