---
type: Knowledge
title: Synthesized Japanese Class Notes
date: '2025-10-23'
---

# Synthesized Japanese Class Notes

This note is a synthesized compilation of all Japanese class notes from the `10-Input` folder. The content has been organized by topic for clarity and ease of reference.

79674766584:0173

## Grammar

### Parts of Speech

- **めいし (名詞)** - Noun
- **どうし (動詞)** - Verb
- **けいようし (形容詞)** - Adjective
- **じょし (助詞)** - Particle
- **しゅご (主語)** - Subject of a sentence

### Particles

- **か** - Placed at the end of a sentence to make it a question.
- **の** - Connects two nouns (Noun 1 + の + Noun 2), where Noun 1 modifies or describes Noun 2. Can also be used as a placeholder for aforementioned or unknown things.
- **に** - Indicates a specific point in time, purpose, or location of existence.
- **で** - Indicates the location where an action takes place or the means by which an action is done ("by").
- **も** - Means "also" or "too." Can be used to show surprise at a large quantity.
- **が** - Marks the subject of a sentence or the object of liking/disliking.
- **を** - Marks the direct object of a verb.
- **から / ので** - Both mean "because" or "so." ので is generally more formal/polite.
- **や** - Used to list things loosely, similar to saying "like" or "such as".
- **なら** - Conditional particle for hypothetical situations, contrasts, or providing information based on a premise ("if").

### Verb Conjugations

#### て-form (Te-form)

The て-form is used to connect verbs, make requests, and in many other grammatical patterns.

- **Rules:**
    - Verbs ending in **う, つ, る** → **って**
    - Verbs ending in **ぬ, む, ぶ** → **んで**
    - Verbs ending in **く** → **いて**
    - Verbs ending in **ぐ** → **いで**
    - Verbs ending in **す** → **して**
    - **Irregular:** する → して, くる → きて

- **Usages:**
    - **〜てください** - Please do...
    - **〜てもいいですか** - May I do...?
    - **〜てはいけません / 〜てはだめです** - You must not do...
    - **〜て〜て...** - To list activities in sequential order.
    - **〜ています** - Present continuous tense.
    - **まだ + 〜ていません** - I haven't done... yet.

#### Non-Polite (Plain) Form

- **のむ (to drink):** のまない (neg), のんだ (past), のまなかった (past-neg)
- **くる (to come):** こない (neg), きた (past), こなかった (past-neg)
- **ある (to exist):** ない (neg), あった (past), なかった (past-neg)

#### Volitional Form

Used to express intention or suggestion in a non-polite way.

- **Godan verbs (u-verbs):** Change the final 'u' sound to an 'o' sound and add 'u'. (e.g., 飲む → 飲もう)
- **Ichidan verbs (ru-verbs):** Replace the final 'る' with 'よう'. (e.g., 食べる → 食べよう)
- **Irregular:** する → しよう, くる → こよう

#### Potential Form ("Can do")

- **Godan Verbs (u-verbs):** Change the final "u" sound to an "e" sound.
- **Ichidan Verbs (ru-verbs):** Remove the final る and add られる.
- **Irregular Verbs:** する → できる, くる → こられる

### Adjective Conjugations

#### い-Adjectives

- **Negative:** Replace い with **くない**.
- **Past:** Replace い with **かった**.
- **Past Negative:** Replace い with **くなかった**.
- **Connecting (Te-form):** Replace い with **くて**.

#### な-Adjectives

- **Negative:** Add **じゃありません**.
- **Past:** Add **でした**.
- **Past Negative:** Add **じゃありませんでした**.
- **Connecting (Te-form):** Add **で**.

### Sentence Structures

- **Making Invitations:**
    - **〜ませんか？** - Polite invitation ("Would you like to...?").
    - **〜ましょう** - Suggestion ("Let's...").
    - **〜ましょうか？** - Suggestion/Offer ("Shall we...? / Shall I...?").

- **Expressing "I think..." (〜と思います)**: Place と思います after a phrase in the non-polite tense. Nouns & な-Adjectives require だ.

- **Quoting Someone (〜と言います)**: Use 「 」 for direct quotes followed by と言います.

- **Making Comparisons:**
    - **A の方が B より ADJ です** - A is more ADJ than B.

- **Expressing Superlatives:**
    - **[Category] の中で [Question Word] が一番 [ADJ] ですか？** - Within [Category], which/what/who is the most [ADJ]?

- **Expressing Intention (〜つもりです)**: Use a non-polite verb followed by つもりです to state you plan to do something.

- **Expressing "To Become" (〜になる / 〜くなる)**:
    - **Noun / な-Adjective + になる**
    - **い-Adjective (stem) + くなる**

- **Expressing "I want to..." (〜たい)**: Change the ます form of a verb to 〜たい. Conjugates like an い-adjective.

- **Expressing someone else wants (〜たがる)**: To describe observations of another person's desire.

- **Stating Purpose**: Use the verb stem + に + verb of motion (e.g., 行きます, 来ます).

- **Expressing "Probably" (〜でしょう)**: Used for predictions.

- **Expressing Preparation (〜ておく)**: Indicates something was done in preparation.

- **Making Suggestions (〜たらどうですか？)**: Suggests trying an action.

- **Polite Questions (〜んです)**: Makes a question less direct and more polite.

- **Listing Activities Loosely (〜たり〜たりする)**: Lists example activities without a specific order.

- **Expressing Experience (〜たことがあります)**: Use the past tense (た-form) of a verb followed by ことがあります.

- **Expressing "Too much" (〜すぎる)**: Add すぎる to the verb or adjective stem.

- **Giving Advice (〜方がいい)**: "It would be better to..."

- **Multiple Reasons Why (〜し)**: Used to list multiple reasons for a result.

- **Expressing "Seems to be..." (〜そうです)**: Used to describe an impression based on appearance.

- **Trying To (〜てみる)**: Conjugate the verb to て form and add みる.

- **Noun Modification**: Use a plain form verb before a noun to modify it.

## Vocabulary

### Nouns

- **People & Titles:** うんてんしゅ (driver), おとしより (elderly person), かいしゃいん (office worker), きょうだい (spiritual brother), ちょうろ (elder)
- **Places:** おうこくかいかん (Kingdom Hall), くうこう (airport), こうえん (park), しやくしょ (city hall), としょかん (library), びじゅつかん (art museum), ゆうびんきょく (post office)
- **Time & Frequency:** あさって (day after tomorrow), いちにちじゅう (all day), おととい (two days ago), こんど (next time), しょうがつ / しんねん (New Years), まいしゅう (every week)
- **Food & Drink:** ごはん (rice/meal), しお (salt), すきやき (sukiyaki), やきにく (BBQ), やしょく (late night snack)
- **Objects & Concepts:** いさん (heritage), えんぴつ (pencil), かばん (bag), くるま (car), けいたい (cell phone), しごと (work), しつもん (question), せいしょ (Bible), でんしゃ (train), りょこう (trip/travel)

### Verbs

- **あう (会う)** - To meet
- **あるく (歩く)** - To walk
- **いく (行く)** - To go
- **うんてんする (運転する)** - To drive
- **およぐ (泳ぐ)** - To swim
- **かう (飼う)** - To keep (a pet)
- **きく (聴く)** - To listen
- **する (suru)** - To do
- **たべる (食べる)** - To eat
- **でかける (出かける)** - To go out
- **はなす (話す)** - To speak
- **まつ (待つ)** - To wait
- **よむ (読む)** - To read
- **差 (さ)** - Range (suffix for adjectives)
- **安愛する (あんないする)** - To guide
- **届ける (とどける)** - To deliver/forward
- **説明する (せつめいする)** - To explain
- **診る (みる)** - To examine (medical)
- **探す (さがす)** - To look for
- **連れていく (つれていく)** - To bring someone

### Adjectives

- **い-Adjectives:** あたらしい (new), あつい (hot), いそがしい (busy), おいしい (delicious), おおきい (big), さむい (cold), ちいさい (small), むずかしい (difficult), やさしい (easy/kind), やすい (cheap)
- **な-Adjectives:** かんたん (easy), きれい (pretty/clean), げんき (healthy), しずか (quiet), じょうず (skilled), すき (likeable), べんり (convenient), ゆうめい (famous)
- **Like/Dislike Scale:** 大好き (love) > 好き (like) > 嫌い (dislike) > 大嫌い (hate)

### Adverbs & Expressions

- **あまり + negative** - Not often
- **じつは** - Actually
- **ずっと** - Much / A lot
- **ぜんぜん + negative** - Not at all
- **たくさん** - A lot
- **ときどき** - Sometimes
- **ゆっくり** - Slowly
- **喜んで (よろこんで)** - With joy/pleasure

## Phrases & Greetings

- **おはよう** - Good morning
- **よろしくお願いします** - Nice to meet you
- **おだいじに** - Take care (when someone is sick)
- **ただいま** - I'm home
- **おかえり** - Welcome back
- **いただきます** - Said before eating
- **おなかがすきます** - I'm hungry
- **のどがかわきました** - I'm thirsty

### Difficulty Suffix (にくい)
- To express that something is difficult to do, add **-にくい** to the verb stem (pre-ます form).

### Receiving Favors (〜てもらいます)
- Used when the subject receives a favor or action from someone else. The subject is the one receiving.
- **Example:** 私は先生に日本語を教えてもらいます。 (I receive teaching of Japanese from the teacher.)

### Polite Requests (〜ていただけませんか？)
- A very polite way to ask someone to do something. Added to the て-form of a verb.
- **Example:** このコンピュータを教えていただけませんか？ (Would you please teach me about this computer?)