Genki 2 Grammar Flashcards
What are potential verbs?
They’re used to say that someone “can” or “has the ability” to do something, or if something is “possible”
-I speak Japanese (―はなします)
-I can speak Japanese (―はなせます)
How do you turn ru-verbs into potential verbs?
Drop the final -ru and add -rareru
Example:
みる - みられる
How do you turn u-verbs into potential verbs?
Drop the final -u and add -eru
Example:
いく = いける
つくる = つくれる
How do you turn irr verbs: くる and する into potential verbs?
くる - こられる
する - できる
What is one alternative complex construction way of expressing “can do”?
ーことができる
Whilst から can be used to explain the reason for something, how can we explain two or more reasons?
By using し in place of から (usually following a predicate in the short form)
(reason1)し、(reason2)し、(situation)。
What does it mean if you use only one し for a reason, instead of から
That there is more reasons than that one mentioned for a situation
Can し clauses be used in separate sentences?
Yes, providing reason for the situation just mentioned, for example:
山下先生はいい先生です。おしえるのがじょうずだし、しんせつだし。
Yamashita sensei is a great teacher. He is good at teaching, and kind
How can we say something seemingly has properties, or to guess something on the basis of impressions?
Add そうです to い and な adjective bases
Example:
このりんごはおいしそうです。
This apple looks delicious.
How is そうです conjugated for い/な/いい adjectives?
い adjectives: remove one い and + そうです
な adjectives: remove な completely and + そうです
いい exception: becomes よさ＋そうです
how do you use そうです with negative adjectives?
Change it into なきそうです
How can a noun be qualified into そうです
By saying そうな before a noun, for example:
あたたかそうなセーターをきています。
She is wearing a warm-looking sweater
How do you express the idea of doing something tentatively, or trying something?
by using te-form of a verb plus the helping verb みる to express the idea of doing something tentatively or trying something
Example:
じゃあ、よんですぎます。
Okay I will take a look at it (referring to a book)
(Note: the 見る conjugates as a る verb but always written in hiragana)
What do you say when the predicate Y applies to X and isn’t more generally valid?
X (noun) なら Y(predicate)
Example:
チリならいったことがありますが、ブラジルはいったことがありません。
I’ve been to Chile but I’ve never been to Brazil
(Note: なら introduces a sentence that says something positive about the item that is contrasted, in the first situation above, なら puts Chile in a positive light and in contrast with Brazil which the question was originally about)
How can you describe the frequency of events in a period of time?
Period に Frequency
(Frequency per period)
Example:
一日に三時間ぐらいゲームをします。
I play games for about three hours a day.
