Particles:
· だけDake + Affirmative = only, just
· しか Shika + Negative = only
Ex:
ここに きってが さんまい だけ あります
Koko ni kitte ga sanmai dake arimasu
There are only three postal stamps here.
ここに きってが さんまい しか ありません
Kokoni kittega san mai shika arimasen
There are only three postal stamps here.
The verb
- In Japanese, the verb doesn’t change its form depending on person and number, the same form is used for the singular, the plural, and for the three persons, regardless of the formal or informal style of speech
- Depending on the basic form, the Japanese verbs may be classified in three main groups:
Gr.1 – consonant-stem verbs - ending in -u
Gr.2 – vowel-stem verbs - ending in –iru,-eru
Gr.3 – irregular verbs (only two) Suru – to do; Kuru – to come
Examples:
Gr.1 はなすHanasu – to talk
かく Kaku – to write
きく Kiku – to listen
まつ Matsu – to wait
のむ Nomu – to drink
よむ Yomu – to read Gr.2 みる Miru – to watch
おきる Okiru – to wake up
しんじる Shinjiru – to think
あける Akeru – to open
あげる Ageru – to give, to offer
たべる Taberu – to eat
Gr.3 する Suru – to do
くる Kuru – to come
OBS – there are also some exceptions among the first group verbs; some verbs can end in –iru,eru
はいる Hairu – to enter
はしる Hashiru – to run
きる Kiru – to cut
しる Shiru – to know
かえる Kaeru – to come back, to return
The “masu” form of the verbs
- It usually refers to repeated or future actions
- It is also used when a certain degree of politeness is required by the circumstances and the context
- It is a suffix added to the root of the verb
Ex: しますshimasu means “i do” or “i shall do” and not “I’m doing” (something) at the moment
Ø The “masu” form (affirmative present tense) / “masen” form (negative present tense)
· For group I verbs, in order to obtain the “masu” form one must replace the –u ending with the following suffixes:
-imasu to get the affirmative form ex: to write - kaku – kakimasu
-imasen for the negative form ex: to read - yomu – not to read - yomimasen
· For the second group verbs, the ending –iru, -eru is replaced with:
-masu (affirmative) ex: to watch - miru – mimasu
-masen (negative) ex: to eat - taberu – not to eat – tabemasen
· The “masu” forms of the irregular verbs (third group verbs) are:
To do – suru – shimasu – not to do – shimasen
To come – kuru – kimasu – not to come – kimasen
Examples :
わたしは かきます / Watashi wa kakimasu – I write.
たかしさん が たべません/ Takashisan ga tabemasen/ Takashi san doesn’t eat.
あなたは よみます / Anata wa yomimasu / You read.