N1 ใฏ N2 ใงใ (N1 is N2)
This is the basic sentence structure in Japanese. The particle ใฏ (wa) marks the topic of the sentence (N1). It is written with the Hiragana for 'ha' (ใฏ) but pronounced 'wa'. ใงใ (desu) is a copula, similar to 'is', 'am', or 'are', and it makes the sentence polite. Unlike English (Subject-Verb-Object), Japanese sentence order is typically Subject-Object-Verb.
- ใใใ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใใใใใงใใ
- ใใใใใใฏใใใใ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใ
N1 ใฏ N2 ใใใใใพใใ (Negation)
ใใใใใพใใ (ja arimasen) is the negative form of ใงใ (desu). It is used to state that 'N1 is not N2'. A more formal version is ใงใฏใใใพใใ (dewa arimasen).
- ใใใใใใฏใใใใ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใ
- ใใใใฏใใใใ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใใใพใใใ
Particle ใ (ka) - Question Marker
The particle ใ (ka) is added to the end of a statement to turn it into a question. A Japanese period (ใ) is used at the end, not a question mark (?). Answers are typically given with ใฏใ (hai) for 'yes' and ใใใ (iie) for 'no'.
- ใใใใใใฏใใใใใงใ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใ
- Q: ใใใใใใฏ ใใใใ ใงใใใA:๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใใใใใใงใใ
- Q: ใใใใใใฏ ใใใใ ใงใใใA:๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใใใใใใใใใใพใใใ
Interrogative: ใ ใ / ใฉใชใ (Who)
ใ ใ (dare) and ใฉใชใ (donata) are interrogative words meaning 'who'. ใฉใชใ is the more polite form.
- ใใฎใฒใจใฏ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใงใใใ
- ใใฎใใใฏ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใงใใใ(Polite)
Particle ใ (mo) - 'Also' / 'Too'
The particle ใ (mo) means 'also' or 'too'. It replaces the topic marker ใฏ (wa) when the statement being made about a new noun is the same as the statement about the previous one.
- ใใใใใใฏใใใใใงใใใตใณใในใใ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใใใใใงใใ
N1 ใฎ N2 - Possession / Attribution
The particle ใฎ (no) connects two nouns. It indicates that N2 belongs to or is otherwise associated with N1. It can show possession, origin, or other modifying relationships.
- ใใใใใใฏใซใปใใ ใใใ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใใใใใงใใ
- ใใใ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใชใพใใฏใใคใฏใปใใฉใผใงใใ
Interrogative: ใชใใใ / ใใใใค (How old?)
ใชใใใ (nansai) and ใใใใค (oikutsu) are used to ask someone's age. ใใใใค is more polite. The answer is given by a number followed by the counter ใใ (sai). Note that some numbers are pronounced irregularly with ใใ (e.g., ใใฃใใ for one, ใฏใฃใใ for eight, ใซใใ ใฃใใ for twenty).
- ใใใใใใฏ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใงใใใ
- ใใฎใใใฏ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใงใใใ(Polite)