Public transportation is important in Japan. You will probably need to take a bus at some point. So you’ll want to ask questions like “is this bus headed to Tokyo?” You should also probably tell people things like, “I need to get off the train at Nagano Station.” Phrases and questions like these are the key to moving in Japan.
This Japanese for Beginners article is here to help! You will learn to ask and answer questions about where you want to go. To ask Kono basu wa Tokyo-iki desu? (“Is this bus heading to Tokyo?”) and similar questions in Japanese. This Japanese item is the key to getting where you’re going!
Vocabulary: In this article, you will learn the following words and phrases:
waza waza – “taking so much trouble”
agaru – “enter, go up” (class 1 verb)
kaeru – “return” (class 1 verb)
yuuhan – “Dinner”
ekimae – “in front of the station”
umai – “delicious, tasty” (-i final adjective)
uisukii – “whiskey”
koori – “ice”
hantai – “opposite”
kansha – “thank you, gratitude”
shoojiki – “honestly, honestly”
betsu – “different, other”
Grammar: In this article, you will learn the following words and phrases:
Vocabulary and useful phrases
yuuhan “dinner, dinner”
There are several words that mean “upper” in Japanese:
you gohan
ban gohan
yuu shoku
yuuhan
yumeshi (very informal and sounds masculine)
banmeshi (very informal and sounds masculine)
Also check “breakfast” and “lunch:”
Breakfast:
asa-go-han
chu shoku
asa meshi (very informal and sounds masculine)
Lunch:
o-hiru-go-han
hiru-go-han
o-hiru
hiru
chuu shoku
hiru meshi (very informal and sounds masculine)
hantai “opposition”
When we add -suru Prayed Oh, of course , becomes a verb meaning “to oppose”. The opposite word is sansei, which means “approval”. the particle neither it follows the object one opposes or agrees with.
Example
Musume no kekkon ni hantai suru.
“I am opposed to my daughter’s marriage.”
today’s goal phrase
Tokyo ni kaetta.
“He returned to Tokyo.“
The conjugations of verbs that form –your form of a verb, or the past simple form of a verb, are the point of today’s grammar. The formation of the simple past form is quite simple: change the final sound of –You shape from-You a-your.
-ta form of verbs
- Conjugate a verb to –You form. SEE Beginner Series Season 4 Articles 19, 20, 21 and 22 for more details.
- release the tea and add –your
“English” / dictionary form / The formula / Your form
“purchase” / kau / katte / kata
“to write” / kaku / kaite / kaita
“to talk” / hanasoo / hanashita / hanashita
“expect” / matsu / mate / matte
“To die” / shinu / shine / shinda
“to drink” / Name / node / nonda
“to make” / tsukuru / tsukutte / tsukutta
“to swim” / oyogu / oyoid / oyoida
“invite” / I bu / beyond / yonda
“to carry out” / iku / that / itta
“eat” / taberoo / tabeta / tabeta
“to return” / kaeru / kaette / kaetta
“to do” / sure / shit / shit
“to come” / kuru / kitesurfing / Kita
Formal Speech and Informal Speech
Courtesy level / Formal speech / Informal speechNo Past Affirmative / Watashi wa Tokyo ni kaerimasu. / Watashi wa Tokyo ni kaeru.
no negative past / Watashi wa Tokyo ni kaerimasen. / Watashi wa Tokyo ni kaeranai.
No Affirmative/ Miu wa Tokyo ni kaerimashita. / Miu wa Tokyo ni kaetta.
negative past / Miu wa Tokyo ni kaerimasen deshita. / Miu wa Tokyo ni kaeranakatta.
Notes:
*Dictionary verb form without past tense: See Nihongo Doojoo, “Style You and Beyond, Articles 19, 20, 21, and 22,” for more details.
*Unpolite Past Form of a Verb – See Beginner Season 4 Article 23 for more details.
*Note that the simple negative form without past tense of a verb is conjugated as adjectives ending in -i to get the past form. change the ending -Yo a kata.
For example:
- kaeranai becomes keranakatta
- minai becomes minakatta
This grammatical point has yet to be explained in the Nihongo Doojoo series.
Practice 1:
Fill in the blanks to complete the chart.
class 1 verbs
“English” / dictionary form / simple negative form / -The shape / -Your form
“to listen” / kiku / kikanai / kite / kiita
“to end” / —- / kasanai / kashite / —-
“expect” / matsu / —- / —- / —-
“read” / —- / Yomanai / —- / —-
“grasp” / —- / —- / wakate / —-
“to carry out” / iku / —- / that / —-
“say” / iku / iwanai / that / —-
“get together” / a / —- / —- / —-
class 2 verbs
“English” / dictionary form / simple negative form / -The shape / -Your form
“to sleep” / neru / babe / Do not do / —-
“watch” / miru / —- / —- / —-
class 3 verbs
“English” / dictionary form / simple negative form / -The shape / -Your form
“to do” / —- / —- / shit / —-
“to come” / kuru / —- / kitesurfing / —-
Practice 2:
Change the formal speech to an informal speech.
- Terebi or mimashita.
- Yhan or tabemashita.
- Nihon-go or Benky Shimashita.
- Kin nihon ni kimashita.
- Wakarimashita.
- Mizu or nomimashita.
- Takush of ikimashita.
