Should べき (beki) + Probably not まい (mai) + Not necessarily からといって (karatoitte) + And やら (yara) + Without doing ず (zu)

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レシピをみずにりょうりをつくられる？

Reshipi o mizuni ryouri o tsukurareru?

Can you cook without looking at the recipe?

Should (べき)

べき is a verbal suffix that is used to express that something needs to be done in a moral obligation or a duty. It has a stronger meaning than ほうがいい or はず. Thus, we will not see it in suggestions.

There are also different forms of べき which will take on different meanings and will have different levels of formality between them.

VERB + べき + だ

VERB + べき + NOUN

With the verb する, you will sometimes see it as するべき, which is the colloquial form, or すべき, which is more formal.

Obligation: you should do

The basic form of べき is to indicate that you should or you must do something. Coupled with the verb だ or です, it shows that you have to do something.

You should/must apologise to her.

かのじょにあやまるべきだ。

Kanojo ni ayamaru beki da.

In this case, it isn't a suggestion, but rather an imperative that you must apologise to the person. べき conveys that there is a duty or an obligation to perform a certain task.

You should study more.

もっとべんきょうすべきだ。

Motto benkyou subeki da.

べき followed by a noun

When べき is followed by a noun, it indicates something we should do.

There are a lot of things I should do.

やるべきことがいっぱいある。

Yaru beki koto ga ippai aru.

Do not use べき for hints or suggestions. As the use of べき is very strong, we cannot use it to make suggestion. It is interpreted as 'you have the obligation to'.

There are other ways to make suggestions to people, but if you use べき to do so, this will sound as a rebuke.

Therefore, べき should be used to indicate what I myself should do, indicate a general rule that everyone should follow, or ask someone their opinion on what you should or should not do.

Hey, do you think I should call him?

ねぇ、かれにでんわをするべきだとおもう？

Nee, kare ni denwa suru beki da to omou?

Using べき in the negative

VERB + べき + ではない

VERB + べき + じゃない

When we change べき into the negative form, it becomes 'shouldn't'.

You shouldn't say things like that.

そんなことをいうべきではない。

Sonna koto o iu beki dewanai.

Using べき in the past

VERB + べき + だった

VERB + べき + ではなかった (negative)

It is possible to conjugate it in the past as well. In this case, it conveys that you feel regret, that you should have done something, but you didn't.

I should have asked her her phone number.

かのじょのでんわばんごをきくべきだった。

Kanojo no denwa bango o kiku beki datta.

Using the particle か with べき

べき can also be used with the particle か.

VERB + べき + か

In this case, this form is expressed when you wonder if you should or shouldn't take any action.

To live or to die.

いきるべきかしぬべきか。

Ikiru beki ka shinu beki ka.

It is possible to use かどうか to emphasise the meaning.

I wonder whether or not I should buy a car.

くるまをかうべきかどうかまよっている。

Kuruma o kau beki kadouka mayotteiru.

Indicating a purpose with べく

Grammatically, べく is the conjunctive form of べき.

But, べく is different than べき.

べく is in fact used to indicate an action performed to achieve a predetermined purpose. It can be translated as 'for the purpose of'.

He entered law school to become a lawyer.

 かれは、べんごしになるべくほうがくぶにはいった。

Kare wa, bengoshi ni naru beku hougakubu ni haitta.

べくもない there is no chance

This expression means 'there is no chance (of something happening)'.

This means that even if you really try hard, there is no way of achieving what you want to achieve.

A drawing cannot be compared to a photograph.

えはしゃしんにはおよぶべくもない。

E wa shashin ni haoyobu beku mo nai.

There is no chance to remember all the kanji.

かんじをぜんぶおぼえるべくもない。

Kanji o zenbu oboeru beku mo nai.

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Probably not まい

まい is used in two ways: assumptions about facts and people, and a strong willingness to not do something.

It can be translated into many things: probably isn't, probably doesn't, won't, must not, or don't intend to.

VERB (ichidan without る) + まい

たべる -- たべ -- たべまい

VERB (godan in infinitive) + まい

いく -- いくまい

Irregular verbs

するまい, but also しまい or すまい

くる becomes こまい

まい is perceived as an auxiliary verb and is used in negative contexts. It has a negative meaning. It is the opposite form of the volition form.

I vowed not to smoke again.

もうにどとタバコをすうまいとちかった。

Mou nido to tabako o suumai to chikatta.

In this case, this expression can be replaced with しないつもりだ (I am not going to do it, I will never do).

にどと + a negative verb form means 'I won't... never again'.

I won't go again.

にどといくまい。

Nido to ikumai.

Never be a slothful person.

けっしてなまけものにはなるまい。

Kesshite namake mono ni wa narumai.

なるまい means そうならないようにするつもりだ, we intend that this does not happen.

This time we won't repeat that.

こんかいはあれをくりかえすまい。

Konkai wa are o kurikaesumai.

I will never climb up and down this hill again.

もうこのさかをのぼりおりすることはにどとあるまい。

Mou kono saka o noboriori suru koto wa nido to arumai.

The prices are expensive, the service is bad, I will never go to this shop again.

りょうきんはたかいし、サービスはさいあくだし、もうにどとあんなみせにいくまい。

Ryoukin wa takai shi, saabisu wa saiaku da shi, mou nido to anna mise ni ikumai.

It is before an important exam, so I won't go out.

だいじなしけんのまえだからあそびにいくまい。

Daijina shiken no mae da kara asobini ikumai.

Assumptions

We use まい to assume that a fact will not or does not occur, a negative assumption.

Nobody ever believes what he says.

かれのいうことなんて、だれもしんじまい。

Kare no iu koto nante, daremo shinjimai.

At this time, I won't be in time for the last train.

このじかんだと、さすがにしゅうでんにはまにあうまい。

Kono jikan da to, sasuga ni shuuden ni wa maniaumai.

It can never get worse than this.

けっしてこれよりわるくなるまい。

Kesshite kore yori waruku narumai.

けっして means 'never'.

Children won't eat such spicy food.

こどもはこんなからいものはたべまい。

Kodomo wa konna karai mono wa tabemai.

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Not necessarily からといって

This expression means 'not necessarily', 'just because', 'even if'. It is used to give a negative opinion about an idea or an action of the person we are talking to.

VERB + からといって

い-ADJ + からといって

な-ADJ な + だ + からといって

NOUN + だ + からといって

からといって is formed of から, which indicates the origin of the criticism, meaning 'given the fact that' or 'it does not mean that'; of と, which is used to signify a quote someone said; and of いって, which is the て form of the verb いう, which means 'to say'.

Just because you failed once, it doesn't mean you will fail again.

いちどしっぱいしたからといって、つぎもしっぱいするとはかぎらない。

Ichido shippai shita karatoitte, tsugi mo shippai suru to wa kagiranai.

In this example, からといって follows the verb しっぱいする (to fail), so it indicates that failing once does not mean that you will fail again. In this case, the expression is used to criticise the idea that the interlocutor has about failing again since they already failed once.

からといって is often seen with とはかぎらない, which means 'not necessarily'.

からといって can also be found with the expression わけではない.

からといって is used to criticise someone's idea or opinion. In that case, we are telling or advising the interlocutor to not take a certain action just because we are in a certain situation.

Just because it is itchy doesn't mean you should scratch it that much.

ゆかいからといってあんまりかかないかたがいいよ。

Yukai karatoitte anmari kakanai kata ga ii yo.

Just because they are children doesn't mean this behaviour is forgivable.

こどもだからといって、 ゆるされるこういじゃない。

Kodomo da karatoitte, yurusareru koui janai.

This sentence means 'just because they are kids, this isn't forgivable behaviour.'

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And やら

やら is an expression meaning 'and' as a conjunction for lists and items, but it is used in various contexts and translations will vary depending on specific situations.

やら has various uses and is positioned in various places in a sentence. It can be found as an adverb combined with a verb, as an adverb combined with a noun, and as a final particle in a sentence.

NOUN + やら

VERB + やら

い-ADJ + やら

な-ADJ + やら

It is also found joined with the particle の to become のやら, with verbs, nouns and adjectives.

やら typically expresses doubt or uncertainty, even dismay or concern.

My daughter plays everyday, I really don't know what she is doing.

むすめはまいにちゲームばかりして、なにをしているのやら。

Musume wa mainichi geemu bakari shite, nani o shiteiru no yara.

In this example, やら shows the concern of the parent about what their daughter is doing.

I cannot remember where I put my passport.

どこにパスポートをおいたのやら、おもいだせない。

Doko ni pasupooto o oita no yara, omoidasenai.

Here, the use of やら conveys a feeling of concern as to where you put your passport. This sentence without やら can work, but this feeling of deep concern would not be conveyed.

My friend always seems to be in a bad mood. I really don't know why he is dissatisfied.

ともだちはいつもふきげんそうだ。いったいなにがふまんなのやら、わからない。

Tomodachi wa itsumo fukigensou da. Ittai nani ga fumanna no yara, wakaranai.

Here, you express concern over why your friend is always in a bad mood. いったい in this sentence means 'on earth' as in 'I don't know why on earth he is dissatisfied'.

やら〜やら for lists

Do you remember the particles や and など? Well, やら can also be a substitute for these.

It is used in cases where the situations are similar to one another.

In the wallet, there are cards, receipts, etc.

さいふのなかにカードやらレシートやらがはいっている。

Saifu no naka ni kaado yara reshiito yara ga haitteiru.

It is also used in union with verbs.

Yesterday, between the rain and the strong wind, we didn't go anywhere.

きのうはあめがふるやらつよいかぜがふくやらで、どこへもいかなかった。

Kinou wa ame ga furu yara tsuyoi kaze ga fuku yara de, doko e mo ikanakatta.

The contexts in which やら〜やら is used are often negative in nature, describing unpleasant situations or situations difficult and annoying to deal with.

Your room is cluttered with books and clothes. Please, clean that up.

あなたのへやはほんやらふくやらでちらかっている。そうじしてください。

Anata no heya wa hon yara fuku yara de chirakatteiru. Souji shite kudasai.

Differences between やら〜やら and や and たり〜たり

They might be synonyms, but や can only work with nouns and expresses a non-exhausting lists of things. たり〜たり expresses a chain of actions, attached to verbs to say that we did this, and we did that. It is the verb counterpart of や.

In the case of やら〜やら, as mentioned, it will be used in unpleasant situations and will be used with both nouns and verbs.

どうやら it seems that

どうやら, as an adverb, means 'apparently' or 'evidently'.

どうやら combined with a verb means 'it seems that'.

Apparently, there has been a misunderstanding.

どうやらごかいがあったようだ。

Douyara gokai ga atta you da.

Apparently, there will be rain tomorrow.

どうやらあしたはあめらしい。

Douyara ashita wa ame rashii.

Other examples:

I do not understand what my daughter might think about recently, even though I am a woman myself.

さいきんむすめがなにをかんがえているやら、おんなのわたしでもわからない。

Saikin musume ga nani o kangaeteiru yara, onna no watashi de mo wakaranai.

Let's dissect this sentence since it is a long one.

さいきん is 'recently'. むすめ is 'daughter'. なにをかんがえている is 'what to think about'.

おんなのわたし is 'me as a woman'. でも here is like 'even if'. わからない is 'to not understand'.

What should I do now?

これからどうしたらよいのやら。

Kore kara dou shitara yoi no yara.

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Without doing ず

The auxiliary verb ず is similar to ない. We all know by now (I hope!) that ない is the negative form of verbs in the casual form. While ない is the most used form of the negative, ず, albeit being a very formal way of saying the negative, will still be used in certain situations.

Ichidan verbs

たべる -- たべ -- たべず

みる -- み -- みず

I went to work without eating breakfast.

あさごはんをたべずにしごとにいきました。

Asagohan o tabezu ni shigoto ni ikimashita.

Godan verbs

You have to change the う sound to its あ sound to form the negative.

よむ -- よま -- よまず

いく -- いか -- いかず

のこる -- のこら -- のこらず

おもう -- おもわ -- おもわず

Irregular verbs

する -- せず

くる -- こず

As mentioned, ず behaves like ない as a verb ending to express the negative. ない will be the most common, as ず is part of the classical Japanese, which was spoken centuries ago. This is why we can see this auxiliary in stories or TV shows that take place in the past in Japanese.

However, it is still in use in some situations, such as in very formal contexts or in written material, such as poetry and such.

When we add  に after ず, it forms the meaning 'without doing'.

You said it without thinking.

なにもおもわずにいいました。

Nanimo omowazu ni iimashita.

Cooking without looking at the recipe.

レシピをみずにりょうろをつくる。

Reshipi o mizu ni ryouri o tsukuru.

I thought I would teach you this auxiliary even though we do not encounter it much anymore. But in case you watch anime or TV shows that take place in the past, you will now know what it means if you encounter it there!

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You have completed lesson 31!

レッシュン31ができた！

Even so それにしては (soreni shite wa) + Kind of, for now いちおう (ichiou) + Absolutely not でもなんでもない (demo nandemo nai)

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いちおうかんじをおぼえてみる！

Ichiou kanji o oboetemiru!

I will try to remember the kanji!

Even so それにしては

それにしては is an expression meaning 'even so', 'notwithstanding' or 'nevertheless'. The word それ in it comes from the demonstrative 'that', which is far from the speaker, but close to the listener. You will find it in many other expressions:

それから (after that)

それで (so)

それはそうと (anyway)

それに (in addition)

それにしては is seen in sentences like despite A, we must consider B.

SENTENCE + それにしては + SENTENCE

Summer is always hot, and yet (this year) is cool.

なつはいつもあつくて、それにしてはすずしい。

Natsu wa itsumo atsukute, sorenishitewa suzushii.

They say a storm is approaching, but nevertheless, it is quiet.

あらしがちかづいているというが、それにしてはしずかだ。

Arashi ga chikadzuiteiru to iu ga, sorenishitewa shizuka da.

NOUN + にしては

それ can be replaced by a noun. In this case, it is used to make comments about people and situations with a bit of irony.

Despite being a Sumo wrestler, his body is small.

すもうとりにしては、からだがちいさいよね。

Sumou tori nishitewa, karada ga chiisai yo ne.

The first example can also be formed this way.

Despite being summer, it is cool.

なつにしてはすずしい。

Natsu nishitewa suzushii.

That transfer student is really good at Japanese, despite being a first year.

あのりゅうがくせいは、いちねんせいにしてはずいぶんにほんごがじょうずです。

Ano ryuugakusei wa, ichi nen sei nishitewa zuibun nihongo ga jouzu desu.

それにしても

This expression will be used a little bit differently than それにしては. Let's view it with examples to better understand!

Summer is always hot, and yet (this year) it's too hot.

なつはいつもあつくて、それにしてもあつすぎる。

Natsu wa itsumo atsukute, sorenishitemo atsusugiru.

Even though we observe that the temperature in summer is always hot, we also make the observation that this year's summer is too hot. それにしても will be used to convey observations that go beyond what is expected.

I understand when you say it is a good product. Nonetheless, isn't it a bit expensive?

いいしなだというのはわかる。それにしても、ちょっとたかすぎやしないか？

Ii shina da to iu no wa wakaru. Sorenishitemo, chotto takasugiya shinai ka?

NOUN + にしても

We can also use it with nouns.

It is warm, even though it is winter.

ふゆにしてもあたたかい。

Fuyu nishitemo atatakai.

Both.... and

にしても can also state the expression 'whether it is A, whether it is B'.

VERB (inf.) + にしても + ....

VERB (inf.) + にしても

You are good at both reading and writing kanji.

にほんごのかんじはよむにしてもかくにしても、じょうずだ。

Nihongo no kanji wa yomu nishitemo kaku nishitemo, jouzu da.

NOUN + にしても + NOUN + にしても

You are good with both hiragana and katakana.

ひらがなにしてもカタカナにしてもじょうず。

Hiragana nishitemo katakana nishitemo jouzu.

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Kind of いちおう

The expression いちおう means 'kind of' or 'more or less', and is used often to make a sentence more polite and humble, especially when talking about ourselves.

However, in some contexts, too much humility using いちおう can have the opposite effect, so be careful when using it.

Using いちおう when referring to ourselves

In most situations, in Japanese, it is better to use ambiguous expressions. This allows us to never be too direct when stating something about ourselves. This is called  けんそん (humility).

For instance, you studied Japanese thoroughly, you practised a lot, and now you consider your Japanese to be good. In Western cultures, it is okay to say that you are good at something (your tone will tell us if you are bragging or not), but in Japan, we never say such thing about ourselves. We won't be as direct.

I am good at Japanese.

にほんごがじょうずです。

Nihongo ga jouzu desu.

We would never say it that way in Japan.

In this case, いちおう makes the sentence more humble.

I can more or less speak it.

いちおうちょっとできます。

Ichiou chotto dekimasu.

It conveys the idea that you cannot speak the language fully, but you understand fairly enough to get by.

This is also why we tend to refuse compliments by saying 'no, not really'. If we reject your compliments, we are actually being polite, but it might sound rude for Westerners.

Using いちおう to brag

As mentioned, いちおう can have the opposite effect of humility.

I graduated from university.

わたしはだいがくにそつぎょうしました。

Watashi wa daigaku ni sotsugyou shimashita.

わたしはいちおうだいがくにそつぎょうしました。

Watashi wa ichiou daigaku ni sotsugyou shimashita.

At first glance, it seems that the use of  いちおう makes it more humble, but in reality, in this context, it actually puts emphasis on the fact that you graduated. It sounds a bit like 'Well, I actually graduated from university'. It sounds like you are bragging or that you are putting yourself above people who might not have graduated from university.

In most cases, the tone and what is said after いちおう will tell you if the person is bragging or not.

Indication that you will try to do something

いちおう can also indicate that you are unsure of your abilities and you will try to do it anyway.

Some view the use of いちおう in this context as an excuse to do poor work.

Have you finished that job yet?

れいのしごとはもうできた？

Rei no shigoto wa mou dekita?

Yes, I am more or less done.

はい、いちおうできました。

Hai, ichiou dekimashita.

In this case, you are done with the work, but maybe the work is not perfectly done.

You can also use いちおう to say that you will try to do something, but don't promise that it will be perfect.

I'll try.

いちおうやってみる。

Ichiou yatte miru.

I'll try to make Okonomiyaki.

いちおうおこのみやきをつくってみる。

Ichiou okonomiyaki o tsukutte miru.

In these sentences, you say that you will try, but you are unsure if the final results will be perfect.

Asking a favour with いちおう

いちおう can be used when asking for favours if you do not want to put too much pressure on the person.

Could you give me an answer by tomorrow?

いちおう、あしたまでにへんじをくれる？

Ichiou, ashita made ni henji o kureru?

いちおう to mean more or less

In its raw meaning, いちおう will be translated to 'more or less'.

I managed to more or less pass the exam.

いちおうしけんにうかりました。

Ichiou shiken o ukarimashita.

You can more or less make a living with 80 000 yen a month.

つきはちまねなればいちおうせいかつはできる。

Tsuki hachi man en areba ichiou seikatsu wa dekiru.

いちおう to mean for now

いちおう can also have the meaning of 'for now'. 

I'll give you 2000 yen per hour for now.

いちおうにせんえんわたしておくね。

Ichiou ni sen en watashite oku ne.

And with that, the meeting is over for now.

これでいちおうかいぎはおわりです。

Kore de ichiou kaigi wa owari desu.

いちおう to mean anyway

Finally, いちおう can mean 'anyway'.

Anyway, I'll go check.

いちおう、しらべておきます。

Ichiou, shirabete okimasu.

Can you give me your contacts, in case you need?

いちおう、れんらくさきをおしえてくれる？

Ichiou, renraku saki o oshiete kureru?

As you can see, いちおう can have different meaning depending on the context and sentences.

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Absolutely not でもなんでもない

The expression でもなんでもない is used to put a lot of emphasis on the fact that something is not what it is.

Let's see the parts that makes up this expression:

でも: puts into contrast what was previously indicated

なん: means 'what' and emphasises the negation

でも: the second でも will emphasise even more the sense of contrast

ない: is the negation to say 'is not'

Other expressions such as べつに and ぜんぜん can also be used to say 'absolutely not'.

I don't like it.

すきじゃない。

Suki janai.

I absolutely don't like it.

すきでもなんでもない。

Suki demonandemonai.

NOUN + でもなんでもない

な-ADJ + でもなんでもない

I can reassure you I am not lying.

うそでもなんでもない。

Uso demonandemonai.

This sentence can also be translated as 'I am absolutely not lying' or 'this is absolutely not a lie'.

This guy is absolutely not my father anymore!

あいつはもうおやでもなんでもない！

Aitsu wa mou oya demonandemonai!

These documents are really nothing important.

そのしょるいというのはたいせつなものでもなんでもない。

Sono shorui to iu no wa taisetsuna mono demonandemonai.

It has absolutely no value.

かねめのものでもなんでもありません。

Kaneme no mono demonandemo arimasen.

(Polite form)

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You have completed lesson 32!

レッシュン32ができた！

Have the nerve to do やがる (yagaru) + In my own way なりに (narini) + In succession つぎからつぎに (tsugi kara tsugi ni) + Do a favour 〜てやる (〜teyaru)

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じぶんなりにべんきょうすること。

Jibun narini benkyou suru koto.

To study in our own way.

Have the nerve to do やがる

This verb suffix is a very colloquial slang that you will certainly hear in anime or see in manga, meaning 'to have the nerve to', 'to have the courage to' or 'to dare'. It often shows disdain or contempt towards the interlocutor for doing certain actions, somewhat like 'you dare do that?!'

やがる is a suffix attached to the stem of verbs.

VERB (stem) + やがる

する -- し -- しやがる (dare to do)

いう -- いい -- いいやがる (dare to say)

きる -- きり -- きりやがる (dare to cut)

やがる is in fact never used in everyday language. That is why you will never find it in normal conversation. Saying it even to your friends is very rude. You will find it mostly in TV shows, anime or manga, because it is a very rude way to show defiance. 

This guy dared hanging up in the middle of a conversation.

あいつははなしのとちゅうででんわをきりやがった。

Aitsu wa hanashi no tochuu de denwa o kiriyagatta.

やがる is somewhat the rude counterpart of くれる; while くれる indicates an action seen in a positive light, やがる instead indicates a negative action.

Another way of saying 'to dare' is よくも. You will also hear it in anime.

Don't try and tell me that!

いいやがって！

Iiyagatte!

He also dared to destroy my castle!

うちのしろもぶっこわしやがって！

Uchi no shiro mo bukkowashiyagatte!

You had the guts to lose against that guy!

あんなやつにまけやがって！

Anna yatsu ni makeyagatte!

Don't you dare come back here!

おとといきやがれ！

Ototokoi kiyagare!

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In my own way なりに

The expression なりに means 'in the way of' or 'in a manner of'. It indicates an action done following one's own directions or the directions of someone else to the letter. It also conveys the meaning of doing something to one's best abilities.

NOUN + なりに

VERB (infinitive) + なりに

い-ADJ + なりに

な-ADJ + なりに

Do exactly as your parents say.

おやのいいなりになる。

Oya no ii narini naru.

In the same vein, it has the same meaning as とおりに.

Do as others say.

ひとのいいとおりにすること。

Hito no ii toori ni suru koto.

My own way

じぶんなりに

Jibun narini

I think he is engaging in his own way.

かれはかれなりにいっしょうけんめいやっているのだとおもいます。

Kare wa kare narini isshoukenmei yatteiru no da to omoimasu.

At the sport event, my friend was slow to walk, but despite his slowness, he did his best.

うんどうかいでは、ともだちはあしがおそいがおそいなりによくがんばっていた。

Undoukai de wa, tomodachi wa ashi ga osoi ga osoi narini yoku ganbatteita.

In this case, おそいなりに means 'as slow as he was' or 'despite being slow'.

Even if we have no motivation, we can live without it.

やるきがなくても、ないなりにいきていける。

Yaru ki ga nakutemo, nai narini ikiteikeru.

This sentence means that we can live as is, in a way of not having motivation.

I worked hard, even though I wasn't good.

へたでもへたなりにがんばった。

Heta demo heta narini ganbatta.

This sentence means that even in the way of not being good, we worked hard.

These translations, as you might notice, are not exactly 100% what the Japanese sentences convey. That is the downside of languages. We cannot always translate exactly what a sentence means in another language. The best we can do is to explain what the sentences really mean, so you can grasp the real meaning of a sentence in Japanese.

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In succession つぎからつぎに

The expression つぎからつぎに means 'one after the other'. It indicates that an action is repeating itself and keeps happening over and over again.

つぎからつぎに is formed of つぎ, which means 'next'; から, which is the particle to say 'from'; つぎ, which is repeated here again, and に, which is the particle meaning 'after this'.

You will see mostly this expression in a succession of actions.

A + つぎからつぎに + B

One after the other, a series of too many things is taking place.

つぎからつぎにいろんなことがおこりすぎる。

Tsugikaratsugini ironna koto ga okorisugiru.

One problem after another is unexpectedly coming.

つぎからつぎにやっかいなことがまいこんでくる。

Tsugikaratsugini yakkaina koto ga maikondekuru.

The flow of tears continued unabated.

なみだがつぎからつぎにあふれてくる。

Namida ga tsugikaratsugini afuretekuru.

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Do a favour 〜てやる

This expression is used with the 〜て form of verbs and the verb やる. Together, it can mean two things: doing a favour to someone, similar to あげる, or stating an intention or goal you intend on achieving, or an action that you intend to perform.

This expression, in both cases, can be very direct, thus sometimes being considered rude when accompanied by certain verbs.

A little history about this expression!

Originally, 〜てやる was used when an action was done to an animal or a plant (like feeding). The original intention was to mean that the thing you performed an action on was inferior to you. あげる was instead used if we were performing an action with a human being.

But overtime, people started to use あげる more and more, stating that it sounded better than やる. It was less direct and rude.

Nevertheless, the use of やる is less so today to mean that you will do someone a favour. We will use it with animals instead of humans.

I taught my dog how to sit properly.

わたしのいぬにちゃんとざすわるのをおしえてやった。

Watashi no inu ni chanto zasuwaru no o oshiete yatta.

Don't worry. I'll feed him for a year.

しんぱいするな。いちねオレがたべさせてやる。

Shinpai suru na. Ichi nen ore ga tabesaseteyaru.

In the case of human beings, あげる is preferred.

I taught my cousin how to play guitar.

いとこにギターをはじくのをおしえてあげた。

Itoko ni gitaa o hajiku no o oshiete ageta.

Declare an action you will do

The second use of this expression is the most used one, especially in anime and manga.

I'll become a Major League player in two years!

にねにないにだいリーガーになってやる！

Ni nen inai ni dai riigaa ni natte yaru!

I'll beat him in your place.

ぼくがかわりになぐってやろ。

Boku ga kawari ni nagutte yaro.

Even in this form, 〜てやる is best to be avoided in everyday conversations, because it is very direct, thus, you will sound rude if you use it. Nonetheless, it is very used in anime and manga, thus, it is important to view this form as well.

I'll defeat you!

ぶっとばしてやる！

Buttobashite yaru!

I'll kill this guy!

あいつをころしてやる！

Aitsu o koroshite yaru!

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You have completed lesson 33!

レッシュン33ができた！

And, with this, you have completed all the lessons I was planning to do on this blog!

But don't worry, other articles will come up now and then, especially some articles about Japanese culture that will be good to know accompanied by more knowledge about the language, and some articles where I explain more in depths some parts that people had trouble with.

I will probably find out other things to talk about that I forgot, so be sure to check the blog from time to time to see if anything new came up! If you are done with the entire lessons, I strongly invite you to look up the articles that might have more explanations on a specific subject. I am also planing on writing articles to make you practice reading and other things similar!

Enjoy continuing to learn and don't forget! Even after several years of studying, you will always learn something new!

よくがんばったね！

How many (いくつ), how much (いくら) and which (どれ、どちら、どっち、どんな)

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ねこといぬと、どっちがかわいい?

Neko to inu to, docchi ga kawaii?

Which is cuter, a cat or a dog?

How many いくつ

Yeah! Another lesson! Are you happy?

I actually noticed I totally forgot to teach about these question words that I find really important too! 

ほんとうにごめんなさい!!!!

But here they are! And along the way, I think I will finally be able to find something else to teach, so make sure that you stay tuned on this blog!

いくつ means 'how much' and sometimes, 'how old', but for the latter, you should stick to なんさい. We will see how and when to use いくつ. It isn't too difficult, because it is sensibly used like in English.

How many do you want?

いくつほしいですか？

Ikutsu hoshii desu ka?

This is an extremely useful sentence that can be used in a variety of situations. 

Do you remember ほしい, the word to use to express desire? To answer this question, you will need the numbers and counters.

How many prefectures are there in Japan?

にほんには、けんがいくつありますか？

Nihon ni wa, ken ga ikutsu arimasu ka?

Where to place いくつ in the sentences will always depend on what there is in the sentence. In this case, the location comes first, then the subject, then いくつ and the verb.

You can also add the honorific お in front of いくつ to make your sentences more polite.

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How much いくら

いくら is only used to ask 'how much' as in the amount of money.

How much is it?

いくらですか？

Ikura desu ka?

How much is this bag?

このかばんはいくらですか？

Kono kaban wa ikura desu ka?

This phrase will be really useful for you if you go shopping in Japan!

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Which どれ、どちら、どっち、どんな

These words look complicated, but do not worry! We will see them one by one!

どちら and どっち

Let's start by these!

They mean 'which' and are used when comparing two things.

どちら will be used in more polite situations, whereas どっち will be used in a more casual way.

Which is cuter, cats or dogs?

ねこといぬと、どちらがかわいいですか？

Neko to inu to, dochira ga kawaii desu ka?

Which do you want, chopsticks or forks?

はしとフォークと、どっちがほしい？

Hashi to fooku to, docchi ga hoshii?

どれ

どれ means 'which' and is used to compare three things or more.

Of all the Japanese food, which one is the best?

わしょくのなかで、どれがいちばんおいしいですか？

Washoku no naka de, dore ga ichiban oishii desu ka?

わしょく is 'Japanese food', なか here means 'within' or 'inside', so 'within all the Japanese food' and いちばんおいしい can be translated as 'the most delicious'. いちばん means 'first'.

In answering these questions, we will use this construction that we learned already!

Cats are cuter.

ねこのほうがかわいいです。

Neko no hou ga kawaii desu.

I want chopsticks.

はしのほうがほしい。

Hashi no hou ga hoshii.

Curry is the most delicious.

カレーのほうがいちばんおいしいです。

Karee no hou ga ichiban oishii desu.

どんな

どんな means 'what kind', so its meaning is a little bit different, but is in the same category of words.

You can use it to ask what kind of food you like, what genre of movie you prefer and so on.

What kind of job do you do?

どんなおしごとをするのですか？

Donna oshigoto o suru no desu ka?

What kind of country is England?

イギリスはどんなくにですか？

Igirisu wa donna kuni desu ka?

What kind of food do you like?

どんなたべものがすきですか？

Donna tabemono ga suki desu ka?

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おわり