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Random Words
- 種類 -> しゅるい -> Type
- 雑種 -> ざっしゅ -> Mutt, also works for cats
- 苦手 -> にがて -> Not good at, but subjective. Like something one things of themselves. へた is something they objectively suck at.
Main Point
Passive Verb Tense
This turns something like "To Scold" to "To be Scolded by"
Group 1 Verbs (godan)
Take the ~u sound, and change it to ~aれる. If the ending kana is う, it changes to われる - しかる -> しかられる - さそう -> さそわれる
Group 2 Verbs (Ichidan)
Take the ~る、and turn it into ~られる
- 食べる -> 食べられる
Group 3 Verbs
する -> される - 輸入する -> 輸入される // To Import -> To import by くる -> こられる - 持ってくる -> 持ってこられる // To bring -> To be brought by
Conditional Forms
1. The ~eba (~えば) Form
This is often called the "Logical If." Use this when focusing on the condition required to achieve a specific result.
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How to form it: Verbs: Change the final ~u sound to ~e and add ば. (e.g., Iku → Ikeba)
- I-Adjectives: Drop the final ~i, add ~kereba. (e.g., Samui → Samukereba)
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The Vibe: It’s very "If A happens, then B will definitely follow." It is often used for instructions, proverbs, or mathematical certainties.
2. The Nakereba (なければ) Form
This is simply the negative version of ~eba. It translates to "If "something" does not happen."
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How to form it: Take the negative (nai) form of a verb, drop the ~i, and add ~kereba.
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Example: Tabenai (don't eat) → Tabenakereba (If I don't eat).
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Common Use: You’ll see this in the phrase for "must": ~nakereba narimasen (lit: "If you don't do it, it won't be okay").
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Can also stick "よかった" after it to mean "I wish I "
3. The ~tara (~ら) Form
This is the "Conversational If." It is the most versatile and common conditional in spoken Japanese.
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How to form it: Take the past tense of the verb/adjective and add ~ra.
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Verbs: Itta (went) → Ittara (If/when I go).
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Adjectives: Samukatta (was cold) → Samukattara (If it's cold).
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The Vibe: It can mean "if" (hypothetical) or "when" (temporal). It’s very safe to use in almost any casual situation.
What is the negative of ~tara?
The negative form is ~nakattara.
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How to form it: Take the negative past tense (~nakatta) and add ~ra.
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Example: Ikanakatta (didn't go) → Ikanakattara (If I don't go/If I hadn't gone).
Examples
- 僕はもっと勉強すればよかった
- I should have studied more
- 僕は家に早く帰ればよかった
- I should have gone home earlier