Intermediate Step 1 / Autumn 2024 Flashcards
I start to study.
I start to eat.
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.
From when have you been learning Japanese?
いつから 日本語を 習いはじめましたか?
I started eating the meal 2 minutes ago.
2分前に ご飯 を食べ はじめました。
I started learning yoga 5 years ago.
5年前にヨガを習いはじめました。
(ねん) (なら)
From 2 years ago (in answer to the Q when did you start…?
2年前からです.
I’m really into… (Japanese Sports).
Kumi says this is only used for something you got into recently.
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.
Regular polite & neutral form of Japanese that uses the ます (masu) and です (desu) endings
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.
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.
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.
Form used to humble yourself or the actions of your group. You lower your own status to show respect to the other person.
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.
尊敬語（そんけいご / honorific form) is used when
someone does an action and you would
like to describe it.
社長は コーヒー を お飲みになります
社長（しゃちょう）Manager
‘beautified language,’ used to make speech sound more refined, elegant, or polite (Kumi doesn’t know this word)
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.
します > 尊敬語
なさいます（なさる）
います、行きます、来ます > 尊敬語
いらっしゃいます（いらっしゃる）
話（はな）します > 尊敬語
お話しになります
帰（かえ）ります > 尊敬語
お帰りになります
聞きます > 尊敬語
お聞きになります
食べます > 尊敬語
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)
見ます > 尊敬語
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).
くれます > 尊敬語
くださいます（くださる）
書きます > 尊敬語
お書きになります
読みます > 尊敬語
お読みになります
乗（の）ります > 尊敬語
お乗りになります
言う > 尊敬語 (to say)
おっしゃいます (おっしゃる)
Potential form します (irregular)
できる / できます
Potential form of きます/来ます (irregular)
こられる / 来られます
見ます (Potential Form) (Regular 2 / iru & eru verb)
見ます / みらります
聞きます (Potential Form) (Regular 1 / u-verb)
聞ける / き けます
会います (Potential Form) (Regular 1 / u-verb)
会える / あえます
Next year I hope I can go to Japan
(hope with modesty)
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。
What do you want to do when you become good at Japanese?
日本語が上手になったら何がしたいですか?
I hope it will be sunny tomorrow. (informal)
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)
I hope to hang out with friends (modest)
I hope to hang out with friends (informal)
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.
I hope to exercise every day (modest).
I hope to exercise every day (informal)
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。
Pour coffee, add milk, drink the coffee (using linking て-form)
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).
Pour coffee, add milk, drink the coffee (V Stem minus ‘mas’)
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).
‘What was that again?’ or ‘What is that again?’ (inf.)
(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.
He looks like a teacher.
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.
It seems like he is going / He seems like he’s going.
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.
That move looks interesting.
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.
Grammar to show: something is done in advance
Check/see in advance
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
Prepare in advance
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.
Because this restaurant is popular, I will book in advance.
このレストランは 人気があるので 予約しておきます。
do it in advance (command)
-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.
Write your name here, ok? (for future reference)
ここに名前を書いておいてね
wash the dishes (now, in advance)
お皿 (さら) を洗 (あら) っておいて
Kumi’s example
Causative Form -
To make someone do something (force or request) or
To let someone do something (allow or permit)
V（さ）せる
to make/let someone write
書かせる
書く (kaku, to write) → 書かせる (kakaseru, to make/let someone write).
to make/let someone drink
飲ませる
飲む (nomu, to drink) → 飲ませる (nomaseru, to make/let someone drink).
The teacher made the student drink tea.
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).
My father made me write a letter.
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).
to make/let someone eat
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.
The mother let the child eat cake
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.’
She made the baby cry.
彼女は赤ちゃんを泣かせた。
Person making/letting は Object を Verb (different structure of causative form).
To make/let someone do
させる (irregular)
する (to do) → させる (saseru, to make/let someone do).
to make/let someone come.
来させる (irr.)
来る (kuru, to come) → 来させる (kosaseru, to make/let someone come).
The mother made the son eat bad-tasting cuisine.
Transitive verb
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
The mother allowed the son to go to a foreign country.
Intransitive verb
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)
The mother made the son to go to a foreign country.
Intransitive verb
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)
