Intermediate Step 1 / Autumn 2024

Question 1

I start to study.

I start to eat.

Answer 1

勉強をします → 勉強をしはじめます

食べます → 食べはじめます

This grammar pattern is used when one
starts to / started to do something.

Question 2

From when have you been learning Japanese?

Answer 2

いつから 日本語を 習いはじめましたか?

Question 3

I started eating the meal 2 minutes ago.

Answer 3

2分前に ご飯 を食べ はじめました。

Question 4

I started learning yoga 5 years ago.

Answer 4

5年前にヨガを習いはじめました。

(ねん) (なら)

Question 4

From 2 years ago (in answer to the Q when did you start…?

Answer 4

2年前からです.

Question 5

I’m really into… (Japanese Sports).

Kumi says this is only used for something you got into recently.

Answer 5

日本のスポーツ に は まっています。

The kanji for ハマる (はまる) is 嵌る. However, this kanji is not commonly used in everyday writing. Instead, it’s common to see it written in hiragana (はまる) or katakana (ハマる), especially when talking about being ‘hooked on’ or ‘really into’ something.

Question 6

Regular polite & neutral form of Japanese that uses the ます (masu) and です (desu) endings

Answer 6

丁寧語 (ていねいご / tei nei go)

Unlike sonkeigo or kenjougo, which are specifically used for respecting someone or humbling yourself, teineigo is just a neutral way to speak politely.

Question 7

Form used to show respect to the person you are talking to or about. It raises the status of the other person by using special words or verb forms.

Answer 7

Sonkeigo (尊敬語)

Used to show respect to the person you are talking about. It raises the status of the other person by using special words or verb forms.

Question 8

Form used to humble yourself or the actions of your group. You lower your own status to show respect to the other person.

Answer 8

Kenjougo (謙譲語)

Form used to humble yourself or the actions of your group. You lower your own status to show respect to the other person.

Question 8

尊敬語（そんけいご / honorific form) is used when
someone does an action and you would
like to describe it.

Answer 8

社長は コーヒー を お飲みになります

社長（しゃちょう）Manager

Question 9

‘beautified language,’ used to make speech sound more refined, elegant, or polite (Kumi doesn’t know this word)

Answer 9

Bikago (美化語)

‘beautified language,’ used to make speech sound more refined, elegant, or polite. It adds a sense of politeness, but it’s not specifically about respecting someone of higher status or humbling yourself.

Question 10

します > 尊敬語

Answer 10

なさいます（なさる）

Question 10

います、行きます、来ます > 尊敬語

Answer 10

いらっしゃいます（いらっしゃる）

Question 10

話（はな）します > 尊敬語

Answer 10

お話しになります

Question 11

帰（かえ）ります > 尊敬語

Answer 11

お帰りになります

Question 12

聞きます > 尊敬語

Answer 12

お聞きになります

Question 13

食べます > 尊敬語

Answer 13

めしあがります（めしあがる）

召し上がる (めしあがる / meshiagaru) This sonkeigo form is commonly written in kanji. This can also be used for drink (nomu can be done with this form or nomu can be done as o-nomi-ni-narimasu)

Question 14

見ます > 尊敬語

Answer 14

ごらんになります（ごらんになる）
ご覧になる (ご覧 is typically written in kanji).

Question 15

くれます > 尊敬語

Answer 15

くださいます（くださる）

Question 16

書きます > 尊敬語

Answer 16

お書きになります

Question 17

読みます > 尊敬語

Answer 17

お読みになります

Question 17

乗（の）ります > 尊敬語

Answer 17

お乗りになります

Question 18

言う > 尊敬語 (to say)

Answer 18

おっしゃいます (おっしゃる)

Question 19

Potential form します (irregular)

Answer 19

できる / できます

Question 20

Potential form of きます/来ます (irregular)

Answer 20

こられる / 来られます

Question 21

見ます (Potential Form) (Regular 2 / iru & eru verb)

Answer 21

見ます / みらります

Question 22

聞きます (Potential Form) (Regular 1 / u-verb)

Answer 22

聞ける / き けます

Question 23

会います (Potential Form) (Regular 1 / u-verb)

Answer 23

会える / あえます

Question 24

Next year I hope I can go to Japan
(hope with modesty)

Answer 24

来年 日本に 行け れば と思っています。

Potential form (stem) + ればと思っている。

Question 25

What do you want to do when you become good at Japanese?

Answer 25

日本語が上手になったら何がしたいですか?

Question 26

I hope it will be sunny tomorrow. (informal)

Answer 26

明日晴れるといいな

明日 (あした): tomorrow
晴れる (はれる): to be sunny (the verb form means ‘to become sunny’)
といいな: I hope (or it would be nice if)

Question 26

I hope to hang out with friends (modest)

I hope to hang out with friends (informal)

Answer 26

友達と遊べればと思っています (ともだち, あそべ).

友達と遊べるといいな.

Question 27

I hope to exercise every day (modest).

I hope to exercise every day (informal)

Answer 27

毎日運動ができればと思っています。(うんどう)

毎日運動できるといいな。

Question 28

Pour coffee, add milk, drink the coffee (using linking て-form)

Answer 28

コーヒーを 注 (そそ) いで、ミルクを 入 (い) れて、コーヒーを 飲 (の) みます。

運用中止形 (うんようちゅうしけい / un’yō chūshikei) is a formal writing style often used in instructions or explanations. Verbs are modified to make sentences flow more smoothly without repeatedly using the て-form (the linking form in Japanese).

Question 29

Pour coffee, add milk, drink the coffee (V Stem minus ‘mas’)

Answer 29

コーヒーを 注 (そそ) ぎ、ミルクを 入 (い) れ、コーヒーを 飲 (の) みます

‘Mas’ form minus the ‘mas’

運用中止形 (うんようちゅうしけい / un’yō chūshikei) is a formal writing style often used in instructions or explanations. Verbs are modified to make sentences flow more smoothly without repeatedly using the て-form (the linking form in Japanese).

Question 30

‘What was that again?’ or ‘What is that again?’ (inf.)

Answer 30

(あれ) 何でしたっけ。

っけ (kke) is the casual ending used when asking someone to remind you of something you can’t remember.

Question 31

He looks like a teacher.

Answer 31

彼 は 先生 みたい だ / です (だ is inf.)

Noun + みたい

This is used to say that something seems like or looks like a certain noun.

Question 32

It seems like he is going / He seems like he’s going.

Answer 32

彼は 行く みたい だ /です。

Verb (plain form) + みたい

This structure expresses that something seems to be doing something or appears to be a certain action.

Question 33

That move looks interesting.

Answer 33

その 映画 は 面白い みたい だ/です。

Adjective + みたい

This structure is used when you want to express that something appears to be a certain adjective.

Question 34

Grammar to show: something is done in advance

Check/see in advance

Answer 34

verb + て おく (inf) 見ておく
verb + ておきます 見てきます

とく (very casual shortened form) e.g 見とく

Question 35

Prepare in advance

Answer 35

じゅんび し ておく
じゅんび し てきます

じゅんび し とく

To form ておく, simply add おくto Te form of the verb.

Question 36

Because this restaurant is popular, I will book in advance.

Answer 36

このレストランは 人気があるので 予約しておきます。

Question 37

do it in advance (command)

Answer 37

-ておいて in the imperative form expresses commands or requests for preparing or doing something in advance.

It’s often used in everyday Japanese when asking others to do something now so it’ll be ready or useful in the future.

Question 38

Write your name here, ok? (for future reference)

Answer 38

ここに名前を書いておいてね

Question 39

wash the dishes (now, in advance)

Answer 39

お皿 (さら) を洗 (あら) っておいて

Kumi’s example

Question 40

Causative Form -

To make someone do something (force or request) or

To let someone do something (allow or permit)

Answer 40

V（さ）せる

Question 41

to make/let someone write

Answer 41

書かせる

書く (kaku, to write) → 書かせる (kakaseru, to make/let someone write).

Question 42

to make/let someone drink

Answer 42

飲ませる

飲む (nomu, to drink) → 飲ませる (nomaseru, to make/let someone drink).

Question 43

The teacher made the student drink tea.

Answer 43

先生は学生にお茶を飲ませました。

Person making/letting は Person being made/allowed に Verb (causative form).

Question 44

My father made me write a letter.

Answer 44

父は私に手紙を書かせました

Person making/letting は Person being made/allowed に Verb (causative form).

Question 45

to make/let someone eat

Answer 45

食べさせる

(taberu, to eat) → 食べさせる (tabesaseru, to make/let someone eat).

(さ) is only added for iru/eru -verbs to maintain the conjugation structure.

Question 46

The mother let the child eat cake

Answer 46

母は子どもにケーキを食べさせました。

Person making/letting は Person being made/allowed に Verb (causative form).

The context (making vs. letting) is often determined by the situation or tone.

If it feels controlling, it’s likely ‘make.’
If it feels permissive, it’s ‘let.’

Question 47

She made the baby cry.

Answer 47

彼女は赤ちゃんを泣かせた。

Person making/letting は Object を Verb (different structure of causative form).

Question 48

To make/let someone do

Answer 48

させる (irregular)

する (to do) → させる (saseru, to make/let someone do).

Question 49

to make/let someone come.

Answer 49

来させる (irr.)

来る (kuru, to come) → 来させる (kosaseru, to make/let someone come).

Question 50

The mother made the son eat bad-tasting cuisine.

Transitive verb

Answer 50

母親 は 息子に まずい 料理 を 食べさせます.
hahaoya ryori

If there is an object in a sentence,
the person performing the action is
always marked by に

Question 51

The mother allowed the son to go to a foreign country.

Intransitive verb

Answer 51

母親は 息子に 外国に 行かせました

With an intransitive verb, if there is no object in a sentence, the person performing the action is marked by either を (make) or に (let)

Question 52

The mother made the son to go to a foreign country.

Intransitive verb

Answer 52

母親は 息子 を 外国に 行かせました

With an intransitive verb, if there is no object in a sentence, the person performing the action is marked by either を (make) or に (let)