Chapter 2 Grammar

Question 1

Identifying someone or something,

using 〜は , 〜 です DEFINITION + USE:

Answer 1

The sentences X は Y です (X is Y) and X は Ｙ じゃありません／じゃないです (X isn’t Y) are used to IDENTIFY OR CHARACTERIZE A PERSON OR THING.

じゃないです is more colloquial than じゃありません.

The particle は, which is pronounced wa, indicates that the preceding noun X IS THE TOPIC of the sentence.

Y です is a comment about the topic and represents information concerning the topic. X is what the speaker wants to talk about, or the topic, and Y is what the speaker wants to say about the topic.

たなかさんはさんねんせいです。Mr./Ms. Tanaka is a junior.

Question 2

Particle description:

Answer 2

Japanese uses particles in addition to nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. Particles most often consist of one character (sometimes two), and they are PLACED IMMEDIATELY AFTER A NOUN OR at the END OF A SENTENCE.

Particles that appear AFTER NOUNS = assigned GRAMMATICAL FUNCTION to the NOUN.

Those that appear at the END OF A SENTENCE = the FUNCTION OF the preceding SENTENCE OR the SPEAKERS ATTITUDES OR EMOTIONS.

Question 3

すずきさんはりゅうがくせいじゃありません／じゃないです。

Answer 3

Mr./Ms/Suzuki is not an international student

Question 4

わたしはいちねんせいです。でも、たなかさんはいちねんせいじゃありません。

Answer 4

I am a freshman, but Ms./Mr. Tanaka is not (a freshman).

Question 5

ロペスさんはメキシコじんです。がくせいです。

Answer 5

Mr./Ms. Lopez is Mexican. He/She is a student.

Question 6

モネさんはだいがくいんせいです。でも、リーさんはだいがくいんせいじゃありません。

Answer 6

Mr./Ms. Monet is a graduate student, but Mr./Ms. Li is not.

Question 7

Identifying someone or something,

using 〜は , 〜 です NOTES: Omission

Answer 7

The topic X は can be omitted if the context is clear to the listener. For example, わたしは is omitted in greetings such as はじめまして　〜です。どうぞ よろしく, because it is obvious that the speaker is talking about
himself/herself.

Question 8

Asking はい／いいえ questions, using 〜 は　〜ですか USE:

Answer 8

Sentence + か (question particle) = question.

すずきさんですか。Are you Mr./Ms. Suzuki?

Affirmative answer: はい／ええ、そうです。Yes, I am.

Negative answer: いいえ、そうじゃありません／じゃないです。No, I am not.

OR いいえ、〜(your name)です。No, I am (your name).

Question 9

A: うえださんですか。
B: はい、そうです。

Answer 9

A: Are you Ms. Ueda?
B: Yes, I am.

Question 10

A: うえださんはにほんじんですか。
B: いいえ、アメリカじんです。

Answer 10

A: Are you Japanese, Ms. Ueda?
B: No, I’m American.

Question 11

Asking はい／いいえ questions, using 〜 は　〜ですか NOTES: How common is the word ‘you?’:

Answer 11

The Japanese pronoun あなた, although it is equivalent to you, is NOT USED AS COMMONLY as its English counterpart. It is MORE COMMON TO USE THE NAME OF THE PERSON being addressed. Thus, アリスさんは　がくせいですか can mean either ‘Are you a student, Alice?’ or ‘Is Alice a student?’ depending on whether you
are talking to Alice or someone else

Question 12

Indicating relationships between nouns with のDEFINITION + USE:

Answer 12

The particle の allows the FIRST NOUN in a phrase to MODIFY the SECOND ONE. Because の can convey a variety of relationships between two nouns, such as possession, group membership, or location, the particle’s meaning depends on the context.

Question 13

とうきょうだいがくのリーさん

Answer 13

Mr./Ms. Li from Tokyo University

Question 14

とうきょうだいがくのがくせい

Answer 14

student at Tokyo University

Question 15

わたしのせんこう

Answer 15

my major

Question 16

れきしのせんこう

Answer 16

history major

Question 17

わたしのせんせい

Answer 17

my teacher

Question 18

せんせいのほん

Answer 18

teacher’s book; book written by the teacher

Question 19

メキシコのうち

Answer 19

house in Mexico

Question 20

にほんのほん

Answer 20

book about Japan; book from Japan

Question 21

にほんごのほん

Answer 21

book written in Japanese; book about Japanese

Question 22

とうきょうのおかださん

Answer 22

Mr./Ms. Okada who lives in Tokyo; Mr./Ms. Okada who is from Tokyo

Question 23

A: はじめまして。りゅうがくせいセンターのきむらです。

Answer 23

How do you do? I’m Kimura of the International Student Center.

Question 24

A: うえださん、こちらはうえださんのホストファミリーのすずきさんです。

Answer 24

Ms. Ueda, this is Mr. Suzuki from your host family.

Question 25

A: ロペスさんのせんこうはビジネスですか。
B: いいえ。わたしはこうがくのせんこうです。

Answer 25

A: Is your major business, Mr./Ms. Lopez?
B: No. I’m an engineering major.

Question 26

IV. Asking for personal information, using question words DEFINITION + USE:

Answer 26

In Japanese, you don’t have to change the word order of a sentence to form an information question. All you have to do is to use a question word, such as なん (what) or どこ (where), for things you want to ask about.

おまえはなんですか。What is your name?

キムさんはなんねんせいですか。What year are you in, Mr./Ms. Kim?

Question 27

A: いまなんじですか。
B: さんじです。

Answer 27

A: What time is it now?
B: It’s 3 o’clock.