Lesson 6

Grammer
Motion Verbs

noun wa place ni ikimasu

ex. George-san wa ashita Tookyoo ni ikimasu. Mr. George will go to Tokyo tomorrow.

Verbs
Japanese sentences end with a verb( or some other element follows by desu, which behaves like a verb).
The endings of verbs show the tense and whether the verb is affirmative or negative. Tenses of Japanese verbs can be divided roughly in to two categories:
1.the present form. The present, or -masu form--- so called because verbs in thes tens ends in -masu encompasses both the simple present(used for expressing habitual action) and future tenses.
ex. George-san wa mainichi kaisha ni ikimasu. Mr. George goes to the office (lit. company) every day.
(Watashi wa) ashita kaerimasu. (i) return/am returning/wilt return tomorrow.
2. The past form. The past, or -mashita form, on the other hand, includes not only the simple past tense but also the present perfect.
ex. (Watashi wa) senshuu Tookyoo ni ikimashita. Last week (i) went to Tokyo.
George-san wa moo uchi ni kaerimashita. Mr. George has already gone home.

Below is a summary of the tenses of Japanese verbs and shows the endings -- affermative and negative ----that correspond to each.

-Present Form-
Add. -masu
Neg. -masen

-Past Form-
Aff. -mashita
Neg. -masendeshita

The Particle ni
The role of the preposition "to" in English played by the particle ni in Japanese. Ni is placed after a noun that denotes a place. It indicates the direction of movement wiht verbs such as ikimasu (to go), kimasu (to come), and kaerimasu (to return)
ex. Tookyoo ni ikimasu. I'm going to Tokyo.

noun wa place ni ikimasu ka
Hai, ikimasu.
iie, ikimasen.
ex. George-san wa ashita Tookyoo ni ikimasu ka. Mr. George, will you go to Tokyo tomorrow.
Hai. ikimasu. Yes (i) will go.
iie, ikimasen. No, (i) will not go.
Questions that contain verbs.
To ask a question like "will yo go?" that contains a verb, simply add ka to the verb. Answers to such questions can be brief, as in the examples above.

Vocabulary
Kuukoo: airport
Eki : station
shisha: branch office
kooen: park
tomodachi no uchi: friend's house
tomodachi: friend
uchi: house
ikimasu: to go
kimasu: to come
kaerimasu: to return
kinoo: yesterday
ototoi: the day before yesterday
kyoo: today
ashita: tomorrow
asatte: the day after tomorrow
senshuu: last week
konshuu: this week
raishuu: next week
sengetsu: last month
kongetsu: this month
raigetsu: next month
kyonen: last year
kotoshi: this year
rainen: next year
itsu: when
Honkon: hong kong
Ginza = famous shopping district in Tokyo.

Few examples of dialogues.
1. Ms. Sakura sees Mr. Tanaka carrying a large piece of luggage.

Sakura:A. Tanaka-san, shutchoo desu ka.
Tanaka:Ee, Oosaka-shisha ni ikimasu. Asatte Tookyoo ni kaerimasu.
Sakura:Soo desu ka. Itterasshai.

Sakura: Oh, Mr. Tanaka, are going on a business trip?
Tanaka: Yes, I'm going to the Osaka branch office. I'll come bach to tgokyo the day after tomorrow.
Sakura:Really? Have a good trip.

a: oh(interjection used to get someone's attention)
shutchoo: business trip
itterasshai: goodbye, have a nice trip.

2. At a busstop, Mr. George asks the driver a question before boarding.
George: Sumimasen. Kono bus wa Shibuya ni ikimasu ka.
basu no untenshu: iie, ikimasen.
George: Dono basu ga ikimasu ka.
basu no untenshu: 88-ban no basu ga ikimasu.
George: Arigatoo gozaimasu.

George: Excuse me. Does this bus go to Shibuya?
busdriver: No, it doesn't
George: Which bus goes there?
busdriver: The number 88 bus goes there.
George: Thank you

basu: bus
Shibuya: district in Tokyo
untenshu: driver
dono: which(used before a noun)
ga: particle that marks the subject of a sentence.
-ban: number( counter;used as a suffix after a number)

Dono basu
Dore is used alone to mean "which", but if "which" is to be followed by a noun, then dono is used.
ex. dore: which one
dono: which bus

Dono buasu ga ikimasu ka.
88-ban no basu ga ikimasu.
The particle ga is used instead of the topic marker wa after interrogatives like dore and dono. In the case of dono, it follows the noun: dono basu ga.[/b[b]] Ga is repeated in replies to questions of the dare ga or dono.. ga pattern, as in the exhange here.

Ja (well then) that was it for lesson 6. I wont be posting the homewok part anymore. Those who still want it will have to PM me. I'll try to send it to you via private message as soon as possible.
Mata ne.