The other main kind of verb is the う verb. The real difference between irregular, る, and う verbs is that they are conjugated differently.
For う verbs, the verbs all end in the う sound. Unlike る verbs where they just ended with る, う verbs end in all other う sounds (く, す, つ, む, ぬ, etc.) INCLUDING る.
Recall that for る verbs, the sound before it was either an い or え sound (i.e. たべる taBERU, おきる oKIRU). For う verbs, it can be any sound. That includes い or え sounds also, making it more confusing!
What does this all mean though? If a verb ends in -ある, うる, or おる, it IS an う verb. If a verb ends in いる or える, it is EITHER a る or う verb. The only way of telling is if you recognize one of its conjugations to distinguish it as る or う, or if you just know what kind of verb it is. Let me give you an example:
かえる (kaeru) - to return
はしる (hashiru) - to run
They both end in いる and える, so that makes them る verbs right? If you were to conjugate these into their -masu forms (drop the る, add -ます), they turn into:
かえます (kaemasu)
はします (hashimasu)
However, this is INCORRECT! It's because these two verbs are う verbs! Their correct -masu forms would be かえります (kaerimasu) and はしります (hashirimasu), respectively. The point here is that if a verb ends in る (even if the sound before it is an い or え sound), it doesn't necessarily make it a る verb! I know this sounds confusing, but you'll eventually learn different conjugations and be able to tell which verbs are る or う.
Here are some examples of う verbs so you can get a sense of what they look like:
かく (kaku) - to write
よむ (yomu) - to read
はなす (hanasu) - to speak
たつ (tatsu) - to stand
うる (uru) - to sell
あそぶ (asobu) - to play
As you can see, う verbs are much more diverse in the sense that they have more variety in the ending sounds, like -aku in かく (kAKU) and -obu in あそぶ (asOBU).
I know that う verbs seem difficult, but as you learn more and more Japanese you'll learn to tell う and る verbs apart. It'll also be important to recognize the difference too when it comes to seeing conjugated forms so you can work backwards and figure out what the verb actually is. Of course though, this all takes practice, so study hard!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
There Are 2 Kinds of Verbs! - る Version
In Japanese, there are two main kinds of verbs. Since it might be confusing for new learners, I'll split it up into two lessons (る and う) and then compare them in the latter lesson.
All Japanese verbs either end in る or う (not necessarily う, but the う sound). For now, we'll focus on る verbs.What is a る verb? Simply put, it's a verb that ends in る. The character BEFORE the る is either an え (e) or い (i) sound. This is very important, and you'll have to remember that. る and う verbs are conjugated differently, with る being the more simple one. Here are a few examples of る verbs in their short form.
たべる (taberu) = to eat
でる (deru) = to exit
みる (miru) = to look; see
おきる(okiru) = to wake up
Notice that they all end with る, and the character before る is either an え (e) or い (i) sound. For the most part, conjugating る verbs is pretty simple. Generally, you'd just drop the る and add the verb suffix to it. For example, if you were to conjugate the verbs above into their -masu form, you'd drop the る and add ます at the end.
たべます (tabemasu) = to eat
でます (demasu) = to exit
みます (mimasu) = to look; see
おきます(okimasu) = to wake up
Pretty simple, right? That's basically how る verbs work. Hopefully this isn't too difficult to understand now, although I understand if it still feels like it. Slowly but surely, we'll learn more about grammar and things will begin to fall in place.
All Japanese verbs either end in る or う (not necessarily う, but the う sound). For now, we'll focus on る verbs.What is a る verb? Simply put, it's a verb that ends in る. The character BEFORE the る is either an え (e) or い (i) sound. This is very important, and you'll have to remember that. る and う verbs are conjugated differently, with る being the more simple one. Here are a few examples of る verbs in their short form.
たべる (taberu) = to eat
でる (deru) = to exit
みる (miru) = to look; see
おきる(okiru) = to wake up
Notice that they all end with る, and the character before る is either an え (e) or い (i) sound. For the most part, conjugating る verbs is pretty simple. Generally, you'd just drop the る and add the verb suffix to it. For example, if you were to conjugate the verbs above into their -masu form, you'd drop the る and add ます at the end.
たべます (tabemasu) = to eat
でます (demasu) = to exit
みます (mimasu) = to look; see
おきます(okimasu) = to wake up
Pretty simple, right? That's basically how る verbs work. Hopefully this isn't too difficult to understand now, although I understand if it still feels like it. Slowly but surely, we'll learn more about grammar and things will begin to fall in place.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Introduction to Verbs
In Japanese, there are two kinds of verbs: る and う. Well, there are actually three, with the third kind being "irregular verbs." But since there are only two irregular verbs, we'll cover those really quick!
So why are there three different kinds of verbs? It's mainly because they are conjugated differently. Let's take a look at the two irregular verbs:
する (suru) = to do
くる (kuru) = to come
The regular, unchanged form of these verbs is called the "Dictionary" or "Short" form. This form is also used in casual speech, so it may also be viewed as a casual form. The importance of this is that all verbs are conjugated FROM their dictionary forms. します (shimasu) is the -masu form conjugation of する. Although we'll cover -masu forms later, I'll use a little bit here to explain the two irregular verbs.
る and う verbs have their own rules of conjugation, but since する and くる irregular, you'll have to learn these two specifically. To change する and くる to their -masu forms:
する becomes します.
くる becomes きます.
These two verbs will have their own specific forms when it comes to the many Japanese conjugations. For now, the important thing to remember is that する and くる are both irregular verbs! Whenever you learn a new conjugation or verb form, you'll have to find out what する and くる is specifically, since they don't have their own set rules. This may sound confusing, but when you learn about the other verbs and forms of conjugation, I promise it'll be easier to understand.
So why are there three different kinds of verbs? It's mainly because they are conjugated differently. Let's take a look at the two irregular verbs:
する (suru) = to do
くる (kuru) = to come
The regular, unchanged form of these verbs is called the "Dictionary" or "Short" form. This form is also used in casual speech, so it may also be viewed as a casual form. The importance of this is that all verbs are conjugated FROM their dictionary forms. します (shimasu) is the -masu form conjugation of する. Although we'll cover -masu forms later, I'll use a little bit here to explain the two irregular verbs.
る and う verbs have their own rules of conjugation, but since する and くる irregular, you'll have to learn these two specifically. To change する and くる to their -masu forms:
する becomes します.
くる becomes きます.
These two verbs will have their own specific forms when it comes to the many Japanese conjugations. For now, the important thing to remember is that する and くる are both irregular verbs! Whenever you learn a new conjugation or verb form, you'll have to find out what する and くる is specifically, since they don't have their own set rules. This may sound confusing, but when you learn about the other verbs and forms of conjugation, I promise it'll be easier to understand.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
The Particle の
の denotes ownership. Putting の after a noun makes it possessive. For example, わたし means I, or me. わたしの means my, or mine. By doing this, you can put a noun after の to make the first noun possessive of the second noun. That sounds a little confusing, but it's just like this:
A の B
A and B are nouns. A has ownership over B. わたしのねこ (my cat), ともだちのほん (friend's book), せんせいのけんきゅうしつ (teacher's office) are some examples. の can be thought of as "of" or apostrophe S ('s). So those translations can also be "cat of mine," "book of a friend's," "office of the teacher," and it would all generally still have the same meaning. English just has many ways to say one thing.
Hopefully this isn't all too difficult to understand. Start practicing this grammar! You will see it everywhere in Japanese writing and speech.
A の B
A and B are nouns. A has ownership over B. わたしのねこ (my cat), ともだちのほん (friend's book), せんせいのけんきゅうしつ (teacher's office) are some examples. の can be thought of as "of" or apostrophe S ('s). So those translations can also be "cat of mine," "book of a friend's," "office of the teacher," and it would all generally still have the same meaning. English just has many ways to say one thing.
Hopefully this isn't all too difficult to understand. Start practicing this grammar! You will see it everywhere in Japanese writing and speech.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Sentence Structure
Before we move onto verbs and sentences with verbs, it's important to take a look at sentence structure. To understand the sentence structure of Japanese, we have to take a look at English sentence structure and compare them. Take for example:
I go to school.
I is the subject, go is the verb, and school is the object. So for English, the sentence structure for this is subject, verb, object. Now let's take a look at Japanese.
わたしはがっこうにいきます。
(Watashi wa gakkou ni ikimasu.)
I go to school. (A literal translation would be 'I school go')
わたし (I) is the subject, がっこう (school) is the object, and いきます (to go) is the verb. As you can see, this is different from English, as the sentence structure is subject, object, verb. It may seem a little confusing, but this is important for forming sentences in Japanese when you use verbs.
So to recap, sentence structure for English and Japanese is like this:
English: subject, verb, object
Japanese: subject, object, verb
This will become more apparent later and especially once you begin forming sentences. Study hard!
I go to school.
I is the subject, go is the verb, and school is the object. So for English, the sentence structure for this is subject, verb, object. Now let's take a look at Japanese.
わたしはがっこうにいきます。
(Watashi wa gakkou ni ikimasu.)
I go to school. (A literal translation would be 'I school go')
わたし (I) is the subject, がっこう (school) is the object, and いきます (to go) is the verb. As you can see, this is different from English, as the sentence structure is subject, object, verb. It may seem a little confusing, but this is important for forming sentences in Japanese when you use verbs.
So to recap, sentence structure for English and Japanese is like this:
English: subject, verb, object
Japanese: subject, object, verb
This will become more apparent later and especially once you begin forming sentences. Study hard!
Monday, November 5, 2012
My Name Is...
In this lesson, we'll learn how to introduce ourselves and say our name. Let's take a look at this sentence:
わたしは Y です。
I am Y.
Does this look familiar? It should, because it's the basic "X は Y です" format. X is わたし (watashi = I), and Y is your name. By using this sentence, you are saying "I am (name)." Let's look at another sentence:
わたしのなまえは Y です。
My name is Y.
It still uses the same format, except X is わたしのなまえ (watashi no namae = my name). の is a particle that denotes ownership and is like the equivalent of apostrophe S ('s), or "of." The possessive of me is my or mine, which is why わたし itself means "I" and わたしの means "my" or "mine." We'll learn more about particles later.
わたし is used by both males and females, but only males (usually young boys) use ぼく (boku). It would be strange to hear a girl use ぼく. For now, this should be enough information to tell someone your name.
Now that you know how to say your name, go ahead and practice!
わたしは Y です。
I am Y.
Does this look familiar? It should, because it's the basic "X は Y です" format. X is わたし (watashi = I), and Y is your name. By using this sentence, you are saying "I am (name)." Let's look at another sentence:
わたしのなまえは Y です。
My name is Y.
It still uses the same format, except X is わたしのなまえ (watashi no namae = my name). の is a particle that denotes ownership and is like the equivalent of apostrophe S ('s), or "of." The possessive of me is my or mine, which is why わたし itself means "I" and わたしの means "my" or "mine." We'll learn more about particles later.
わたし is used by both males and females, but only males (usually young boys) use ぼく (boku). It would be strange to hear a girl use ぼく. For now, this should be enough information to tell someone your name.
Now that you know how to say your name, go ahead and practice!
Monday, October 29, 2012
X は Y です
Today's lesson is the most basic of sentences in pretty much all languages. We will cover particles later, so for now we'll practice forming the sentences and sounding them out.
"X は Y です" means "X is Y." That's it, simple. The は (ha) that you see in the sentence is not pronounced "ha," but "wa." This is a particle, and it is pronounced that way. For now, just remember that because particles are a whole new lesson themselves (and some people will argue that it is the hardest thing about learning Japanese).
です (desu) is a copula. It's kind of equivalent to the English "to be." It's not a verb though, and it connects a subject and predicate. You will be using です a lot when you speak and write. To say it fast and fluently, it sounds more like "des."
With this sentence format, you can create seemingly complex sentences. For example:
学校に行く学生はいい人です。
がっこうにいくがくせいはいいひとです。
The student who goes to school is a good person.
The sentence may sound complex because there are verbs and adjectives modifying the nouns (student who goes to school, good person) but it's really just in X is Y format. X is student, and Y is person.
Congratulations on learning how to say your first sentence in Japanese. I encourage you to practice and create sentences with nouns that you may know.
"X は Y です" means "X is Y." That's it, simple. The は (ha) that you see in the sentence is not pronounced "ha," but "wa." This is a particle, and it is pronounced that way. For now, just remember that because particles are a whole new lesson themselves (and some people will argue that it is the hardest thing about learning Japanese).
です (desu) is a copula. It's kind of equivalent to the English "to be." It's not a verb though, and it connects a subject and predicate. You will be using です a lot when you speak and write. To say it fast and fluently, it sounds more like "des."
With this sentence format, you can create seemingly complex sentences. For example:
学校に行く学生はいい人です。
がっこうにいくがくせいはいいひとです。
The student who goes to school is a good person.
The sentence may sound complex because there are verbs and adjectives modifying the nouns (student who goes to school, good person) but it's really just in X is Y format. X is student, and Y is person.
Congratulations on learning how to say your first sentence in Japanese. I encourage you to practice and create sentences with nouns that you may know.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Reviewing Katakana
Hopefully you've memorized some Katakana by now. What next? Before we move on, it's time for a pop quiz. They're not fun, but it'll test you on how much you've been practicing.
Highlight with a mouse to see your answer.
オレンジ オ(o) レ(re) ン(n) ジ(ji) orange
So how did you do? Hopefully you did well. Keep practicing and keep in mind that you'll always have to sharpen and improve your Hiragana and Katakana no matter how skilled you become.
Highlight with a mouse to see your answer.
オレンジ オ(o) レ(re) ン(n) ジ(ji) orange
パーティー パ(pa) ー(a) ティ(ti) ー(i) party
マクドナルド マ(ma) ク(ku) ド(do) ナ(na) ル(ru) ド(do) McDonalds
ハンバーガー ハ(ha) ン(n) バ(ba) ー(a) ガ(ga) ー(a) hamburger
アメリカ ア(a) メ(me) リ(ri) カ(ka) America
コーラ コ(ko) ー(o) ラ(ra) cola
シャツ シャ(shya) ツ(tsu) shirt
イヤリング イ(i) ヤ(ya) リ(ri) ン(n) グ(gu) earring
カップル カ(ka) ップ(ppu) (small tsu!) ル(ru) couple
ホチキス ホ(ho) チ(chi) キ(ki) ス(su) stapler
So how did you do? Hopefully you did well. Keep practicing and keep in mind that you'll always have to sharpen and improve your Hiragana and Katakana no matter how skilled you become.
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