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Japanese For Dummies®, 3rd Edition
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Japanese For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to
www.dummies.com and search for “Japanese For
Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started with Japanese
Chapter 1: Japanese in a Nutshell
Discovering Basic Japanese Sounds and Script
Getting a Grip on Basic Grammar
Counting on Numbers
Speaking Japanese around the House
Using Japanese in Social Scenarios
Tackling Travel-Related Topics
Chapter 2: Checking Out the Japanese Sounds and
Scripts
Pronouncing Basic Japanese Sounds
Sounding Fluent
Introducing the Japanese Scripts
Chapter 3: Warming Up with Japanese Grammar Basics
Using Appropriate Speech Styles
Forming Sentences
Asking Questions
Getting a Handle on Pronouns
Working with Verbs
Introducing the Verb Desu, to Be
Describing People and Things with Adjectives
Using Adverbs to Describe Your Actions
Spicing Up Your Japanese with Onomatopoeia
Expressing Moods and Attitudes
Chapter 4: Getting Your Numbers, Times, and
Measurements Straight
Ichi, Ni, San: Counting in Japanese
Telling Time
It’s a Date! Delving into the Calendar
Familiarizing Yourself with the Metric System
Chapter 5: Speaking Japanese at Home
Taking a Tour of Your Home
Home Is Where the Food Is
Engaging in Common Household Activities
Talking about What You Do Regularly
Part 2: Japanese in Action
Chapter 6: Icebreakers and Conversation Starters
Beginning (and Ending) Conversations
Initiating Small Talk
Making Introductions
Expressing Gratitude and Regret
Speaking about Speaking: The Verb Hanasu
Chapter 7: Getting to Know You
Chatting about Your Life
Existing and Possessing: The Verbs Iru and Aru
Specifying Where You Live with the Verb Sumu
Finding Out about Your New Friend
Living the Sporting Life
Using Your Artistic Talent
Making Music with Instruments
Playing Games
Using the Verb Suru (to Do)
Saying “I Can”
Chapter 8: Asking for Directions
Figuring Out Where Places Are Located
Finding Your Way to Your Destination
Chapter 9: Dealing with Money in a Foreign Land
Getting Money
Spending Money
Chapter 10: Shopping Made Easy
Naming Shops and Stores
Going Grocery Shopping
Shopping at a Konbini (Convenience Store)!
Telling a Salesperson What You’re Looking For
Exploring the Variety of a Department Store
Going Clothes Shopping
Deciding What You Want to Buy
You Gotta Pay to Play: Buying Your Merchandise
Chapter 11: Going Out on the Town
Checking Out Entertaining Activities
Eating Out at Fast-Food and Sit-Down Restaurants
Talking about Entertainment
Getting Your Friends to Go Out with You
Inviting Friends Over and Asking Them to Bring Something
Chapter 12: Taking Care of Business and
Telecommunications
Using Japanese at Work
Making Sense of Your Office Environment
Phoning Made Simple
Having Meetings in the Workplace
Navigating Technology: Computer Basics, Mobile Phones, and Social
Media
Part 3: Japanese on the Go
Chapter 13: Planning a Trip
Picking the Place for Your Trip
Dealing with Passports and Visas
Getting Help from a Travel Agency
Stating Your Opinions
Packing for Your Trip
Exploring Nature
Chapter 14: Making Your Way Around: Planes, Trains,
Taxis, and More
Getting On and Off with the Verbs Noru and Oriru
Asking about the Best Method of Transportation
Navigating the Airport
All Aboard: Hopping on a Train or Boat
Conquering Public Transportation
Driving Around
Chapter 15: Finding a Place to Stay
Picking the Right Accommodations for Your Needs
Narrowing Your Choice Further
Making a Room Reservation
Checking In
Keeping Track of What’s Yours during Your Stay
Checking Out
Chapter 16: Handling Emergencies
Asking (or Shouting!) for Help
Seeking Medical Attention
Navigating a Doctor’s Visit
Contacting the Police
Getting Legal Help
Part 4: The Part of Tens
Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Pick Up Japanese Quickly
Use Digital Technologies
Cook or Eat Japanese Foods
Read Japanese Comic Books
Watch Japanese Anime, Films, and Sports
Do Karaoke
Spend Time with Japanese
Exchange Language Lessons
Get to Know a Monolingual Japanese
Travel to Japan
Be Positive, Curious, and Creative
Chapter 18: Ten Things Never to Say in Japanese
“San” after Your Own Name
Your Boss’s or Teacher’s First Name
“O-genki Desu Ka” to the Person You Saw Yesterday
“Sayōnara” to Your Family
“Thank You” for a Compliment
“My Mom Is Pretty” to Outsiders
“Yes” Right after Being Offered Food
“Anata” When Talking to Someone
“Aishite Imasu” to Express Likes
“Do You Want Coffee?”
Chapter 19: Ten Favorite Japanese Expressions
Yatta!
Hontō?
Sasuga!
Mochiron!
Ā, Yokatta.
Zenzen.
Nani?
Dōshiyō?
Yappari.
Ā, Bikkurishita!
Chapter 20: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound Fluent in
Japanese
Enryo Shinaide.
Mottainai.
O-saki Ni.
Kanpai!
Ganbatte!
Shikata ga nai.
Okage-sama De.
Tsumaranai Mono Desu Ga.
Yoroshiku.
Taihen Desu Ne.
Part 5: Appendixes
Appendix A: Japanese-English Mini-Dictionary
English-Japanese Mini-Dictionary
Appendix B: Verb Tables
Regular Japanese Verbs
Irregular Japanese Verbs
Appendix C: Answer Key
Index
About the Author
Advertisement Page
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 2
TABLE 2-1 Japanese Vowel Sounds
TABLE 2-2 Japanese Consonants Very Different from English
TABLE 2-3 Basic Hiragana and Katakana
TABLE 2-4 A Sampling of Useful Kanji
Chapter 3
TABLE 3-1 Speech Styles
TABLE 3-2 Particles
TABLE 3-3 Typical Question Words
TABLE 3-4 Personal Pronouns
TABLE 3-5 Verb Forms
TABLE 3-6 Polite/Neutral Form of Noun plus Desu
TABLE 3-7 Informal Form of Noun plus Desu
TABLE 3-8 Adjective Patterns
TABLE 3-9 Adverbs Created from Adjectives
Chapter 4
TABLE 4-1 Counters and Their Uses
TABLE 4-2 Counting with Counters
TABLE 4-3 Stating the Hour
TABLE 4-4 Stating Minutes
TABLE 4-5 What’s Today’s Date?
TABLE 4-6 Relative Time Expressions with Translations
Chapter 6
TABLE 6-1 Respectful Titles
Chapter 7
TABLE 7-1 Family Terms
Chapter 8
TABLE 8-1 Pronouns for Location
TABLE 8-2 Position Words
TABLE 8-3 Landmarks
TABLE 8-4 Verbs for Giving Directions
Chapter 9
TABLE 9-1 Currencies
Chapter 10
TABLE 10-1 This, That, and Which
TABLE 10-2 Japanese Question Words for Various Comparisons
Chapter 11
TABLE 11-1 Reservation Time
Chapter 14
TABLE 14-1 Japanese Road Signs
Chapter 15
TABLE 15-1 Personal and Possessive Pronouns
Introduction
We live in a wonderfully global and amazingly diverse society. Exchanging
ideas, products, foods, and friendship across national and cultural boundaries
is the key to making our lives richer and more meaningful and peaceful.
Besides, traveling abroad is a lot of fun and an eye-opening experience.
Grabbing your passport and setting off on an adventure is always exciting,
but it’s even more special when you can communicate with people in a
different country in their own language.
If Japanese is the language you want to learn, for whatever reason, Japanese
For Dummies, 3rd Edition, can help. It provides substantial learning materials
and some of the cultural background behind the language. Now, I’m not
saying that you’ll be fluent overnight, but you will gain confidence, have fun,
and continue to pick up more and more Japanese so that you can carry on a
conversation with your Japanese-speaking co-worker, family member, friend,
or neighbor.
About This Book
Japanese For Dummies, 3rd Edition, can help you whether you want to get
familiar with Japanese because you’re planning a trip to this island nation,
because you deal with Japanese companies at work, because you want to
understand Anime/Manga in Japanese, or because your new neighbor is
Japanese and you want to be able to say good morning to him or her. (Try
ohayō gozaimasu [oh-hah-yohh goh-zah-ee-mah-soo].) This book provides
you with helpful and commonly used Japanese words and phrases on subjects
as diverse as shopping, money, food, and sports in self-contained chapters
and sections.
Simply turn to the topics that interest you the most, play the online audio
examples, and start speaking! That’s right, you don’t have to go through this
book in order. If I think you may want to know information that’s contained
in a different chapter than the one you’re currently reading, I include a handy
cross-reference so you can find the additional information when you’re ready
for it.
I also use a few conventions in this book to help your reading go smoothly:
In many places throughout this book, Japanese terms appear in two forms:
Japanese scripts (like what you would read if you were in Japan) and the
Romanized forms of words (which appear in boldface so you can easily
find them in the text). The official term for Romanized Japanese is
rōmaji (rohh-mah-jee).
Pronunciations in parentheses and meanings or English equivalents in
another pair of parentheses follow the Japanese terms. Note that meanings
and English equivalents appear in italics.
Verb conjugations (lists that show you the basic forms of a verb) are
given in tables in this order: the dictionary form, the negative (nai-) form,
the stem form (or the form before the polite suffix -masu), and the te-
form. You find Japanese scripts in the first column, rōmaji in the second
column, and pronunciations in the third column. Here’s a sample
conjugation of the verb taberu (tah-beh-roo) (to eat):
Japanese Script Rōmaji Pronunciation
食べる taberu tah-beh-roo
食べない
食べ(ます) tabenai tah-beh-nah-ee
食べて
tabe (masu) tah-beh (-mah-soo)
tabete tah-beh-teh
Keep in mind that Japanese verbs don’t conjugate like English verbs. You
can’t find exact counterparts for English verb forms such as infinitives,
gerunds, and participles. In addition, you don’t conjugate Japanese verbs
in terms of the person and number, so taberu can mean I eat, you eat, he
eats, she eats, and they eat. This difference may take a little getting used
to, but it should make your verb-learning life a little easier.
To help you remember the most important new words and see the language in
context, this book includes some special elements to reinforce the Japanese
terms you’re studying:
Talkin’ the Talk dialogues: Hearing actual Japanese conversations is the
best way to learn Japanese, which is why I include many dialogues under
the “Talkin’ the Talk” heading in this book. These exchanges show you
the Japanese words in rōmaji, their pronunciations, and the English
translations so that you can see how the language is actually used. All
Talkin’ the Talk dialogues are accompanied by audio recordings so that
you can hear and pick up the natural intonation and rhythm that are
essential in conversational interactions.
Words to Know blackboards: Here’s where you find key words and
phrases from the Talkin’ the Talk dialogues.
Fun & Games activities: Located at the end of chapters, these amusing
activities help reinforce the vocabulary you practice in each chapter. You
can find the solutions to these activities in Appendix C.
This book also features compact yet convenient mini-dictionaries — both
Japanese-English and English-Japanese — in Appendix A. They include only
very basic vocabulary words, mainly content words such as nouns, adjectives,
adverbs, and verbs. For your convenience, I mark the conjugation class of the
verbs: u for u-verbs, ru for ru-verbs, and irr for irregular verbs. Slightly
irregular u-verbs are specified as u (irr). In the English-Japanese mini-
dictionary, I also designate verbs with (v.) because some English verbs also
function as nouns. Last but certainly not least, I mark the type of adjectives: i
for i-type adjectives and na for na-type adjectives. A few i-type adjectives
with minor irregularities are specified as i (irr).
Speaking of language quirks, you should know that English and Japanese
sometimes express the same concept in very different ways. And Japanese
has many words and phrases that you can’t translate into English at all. In this
book, I want you to focus on what is actually said (the content and intended
meaning) rather than how it’s said. So instead of giving you a literal
translation, I give you a nonliteral, natural English translation. For example,
the phrase yoroshiku (yoh-roh-shee-koo) can be literally translated as
appropriately, but the phrase really means pleased to meet you if you say it
when meeting someone new. This book gives the nonliteral, pleased-to-meet-
you type translations (sometimes with the more literal translation for
reference).
Your exploration of Japanese will also show you different ways of looking at
the world of language because Japanese doesn’t contain the same type of
grammar items as European languages do. For example, Japanese doesn’t
have equivalents of English articles like a and the. Some verbs in English
correspond to adjectives in Japanese. Here’s another example: The verb to
want is best represented by the Japanese adjective hoshii, so be ready to see
some mismatch in the part-of-speech categories. And Japanese doesn’t have a
singular/plural distinction, such as dog and dogs, either. The information
about specificity and numbers is expressed in very different ways. Also,
Japanese sometimes has linguistic systems that European languages don’t
have. For example, Japanese speech styles clearly indicate degrees of respect
or familiarity within conversational contexts.
Foolish Assumptions
To write this book, I had to work off of some assumptions about you. I’m
thinking that
You don’t know much Japanese, except maybe for a few words like
karate and sushi.
You’re not planning on taking a language-proficiency test for Japanese
next month, and you’re not planning on becoming a professional Japanese
translator in the near future. You just want to be able to communicate
basic information in Japanese and get to know the Japanese language.
You don’t have time to spend hours and hours memorizing vocabulary
and grammar rules.
You want to have fun in addition to learning Japanese.
Icons Used in This Book
To help you find certain types of information quickly, I’ve placed some icons
throughout the book. Here are the six icons to keep an eye out for:
If you’re interested in information and advice about culture and
travel, look for these icons. They draw your attention to interesting
tidbits about Japan and Japanese culture.
If you understand grammar, you can create an infinite number of
sentences, so I use this icon to point out discussions of grammar facts.
To ensure that you don’t forget information important to the
language, this icon serves as a reminder, just like a string tied around
your finger.
This icon highlights suggestions that can make learning Japanese
easier.
This icon can keep you from making embarrassing or really foolish
mistakes.
Beyond the Book
This book is full of useful information, but you can find even more online!
Check out this book’s Cheat Sheet, which contains useful questions, common
expressions and phrases, Japanese numbers, and more all in a handy portable
format. Just go to www.dummies.com and search for “Japanese For Dummies
Cheat Sheet.”
You can also hear all the Talkin’ the Talk dialogues provided in the book to
get a better handle on correct pronunciation. Just go to
www.dummies.com/go/japanesefd.
Where to Go from Here
You can read as much or as little as you want of this book and the chapters in
it. Decide what topic you’re interested in, consult the index or table of
contents to find the proper section, and quickly discover what you need to
know to speak about that topic in Japanese. Of course, if you’re looking to
get a foundation in the basics, I recommend turning to Chapters 2 and 3 first.
These chapters introduce the fundamentals of Japanese pronunciation, writing
systems, and grammar. Read them now and then refer to them later if you get
hung up on how to read Japanese scripts or build sentences.
Well, are you ready? Head for the chapter that interests you or listen to the
online audio examples. And make sure to use your favorite Japanese phrases
when you hang out with your friends or family. If you think your family
probably won’t understand what you say, you can teach them Japanese. With
a little dedication, you’ll be able to confidently answer Hai! (hah-ee!) (Yes!)
when people ask Nihongo wa hanasemasu ka. (nee-hohn-goh wah hah-nah-
seh-mah-soo kah.) (Can you speak Japanese?)
Part 1
Getting Started with Japanese
IN THIS PART …
Find out what the Japanese sounds sound like.
Get to know what Japanese writing scripts look like.
Discover Japanese grammar basics.
Understand numbers, basic words, and phrases used around your
household.
Chapter 1
Japanese in a Nutshell
IN THIS CHAPTER
Dipping your toes into Japanese writing and grammar
Working with simple expressions and basic numbers
Exploring Japanese at home, at work, at play, and abroad
Welcome to Japanese! Now that you’ve decided to learn this intriguing
language, I’m sure you’re eager to find out as much as you can as quickly as
you can. After all, you probably have co-workers, friends, neighbors, and
others to impress with your newfound language skills. Well, here’s your
chance to dive into Japanese. This chapter offers you a mini-preview of what
you can find throughout Japanese For Dummies, 3rd Edition.
Discovering Basic Japanese Sounds
and Script
Japanese sounds are pretty easy to pronounce. For one thing, Japanese has
only five basic vowels: a (ah), i (ee), u (oo), e (eh), and o (oh). In addition,
you don’t see a long string of consonants before or after a vowel, unlike in
Russian or Polish. You just have to pay attention to a handful of strange
consonants, such the Japanese r, which makes a sound somewhere between
the English l and r. You can pronounce basic sounds in Japanese along with
the online audio recordings featured in Chapter 2.
Japanese writing, on the other hand, can be confusing because Japanese
scripts don’t look at all like Western alphabets. The Japanese scripts consist
of two sets of kana (kah-nah) — phonetic symbols for Japanese syllables —
and about 2,000 kanji (kahn-jee) characters, which are Chinese characters
adapted for Japanese. If you just want to learn how to speak Japanese, you
may want to skip focusing on these Japanese scripts and use rōmaji (rohh-
mah-jee), the Romanized spellings of Japanese words. However, getting used
to the Japanese scripts is a good idea, especially if you plan to use your
Japanese skills to travel. If you can recognize some of the Japanese scripts,
you can get around in a Japanese town more easily because all street signs are
written in only the Japanese scripts.
Another advantage of being able to recognize the Japanese scripts, especially
kana, is that you can avoid reading Japanese like English. For example, the
Japanese word that means bamboo is take. As an English speaker, you may
have an urge to read take as teh-ee-koo because you know the English word
to take, but the Japanese pronunciation of this word is tah-keh. In this case,
the rōmaji may mislead you, but the kana, たけ, wouldn’t because your
existing knowledge in English can’t interfere. Chapter 2 shows all kana
characters and some representative kanji characters for your reference.
Getting a Grip on Basic Grammar
Japanese grammar is quite different from English grammar, particularly when
it comes to word order in sentences. Even if grammar was your most hated
subject, you can’t avoid learning grammar if you want to speak Japanese like
a native speaker. Without grammar, you’ll sound like a big 2-year-old, saying
things like the Japanese counterparts of Brian car, me kiss Mary, or John in
office.
You generally put the verb at the end of the sentence and add the
particle o (oh) after the direct object noun. So to mean to eat sushi, say
sushi o taberu (soo-shee oh tah-beh-roo), where taberu means to eat.
For further insight into Japanese grammar, head to Chapter 3, which tells you
all about parts of speech; conjugation patterns; and the structure of words,
phrases, and sentences.
Counting on Numbers
Numbers dominate everyday life. What time do you wake up? How many
glasses of water do you drink a day? How many guests are you expecting?
How much does buying groceries cost? Chapter 4 lets you count both small
and large numbers and use them with the right counters.
Counters, you ask? The Japanese use a short, suffix-like element called a
counter right after the number. The counter you use varies depending on the
type of things you’re counting or the kind of notions you’re specifying. To
start with, count the bare simple numbers from one to ten:
一 ichi (ee-chee) (one)
二 ni (nee) (two)
三 san (sahn) (three)
四 yon (yohn) or shi (shee) (four)
五 go (goh) (five)
六 roku (roh-koo) (six)
七 nana (nah-nah) or shichi (shee-chee) (seven)
八 hachi (hah-chee) (eight)
九 kyū (kyooo) or ku (koo) (nine)
十 jū (jooo) (ten)
Japanese also frequently uses the Arabic numerals (1, 2, and so on)
that you’re used to seeing.
You can read more about using numbers, including using them to tell time
and specify dates, in Chapter 4.
Speaking Japanese around the House
You spend at least half of your time in your house every day — sleeping,
cooking, eating, watching TV, and so on. Here are some terms to help you
name the rooms in your house in Japanese:
ダイニング dainingu (dah-ee-neen-goo) (dining room)
風呂場 furoba (foo-roh-bah) (bathing room)
キッチン kitchin (keet-cheen) (kitchen)
リビング ribingu (ree-been-goo) (living room)
寝室 shinshitsu (sheen-shee-tsoo) (bedroom)
Chapter 5 introduces the Japanese words you need for naming things in your
house and expressing what you do in your house.
Using Japanese in Social Scenarios
I can’t stress enough that a language is a wonderful tool for communication.
You can put yourself into someone else’s shoes by learning a language and
step into a new world. You communicate with people not only for
socialization and entertainment but also for completing daily tasks
successfully with your family, friends, and colleagues. That is, developing
good language skills is the key to your success in your life! The following
sections introduce you to some of the vocabulary you need in various social
situations.
Beginning (and ending) conversations
It’s always nice to hear warm greetings. Hello and goodbye are so important
in our communication. This section introduces basic greetings and making
small talk, as well as how to address people properly.
If you want to say something more than just “hello” when you see someone,
make a point of knowing Japanese phrases that can help you initiate small
talk. Start with questions like the following:
どちらまでですか。 Dochira made desu ka. (doh-chee-rah mah-deh
deh-soo kah.) (Where are you heading to?)
いい天気ですね。 Ii tenki desu ne. (eee tehn-kee deh-soo neh.) (It’s
nice today, isn’t it?)
ご兄弟は。 Go-kyōdai wa (goh-kyohh-dah-ee wah.) (Do you have any
siblings?)
メールアドレスは。 Mēru adoresu wa. (mehh-roo ah-doh-reh-soo
wah) (What’s your email address?)
Chapter 6 shows you how to politely start a basic conversation in Japanese.
Getting to know you
When you make new friends, you may chat about your life — your family,
your job, your hobbies, and so on. And you may want to know about them as
well. If you tell new friends what your hobbies are, maybe they will have the
same interests.
Oshigoto wa nandesu ka. (oh-shee-goh-toh wah nahn-deh-soo kah.)
(What is your job?)
Watashi wa ani ga imasu. (wah-tah-shee wah ah-nee gah ee-mah-soo.)
(I have a(n older) brother.)
Jon san wa yoku tenisu o shimasu ka. (John sahn wah yoh-koo the-nee-
soo o shee-mah-soo ka.) (John, do you often play tennis?)
Chapter 7 introduces words and expressions you may use to get to know
someone.
Asking for directions
When you need to ask for directions to somewhere, name the place
you want to go, add the particle wa (wah) after it, and say doko desu ka
(doh-koh deh-soo kah), as in Eki wa doko desu ka. (eh-kee wah doh-
koh deh-soo kah.) (Where is the train station?)
Chapter 8 shows you how to ask for or give directions in Japanese.
Making sense of money
You need money no matter where you go, and if you’re headed to a foreign
destination, you need to be prepared ryōgae suru (ryohh-gah-eh soo-roo) (to
exchange) your country’s currency for that of your destination country. Be
sure to bring enough genkin (gehn-keen) (cash) to the exchange counter.
Even at a foreign ginkō (geen-kohh) (bank), you may be able to use
your ATM card to withdraw funds from your kōza (kohh-za) (account)
in the right currency.
For more money-related words, as well as information on the Japanese en
(ehn) (yen), see Chapter 9.
Going shopping
Who doesn’t love shopping? If you’re looking for something in particular,
name it, add wa (wah) after it, and say arimasu ka (ah-ree-mah-soo kah), as
in Sukāfu wa arimasu ka. (soo-kahh-foo wah ah-ree-mah-soo kah.) (Do you
have a scarf?) Definitely check the price, though. You can do so by asking
Ikura desu ka. (ee-koo-rah deh-soo kah.) (How much?)
Turn to Chapter 10 for more words and phrases that can help you have
successful shopping experiences in Japanese.
Dining out and exploring entertainment opportunities
Hanging out at home is fun, but if you do that 7 days a week, 365 days a year,
it’s going to get boring. So why not head out and explore the great restaurants
and entertainment opportunities your community has to offer? If you love
eating Japanese foods, you need to know how to place an order at a restaurant
in Japanese. Your server will ask you, Go-chūmon wa (goh-chooo-mohn
wah) (Your order?). That’s your opportunity to say, for example, Sushi o
onegai shimasu. (soo-shee oh oh-neh-gah-ee shee-mah-soo.) (Sushi, please.)
Here are some words you may look for:
レストラン resutoran (reh-soo-toh-rahn) (restaurants)
ハンバーガー hanbāgā (hahn-bahh-gahh) (hamburger)
美術館 bijutsukan (bee-joo-tsoo-kahn) (art museums)
劇場 gekijō (geh-kee-johh) (theaters for performing arts)
博物館 hakubutsukan (hah-koo-boo-tsoo-kahn) (museums)
カラオケ karaoke (kah-rah-oh-keh) (karaoke)
クラブ kurabu (koo-rah-boo) (nightclub)
Chapter 11 introduces how to dine out and go to fun places and shows you
what you can do there, in Japanese.
Doing business and using technology
Doing business and using technology
Do you want to work in Japan or in a Japanese company in the United States?
If the answer to either question is yes, you need to have a bunch of business-
related vocabulary under your belt. Chapter 12 provides such words,
including
ヴォイスメール boisu-mēru (boh-ee-soo-mehh-roo) (voice mail)
配達する haitatsu suru (hah-ee-tah-tsoo soo-roo) (to deliver)
確認する kakunin suru (kah-koo-neen soo-roo) (to confirm)
コピーする kopī suru (koh-peee soo-roo) (to make copies)
会議 kaigi (kah-ee-gee) (meeting, conference)
メール mēru (mehh-roo) (email)
パソコン pasokon (pah-soh-kohn) (computer)
Tackling Travel-Related Topics
After you’ve been studying Japanese for a while and the travel bug bites, you
may feel like making the journey to Japan to really immerse yourself in the
language and culture. From packing your bags to choosing accommodations
and navigating emergencies, the next sections give you some of the basic
vocabulary you need when traveling in Japan.
Preparing for a trip
The first step in preparing for your trip is to decide where to go. Then,
depending on your destination, you’ll need to get a passport and book a flight.
Here are some Japanese terms to consider as you’re getting ready to take a
trip:
チケット chiketto (chee-keht-toh) (ticket)
飛行機 hikōki (hee-kohh-kee) (airplane)
ホテル hoteru (hoh-teh-roo) (hotel)
パスポート pasupōto (pah-soo-pohh-toh) (passport)
スーツケース sūtsukēsu (sooo-tsoo-kehh-soo) (suitcase)
Chapter 13 helps you make your travel plan and pack your suitcase.
Getting around with local transportation
Make sure you know the best ways of getting from place to place in a foreign
country you’re planning on visiting. In large urban areas, people often walk
or take the chikatetsu (chee-kah-teh-tsoo) (subway). Other common methods
of transportation may include one (or more!) of the following:
電車 densha (dehn-shah) (train)
フェリー ferī (feh-reee) (ferry)
自転車 jitensha (jee-tehn-shah) (bicycle)
タクシー takushī (tah-koo-sheee) (taxi)
I cover transportation information in Chapter 14.
Securing a place to stay
You have several options to choose from when choosing your
accommodations in Japan:
ビジネスホテル bijinesu hoteru (bee-jee-neh-soo hoh-teh-roo)
(business hotel)
観光ホテル kankō hoteru (kahn-kohh hoh-teh-roo) (tourist’s hotel)
カプセルホテル kapuseru hoteru (kah-poo-seh-roo hoh-teh-roo)
(capsule hotel)
旅館 ryokan (ryoh-kahn) (Japanese-style inn)
ユースホステル yūsu hosuteru (yooo-soo hoh-soo-teh-roo) (youth
hostel)
Chapter 15 helps you choose the right accommodation for your needs, make a
reservation, check in, and check out at the end of your trip.
Taking action during emergencies
No one likes to think about experiencing an emergency while traveling, but if
you’re in a foreign country, you’re better off knowing what to do if an illness,
injury, or emergency pops up. Chapter 16 provides you with the confidence
and the Japanese to act wisely when you face an emergency.
Memorize these phrases now — and hope you don’t need them later:
だれか! Dareka! (dah-reh-kah!) (Someone help!)
泥棒! Dorobō! (doh-roh-bohh!) (A thief!)
火事! Kaji! (kah-jee!) (Fire!)
助けて! Tasukete! (tah-soo-keh-teh!) (Help me!)
Chapter 2
Checking Out the Japanese
Sounds and Scripts
IN THIS CHAPTER
Getting the basic sounds down
Talking like a native speaker
Reading the Japanese scripts
This chapter lets you open your mouth and sound like a totally different
person — a Japanese person! Get ready to find out all about the basic
Japanese vowel and consonant sounds. You also discover the core concepts
of the Japanese writing systems.
Pronouncing Basic Japanese Sounds
Japanese sounds are very easy to hear and pronounce; each syllable is short
and simple. With a little practice, you’ll get used to these sounds quickly. The
following sections get you off on the right foot (or should I say the right
sound) by looking at vowels, consonants, and a couple of combinations of
each.
Vowels
The Japanese language has only five basic vowels — a, e, i, o, and u, all of
which sound short and crispy — plus their longer counterparts. Long vowels
have the same sound as short vowels; you just draw out the sound for a
moment longer. The long vowels are sometimes represented by double letters
— aa, ee, ii, oo, and uu — but the more common presentation uses single
letters with a bar ( ¯ ) over them, as in ā, ē, ī, ō, and ū. This second method is
what I use in this book.
The difference between a long vowel and a short vowel can make all
the difference in the meaning of a Japanese word. For example, obasan
(oh-bah-sahn) with the short vowel a means aunt, but obāsan (oh-bahh-
sahn) with the long vowel ā means grandmother.
Listen for the difference between short and long vowel sounds online at
www.dummies.com/go/japanese while you look at Table 2-1 to get the idea
about vowel length.
TABLE 2-1 Japanese Vowel Sounds
Letter Pronunciation English Word with the Example
Sound
おばさん obasan (oh-bah-sahn) (aunt)
a ah aha おばあさん obāsan (oh-bahh-sahn)
ā ahh no equivalent (grandmother)
セル seru (seh-roo) (cell)
e eh bed セール sēru (sehh-roo) (sale)
ē ehh no equivalent おじさん ojisan (oh-jee-sahn) (uncle)
i ee feet おじいさん ojīsan (oh-jeee-sahn) (grandfather)
ī eee no equivalent とり tori (toh-ree) (bird)
o oh dome とおり tōri (tohh-ree) (street)
ō ohh no equivalent ゆき yuki (yoo-kee) (snow)
u oo foot ゆうき yūki (yooo-kee) (courage)
ū ooo no equivalent
Unlike in English, vowels can appear next to each other without being
separated by a consonant in Japanese. You may be inclined to pronounce
them as one vowel, but the Japanese actually pronounce each vowel so that
the sequence is multiple syllables. Listen online at
www.dummies.com/go/japanesefd to hear some examples of these sequential
vowels and their pronunciations:
あお ao (ah-oh) (blue color)
あおい aoi (ah-oh-ee) (blue)
いえ ie (ee-eh) (house)
いう iu (ee-oo) (to say)
うえ ue (oo-eh) (up, above, on)
おい oi (oh-ee) (nephew)
The vowels i (ee) and u (oo) come out as a downright whisper, in
normal or fast speech, when they fall between the consonant sounds ch,
h, k, p, s, sh, t, or ts or when a word ends in this consonant-vowel
combination.
Consonants
Most Japanese consonants are pronounced like their English counterparts, but
check out the descriptions of the sounds you need to pay attention to in Table
2-2 (you can hear them pronounced online at
www.dummies.com/go/japanesefd).
TABLE 2-2 Japanese Consonants Very Different from
English
Consonant Description of the Sound Examples
r Almost like a Spanish r, where you tap your tongue on the roof of your mouth just りんご
once — almost like an English d or l, but not quite. ringo
(reen-goh)
(apple)
f A much softer sound than the English f — somewhere between an f and an h ふゆ fuyu
sound. Make it by bringing your lips close to each other and gently blowing air (foo-yoo)
through them. (winter)
ts The combination of t and s is hard to pronounce at the beginning of a word, as in つなみ
tsunami, although it’s easy anywhere else. My advice is to say the word cats in tsunami
your head and then say tsunami. (tsoo-nah-
mee)
(tsunami)
ry The combination of r and y is difficult to pronounce when it occurs before the りょう ryō
vowel o. Try saying ri (ree) and then yo (yoh). Repeat many times and gradually (ryohh)
increase the speed until you can pronounce these two sounds simultaneously. (dormitory)
Remember that the r sounds almost like a d in English.
Like most other languages, Japanese has double consonants, which are
pronounced as single consonants preceded by a brief pause. Check out the
following examples and listen to the pronunciation online.
きっぷ kippu (keep-poo) (transportation tickets)
きって kitte (keet-teh) (postage stamp)
けっこん kekkon (kehk-kohn) (marriage)
まっすぐ massugu (mahs-soo-goo) (straight)
バッグ baggu (bahg-goo) (bag)
ベッド beddo (behd-doh) (bed)
Sounding Fluent
If you want to sound like a native Japanese speaker, you need to imitate the
overall stress accent, the pitch and intonation, the rhythm, and the speed of
native Japanese. These almost-musical aspects of the language make a big
difference, and the following sections show you how to achieve them.
Don’t stress
English sentences sound like they’re full of punches, one after another,
because English words have stressed syllables followed by unstressed
syllables. But Japanese sentences sound very flat because Japanese words and
phrases don’t have any stressed syllables. So unless you’re very angry or
excited, suppress your desire to stress syllables when you speak Japanese.
Watch out for pitch and intonation
Although Japanese speakers don’t stress their syllables (see the preceding
section), they may raise or lower their pitch on a specific syllable in certain
words. A raised pitch may sound like a stress, but it’s not quite the same
concept; if you think in terms of music, higher-pitched notes aren’t
necessarily stressed more than low notes. But even though pitch differences
don’t change the emphasis in a word, these slight shifts can change the
word’s meaning. That, however, also depends on what part of Japan you’re
in. For example, in eastern Japan, the word hashi (hah-shee) said with high-
to-low pitch means chopsticks, but with low-to-high pitch, it means a bridge.
In western Japan, it’s exactly the opposite: High-to-low pitch means a bridge,
and low-to-high pitch means chopsticks.
How can you tell what anyone means? For one thing, the eastern dialect is
standard because that’s where Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is located. In any
event, the context usually makes it clear. If you’re in a restaurant and you ask
for hashi, you can safely assume that, no matter how you pitch this word, no
one will bring you a bridge. Listen to such pairs online and try to hear what I
mean by pitch.
箸 hashi (hah-shee) (chopsticks) versus 橋 hashi (hah-shee) (bridge)
雨 ame (ah-meh) (rain) versus 飴 ame (ah-meh) (candy)
神 kami (kah-mee) (god) versus 紙 kami (kah-mee) (paper)
Similarly, a single phrase can be said or understood in different ways
depending on the intonation, an overall pitch flow that applies to the entire
phrase or sentence. Suppose someone said that math is the easiest subject in
the world. You can respond to this statement by saying Sō desu ka. (sohh
deh-soo kah.) If you say it with a falling intonation, you’re acknowledging
the statement: Oh, I see. If you say it with a falling-rising intonation, you’re
showing your doubt or slight disagreement: Really? Listen to the difference
online.
Another interesting fact about pitch: The Japanese raise their overall
pitch range when they speak to their superiors. So people speak to a
boss, client, customer, or teacher as if they (the speakers) are chirping
birds and to their friends, assistants, and family members in a more
normal pitch range. This shift is most noticeable among women. Female
workers raise their pitch greatly when they deal with business customers.
They don’t mean to scare their customers; they’re just trying to be super
polite. Women also raise their pitch when they speak to young children,
just to indicate a friendly attitude toward the little ones. A Japanese
woman’s flattering high pitch in these contexts has a totally different
tone of voice from the high pitch that she uses when she raises her pitch
out of anger.
Get in rhythm
English sentences sound very smooth and connected, but Japanese sentences
sound chopped up because each syllable is pronounced more clearly and
separately in Japanese than in English. You can sound like a native speaker
separately in Japanese than in English. You can sound like a native speaker
by pronouncing each Japanese syllable separately.
BODY LANGUAGE
Gestures are very important for communication. Japanese probably use fewer gestures than
Westerners; for example, they don’t hug or kiss people in public. But they do have some
unique gestures. If you know these gestures’ meanings and functions and can use them as
you interact with Japanese people, you’ll seem like part of the crowd. Try some of the
following gestures yourself. And if you see native Japanese people in a Japanese grocery
store, at the mall, at a party, or anywhere else, observe them carefully. You’ll definitely see
some of these gestures.
Banzai: When a bunch of people gather to celebrate something, they often stand up
at the same time, raise both arms over their heads simultaneously, and shout “万歳!
Banzai! (bahn-zah-ee!) (Hurrah!)” together three times.
Bowing: For Japanese, bowing is an absolutely important and necessary everyday
communication tool. You bow to thank someone, to apologize, to greet, and even to
say goodbye. By bowing, you express your politeness and respect for others. But you
don’t have to bow very deeply. In most cases, you can just tilt your head for a second
or two. Save the deep bow, using the upper half of the body, for those times when
you make a horrible mistake, receive overwhelming kindness, or associate with
extremely formal people.
Nodding: Whenever someone says something to you, nod immediately. Otherwise,
the speaker will think you’re not paying attention or that you’re upset.
Waving: If you want Japanese folks to understand your waves, you must know that
Japanese waving is all in the wrist. If you greet your American neighbor by moving
your hand up and down from your wrist, like a toddler waving bye-bye, he’ll
understand that you mean to say hi. However, your Japanese neighbor will think
you’re beckoning her to come to you. The Japanese use a sort of palm-down
scooping motion to say come here — just a 180-degree turn from the palm-up
scooping motion Americans use to say the same thing.
Each syllable is represented by each kana character, so seeing
Japanese scripts can help you pronounce words and sentences well. For
the scoop on the Japanese scripts, including kana, see the next section.
Keep your speed up
The shortcut to sounding like a Japanese native is to pay attention to your
The shortcut to sounding like a Japanese native is to pay attention to your
speech speed. Try to say the entire phrase or sentence in normal speed. If you
speak too slowly, the listener may lose track of what you are trying to say
even if your pronunciation is precisely perfect. I’m not asking you to speak
fast, but try to speak close to the normal speech speed of native speakers.
Chances are that no one will notice your minor pronunciation problems if you
speak in normal speed with the right intonation and rhythm.
Introducing the Japanese Scripts
Japanese uses multiple writing systems simultaneously even in the same
sentence, combining two sets of phonetic symbols called kana (hiragana and
katakana) and Chinese characters called kanji. Each kana character
represents a syllable sound, but each kanji character represents a meaning.
This book provides kana and kanji in most sections so you can get used to
authentic Japanese texts, but don’t worry; I also provide rōmaji (rohh-mah-
jee) (Roman letters) throughout the book so you never get lost or feel
intimidated. It’s really up to you whether you want to learn Japanese by using
rōmaji, using kana and kanji, or using both!
Kana
In modern Japanese, hiragana is mainly used for representing grammatical
elements and native words not written in kanji, while katakana is used for
representing foreign names and foreign vocabulary. The next sections
introduce you to the symbols and the sounds they stand for, as well as some
basic writing-related rules.
The characters
Table 2-3 shows basic hiragana and katakana characters. Try reading them
aloud along with the online audio. (Note: Some people pronounce the
second-to-last entry in the table as woh, but only some of the time.)
TABLE 2-3 Basic Hiragana and Katakana
Rōmaji Pronunciation Hiragana Katakana
a ah あア
i ee いイ
u oo うウ
e eh えエ
o oh
ka kah おオ
ki kee かカ
ku koo きキ
ke keh くク
ko koh けケ
sa sah こコ
shi shee さサ
su soo しシ
se seh すス
so soh せセ
ta tah そソ
chi chee たタ
tsu tsoo ちチ
te teh つツ
to toh てテ
na nah とト
ni nee なナ
nu noo にニ
ne neh ぬヌ
no noh ねネ
ha hah のノ
hi hee はハ
fu foo ひヒ
he heh ふフ
ho hoh へヘ
ma mah ほホ
mi mee まマ
mu moo みミ
me meh むム
mo moh めメ
ya yah もモ
yu yoo やヤ
yo yoh ゆユ
よヨ
yo yoh よヨ
ra rah らラ
ri ree りリ
ru roo るル
re reh れレ
ro roh ろロ
wa wah わワ
(w)o oh をヲ
n n んン
The basic rules
The character ん (n) represents an independent syllable for Japanese even
though it may sound like part of an existing syllable to you. を is usually
pronounced as o, like the character お, but it’s exclusively used as a direct
object marker (see Chapter 3 to find out about direct objects in Japanese). A
few kana characters have an exceptional pronunciation: は (ha) (hah) is read
as wa (wah) when used as a topic particle, and へ (he) (heh) is read as e (eh)
when used as a particle that shows directions. (I cover particles in Chapter 3.)
Japanese uses two diacritic marks: two short dashes ( ̏) and a small circle ( °).
By adding ( ̏) at the right upper corner of a kana character that starts with the
consonant k, s, t, h, or f, you can make that consonant voiced. For example,
か represents ka (kah), while が represents ga (gah). So you can convert k to
g, s to z, and t to d by using ( )̏ . Strangely, h and f are converted to b. Also
remember that じ and ぢ both sound ji (jee) and ず and づ both sound zu
(zoo). (However, ji and zu are almost always represented by じ and ず,
respectively.) What does voiced mean? To understand voiced and
unvoiced sounds, say k and g while lightly touching your throat. You feel a
vibration only when you say g, even though you’re doing largely the same
thing with your mouth when you say k, right? Linguists call vibrationless
sounds such as k, p, t, and s voiceless sounds, and sounds that do vibrate,
such as g, b, d, and z, are voiced sounds.
On the other hand, by adding a small circle ( ° ) at the right upper corner of a
kana character that starts with h or f, you can convert the consonant to p.
Check out the following example words that include these diacritic marks:
ぶんぷ bunpu (boon-poo) (distribution)
ちぢむ chijimu (chee-jee-moo) (to shrink)
ふぶき fubuki (foo-boo-kee) (snowstorm)
がか gaka (gah-kah) (painter)
はば haba (hah-bah) (width)
かんぱい Kanpai! (kahn-pah-ee!) (Toast!)
しじ shiji (shee-jee) (instruction)
すず suzu (soo-zoo) (bell)
つづき tsuzuki (tsoo-zoo-kee) (continuation)
You can represent complex syllables with the sound quality of y by adding a
small-sized や (ya) (yah), ゆ (yu) (yoo), or よ (yo) (yoh) after a syllable with
a vowel i (ee). I’m not talking about lowercase or uppercase. You just need to
make the size of the character smaller by 50 to 75 percent. For example, き
(ki) (kee) followed by the small-sized や yields きゃ (kya) (kyah). The same
applies to katakana. The size difference is a bit hard to see in print, but I
hope you gradually get used to it. Here are examples with such complex
syllables:
ひゃく hyaku (hyah-koo) (hundred)
シャツ shatsu (shah-tsoo) (shirt)
しゅじゅつ shujutsu (shoo-joo-tsoo) (medical operation)
The small-sized つ (tsu) (tsoo) isn’t pronounced; rather, it represents a
moment of pause found with double consonants. The same applies to
katakana.
きって kitte (keeht-teh) (postage stamp)
みっつ mittsu (meet-tsoo) (three pieces)
ソックス sokkusu (sohk-koo-soo) (socks)
Long vowels are represented by an additional letter, あ (a) (ah), い (i) (ee),
う (u) (oo), え (e) (eh), or お (o) (oh) in hiragana, but by an elongation mark
(ー) in katakana (check out the earlier section “Vowels” for more on long
vowels). For example
おばあさん obāsan (oh-bahh-sahn) (grandmother)
おじいさん ojīsan (oh-jeee-sahn) (grandfather)
コーヒー kōhī (kohh-heee) (coffee)
The pronunciation of some kana changes slightly in normal-fast
speech in some contexts. For example, the kana う (u) (oo) that follows
another kana with the vowel o is read as a part of a long vowel ō, and
the kana い (i) (ee) that follows another kana with the vowel e is read
as a part of a long vowel ē. You can see what I mean in the following
examples:
おとうさん otōsan (oh-tohh-sahn) (father)
せんせい sensei (sehn-sehh) (teacher)
Kanji
Kanji characters were imported from China. Many of them are made from
pictures and signs, and others are combinations of multiple kanji characters
or components. For example
Kanji made from pictures: 山 (mountain), 川 (river), 木 (tree), 日 (sun),
月 (moon), and 人 (person)
山 (mountain)
木 (tree)
月(moon)
Kanji made from signs: 一 (one), 二 (two), 三 (three), 上 (top),下
(bottom), and 中 (middle)
Kanji made by combining multiple kanji or kanji components: 明
(bright), made of 日 (sun) and 月 (moon); 森 (forest), made of three
instances of the kanji 木 (tree); and 休 (rest), made of the kanji
component イ (person) and the kanji 木 (tree)
Most kanji characters have multiple pronunciations, including Japanese-
based and Chinese-based versions. For example, you pronounce 人 as hito
(hee-toh) in the Japanese way when it appears by itself, but you most likely
read it as jin (jeen) or nin (neen) when it’s a part of a compound noun. For
example
人 hito (hee-toh) (person)
日本人 Nihonjin (nee-hohn-jeen) (Japanese person)
三人 sannin (sahn-neen) (three people)
Kanji characters for verbs and adjectives are usually followed by hiragana.
For example
明るい akarui (ah-kah-roo-ee) (bright)
食べる taberu (tah-beh-roo) (to eat)
Unfortunately, I can’t give you an easy tip for knowing how to
pronounce the kanji characters; you just have to learn them one by one.
Look at how each character is used and read in different contexts. After
a while, you’ll be able to make a pretty good guess on how to read a
given kanji.
Table 2-4 shows you a list of 50 of the easiest (relatively speaking) and most
useful kanji characters, along with a few usage and pronunciation examples.
TABLE 2-4 A Sampling of Useful Kanji
Kanji Core Examples
Meaning(s)
一 one 一 ichi (ee-chee) (one), 一つ hitotsu (hee-toh-tsoo) (one piece), 一人 hitori (hee-toh-
ree) (one person)
二 two 二 ni (nee) (two), 二つ futatsu (foo-tah-tsoo) (two pieces)
三 three 三 san (sahn) (three), 三つ mittsu (meet-tsoo) (three pieces)
人 person 人 hito (hee-toh) (person), 日本人 Nihonjin (nee-hohn-jeen) (Japanese person)
口 mouth 口 kuchi (koo-chee) (mouth), 人口 jinkō (jeen-kohh) (population)
目 eye 目 me (meh) (eye), 一つ目 hitotsu-me (hee-toh-tsoo-meh) (the first piece), 目的
mokuteki (moh-koo-teh-kee) (purpose)
木 tree 木 ki (kee) (tree), 木曜日 mokuyōbi (moh-koo-yohh-bee) (Thursday)
森 forest 森 mori (moh-ree) (forest), 森林 shinrin (sheen-reen) (woods and forests)
山 mountain 山 yama (yah-mah) (mountain), 富士山 Fujisan (foo-jee-sahn) (Mt. Fuji)
川 river 川 kawa (kah-wah) (river), 川口 Kawaguchi (kah-wah-goo-chee) (Kawaguchi, a family
name)
日 sun 日hi (hee) (the sun), 日曜日 nichiyōbi (nee-chee-yohh-bee) (Sunday)
月 moon 月 tsuki (tsoo-kee) (the moon), 月曜日 getsuyōbi (geh-tsoo-yohh-bee) (Monday)
年 year, age 年 toshi (toh-shee) (year, age), 去年 kyonen (kyoh-nehn) (last year)
本 book 本 hon (hohn) (book), 日本 Nihon/Nippon (nee-hohn/neep-pohn) (Japan)
明 bright 明るい akarui (ah-kah-roo-ee) (bright), 明日 asu (ah-soo) (tomorrow)
行 to go 行く iku (ee-koo) (to go), 銀行 ginkō (geen-kohh) (bank)
来 to come 来る kuru (koo-roo) (to come), 来週 raishū (rah-ee-shooo) (next week)
私 I, me, 私 watashi (wah-tah-shee) (I, me), 私立大学 shiritsu daigaku (shee-ree-tsoo dah-ee-
private gah-koo) (private university)
男 male 男の人 otoko no hito (oh-toh-koh noh hee-toh) (man), 男性 dansei (dahn-sehh)
(man)
(man)
女 female 女の人 onna no hito (ohn-nah noh hee-toh) (woman), 彼女 kanojo (kah-noh-joh)
母 mother (she, her, girlfriend)
母 haha (hah-hah) (one’s own mother), お母さん okāsan (oh-kahh-sahn) (someone
else’s mother)
父 father 父 chichi (chee-chee) (one’s own father), お父さん otōsan (oh-tohh-sahn) (someone
else’s father)
車 car 車 kuruma (koo-roo-mah) (car), 電車 densha (dehn-sah) (train)
食 eat 食べる taberu (tah-beh-roo) (to eat), 食事 shokuji (shoh-koo-jee) (meal)
入 enter 入る hairu (hah-ee-roo) (to enter), 入学 nyūgaku (nyooo-gah-koo) (admission to a
school)
出 come out 出る deru (deh-roo) (to come out), 出口 deguchi (deh-goo-chee) (exit), 出発
shuppatsu (shoop-pah-tsoo) (departure)
学 learn 学ぶ manabu (mah-nah-boo) (to learn), 学生 gakusei (gah-koo-sehh) (student), 学校
gakkō (gahk-kohh) (school)
先 ahead, 先に saki ni (sah-kee nee) (on ahead), 先生 sensei (sehn-sehh) (teacher), 先月
previous sengetsu (sehn-geh-tsoo) (last month)
生 live, birth 生きる ikiru (ee-kee-roo) (to live), 生まれる umareru (oo-mah-reh-roo) (to be born)
金 gold, money 金 kin (keen) (gold), お金 o-kane (oh-kah-neh) (money), 金曜日 kinyōbi (keen-yohh-
bee) (Friday)
上 top, above 上 ue (oo-eh) (top, above), 上がる agaru (ah-gah-roo) (to go up), 上手 jōzu (johh-zoo)
(skillful)
下 bottom, 下 shita (shee-tah) (bottom, below), 下がる sagaru (sah-gah-roo) (to go down), 地下
below chika (chee-kah) (basement)
中 inside, 中 naka (nah-kah) (inside, middle), 中国 Chūgoku (chooo-goh-koo) (China)
middle
水 water 水 mizu (mee-zoo) (water), 水曜日 suiyōbi (soo-ee-yohh-bee) (Wednesday)
土 soil 土 tsuchi (tsoo-chee) (soil), 土地 tochi (toh-chee) (land), 土曜日 doyōbi (doh-yohh-
bee) (Saturday)
火 fire 火 hi (hee) (fire), 火曜日 kayōbi (kah-yohh-bee) (Tuesday), 火山 kazan (kah-zahn)
(volcano)
大 big 大きい ōkii (ohh-keee) (big), 大学 daigaku (dah-ee-gah-koo) (university)
小 small 小さい chīsai (chee-ee-sah-ee) (small), 小学生 shōgakusei (shohh-gah-koo-sehh)
(elementary school student)
犬 dog 犬 inu (ee-noo) (dog), 番犬 banken (bahn-kehn) (watchdog)
高 expensive, 高い takai (tah-kah-ee) (expensive), 高校 kōkō (kohh-kohh) (high school)
tall
安 cheap, 安い yasui (yah-soo-ee) (cheap), 安心 anshin (ahn-sheen) (peace of mind)
peaceful
右 right 右 migi (mee-gee) (right), 右折する usetsu suru (oo-seh-tsoo soo-roo) (to turn right)
左 left 左 hidari (hee-dah-ree) (left), 左右 sayū (sah-yooo) (left and right)
円 circle, yen 円 en (ehn) (circle, yen), 円周 enshū (ehn-shooo) (circumference)
長 long, chief 長い nagai (nah-gah-ee) (long), 校長 kōchō (kohh-chohh) (principal)
朝 morning 朝 asa (ah-sah) (morning), 朝食 chōshoku (chohh-shoh-koo) (breakfast)
昼 noon, 昼 hiru (hee-roo) (noon, daytime), 昼食 chūshoku (chooo-shoh-koo) (lunch)
daytime
晩 evening 晩 ban (bahn) (evening), 今晩 konban (kohn-bahn) (tonight)
時 hour 時 toki (toh-kee) (time), 時間 jikan (jee-kahn) (time)
分 minute 分かる wakaru (wah-kah-roo) (to understand), 5分 go-fun (goh-foon) (five minutes)
FUN&GAMES
For each English word, circle the correct Japanese word in the
parentheses. The solution is in Appendix C.
1. grandmother (おばさん obasan, おばあさん obāsan)
2. grandfather (おじさん ojisan, おじいさん ojīsan)
3. postage stamp (きって kitte, きて kite)
4. Toast! (かんぱい kanpai, かんばい kanbai)
5. Japanese person (日本人 Nihonhito, 日本人 Nihonjin)
Chapter 3
Warming Up with Japanese
Grammar Basics
IN THIS CHAPTER
Speaking with style Creating sentences Forming verbs
Describing everything
If grammar rules are the branches of a tree, words are the tree’s beautiful
leaves. Checking the branches before enjoying those leaves is the shortcut to
your success in understanding the entire tree. This chapter shows you what
the branches of the Japanese language tree look like. You discover the
importance of speech styles in speaking Japanese like a native, as well as how
to form sentences and ask basic questions. You also find out the basics of
parts of speech such as pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. All that and
more await you in this overview of Japanese grammar basics.
You can listen to all the Talkin’ the Talk dialogues featured in this
chapter. Go to www.dummies.com/go/japanesefd and click on the
dialogue you want to hear.
Using Appropriate Speech Styles
Japanese use different speech styles depending on whom they’re talking to.
For example, you ask a simple question like Did you see it? differently to
different people. When speaking to your boss, use the formal style of speech
and say Goran ni narimashita ka. (goh-rahn nee nah-ree-mah-shee-tah kah.)
When speaking to your colleague, use the polite/neutral style and say
Mimashita ka. (mee-mah-shee-tah kah.) And with your kids, use the
plain/informal style and say Mita no. (mee-tah noh.) Notice that the phrase
becomes shorter and shorter as you go down in the relative hierarchy from
your boss to your kids.
If you use the plain/informal style of speech with your boss, he will probably
start looking for some official reason to kick you out of his group. If you use
a formal style with your own daughter, you’ll sound like a commoner whose
daughter got married to a royal prince. The tricky part of choosing the correct
speech style is that the choice depends on both social hierarchy (in terms of
position and age) and social grouping (such as insiders and outsiders).
Depending on the audience, the informal forms can sound rude or very
friendly; the formal forms can sound very polite or awfully cold. In some
cases, which style you should use can be very unclear. What if your assistant
is older than you are? What if your son is your boss? These scenarios are
where your personality can influence your speech style; different people treat
them in different ways, even in Japan. If you don’t want to offend anyone,
your best bet is to use the polite version, at least at the beginning. Table 3-1
gives you some general guidelines on when to use which speech style.
TABLE 3-1 Speech Styles
Style Whom to Use It With
Formal Your business customer, a person who is much older than you, your boss, your teacher
Polite/neutral Your classmate, your colleague, your neighbor, your acquaintance, your friend’s parent
Plain/informal Your parent, your child, your spouse, your student, your assistant, your close friend
In this book, I use the speech style appropriate to the context, but
don’t worry — you can tell the difference after you learn the basic verb
forms.
As you’re beginning your Japanese study, my advice is to start from
the polite/neutral style and gradually play with formal and plain/informal
styles.
Forming Sentences
It took me about 20 months to start forming a Japanese sentence after I was
born. Twenty months! I was very cute at that age, or so my mom says. Today,
born. Twenty months! I was very cute at that age, or so my mom says. Today,
you can start forming a Japanese sentence in just five minutes — I promise.
You’re saving a lot of time! The following sections cover the important
points for creating Japanese sentences.
Ordering the words correctly
The basic word order in English is subject-verb-object, but the order
in Japanese is subject-object-verb. Instead of saying I watched TV, you
say I TV watched. Instead of saying I ate sushi, you say I sushi ate. Now
you know the pattern. So repeat after me: Put the verb at the end! Verb
end! Verb end! Go ahead and try it! I sake drank, I karaoke did, and I
money lost! Good, you the basic word order in Japanese have.
Marking nouns with particles
Subject-object-verb is the basic word order in Japanese, but object-subject-
verb is also okay. As long as the verb is at the end of the sentence, Japanese
grammar teachers are happy. For example, if Mary invited John, you can say
either Mary John invited or John Mary invited in Japanese. Like I said, as
long as the verb is at the end, the order of other phrases doesn’t matter.
Although it sounds great, a smart person like you may be saying, “Wait a
minute! How do you know who invited whom?” The secret is that Japanese
use a little tag called a particle right after each noun phrase. The particle for
the action performer is ga (gah), and the particle for the action receiver is o
(oh). So, both of the following sentences mean Mary invited John:
メアリーがジョンを誘いました。 Mearī ga Jon o sasoimashita.
(meh-ah-reee gah john oh sah-soh-ee-mah-shee-tah.)
ジョンをメアリーが誘いました。 Jon o Mearī ga sasoimashita.
(john oh meh-ah-reee gah sah-soh-ee-mah-shee-tah.)
In other words, ga is the subject-marking particle, and o is the direct object-
marking particle. They can’t be translated into English. Sorry, it’s just
Japanese.
Other Japanese particles include kara (kah-rah), made (mah-deh), ni (nee),
de (deh), to (toh), and ka (kah). Luckily, they can be translated into English
words like from, until, to, with, by, at, in, on, and, and or. But each particle is
translated differently depending on the context. For example, the particle de
corresponds to in, by, or with in English, depending on the context:
ボストンで勉強します。 Bosuton de benkyō shimasu. (boh-soo-tohn
deh behn-kyohh shee-mah-soo.) (I’ll study in Boston.)
タクシーで行きます。 Takushī de ikimasu. (tah-koo-sheee deh ee-
kee-mah-soo.) (I’ll go by taxi.)
フォークで食べます。 Fōku de tabemasu. (fohh-koo deh tah-beh-
mah-soo.) (I eat with a fork.)
Translation isn’t always the best way to figure out a foreign language,
so remember the particles in terms of their general functions, not their
exact English translations. Table 3-2 presents Japanese particles and
their various meanings. I provide translations where I can.
TABLE 3-2 Particles
Particle English General Function Example
が No Specifies the subject of the ジョンが来た。
ga English sentence. Jon ga kita.
(gah) equivalent (john gah kee-tah.)
(John came.)
を No Specifies the direct object of the
メアリーがジョンを誘った。
o English sentence. Mearī ga Jon o sasotta.
(oh) equivalent (meh-ah-reee gah john oh sah-soht-tah.)
(Mary invited John.)
から from Specifies the starting point of the
action. 9時から勉強した。
kara Ku-ji kara benkyō shita.
(koo-jee kah-rah behn-kyohh shee-tah.)
(kah- (I studied from 9:00.)
rah)
3時まで勉強した。
まで until Specifies the ending point of the San-ji made benkyō shita. (sahn-jee mah-deh
made action. behn-kyohh shee-tah.) (I studied until 3:00.)
(mah-
deh) to, on, at, Specifies the target of the action. 日本に行った。
in Specifies the location of existence. Nihon ni itta.
に
ni
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