I can/cannot + I must... + If... + Chain of action

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にほんごをよくべんきょうしないと、わすれる！

Nihongo o yoku benkyou shinai to, wasureru!

If you do not study Japanese often, you will forget it!

Can and cannot

In another lesson, we learned how to express our skills, how to say 'I am able to...' In this lesson, we will learn how to say 'I can/cannot' do. 

There is no special construction for this. The verbs will instead take an ending. They are often called 'potential verbs'.

Ichidan verbs

For ichidan verbs, remove the final 〜る and add 〜られる (ら is often omitted in oral Japanese).

I can wake up by myself.

じぶんでおきられます。

Jibun de okiraremasu.

I can eat with chopsticks.

はしでたべられます。

Hashi de taberaremasu.

Godan verbs

For godan verbs, change the final vowel sound with 〜える.

あう 〜 あえる (can meet)

たつ 〜 たてる (can stand up)

はなす 〜 はなせる (can talk)

つくる 〜 つくれる (can make)

かく 〜 かける (can write)

およぐ 〜 およげる (can swim)

しぬ 〜 しねる (can die)

えらぶ 〜 えらべる (can choose)

よむ 〜 よめる (can read)

いく 〜 いける (can go)

Here are the two irregular verbs:

する 〜 できる

くる 〜 こられる/これる

For the case of the verb 'to hear' きく, you will see this form often to say 'I can hear' きこえる.

Since I am feeling better, I can go to work today.

からだがよくなりましたから、きょうおしごとにいけます。

Karada ga yoku narimashita kara, kyou oshigoto ni ikemasu.

I can't read kanji.

かんじをよめない。

Kanji o yomenai.

This construction can be used for both describing your ability to do something and possibilities.

You can read a lot of manga at the Manga shop.

まんがのみせではまんがをたくさんよめますよ。

Manga no mise de wa manga o takusan yomemasu yo.

You can drink alcohol in parks in Japan.

にほんにはこうえんでおさけをのめます。

Nihon ni wa kouen de osake o nomemasu.

It can also be used for the ability of something.

This eraser is edible.

このけしゴムはたべられる。

Kono keshigomu wa taberareru.

This bowl is usable as a hat.

ボウルはぼうしとしてつかえる。

Bouru wa boushi toshite tsukaeru.

You can also use this form to ask if someone can do something, such as:

Can you come at 5 o'clock?

ごじにこれますか？

Go ji ni koremasu ka?

In this sentence, you are asking someone if they can come, if they are able to come at this hour. To ask something as a favour, we will use another construction.

*Note that this construction is not used to ask permission. We will see how to do this in another lesson. Thus, you cannot say トイレにいけますか？to ask 'can I go to the bathroom?'

Think of it as the difference between 'may' and 'can' in English. Technically speaking, to ask permission in English, you should use 'may I...' and not 'can I...' Can I go to the bathroom? Sure, you can, but you may not!

To learn more about how to form permissions, here is the article about it 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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Need to, have to or must

This construction is used when you have to do something, like 'must'. This construction, however, is a bit complicated, so be sure to study it carefully.

To express the need or that you have/must do something, we use these constructions:

VERB (casual negative) + なければなりません (polite)

VERB (casual negative) + なければならない (casual)

 VERB (casual negative) + なきゃ（いけません）(polite)

VERB (casual negative) + なきゃ（いけない）(casual)

Let's see some examples:

ほんをよむ

To read a book

I have to read this book.

このほんをよまなければなりません。

Kono hon o yomanakereba narimasen.

このほんをよまなきゃいけません。

Kono hon o yomanakya ikemasen.

These are rather long and to be really honest, you won't really hear them most of the time. You will hear 〜なきゃ more often in anime. But in standard Japanese, they might come up.

Here are some other constructions you might see more often.

Negative te-form + は + だめ / いけない / ならない

Negative verb + と + だめ / いけない / ならない

Neggative verb + ば + だめ / いけない / ならない

I must go to work everyday.

まいにちおしごとにいかなくてはなりません。

Mainichi oshigoto ni ikanakute wa narimasen.

I must do homework.

しゅくだいをしなくてはいけない。

Shukudai wo shinakute wa ikenai.

I must go to work everyday.

まいにちおしごとにいかないとだめです。

Mainichi oshigoto ni ikanai to dame desu.

In this sentence, you are saying 'it isn't good if I don't go to work everyday', thus meaning you have to go to work everyday.

I must do homework.

しゅくだいをしないといけない。

Shukudai o shinai to ikenai.

I must go to work everyday.

まいにちおしごとにいかなければいけません。

Mainichi oshigoto ni ikanakereba ikemasen.

I had to do homework.

しゅくだいをしなければだめだった。

Shukudai o shinakereba dame datta.

In casual speech, people might shorter even more these constructions.

The abbreviation for なくては is なくちゃ and for なければ is なきゃ.

I have to study.

べんきょうしなくちゃ。

Benkyou shinakucha.

べんきょうしなきゃ。

Benkyou shinakya.

*Note that if you want to say 'do not do something' or 'don't need to do something', we will use another construction.

I know, these are long and a bit complicated. As mentioned, we shorten these a lot in conversations. But I still prefer to show you the full extend of these as you might see or hear them sometimes.

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Conditional 'if'

If you thought how to express 'must' was a mouthful, buckle up with the conditional 'if'! 

In English, there is only one way to express the conditional with 'if'. In Japanese, there are four ways and you should not mix them up (if you do however we will still understand you, but it is always good to have good grammar).

The first we will see is the natural consequence conditional. This means that if X happens, Y will happen as a natural consequence.

VERB (infinitive) + と

VERB (negative) + と

NOUN + だと

If I drop the ball, it will fall.

ボールをおとすと、おちる。

Booru o otosu to, ochiru.

The natural consequence of dropping the ball is that it will fall.

If you go to school, you will meet your friends.

がっこうにいくと、ともだちにあいますよ。

Gakkou ni iku to, tomodachi ni aimasu yo.

The natural consequence of going to school is that I will see my friends.

If you don't wear your coat, you will catch a cold.

コートをきてないと、かぜをひくよ。

Kooto o kitenai to, kaze o hiku yo.

'Kaze' is 'cold', but it can also mean 'wind'. 'Hiku' can mean 'to catch' as in 'to catch a cold' or 'play' as in 'to play an instrument'.

The natural consequence of not wearing my coat is that I will catch a cold.

If he is a teacher, he is surely older, right?

せんせいだと、きっととしうえなんじゃないですか？

Sensei da to, kitto toshiue nan janai desu ka?

These sentences all have a natural consequence. If I drop the ball, it will fall. If I go to school, I will meet my friends. If I don't wear my coat, I will catch a cold. If he is a teacher, then he is older.

The second example is the contextual conditional. You can express what will happen given a certain context. For instance, 'if everybody is going, I'm going too'. 

VERB (infinitive) + なら（ば）

NOUN + なら （ば）

If everybody is going, I am going too.

みんながいくならば、わたしもいく。

Minna ga iku naraba, watashi mo iku.

If Alice says so, it is fine.

アリスさんがいうなら、だいじょうぶです。

Arisu-san ga iu nara, daijoubu desu.

It can also be used to specify something.

Where is the library?

としょかんはどこですか？

Toshokan wa doko desu ka?

If it is the Tokyo library you are talking about, it is over there.

とうきょうとしょかんなら、あそこですよ。

Toukyou toshokan nara, asoko desu yo.

In these sentences, we couldn't use と as there is no natural consequence. 

Thus, みんながいくと、わたしもいく sounds really weird.

The third conditional is the general conditional without any assumption or embedded meanings. 

For verbs: change the last 'u' sound to the equivalent 'e' vowel sound and attach ば.

たべる 〜 たべれ 〜 たべれば (eat)

まつ 〜 まて 〜 まてば (wait)

よむ 〜 よめ 〜 よめば (read)

This goes also for verbs showing the potential.

あえる - あえれ - あえれば (can meet)

If I can meet with my friends, I will go shopping.

ともだちにあえれば、かいものにいきます。

Tomodachi ni aereba, kaimono ni ikimasu.

This means that if and only if I meet with my friends, I will go shopping.

If I had money, it would be good, eh?

おかねがあればいいね？

Okane ga areba ii ne?

For い-adjectives or negatives ending in 〜ない: drop the last い and plug in ければ.

たのしい 〜 たのしければ

たのしくない 〜 たのしくなければ

If it is fun, I'll go too.

たのしければ、わたしもいく。

Tanoshikereba, watashi mo iku.

If it isn't fun, I won't go.

たのしくなければ、わたしいかない。

Tanoshikunakereba, watashi ikanai.

If you don't eat, you will get sick.

たべなければ、びょうきになるよ。

Tabenakereba, byouki ni naru yo.

For な-adjectives and nouns: attach であれば.

がくせいであれば - if it is a student

ねこであれば - if it is a cat

If it is a cat, it is okay.

ねこであればいいですよ。

Neko deareba ii desu yo.

The last conditional we will see is the past conditional using 〜たら（ば）.

This is a past conditional by using verbs in the past and adding 〜ら. It is called 〜たら because all verbs in casual past tense end in た / だ.

First, change the noun, adjective or verb to its past tense and add ら.

でんしゃ(train) 〜 でんしゃだった 〜 でんしゃだったら

まつ (to wait) 〜 まった 〜 まったら

よむ (to read) 〜 よんだ 〜 よんだら

いそがしい(busy) 〜 いそがしかった 〜 いそがしかったら

If I am (was) free, I will (would go play).

ひまだったら、あそびにいく。

Hima dattara, asobi ni iku.

If you read this book, please give it back.

このほんをよんだら、かえしてください。

Kono hon o yondara, kaeshite kudasai.

Sometimes, you will see some conditionals with the word もし at the beginning. もし is a supplement to add a sense of uncertainty on whether the condition is true. You may use it when you want to make an invitation and you don't want to suppose that this is going to happen.

If it is alright with you, would you go watch a movie?

もしよかったら、えいがをみにいきますか？

Moshi yokattara, eiga o mini ikimasu ka?

In this case, it might or might not happen.

Potential responses:

Of course, let's go for sure!

もちろん、ぜひいきましょうね！

Mochiron, zehi ikimashou ne!

Sorry, I have a maths lesson...

ごめんね、さんすうのれんしゅうがあって。。。

Gomen ne, sansuu no renshuu ga atte...

That's okay, let's go another time!

だいじょうぶよ、こんどいきましょう！

Daijoubu yo, kondo ikimashou!

Be sure to study them well, as most of the time, they are not interchangeable!

In some instances, depending on the context, you could use different conditionals.

Like in the example:

If you don't eat, you will get sick.

たべなければ、びょうきになるよ。

Tabenakereba, byouki ni naru yo.

You could say

If you don't eat, you will get sick.

たべないと、びょうきになるよ。

Tabenai to, byouki ni naru yo.

Although, the first example sound better, it might depend on the situation. You might or might not get sick if you don't eat. It is not as certain as in this example.

If you don't take your medicine, you won't get better.

くすりをのまないと、げんきになれないよ。

Kusuri o nomanai to, genki ni narenai yo.

With practise, you will be able to differentiate the different situations.

And yes, in Japanese, we say 'drink medicine' and not 'take medicine'. 

Same with soup, we drink it, we don't eat it.

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Chain of actions

In English, listing a chain of actions is rather easy. We just need the connector 'and', such as 'I can sing and dance'. In Japanese, we connect verbs with the 〜て form.

For sequential actions or states, we will use the 〜て form of verbs. All verbs, but the last, will be conjugated this way.

I bought fish and made sushi.

さかなをかって、すしをつくりました。

Sakana o katte, sushi o tsukurimashita.

I will eat a meal when I get home.

うちにかえって、ごはんをたべます。

Uchi ni kaette, gohan o tabemasu.

I am happy that you lent me a hand.

てつだってくれて、うれしいです。

Tetsudatte kurete, ureshii desu.

For い-adjectives (we saw this in the lesson on adjectives, but a bit of a refresher), you take off the い and replace it with くて.

It is a spicy and delicious curry.

からくておいしいカレーです。

Karakute oishii karee desu.

The rain is strong, so I cannot go outside.

あめがつよくて、そとにでられない。

Ame ga tsuyokute, soto ni derarenai.

For な-adjectives and nouns, we will use で.

It is a practical and pretty car.

べんりできれいなくるまです。

Benri de kireina kuruma desu.

I will study Japanese and my little sister will study English.

わたしはにほんごをべんきょうして、いもうとはえいごをべんきょうします。

Watashi wa nihongo o benkyou shite, imouto wa eigo o benkyou shimasu.

For a chain of actions that is not exhaustive, we will use the form 〜たり.

Do you remember the particles や.... など that we use with nouns to say a list of things (among other things)? Well, 〜たり is its counterpart that we use with verbs. It implies there remains some other things that are not listed.

Babies tend to cry and get angry (among other things)

あかちゃんはないたり、おこったりする。

Akachan wa naitari, okottari suru.

In cases like this, 〜たり is followed by する.

What did you do today?

きょうはなにをしたの？

Kyou wa nani o shita no?

I read books and I drew pictures (among other things).

ほんをよんだり、えをかいたりした。

Hon o yondari, e o kaitari shita.

My mother is scary and tender.

わたしのはははこわかったり、やさしかったりする。

Watashi no haha wa kowakattari, yasashikattari suru.

You can use 〜たり with a single verb or adjective. This usage often appears when you imply something.

I often forget my homework (among other things).

よくしゅくだいをわすれたりしている。

Yoku shukudai o wasuretari shiteiru.

Studying is sometimes fun, sometimes not.

べんきょうはたのしかったり、たのしくなかったりする。

Benkyou wa tanoshikattari, tanoshikunakattari suru.

To state multiple reasons (non-exhaustive list), you attach し to any parts of any conjugation.

Tanaka-sensei is smart (among other things), so he is suitable to be a teacher.

たなかさんはあたまがいいだし、せんせいにむいています。

Tanaka-sensei wa atama ga ii da shi, sensei ni muiteimasu.

I'm tired and sleepy (among other things), let's go home.

つかれているし、ねむいし、かえりましょう。

Tsukareteiru shi, nemui shi, kaerimashou.

し is also used to say 'not only this, but that'.

I not only don't have money, but I also don't have time.

おかねもないし、じかんもない。

Okane mo nai shi, jikan mo nai.

し can also express contrast with the word かもしれない, which means 'maybe'. We will see this word in detail later.

I may or may not go to work.

おしごとにいくかもしれないし、いかないかもしれない。

Oshigoto ni iku kamoshirenai shi, ikanai kamoshirenai.

There are so many ways to say things in Japanese, but it also makes understanding the meaning a little bit easier. All the different ways will be nuanced in some way, so be careful as to which form you are choosing.

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You have completed lesson 13!

レッシュン13ができました！

When I... 〜ときに (〜toki ni) + During, while〜ながら, 〜あいだに, 〜うちに, 〜ちゅう (〜nagara, 〜aida ni, 〜uchi ni, 〜chuu) + Each time... 〜たびに (〜tabi ni)

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おんがくをききながら、べんきょうしている。

Ongaku o kikinagara, benkyou shiteiru.

I study while listening to music.

When

Today, we will extend our knowledge of expressing different sentences.

'When', 'during', 'while', and 'each time' will be expressions that will greatly improve your Japanese.

Technically, 'when' in Japanese is いつ, but in the case of meaning 'when I....' we will use とき, which means 'time'.

With verbs:

VERB (infinitive) + ときに

With nouns:

NOUN + のときに

When I cook, I always listen to music.

りょうりをするときに、いつもおんがくをきく。

Ryouri o suru toki ni, itsumo ongaku wo kiku.

When I was in elementary school, I used to wear skirts.

しょうがっこうのときに、スカートをきました。

Shougakkou no toki ni, sukaato o kimashita.

We had fun when you came to my place.

うちにきたとき、たのしかった！

Uchi ni kita toki, tanoshikatta!

In casual speech, you can drop the particle に.

You can also attach the particle から to mean 'from the time...'

I've always been an energetic child from the time I was born.

うまれたときから、いつもげんきなこどもだった。

Umareta toki kara, itsumo genkina kodomo datta.

You can plug in まで as well to say 'until the time...'

Do you best until (the time) you become a warrior.

せんしになるときまで、がんばるぞ。

Senshi ni naru toki made, ganbaru zo.

ぞ is a end-of-sentence particle, much like よ, commonly used in familiar speech by boys or men.

The version used by girls or women is わ.

It will definitely be okay!

ぜったいだいじょうぶですわ！

Zettai daijoubu desu wa!

いつ is more of a question word, as in 'when is your birthday?' 

ときに really expresses the time when you do or did something.

It can also be attached to verbs in any other tense, negative, past or past negative.

When I am not cleaning the house, I watch TV.

そうじしていないとき、テレビをみる。

Souji shiteinai toki, terebi o miru.

When I was studying Japanese, I was reading books often.

にほんごをべんきょうしましたとき、ほんをよくよんでいました。

Nihongo o benkyou shimashita toki, hon o yoku yondeimashita.

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During

Now, there are plenty of ways to say 'during' in Japanese, but be careful, they are NOT interchangeable. 

Japanese, as you may have noticed, is a language that relies heavily on how you say things, because the choice of words will determine what you want to mean or say in a certain context.

For instance, in English, the words 'during' or 'while' can basically be used at all times. For instance, 'while I am making dinner, I am listening to music', 'I fell asleep during his speech', 'it is while in university that you should enjoy your time', 'it is downloading (at this very moment)'.... 

Well, in Japanese, all of these will require a different word to say 'during', because all of these sentences do not mean exactly the same thing in Japanese.

 I would say that this is what triggers most of my students about Japanese, because they all ask me why using 10 000 different words when you can simply use one? Well, in my opinion, this is what makes Japanese easy to grasp, because the words you will use will convey different things. 

We will see other constructions like this in the near future.

So, to make it simple, let's see the different ways you can use 'during'!

Let's start with the easy one, ながら.

ながら

By using ながら, you are implying that while you are doing something, you are doing a secondary action. There are conditions for using this expression, however: the actions have to be done by the same subject (therefore, you cannot use it to say 'while I watch TV, my sister is cooking'); it can be used with nouns and adjectives; the verb stems will be used.

VERB STEM + ながら

I am cooking while listening to music.

おんがくをききながら、りょうりをしている。

Ongaku o kikinagara, ryouri o shiteiru.

I am calling my friends while watching TV.

テレビをみながら、ともだちにでんわする。

Terebi o minagara, tomodachi ni denwa suru.

You can determine what is the primary and secondary action if you invert the sentences.

'While listening to music, I am cooking.'

あいだに

あいだに is used as in 'within that time frame'; the subject of both actions do not have to be the same; the verbs have to be in 〜ている (〜ています) form; it can follow nouns and adjectives, and one action doesn't have to happen at the same time as the other one, it only means that B happened at some point of A.

VERB (〜ている) + あいだに

NOUN + のあいだに

While I am watching TV, my sister is cooking.

テレビをみているあいだに、おねえさんはりょうりをしている。

Terebi o miteiru aida ni, oneesan wa ryouri o shiteiru.

During his speech, I fell asleep.

スピーチのあいだに、ねむりにおちた。

Supiichi no aida ni, nemuri ni ochita.

あいだ will thus be used when two actions are done by different people.

うちに

うちに is used to express that a time is best to do something, unlike あいだに. It is similar to it as it can follow a noun or adjective, but verbs do not have to be in 〜ている form. It can be used with the 〜ない form to mean before A comes B. It is often used with giving orders or suggestions, so if you want to suggest that it is best to do (or bad to do) something, うちに is your choice.

Please eat this quickly while it is still warm.

これはまだあたたかいうちにはやくたべてください。

Kore wa mada atatakai uchi ni hayaku tabete kudasai.

Study to your absolute best while you are young.

わかいうちにいっしょうけんめいべんきょうしなさい。

Wakai uchi ni isshoukenmei benkyou shinasai.

To summarise: 〜ながら is typically used with verbs and demonstrates two actions done by the same person; あいだに demonstrates two actions done by different people and うちに is mainly used with orders or suggestions.

ちゅう

ちゅう is typically used in expressions that explain that something is in the midst of doing an action. Typically, you will see it in electronics such as ダウンロードちゅう（中）(in the midst of downloading). Or in cases such as, for instance, if there is a reading session going on at a library for students, the librarian might post a sign saying 'Be quiet, reading session' よみちゅう（読み中）

You can use it to say 'in the midst of'.

I am in the midst of my studies.

べんきょうちゅうしています。

Benkyou chuu shiteimasu.

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Each time

To say 'each time', we use the expression たびに.

VERB (infinitive) + たびに

い-ADJ. + たびに

な-ADJ. 〜 な + たびに

NOUN + のたびに

Every time I go to work, I am tired.

しごとにいくたびに、つかれた。

Shigoto ni iku tabi ni, tsukareta.

Every time I see Reina, I am looking forward to it.

れいなにあうたびに、たのしみする。

Reina ni au tabi ni, tanoshimi suru.

Every time I am busy, I miss the train.

いそがしいたびに、でんしゃをのりおくれる。

Isogashii tabi ni, densha o noriokureru.

This sentence structure is rather straightforward.

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たべる - to eat

のむ - to drink

いく - to go

くる - to come

あるく - to walk

はしる - to run

よむ - to read

かく - to write

みる - to look, to watch

あける - to open

とじる - to close

はなす - to speak

ひく - to catch (a cold), to play (an instrument)

あそぶ - to play

のぼる -  to climb

おしえる - to teach

まなぶ/ならう - to learn

かんがえる - to wonder, to think about

えらぶ - to choose

こたえる - to answer

きく - to hear, to listen, to ask

かう - to buy

かえす - to give back

うる - to sell

べんきょうする - to study

りょうりする - to cook

きる - to wear, to cut

でる - to go out

はいる - to enter

とる - to take

もつ - to hold, to have

まつ - to wait

おす - to push

かわる - to change

かえる - to go back (home)

つかう - to use

もってくる - to bring

まもる - to protect

もどる - to return, to go back

うたう - to sing

おどる - to dance

おちる - to fall, to drop

たつ - to stand

すわる - to sit

わたる - to cross, traverse

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You have completed lesson 14!

レッシュン14ができました！

To think おもう (omou) + To decide きめる/〜ことにする/〜ことになる (kimeru/〜koto ni suru/〜koto ni naru) + To become なる (naru)

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これはわたしにとってたいせつなので、がんばりたいとおもいます！

Kore wa watashi ni totte taisetsu nanode, ganbaritai to omoimasu!

Since it is really important to me, I want to do my best!

To think

You cannot talk about your thoughts without knowing to verb 'to think' おもう. 

Do not confuse おもう and かんがえる! かんがえる means 'to think about' whereas おもう is simply 'to think'. And do not forget that for verbs like this, we will pronounce it 'o-mo-u' and not 'o-moo' as a long 'o'. Since it is a verb, we must pronounce the final 'u'.

With verbs and い-adjectives:

VERB (infinitive) + とおもう

い-ADJ. + とおもう

(verbs in 〜たい will be like い-adjectives)

With nouns and な-adjectives:

NOUN + だとおもう

な-ADJ. な + だとおもう

I think I will enrol in university.

だいがくににゅうがくするとおもいます。

Daigaku ni nyuugaku suru to omoimasu.

I think I want to enrol in university.

だいがくににゅうがくしたいとおもいます。

Daigaku ni nyuugaku shitai to omoimasu.

I think Tanaka-sensei is nice.

たなかせんせいはやさしいとおもいます。

Tanaka-sensei wa yasashii to omoimasu.

Is it a cat or a dog?

ねこかいぬどちらでしょうか？

Neko ka inu dochira deshou ka?

I think it is a cat.

ねこだとおもう。

Neko da to omou.

Is it pretty?

きれいですか？

Kirei desu ka?

I think it is pretty.

きれいだとおもう。

Kirei da to omou.

Since it is an important event, I want to do my best.

だいじなエベントなので、がんばりたいとおもいます。

Daiji na ebento nanode, ganbaritai to omoimasu.

In this sentence, it is implied that since it is an important event, you have the intention and you are sure you want to do your best.

In cases of verbs in the past, you have to use the casual past form and add the verb おもう in the past.

I thought you wrote this letter.

このてがみをかいたとおもいました。

Kono tegami o kaita to omoimashita.

I mentioned to not mix up おもう with かんがえる. かんがえる means 'to think about', as in 'reflecting about something'.

I am thinking about enrolling in university.

だいがくににゅうがくするのはかんがえます。

Daigaku ni nyuugaku suru no wa kangaemasu.

As you can see, it is another construction altogether.

In this sentence, you mean that you are thinking deeply about enrolling in university. 

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To decide

Once again, there are different ways to say 'to decide'. The verb きめる will be used primarily in formal speech.

VERB + ことにきめる

I've decided to enrol in university.

だいがくににゅうがくすることにきめた。

Daigaku ni nyuugaku suru koto ni kimeta.

I chose you! Pikachu!

きみにきめた！ ピカチュウ!

Kimi ni kimeta! Pikachuu!

VERB + ことにする

VERB + ことになる

There is a more colloquial way to say 'to decide' and it is with  〜ことにする/〜ことになる. The difference between the two is that, with 〜ことになる, it implies that someone made the decision for us or that there was the rumour of a decision.

I decided to come to Japan.

にほんにくることにしました。

Nihon ni kuru koto ni shimashita.

You will use this sentence if you decided to go to Japan and that you are now in Japan right now. If you made the decision to go to Japan, but you are not in Japan yet, use this verb tense instead:

I am making the decision to come to Japan.

にほんにくることにしています。

Nihon ni kuru koto ni shiteimasu.

My parents have decided that I will come to Japan.

わたしのようしんがにほんにくることになっている。

Watashi no ryoushin ga nihon ni kuru koto ni natteiru.

Choosing the right verb tense is important in this situation.

します: a new decision 

しました: the decision was made

しています: the decision is ongoing

なります: new rumour of a decision

なりました: decision has officially been announced

なっています: decision is ongoing

なっていました: decision was made but has now changed.

To say that something was decided, we will use きまる instead of きめる.

We will see the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs later on.

It's decided! I am going to Japan.

きまりました！にほんにいきます！

Kimarimashita! Nihon ni ikimasu!

Once again, the word and the verb tense will all decide the real meaning of a sentence.

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To become

We might have come across なる a couple of times (such as in the previous examples). This time, we will learn it as the verb 'to become'. This verb is used a lot to describe a change of state. 

This verb will require the particle に.

To use it with い-adjectives, take off the い and replace it with く. The particle に will not be used in this case. In all other usage, the words stay the same and に is required.

Oh no, the wind really became stronger, eh?

やばい、かぜがつよくなりましたね。

Yabai, kaze ga tsuyoku narimashita ne.

Sakura really became beautiful, eh?

さくらはほんとうにきれいになりましたね。

Sakura wa hontou ni kirei ni narimashita ne.

We can also use it to say 'turn' or 'turn into'.

I will turn 25 years old this year.

ことしにじゅうごさいになります。

Kotoshi nijuugo sai ni narimasu.

We can also use it to say 'can become'. Don't forget how to say 'can' and 'cannot'!

Do you really think you can become stronger?

ほんとうにつよくなれるとおもうか？

Hontou ni tsuyoku nareru to omou ka?

We also use なる in this form 〜ようになる. This expression means that there was a change in behaviour, e.i. something you couldn't do before, but now, you can.

For instance, 'I can now speak Japanese' will be にほんごがはなせるようになりました。

I finally learned how to ride a bicycle.

やっとじてんしゃにのれるようになったんだ。

Yatto jitensha ni noreru you ni nattanda.

なったんだ or なったんです is the explanatory feeling. 

We will see this in another lesson.

You will understand when you will be older.

おおきくなったら、わかるようになるよ。

Ookiku nattara, wakaru you ni naru yo.

My son learned how to dress all by himself.

むすこがひとりでふくをきられるようになりました。

Musuko ga hitori de fuku wo kirareru you ni narimashita.

In the past form, like the example I just gave, it implies that there was a gradual change. For instance, you might have started to be absent from work gradually.

To say you abruptly stopped going to work is another construction entirely.

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You have completed lesson 15!

レッシュン15ができました！

To give and to receive あげる/くれる/もらう (ageru/kureru/morau) + In order to... for 〜ために (〜tame ni) + To say and to hear

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バレタインにおとこがおんなからチョコレートをもらいます。

Baretain ni otoko ga onna kara chokoreeto o moraimasu.

For Valentine's Day, boys receive chocolate from girls.

To give and to receive

Today, we will see the verbs あげる, くれる and もらう.

あげる

あげる literally means 'to give'. It will require the particle を.

I want to give flowers to mum.

おかあさんにはなをあげたい。

Okaasan ni hana o agetai.

I will give chocolate to Shaoran-kun for Valentine.

バレンタインにシャオランくんにチョコレートをあげます。

Barentain ni Shaoran-kun ni chokoreeto o agemasu.

This verb can only be used if the giver is yourself. You cannot use it to say that someone gave you something. In this case, you will either use くれる or もらう.

Thus, this sentence will be wrong.

Shaoran gave me chocolate.

X わたしにシャオランはチョコレートをあげた。 

X Watashi ni Shaoran wa chokoreeto o ageta.

To use this verb, you must be the giver.

If you are talking about two people, however, you can use it.

Sakura-chan gave chocolate to Shaoran-kun.

さくらちゃんはシャオランくんにチョコレートをあげました。

Sakura-chan wa Shaoran-kun ni chokoreeto o agemashita.

It can also be used with verbs. Verbs will be in the 〜て form.

I offered to help. (I gave help)

てつだってあげました。

Tetsudatte agemashita.

くれる

くれる is used to say that someone gave us something. It is used a lot with verbs.

With verbs, it will be attached to the 〜て form of verbs.

Wait a minute, can you give me a hand? (Literally, can you give help)

ちょっとまって、てつだってくれますか？

Chotto matte, tetsudatte kuremasu ka?

Thank you for saving me.

たすけてくれてありがとう。

Tasukete kurete arigatou.

With nouns, it will require the particle を.

Can you give me this hammer?

このハンマーをくれますか？

Kono hanmaa o kuremasu ka?

くれる only works if you are not the giver.

So, to be clear: あげる is when you are the giver and くれる is when someone else is the giver.

もらう

もらう literally means 'to receive'. 

Like くれる, using it with verbs will require the 〜て form and with nouns, it will require the particle を.

I got chocolate from Sakura.

さくらからチョコレートをもらいました。

Sakura kara chokoreeto o moraimashita.

I received help.

てつだってもらった。

Tetsudatte moratta.

So, just a little recap:

あげる is 'to give' and only works if you are the giver.

くれる means 'to give' and only works when the giver is not yourself.

もらう means 'to receive'.

プレゼントをあげます。

I give a present.

プレゼントをくれます。

Someone gives me a present.

プレゼントをもらいます。

I receive a present.

*You saw these verbs being used with other verbs. When these verbs are coupled with other verbs, they mean that you are giving, or someone is giving or you are receiving a service.

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In order to and for

The expression 〜ために can mean 'in order to' or 'for'.

VERB (infinitive) + ために

NOUN + のために

Please, push the button to start.

スタートするために、ボタンをおしてください。

Sutaato suru tame ni, botan o oshite kudasai.

I will become a warrior, in order to protect my city.

わたしのまちをまもるため、せんしになります。

Watashi no machi o mamoru tame, senshi ni narimasu.

In more casual speech, the particle に can be omitted.

For my health, I go run every morning.

けんこうのために、まいあさにはしっています。

Kenkou no tame ni, maiasa ni hashitteimasu.

ために, like たびに, is pretty straightforward.

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To say and to hear

The verb 'to say' in Japanese is いう. Today, we will learn how to say things like 'someone said...' 'I've been told that...'

In formal speech, you will see this construction the most: という.

With な-adjectives and nouns, it requires だ.

My friend told me that the cheesecakes of this shop are the best.

ともだちはこのみせのチーズケーキがさいこうだといった。

Tomodachi wa kono mise no chiizu keeki ga saikou da to itta.

About tomorrow, Reina said she had a concert.

あしたね、れいなはコンサートがあるといいました。

Ashita ne, Reina wa konsaato ga aru to iimashita.

Quotation marks in Japanese look like this: 「...」

If you ever want to write down a quote someone said, you will use these.

I told him "stop with the stupid jokes."

わたしはかれに「つまらないじょうだんってやめて」といったの。

Watashi wa kare ni 「tsumaranai joudan tte yamete」to itta no.

って is an interesting construction. It has two purposes. For one, we can use it in more casual dialogues, by replacing と.

I told you to stop!

やめてっていってたのに！

Yamete tte itteta no ni!

It is also used to explain what something is.

What is a jinja?

じんじゃってなんですか？

Jinja tte nan desu ka?

Jinja is a place you go to pray to God.

じんじゃはかみにいのるところです。

Jinja wa kami ni inoru tokoro desu.

To hear

きく is the verb 'to hear' and it has a similar construction as いう.

I heard his mood got better recently.

さいきんかれはきぶんがよくなったとききました。

Saikin kare wa kibun ga yoku natta to kikimashita.

I heard Sakura is a pretty girl.

さくらはきれいなおんなのこだときいたの。

Sakura wa kireina onna no ko da to kiita no.

It seems to be a lot to remember how to construct sentences depending on if it is a verb, a noun, or an adjective, but many constructions have the same basic structures when you really think about it. 

I am sure with patience, you will be able to remember them all!

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Congratulations! You passed through lesson 16!

Since we touched a little bit on it when discussing jinja, I will leave you with some words related to Japanese religion and mythology.

In Japan, there are three main religions: Shinto, Buddhism, and Christianity.

Most Japanese people are of the shinto religion. Although, many do not show that they are religious, in certain events, we will go to a temple to say our thanks or pray for something to come, like for New Year. Typically, we will drop money in the small fountains, ring the bell, clap two times, bow and wish for something.

In some shrines, we will also be able to have our fortune told. Mikuji are fortunes written on strips of paper. Usually, when we receive a bad fortune, we have to tie the strip of paper to a pine tree or a wall of metal wires alongside other bad fortunes. In the event of a good fortune, we have two options: either we tie it to a tree or to a wire for the fortune to have greater effects, or we can keep it for good luck.

じんじゃ - shrine

てら - temple

かみ - God

きょうかい - church

おみやげ - souvenir

おみやげや - souvenir shop

いのる - to pray

ぶんか - culture

でんとう - tradition

でんしょう - folklore

しんわ - mythology, myth

でんせつ - legend

さいし - priest

おみくじ - fortune written on slips of paper

だいきち - great blessing

きち - blessing

しょうきち - small blessing

はんきち - half-blessing

すえきち - future blessing

すえしょうきち - future small blessing

きょう - misfortune

ほうがく - auspicious/inauspicious directions

ねがいごと - one's wish or desire

まちびと - a person being waited for

うせもの - lost articles

たびだち - travels

あきない - business dealings

がくもん - studies or learning

そうば - market speculations

あらそいごと - disputes

れんあい - romantic relationships

てんきょ - moving or changing residence

しゅっさん - childbirth, delivery

びょうき - illness, sickness

えんだん - marriage proposal, engagement

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You have completed lesson 16!

レッシュン16ができた！

For example たとえば、〜とか (Tatoeba, 〜toka) + Maybe, perhaps かもしれない (kamoshirenai) + I wonder... かな、かしら、でしょう (kana, kashira, deshou) + Please do ください (kudasai) or do not 〜ないで、だめ (〜naide, dame)

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あした、ゆきがふるかもしれない。

Ashita, yuki ga furu kamoshirenai.

It might snow tomorrow.

For example

 The adverb 'for example' in Japanese is たとえば.

It is used the same way as in English.

Dogs are really smart. For example, they can understand various words.

いぬはすごくあたまがいいです。たとえば、いろいろなことばがわかります。

Inu wa sugoku atama ga ii desu. Tatoeba, iroirona kotoba ga wakarimasu.

I like playing games. For example, I really like the Pokemon games.

ゲームをするのがすきです。たとえば、ポケモンのゲームがだいすきです。

Geemu wo suru no ga suki desu. Tatoeba, Pokemon no geemu ga daisuki desu.

In the case of 〜とか, it will refer to 'such as', and it implies that there are other things.

What sort of games do you like?

どんなゲームがすきですか？

Donna geemu ga suki desu ka?

I like games such as Pokemon and Spyro (among others).

ポケモンのゲームとか、スパイロのゲームとかすきです。

Pokemon no geemu toka, Supairo no geemu toka suki desu.

It is like an enumeration of things, if you will.

You will see たとえば used with とか sometimes.

What games do you like?

どんなゲームがすきですか？

Donna geemu ga suki desu ka?

I like, for example, Pokemon games and Mario games.

たとえばポケモンのゲームとか、マリオのゲームとかすきです。

Tatoeba Pokemon no geemu toka, Mario no geemu toka suki desu.

So, they can be used together or separately.

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Maybe or perhaps

In Japanese, to say 'maybe' is かもしれない (かもしれません for the polite form).

It somewhat acts as a verb.

VERB (Infinitive) or past casual + かもしれない

い-ADJ. + かもしれない

な-ADJ. な + かもしれない

NOUN + かもしれない

Maybe it will rain tomorrow.

あしたあめがふるかもしれない。

Ashita ame ga furu kamoshirenai.

Next week, I might finally go to the office.

らいしゅうはやっとじむしょにいくかもしれません。

Raishuu wa yatto jimusho ni iku kamoshiremasen.

I brought an umbrella, but maybe it won't rain today.

かさをもってきたけど、きょうはあめがふらないかも。

Kasa wo motte kita kedo, kyou wa ame ga furanai kamo.

In more casual conversations, しれない (しれません) can be dropped, with only かも remaining.

Maybe the manager took some time off yesterday.

きのうマネージャーはやすんだかもしれません。

Kinou maneejaa wa yasunda kamoshiremasen.

It's already this late! The post office might be already closed!

もうじかんだ！ゆうびんきょくはもうしまっているかもしれない！

Mou jikan da! Yuubinkyoku wa mou shimatteiru kamoshirenai!

I don't know. Japanese might be difficult, eh.

わからない。にほんごがむずかしいかもしれないね。

Wakaranai. Nihongo ga muzukashii kamoshirenai ne.

Now that you have more time, it might be best to take the exam.

いまじかんがあるので、しけんをうけるのがいいかもしれません。

Ima jikan ga aru node, shiken wo ukeru no ga ii kamoshiremasen.

Maybe I should have bought more food...

たべものをもっとかえばよかったかもしれないな。。。

Tabemono wo kaeba yokatta kamoshirenai na...

Funny thing, if you ask me 'what do we eat' and I answer 'duck maybe', it will be かもかも!........... that was a bad Japanese pun for you.

For い-adjectives in the negative, simply remove the final い and replace it 

with くない + かもしれない.

The test might not be as difficult as I thought.

テストはおもったよりむずかしくないかもしれない。

Tesuto wa omotta yori muzukashikunai kamoshirenai.

For な-adjectives, take off the な.

Climbing up there might be dangerous.

あそこまでのぼるのはきけんかもしれません。

Asoko made noboru no wa kiken kamoshiremasen.

For な-adjectives in the negative, replace な by じゃない + かもしれない.

For the past negative, じゃなかった + かもしれない.

I am taking some piano lessons, but I might not be good at it now.

ピアノのれんしゅうしているけど、いまはじょうずじゃないかもしれない。

Piano no renshuu shiteiru kedo, ima wa jouzu janai kamoshirenai.

I used to live in Tokyo, maybe it wasn't so quiet.

とうきょうにすんでいたから、しずかじゃなかったかもしれない。

Toukyou ni sundeita kara, shizukajanakatta kamoshirenai.

For nouns, you can add かもしれない after the noun and after じゃない (negative), だった (past) and じゃなかった (past negative).

Maybe he is an employee.

かいしゃいんかもしれません。

Kaishain kamoshiremasen.

Maybe he isn't an employee.

かいしゃいんじゃないかもしれません。

Kaishain janai kamoshiremasen.

Maybe he was an employee.

かいしゃいんだったかもしれません。

Kaishain datta kamoshiremasen.

Maybe he wasn't an employee.

かいしゃいんじゃなかったかもしれません。

Kaishain janakatta kamoshiremasen.

To say 'maybe' as an adverb in Japanese, we use the word たぶん.

How many do you want?

いくつですか？

Ikutsu desu ka?

Maybe... three?

たぶん。。。みっつ？

Tabun... mittsu?

To not confuse yourself with たぶん and かも, you can view たぶん as the official word for 'maybe' and かも as the modal verb 'might'.

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To wonder

One way to say 'I wonder' in Japanese is closely related to how we say 'maybe'. Let's see this one first since we just learned how to say 'maybe'.

We will used this verb: でしょう or だろう for the casual form.

The difference between かもしれない and たぶん coupled with でしょう relies on the level of certainty. たぶん and でしょう can be translated to 'probably' whilst かもしれない is mostly used to express your thoughts or feelings.

Maybe she has a boyfriend?

かのじょはたべんかれしがいるでしょうか？

Kanojo wa tabun kareshi ga iru deshou ka?

Sometimes, you will see this construction with a ん before the verb. 

Maybe she has a boyfriend?

かのじょはかれしがいるんでしょうか？

Kanojo wa kareshi ga irun deshou ka?

Maybe (I wonder) it will rain tomorrow?

あしたあめがふるんだろうか？

Ashita ame ga furun darou ka?

In these examples, however, the ん will give a sense of explanation. You can read more about this kind of construction in this article Seems to feel like 〜がる (〜garu) + Explanatory feel 〜んです、〜んだ (〜ndesu, 〜nda) + Want something to happen 〜てほしい (〜te hoshii).

The second way is by using two small words that roughly translate to 'I wonder'. 

かな can be used by anyone, whereas かしら is used by women only. They are placed at the end of sentences. These words do not work with the 〜ます form.

I wonder if it will snow tomorrow.

あしたゆきがふるかな。

Ashita yuki ga furu kana.

あしたゆきがふるかしら。

Ashita yuki ga furu kashira.

Even though Japanese does not have genders, sometimes the way people speak will depend on their gender. Some words are reserved only for women, such as かしら or the end-of-sentence particle わ, and some words are reserved for men, such as the end-of-sentence particles ぞ or ぜ.

Some pronouns as well will technically have a gender. We will see them in another lesson!

I would like to come back to でしょう for a minute.

There is a sentence construction we can also use it with.

I told you to stop, didn't I?

やめてっていってたんでしょう！

Yametette ittetan deshou!

In this case, we can translate is as 'I wonder if I told you to stop', which roughly means 'I told you to stop, didn't I'?

Be careful with this, as でしょう is not necessarily used for sentence structures like this. When you use sentences in English like 'you did it, didn't you?' there is no exact translation in Japanese.

You told a lie, didn't you?

あなたはうそついたでしょう？

Anata wa uso tsuita deshou?

あなたはうそついたよね？

Anata wa uso tsuita yo ne?

The first sentence sounds a bit like 'you lied, didn't you?' and the second one 'you lied, right?' which both would mean the same thing.

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Please do or do not

To say 'please' in Japanese, we can say おねがい (します).

I want water, please.

おみず、おねがいします。

Omizu, onegai shimasu.

ください

ください with nouns require the particle を.

NOUN + を + ください

I want water, please.

おみずをください。

Omizu o kudasai.

*Keep in mind that for nouns, we will most likely use おねがいします. This is because ください used with nouns somewhat means 'give me'. Despite the fact that it is totally grammatical, it can be a bit rude if you use NOUN + を + ください at a restaurant for example.

Thus, we will prefer to use おねがいします

Water, please.

おみず、おねがいします。

Omizu, onegai shimasu.

We will mostly use ください with verbs.

VERB (te-form) + ください

With verbs, ください requires verbs in their 〜て form.

Please sit down.

すわってください。

Suwatte kudasai.

Please eat it while it is still warm.

これはもうあたたかいうちにたべてください。

Kore wa mou atatakai uchi ni tabete kudasai.

Please, make sure you bring this letter to Reina.

このてがみをれいなにもってきてくださいね。

Kono tegami wo Reina ni motte kite kudasai ne.

ください cannot stand on its own. If you want to say 'please' by itself, you will have to use おねがい(します).

This cat is so cute! I want a cat! Please!

このねこちゃんはとてもかわいい！ねこがほしい！おねがい！

Kono neko wa totemo kawaii! Neko ga hoshii! Onegai!

In more casual conversations, ください can be omitted. In this case, the verbs in their 〜て form will act as an order.

Where is my book? Give it back.

わたしのほんはどこ？かえして。

Watashi no hon wa doko? Kaeshite.

Do not

To say 'do not', there are two ways you can say it. The first one is the more direct one. We will use the 〜ない form of verbs + で + ください.

Please, do not drink coffee before sleeping.

ねむるまえにコーヒーをのまないでください。

Nemuru mae ni koohii o nomanaide kudasai.

In more casual conversations, you can drop the ください.

ねむるまえにコーヒをのまないで。

Nemuru mae ni koohii o nomanaide.

Sometimes, in even more casual conversations, you will hear な instead.

VERB (Infinitive) + な

Do not eat this apple.

このりんごをたべるな。

Kono ringo o taberu na.

Don't cry.

なくな。

Naku na.

The case of だめ as an imperative

In the case of だめ, it can be used in a lot of sentences. 

As a negative imperative, it will require the 〜て form of verbs + は + だめ + です.

Do not turn the meat over.

にくをひっくりかえしてはだめです。

Niku o hikkuri kaeshite wa dame desu.

This case is not exactly like the imperative, but it somewhat acts like it. It means more like 'turning the meat over is no good'.

You cannot eat and drink in the classroom.

きょうしつでいんしょくしてはだめです。

Kyoushitsu de inshoku shite wa dame desu.

You can use it in different sentences as well.

I am no good with spicy food.

からいものはだめです。

Karai mono wa dame desu.

In casual conversations, you can drop the particle は and the verb です.

Do not steal my little sister's doll.

いもうとのにんぎょうをぬすんでだめ。

Imouto no ningyou o nusunde dame.

だめ itself means 'no good'. So, paired with verbs in this way will mean 'doing this is no good'. It can also mean 'should not' as in 'you shouldn't steal my little sister's doll'.

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You have completed lesson 17!

レッシュン17ができた！

To need ひつようです (hitsuyou desu) + To compare より、ほうが (yori, hou ga) + Before and after まえに, あとで (mae ni, ato de) + To hope

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にほんごをべんきょうするほうがいいです！

Nihongo o benkyou suru hou ga ii desu!

I would rather study Japanese!

To need

To say that we need something, we can use ひつようです. It means that something is necessary, thus we need it. ひつよう can be translated as 'a necessity'. 

This should not get confused with the form なければなりません, 

which is more 'to need' as a 'must do'. 

With nouns, we will use this construction:

NOUN + が + ひつようです

NOUN + は + ひつようです

With verbs, we prefer this construction:

VERB (infinitive) + ひつようがある

This is necessary.

それはひつようです。

Sore wa hitsuyou desu.

I need a place to play soccer.

サッカーをれんしゅうするばしょがひつようです。

Sakkaa o renshuu suru basho ga hitsuyou desu.

Married couples need to understand each other.

ふうふはおたがいにりかいしあうことがひつようです。

Fuufu wa otagai ni rikai shiau koto ga hitsuyou desu.

*In this example, the verb りかいしあう acts as a noun because of こと (nominalizer).

My little brother doesn't need to go to school.

わたしのおとうとはきょうがっこうにいくひつようがない。

Watashi no otouto wa kyou gakkou ni iku hitsuyou ga nai.

The doctor told him he needs to quit smoking.

いしゃはかれにタバコをやめるひつようがあるといいました。

Isha wa kare ni tabako o yameru hitsuyou ga aru to iimashita.

I need to study more.

もっとべんきょうするひつようがあります。

Motto benkyou suru hitsuyou ga arimasu.

There is no need to go to the office today.

きょうはじむしょにいくひつようがありません。

Kyou wa jimusho ni iku hitsuyou ga arimasen.

There is a verb that means 'to need' as well, which is いる. Do not mix it with the existential verb いる (います). The existential verb いる is an ichidan verb, whereas the verb 'to need' いる is a godan verb.

Do you need ice?

こおりがいりますか？

Koori ga irimasu ka?

I don't need it.

いらない。

Iranai.

You can see the difference when these verbs are conjugated. Since いる (to need) is a godan verb, it will follow the same rule as other godan verbs.

います (there is)

いります (to need)

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To compare

To compare, we will use two words: より and ほうが.

より can somewhat be translated as meaning 'than'. They don't need to come together in a sentence.

Here are some sentences with より:

Reina is faster than Chiharu.

れいなはちはるよりはやいです。

Reina wa Chiharu yori hayai desu.

I think I am better at maths than Sakura.

わたしはさくらよりさんすうがじょうだとおもいます。

Watashi wa Sakura yori sansuu ga jouzu da to omoimasu.

Here are some sentences with ほうが:

NOUN + の + ほうが

VERB + ほうが

I prefer apples.

りんごのほうがすきです。

Ringo no hou ga suki desu.

I prefer playing games.

ゲームをするほうがすきです。

Geemu o suru hou ga suki desu.

Coupled with the verb すきです, it changes the meaning from 'I like' to 'I prefer'.

Owls are better.

ふくろうのほうがいいです。

Fukurou no hou ga ii desu.

Adding いい after ほうが, like in this sentence, will mean that something is better.

It's better if you read science books.

かがくのほんをよむほうがいいです。

Kagaku no hon o yomu hou ga ii desu.

Now, let's use them both together!

I prefer apples than oranges (I prefer apples to oranges).

オレンジよりりんごのほうがすきです。

Orenji yori ringo no hou ga suki desu.

I would rather play video games than watch TV.

テレビをみるよりゲームをするほうがいいです。

Terebi o miru yori geemu o suru hou ga ii desu.

Again, the use of いい makes it so that you would prefer to do something rather than other things.

Because I am scared of sharks, I would rather be in the mountains than in the ocean.

さめがこわいですから、うみよりやまのほうがいいです。

Same ga kowai desu kara, umi yori yama no hou ga ii desu.

Adding these kind of words to a sentence can change the meaning of it, as you can see. Adding ほうが to すき will change its meaning from 'like' to 'prefer', and adding the adjective いい after ほうが will add the meaning that you would rather have or do this than having or doing that.

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Before and after

'Before' is まえ and 'after' is あと.

We will now see how to say 'before X' and 'after X'.

Before

NOUN + の + まえに

VERB (inf) + まえに

Before going to soccer practice, I have to do my homework.

サッカーのれんしゅうのまえに、しゅくだいをしなきゃいけない。

Sakkaa no renshuu no mae ni, shukudai o shinakya ikenai.

Don't forget to wash your teeth before sleeping.

ねるまえに、はみがきをわすれないでね。

Neru mae ni, hamigaki o wasurenaide ne.

まえに is pretty straightforward. I wish I could say the same for 'after'...

After

For nouns, we will use:

 NOUN + のあとで

After soccer practice, I went home.

サッカーのれんしゅうのあとで、かえりました。

Sakkaa no renshuu no ato de, kaerimashita.

I am meeting Reina after work.

おしごとのあとで、れいなにあいます。

Oshigoto no ato de, Reina ni aimasu.

Notice here that we use the particle で instead of に.

With verbs, it becomes a bit more difficult. There are many ways to say 'after doing something' and the meaning will change depending on what form you use.

The first one you should learn is 〜てから. It roughly means 'after ...ing'. Do not confuse this construction with the word 'because' (から). から (because) does not work with the 〜て form of verbs, so when you see this construction 〜てから, you can automatically deduct that it means 'after doing something'.

After returning home, I immediately ate.

いえにかえってから、すぐにたべました。

Ie ni kaettekara, sugu ni tabemashita.

Hint: if ever you are not sure if から means 'because' or 'after', translate it in your head. 'Because I return home, I immediately ate' sounds awful. In this case, you can translate から as meaning 'from'. 'From the time I returned home, I immediately ate' sounds better.

Another way to say 'after' with a verb is 〜たあとで. This sentence uses the past casual tense of verbs.

After I returned home, I immediately ate.

いえにかえったあとで、すぐにたべました。

Ie ni kaetta ato de, sugu ni tabemashita.

You can also use the 〜て form only to express a succession of actions.

After I returned home, I immediately ate.

いえにかえって、すぐにたべました。

Ie ni kaette, sugu ni tabemashita.

The second verb of the sentence will tell us that it is in the past, so we know that the verb かえる (to return home) is in the past even though it is in its 〜て form.

Another way you can say 'after' with verbs is the 〜たら form. This form however uses a hypothetical meaning.

When you arrive home, call me.

いえにかえったら、でんわをかけて。

Ie ni kaettara, denwa o kakete.

This creates a hypothesis that if and when you reach home, call me. We saw this construction when we learned the different ways of saying the conditional. As a hint, you can translate this sentence as 'if you arrive home, call me.'

Another expression we use is 〜とたん, which means 'exactly when' or 'just'. 

Just as I lied there, I fell asleep.

ねたとたん、ねむりました。

Netatotan, nemurimashita.

Depending on the context and meaning, you would use any of these. There are other ways, but I think these are the most common that you will hear.

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To hope

The verb 'to hope' is, again, another way to confuse people, because there are several ways to convey our hopes. There are two words for the verb 'to hope' きぼう and のぞみ, but there are more than two ways of expressing it.

Let's see those two words before diving into the different ways of saying 'I hope'!

きぼう means 'hope' as a noun. Quite often, it will be used as a negative in casual language.

As long as we are living, there is still hope.

わたしたちはいきているかぎりまできぼうがある。

Watashitachi wa ikiteiru kagiri made kibou ga aru.

It can be used to express wishes.

They're going against my wishes.

かれらがわたしのきぼうにはんたいしている。

Karera wa watashi no kibou ni hantai shiteiru.

のぞみ also means 'hope' or 'wish'. Compared to きぼう, のぞみ has a more emotional and positive feel. 

My wish is to go to Japan as an exchange student.

わたしののぞみはりゅうがくせいとしてにほんにいくことです。

Watashi no nozomi wa ryuugaku toshite nihon ni iku koto desu.

Reina's wish is to become a voice actress.

れいなののぞみはせいゆうになることです。

Reina no nozomi wa seiyuu ni naru koto desu.

Now, how do we say that we hope for something?

First, there is the expression 〜ように, which gives a vibe of 'I hope it goes well'. We attach it to verbs as is.

I hope it all goes smoothly.

すべてはうまくいきますように。

Subete wa umaku ikimasu you ni.

I hope I can be happy.

しあわせになれますように。

Shiawase ni naremasu you ni.

〜ように is typically used when we wish something at a shrine or temple.

といいな vs. といいね

といい is another way to say 'I hope'. The difference between the two expressions is that when you add な at the end, you are actually hoping for yourself. When you add ね, you are hoping for someone else.

I hope I can sleep tonight.

こんやよくねられるといいな。

Kon'ya yoku nerareru to ii na.

I hope you can sleep tonight.

こんやよくねられるといいね。

Kon'ya yoku nerareru to ii ne.

Just by changing the particle at the end, you can tweak the meaning of your sentence. 

You caught a cold, eh? I hope you can feel better quickly!

かぜをひいたね。はやくよくなるといいね！

Kaze o hiita ne. Hayaku yoku naru to ii ne!

Be careful, as if you use な when wishing for someone else, you will sound really weird.

As an adverb, you can also use きっと, which means 'surely'.

If it is Sakura, I am sure it will be okay.

さくらならきっとだいじょうぶですよ。

Sakura nara kitto daijoubu desu yo.

In this case, you can translate it as 'I am sure'.

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You have completed lesson 18!

レッシュン18ができた！

To try something 〜てみる (〜te miru) + Volition in the familiar form 〜おう (〜ou) + Giving orders + Might or might not かどうか (ka dou ka) + Or か (ka)

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らいしゅう、えいがをみてみよう！

Raishuu, eiga o mite miyou!

Next week, let's try to watch a movie!

To try

The verb 'to try' is a little tricky in Japanese. Coupled with verbs, we will use みる. Yes, みる also means 'to see' or 'to watch'. It will require the 〜て form of verbs.

VERB 〜て + みる

I will try to cook Okonomiyaki.

おこのみやきをりょうりしてみます。

Okonomiyaki o ryouri shite mimasu.

I love spicy food. Hey, you want to try (to eat some)?

からいものがだいすきです。ね、たべてみたいですか？

Karai mono ga daisuki desu. Ne, tabete mitai desu ka?

Shall we sing together? (Shall we try singing together)

いっしょにうたってみましょうか？

Issho ni utatte mimashou ka?

We will try to watch a movie this weekend.

しゅうまつはえいがをみてみる。

Shuumatsu wa eiga o mite miru.

I will try (to do) the exam.

しけんをやってみます。

Shiken o yatte mimasu.

In English, the verb 'to try' can stand on its own, like in the sentence 'do you want to try apples?' but in Japanese, it always has to be attached to a verb. So, 'do you want to try apples?' will become 'do you want to try to eat apples? (taste apples)'.

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Volition form

At the very beginning, we saw the verb form 〜ましょう, which roughly translated to 'let's (do something)'. Today, we will see the casual form of this construction.

I hope you remember what ichidan and godan verbs are, because we will need them.

For ichidan verbs, you will replace 〜る by 〜よう.

Let's eat together!

いっしょにたべよう！

Issho ni tabeyou!

Let's wake up at 8 c'clock.

はちじにおきよう。

Hachi ji ni okiyou.

For godan verbs, you simply transform the う sound to a お sound.

あう〜あおう

まつ〜まとう

はなす〜はなそう

つくる〜つくろう

いく〜いこう

およぐ〜およごう

しぬ〜しのう

えらぶ〜えらぼう

よむ〜よもう

Irregular verbs:

くる〜こよう

する〜しよう

So, let's meet at 5 o'clock in the park!

じゃ、ごじにこうえんであおう！

Ja, go ji ni kouen de aou!

How about we read this book together? (Let's read this book together, shall we?)

このほんをいっしょによもう？

Kono hon o issho ni yomou?

Let's go karaoke!

カラオケにいこう！

Karaoke ni ikou!

The う makes a long 'o', in this case. Only when verbs are in the infinitive should you pronounce the う separately.

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Giving orders

We saw how to ask someone to do something politely with 〜て form of verbs + ください. There is another way to give orders that is more direct, and this is with 〜なさい.

With ichidan verbs, we will remove 〜る and simply add 〜なさい.

Please eat your vegetables.

やさいをたべなさい。

Yasai o tabenasai.

Wake up at 7 o'clock, please.

しちじにおきなさいよ。

Shichi ji ni okinasai yo.

With godan verbs, we will remove the 〜ます form and add 〜なさい.

Please, listen carefully.

よくききなさい。

Yoku kikinasai.

Please, write a letter to Reina.

れいなにてがみをかきなさい。

Reina ni tegami o kakinasai.

To be more rude while giving orders, for ichidan verbs, the 〜る becomes 〜ろ and for godan verbs, the う sound changes into え sound.

Stop!

やめろ！

Yamero!

Eat!

たべろ！

Tabero!

Go!

いけ！

Ike!

Listen to me!

わたしにきけよ！

Watashi ni kike yo!

Now that we have gotten into the casual form, here is a list of the different pronouns you can use in Japanese:

わたし - I (general)

わたくし - I (used by women, more formal)

あたし - I (used by women, less formal)

おれ - I (used by men, less formal)

ぼく - I (used by men)

あなた - You (general)

あんた - You (contraction of あなた)

おまえ - You (used by men, less formal)

きみ - You (used mostly by men)

てめ - You (used by men, vulgar)

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Might or might not

かどうか roughly translates to 'might or might not' or 'whether or not'. 

I don't know whether it will be sunny tomorrow (or not).

あしたはれるかどうかしらない。

Ashita hareru kadouka shiranai.

I am not sure if that is correct or not.

それがただしいかどうかわからない。

Sore ga tadashii kadouka wakaranai.

I'll let you know later by phone if I am going or not.

いくかどうかあとででんわでしらせます。

Iku kadouka ato de denwa de shirasemasu.

We won't know if it is good or not until we eat it.

おいしいかどうかたべないとわからない。

Oishii kadouka tabenai to wakaranai.

Please check again whether or not you wrote the name down.

なまえをかいたかどうか、もういちどチェックしてください。

Namae o kaita kadouka, mou ichido chekku shite kudasai.

I am worried whether or not we will succeed with this plan.

このけいかくはせいこうできるかどうかしんぱいです。

Kono keikaku wa seikou dekiru kadouka shinpai desu.

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Or

We use the particle か to say 'or' in Japanese.

NOUN 1 + か + NOUN 2 (か NOUN 3)

Is it a dog or a cat?

いぬかねこですか？

Inu ka neko desu ka?

I'm going to Kyoto by bus or by train.

きょうとにバスかでんしゃでいきます。

Kyouto ni basu ka densha de ikimasu.

If you have any questions, please reach out by phone or email.

しつもんがあれば、でんわかメールでれんらくしてください。

Shitsumon ga areba, denwa ka meeru de renraku shite kudasai.

Apple or watermelon, which one do you want to eat?

りんごかすいか、どっちがたべたい？

Ringo ka suika, docchi ga tabetai?

Green tea, Oolong tea or black tea, which one is good for you?

りょくちゃかウーロンちゃかこうちゃ、どれがいい？

Ryokucha ka Uuron cha ka koucha, dore ga ii?

There is another way to say 'or' in Japanese. As か is used to mark two or more alternatives and is used to connect only nouns, それとも will connect two alternatives and can be connected to verbs and adjectives.

Is that bag expensive? Or is it cheap?

あのかばんはたかいですか、それともやすいですか？

Ano kaban wa takai desu ka, soretomo yasui desu ka?

Is coffee good for you, or will you take tea?

コーヒーがいいですか、それともおちゃがいいですか？

Koohii ga ii desu ka, soretomo ocha ga ii desu ka?

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You have completed lesson 19!

レッシュン19ができた！