Inanis_Vault/20-Knowledge/Synthesized-Japanese-Class-Notes.md

type, title, date

type	title	date
Knowledge	Synthesized Japanese Class Notes	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 Verbs

The potential form in Japanese is used to express ability or possibility (e.g., "can do," "is able to"). Once a verb is in its potential form, it functions grammatically as a Group 2 (Ichidan) verb.

How to Form Potential Verbs (Conjugation)

Verb Group	Base Form (Dictionary)	Conjugation Rule	Potential Form (Plain)	Example
Group 1 (Godan/U-verbs)	Ends in a U-row kana	Change the final U-sound to the equivalent E-sound and add る (U \rightarrow E + る)	E-る verb	話す (hanasu - to speak) \rightarrow 話せる (hanaseru - can speak)
Group 2 (Ichidan/Ru-verbs)	Ends in る (preceded by E or I sound)	Replace る with られる (る \rightarrow られる)	られる verb	食べる (taberu - to eat) \rightarrow 食べられる (taberareru - can eat)
Irregular (する)	する (suru - to do)	Special exception	できる (dekiru - can do)
Irregular (来る)	来る (kuru - to come)	Special exception	来られる (korareru - can come)

Note The ra-Drop (ranuki kotoba)

In casual speech, especially for Group 2 verbs, the ら (ra) is often dropped.

• Standard: 食べられる (taberareru)
• Colloquial (Non-Standard): 食べれる (tabereru)

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Key Grammatical Usage Particle Change

The most important grammatical rule for potential verbs is the change in the direct object particle.

Particle Change: を (o) \rightarrow が (ga)

When a transitive verb is put into the potential form, the direct object particle usually changes from を (o) to が (ga).

Verb Form	Example Sentence	Meaning
Non-Potential	私は日本語を話します。	I speak Japanese.
Potential	私は日本語が話せます。	I can speak Japanese.

Tip: While が is grammatically correct and preferred in formal writing, you may frequently hear を used with potential verbs in casual conversation.

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Alternative Expression of Potential

You can express potential without conjugating the verb into its unique form by using the phrase ～ことができる (koto ga dekiru), which means "the thing/action of {verb} can be done."

• Formula: Plain Form of Verb + ことができる

Method	Example	Meaning
Potential Verb	日本語が 話せます。	I can speak Japanese.
Alternative Form	日本語を 話す ことができます。	I can speak Japanese.

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 or 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.

• Difficulty Suffix nikui: 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?)

• Expressing Hope (といいですね or といいんですが):

  • For Others (〜といいですね / 〜といいね): Expresses hope for someone else. Added after a plain form verb, い-adjective, or な-adjective.
    • Example: 早くよくなるといいですね (I hope you get better soon.)
    • Example: 合格するといいですね (I hope you pass the exam.)
  • For Oneself (〜といいんですが / 〜といいんだけど / 〜といいな): Expresses hope for oneself.
    • Example: すてきな人と結婚できるといいんですが (I hope I can marry a wonderful person.)
    • Example: 給料は上がるといいんですが (I hope my salary rises.)

• Expressing When (とき): Added to the plain form of a verb to create a time-referencing clause. The tense of the verb before とき indicates the timing of the main action.

  • Present Tense + とき: The main action occurs during the action in the とき clause.
    • Example: 会社に行く時に友達を会いました。 (I met my friend on the way to work.)
  • Past Tense + とき: The main action occurs after the action in the とき clause was completed.
    • Example: パリに行った時にこのかばんを買いました。 (When I went to Paris, I bought this bag.)

• Expressing Apology (てすみませんでした): Used to apologize for an action, often for something that couldn't be done.

  • Formula: Verb (て-form) + すみませんでした
  • Note: If apologizing for not doing something, use the negative て-form (なくて).
  • Example: パーティーへ行かなくて、すみませんでした (I'm sorry I couldn't go to the party.)
  • Example: 本をなくして、すみませんでした (I'm sorry for losing the book.) - Example: 宿題を持って来なくて、すみませんでした (I'm sorry for not bringing the homework.)
  - **Quoting Someone Informal (tte iimashita)** - 2025-11-25 A less formal equivalent of `〜と言います` for quoting others. It requires the verb preceding it to be in the plain (dictionary) form, not the -ます form. The latter part of the phrase (e.g., `言いました`) is often omitted in casual conversation. - **Formula**: Plain Form + って言いました / って - **Examples**: - *A-sanが”明日は休む”って言いました* (A-san said, "I'm off tomorrow.") - *A-sanが「会議は午後からだ」って* (A-san said, "The meeting is from the afternoon.") - *A-sanが「資料を作って」って* (A-san said, "Make the materials.") - *ニュースで「けいざいがよくなっている」って* (The news said, "The economy is improving.")

  • Conditional If (moshidattara or tara) - 2025-11-25 A common, less formal way to express "if" (less formal than なら).

    • Verb: Conjugate the verb to its plain past tense (た-form) and add ら.
      • Example: もしたくさんお金があったら、新しい車を買います。 (If I had a lot of money, I would buy a new car.)
    • Noun or な-Adjective: Add だったら.
      • Example: もし明日はいい天気だったら、ビーチにいきます。 (If the weather is good tomorrow, I'll go to the beach.)
    • Negative Noun/な-Adj: Conjugate the noun/adjective to the negative plain past じゃなかった and add ら.
    • い-Adjective: Replace the final い with かったら.
      • Example: もし週末は晴れだったら、公園で遊びます。 (If it's sunny this weekend, we'll play at the park.)

  • Trying To (てみる) - 2025-11-20: To express the idea of trying something out, you conjugate a verb to its て-form and then append the verb みる. Since みる is a regular verb itself, it can be conjugated into other forms, allowing for flexible expressions.

    • Formula: Verb (て-form) + みる
    • Conjugation Examples:
      • 〜みてもいいですか? - Is it okay if I try...?
      • 〜みたい - I want to try...
    • Usage Examples:
      • 新しいレストランに行ってみます。 (I'll try going to a new restaurant.)
      • この服は着てみてもいいですか？ (Is it okay if I try on these clothes?)
      • この靴はサイズが合いますか？履いてみてもいいですか？ (Do these shoes fit my size? Can I try them on?)
      • この本は面白いですか？読んでみてもいいですか？ (Is this book interesting? May I try reading it?)
      • 沖縄のがまを見てみたい。 (I want to try to see the caves in Okinawa.)

• Hearsay (そうです) - 2025-11-20 This pattern is used to report information that you have heard from another source. It is appended to the plain (non-polite) form of verbs andい-adjectives. For な-adjectives and nouns, you must add だ before そうです.

  • Formula: Plain Form (Verb/Adjective) + そうです
  • Formula (Noun/な-Adj): Noun/な-Adj + だ + そうです
  • Citing a Source: To mention where you heard the information, use the pattern: [Source] + によると.
  • Usage Examples:
    • 今日は雨だそうです。 (I heard it will rain today.)
    • 天気予報によると今日は雨が降るそうです。 (According to the weather forecast, I heard it will rain today.)
    • 明日は天気予報によると寒くなるそうです。 (I heard from the weather report that it will get cold tomorrow.)
    • 週末は天気予報によると嵐になるそうです。 (I heard from the weather report that it will become stormy this weekend.)

• Confirmation Conditions (ra) - 2025-12-04 This pattern is used to express a conditional, similar to "if" or "when" in English. It's formed by taking the past tense plain form of a verb (the た-form) and adding ら. It indicates that the second clause of the sentence will happen after the condition in the first clause is met. This is a very common and versatile conditional form.

  • Formation:
    • Verb (た-form) + ら
    • い-Adjective (stem) + かったら
    • な-Adjective / Noun + だったら
  • Key Usage:
    • Indicates a specific, often one-time, condition and result.
    • Can be used for things that are certain to happen (e.g., "When I turn 20...") or hypothetical situations.
    • Often used when the first action is a necessary prerequisite for the second.
  • Examples:
    • 彼女は二十歳なったら、会社に入社します。 - After the girl turns 20, then she can enter the work force.
    • 年を取ったら、田舎に住みたい - When I grow old, I want to live on the country side.
    • 駅に着いたら, 電話してください - When you get to the station, please give me a call.
    • 今日は家に帰ったら、何をしますか。 - When you return home today, what will you do？ (Asking questions)

• Need Not To (nakutemo iidesu) - 2025-12-04 This grammatical pattern expresses that there is no necessity to perform an action. It's the equivalent of saying "you don't have to..." or "it's okay if you don't..." in English. It's formed by taking the negative ない form of a verb, dropping the final い, and adding くてもいいです.

  • Formation:
    • Verb (ない-form, drop い) + くてもいいです
    • Example: 行く (iku) -> 行かない (ikanai) -> 行かなくてもいいです (ikanakutemo ii desu)
  • Key Usage:
    • Grants permission not to do something.
    • It is the opposite of 〜なければなりません (must do) and 〜てはいけません (must not do).
    • It's a softer, more polite expression than a direct command.
  • Examples:
    • ホテルでかばんを持たなくてもいいです。 - At the hotel, its ok if you don't hold my bags//don't need to hold my bags.
    • 日曜日は早く起きなくてもいいです - On Sundays, its ok to not wake up early.
    • 日曜日は仕事に行かなくてもいいです - I don't need to go to work on Sundays.
    • AIがあったら、仕事をしなくてもいいです - If there's AI, we don't need to work.
    • 自動チェックインをしたら、カウンターに行かなくてもいいです. - If you use self check in, you don't need to go to the counter.

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), 安愛がかり (あんないがかり) - Greeter, お金持ち (rich person), 奥さん (おくさん) - Wife (someone else's), 旦那さん (だんなさん) - Husband (someone else's)
• 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), 将来 (しょうらい) - near future
• 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), 洋食 (ようしょく) - Western food
• 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), 洋食 (ようしょく) - Western food, 合格発表 (ごうかく はっぴょう) - pass exam announcement, 給料 (きゅうりょう) - salary, 実現 (じつげん) - achievement/realization, 公開講演 (こうかいこうえん) - public talk, 緊張 (きんちょう) - nervousness, 区域 (くいき) - Congregation Territory, 忍耐 (にんたい) - Patience (from God), 基地 (きち) - Military Base, 遅刻 (ちこく) - Delay, 宿題 (しゅくだい) - Homework, 教科書 (きょうかしょ) - Text Book, 日の出 (ひので) - Sunlight, 離島 (りとう) - Small islands off a big island, 天気予報 (てんきよほう) - Weather report, 嵐 (あらし) - Storm
• Natural Phenomena: - 2025-11-25: 断水 (だんすい) - Water Main/Cut, 地震 (じしん) - Earthquake, 洗濯 (せんたく) - Laundry
• Other: 軍隊 (ぐんたい) - Military, おく - Billion, 自動チェックイン (じどうチェックイン) - Self Check-in

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
• 出来る (できる) - to be able to
• 昇進する (しょうしん する) - to be promoted
• 出世する (しゅっせ する) - to be promoted (more impactful)
• 慣れる (なれる) - To get Used to
• 心開く (こころひらく) - Open Minded/Open Hearted
• 成長する (せいちょうする) - To grow in size
• 見送る (みおくる) - To send off, to see off
• 出迎える (でむかえる) - To go to entrance, and welcome other person
• 誘う (さそう) - to invite
• 困る (こまる) - To get in trouble
• 年を取る (としをとる) - To become old
• 着く (つく) - to arrive
• 官憲します (かんけんします) - To do an expedition
• 切る (きる) - to turn off/cut off
• 消す (けす) - to turn off/make disappear

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), 悲しい (かなしい) - Sad (serious), 我慢強い (がまんづよい) - Patient, 使いやすい (つかいやすい) - To be useful
• 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), 残念 (ざんねん) - Disappointed/Too bad
• 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
• 行ってきます (いってきます) - I'm leaving
• お帰りなさい (おかえりなさい) - Welcome Back (more formal)
• 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