43

frequently in Japanese conversations. This is because echo questions are not only
used for clarification, but also to slow down the pace of conversation or soften the
tone. Recall that hesitation noises are used to take time and avoid direct responses.
Echo questions are often used for similar purposes. So, even when there is no need
for clarification, Japanese speakers may ask echo questions. In such cases, an answer
to the echo question is not necessarily expected.
The most common echo questions are those that repeat the topic nouns, which
may have been left unsaid or which are typically marked by the particle wa in the
other person’s speech.

Wakarimasu ka? Do [you] understand?

-Watashi desu ka. Iya, amari… Do you mean me? Not really.
Kore wa sumaho desu ka. Is this a smartphone?
-Kore desu ka. Hai. Do you mean this? Yes.

Note here that ‘Sumaho desu ka.’ is impossible as an echo question. Watch out!

*-Sumaho desu ka? Hai. Do you mean a smartphone? Yes.

2-3-2 Ano X Ko-so-a-do series #2

In Lesson 1, the first set of ko-so-a-do series (kore, sore, are, dore)
was introduced. The second set of the series is kono, sono, ano, and dono. Both
sets are based on the same ko-so-a-do distinction (near the speaker, close to the
addressee, or away from both).
The difference between the two sets is that the first is a set of nouns and the
second is a set of incomplete elements that require a following noun and cannot be
used alone. So, while kore is an independent noun meaning ‘this’, kono is linked to
a noun, meaning ‘this X’. Note that when translated into English, both kore and
kono are translated as ‘this’.

kore this
kono kaisha this company
kono nihon no kaisya this Japanese company

Drills and Exercises

A.
Cue: Furansugo, wakarimasu ka. Do you understand French?
Response: Furansugo desu ka. Ie, wakarimasen. French? No, I don’t.
Cue: Chuugokugo, wakarimasu ka. Do you understand
Chinese? Response: Chuugokugo desu ka.
Ie, wakarimasen. Chinese? No I don’t.
 44

B.
Cue: Kore, dare no keitai desuka? Whose cellphone is this?
Response: Kono keitai desu ka. Wakarimasen nee. This cellphone? I don’t know
Cue: Are, doko no kaisha desu ka. Where is that company from?
Response: Ano kaisya desu ka. Wakarimasen nee. That company? I don’t know.

C. Say it in Japanese.

Ms. Honda has asked you what is in the bag.

1. Which bag is it?
2. Do you mean this bag? It’s my smartphone.
3. Do you mean that bag over there? Isn’t it Mr. Oda’s laptop?
4. This is my friend’s umbrella.
5. I don’t know. It’s not my bag.

D. Act in Japanese.

1. You are at a reception. Approach another guest and ask his name.
2. You caught a sight of Prof. Sato at the reception. Ask a staff member if
that woman is in fact Prof. Sato.
3. Ms. Honda is carrying a big bag. Ask what’s in it.
4. You’ve just heard a name of someone. Check if that is a name for a man?
5. Someone has mistaken your bag for hers. Point out her mistake and get your
bag back.
6. At the party you’ve been complimented on your Japanese skills. Be humble
and respond.

Dialogue 4
Michael checks the schedule.

Michael: Doyou to nichiyou wa yasumi desu ne. We’re off on Sat. and Sun., right?
どよう にちよう やす
土曜と日曜は休みですね?
Honda: Mochiron desu. Of course.
もちろんです。
Michael: Ajia ginkou no apo wa getsuyoubi deshita ne.
The appointment with Bank of Asia was on Mon. right?
ぎんこう げつようび
アジア銀行のアポは、月曜日でしたね。
Honda: E? Kayoubi ja nakatta desu ka. Huh? Wasn’t it on Tues?
か よ う び
え？ 火曜日じゃなかったですか。
Michael: Aa, sou deshita ne! Sumimasen. Oh, that’s right! Sorry.
ああ、そうでしたね。すみません。
 45

Vocabulary

doyou(bi) どよう（び） 土曜日 Saturday

to と and
nichiyou(bi) にちよう（び） 日曜日 Sunday
mochiron もちろん of course
apo あぽ アポ appointment
getsuyoubi げつようび 月曜日 Monday
deshita でした was (the Past form of desu)
e え？ What? Oh? (Surprise/‘Couldn't hear’)
kayoubi かようび 火曜日 Tuesday
X ja nakatta desu ka X じゃなかったですか Wasn’t it X?
＋itsu いつ when
＋jugyou じゅぎょう 授業 class
＋shukudai しゅくだい 宿題 homework
＋shiken しけん 試験 exam
＋kaigi かいぎ 会議 meeting, conference
＋orienteishon おりえんていしょん オリエンテーション orientation
＋purezen ぷれぜん プレゼン presentation
＋hon ほん 本 book
＋kyoukasho きょうかしょ 教科書 textbook
＋manga まんが manga, comic, anime
＋anime あにめ アニメ anime
＋nooto のおと ノート notebook
＋kami かみ a紙 paper
＋enpitsu えんぴつ 鉛筆 pencil
＋pen ぺん ペン pen

Days of the Week Youbi

nichi-youbi にちようび 日曜日 Sunday
getsu-youbi げつようび 月曜日 Monday
ka-youbi かようび 火曜日 Tuesday
sui-youbi すいようび 水曜日 Wednesday
moku-youbi もくようび 木曜日 Thursday
kin-youbi きんようび 金曜日 Friday
do-youbi どようび 土曜日 Saturday
nan-youbi なんようび 何曜日 what day of the week

Grammar Notes

2-4-1 Days of the Week

Youbi indicates days of the week. There are three variations for each day of the week.
 46

getsu, getsu-you, getsu-youbi

The longer, the more formal. Abbreviations like the following are also very common.

Getsu-sui-kin Mon-Wed-Fri
Kaa-moku Tue-Thurs.
Do-nichi Sat-Sun

The question word nan-youbi ‘what day of the week’ cannot be used to ask ‘what
day of the month’, which will be introduced later.

2-4-2 Noun to Noun

/X to Y/ means ‘X and Y’. Unlike English ‘and’, which can connect various
elements including adjectives, verbs, or sentences, the particle to can only connect
nouns or noun phrases.

Nihon to America Japan and America

Asia Ginkou no Oda-san to J-Netto no Sumisu-san
Mr. Oda from Asia Bank and Mr. Smith from
J-Net Kayoubi to mokuyoubi no jugyou Classes on Tuesday and
Thursday Kono nihongo no kyoukasho to ano hon this Japanese textbook
and that book

Like other particles, to follows a noun, and when pronouncing, there is no pause
between the noun and to (in English, you can pause before ‘and.’) There is no limit
to the number of nouns connected, but it’s rare for an adult speaker to list more than
three or four.

2-4-3 The Past Form of /X desu/ X deshita, X ja nakatta desu

The forms of /X desu/ including the Non-Past, Past, Affirmative and Negative are
shown in the chart below. Make sure you do not use deshita in the Past Negative form.
Table 3. Conjucation of non-past and past-forms of -desu in the affirmative and negative.

Affirmative Negative

Non-past Nihongo desu. Nihongo ja nai desu.

It’s Japanese. It’s not Japanese.

Past Nihongo deshita. Nihongo ja nakatta desu.

It was Japanese. It wasn’t Japanese.
 47

The Past forms are also used to express recollection of information, even
when it is information about an event scheduled in the future.

Kaigi wa ashita deshita ne. The meeting was tomorrow, right?

-Iya, asatte ja nakatta desu ka? No, wasn’t it the day after tomorrow?

Drills and Exercises

E.
Cue: Kyou wa getsuyoubi desu ne. Today is Monday, right?
Response: E? Kayoubi ja nai desu ka? What? Isn’t it Tuesday?
Cue: Kyou wa Mokuyoubi desu ne. Today is Thursday, right?
Response: E? Kinyoubi ja nai desu ka? What? Isn’t it Friday?

F.
Cue: Kinou wa ame deshita ne. It rained yesterday, right?
Response: Ee, ame ja nakatta desu ka. Yes, didn’t it rain?
Cue: Shike wa getsuyou deshita ne. The exam was Monday, right?
Response: Ee, getsuyou ja nakatta desu ka. Yes, wasn’t it on Mon.?

G. Say it in Japanese.

You are talking about last week’s meeting. Ask the following:
1. When was it?
2. What day of the week was it?
3. What time was it?
4. Where was it?
5. Which country was it (held in)?
6. Which company was it (held at)?
7. Who was the teacher?
8. Of what nationality was the teacher?
9. In what language was it?
10. Which textbook was it (that was used)?

Emily is looking at the course catalog. Ask her:

1. What days of the week are the Japanese classes scheduled on?
2. What time are they scheduled at?
3. Who is the instructor?
4. Is homework due everyday?
5. What time is the Tuesday orientation for exchange students scheduled at?
 48

You’ve been asked the above questions. Reply:

6. It’s Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

7. Aren’t they at nine and eleven thirty?
8. The instructors are Japanese and American. The Japanese teacher is Prof.
Sato, but I do not know the name of the American teacher.
9. Of course, it’s everyday, I tell you.
10. The Tuesday orientation is at 10:30, but the sophomores do not go.

H. Act in Japanese.

1. Find out from the teacher what day of the week the Japanese exam is
scheduled and what time.
2. You’ve just been told that there is an exam today! Express your surprise.
3. You need to write down something. Ask for paper and a pen.
4. A coworker is wondering about yesterday’s weather. You remember that it
rained yesterday. Let him know.
5. You have an appointment with a business associate this week. Confirm
with her that it is at ten o’clock on Thursday. Make sure you thank her in
advance for the appointments.

Review

Grammar Review

a. What does /X desu/ mean? How about /X deshita/? (2-1-1, 2-4-3)

b. For noun sentences, what is the Non-Past negative? How about the Past
negative? (2- 1-1, 2-4-3)
c. How is a clock time expressed? How about the days of the week? (2-1-2, 2-4-1)
d. How do you ask what time it is in Japanese? How about what day of the week
today is? (2-1-1, 2-4-1)
e. Give two examples of Japanese hesitation noises. What is the difference
between them? How are they used? (2-1-3)
f. Which is the main noun in the noun phrase / X no Y/, X or Y? (2-2-1)
g. What is the relationship between the two nouns in /X no Y/? (2-2-1)
h. What three changes may happen when a foreign word is borrowed into Japanese? (2-
2-2)
i. What is the ritual expression used at the beginning of a self-introduction? How is it
closed? (2-2-3) When do you bow?
j. What is the difference between sore and sono? (2-3-2)
k. What is an echo question? How do you use it? (2-3-1)
l. How is ‘E?’ used? (2-4 vocabulary)
m. What is the difference in meaning between the following (2-4-3):
1. Nihonjin ja nakatta desu.
 49

2. Nihonjin ja nakatta desu ka.

n. What does the particle to ‘and’ combine? (2-4-2)

Practical Applications

Part A

You work in a HR office of a company. Answer the questions on the basis of the
student ID of prospective part-time employees below.

1. You’ve been asked who are the students.

2. Your supervisor asks you to call the person whose name is on one of the cards. Ask if she
means Chris Johnson.
3. You supervisor says that Ms. Wang went to Lincoln University. Correct him politely
4. You’ve been asked if both Johnson and Wang are juniors.
5. You’ve been asked who is studying Business.
6. Your supervisor asks you to set up appointments with them tomorrow. Find out what
time tomorrow he has in mind.
7. You set up two separate appointments. Inform the supervisor that for Mr. Johnson it’s
9:30 and for Ms. Wang it’s 11:30.
 50

Part B

You see your supervisor holding a flyer. It’s March 18th today.

1. You hear your supervisor talking to student interns about the flyer. Ask if it’s
(for) a class.
2. Ask your supervisor what the conference is about.
3. Ask your supervisor if it will be (conducted) in Chinese.
4. Ask your supervisor what language it is.
5. Ask your supervisor where in Japan it will be held.
6. Ask your supervisor when it is.
7. Ask your supervisor if it is today.
8. Ask your supervisor what days of the week the dates are.
9. You hear your supervisor talking to co-workers about the keynote speaker.
Ask if it’s Prof. Honda.
10. You hear your supervisor talking to co-workers about the keynote
speaker. Ask who it is.
11. You hear your supervisor talking to co-workers about the keynote speaker.
Ask if the keynote speaker is from a Japanese university.
12. Ask your co-worker if he is going.
13. You’ve been asked above questions by a co-worker. Answer his questions
on the basis of the flyer.
14. The event is over. Now ask and answer with a co-worker the questions
above in the Past form.
 51

Drill Tape Scripts

Dialogue 1

A. Cue: 今、九時ですか。 Response: いや、十時ですよ。

Cue: 今、三時ですか。 Response: いや、四時ですよ。
1. 今、七時ですか。
2. 今、四時ですか。
3. 今、八時ですか。
4. 今、十時ですか。
5. 今、一時半ですか。
6. 今、六時半です。
B. Cue: 今日は、バイトですか。 Response: いえ、バイトじゃないです。
Cue: 今日は、雨ですか。 Response: いえ、雨じゃないです。
会社ですか。
1. 買い物ですか。
2. 雪ですか。
3. 練習ですか。
4. 散歩ですか。
5. 休みですか。

Dialogue 2

A. Cue: アメリカですか。 Response: はい、アメリカの会社です。

Cue: フランスですか。 Response: はい、フランスの会社です。
1. イギリスですか。
2. ロシアですか。
3. ドイツですか。
4. 韓国ですか。
5. 中国ですか。

B. Cue: 先生は、アメリカ人ですか。
Response: いえ、アメリカ人じゃないです。日本人です。
Cue: 先生は、フランス人ですか。
Response: いえ、フランス人じゃないです。日本人です。
1. 中国人ですか。
2. イタリア人ですか。
3. 台湾人ですか。
4. インド人ですか。
5. ロシア人ですか
 52

Dialogue 3

A. Cue: フランス語、わかりますか。
Response: フランス語ですか。いえ、わかりません。
Cue: 中国語、わかりますか。
Response: 中国語ですか。いえ、わかりません。
1. ロシア語、わかりますか。
2. アラビア語、わかりますか。
3. スペイン語、わかりますか。
4. フランス語、わかりますか。
5. 韓国語、わかりますか。

B. Cue: これ、だれのケータイですか。
Response: このケータイですか。わかりませんねえ。
Cue: あれ、どこの会社ですか。
Response: あの会社ですか。わかりませんねえ。
1. これ、何の本ですか。
2. あれ、どこのパソコンですか。
3. あれ、だれの傘ですか。
4. これ、何時のバイトですか。
5. それ、どなたの鞄ですか。

Dialogue 4

A. Cue: 今日は、月曜日ですね。 Response: え？火曜日じゃないですか。

Cue: 今日は、木曜日ですね。 Response: え？金曜日じゃないですか。
1. 今日は、水曜日ですね。
2. 今日は、日曜日ですね。
3. 今日は、金曜日ですね。
4. 今日は、火曜日ですね
5. 今日は、土曜日ですね
B. Cue: きのうは雨でしたね。 Response: ええ、雨じゃなかったですか。
Cue: 試験は月曜でしたね。 Response: ええ、月曜じゃなかったですか。
1. 会議は、イギリスでしたね。
2. アポは、水曜日でしたね。
3. おとといは、会社でしたね。
4. あの留学生は、韓国人でしたね。
5. あれは、日本語の教科書でしたね。
 53

Lesson 3: Settling Down

Dialogue 1
Michael is checking apartment listings.

Honda: Ii apaato, arimasu ka. Are there any good apartments?

いいアパート、ありますか。
Michael: Sukunai desu nee. Very few.
すく
少ないですねえ。
……

Honda: Kono apaato wa dou desu ka? How about this apartment?
このアパートはどうですか。
Michael: Sou desu nee. Chotto takaku naidesu ka. Let’s see. Isn’t it a little expensive?
たか
そうですねえ。ちょっと高くないですか。

Vocabulary

apaato あぱあと アパート apartment

arimasu あります there is/are, exists
sukunai すくない 少ない be few, there are few
dou どう how
sou desu nee そうですねえ Let me see, I’m thinking
takai たかい 高い expensive
takakunai たかくない 高くない is not expensive
＋manshon まんしょん マンション condominium
＋ie いえ 家 house, home
＋heya へや 部屋 room
＋ikaga いかが how (polite)
＋ooi おおい 多い be a lot, there are a lot
＋yasui やすい 安い cheap
＋ookii おおきい 大きい large, big
＋chiisai ちいさい 小さい small
＋atarashii あたらしい 新しい new
＋furui ふるい 古い old
 54

Grammar Notes

3-1-1 Adjective Sentences

All adjectives in Japanese end in -i (Non Past), -katta (Past), and -

ku. takai expensive

takaku nai not expensive

To make the Past form, change -i to -katta. For the negative form, change nai to nakatta.

takakatta was expensive

takaku nakatta was not expensive

To make a formal style adjective sentence, add desu.

Takai desu. It’s expensive.

Takaku nai des. It’s not
expensive. Takakatta desu. It was
expensive. Takaku nakatta desu. It
was not expensive.

In Lessons 1 and 2 verb sentences and noun sentences were introduced. With the
adjective sentences introduced in this lesson you have now seen all three Japanese sentence
types. The chart below shows the forms that have been introduced so far.
Table 4. Examples of affirmative and negative non-past types of verb, noun, and adjective sentences in Japanese.

Non-past – Affirmative Non-Past – Negative

Verb Sentence Wakarimasu. Wakarimasen.

Noun
Sentence Nihon desu. Nihon ja nai desu.

Adjective
Takai desu. Takaku nai desu.
Sentence
 55

Table 5. Affirmative and negative past types of verb, noun, and adjective sentences in Japanese.

Past -
Past - Affirmative Past - Affirmative
Negative

Wakarimasen
Verb Sentence Wakarimashita.
deshita.

Noun
Nihon deshita. Nihon ja nakatta desu.
Sentence

Adjective Sentence Takakatta desu. Takaku nakatta desu.

The adjective ii has special forms. This is the only exception in the entire class of adjectives.

Ii desu It’s good

Yoku nai desu It’s not good
Yokatta desu It was good.
Yoku nakatta desu. It wasn’t good.

Yoku is one of the most commonly used adverbs and was already introduced in Lesson 1 as in
yoku wakarimasu, yoku tabemasu, etc. Yokatta desu nee is a common response to good news.

3-1-2 Adjective + Noun

In Lesson 2, you saw two ways of extending a noun into a noun phrase. One way is
to modify a noun by another, as in the sequence /X no Y/ in the phrase Amerika no kaisha
‘American company.’ Another example is the kono-sono-ano-dono group that precedes a
noun, as in ano kaisha ‘that company’. These two ways can be combined as in kono
Amerika no kaisha ‘this American company.’
Adjectives can directly modify a noun to make a noun phrase (no need for the particle
no).
takai keitai expensive cellphone
takaku nai keitai cellphone that is not expensive

It’s possible to combine more than one adjective or other modifying elements to extend a
noun phrase.

chiisai takai keitai small, expensive cellphone

kono Amerika no chiisai takai keitai this small, expensive American cellphone
 56

Note that all the modifying elements occur before the main noun, and that the particle no
must be attached to a noun modifier wherever it occurs. The order of modifying elements is
rather free, unlike in English, where there are certain restrictions.

chiisai takai kono Amerika no keitai this small, expensive American cellphone
kono watashi no keitai this cellphone of mine
watashi no kono keitai this cellphone of mine

3-1-3 arimasu ‘there is X’

The verb arimasu means ‘there is’ or ‘I have’. It indicates inanimate existence such
as objects, plants, ideas, events, etc. A different verb is used for people and animals and will
be introduced later. There are two negative forms for arimasu: arimasen and nai desu. The
latter is less formal.
As we have seen so far, nai desu is part of the negative forms for noun and
adjective sentences. Arimasen can substitute for nai desu in these forms and sounds a little
more elegant.
Sumaho ja nai desu. → Sumaho ja arimasen. It’s not a smartphone.
Takaku nai desu. → Takaku arimasen. It’s not expensive.

Similarly, the Past form arimasen deshita can substitute for nakatta desu.
Sumaho ja nakatta desu. → Sumaho ja arimasen deshita. It wasn’t a smartphone.
Takaku nakatta desu. → Takaku arimasen deshita. It wasn’t expensive.

The chart below shows all the forms including these alternatives.

Table 6. All the past forms of "arimasen" - affirmative and negative - as a verb sentence, noun sentence, and adjective sentence.

Affirmative – Negative –
Non-past Non-past

Verb Sentence Arimasu. Nai desu. Arimasen.

Noun Nihon ja nai desu.

Sentence Nihon desu. Nihon ja arimasen

Takaku nai desu.

Adjective Sentence Takai desu.
Takaku arimasen.
 57

Table 7. All the non-past forms of "arimasen" - affirmative and negative - as a verb sentence, noun sentence, and adjective
sentence.

Affirmative-Past Negative-Past

Verb Sentence Arimashita. Nakatta desu. Arimasen deshita.

Noun Nihon ja nakatta desu.

Sentence Nihon deshita. Nihon ja arimasen deshita.

Takaku nakatta desu. Takaku

Adjective Sentence Takakatta desu.
arimasen deshita.

Note the difference between the following sentences.

Kaisha ja arimasen / Kaisha ja nai desu. It’s not a company. (Identity)

Kaisha wa arimasen / Kaisha wa nai desu. There is no company. (Existence)

Drills and Exercises

A. Listen to the audio . Following the first two model exchanges, respond to each cue.
たか
Cue: 高いですか。 Takai desu ka. Is it expensive?
やす
Response: いえ、安いですよ。 Iie, yasui desu yo. No, it’s cheap, I assure you.
やす
Cue: 安いですか。Yasui desu ka. Is it cheap?
たか
Response: いえ、高いでよ。 Iie, takai desu yo. No, it’s expensive, I assure you.

B.

Cue: いいですか。Ii desu ka. Is it all right?

Response: いいえ、あまりよくないです。 Iie, amari yoku desu. No, it’s not very good.
やす
Cue: 安いですか。Yasui desu ka. Is it cheap?
やす
Response: いいえ、あまり安くないです。Iie, amari yasuku desu. No, it’s not very
cheap.
 58

C.

Cue: アパートですか。Apaato desu. Is it an apartment?

Response: いいえ、アパートじゃありません。
Iie, apaato ja arimasen. No, it’s not an apartment.
やす
Cue: 安いですか。 Yasui desu ka. Is it cheap?
やす
Response: いいえ、安くありません。Iie, yasuku arimasen. No, it’s not cheap.

D.

A. Cue: あれ、高かったですか。
Are, takakatta desu ka. Was that expensive?
Response: いえ、高くなかったですよ。
Ie, takaku nakatta desu yo. No, it wasn’t.
Cue: あれ、新しかったですか。
Are, atarashikatta desu ka? Was that new?
Response: いえ、新しくなかったですよ。
Ie, atarashiku nakatta desu yo. No it wasn’t.

E. Say it in Japanese.

You’ve been asked your opinion about an apartment.

1. Let me see…isn’t it big?

2. It’s a little old. Aren’t there any new apartments?
3. It’s not very expensive, but I wonder if it might not be small.
4. I saw it yesterday. It was nice.
5. There are many small apartments, but big ones are scarce, aren't they?

F. Act in Japanese with a partner.

Ms. Honda is checking apartment listings. Ask if there is anything good.

1. Ms. Honda has recently moved into a new apartment. Find out how she likes it.
2. At a store, you saw a nice bag, but it’s small. Get the attention of a clerk and
ask if there is a big one.
3. A co-worker just broke great news to you. Respond.
4. Ms. Honda went to see an apartment yesterday. Ask her a) how it was, b) if it was
good, c) if it wasn’t old.
5. You’ve been asked about your a) apartment, b) school, c) company. Describe.
 59

Dialogue 2

Michael finds an interesting apartment listing.

Michael: Juu-go-ban wa ikura desu ka. How much is number 15?

ばん
15番は、いくらですか。
Honda : Rokuman-nanasen-en desu. It’s ¥67,000.
ろくまんななせんえん
六万七千円です。
Warukunai desu yo. That’s not bad, you know.
わる
悪くないですよ。
Michael: Motto yasui no wa arimasen nee. There isn’t one that’s cheaper, is there.
やす
もっと安いのはありませんかねえ。
Honda: Chotto muzukashii desu nee. That would be a little difficult, wouldn’t it.
ちょっとむずかしいですねえ。

Vocabulary

juugo じゅうご 十五 fifteen

ban ばん 番 (ordinal) number
juugo-ban じゅうごばん 十五番 number fifteen
ikura いくら how much?
rokuman ろくまん 六万 60,000
nanasen ななせん 七千 7000
en えん 円 yen (currency of Japan)
rokuman-nanasen-en ろくまんななせんえん 六万七千円 ¥67,000
warui わるい 悪い bad
waruku nai わるくない 悪くない not bad
motto もっと more
motto yasui もっとやすい もっと安い cheaper
no の one(s)
muzukashii むずかしい 難しい difficult, hard
＋doru どる ドル dollar
＋yasashii やさしい easy, kind

Grammar Notes

3-2-1 Numbers and Classifiers (~en, ~doru, ~ban)

Japanese numbers are listed at the end of this lesson. Note that numbers 4, 7 and 9
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have alternating forms: yon, yo and shi for 4, nana and shichi for 7 and kyuu and ku for 9.
The form depends on what classifier is combined with the number (See below for
classifiers).

In Japanese, numbers with five or more places are counted in groups of four places
( ~man, ~oku, ~chou). On the other hand, in English these numbers are counted by groups of
threes places (thousands, millions, billions). So, ten thousand in Japanese has a special name
man, and succeeding groups of four places have the names ~oku, and ~chou. Traditionally a
comma was inserted every four places (10,000 was written 1,0000).

Note that 10, 100 and 1000 do not require ichi, but 10,000 does. In another words,
you need to say ichi only for the last place in each four-place group.

1 ichi 10000 ichi-man

10 juu 100000 juu-man
100 hyaku 1000000 hyaku-man
1000 sen 10000000 sen-man

So, ¥11111111 is sen hyaku juu ichi man sen hyaku juu ichi
en. Also note the following sound changes.

For 100’s (hyaku) h→ b 300 sanbyaku; ?00 nanbyaku (how many

hundreds?) h→ pp 600 roppyaku; 800 happyaku
For 1000’s (sen) s→z 3000 sanzen; ?000 nanzen (how many
thousands?) s→ss 8000 hassen

Japanese numbers are usually followed by a classifier, which indicates what is

counted or numbered. Use of ‘bare’ numbers is rather limited (counting the number of push-
ups, etc.) When counting things in Japanese, numbers are combined with classifiers that are
conventionally used for the particular nouns being counted. This is similar to English
expressions like “ten sheets of paper” (not ten papers), or “a loaf of bread” (not a bread.)

Recall that the classifier for clock time is –ji, and grade in school is –nensei. We add
three more in this lesson: –en for the Japanese currency, –doru for US currency, and –ban
for numbers in order (first, second, etc.) Before –ji, 4, 7, and 9 are respectively yo, shichi,
and ku. As shown in the chart below, before –en the number 4 is yo, and the numbers 7 and
9 before –en, doru and –ban are nana, and kyuu.

The classifier -ban is also used for ranking (first place, second place, etc.) Ichi-ban is
also used as an adverb to mean ‘most’ or ‘best.’ The pitch accent changes for the adverbial
use (iCHIban
→ iCHIBAN)
Ichi-ban jouzu most skillful
Ichi-ban atarashii newest
Ichiban ii daigaku the best college
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Table 8. Classifiers for numbers 1-10, as well as an unknown number, for suffixes -en, -doru, and -ban

-en -doru -ban

1. Ichi-en Ichi-doru Ichi-ban

2. Ni-en Ni-doru Ni-ban

3. San-en San-doru San-ban

4. Yo-en Yon-doru Yon-ban

5. Go-en Go-doru Go-ban

6. Roku-en Roku-doru Roku-ban

7. Nana-en Nana-doru Nana-ban

8. Hachi-en Hachi-doru Hachi-ban

9. Kyuu-en Kyuu-doru Kyuu-ban

10. Juu-en Juu-doru Juu-ban

? Nan-en Nan-doru Nan-ban

3-2−2 Pronoun No

Recall that we have the following three noun phrase structures.

1. Adjective + Noun yasui apaato cheap apartment

2. Kono + Noun kono apaato this apartment
3. Noun no Noun watashi no apaato my apartment

It sounds too wordy and unsophisticated if the same noun is repeated unnecessarily. How can
we avoid repeating the main noun in these structures when it is already known from the
context?

For Structure 1, replace the noun with the pronoun no. → yasui no
inexpensive one For
Structure 2, use kore-sore-are-dore, instead. → kore this
For Structure 3, just drop it. → watashi no mine

The pronoun no can replace the noun directly after an adjective, but is usually not used to
refer to people. These rules hold when the three structures are combined.
`
 62

kono atarashii apaato this new apartment → kono atarashii no

watashi no kono kaban this bag of mine → watashi no kore atarashii
Amerika no kaisha new American company → atarashii Amerika no

3-2-3 ka nee ‘I wonder’

Some sentence particles can occur in combination. One common combination is ka

nee ‘I wonder.’ Ka indicates doubt and nee indicates that the speaker assumes the hearer
has the same doubt. In the dialogue above, Michael asks if there are cheaper apartments,
assuming Ms. Honda understands his situation. Compare the following:

Motto yasui no wa arimasen ka. Aren't there cheaper ones?

Motto yasui no wa arimasen ka nee. I wonder if there are cheaper ones.

While the first asks for an answer, the second does not demand a response because the
speaker assumes that the other person shares the same question. The result is softer. Ka
nee is also used as a polite response to a question when the speaker does not know the
answer.

Ano hito dare desu ka? Who is that person?

-Dare desu ka nee. I wonder, too.

Dare no kasa desu ka? Whose umbrella is it?

-Dare no desu ka nee. I wonder whose it is, too.

Drills and Exercises

A.
Cue: Go-en desu ka. Is it five yen?
Response: Ie-ie, gojuu-en desu yo. No, no, it’s fifty yen!
Cue: Nihyaku-en desu ka. Is it two hundred yen?
Response: Ie-ie, nisen-en desu yo. No, no, it’s two thousand yen!

B.
Cue: Takai desu nee. It’s expensive, isn’t it!
Response: Ee, motto yasui no wa arimasen nee.
Yes, there aren’t any cheaper ones, are there.
Cue: Chiisai desu nee. It’s small, isn’t it!
Response: Ee, motto ookii no wa arimasen nee.
Yes, there aren’t any bigger ones, are there.

C.
Cue: Minna, ookii desu nee. They’re all big, aren’t they!
Response: Ichiban ookii no wa, dore desu ka. Which is the biggest one?
 63

Cue: Minna, furui desu nee. They’re all old, aren’t they! Response:
Ichiban furui no wa, dore desu ka. Which is the oldest one?

D. Say it in Japanese.

You’ve been asked the price of something. Reply.

1. ¥ 650
2. ¥ 1010
3. ¥ 14000
4. ¥790000
5. ¥ 8800
6. ¥ 3300
7. ¥1111

At a meeting, ask what other people think of the following:

8. a newer company
9. the more difficult Chinese textbook
10. the easiest one
11. the cellphone #13
12. Prof. Kimura’s new course on Tue-Thur

E. Act in Japanese with a partner.

1. In a shoe store, you’ve tried on a pair and found them to be too small. Get the
attention of a clerk and ask for a little bigger pair.
2. Browsing an online shopping site, Ms. Honda misread the price of an item as 5000
yen. It is actually 50000 yen. Correct her nicely.
3. Find out today’s dollar to yen exchange rate.
4. You are doing a homework assignment. Exclaim that Question #14 is hard. Ask
if Ms. Honda gets it.
5. You’ve been asked for your opinion about an apartment. Mention that it is not
bad, but you wonder what the rent is.
6. With a partner, ask and answer how much something costs. Exchange opinions
about the price.
 64

Dialogue 3
Michael checks the apartment further.

Michael: Sugoku kirei na apaato desu nee. It’s a really beautiful apartment, isn’t it!
すごくきれいなアパートですねえ。

Honda: De mo chotto tooku nai desu ka. But isn’t it a little far?
とお
でも、ちょっと遠くないですか。
Michael: Sou desu ne. Amari benri ja nai desu nee. You are right. It’s not very convenient, is it.
べんり
そうですね。あまり便利じゃないですね。
Honda: Zannen desu nee. Too bad, huh!
ざんねん
残念ですねえ。

Vocabulary

sugoi すごい 凄い amazing, great

sugoku すごく 凄く really, amazingly
kirei きれい（な） pretty, clean
de mo でも but
tooi とおい 遠い far
benri べんり（な） 便利 convenient
zannen ざんねん（な） 残念 too bad, regrettable
＋kitanai きたない dirty
＋chikai ちかい 近い close, near
＋fuben ふべん（な） 不便 inconvenient
＋dame だめ（な） bad, unacceptable
＋yuumei ゆうめい（な） 有名 famous

Grammar Notes

3-3-1 Na-Nouns

When one noun describes another, there are two possible patterns. You’ve seen
one of these already with the particle no: watashi no keitai ‘my cell phone,’ nihongo no
sensei ‘the Japanese teacher.’
A smaller set of nouns hooks up to nouns with the particle na: kirei na nihongo
‘beautiful Japanese,’ benri na keitai ‘convenient cell phone.’ These will be called “na
nouns.” All na nouns are intangible, but not all intangibles are na nouns. All na nouns will
be followed by (na) in the glossary to distinguish them from regular nouns.

Note that the pronoun no can replace the main noun in this combination.
kirei na apaato a clean apartment → kirei na no a clean one
 65

amerika no yuumei na kaisha a famous company in America →

amerika no yuumei na no a famouse one in America

3-3-2 Adjective ~Ku Forms as Adverbs

The –ku form of adjectives are also used as adverbs.

Yoku wakarimasu. I understand it well.

Sugoku kirei desu. It’s really beautiful.
Yasuku kaimashita. I bought it cheaply.
Ookiku kakimasu. I’ll write it big.
Atarashiku tsukurimasu. I’ll remake it.

Drills and Exercises

A.
Cue: Kirei desu ka. Is it clean?
Response: Ee, sugoku kirei na apaato desu yo. Yes, it’s a really clean
apartment! Cue: Takai desu ka. Is it expensive?
Response: Ee, sugoku takai apaato desu yo. Yes, it’s a really expensive apartment!

B.
Cue: Kirei desu ka. Is it clean?
Response: Iya, kirei ja nai desu yo No, it’s not clean!
Cue: Tooi desu ka. Is it far?
Response: Iya, tooku nai desu yo. No, it’s not far!

C. Say it in Japanese.

You’ve been asked for your opinion about an apartment.

1. Isn’t it a little far?
2. Isn’t it a little inconvenient? Isn’t there anything closer?
3. It’s really beautiful, isn’t it. However, I wonder where it is located.
4. It’s no good. It’s big, but it’s really old. Too bad.
5. It’s that famous apartment, isn’t it. It’s the most expensive one, you know.

D. Act these roles in Japanese with a partner.

1. Your friend got a perfect score on a test. Exclaim your amazement.

2. A co-worker mentions that she will not make it to the company event. Express
your disappointment.
3. You’ve been asked to give a speech in Japanese. Humbly turn down the
 66

opportunity and ask if there isn’t anyone better.

4. A co-worker has shown you a picture of his mother. Comment how beautiful she is.
5. Compare products in the market by manufacturer, price, size, usefulness, etc.

Dialogue 4
Michael has settled into his new apartment. Ms. Honda is checking if he needs
anything.

Honda: Isu toka tsukue, arimasu ka. Do you have things like chairs and desks?
つくえ
いすとか 机 、ありますか。
Michael: Hai, isu mo tsukue mo arimasu. Yes, I have both chairs and desks.
つくえ
はい、いすも 机 もあります。
Daijoubu desu. I’m fine.
だいじょうぶ
大丈夫です。
Honda: Hontou desu ka. Terebi wa? No kidding. How about a television?
ほんとう
本当ですか。テレビは？
Michael: Aa, terebi wa irimasen. Oh, a television I don’t need.
ああ、テレビはいりません。

Vocabulary

isu いす chair
toka とか such (things) as
tsukue つくえ 机 desk
isu toka tsukue いすとかつくえ いすとか机 things like chairs and a desk
~mo ~mo 〜も〜も both ~ and ~
isu mo tsukue mo いすもつくえも いすも机も both chairs and desks
daijoubu だいじょうぶ（な）大丈夫 fine, safe, okay
hontou ほんとう 本当 truth, reality, fact
terebi てれび テレビ television
＋ya や such (things) as
＋teeburu てえぶる テーブル table
＋beddo べっど ベッド bed
＋reizouko れいぞうこ 冷蔵庫 refrigerator
＋sentaku (shimasu) せんたく 洗濯 laundry
＋sentaku-ki せんたくき 洗濯機 washing machine
＋souji (shimasu) そうじ 掃除 cleaning
＋souji-ki そうじき 掃除機 vacuum cleaner
＋eakon えあこん エアコン air conditioner
 67

Grammar Notes

3-4-1 X toka Y, X ya Y

/Noun to ka Noun/ means that the referenced nouns are examples of the category
under discussion. /Noun ya Noun/ is its more formal version. More than two examples can
be listed, but it’s unusual to have more than three or four.

Isu toka tsukue, arimasu ka. Do you have things like chairs and desks?
Isu ya tsukue arimasu ka. Do you have things like chairs and desks?
Isu toka tsukue toka terebi, arimasu ka. Do you have things like a chair, desk, and TV?

Toka does not require another noun to follow it while ya does. Therefore, the following
are possible.

Keitai toka tsukaimasu ka. Do you use things like smartphone?

Keitai toka sumaho toka tsukaimaus ka. Do you use things like cellphones and
smartphones?

3-4-2 X mo Y mo - ‘both X and Y’ ‘neither X nor Y’

X mo Y mo means ‘both X and Y’ in an affirmative sentence and ‘neither X nor

Y’ in a negative sentence. Compare the three responses below.

Kore to are, irimasu ka. Do you need this and that?

-Hai, kore mo are mo irimasu. Yes, I need them both.
-Iie, kore mo are mo irimasen. No, I don't need either this or that.
-Iie, kore wa irimasu kedo, are wa irimasen. No, I need this, but I don’t need
that.

In the first two responses, both items share a similarity, i.e., you need both or you don’t
need either, but in the third sentence the two items are being contrasted, i.e. you need one
but not the other, thus the particle wa is used.

Drills and Exercises

A. Listen to the audio . Following the first two model exchanges, respond to each
cue.

Cue: Isu to ka tsukue, arimasu ka. Do they have things like chairs and desks?

Response: Hai, isu mo tsukue mo arimasu. Yes, they have both chairs and desks.

Cue: Keetai to ka sumaho, arimasu ka.

Do they have things like mobile phones and smart phones?
Response: Hai, keetai mo sumaho mo arimasu.
Yes, they have both mobile phones and smart phones.