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Lesson 1: New Friends — All Cards
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The absolute foundation of Japanese sentences.
General form: [Topic] は [Something] です = 'As for Topic, it is Something.' Think of です as an '=' sign — the whole point of the sentence sits in the noun right before it. は is the topic marker (written は but pronounced 'wa' — one of Japanese's most-forgotten quirks).
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だいがく
college; university
こうこう
high school
がくせい
student
だいがくせい
college student
りゅうがくせい
international student
せんせい
teacher; Professor . . .
～ねんせい
. . . year student
いちねんせい
first-year student
せんこう
major
わたし
I
ともだち
friend
～さん
Mr./Ms. . . .
～じん
. . . people
にほんじん
Japanese people
いま
now
ごぜん
A.M.
ごご
P.M.
～じ
o'clock
はん
half
にほん
Japan
アメリカ
U.S.A.
～ご
. . . language
にほんご
Japanese language
～さい
. . . years old
でんわ
telephone
ばんごう
number
なまえ
name
なん／なに
what
あのう
um . . .
はい
yes
そうです
That's right.
そうですか
I see.; Is that so?
X は Y です (Identity)
は (wa) marks the topic. です (desu) = 'is'. わたしはがくせいです。= I am a student. The subject is often omitted when clear from context.
Question marker か
Add か to the end of a statement to make it a question. がくせいです → がくせいですか？ No change in word order needed.
Question word なん
なん/なに = 'what'. せんこうはなんですか。= What is your major? なんじですか。= What time is it? Use なん before です, じ, ねんせい.
Particle の (possessive/modifier)
Connects two nouns: Noun1 の Noun2. にほんごのがくせい = a student of Japanese. たけしさんのでんわばんごう = Takeshi's phone number.
Honorific titles: さん, くん, ちゃん
さん: default polite (Mr./Ms.). くん: for boys/male subordinates. ちゃん: for children/close friends. Never use on yourself.
せんせい vs. きょうし
せんせい is used to address/refer to a teacher (honorific). きょうし is used to describe your own occupation modestly. Never call yourself せんせい.
Why あなた is rarely used
あなた (you) is considered rude in most contexts. Use the person's name + さん instead. E.g., たけしさんはがくせいですか。
わたし＿＿がくせいです。(I am a student.)
は
せんこう＿＿なんですか。(What is [your] major?)
は
にほんご＿＿せんせい (a teacher of Japanese)
の
I am a second-year student.
にねんせいです。
What time is it now?
いまなんじですか。
I am a student of economics at the University of Tokyo.
とうきょうだいがくのけいざいのがくせいです。
It is 2:30 PM.
ごごにじはんです。
いちじ
1 o'clock
にじ
2 o'clock
さんじ
3 o'clock
よじ
4 o'clock (NOT よんじ)
ごじ
5 o'clock
ろくじ
6 o'clock
しちじ
7 o'clock
はちじ
8 o'clock
くじ
9 o'clock (NOT きゅうじ)
じゅうじ
10 o'clock
じゅういちじ
11 o'clock
じゅうにじ
12 o'clock
にじはん
half past two
Irregular time readings
4 o'clock = よじ (not よんじ). 7 o'clock = しちじ (not ななじ). 9 o'clock = くじ (not きゅうじ).
4 o'clock = ＿＿じ
よ
9 o'clock = ＿＿じ
く