Asking permission 〜てもいいです (〜te mo ii desu) + To seem, sound, look like みたい, 〜らしい, 〜っぽい, 〜そうです (mitai, 〜rashii, 〜ppoi, 〜sou desu) + Instead かわりに (kawari ni)

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ええ、にほんごがむずかしそう。。。
Ee, nihongo ga muzukashisou...
Eeeh, Japanese looks difficult...

Asking permission

 When asking permission, we will use a certain sentence structure; we do not use 'can' to ask permission. We will use the 〜て form of verbs + もいいですか.
It is like asking 'is it okay if I....?'

The first sentence that students usually learn is トイレにいってもいいですか？which is 'may I go to the bathroom?'

Can I open my present?
わたしのプレゼントをあけてもいいですか？
Watashi no purezento o akete mo ii desu ka?

Can we meet at 5 o'clock? (Favour)
ごじにあってもいいですか？
Go ji ni atte mo ii desu ka?

It is also common to drop the も

Can I open my present?
プレゼントをあけていいですか？
Purezento o akete ii desu ka?

In casual speech, it is common to drop the も and です.

Here, your present.
はい、プレゼント。
Hai, purezento.

Can I open it?
あけていい？
Akete ii?

To answer in the positive, you simply say はい or いいです.
To answer in the negative, you can say だめ or だめです.

Can I open my present?
プレゼントをあけてもいいですか？
Purezento o akete mo ii desu ka?

Yes, of course / you can.
はい、どうぞ / いいですよ。
Hai, douzo / ii desu yo.

No, not now.
いいえ、いまだめです。
Iie, ima dame desu.

Remember that this is the only way to ask permission; we cannot use 'can' in this context, like in English.

Can I watch TV after doing my homework?
しゅくだいのあとで、テレビをみてもいいですか？
Shukudai no ato de, terebi o mite mo ii desu ka?
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To seem, to sound and to look like

There are several ways to say 'it seems' or 'it looks like'. Sometimes, they cannot be interchangeable, and their constructions will differ from one another.

みたい

The first (and the easier one) is with みたい.

In front of nouns, we will add な. It is treated like an adjective.

Fruits like apples
りんごみたいなくだもの
Ringo mitaina kudamono

The words will be reversed in Japanese.

I like days like today.
きょうみたいなひがすきです。
Kyou mitaina hi ga suki desu.

Do not forget. We are like family.
わすれないで。わたしたちはかぞくみたいなものです。
Wasurenaide. Watashi tachi wa kazoku mitaina mono desu.

We can put みたい following a verb, a い or な-adjective, or a noun. We won't add な in this case.

This guy always looks tired.
あいつはいつもつかれてるみたいです。
Aitsu wa tsukareteru mitai desu.

Passing the exam was like a lie.
ごうかくするなんてうそみたいです。
Goukaku suru nante uso mitai desu.

This town seems peaceful, isn't it?
このまちはしずかみたいですね。
Kono machi wa shizuka mitai desu ne.

Nobody seems to know her name.
だれもかのじょのほんみょうをしらないみたいだ。
Daremo kanojo no honmyou o shiranai mitai da.

There is no lights. I think Tanaka-san went to bed already.
でんとうがついていない。たなかさんはもうねたみたいだ。
Dentou ga tsuiteinai. Tanaka-san wa mou neta mitai da.

You are 45 years old? You really don't look like it!
よんじゅうごさいですか？ぜんぜんみたいじゃないんです！
Yon juu go sai desu ka? Zenzen mitai janain desu!

らしい

The second way is with 〜らしい. This suffix roughly translates to 'likeness' and is used to express the likeliness of something.

I like manly men.
おとこらしいおとこがすきだ。
Otoko rashii otoko ga suki da.

Today is a cold winter-like day.
きょうはふゆらしいさむいひです。
Kyou wa fuyu rashii samui hi desu.

〜っぽい

The third way is with 〜っぽい, which means 'somewhat' or 'ish'.

He speaks like a child (his way of speaking is like a child).
かれのはなしかたはこどもっぽいです。
Kare no hanashikata wa kodomoppoi desu.

I have a feeling I am feverish...
ねつっぽいきがする。。。
Netsuppoi ki ga suru...

I have a small tendency to forget.
ちょっとわすれっぽい。
Chotto wasureppoi.

〜そう

The fourth way is the most complex one. 〜そう is roughly translated to 'seems' or 'looks like'. It is used with verbs, い and な-adjectives.

Affirmative form (stems of 〜ます)

With verbs in the affirmative, we will take the stem of the verbs.

なきます -- なき -- なきそう

Oh no, it seems like Takeshi will cry.
やばい、 たけしはなきそうです。
Yabai, Takeshi wa nakisou desu.

It looks like the sakura are already blooming.
さくらがもうすぐさきそうです。
Sakura ga mou sugu sakisou desu.

The temperature is too high, so the snowman looks like it's melting.
きおんがたかいからゆきだるまがとけそうだ。
Kion ga takai kara yukidaruma ga tokesou da.

Negative verbs: option 1

The first option is with the negative casual form of verbs and dropping the final い and add そう.

あめがふる -- ふらない -- ふらなそう

The lion at the zoo is always sleepy and doesn't move much.
どうぶつえんのライオンはねてばかりであまりうごきなそうです。
Doubutsuen no raion wa nete bakari de amari ugokinasou desu.

Negative verbs: option 2

We can take the verb stem of the affirmative 〜ます form and add (に) (も) ない.

くる -- きそう -- きそう（に）（も）ない

We can use only に or も or both at once. If you use both, it strengthens your speech.

It seems like Satoshi won't be coming.
さとしはきそうにない。
Satoshi wa kisou ni nai.

Of course, you can put this into the polite form with ありません instead of ない.

さとしはきそうにありません。
Satoshi wa kisou ni arimasen.

There is a nuance between those two options. With the first option, it is based on your thoughts and opinions. Like in あめがふらなそうです, you base yourself on what you see.

With the second option, あめがふりそうにない, you have more than what you see. Not only the sky is clear, but you also looked at the weather app and it said it won't rain.

Using も instead of に puts more conviction, and if you use both particles, it puts even more conviction in what you are saying.

With adjectives: い-adjectives

With い-adjectives, we will replace い with そう.

おいしい -- おいし -- おいしそう

This cake looks delicious.
このケーキはおいしそうです。
Kono keeki wa oishisou desu.

If you want to say 'this looks like a delicious cake', you will add な.

おいしそうなケーキです。
Oishisouna keeki desu.

Kanji looks difficult, doesn't it?
かんじがむずかしそうですね。。。
Kanji ga muzukashisou desu ne...

Negative: い-adjectives

For the negative, we replace the い in くない and add さそう.

むずかしい -- むずかしくない -- むずかしくなさそう

Japanese doesn't look very difficult.
にほんごはあまりむずかしくなさそうです。
Nihongo wa amari muzukashikunasasou desu.

With adjectives: な-adjectives

With な-adjectives, we take off the な and add そう.

べんりな -- べんりそう

This car seems convenient.
このくるまはべんりそうです。
Kono kuruma wa benrisou desu.

Once again, if we want to say 'this seems to be a convenient car', we add な.

べんりそうなくるま
Benrisouna kuruma

Negative: な-adjectives, option 1

There are two ways to conjugate these adjectives in the negative. The first is to conjugate ではない.

ではない -- ではな -- ではなさそう

It doesn't seem to be famous.
ゆうめいではなさそうです。
Yuumei dewanasasou desu.

Negative: な-adjectives, option 2

The second option is to negate the adjectives with ではない.

べんりそう -- べんりそうではない

This car doesn't look convenient.
このくるまはべんりそうではない。
Kono kuruma wa benrisou dewanai.

そうじゃない vs. なさそう

Both of these negatives mean virtually the same, but there is a nuance between them.

Using adjectives + なさそう, you are giving your opinion. However, using そうじゃない, you contradict something that someone said.

For example, your friend finds pugs to be really cute. Using なさそう would just imply that you think pugs are not cute. But with そうじゃない, you challenge your friend's opinion that pugs are cute.

Let's look at examples to help us differentiate the nuance.

Look! I adopted this dog.
ほら！このいぬをさいようしました。
Hora! Kono inu o saiyou shimashita.

It doesn't look cute at all...
ぜんぜんかわいなさそう。。。
Zenzen kawainasasou...

And...

Look! I adopted this dog. Don't you think it's cute?
ほら！このいぬをさいようしました。かわいくない?
Hora! Kono inu o saiyou shimashita. Kawaikunai?

No, it isn't cute at all...
いや、ぜんぜんかわいそうじゃない。。。
Iya, zenzen kawaisou janai...

You see the nuance?

Also, 〜そう is not attached to nouns to express 'looks like' 'seems like'. 

But 〜そう can also be used in a context where you heard something. In this context, 〜そう can be attached to verbs, adjectives and nouns.

With verbs

With verbs, it will signifies that there is hearsay that someone will do something or something will happen.

いく -- いくそう

I hear Tanaka-san will go to the party.
たなかさんはパーティーにいくそうです。
Tanaka-san wa paatii ni ikusou desu.

I heard Mei will quit her job.
めいはしごとをやめるそうです。
Mei wa shigoto o yamerusou desu.

I hear that according to the weather report it won't rain tomorrow.
てんきよほうによると、あしたはあめがふらないそうです。
Tenkiyohou ni yoru to, ashita wa ame ga furanaisou desu.

With adjectives

With い-adjectives, we will attach そう to the adjectives as is.

I hear it is fun.
たのしいそうです。
Tanoshii sou desu.

Thus, たのしそう and たのしいそう have different connotations. The first one, as we saw, means 'this looks fun', whereas the second one mean 'I hear it is fun'. This is why you have to make the difference between the long and short syllables.

For the negative, we will attach そう to the adjectives as is.

I hear it isn't fun.
たのしくないそうです。
Tanoshikunai sou desu.

Again, たのしくなさそう and たのしくないそう have different meanings.

I heard Tanaka-san received some flowers from her boyfriend, but she is not happy. I wonder why...
たなかさんはかれしからはなをもらったのに、うれしくないそうです。どうしてかな。。。
Tanaka-san wa kareshi kara hana o moratta noni, ureshikunai sou desu. Doushite kana...

This sentence is quite long, so let's examine it!

たなかさんはかれしからはなをもらった means 'Tanaka-san received flowers from her boyfriend.' かれしから means 'from (her) boyfriend' and はなをもらった is 'received flowers.' のに in this case means 'even though' as in a negative statement. Even though Tanaka-san's boufriend did a nice gesture towards her (he gave her flowers), her reaction is a negative one.

We will see のに in a later lesson.

With な-adjectives

With な-adjectives, you will take off the な and add だそう（です）.

げんきな -- げんき -- げんきだそう

I hear that everyone in the family is well!
かぞくはみんなげんきだそうです！
Kazoku wa minna genki da sou desu!

In the negative, we negate the adjective and add そう.

きれいではない -- きれいではないそう

I heard that Satoshi's room is not that clean.
さとしのへやはあまりきれいではないそうです。
Satoshi no heya wa amari kirei dewanai sou desu.

With nouns

With nouns, we attach だそう, like with な-adjectives.

I hear she is a student.
がくせいだそうです。
Gakusei da sou desu.

For the negative, you can use ではないそう or じゃないそう.

I hear she is not a student.
がくせいじゃないそうです。
Gakusei janai sou desu.

In these sentences, I alternated between 'hear' and 'heard', but there is no distinction in Japanese, so keep that in mind.

It seems like it was a huge lesson! Again, keep in mind that some sentence structures are not interchangeable in Japanese, even if in English they practically mean the same thing. Japanese is a very nuanced language, if you haven't noticed by now.
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Instead

We are not even done with the lessons yet! We have to learn the expression かわりに.
It can either means 'instead of', 'as a substitute of' or 'in exchange of', 'to make up for'.

VERB (infinitive) + かわりに
NOUN + の + かわりに

かわりに can be split in two categories: one is the meaning of 'instead of', 'as a substitute' or 'on behalf of'. 

I am thinking of hiring Watanabe-san and entrusting him with the management of this restaurant on my behalf.
わたしはわたなべさんをやとって、わたしのかわりにこのレストランのけいえいをまかせることをかんがえている。
Watashi wa Watanabe-san wo yatotte, watashi no kawari ni kono resutoran no keiei o makaseru koto o kangaeteiru.

Here's how to dissect this sentence!

やとって is from the verb やとる, which means 'to hire'. けいえい means 'management'. まかせる is a verb that means 'to leave to someone'. こと in this context is a nominalizer that will turn the verb 'entrusting' into a noun, and かんがえている is 'to think about'. 

I will have to start giving long sentences as examples, so you can learn how to form them more easily.

The second meaning is 'in exchange of' or 'in return'.

In return for the public who pays, they must receive a good service.
たいしゅうはかねをはらうかわりに、よいサーヴィスをもとめるけんりがあります。
Taishuu wa kane o harau kawari ni, yoi saavisu o motomeru kenri ga arimasu.

So, when the public pays, in return they receive good services.
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You have completed lesson 20!
レッシュン20ができた！
Dolly Panda No comments:

About to ところ (tokoro) + Too much すぎる (sugiru), a lot いっぱい (ippai) たくさん (takusan) + easy and difficult + As として (toshite)

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せんせいとしておしえることがたくさんあります。
Sensei toshite oshieru koto ga takusan arimasu.
As a teacher, there is a lot I have to teach.

About to do

I am about to teach you how to say 'I am about to do something'! 
That was my bad pun of the day, so let's dive into the lesson, shall we?

The word ところ roughly means 'about to' or 'on the verge of' and is placed after verbs. Keep in mind that this word does not mean 'about' as in 'I know a lot about this topic'; it only means 'about to do something'.

VERB (casual non-past) + ところ (です)

I am just about to leave now.
いまでかけるところです。
Ima dekakeru tokoro desu.

Since I am about to go into the bath, could you open the door?
いまからおふろにはいるところから、ドアをあけてくれる？
Ima kara ofuro ni hairu tokoro kara, doa o akete kureru?

I was just about to believe it.
もうすこしでしんじるところだったの。
Mou sukoshi de shinjiru tokoro datta no.

Have you eaten lunch already?
ひるごはんはもうたべましたか？
Hirugohan wa mou tabemashita ka?

No, I was just about to eat.
いいえ、これからたべるところです。
Iie, kore kara taberu tokoro desu.

This construction is pretty straightforward, but if you have questions about it, don't forget that I am here to answer them! About any lessons, for that matter.

The word ところ as is means 'a place'.
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Too much and a lot

The expression 'too much' in Japanese is actually a verb. It can be attached to other verbs or adjectives to say that we did too much or that something is too much.

The verb is すぎる and it is a ichidan verb.

With verbs

Aaaa, I ate too much...
あああ、たべすぎた。。。
Aaa, tabesugita...

I read a lot recently, so my eyes hurt.
さいきんよみすぎて、めがいたいです。
Saikin yomisugite, me ga itai desu.

It conjugates exactly like a verb. With this expression, only すぎる will be conjugated.

With adjectives

With い-adjectives, we will take off the final い and add すぎる.

This cake is too delicious!
このケーキはおいしすぎる！
Kono keeki wa oishisugiru!

I had too much fun at the aquarium! Thank you!
すいぞくかんがたのしすぎました！ありがとう！
Suizokukan ga tanoshisugimashita! Arigatou!

With な-adjectives, we will take off the な and add すぎる.

Sakura's room is really clean, I think this is super nice.
さくらのへやはきれいすぎて、すばらしいだとおもいます。
Sakura no heya wa kireisugite, subarashii da to omoimasu.

If you want to say 'a lot of things', however, you will use either いっぱい or たくさん. They both mean 'a lot', but いっぱい is mostly used to say that it is full or there is no more room and is used with uncountable objects, such as liquids. たくさん is used to say that it is enough and is used with countable things.

I drank a lot of beer at the bar.
バーでビールをいっぱいのみました。
Baa de biiru o ippai nomimashita.

I am preoccupied a lot about work. (literally, my head is full with work thoughts)
おしごとのことであたまがいっぱい。
Oshigoto no koto de atama ga ippai.

I ate too much soba (and I don't have room for anything else.)
そばをいっぱいたべました。
Soba o ippai tabemashita.

I ate too much soba (but I still have room.)
そばをたくさんたべました。
Soba o takusan tabemashita.

There are a lot of books at the library.
としょかんにほんがたくさんありますよ。
Toshokan ni hon ga takusan arimasu yo.

The case of そば is particular. そば are noodles, so we can in this case use both.
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Easy and difficult

We will learn two expressions that will be useful, 'easy to do something' and 'difficult to do something'.
To do so, we will use the two words やすい (easy) and にくい (difficult).

We will use the stem of the verbs with these two words.

It is difficult to eat this with chopsticks.
これはおはしではたべにくいです。
Kore wa ohashi de wa tabenikui desu.

I think mathematics are hard to understand.
さんすうはわかりにくいだとおもいます。
Sansuu wa wakarinikui da to omoimasu.

It is hard to say, but can you break up with me?
とてもいいにくいのですが、わかれてくれませんか？
Totemo iinikui no desu ga, wakarete kuremasen ka?

Japanese is easy to understand.
にほんごはわかりやすいです。
Nihongo wa wakariyasui desu.

This computer is easy to use.
このパソコンはつかいやすいです。
Kono pasokon wa tsukaiyasui desu.

Sakura is gullible.
さくらはだまされやすい。
Sakura wa damasareyasui.

It's very easy to take the trains in Japan.
にほんにはでんしゃはとてものりやすいです。
Nihon ni wa densha wa totemo noriyasui desu.

Note: You have probably noticed that in those sentences, は was used instead of を or に. 
In these examples, これはおはしではたべにくいです and にほんにはでんしゃはとてものりやすいです. Yes, it is true that we must use を with たべる and に with のる, but when you say that something is easy or difficult, it becomes an adjective and the thing you are talking about becomes the subject. Thus, we use the particle は. So, giving やすい or にくい to a verb will turn this verb into an adjective.

Verb + にくい / やすい + noun

わかりやすいせつめい - an easy-to-understand explanation

こたえにくいしつもん - a difficult-to-answer question

よみやすいほん - an easy-to-read book

They can also become adverbs.

やすく -- にくく

I sliced the pork cutlets into pieces to make it easier to eat.
とんかつはたべやすくきっておきました。
Tonkatsu wa tabeyasuku kitte okimashita.

'Easier to eat' is the adverb here.

Due to the snow, the roads have become more slippery, please be careful.
ゆきでみちがすべりやすくなっているので、きをつけてください。
Yuki de michi ga suberiyasuku natteiru no de, ki o tsukete kudasai.

'More slippery' is the adverb.

Since he has started to work in the same division, it has become hard to work here.
かれがおなじぶしょにきてから、はたらきにくくなった。
Kare ga onaji busho ni kite kara, hatarakinikuku natta.

'Hard to work' is the adverb.

How to mix adjectives and verbs

Now that we have learned how to say that something is easy or difficult to do, I have to teach you how to mix verbs and adjectives together. For instance, how to say 'playing video games is fun' and other things like that.

We will separate the verb and the adjective with のは.

Playing video games is fun.
ゲームをするのはたのしいです。
Geemu o suru no wa tanoshii desu.

Raising kids is hard.
こどもをそだてるのはたいへんです。
Kodomo o sodateru no wa taihen desu.

This is valid for all adjectives.

How to mix verbs with nouns

The same goes for nouns.
If you want to say 'it is my dream to become a singer', you will use のが in between the verb and the noun.

It is my dream to become a singer.
わたしはかしゅになるのがゆめなんだ。
Watashi wa kashu ni naru no ga yume nanda.

なん in front of だ, or なんて, is used when you stress a word or a situation. It can mean 'such a thing as'. In this sentence, you stress that it is a dream of yours to become a singer.
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As

として, along with としても and としては, can roughly mean 'as' as in 'I work as an employee there' or 'I am going to Japan as an exchange student'.

Its use is pretty straightforward.

I think it is beautiful as a work of art.
ぎじゅつさくいんとしてうつくしいとおもう。
Gijutsusakuin toshite utsukushii to omou.

My dream is to work as a professional.
プロとしてはたらくのがゆめなんだ。
Puro toshite hataraku no ga yume nanda.

I am going to Japan as an exchange student.
りゅうがくせいとしてにほんにいきます。
Ryuugakusei toshite nihon ni ikimasu.
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You have completed lesson 21!
レッシュン21ができた！
Dolly Panda No comments:

Counters

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Counters

We learned very early on how to count in Japanese. We learned the numbers, but technically, we haven't learned how to count things. 

Counting in Japanese is one of the hardest things to do, because we use counters. Counters are small words and counters change depending on what you count.

We are not going to learn all of them, because there are a lot (there is even a counter for how to count wells!) so, we will at least see the most used ones.

Some of the counters are easier than others, such as かい (階) to count floors.
Other are... well, you will see.

The first one we should learn is the counter for people, にん (人). にん means person, so this does not change in any way.

Remember that some numbers are irregular, so be careful with that.

*ひとり - one person
*ふたり - two people
さんにん - three people
*よにん - four people
ごにん - five people
ろくにん - six people
しちにん - seven people
はちにん - eight people
きゅうにん - nine people
じゅうにん - ten people
じゅういちにん - eleven people
and so forth...

For animals, we will use the counter ひき (匹).

*いっぴき - one animal
にひき - two animals
*さんびき - three animals
*よひき - four animals
ごひく - five animals
*ろっぴき - six animals
しちひき - seven animals
*はっぴき - eight animals
きゅうひき - nine animals
*じゅっぴき - ten animals
*ひゃっぴき - 100 animals
*せんびき - 1000 animals
*いちまんびき - 10 000 animals
and so forth...

So, if you want to count sheep in your sleep, you would use this counter!

For small objects or round objects, we use the counter こ (個). This is also used for clouds, empty containers, typhoons, planets and bacteria.

*いっこ
にこ
さんこ
よんこ
ごこ
ろくこ
しちこ
はちこ
きゅうこ
じゅうこ
じゅういっこ
and so forth...

For long objects, such as pen, bottles and chopsticks, we use the counter ほん (本). Even though ほん(本) means book, this is not the counter for books.

*いっぽん
にほん
*さんぼん
*よほん
ごほん
*ろっぽん
しちほん
*はっぽん
きゅうほん
*じゅっぽん
じゅういっぽん
and so forth...

For books, we will use the counter さつ (冊).

*いっさつ
にさつ
さんさつ
よんさつ
ごさつ
ろくさつ
しちさつ
はちさつ
きゅうさつ
じゅうさつ
じゅういっさつ
and so forth...

For flat objects, like cards and tickets, we use the counter まい (枚).

*いっまい
にまい
さんまい
よんまい
ごまい
ろくまい
しちまい
はちまい
きゅうまい
じゅうまい
and so forth...

For floors, we will use the counter かい (階).

*いっかい
にかい
さんかい
よかい
ごかい
ろくかい
しちかい
はちかい
きゅうかい
じゅうかい
and so forth...

For times, we will also use かい (回), but the kanji will be different. That is why I am putting the kanji next to them.

For machines, such as computers, cars and others, we will use the counter だい (台).

*いっだい
にだい
さんだい
よんだい
ごだい
ろくだい
しちだい
はちだい
きゅうだい
じゅうだい
and so forth...

For shoes, socks, skates, anything related to feet, we use the counter そく (促).

*いっそく
にそく
*さんぞく
*よそく
ごそく
ろくそく
しちそく
はちそく
きゅうそく
じゅうそく
and so forth...

A general counter exists, if something you are counting doesn't fall into any category. You can count pretty much anything with this, except people, money and time.

ひとつ - one
ふたつ - two
みつ - three
よつ - four
いつつ - five
むっつ - six 
ななつ - seven
やっつ - eight 
ここのつ - nine
とう - ten

From then on, you use the usual number, until you have reached 100, 1000 and 10 000.

To count the days of the month and months

To count days in general, like in 'two days' 'four days' etc, we use にち (日).

いちにち
ににち
さんにち
よんにち
ごにち
ろくにち
しちにち
はちにち
きゅうにち
じゅうにち
and so forth.

To count days as in the days of the month (first of April, for instance), we use か (日).

*ついたち - first day of the month
ふつか - second day of the month
みっか - third day of the month
よっか - fourth day of the month
いつか - fifth day of the month
むいか - sixth day of the month
なのか - seventh day of the month
ようか - eighth day of the month
ここのか - ninth day of the month
とうか - tenth day if the month
From ten on, we use にち.
The twentieth day will be はつか.

For months, we use かげつ.

*いっかげつ
にかげつ
さんかげつ
よんかげつ
ごかげつ
ろっかげつ
ななかげつ
はちかげつ
きゅうかげつ
じゅうかげつ
じゅういっかげつ
じゅうにかげつ
and so forth...

To count the years, we use the counter ねん (年), which means 'year'.

いちねん
にねん
さんねん
*よねん
ごねん
ろくねん
ななねん
はちねん
きゅうねん
じゅうねん
and so forth...

To say 'during' as in 'during three years' we add かん.

いちねんかん
にねんかん
さんねんかん

Here are some other counters:

For birds or rabbits: わ (羽)
Small things that flutter, like snow or petals: ひら
For maps: ほ
For fish scales: りん
For warriors on horseback: き
For fish and crustaceans: び
For nights at hotel: はく
For piles, usually of food: もり

There are over 300 counters I believe in Japanese so, we won't be able to learn them all!

Now, how do we put them to use?

If you want to say that you have two cats and one dog, for instance, you will say...

I have two cats and one dog.
ねこがにひきといぬがいっぴきいます。
Neko ga nihiki to inu ga ippiki imasu.

I want three cups.
カップがみつほしいです。
Kappu ga mitsu hoshii desu.

I bought two pens and one eraser.
ペンをにほんとけしゴムをいっこかいました。
Pen o nihon to keshigomu o ikko kaimashita.

How many do you wanna buy?
いくつかいたいの？
Ikutsu kaitai no?

I want to buy three pairs. (Talking about shoes or socks)
さんぞくかいたい。
Sanzoku kaitai.

It would be much easier if Japanese could count like in English! But one nice thing is that even without the name of the thing you are counting, the counter will tell us what object you could be counting. If you say out loud to yourself いっこ、にこ、さんこ... we know you are counting small round things, but we do not know the details.

Like I said, there are over 300 counters, but we can't learn them all. I am sure you can find a list of all of them, if you really want to learn them all. I am sure not everyone knows them all and this is why we have a general counter for other things we might not know which category they belong in.
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You have completed lesson 22!
レッシュン22ができた！
Dolly Panda No comments:
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Transitive vs. Intransitive verbs + Causative verbs 〜させる (〜saseru) + Passive verbs 〜される (〜sareru)

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ドアがあいたとき、おばけものはあらわれた！
Doa ga aita toki, obakemono wa arawareta!
When the door opened, a monster appeared!

Now, we are getting deeper and deeper into the grammar.

Transitive vs. Intransitive

Transitive and intransitive verbs in Japanese are not that different from English. Do you remember the difference between the two?

Transitive verbs are verbs where someone does an action. Intransitive verbs, on the other hand, expresses a change in the subject.

Take these two sentences for example:

Reina opened the door.
vs.
The door opened.

In the first one, Reina opened the door. Reina did an action on the object (the door).
In the second one, the subject experienced a change. The door opened (it was closed before, now it is opened - change of state.)

Keep in mind that this is not the same as saying 'the door was opened'. Intransitive verbs are not the same as passive verbs.

In Japanese, these two sentences will be:

れいなはドアをあけた。
Reina wa doa o aketa.

ドアがあいた。
Doa ga aita.

The verb あける is 'to open'. It is a transitive verb, meaning that there must be a subject who does an action on an object. 

The verb あく also means 'to open', but this is the intransitive form, so it will only be used with a subject who went through a change of state.

Does that make sense?

Thus, this sentence is wrong.

X れいなはドアをあいた。
X Reina wa doa o aita.

あける and あく are just one pair among many that you will encounter in Japanese.
You can easily identify transitive and intransitive verbs by their particles. Most transitive verbs take on the particle を, meanwhile most intransitive verbs take the particle が.

Naoko-chan turned on the lights.
なおこちゃんがでんきをつけました。
Naoko-chan ga denki o tsukemashita.

The lights came on.
でんきがつきました。
Denki ga tsukimashita.

つける is the transitive verb and つく is the intransitive. You can see this pattern going on.

あける
つける

vs.

あく
つく

Let's see another pair.

はじまる (something begins) and はじめる (to begin something) are also a pair.

I will start the class.
わたしがじゅうぎょうをはじめます。
Watashi ga juugyou o hajimemasu.

Class has started.
じゅうぎょうがはじまりました。
Juugyou ga hajimarimashita.

The same goes for the verb 'to decide', きめる (to decide something) and きまる (something is decided).

Again, you can see a pattern.

はじめる
きめる

vs.

はじまる
きまる

Studying these patterns will also help you, because sometimes, it isn't necessary to plug in the subject or object in the sentences, so you cannot always rely on the particle to see if the verb is transitive or intransitive.

Transitivity of Japanese verbs sometimes differs from transitivity of English verbs. In English, verbs that must take an object are transitive even though the object is not being affected by the subject.
Take this sentence for example:

Reina understands English.

Here, Reina is the subject and English is the object, thus making the verb 'understand' transitive. But the English language itself is not affected by whether Reina understands it or not, so it will be intransitive in Japanese.

れいなはえいごがわかります。
Reina wa eigo ga wakarimasu.

This is why we use the particle が with the verb わかる and not を!
I have seen a lot of people make that mistake before. So be careful!

There are other verbs that might be transitive in English, but are actually intransitive in Japanese.
ある and いる, for instance, are intransitive verbs.

In some instances, the particle を will be used with intransitive verbs.
Yes, well, you didn't think this lesson would be that easy, did you?

Verbs with intention, for example, を will become a possibility.

Reina became able to understand English.
れいながえいごをわかるようになった。
Reina ga eigo o wakaru you ni natta.

This sentence does not only explain an understanding of English, but it also explains the process of becoming able to understand English, due to the use of the verb なる.

Although the use of が is still more natural in this case, the use of を could tweak the sentence as to mean that Reina really did something to make herself understand English.

Other examples can include the suffix 〜たい that we attach to verbs to say that we want to do something, like たべたい (want to eat). Since it has both the transitive verb たべる and the intransitive suffix 〜たい, which particle would be more appropriate? Well, both could be!

おにぎりがたべたい！
おにぎりをたべたい！

The first sentence could work if you suddenly have a craving for onigiri. The second one, on the other hand, has a feeling that you want to act upon your desire for onigiri right then and there.

Verbs that express a motion can sometimes acquire the particle を in certain circumstances. Many of these intransitive verbs are loners, which mean they do not have a transitive verb partner verb, such as あるく and およぐ.

In 2021, Chiharu walked the Kumano Pilgrimage road.
2021ねん、ちはるはくまのふるみちをあるいた。
Ni sen ni juu ichi nen, Chiharu wa Kumano furumichi o aruita.

Each year, Sakura swam the English channel.
まいねん、さくらはイギリスかいきょうをおよいた。
Mainen, Sakura wa igirisu kaikyou o oyoita.

Think about these sentences this way: if you replace the 'the' with 'on' or 'in' in these sentences, you tweak the meaning. Replacing を by に in both sentences will also tweak the meaning.
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Causative verbs

You might encounter causative verbs in Japanese.

First off, what are causative verbs? These verbs are used to indicate actions that someone make happen. They are often used in the context of someone making somebody do something. It can also be used in the context of letting someone do something. So, for this, it can become a bit confusing to some people. However, when the causative form is used with あげる or くれる, it automatically means that someone is letting someone do something. We will see how to use both ways.

The ending of verbs in the causative form is させる. 
させる itself is the causative form of the verb する (to do). 

For ichidan verbs, we take the verb stem and add させる.

たべる -- たべさせる
おきる -- おきさせる

For godan verbs, we change the last syllable as we do for the negative and attach せる.

よむ -- よま -- よませる
きく -- きか -- きかせる
はなす -- はなさ -- はなさせる
あそぶ -- あそば -- あそばせる
かう -- かわ -- かわせる

する -- させる
くる -- こさせる

Here are some examples of sentences in the context of someone making somebody do something.

The teacher made the students do a lot of homework.
せんせいががくせいにしゅくだいをたくさんさせた。
Sensei ga gakusei ni shukudai o takusan saseta.

That manager often makes (people) work long work hours.
そのぶちょうはよくちょうじかんはたらかせる。
Sono buchou wa yoku choujikan hatarakaseru.

Here are some examples of sentences in the context of letting someone do something.

The teacher let (the students) ask many questions.
せんせいがしつもんをたくさんきかせてくれた。
Sensei ga shitsumon o takusan kikasete kureta.

You can also replace くれる with ください.

Please let me rest for the day.
きょうはやすませてください。
Kyou wa yasumasete kudasai.

When asking for permissions, we don't really use this form. We will rather use the 〜てもいいですか form we have learned.

Can you let me go to the bathroom?
トイレにいかせてくれますか？
Toire ni ikasete kuremasu ka?

This form sounds like you are a prisoner or something, so it sounds really weird.

トイレにいってもいいですか？ sounds better.

There is a shorter version of the causative form. You will mostly hear it in casual speech since we like to shorten stuff when we speak. Kinda like the contractions in English.

The shorter form has the same rules for ichidan and godan verbs, 
but instead of させる, we will use さす.

たべる -- たべさす
おきる -- おきさす

よむ -- よます
いく -- いかす
あそぶ -- あそばす

する -- さす
くる -- こさす

Don't make me say the same thing over and over again!
おなじことをなんかいもいわすな！
Onaji koto o nankai mo iwasu na!

Don't forget that な in this sentence means 'do not'.

I am hungry, so let me eat something.
おなかあいているんだから、なんかたべさしてくれよ。
Onaka aiteirunda kara, nanka tabesashite kure yo.

This is a more direct and vulgar way of asking someone to let you do something.
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Passive verbs

Passive verbs express verbs that are done to the passive subject.
Notice the difference between these two sentences:

Reina threw the ball. (active)
The ball was thrown by Reina. (passive)

The passive form in Japanese, unlike in English, is widely accepted in writing.

The rule for the passive form is the same for all verbs. Thus, ichidan and godan verbs will conjugate the same way.

Take the final う sound of all verbs and change it to a あ sound, then add れる.

たべる -- たべら -- たべられる
よむ -- よま -- よまれる
あそぶ -- あそば -- あそばれる

する -- される
くる -- こられる

Do not mix たべられる with the expression 'can eat'. 
This is why we often omit the ら to say たべれる (can eat) to avoid this confusion.

The mouse was eaten by an owl!
ネズミがふくろうにたべられた！
Nezumi ga fukurou ni taberareta!

I am told by everyone that I am strange.
みんなにへんだといわれます。
Minna ni hen da to iwaremasu.

Exceeding the speed of light is thought to be impossible.
ひかりのはやさをこえるのは、ふかのうだとおもわれる。
Hikari no hayasa o koeru no wa, fukanou da to omowareru.

I was asked a question by a foreigner, but I couldn't answer.
がいこくじんにしつもんをきかれたが、こたえられなかった。
Gaikokujin ni shitsumon o kikareta ga, kotaerarenakatta.

Use of the passive form to show politeness

One useful use of the passive form is that the passive form is deemed to be better when being polite as it is less direct. Less direct means you are being more polite towards somebody.

Asking a question in the negative is more polite, so is using the passive form.

Here is the same sentence (what will you do?), but in different degree of politeness:

どうする？(casual, familiar)
どうしますか？(regular politeness, teineigo)
どうされますか？(passive politeness)
どうなさいますか？(honorific, sonkeigo)
どうなさいますでしょうか？(honorific and uncertainty)

The sentence grows longer as you reach higher in politeness.

How about your receipt?
レシートはどうされますか？
Reshiito wa dou saremasu ka?

Are you going to tomorrow's meeting?
あしたのかいぎにいかれるんですか？
Ashita no kaigi ni ikarerun desu ka?

I just want to be loved.
あいされたいだけです。
Aisaretai dake desu.
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Causative-passive forms

Now that we learned both forms, let's learn how to put them together. The combination of causative and passive verbs means that the action of making someone do something was done to that person.
This would translate to 'someone is made to do something'.

Sometimes in English, this pairing sounds really strange, but in Japanese, it is common.

The causative-passive form is formed by first conjugating to the causative form and then by conjugating the result to the passive form, never the other way round.

たべる -- たべさせる -- たべさせられる
よむ -- よませる -- よませられる
いく -- いかせる -- いかせられる

Despite not wanting to eat breakfast, I was made to eat it. 
(Someone made me eat breakfast)
あさごはんはたべたくなかったのに、たべさせられた。
Asagohan wa tabetakunakatta no ni, tabesaserareta.

In Japan, the event of being made to drink is numerous. 
(People making other people drink is common)
にほんでは、おさけをのませられることがおおい。
Nihon de wa, osake o nomaserareru koto ga ooi.

I was made to wait for two hours by this guy. 
(This guy made me wait)
あいつににじかんもまたせられた。
Aitsu ni ni ji kan mo mataserareta.

But wait, there is a shorter version!

First conjugate to the shortened causative form, then conjugate the passive form:

いく -- いか -- いかす -- いかされる
なく -- なか -- なかす -- なかされる

However, this form cannot be used where the shorter causative ends in さす. You cannot have ささす.
Verbs like 'to eat' and 'to talk' cannot take this short version.

X たべる -- たべさす -- たべささす
X はなす -- はなさす -- はなささす

The students were made to stand in the hall.
がくせいがろうかにたたされた。
Gakusei ga rouka ni tatasareta.

I was made to wait for two hours by this guys.
あいつににじかんもまたされた。
Aitsu ni ni ji kan mo matasareta.
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You have completed lesson 23!
レッシュン23ができた！
Dolly Panda No comments:

Vocabulary + A few words on dialects

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Let's take a break form heavy grammar and let's learn some vocabulary, shall we?

In the home
いえに

いえ - house, home
リビングルーム - living room
キッチン - kitchen
よくしつ - bathroom
へや - bedroom, room
やね - roof
てんじょう - ceiling
かべ - wall
ゆか - floor
ろうか - corridor
ドア / と - door
とわく - door frame
ドアノブ - doorknob
まど - window
でんげんプラグ - electric plug
うらにわ - backyard
にわ - garden

In the living room

ソファー - sofa, couch
テレビ - television
コーヒーテーブル - coffee table
カーペット - carpet
ぶんこ - bookshelves, library, book collection
たな - shelves
しょくぶつ - plants
でんき - light (as in electricity)
ランプ - lamp
そうじする - to clean
しんくう - vacuum
とけい - clock

In the kitchen

れいぞうこ - fridge
ストーブ - stove
でんじレンジ - microwave
カウンター - counter
パントリー - pantry
しょっきたな - cupboard
シンク - sink
すいどうせん - faucet
さら - plate
ボウル - bowl
スプーン - spoon
フォーク - fork
ナイフ - knife
フライパン - frying pan
ケトル - kettle
ポット - pot
カップ - glass, cup


In the bathroom

トイレット - toilet
ふろ - bath
ミラー - miror
シャワー - shower
おふろにはいる - take a bath
シャワーをあびる - take a shower
シャンプー - shampoo
ソープ - soap
はみがきこ - toothpaste
はブラシ - toothbrush
ヘアブラシ - hairbrush
ヘアドライヤー - hairdryer
せんたっき - washing machines
せんたくもの - laundry

In the bedroom

ベッド - bed
ベッドシーツ - bedsheets
ドレッサー - dresser
ひきだし - drawer
クローゼット - closet
ナイトスタンド - nightstand

In the closet

ふく - clothes
Tシャツ - T-shirt
セーター - sweater
ブラウス - blouse
ジャケット - jacket
コート - coat
ドレス - dress
スカート - skirt
パンツ - pants
ぼうし - hat
めがね - glasses
くつした - socks
くつ - shoes
くつひも - shoelace
サンダル - sandal

Animals
どうぶつ

Domestic
かちく

ねこ - cat
いぬ - dog
とり - bird
ネズミ - mouse, rat
ハリネズミ - hedgehog
うさぎ - rabbit

On the farm
のうじょうに

うし - cow
ひつじ - sheep
うま - horse
とり - chicken, bird
ぶた - pig
ロバ - donkey
あひる - duck
しちめんちょう - turkey

In the forest
もりのなかに

くま - bear
きつね - fox 
おおかみ - wolf
しか - deer
あらいぐま - raccoon
りす - squirrel
ビーバー - beaver
スカンク - skunk

In the sky
そらに

わし - eagle
ふくろう - owl
からす - crow, raven
きつつき - woodpecker
こうもり - bat
はげたか - vulture
かもめ - seagull

In the water
うみに

さかな - fish
さめ - shark
くじら - whale
いるか - dolphin
たこ - octopus
アリゲーター - alligator
ピラニア - piranha
ちょうざめ - sturgeon
かめ - turtle
うみがめ - sea turtle

In the safari
サファリーに

らいおん - lion
とら - tiger
ひょう - leopard
ぞう - elephant
きりん - giraffe
ハイエナ - hyena
カバ - hippo
かもしか - antelope
とかげ - lizard
へび - snake
さそり - scorpion

Other
ほか

カンガルー - kangaroo
コアラ - koala
パンダ - panda
くも - spider
さる - monkey
アルマジロ - armadillo

Transportation
ゆそうほうほう

くるま - car
バス - bus
トラク - truck
じてんしゃ - bicycle
ローラースケート - roller skates
でんしゃ - train
ちかてつ - subway
ひこうき - plane
ふね - boat

Nature
しぜん

そら - sky
あおぞら - blue sky
ほしぞら - starry sky
たいよう - sun
つき - moon
ほし - star, planet
くも - cloud
くもり - cloudy (temp.)
はれ - sunny (temp.)
あめ - rain
ゆき - snow
あめがふる - to rain
ゆきがふる - to snow
にじ - rainbow
でんき - electricity
かみなり - thunder
どじょう - soil
やま - mountain
うみ - sea
みず - water
き - tree
くさ - grass
はな - flower
せき - stone, rock
かぜ - wind
くうき - air
たいふ - typhoon
ひ - fire
かざん - volcano
じしん - earthquake
たつまき - tornado
さむい - cold (temp.)
つめたい - cold (to the touch)
あつい - hot (temp.)
あたたかい - warm (to the touch)

Jobs
しごと

かいしゃいん - office employee
きょうし - teacher
いしゃ - doctor
かんごふ - nurse
しょうぼうし - firefighter
かがくしゃ - scientist
けいさつかん - police officer
きゅうきゅうしゃ - ambulance driver, paramedic
かつどうか - activist
ようせつき - welder
さいこうけいえいせきにんしゃ - CEO (don't worry, we also say CEO シイオ)
かしゅ - singer
はいゆう - actor
せいゆう - voice actor
まんがか - mangaka, cartoonist
ほうりつや - lawyer
はいしゃ - dentist
きゃくしつじょうむいん - flight attendant
さっか - writer
こうこがくしゃ - archaeologist
れきしや - historian
ほんやくしゃ - translator
ししょ - librarian
うちゅうひこうし - astronaut
せんせいじゅつし - astrologist
はんざいがくしゃ - criminologist
しんりがくしゃ - psychologist
しゃかいがくしゃ - sociologist
せいじか - politician
さいし - priest

Food and drink
たべものとのみもと

Fruits
くだもの

りんご - apple
みかん - mandarin
オレンジ - orange
メロン - melon
すいか - watermelon
もも - peach
トマト - tomato
ぶどう - grape
レモン - lemon
いちご - strawberry
ラズベリー - raspberry
ブルーベリー - blueberry
バナナ - banana
マンゴ - mango
パイナップル - pineapple

Vegetables
やさい

じゃがいも - potato
きゅうり - cucumber
ブロッコリー - broccoli
なす - eggplant
かぶ - turnip
セロリ - celery
あおねぎ - green onion
たまねぎ - onion
ピーマン - bell pepper
かぼちゃ - pumpkin
おしつぶす - squash
カリフラワー - cauliflower
カッベジ - cabbage

Dairy and other
にゅうせいひん

パン - bread
ミルク - milk
ぎゅうにゅう - milk (generally direct from a cow)
たまご - egg
ヨーグルト - yogurt
チーズ - cheese
クリーム - cream
とうにゅう - soy milk

こめ - rice (not cooked)
ごはん - rice (cooked)
めん - noodle
しる - soup
ピザ - pizza
パスタ - pasta

Meat
にく

ぎゅうにく - beef
とりにく - chicken
ぎょにく - fish
ようにく - lamb. sheep meat
えび - shrimp
ソーセージ - sausage
ろくにく - deer meat
ぶたにく - pork
ぎゅうタン - beef tongue

Drink
のみもの

みず - water
ジュース - juice
ソフトドリンク - soft drink
さけ - alcohol
ビール - beer
コーヒー - coffee
おちゃ - tea

Verbs
*ichidan verbs

いく - to go
くる - to come
あるく - to walk
はしる - to run
のる - to ride
のぼる - to climb, to go up
*おりる - to go down
はなす - to speak
はなしあう - to discuss
しゃべる - to speak
いう - to say
*みる - to see, to watch
*みつめる - to stare
みまもる - to watch over (someone)
さがす - to search
*みつける - to find
はたらく - to work
やすむ - to rest
*ねる - to sleep
*おきる - to wake up
わらう - to laugh
なく - to cry
さけぶ - to scream, cry out, exclaim
ささやく - to whisper
*きずつける - to injure
いやす - to heal
*たべる - to eat
くう - to eat
のむ - to drink
すう - to smoke (tobacco)
*あける - to open (trans.)
あく - to open (intrans.)
*しめる - to close (trans.)
しまる - to close (intrans.)
よむ - to read
かく - to write
おもう - to think
*かんがえる - to think about
*おしえる - to teach
まなぶ / ならう - to learn
べんきょうする - to study
おく - to put (put down)
とる - to take
*きる - to wear (きる 'to cut' is godan)
ぬぐ - to undress
およぐ - to swim
つりをする - to fish
いそぐ - to hurry up
かかる - to take (as in 'it takes 5 minutes to do')
おくる - to send
とどく - to reach
うけとる - to receive (package)
*あげる - to give
もらう - to receive
しはらう - to pay
かう - to buy
うる - to sell
あらう - to wash
そうじする - to clean
りょうりする - to cook
きく - to listen, to hear, to ask
せつめいする - to explain
がんばる - to do our best
こわす - to break
なおす - to fix
りょうこする - to travel
じゅんびする - to prepare
あう - to meet
あそぶ - to play
さる - to leave
はいる - to enter
*でる - to exit, to do out
でんわする - to call (on the phone)
よぶ - to call (as in 'you can call me Panda-sensei')
はく - to throw up (vomit)
ひく - to catch (a cold) or play (an instrument)
せきをする - to cough
くしゃみする - to sneeze
*あくびがでる - to yawn
いびきをかく - to snore
くうきをすう - to breathe (air)
いきをする - to breathe (take a breath)
しゅっけつする - to bleed
かつ - to win
*まける - to lose
*あきらめる - to give up
たたかう - to fight
ちゅうもんする - to order (something)
にんめいする - to appoint
えらぶ - to choose
ひっこす - to move (to another house)
うごく - to move
みせる - to show
あいする - to love
こまらせる - to annoy
つくる - to create, to make
*もどる - to return
しんぱいする - to worry
*しんじる - to believe, to trust
*かんじる - to feel
さわる - to touch
かう - to pet
くびをきる - to fire (someone)
やとう - to hire
*きえる - to disappear
*あらわれる - to appear
きんゆうする - to fill in/out (a form)
*かくれる - to hide
からかう - to mock
*ふざける - to fool around
ていこうする - to resist
てばなす - to let go (of)
きにする - to care about
キスをする - to kiss
じまんする - to brag
*おちる - to fall
たつ - to stand
すわる - to sit
うたう - to sing
おどる - to dance
まもる - to protect, to defend
つかまえる - to catch (something)
とぶ - to fly
ぬすむ - to steal
*きをつける - to be careful
*いれる - to put in
いる - to need, there is (animated objects)
*つづける - to continue
つづく - to be continued
さいようする - to adopt
*そだてる - to raise (a child)
けっこんする - to marry
りこんする - to divorce
*わかれる - to break up (with someone)
のみこむ - to swallow
うそをつく - to lie, tell a lie
_______________________________________________

A few words of Japanese dialects

Have you ever wondered how many dialects Japan has?

Well, Japan has as many dialects as there are Prefectures, which is 47. Chances are in anime you probably have encountered many of them already, but did not notice.

Japan is divided into 8 regions (from northern to southern: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu, including Okinawa). Japan has also 47 Prefectures, as you can see on this map.

In all 47 Prefectures, you will encounter different dialects. However, not all dialects are hugely different from one another. If you learn the standard Japanese (the Japanese of Tokyo, as we say), you will be understood anywhere in Japan.

There are probably two regions in Japan where the Japanese dialect will maybe be hard for foreigners (and even for some Japanese) to understand: the Japanese from Osaka and the Japanese from Okinawa.

One anime where you can encounter this famous Osaka accent is in Cardcaptor Sakura. The voice actor of Kero-chan, or Kerberos, is from Osaka and gave this accent to Kero-chan. 

Some distinct features of the Osaka accent can be found in verbs and pronouns.

わたし will often be pronounced as わい, for instances. Verbs ending in 〜ない will end as 〜へん like わからへん. The verb です is also changed into や.

It might be hard at first for foreigners to understand the Osaka dialect for these reasons, but not impossible to comprehend.

On the other hand, the Okinawaian dialect is a total different language.

Hello - haisai / haitai
Good day - chuu wuganabira
Goodbye - guburii sabira
Sorry - wassaibiin
Thank you - nifee deebiru
Yes - uu
No - wouwou

As you can see, these are totality different than the Japanese we are used to. They also use hiragana and katakana a bit differently.

Another dialect worth mentioning is the Fukuoka dialect. Located in the region of Kyushu, Fukuoka has a dialect that is fairly easy to understand. Most noticeable in the Fukuoka dialect is their use of と instead of の as an end-of-sentence particle.

What are you doing?
なにするの？ (standard Japanese)
なにすると？ (Fukuoka dialect)

You can study the different dialects in order to maybe be able to notice them in anime.
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