GRAMMAR JLPT 3 POINTS

Base 1 + seru / saseru [L22]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson22.htm]

These are used when you want to let/have/make someone do something. In

English we fortunately have three different words which allow us to easily adjust
the meaning to the one we want to convey. Accordingly, "I'll let him go to the
store," "I'll have him go to the store," and "I'll make him go to the store" all have
different nuances. In Japanese, however, seru, for yodan verbs, and saseru,
for the others, are used for all of these. By the overall context and by using
other "helper" words the different meanings, or feelings, as in "let him" vs.
"make him," can be conveyed.

The important thing to remember is that yodan verbs use seru, like this:

• Obaa-san wa kodomotachi ni soto de asobaseru.

(Grandma lets the children play outside.)
• Okaa-chan wa Kimiko ni kasa o kawaseru.
(Mom will have Kimiko buy an umbrella.)
• Sensei wa gakusei ni mainichi shimbun o yomaseru.
(The teacher makes the students read the newspaper every day.)

And ichidan verbs and the irregular kuru use saseru:

• Roku ji ni kodomotachi ni yuushoku o tabesaseru.

(I'll have the kids eat dinner at 6:00.)
• John ni raishuu made ni kimesaseru.
(I'll have John decide by next week.)
• Kare ni ashita kosaseru.
(I'll have him come tomorrow.)

With suru verbs, suru is simply replaced with saseru:

• Otou-san wa Bob ni benkyou saseru.

(Dad will make Bob study.)
• Kanojo ni saseru.
(I'll have her do it.)

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 As you can see, in these constructions the person being let or made to do
something becomes the indirect object, which is signified by adding ni after it.

One tricky thing is that there are some verbs which already have a "set form"
to convey this meaning, and do not follow the above rules. A good example is
miseru, which means "to show" or "to let see," as in:

• Kare wa karera ni mainichi terebi o miseru.

(He lets them watch TV every day.)

So, although miru is an ichidan verb, you won't hear or see "misaseru." As
you get used to more and more natural Japanese expressions, you will know
which verbs are conjugated as outlined above and which have their own set
forms which are used instead.

Now for the easy part: Since seru and saseru end in eru, they can be
conjugated further like any other ichidan verb, making it easy to apply what has
been learned in the previous lessons in order to make them negative, past
tense, polite, and etc. For example:

• Ritsuko wa Kumi ni pen o kawasemashita.

(Ritsuko had Kumi buy a pen.)
• Ojii-san wa kodomotachi ni ame o tabesasemasen.
(Grandpa won't let the children eat candy.)
• Watashi wa Kenji ni eigo o benkyou sasetai desu.
(I want to have Kenji study English.)
• John ni mise ni ikasemashou.
(Let's have John go to the store.)
• Kodomotachi ni terebi o misemashou ka.
(Shall we let the kids watch TV?)

These examples all use Base 2 final endings. Please review any you may
have forgotten.

Base 3 + tsumori [L46]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson46.htm]

Base 3 plus tsumori is used to express an intention:

• Watashi wa sanji made ni kaeru tsumori.

(I plan to be back by three o'clock.)
• Steve wa Canada ni iku tsumori da to omou.
(I think Steve plans to go to Canada.)

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 • Keiko wa Kyoto Daigaku ni hairu tsumori desu.
(Keiko intends to go to Kyoto University.)

In case you're wondering, yes, technically speaking, tsumori is the Base 2

form of its plain form tsumoru, but you will never hear tsumoru (to intend) used.
You will, however, hear the other verb tsumoru, which means "to accumulate,
build up," used a lot, especially in the winter when people talk about snow piling
up: yuki ga tsumoru. While sounding alike, their meanings are completely
different, so please be careful not to confuse them.

Base 3 + made [L33]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson33.htm]

This one is very easy. Made means "until," and is added after the plain form
of a verb:

• Yukiko ga kuru made taberu koto wa dekimasen.

(We can't eat until Yukiko comes.)
• Bob ga denwa suru made matanakereba narimasen.
(We have to wait until Bob calls.)
• Shukudai ga owaru made terebi o misemasen.
(I won't let you watch TV until your homework is finished.)

As in English, made may be used with nouns which refer to times, periods,
or seasons:

• Yuushoku made machinasai.

(Wait until dinner.)
• Natsu yasumi made, ato ni shuu kan desu.
(It's two weeks until summer vacation.)
• Haru made matsu hou ga ii deshou.
(It'll probably be best to wait until spring.)

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Using 「なる」 and 「する」with verbs
[http://www.guidetojapanese.org/surunaru.html#part4]

You may be wondering how to use 「なる」 and 「する」 with verbs since
there's no way to directly modify a verb with another verb. The simple solution is
to add a generic noun such as a generic event: こ と （ 事 ） or an
appearance/manner: よう （様）. These nouns don't refer to anything specific
and are used to describe something else. In this case, they allow us to describe
verbs in the same manner as nouns. Here are some examples of how to use
these generic nouns with 「する」 and 「なる」.

1. 海外に行くことになった。
It's been decided that I will go abroad.
(lit: It became the event of going abroad.)

2. 毎日、肉を食べるようになった。
It seems like I started eating meat everyday.
(lit: It became the appearance of eating meat everyday.)

3. 海外に行くことにした。
I decided I will go abroad.
(lit: I did toward the event of going abroad.)

4. 毎日、肉を食べるようにする。
I will try to eat meat everyday.
(lit: I will do toward the manner of eating meat everyday.)

You can modify a verb with 「 な る 」 or 「 す る 」 by first making it into a

noun clause and then treating it just like a regular noun. Pretty clever, huh? I
hope the literal translations give you a sense of why the example sentences
mean what they do. For example, in (４)「 ～ よ う に す る 」 translates into "to
make an effort toward..." but in Japanese, it's really only a target towards acting
in a certain manner.

Since potential verbs describe a state of feasibility rather than an action

(remember, that's why the 「 を 」 particle couldn't be used), it is often used in
conjunction with 「 ～ よ う に な る 」 to describe a change in manner to a state
of feasibility. Let's take this opportunity to get some potential conjugation
practice in.

1. 日本に来て、寿司が食べられるようになった。
After coming to Japan, I became able to eat sushi.

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 2. 一年間練習したから、ピアノが弾け る よ う になった。
Because I practiced for one year, I became able to play the piano.

3. 地下に入って、富士山が見えなくなった。
After going underground, Fuji-san became not visible.

Base 3 + (any noun) [L36]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson36.htm]

In English we have what are officially called relative pronouns: words that
connect a noun to an action. For a quick review, they are like which in "This is
the dictionary which I'll buy for my brother's birthday present," where in "Kobe is
where she will take the exam," and who in "There's the man who I saw in the
station yesterday."

In Japanese, there are no "relative pronouns." (This is why teaching about

these pesky words and the grammar related to them is so difficult in Japan.
And, to make matters worse, the way English grammar books used in the
schools here are written gives the impression that mastering all aspects and
usages of relative pronouns is the most important thing one needs to learn
about English. But, that's another story...) All you do is simply add the noun in
question to the plain form of the verb in question. Let's look at these simple
phrases:

• watashi ga noru densha (the train I'll take)

• kare ga iku tokoro (the place he'll go)
• kanojo no deru jikan (the time she'll leave)
• watashitachi ga au kyaku (the customer we'll meet)

Now, as I sit here and look at these four phrases, which are examples
involving a thing, a place, a time, and a person, respectively, I can see several
things which need to be explained — things I'd like to explain, but can't without
going off on a tangent which would require a completely new and lengthy page.
For example, a new learner may well ask: why ga after the subjects above,
instead of the usual wa? Why no after kanojo instead of ga? Well, to offer very
general, but hopefully sufficient for the present, explanations, we'll go off on just
a tiny tangent here:

WA indicates the main subject or topic of the whole sentence, and is

handled by the final verb. For example, the entire phrase watashi
ga noru densha above could be the subject in Watashi ga noru
densha wa hachi ji ni demasu. (My train leaves at eight o'clock.) In
this sentence, densha (train) is the main subject, and deru (to
leave) tells us what it will do; watashi ga noru just gives us more
information about the train — watashi ga noru densha simply
pinning it down as the "train I will take" or "my train."

GA indicates a subject within a phrase, a "sub-subject," you might say,

or a noun which needs emphasis. Continuing with the above
example, ga tells us who will take the train.

5
 NO is often used in place of ga, especially in informal spoken Japanese,
which is why I decided to leave it as it is in the example above. Ga
or no could be used here, so I feel that the learner may as well get
used to both, since he or she will surely be hearing both. Please
remember that no also has another job as the indicator for
possessives, like our ['s], as in Sore wa Kimiko no kasa desu. (That
is Kimiko's umbrella.) 1

Now, to get back to the lesson, let's translate one of the examples used at
the beginning of the lesson:

• Kore wa watashi no otouto no tanjoubi purezento ni kau jisho desu.

(This is the dictionary I'll buy for my little brother's birthday present.)

Since this is natural Japanese, the watashi (I) telling who will buy the
dictionary is obviously understood as the speaker, and therefore omitted. The
watashi in the sentence is actually a part of the possessive pronoun watashi no
(my). If you can keep these things straight now it will really be a big help later.

Now let's do another example:

• Kobe wa kanojo ga shiken o ukeru tokoro desu.

(Kobe is where she'll take the exam.)

In this one, the English "where," as a relative pronoun, automatically

designates a place, but since Japanese has no equivalent, a substitute noun
must be used. Kobe is a place, so tokoro is used after the verb. As you may
have noticed, a truer English translation would be, "Kobe is the place where
she'll take the exam," but "the place" is redundant and unnecessary in English,
and so it would most likely be omitted. Tokoro and where are roughly
equivalent here in only a grammatical sense; they do not mean the same thing.

As you can see, both English and Japanese have their own set of rules
concerning what and when something unnecessary can be omitted. The
problem is that the rules are totally different for each language. As a general,
semi-accurate rule, English and Japanese are on opposite ends from each
other on the "language spectrum"; what applies to one doesn't necessarily apply
to the other, and vice versa; and when trying to make sense of one, you must
forget all the rules of the other.

Finally, here is one last example:

• Haru wa atarashii inochi o motarasu kisetsu desu.

(Spring is the season that brings new life.)

This one is pretty straightforward, and should not be too difficult.

6
 I hope this lesson was clear enough. These "relative pronoun substitution"
sentences can be difficult, and are in the realm of mid- to high-intermediate
Japanese. Please come back regularly to review as necessary. Practice makes
perfect!

Adjective modifiers [L10]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpadj/lesson10.htm]

In this last lesson we will look at the bits and pieces needed to adjust the
meaning of adjectives so they convey exactly what we want. Everything here
applies to both true and quasi-adjectives.

A. Comparatives

In sentences where an adjective is used to compare two things, use yori

after the object which is used for comparison. Note how the compared object
(underlined) sits between the subject and adjective of the main idea:

• Ken no inu wa Shizuka no inu yori ookii.

(Ken's dog is bigger than Shizuka's dog.)
• Kyou no shiken wa kinou no yori kantan datta.
(Today's exam was easier than yesterday's.)

...but how it comes before other objects which are not a part of the subject:

• Watashi wa yakisoba yori yakimeshi ga suki.

(I like fried rice more than fried noodles.)

Alternately, yori can be placed after the subject in structures that follow
other finalized statements:

• Shizuka no inu wa ookii desu ga, Ken no inu wa yori ookii.

(Shizuka's dog is big, but Ken's dog is bigger.)
• Kyou wa atsukatta kedo, ashita wa yori atsukunaru sou desu.
(Today was hot, but they say it's going to be hotter
tomorrow.)

Note:

Mo is sometimes added to yori — yorimo. It's completely optional and

does not change the meaning of the sentence.

7
 Another popular way to compare things is to use motto, which is roughly the
equivalent of "more" in English. It is placed directly before the adjective it
modifies, and could be used to replace yori in the last set of examples above:

• Shizuka no inu wa ookii desu ga, Ken no inu wa motto ookii.

(Shizuka's dog is big, but Ken's dog is bigger.)
• Kyou wa atsukatta kedo, ashita wa motto atsukunaru sou desu.
(Today was hot, but they say it's going to be hotter
tomorrow.)

B. Superlatives

Mottomo or the well-known ichiban (number one) can be placed before

adjectives to make them superlative. Ichiban without an adjective can be used
to simply mean "the best":

• Kore wa kono mise no mottomo yasui pasokon desu.

(This is the cheapest computer in this store.)
• Sore wa boku no ichiban suki na hon desu.
(That's my favorite book.)
• Nakajima-san no ramen wa ichiban!
(The ramen Ms. Nakajima makes is the best!)

C. Negative Comparatives and Superlatives

Negative comparatives and superlatives are not used that much in

Japanese. In fact, there is no equivalent to the least. To convey something in a
negative superlative way, just use an adjective with that meaning, or make the
adjective negative, as in:

• Kore wa mottomo warui. (This is the worst.)

• Kore wa ichiban oishikunai. (This is the least delicious.)

For negative comparatives where "less" is implied, you can put hodo, which
means "to the extent of," after the object of comparison. You must also make
the adjective negative. Let's do this to the first two examples used in the
Comparatives section above. Note how the subject and compared object
change places in order to convey the same meaning:

• Shizuka no inu wa Ken no inu hodo ookikunai.

(Shizuka's dog isn't as big as Ken's dog.)
• Kinou no shiken wa kyou no hodo kantan dewa nakatta.
(Yesterday's exam wasn't as easy as today's.)

D. Two More

There are two other handy modifiers I'll mention here because they're used
a lot: toku ni and amari. Toku ni means "especially" and amari means about
the opposite of that. Here's how they're used:

8
 • Kyou wa toku ni isogashikatta.
(Today was especially busy.)
• Ano eiga wa amari omoshirokunai.
(That movie is not really that interesting.)
• Kenji no seiseki wa toku ni warui.
(Kenji's grades are particularly bad.)
• Kyou wa amari atsukunai ne.
(Today's not that hot, is it. [with dropping intonation])

Te form + itadaku / morau [L61]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson61.htm]

Please forget that itadaku is shown in its plain form in the title of this lesson.
Because itadaku is a very polite word, meaning something like "I humbly
partake," it will almost always be used with one of the masu endings. The Te
Form + itadaku ending can be used like Te Form + kudasai to ask favors, as
covered in Lesson 55, and it can also be used to show appreciation for favors
received. Itadakimasu! by itself is the standard salutation used in Japan before
eating a meal, and can be used when receiving or taking something from
someone.

When asking for something in the workplace or other "non-familiar" settings,

itadaku is often converted to Base 4 and masu ka added. (Please review
Lesson 51 if necessary.) This creates a very nice "may I humbly partake of your
doing (something) for me" request. Here are some examples. The literal
"humbly partake" nonsense will be replaced with a more natural English
translation:

• Johnson-san ni denwa shite itadakemasu ka. (Would you please call

Mr. Johnson?)
• O-namae o oshiete itadakemasu ka. (May I please have your name?)
• Niji ni kite itadakemasu ka. (Would you please come at two o'clock?)

And here are a few more variations that are often used:

• Ashita watashi ni denwa shite itadakemasen ka. (Won't you please call
me tomorrow?)
• Kono shorui o kinyuu shite itadakemasen deshou ka. (Could I possibly
get you to fill out these forms?)
• Murai-san ni senshuu ginkou ni itte itadakimashita. Oboete imasen ka.
(I had you [Murai-san] go to the bank for me last week. Don't you remember?)

(Concerning name use and suffixes, please see About You and Name
Suffixes.)

As in English, the rule of thumb is to make the request more polite as its
level of difficulty or ridiculousness increases.

9
 I have always considered itadaku to be a "true Japanese" word, one that
conveys certain traditional cultural points. While "I humbly partake" serves as a
general translation and starting point, it's not easy to define the full "essence" of
itadaku in English. It can, however, be gradually understood by osmosis as one
gets accustomed to the culture of Japan, particularly giving and receiving and
the levels occupied by giver and receiver.

While kudasai and itadakimasu and their various forms are often
interchangeable, the important difference has to do with subject emphasis. With
kudasai, you automatically becomes the understood subject and you're asking
"please give down to me." With itadakimasu, I automatically becomes the
understood subject and you're saying "I humbly receive from you."

When there's no need to be very polite, use morau instead of itadaku.

Make no mistake: morau is not impolite, it's just plain. As usual, adding a masu
ending makes it polite, but not quite as polite — not as "respectful" — as
itadakimasu. Also, morau is the one to use when talking about a third party.
However, itadakimasu is always used with food, even when the giver is not
present. Morau is okay when referring to other things.

I realize that all of this sounds complicated, and it can be at times. Actually
being present in a situation where this stuff is being used helps a lot, but since
we can't do that here, we'll look at some more examples:

Mom: Kimiko ni mise ni itte moraitai.

(I want you [Kimiko] to go to the store for me.)
Kimiko: Ima shukudai o shite iru. Ken ni itte moratte.
(I'm doing homework now. Get Ken to go.)

As you can see, this is a family situation, so all the plain forms are perfectly
normal. No particular reservations are needed here. Let's look at a slightly
different conversation:

Mom: Kimiko ni mise ni itte moraitai.

(I want you [Kimiko] to go to the store for me.)
Kimiko: Ima shukudai o shite iru. Ojii-chan ni itte
moraimashou ka.
(I'm doing homework now. Shall I get Grandpa
to go?)
Mom: (not wanting to bother Grandpa)
Ken ni itte moraou ka naa.
(I wonder if I should get Ken to go.)
Kimiko: (thinking that Grandpa needs to get out more)
Ken wa ima inai. Ojii-chan ni itte moraimasu.
(Ken's not here now. I'll get Grandpa to go.)

This is the same family, but note how verbs connected with Grandpa are
made polite with masu. Traditionally, if Grandpa deserves respect and is in
earshot, this would be the best way to go.

10
 Mom: Gohan yo! Tabemashou!
(Dinner's ready! Let's eat!)
Everyone: Itadakimasu!
(Let's eat! [Literally, I/we humbly receive this.])

Itadakimasu is always used with food, even if all you're taking is a potato
chip.

Suzuki-san: Ginkou ni ikimashou ka. (Shall I go to the bank?)

Tanaka-san: Murai-san ni itte moraimashita.
(I had Ms. Murai go.)

This is at the office, and these two are being courteous. They probably don't
see each other every day, or they may be in an area where customers or clients
are and want to make a good impression with their polite speech. If they
belonged to a close-knit group that worked together every day by themselves
they would probably use plain forms.

Suzuki-san: O-namae o oshiete itadakemasu ka.

(May I please have your name?)
Customer: Hai. (Sure.)

Customers are always treated like royalty and get the most polite forms.

Here's another good example situation: Kimiko and her grandfather are at a
shopping center where they are handing out free pens. The salesclerks would
say agemasu as they give the pens out (and up) to their customers. As the
customers take the pens they might say arigatou (thank you) or itadakimasu (I
humbly receive).

If Grandpa wants to ask Kimiko if she got one, he'd probably use moratta ka
(Did you get one?) or maybe moraimashita ka, which would be more polite.
Kimiko, being in the same situation as her grandfather as a receiver, would
naturally use the same verb and say hai, moratta or moraimashita (Yes, I got
one).

Now, if a different salesclerk offers another pen to Kimiko and she wanted to
say that she already got one, she would say itadakimashita (I already received
one), which would be the most polite and adult thing to say since the salesclerk
represents the giver (the store) here. To say moratta could sound rude or
juvenile.

It would be impossible to cover all the subtle language possibilities and

nuances here regarding giving and receiving in Japan. The words and wording
will change according to your position as giver or receiver, your age and
relationship with the other(s), and other variables. However, this should cover
the main questions and suffice as a guide. Keep in mind that, just like anywhere
else, each home, office, company, and region will have its own "atmosphere"
and certain unwritten rules pertaining to language use.

11
Adjectives with sou and sugiru [L9]
[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpadj/lesson9.htm]

This lesson should clarify sou (I hear that [something] is [adjective]) and
sou ([something] looks/sounds/seems [adjective]).

Here's how they work: Sou (I hear that [something] is [adjective]) is basically
used to report hearsay or the reports of others without the involvement of your
personal senses or opinion. It is added after both true and quasi-adjectives with
no change to the adjective itself:

• Ano daigaku no nyuugaku shiken wa muzukashii sou desu.

(I hear that that university's entrance exam is difficult.)
• Sono hon wa takai sou desu.
(I hear that book's expensive.)
• Ano atarashii mise no basho wa fuben sou desu.
(I hear that the new store is in an inconvenient location.)

The other sou ([something] looks/sounds/seems [adjective]) is used to

express your own impression of something based on hearsay, seeing a picture,
etc. This one takes the place of the final i in true adjectives, and is added after
quasis, just like the other sou:

• Oishisou! (Sounds delicious!)

• Sono jitensha wa takasou. (That bicycle looks expensive.)
• Kare wa ganko sou na ojii-san desu ne.
(He seems like a hard-headed old man, doesn't he?)

Thanks to various unwritten rules, these two sous are fairly easy to keep
straight. In the first sou outlined above, sou is said without stress, in a matter-
of-fact kind of way. Also, I've noticed that native speakers will usually add desu
or da after it. (That's why I added desu in the examples.) The second sou is
stressed and drawn out, and said with at least a little excitement if it's describing
something good. It doesn't need desu or da, and is often used as a simple
exclamation:

12
 • Tanoshisou! (Sounds fun!)
• Samusou! (Looks cold! [as one might say while watching a
program about Alaska])
• Mazusou! (Sounds nasty! [not good to eat])
• Kantan sou! (Looks easy!)
• Raku sou! (Looks comfortable!)

Note:
The adjective yoi is an exception with this sou. You need to add sa
first: yosasou (sounds good). This, by the way, is how you add sou
to the negative nai as well, for example: yoi (good) + nai = yokunai
(not good) + sou = yokunasasou (doesn't sound good).

Sugiru means "too (much of something)," and is also used a lot. It works
like the second sou above, meaning it replaces the final i of true adjectives:

• Kono o-cha wa atsusugiru! (This tea is too hot!)

• Ano hako wa omosugiru! (That box is too heavy!)
• Kyou no shiken wa muzukashisugita.
(Today's test was too difficult.)
• Kore wa kantan sugiru! (This is too easy!)
• Kanojo wa kechi sugiru kara, tomodachi ga inai.
(She doesn't have any friends because she's too stingy.)

Base 3 + no wa [L39]
[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson39.htm]

Do you remember koto, which was introduced back in Lesson 31? The no in
no wa plays the same role, and is the easiest way to make a noun out of a
verb: yomu (to read) + no (wa) (the thing of) = yomu no wa ([the thing of]
reading [is]). Wa is the subject indicator. Look at these examples:

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 • Yomu no wa tanoshii desu.
(Reading is enjoyable.)
• Nihongo o hanasu no wa kantan desu.
(Speaking Japanese is easy.)
• Hayaku okiru no wa tokidoki muzukashii desu.
(Getting up early is sometimes difficult.)
• Kasei ni sumu no wa mada fukanou desu.
(Living on Mars is not yet possible.)
• Hawaii ni iku no wa saikou desu!
(Going to Hawaii is great!)

Please remember that there are other no's, mainly the one used for
possessives, like our ['s], as in:

• Jim no jisho wa ao de, boku no wa aka desu.

(Jim's dictionary is blue; mine is red.)

and the one used with aru or nai to show the existence or non-existence of
something, as in:

• Hontou ni mondai no nai tabi deshita. (It really was a problem-free

trip.)

Adverbial forms [L5]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpadj/lesson5.htm]

Making adverbs from adjectives is quite easy. With true adjectives, just
replace the final i with ku before adding the verb. With quasis, just add ni :

• Ojii-san wa itsumo osoku taberu. (Grampa always eats slowly.)

• Hayaku shinasai! (Do it quickly!)
• Kazuya wa e o jouzu ni kakeru. (Kazuya can draw pictures well.)
• Kono shigoto wa kantan ni dekiru yo.
(You'll be able to do this job easily.)

The verb naru (to become) is often used with adverbs:

• Shinpai shinaide! Dandan jouzu ni naru yo.

(Don't worry! You'll gradually become better at it.)

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 • Mai toshi boku no shigoto wa muzukashiku narimasu.
(My job gets more difficult every year.)
• Lisa wa kaigai kara kaeru to, itsumo byouki ni naru.
(Lisa always gets sick after returning from overseas.)

Use suru with descriptive adverbs for "to make":

• Ookiku shite kureru? (Would you make it bigger?)

• Atatakaku shite agemashou. (I'll make it warmer for you.)
• Watashitachi wa anzen ni shinakereba naranai.
(We must make it safe.)

Base 1 + zu ni [L23]
[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson23.htm]

Use zu ni with Base 1 to say that someone did something without doing
something else which was expected. Yes, that's a tad confusing, but these
examples should make it clear:

• Kare wa yuushoku o tabezu ni nemashita.

(He went to bed without eating dinner.)
• Kyou Shizuka wa kyoukasho o motazu ni gakkou ni kimashita.
(Today Shizuka came to school without her textbook.)
• Bob wa maemotte denwa sezu ni John no ie ni ikimashita.
(Bob went to John's house without calling first.)

Please note that in some cases the ni after the zu may be omitted,
especially when no particular emphasis needs to be applied.

Base 4 + ba [L48]
[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson48.htm]

After a long hike through many Base 3 verb forms, I think it's about time to
start on Base 4. Remember that Bases 1 through 5 basically follow the
Japanese vowels in their alphabetical order :

1. AH, a as in father
2. EE, e as in see

15
3. OO, u as in mule
4. EH, e as in red
5. OH, o as in mode

and that the verb changes to end with the vowel sound of the "base" it's in
before anything is added to it. (There are some exceptions among the ichidan
and irregular verbs, however.) Think of Base 3 as the "root," or "dictionary
form," since that's the form you'll see when looking words up. Base 3 is the plain
form of the verb; it's where you start. You change it into the other "bases" and
add the endings or other add-ons as necessary.

Now, let's borrow the tables from Lesson 17 and add a Base 4 column.
Notice how the verbs change from their plain (Base 3) form. Also notice that this
time the "bases" are in numerical order, and that the last letter, or vowel sound,
of each verb corresponds in order with the vowels outlined above, except those
pesky troublemakers in Bases 1 and 2 of the ichidans and Base 1 of the
irregulars.

Yodan verbs:

Base 1 Base 2 Base 3 (plain form) Base 4

kawa kai kau kae
aruka aruki aruku aruke
isoga isogi isogu isoge
kasa kashi kasu kase
mata machi matsu mate
shina shini shinu shine
asoba asobi asobu asobe
yoma yomi yomu yome
kaera kaeri kaeru kaere

Ichidan verbs:

Base 1 Base 2 Base 3 (plain form) Base 4

tabe tabe taberu tabere
oboe oboe oboeru oboere
kime kime kimeru kimere
de de deru dere
kari kari kariru karire
mi mi miru mire

Irregular verbs:

Base 1 Base 2 Base 3 (plain form) Base 4

ko ki kuru kure
shi shi suru sure

16
 Now that we know how to make Base 4, let's do a simple and useful
conjugation. Do you remember Base 3 + nara, covered in Lesson 35? Well,
Base 4 + ba gives you similar results while being shorter and simpler.

Here are example sentences from Lesson 35, converted to Base 4 + ba:

• Isogeba, tsugi no densha ni noru koto ga dekiru yo.

(If we hurry we'll be able to make the next train.)
• Ame ga fureba, shiai o enki shinakereba naranai.
(If it rains we'll have to put off the game.)
• Kodomotachi wa ima sunakku o tabereba, yuushoku o tabenai
deshou.
(If the kids eat a snack now, they probably won't eat dinner.)

Very handy.

Another use for this is to suggest doing something. Here, it's the equivalent
of "Why don't you...?":

• Kyoto ni ikeba? (Why don't you go to Kyoto?)

• Shichiji han ni dereba? (Why don't you leave at 7:30?)
• A: Obaa-chan ni denwa shitai. (I want to call Grandma.)
B: Sureba? (Why don't you [go ahead and call
her]?)

This form of suggestion does not include the speaker, however. If you
wanted to say "Why don't we go to Kyoto?" you would use mashou or
something similar: Kyoto ni ikimashou ka?

Base 1 + nai deshou [L18]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson18.htm]

Here's an easy one. Adding deshou after nai means that somebody is probably
not going to do something, or that something is not likely to happen:

• John wa kasa o kawanai deshou.

(John probably isn't going to buy an umbrella.)
• Jim wa manga o yomanai deshou.
(Jim probably doesn't read comic books.)
• Yuki wa furanai deshou.
(It probably won't snow.)

17
Actually, deshou is a handy add-on that also works with plain positive (Base 3)
verbs, as in:

• Ojii-san wa sugu kaeru deshou.

(Grandpa will probably return soon.)
• Sachiko wa kuru deshou.
(Sachiko will probably come.)
• Bill wa ika o taberu deshou.
(Bill will probably eat the squid.)

Base 2 + mashou [L9]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson9.htm]

Sometimes it is written masho with a line above the o, but either way this
one is easy to remember. It simply means "let's (do something)." For example:

• Ikimashou. (Let's go.)

• Tabemashou. (Let's eat.)
• Yasumimashou. (Let's take a break.)

As in English, this is also used to mean "I'll do (something) for you / Let
me do (something) for you," as in:

• Watashi ga hakobimashou.
(I'll carry this / these [for you].) 1
• (to a pet) Esa o agemashou.
(Let's get you some food.)
• Anata no jitensha o naoshimashou.
(I'll fix your bicycle. / I'll help you fix your bicycle.)

Base 3 + no desu [L37]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson37.htm]

There are two ways to look at this ending: one is simply another way to
create polite sentences, and the other is a way to make emphatic ones. We
have already learned how to use Base 2 + masu to make polite sentences
back in Lessons 2 and 3. Here are the examples used in Lesson 2:

18
 • Mama wa mise de banana o kaimasu.
(Mom buys/will buy bananas at the store.)
• Jim wa manga o yomimasu.
(Jim will read a comic book.)
• Ojii-san wa sugu kaerimasu.
(Grandpa will return soon.)

Remember these? I hope so. If not, please review them. Now we will end
these same sentences by using Base 3 with no desu:

• Mama wa mise de banana o kau no desu.

(Mom buys/will buy bananas at the store.)
• Jim wa manga o yomu no desu.
(Jim will read a comic book.)
• Ojii-san wa sugu kaeru no desu.
(Grandpa will return soon.)

The meanings are the same as Base 2 + masu as long as they're said in a
regular, bland tone. However, if you want to emphasize something, especially
something you're sure of (or think you're sure of), you put stress on the verb
before no desu, as in:

• Ashita watashi wa Kyoto ni IKU no desu!

(I AM going to Kyoto tomorrow!)
• Anta wa kono sashimi o TABERU no desu!
(You WILL eat this raw fish!)
• Bokutachi no chiimu wa KATSU no desu!
(Our team WILL win!)

A variant of this is to leave out the no and instead attach an "n" sound onto
the stressed verb, like this:

• Watashi wa IKUN desu! (I AM going!)

• Ashita wa ame ga FURUN desu.
(I tell you, it IS going to rain tomorrow.)

As in any other language, the level of emphasis can vary greatly depending
on the situation, need, or habits of the speaker, and may be fine-tuned by using
certain voice inflections and facial expressions, as well as supporting body
language like hand waving, fist pounding, stomping around, writhing, and etc.

19
Base 3 + no ni [L38]
[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson38.htm]

No ni is added to plain verb forms to mean "in order to" (do whatever).
There is nothing really tricky about it, except that instead of being found at the
end of a sentence, it's usually found somewhere near the middle, where it helps
to establish certain conditions concerning the verb in question. As usual, a look
at some examples would probably be the best way to see how it works:

• Kono tegami o okuru no ni ikura desu ka?

(How much will it cost to send this letter?)
• Tokyo yuki no densha ni noru no ni asu hayaku okinakereba
narimasen.
(We'll have to get up early tomorrow in order to make the train for
Tokyo.)
• Hitsuyou na kanji o subete oboeru no ni daibun jikan ga kakaru.
(It takes quite a long time to learn all of the necessary kanji.)

Please keep in mind that there is also a noni, meaning "in spite of," which
we will cover later on. These are easy to keep straight when used in context.

Ta form + rashii [L77]

[http://www.timwerx.net/language/jpverbs/lesson77.htm]

Just as mitai is often used colloquially as the informal substitute for you
desu (Lesson 47), rashii is often used as the informal substitute for sou desu
(Lesson 42), meaning "It seems that...," "I hear that...," etc. Rashii was not
introduced in the Base 3 group, but it does essentially the same thing as Base 3
+ sou desu:

• Takada-san wa yameru sou desu.

(I heard that Mr. Takada's quitting.)

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 • Tanaka-san wa yameru rashii.
(I heard that Mr. Takada's quitting.)

Desu is usually used after sou, making it more formal than rashii. Yes, you
can make it plain by using da instead of desu, but most native speakers will just
use rashii if they want to be informal. According to the books, desu can added
after rashii to make it polite, but I personally have never heard it.

Now that all the explaining is out of the way, let's get back to the Ta Form
and make some plain past examples:

• Sachiko wa Canada ni itta rashii.

(I hear that Sachiko went to Canada.)
• Bob wa daibun futotta rashii.
(I hear that Bob has gained a lot of weight.)
• Ken wa atarashii PC o katta rashii.
(I hear that Ken bought a new PC.)

That's all there is to it.

21
 VOCABULARY ON GRAMMAR

Base 1 + seru / saseru [L22]

sensei: teacher
gakusei: student(s) kimeru: to decide
mainichi: every day kare: he, him
shinbun: newspaper ashita: tomorrow
yuushoku: dinner
taberu: to eat benkyou suru: to study
raishuu: next week kanojo: she, her
kuru: to come karera: they, them
made ni: by ame: candy, sweets 1
(a time or date, to set a deadline: mise: a store, a shop
by 5:00, by tomorrow, etc.)
iku: to go
eigo: the English
language
Base 3 + tsumori [L46]

sanji: three o'clock hairu: to go inside (a room, etc.);

made ni: by to enter or enroll in (a school); to
2
daigaku: university join (a club, church, etc.)

Notes
1. Yes, "rain" is also ame, but it uses a different kanji. The word ame for sweets is usually
written in hiragana.
2. Unlike in the U. S. and other countries where the word college is used loosely, in Japan it is
never used when referring to a traditional four-year university. College (karejji in romanized
Japanese) is only used for junior colleges and vocational schools. Always use daigaku for
university.

22
 Base 3 + made [L33]

matsu: to wait natsu yasumi: summer vacation

shukudai: homework ato: after, in
owaru: to end (as in "It'll be spring in 2 months.")
miseru: to show; to let ni: two
(someone) see, watch shuu kan: a week; a week-long
(something) period
yuushoku: dinner haru: spring

Base 3 + (any noun) [L36]

tokoro: a place ukeru: to receive;

deru: to leave, depart to take a test
jikan: time haru: (the season of)
au: to meet spring
kyaku: customer, guest atarashii: new
otouto: younger inochi: life
brother motarasu: to bring about,
tanjoubi: birthday produce; to cause to happen
purezento: a present 2 kisetsu: season
shiken: examination

Notes
1. For more see Japanese Particles
2. Purezento is yet another example of wasei eigo: words borrowed from English.

23
Te form + itadaku / morau [L61]

o-namae: name senshuu: last week

(The honorific o- prefix is used ginkou: bank
with strangers, customers, etc.) oboeru: remember
oshieru: to teach, tell mise: store
shorui: forms, shukudai: homework
documents, paperwork ima: now
kinyuu suru: to fill out (forms)

Base 3 + no wa [L39]
tanoshii: fun, enjoyable saikou: great; the greatest; the
hanasu: to speak, talk best
kantan: easy jisho: dictionary
tokidoki: sometimes ao: the color blue
muzukashii: hard, difficult aka: red
kasei: Mars hontou (ni): real(ly)
sumu: to live mondai: problem, question
mada: not yet; still not nai: to not be; to not exist
fukanou: not possible, tabi: trip
impossible

Base 1 + zu ni [L23]
neru: to sleep maemotte: beforehand; in
kyoukasho: textbook advance
motsu: to hold; to have denwa suru: to telephone (sn)
gakkou: school ie: house; home

Base 2 + mashou [L9]

24
 kau: to buy furu: to fall from the sky 1
yuki: snow ika: squid

Notes
1. Furu means "to fall down from the sky," like rain, snow, or hail. For falling objects, use ochiru.

Base 2 + mashou [L9]

iku: to go ageru: to give
yasumu: to rest; to take a anata: you 2
break; to take or have a day off jitensha: bicycle
hakobu: to carry naosu: to repair
esa: pet food
Notes
1. In Japanese, the object (as well as the subect) can be omitted when it is known or obvious. In
this example, even hakobimashou alone would be both natural and grammatically sufficient.

2. Please see About You and Name Suffixes.

Base 3 + no desu [L37]

anta: familiar form of bokutachi: masculine familiar

"you" 1 form meaning "we" or
sashimi: specially "us” (boku + tachi)
prepared raw fish chiimu: team (wasei eigo)
katsu: to win

Notes

1. Care must be taken with anta because it is used when talking down to someone and will be
considered rude in most non-familiar situations.

Base 3 + no ni [L38]

25
 kono: this essential
tegami: letter kanji: Chinese characters;
okuru: to send specifically, the characters
ikura: how much? which were adopted from the
-yuki: bound for (This is added Chinese then modified to be
after the destination: Osaka- used in modern Japanese
yuki, Takamatsu-yuki, etc.) subete: all
densha: train oboeru: to learn, remember
noru: to ride; to board (a mode daibun (or daibu): quite, rather,
of transportation) considerably
asu: tomorrow jikan: time
hayaku: early (quickly) kakaru: to take (time); to cost
okiru: to get up (money) 1
hitsuyou (na): necessary,

Notes

1. Kakaru actually has many meanings and uses. Please consult a dictionary for more.

Ta form + rashii [L77]

daibun: considerably; futoru: to gain weight

to a great degree atarashii: new

26