grammar - Nakama 12
A. Talking About Time
In conversation, should you wish to indicate a period of time in your life, rather than a date, you can create noun phrases using the following: 時 (when), 前 (before), or 後 (after). This can be done in two ways:
時: when, at the time of
時 can be modified by other nouns or adjectives. In each case, it takes the particle に. For example:
Should you wish to use the negative ending ない, it acts an A Adjective, and is used as such. For example:
前、後: duration
Duration of time + 前 indicates "ago" or "before", and can be used with the time particle に. For example:
Duration of time + 後 indicates "later" or "after", and can be used with the time particle に. For example:
With 前 and 後, you can use ぐらい (about). It is used right after the duration amount and immediately before 前 / 後. For example:
In conversation, should you wish to indicate a period of time in your life, rather than a date, you can create noun phrases using the following: 時 (when), 前 (before), or 後 (after). This can be done in two ways:
- 時: when, at the time of
- 前、後: duration
時: when, at the time of
時 can be modified by other nouns or adjectives. In each case, it takes the particle に. For example:
- Noun + 時
学生の時 when I was a student - A Adjective + 時
ねむい時 when I am sleepy/tired - Na Adjective + 時
しずかな時 when I am quiet
Should you wish to use the negative ending ない, it acts an A Adjective, and is used as such. For example:
- 学生じゃない時 when I wasn't a student
- ねむくない時 when I am not sleepy/tired
- しずかじゃない時 when I am not quiet
前、後: duration
Duration of time + 前 indicates "ago" or "before", and can be used with the time particle に. For example:
- 四ヶ月前に大学を終わりました。 I finished university four months ago.
- 二日前に新しいCDをかいました。 I bought a new CD two days ago.
Duration of time + 後 indicates "later" or "after", and can be used with the time particle に. For example:
- 一年後に大学を終わります。 One year from now I will finish university.
- 三週後に日本へ行きます。 Three weeks from now I will go to Japan.
With 前 and 後, you can use ぐらい (about). It is used right after the duration amount and immediately before 前 / 後. For example:
- 三日ぐらい前に About three days ago
- 四週ぐらい後に About four weeks from now
B. Past Experiences + Representative Activities
Talking About Past Experiences: ~たことがある
This expression is used to talk about experiences you have had in the past. Recall that ある can be used to express what you have or have had. In using this phrase to express things, you are effectively saying "I have had the experience of...". This is different from ~ました in that it simply expresses a past action, but doesn't necessarily express that it was an experience.
This expression is used to talk about activities in the past, but not about fairly recent experiences.
For example:
As you can see from the examples, past tense of having completed the action is indicated by the verb itself, not by ~たことがある. You may also note that the negation of having done something is in the ~たことがない portion.
Should someone pose a question to you using this expression, you can answer as follows:
Listing Representative Activities
This is simply a review of the ~たり~たりする format which you learned in Lesson 16.
Talking About Past Experiences: ~たことがある
This expression is used to talk about experiences you have had in the past. Recall that ある can be used to express what you have or have had. In using this phrase to express things, you are effectively saying "I have had the experience of...". This is different from ~ました in that it simply expresses a past action, but doesn't necessarily express that it was an experience.
This expression is used to talk about activities in the past, but not about fairly recent experiences.
For example:
- 日本へ旅行したことがあります。 I have had the experience of travelling to Japan.
- フランスへ旅行したがありません。 I have not had the experience of travelling to France.
As you can see from the examples, past tense of having completed the action is indicated by the verb itself, not by ~たことがある. You may also note that the negation of having done something is in the ~たことがない portion.
Should someone pose a question to you using this expression, you can answer as follows:
- A: ミュージカルを見たことがありますか。 Have you (ever had the experience of) seen a musical?
- B: はい、あります。 Yes, I have (had that experience).
- C: いいえ、ありません。 No, I have not (had that experience).
Listing Representative Activities
This is simply a review of the ~たり~たりする format which you learned in Lesson 16.
C. Expressing Frequency
To express how often, how long or how much one does a certain thing within a specified time, use the following format: [time frame] + [に] + [frequency/duration] + [verb].
The time frame can be used with any specific expression of time. For example:
To express how often, how long or how much one does a certain thing within a specified time, use the following format: [time frame] + [に] + [frequency/duration] + [verb].
The time frame can be used with any specific expression of time. For example:
- 五十分に一度うんどうします。 I exercise once every 50 minutes.
- 三時間に一度休みます。 I take a break every three hours.
- 一日に二時間ぐらいさんぽうします。 I walk for about two hours every day.
- 二週間に三まい手紙を書きます。 I write three letters every two weeks.
- 六月に一度休みます。 I go on holiday every six months.
- 五年に一だい車を買います。 Every 5 years, I buy a new car.
D. Expressing Hearsay: ~そうだ
Before discussing how to express hearsay, here is a bit of an introduction to ~そうだ. This expression is used to say "looks like" or "seems". It is attached to the stem of a verb (i.e.; the stem of 行きます is 行き). This is conjecture based on a direct observation. The following examples illustrate ways to use ~そうだ:
If you were to negate the examples above, they would look like:
The use of ~そう means it can turn phrases into adverbs or adjectives because it acts like a Na Adjective. For example:
Expressing Hearsay
To say something like "I heard" or "I have heard", ~そうだ takes the plain form of verbs and adjectives. For example:
To authenticate the source of the information, the hearsay expression is often used with ~によると (according to). For example:
Before discussing how to express hearsay, here is a bit of an introduction to ~そうだ. This expression is used to say "looks like" or "seems". It is attached to the stem of a verb (i.e.; the stem of 行きます is 行き). This is conjecture based on a direct observation. The following examples illustrate ways to use ~そうだ:
- 映画を終わりそうです。 It looks like the movie is over.
- この映画はおもしろそうです。 That movie seems interesting.
- あの人はとてもしずかそうです。 That person seems very quiet.
- 女の人は大学生じゃなそうです。 It seems that woman is not an university student.
*** Note that nouns can only be attached to ~そうだ if they are in the negative!
If you were to negate the examples above, they would look like:
- 映画を終わりそうにない It looks like the movie is not over.
- 映画を終わらないそうです。
- この映画はおもしろくないそうです。 That movie does not seem interesting.
このえいがはおもしろそうじゃない - あの人はとてもしずかじゃなさそうです。 That person doesn't seem very quiet.
あのひとはとてもしずかそうじゃない
The use of ~そう means it can turn phrases into adverbs or adjectives because it acts like a Na Adjective. For example:
- おもしろうそうに見ています。 Watching as if it were interesting.
- 高そうな車 a car that looks expensive
Expressing Hearsay
To say something like "I heard" or "I have heard", ~そうだ takes the plain form of verbs and adjectives. For example:
- 雨がふるそうです。 I heard that it will rain.
- 雨がふらないそうです。 I heard that it will not rain.
- 雨がふったそうです。 I heard that it rained.
- 雨がふったくないそうです。 I heard that it didn't rain.
To authenticate the source of the information, the hearsay expression is often used with ~によると (according to). For example:
- 田中さんによると、この映画はおもしろくなかったそうです。 According to Tanaka, that movie did not seem interesting.
E. Noun Modification: Past and Present
We have explored noun modification previously in Lesson 10, Lesson 13, and Lesson 16. In this lesson, we will explore how to modify things in the past. The rule is simple: the modifying clause can be in past tense as long as it's in the plain form. For example:
Recall that the subject in a modifying clause is marked with が, not は:
Note: use the present tense when a modifying clause describes the characteristic of a person or thing, even if the sentence is past tense. For example:
We have explored noun modification previously in Lesson 10, Lesson 13, and Lesson 16. In this lesson, we will explore how to modify things in the past. The rule is simple: the modifying clause can be in past tense as long as it's in the plain form. For example:
- おもしろかった映画 the movie that was interesting
- 先月けっこんした友だち the friend who got married last month
Recall that the subject in a modifying clause is marked with が, not は:
- 妹が先週買ったCD the CD that my younger sister bought last week
Note: use the present tense when a modifying clause describes the characteristic of a person or thing, even if the sentence is past tense. For example:
- 妹は小さい子供でした。 My sister was a small child.