grammar - chapter 8
A. The ない form
The nai (ない) form of verbs is the plain form of masen (ません). In the past tense, it is nakatta (なかった); in the -te form, it is naide (ないで).
The nai form is used in two ways:
1. In casual speech as an informal way of using masen.
For example, すずきさんはパーティーに行かない。is the casual form of すずきさんはパーティーに行きません。(Suzuki will not go to the party)
2. With any sentence endings that directly attach to the plain form, such as そうです or んです.
The nai (ない) form of verbs is the plain form of masen (ません). In the past tense, it is nakatta (なかった); in the -te form, it is naide (ないで).
The nai form is used in two ways:
1. In casual speech as an informal way of using masen.
For example, すずきさんはパーティーに行かない。is the casual form of すずきさんはパーティーに行きません。(Suzuki will not go to the party)
2. With any sentence endings that directly attach to the plain form, such as そうです or んです.
- すずきさんはうるさいおんがくがすきじゃないそうです。(They say that Suzuki doesn't like loud music.)
- すずきさんはうるさいおんがくがすきじゃないんです。(It seems that Suzuki doesn't like loud music.)
B. The なかった form of verbs
Similarly to the nai form, the nakatta form of verbs is used in the following two ways:
1. In casual speech as an informal way of using masendeshita.
For example, すずきさんはパーティーに行かなかった。is the casual form of すずきさんはパーティーに行きませんでした。(Suzuki did not go to the party)
2. With any sentence endings that directly attach to the plain form, such as そうです or んです.
Nai and Nakatta Form Review
Similarly to the nai form, the nakatta form of verbs is used in the following two ways:
1. In casual speech as an informal way of using masendeshita.
For example, すずきさんはパーティーに行かなかった。is the casual form of すずきさんはパーティーに行きませんでした。(Suzuki did not go to the party)
2. With any sentence endings that directly attach to the plain form, such as そうです or んです.
- すずきさんはうるさいおんがくがすきじゃなかったそうです。(They say that Suzuki didn't like loud music.)
- すずきさんはうるさいおんがくがすきじゃなかったんです。(It seems that Suzuki didn't like loud music.)
Nai and Nakatta Form Review
C. ないでください
Recall that てください is used to request something of someone. In contrast, ないでください is used to ask someone to not do something. In casual speech, ください is often omitted.
The -nai form, -nakatta form, and -naide form are conjugated as follows:
1. Group 1 Verbs
-nai -nakatta -naide
A. For verbs ending with a consonant and an "u": drop the "u" and add "anai"
行く 行かない 行かなかった 行かないで
書く 書かない 書かなかった 書かないで
飲む 飲まない 飲まなかった 飲まないで
待つ 待たない 待たなかった 待たないで
B. For verbs ending with only an "u" (う): drop the "u" and add "wanai"
すう すわない すわなかった すわないで
いう いわない いわなかった いわないで
あう あわない あわなかった あわないで
2. Group 2 Verbs
Drop the final "ru" and add "nai"
食べる 食べない 食べなかった 食べないで
見る 見ない 見なかった 見ないで
おきる おきない おきなかった おきないで
3. Group 3 Verbs
来る こない こなかった こないで
する しない しなかった しないで
勉強する 勉強しない 勉強しなかった 勉強しないで
Nai forms Review
Recall that てください is used to request something of someone. In contrast, ないでください is used to ask someone to not do something. In casual speech, ください is often omitted.
The -nai form, -nakatta form, and -naide form are conjugated as follows:
1. Group 1 Verbs
-nai -nakatta -naide
A. For verbs ending with a consonant and an "u": drop the "u" and add "anai"
行く 行かない 行かなかった 行かないで
書く 書かない 書かなかった 書かないで
飲む 飲まない 飲まなかった 飲まないで
待つ 待たない 待たなかった 待たないで
B. For verbs ending with only an "u" (う): drop the "u" and add "wanai"
すう すわない すわなかった すわないで
いう いわない いわなかった いわないで
あう あわない あわなかった あわないで
2. Group 2 Verbs
Drop the final "ru" and add "nai"
食べる 食べない 食べなかった 食べないで
見る 見ない 見なかった 見ないで
おきる おきない おきなかった おきないで
3. Group 3 Verbs
来る こない こなかった こないで
する しない しなかった しないで
勉強する 勉強しない 勉強しなかった 勉強しないで
Nai forms Review
D. はい and いいえ
The way that はい and いいえ work in Japanese when answering negative questions is very different than the way we use these words in English. This is because the Japanese use is to agree or disagree with the previous speaker's statement, whereas in English these words are used to confirm or deny the speaker's statement. The example below will illustrate the difference.
さいきんX-MENのえいがを見ませんでしたか。 You didn't see the latest X-men movie, did you?
Japanese response: はい、見ませんでした。 Yes, I didn't.
English response: No, I didn't.
In the Japanese response, the speaker is agreeing with the questioner's statement. In the English response, the speaker is neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but confirming the negative.
The way that はい and いいえ work in Japanese when answering negative questions is very different than the way we use these words in English. This is because the Japanese use is to agree or disagree with the previous speaker's statement, whereas in English these words are used to confirm or deny the speaker's statement. The example below will illustrate the difference.
さいきんX-MENのえいがを見ませんでしたか。 You didn't see the latest X-men movie, did you?
Japanese response: はい、見ませんでした。 Yes, I didn't.
English response: No, I didn't.
In the Japanese response, the speaker is agreeing with the questioner's statement. In the English response, the speaker is neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but confirming the negative.
E. ている
ている can be thought of as an "-ing" ending in English.
ている has two functions:
1. Expressing the results of an action
2. Expressing verbs that are normally expressed in this way
いいえ、持っていません。No, I don’t have one.
はい、住んでいます。 Yes, I do.
いいえ、知っていません。No, I don’t.
ている is often shortened to てる in conversation.
One way you can think of ている is as a state of being in the present moment. In other words, right now what is in your possession, what do you know, etc. In the examples for 2 above, you can think of the translation as follows:
Are you in the state of having a pen (right now)?
No, I am not in the state of having one.
Are you in the state of/currently living in Calgary?
Yes, I am in the state of/currently living in Calgary.
Are you in the state of knowing Suzuki’s friend?
No, I am not in the state of knowing his friend.
ている can be thought of as an "-ing" ending in English.
ている has two functions:
1. Expressing the results of an action
- For example, if someone opened a door, you would say: ドアがあけました。(The door opened)
- If the door remained open (say, no one closed it), you would say: どがあけています。(The door is open)
2. Expressing verbs that are normally expressed in this way
- もっている (to have)
いいえ、持っていません。No, I don’t have one.
- すんでいる (to live)
はい、住んでいます。 Yes, I do.
- しっている (to know)
いいえ、知っていません。No, I don’t.
ている is often shortened to てる in conversation.
One way you can think of ている is as a state of being in the present moment. In other words, right now what is in your possession, what do you know, etc. In the examples for 2 above, you can think of the translation as follows:
Are you in the state of having a pen (right now)?
No, I am not in the state of having one.
Are you in the state of/currently living in Calgary?
Yes, I am in the state of/currently living in Calgary.
Are you in the state of knowing Suzuki’s friend?
No, I am not in the state of knowing his friend.
F. ていない
To indicate that an action has not yet taken place, but is intended to take place, use ~ていない.
This differs from ~なかった and ~ました in that なかった and ました express the fact that something did or did not happen in the past; in other words, future intent to complete the action is not part of this grammar point.
For example:
きのうプールへ行きましたか。Did you go to the pool yesterday?
いいえ、行きませんでした。No I didn’t.
もうプールへ行きましたか。Have you already gone to the pool?
いいえ、まだ行っていません。No I haven’t yet.
It is important to understand the use of もう and まだ. At this stage in your learning, the follownig is key:
もう + positive conjugations = already
まだ + negative conjugations = not yet
To indicate that an action has not yet taken place, but is intended to take place, use ~ていない.
This differs from ~なかった and ~ました in that なかった and ました express the fact that something did or did not happen in the past; in other words, future intent to complete the action is not part of this grammar point.
For example:
きのうプールへ行きましたか。Did you go to the pool yesterday?
いいえ、行きませんでした。No I didn’t.
もうプールへ行きましたか。Have you already gone to the pool?
いいえ、まだ行っていません。No I haven’t yet.
It is important to understand the use of もう and まだ. At this stage in your learning, the follownig is key:
もう + positive conjugations = already
まだ + negative conjugations = not yet
G. てもいい
The following are some phrases to ask/give permission, or to rescind permission:
~てもいいですか Is it okay if I ___________?/ May I __________?
~てもいいです It is okay.
~てはいけません/~てはだめです You are not allowed to _____________.
~なくてもいいです You don’t have to _____. It’s alright if you don’t ____________.
~よろしいです/~かまいません A formal version of いいです in all it’s forms
The first four phrases are attached to a verb with the て form. The fifth example is completed with ない form.
The following are some phrases to ask/give permission, or to rescind permission:
~てもいいですか Is it okay if I ___________?/ May I __________?
~てもいいです It is okay.
~てはいけません/~てはだめです You are not allowed to _____________.
~なくてもいいです You don’t have to _____. It’s alright if you don’t ____________.
~よろしいです/~かまいません A formal version of いいです in all it’s forms
The first four phrases are attached to a verb with the て form. The fifth example is completed with ない form.
H. か as "or"
This is simply placed between two nouns to demonstrate different choices. For example:
あなたはこのかそのかばんがすきですか。 Do you like this or that bag?
This is simply placed between two nouns to demonstrate different choices. For example:
あなたはこのかそのかばんがすきですか。 Do you like this or that bag?
I. か as "or"
This noun means time. It can be modified in the same way other nouns can be modified (think here of using adjectives or basic noun sentences from JPNS 1000). とき is used to modify things as follows:
Nouns: [noun]のとき こどものとき when (I) was a child
A Adjectives: [adjective] とき うるさいとき when it gets loud
Na Adjectives: [adjective] なとき しずかなとき when it is quiet
This noun means time. It can be modified in the same way other nouns can be modified (think here of using adjectives or basic noun sentences from JPNS 1000). とき is used to modify things as follows:
Nouns: [noun]のとき こどものとき when (I) was a child
A Adjectives: [adjective] とき うるさいとき when it gets loud
Na Adjectives: [adjective] なとき しずかなとき when it is quiet