This is the Japanese Grammar Complete Beginner Course that will teach you Japanese Grammar from the scratch. If you would liket to be abe to construct your own sentence by yourself, use Japanese for daily conversation, be independent and able to communicate with the Japanese people, this is the best course for you!
I will also be talking about the topics that my Patreon supporters requested, as well as some topics about Japanese culture.
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「あげます」 is the Japanese word for "to give" seen from the speaker's point of view. You must use this verb when you are giving something or doing something for someone else.
私は友達にプレゼントをあげます。
- I gave present to friend.
車を買ってあげます。
- I'll give you the favor of buying a car.
私は友達にいいことを教えてあげました。
- I taught something good to my friend. (looking at it from the my point of view)
「くれます」 is also a verb meaning "to give" but unlike 「あげます」, it is from the receiver's point of view. You must use this verb when someone else is giving something or doing something for you (effectively the opposite of 「あげます」).
友達は私にプレゼントをくれました。
- Friend gave present to me.
車を買ってくれますか？
- You'll give me the favor of buying a car for me?
友達は私にいいことを教えてくれました。
- Friend gave favor of teaching something good to me. (looking at it from the friend's point of view)
Episode 73 - How to use "potential form" (How to say "can do, can buy, can speak etc.")
~ことができます (Koto Ga Dekimasu): Formal Potential Form With Verbs
If you want to use the potential form with verbs, one way is to use the present tense form of the verb followed by ことができる. This phrase directly translates to “be able to do ~ing,” where the “ing” is the verb being used. Take a look at the following example sentence for a more in-depth explanation.
私は日本語を話すことができます。
watashi wa nihongo wo hanasu koto ga dekimasu
Meaning: I can speak Japanese. (ability to speak Japanese)
～ができます (ga dekimasu) : Noun + dekimasu
できる can be used in various ways to communicate potential; for example, it can communicate skill or capability when used with a noun.
私はテニスができます。
watashi wa tenisu ga dekimasu
Meaning: I can play tennis. (ability to play tennis)
Group 1 : Potential form
To write 書きます (kakimasu) 書けます (kakemasu)
To speak 話します (hanashimasu) 話せます (hanasemasu)
To stand 立ちます (tachimasu) 立てます (tatemasu)
To drink 飲みます (nomimasu) 飲めます (nomemasu)
Group 2 : Potential form
Episode 72 - How to say "no matter how..." (ikura + te form + mo)
ても (temo) Sentence is used to indicate a reverse condition.
It's used when an action which is expected to be taken or an event which is expected to happen naturally under the given circumstances does not materialize or a thing turns out in a way opposite to a socially accepted idea.
Verb (て-form) も、
い-Adj (～い) くても、
な-Adj でも、
Noun でも、
If you continue doing this for weeks, normally it's natural that you'll . In this case, you can use the と (to) sentence to describe the situation.
たくさん働くと、疲れます。
takusan hatarakuto, tsukaremasu
If I work a lot, I will become tired.
However, if the opposite result happens, you should use ても (temo) sentence to describe the situation.
For ても (temo) sentence, what happens is opposite to what people normally expected.
たくさん働いても、疲れません。
takusan hataraitemo, tsukaremasen.
Even if I work alot, I won't be tired
たくさんはたらきます → つかれます ← naturally happen use と sentence
Episode 70 - How to make "Conditional Form" (ta form + ra)
〜たら is a conjugation pattern which expresses a causal relationship. The action or state expressed by the sentence which precedes 〜たら is the condition of the event or situation expressed by the rest of the sentence.
Depending on the context, it is interpreted differently—as time sequences like "when" and "after," or conditions like "if."
Verb 食べます → 食べた + ら = 食べたら
Noun 夏です → 夏だった + ら = 夏だったら
な-adjective 静かです → 静かだった + ら = 静かだったら
い-adjective 難しいです → 難しかった + ら = 難しかったら
もし あめ がふったら ほん を よみます
Moshi Ame Ga Futtara Hon Wo Yomimasu
If it rains I will read a book
We start with MOSHI to emphasise the conditional at the beginning of the sentence .
We then explain the condition which is “If it rains” あめがふったら
ふる here has been changed to the past form verb ふった and then ら has been added to the end.
もし日本に行ったら日本語を勉強します
moshi nihon ni ittara nihongo o benkyou shimasu
If I go to Japan, I will learn Japanese
Episode 69 - How to make "Verb into Noun phrases" (Dictionary form + koto)
koto can be used as a nominalizer. When “koto” is placed after a verb or a verb phrase, “koto” can turn that verb/verb phrase into what is essentially a long, multi-word noun.
For example:
本を読みます hon o yomimasu means “[someone] reads/will read books.” But,
本を読む事 hon o yomu koto means “the idea/act of [someone] reading books.”
ことKoto quite simply adds “ING” to the end of a verb.
To Eat becomes Eating
たべます tabemasu
たべること taberukoto
To Walk becomes Walking
あるきます arukimasu
あるくこと arukukoto
To Drink becomes Drinking
のみます nomimasu
のむこと nomukoto
こと（KOTO）turns a verb into a noun.
It is an extremely useful thing to use when describing what actions you like or dislike doing.
A relative clause is a clause that is used to modify a noun or a noun phrase. In English, a clause must contain a subject and a predicate at a minimum in order to be grammatical, but a Japanese clause only requires a predicate.
Forming the relative clause - step by step:
1
In your mind, change the verb in 私は本をかいました to the plain form, かった
The verbs in relative clauses is always in the plain form. They can be in the past or present tenses or in the volitional (-tai) form, but they will always be in the plain form.
2
Next, we have to change the word order so that 本 (book), the main thing we're talking about, comes at the end of the clause . . .
私は本をかった (I bought a book) changes to 私がかった本 (the book that I bought)
Note that the topic marker は changes to が in the relative clause. This is because 私 is no longer the topic of the sentence. In fact, our new main topic is the book.
3
We can use the phrase we have just constructed in a sentence, by adding our second idea, which is おもしろいです:
私がかった本は、おもしろいです。
The book that I bought is interesting.
There is no Japanese equivalent to English relative pronouns (i.e. “Who“, “Which“, and “That“). In other words, Japanese relative clauses directly connect to the noun or noun phrase and any particles or pronouns associated with the noun / noun phrase are erased.
「もらいます」 meaning, "to receive" has only one version unlike 「あげます／くれます」 so there's very little to explain. One thing to point out is that since you receive from someone, 「から」 is also appropriate in addition to the 「に」 target particle.
私は友達にプレゼントをもらいます。
- I will receive a present from my friend.
これは友達に買ってもらいました。
- About this, received the favor of buying it from friend.
宿題をチェックしてもらいたかったけど、時間がなくて無理だった。
- I wanted to receive the favor of checking homework but there was no time and it was impossible.
When used to nominalize the preceding clause, the nominalized phrase expresses a fact which is already accomplished or which the speaker supposes will be accomplished. koto tends to be taken as an object by verbs of mental activity such as knowing, recognizing, understanding, hoping, learning, etc.
田中さんがヨーロッパに行ったことを知っていますか？
Tanaka-san san ga youroppa ni itta koto o shitte imasu ka.
Do you know that Mr. Tanaka has gone to Europe?
ラオさんが国にかえったことをしっていますか？
Rao san ga kuni ni kaetta koto o shitteimasu ka?
Do you know that Mr. Rao went back to his country?
大きい犬 [The big dog] This is simply an い-Adjective, but it functions grammatically identically to a more complex relative clause.
寝ている犬 [A sleeping dog] Notice that (1) the relative clause can consist of a lone verb, and (2) the relative clause directly precedes the noun that it modifies.
目が大きい人 [A preson with big eyes] This relative clause is slightly more complex with both a subject and a predicate.
頭がいい学生[a smart student] Note that the relative clause connects directly to the noun that it modifies.
髪が長い人 kami ga nagai hito [The person who has long hair]
めがねをかけている人 megane o kaketeiru hito [The person who is wearing glasses]
猫が好きな人 neko ga sukina hito [The person who likes cats]
あそこで写真をとっている人 asoko de shashin o totteiru hito [The person who is taking a photo over there]
毎日運動をする人 mainichi undou suru hito [The person who exercises every day]
タバコを吸わない人 tabako o suwanai hito [The person who doesn’t smoke tobacco]
去年結婚した人 kyonen kekkon shita hito [The person who got married last year]
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