Basic Japanese

Formal Verbs

Present/Future Tense
Past Tense
Progressive Tense
Negative Present/Future
Negative Past Tense
Command Form

+
+
+
+
+
+
+

Negative Command
Potential Form
= can/ able to

(U-Verbs)
(RU-Verbs)

(RU-Verbs)

Causative Form
= to allow/force
someone to ~

Potential Form

(RU-Verbs)

(RU-Verbs)

+
+

(U-Verbs)
(RU-Verbs)

(U-Verbs)

Causative Form

+
+

(RU-Verbs)

Must not...
To do in advance...
To do too much...
To do... and so on.
To (irreversibly) do...

+
+
+

Shall we.../Shall I ~ for you?

Combination Verb
Chaining Phrases

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ +
+
+
+
+
+
+ +
+
+ VERB 2
+ PHRASE 2

to make an effort

Passive Form

+
+

+
+

Before...
Because...
In order to...
While... (at the same time)
Even if/when...
(permissible)
May...
to
attempt
& check the result
Try to...

+
+
+

If not...

After...

+
+
+
+
+

Want to...
Dont want to...
Lets...

(U-Verbs)

(U-Verbs)

DOUBLE MEANING

(U-Verbs)

= to be ~ed

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

Shall we.../Shall I ~ for you?

Passive Form

Negative Command

Must/have to...

(RU-Verbs)

Want to...
Dont want to...
Lets...

+
+
+

(U-Verbs)
Usually considered rude!

+
+
+

If...

DOUBLE MEANING

Present/Future Tense
Past Tense
Progressive Tense
Negative Present/Future
Negative Past Tense
Command Form

Verb Usages

Informal Verbs

Conjugating Verbs

Hiragana

RU-VERB

U-VERB TE/TA ENDINGS

.

Final Kana of Verb

.

, ,

, ,

Shift final sound

.

according to

Hiragana chart.
.

(to go) in TE/TA-form becomes /
EXCEPTIONS
ending for verbs ending in is:
The
(to need), (to enter), (to know), (to cut)
U-VERBS
(THAT LOOK LIKE RU-VERBS) (to go home), (to slide), (to kick)

Always use these endings.

U-VERB
.
.
.
.
.

Caution!

Forms of (to be)

FORMAL
Present Tense
Past Tense
Probable
Negative Present Tense
Negative Past Tense
Negative Probable

INFORMAL

SO

i-ADJECTIVES
.
.

NOUN FORM

ADVERB FORM

.
.
.
.
.
.
.

fast
speed
quickly
fast and...
was fast
not fast
wasnt fast
if fast
if not fast
too fast

NA-ADJECTIVES

NOUN FORM
ADVERB FORM

cheerful
cheer
cheerfully
cheerful and...

Adjectives that end in are i-Adjectives,

except where the final is part of a kanji.

EASILY CONFUSED NA-ADJECTIVES

( / beautiful)
( / polite)
( / unfair)

Drop from NA-Adjectives if followed by a form of

(good) always conjugates as
It is possible (but uncommon) to add to a NA-Adj. when useing it as a noun (ie. )
: Noun-able form (a form that can be nominalized with or )

KA GA SA

ZA TA DA NA HA BA

PA MA YA RA WA

KI

GI SHI

JI CHI

JI

NI

HI

PI

BI

KU GU SU ZU TSU ZU NU FU BU PU MU YU RU

KE GE SE

ZE TE DE NE HE BE

PE ME

RE

KO GO SO ZO TO DO NO HO BO PO MO YO RO WO

KA GA SA

ZA TA DA NA HA BA

PA MA YA RA WA

KI

GI SHI

JI CHI

JI

NI

HI

BI

PI

MI

RI

TSU SHI

U
E
O

KU GU SU ZU TSU ZU NU FU BU PU MU YU RU
KE GE SE

ZE TE DE NE HE BE

PE ME

(103 in all)

up

child

down

man

woman

left

right

sun

moon

in

out

fire

inside

mouth

eye

hand

father

mother

friend

go

eat

station

come

drink

school

see

live

foot

now

hear

stand

company country

: Considered inappropriate when addressing superiors.

ear

noon

say

meet

name

Yen

hour

talk

old

water

outside

tree

money

front

back

book

flower

week

language

new

electricity heaven

year

read

high

spirit

store

ground

many

(I) can speak Japanese a little.

Mr. Tanaka has the money. (with him now)

WA vs. GA (Detailed Article) - http://nihonshock.com/waga

(I) bought shoes.

To fly (in) the sky

To talk about (things of ) ones self.

car

street

sky

buy

long

fish

learn

interval

rain

understand

previous

west

rest

each

white

: is interchangable with (the latter is slightly more formal).

(I) drink 2 cups of coffee a day.

(I) think the chair broke.

to speak in whispers

DE - The Enabling Particle

Marks a place, area, or length of time inside which something occurs.
Marks a method, tool or circumstance under which something happens.
Marks a material or substance; composition.

(I) learned kanji in two years.

Today (I) came by train.

a scarf made of wool

KA

NO

Please write as much as you can.

Marks a firm extent/limit (usually one which presents a problem for the speaker).
Emphasizes the negation of anything beyond the extent/limit.
Therefore, is always is used with a negative verb form.

I havent but one thousand yen.

Ive never seen it except in pictures.

Only you can do it.

HODO

Marks a degree or extent of something. (not small)

Marks an approximate number or length of time.
Marks the greater element in a negative comparison. (not as ~ as)

That car is not as fast as this car.

I laughed so hard that my stomach became painful.

Marks the lesser element in a positive comparison. (more than)

From ~ (when closing a private letter)

That car is faster than this car.

DEMO

Marks a possibility or suggestion.

Turns interrogative words into any~ words.
(Used as an conjunction [before a phrase]) : even so/but/however, ...

Shall we drink some tea or something?

Please call me anytime.

KURAI

Marks an approximate or negotiable degree, amount, or length of time.

(speaker feels that the stated number/extent is a fair and/or reasonable estimate)

Alternate form:

If you write a kanji about 10 times, you wont forget it.

Means only, or to the exclusion of other things

Informally, can be pronounced / / for emphasis.

BAKARI

That classroom has nothing but girls in it.

Everything he says is a lie.

KARA

Marks a starting place or time.

Marks a source of information.
Marks a reason when used after

I heard about it from a friend.

I cant pay because I forgot my wallet.

MO - Even/Also Marker
Used with other particles to add a meaning of also/too or even.
( replaces , , and completely, but follows all other particles)

Its okay even if (you) ignore (him). He is always like that.

Marks a sentence as a question.

Links nouns to create an or group.
Turns interrogative words into some~ words.
(who) + = (someone)
Shows possession. ( = my/mine)
Combines two nouns.
Note: the final noun becomes the primary meaning.
= the company car
= a car company

YA

Can be used instead of

to mark a destination.
Note: hiragana he is used.

Links nouns to create an

incomplete and group.

books and pencils (and such)

: also marks objects of (understand), (want), and (like).

: (and ) groups list all their members, only lists some.

More cheat sheets available! Check out cheatsheets.nihonshock.com

MADE

Marks an ending place or time.

When followed by ,
means by/before

the meeting is from 1 oclock until 3 oclock.

Please write the report by tomorrow.

Comparison

Give

Whether or not

About/Regarding

Insider/Familiar

(start a sentence)

In order to go to Japan,
I am studying Japanese.
Adverb form
Adjective form

(becomes when used)

(between phrases)

Conjunctive Adverbs

Informal
Humble

Conjunctions

This report is about Japanese history.

Give (to me)

Im considering whether or not to buy this book.

In order to

Receive

Subject

Give/Receive
Superior/Outsider

Marks the greater element in a positive comparison

( marks the lesser element).
Can take past tense verbs even for non-past sentences.
Rather than looking it up, it would be faster to ask the teacher.

Turns interrogative words (, , , etc.) into every~/all~ words.

Please write it as quickly as you can.

Phrasal object

(I) also/even went to Osaka.

And group

half

mountain

east

Lets go to the park on Saturday.

When quoting, can become (informal)

TO - The Glue Particle
Marks a person that an action is done with.
Links nouns to create a complete and group.
Marks quoted speech or phrasal objects: (to think), (to write)
Shows a natural/predictable if-then relationship between clauses.
Marks onomatopoeic words. (words that mimic sounds)

river

few

NI - The Aiming Particle

Marks an indirect object (the person/thing an action is done for/directed toward)
Marks a destination, direction or specific place for an action. (to/at)
Marks a specific point in time (ie. Monday / 3pm / 1972 / July)
Marks a period of time that something repeats in. (ie. twice a week)
Marks direct objects for: (to become), (to meet), (to ride)

(I) gave her a book.

Please wait for just one hour.

Written with hiragana wo, but the w sound is very faint.

DAKE

Marks a limited amount or extent of something. (not more than)

Used with (and other potential-form verbs) to mean as ~ as possible

YORI

Marks the object of a verb.

With verbs of motion, shows where the motion occurs.

south

O - Object Marker

small

north

safety

big

what

write

Marks the subject of a verb. (grammatical relationship)

Distinguishes one option or thing from others. (A vs. ???)
Used when adding new things/information to a conversation.
Used when describing specific things with adjectives.
Marks objects of potential-form verbs. (can/able to)
(Used as an conjunction [between phrases]) : ..., but... or even though ..., ...

RE

KO GO SO ZO TO DO NO HO BO PO MO YO RO WO

JLPT Level N5 Kanji

person

SHIKA

GA - Subject Marker

(I) had an argument with (my) boss and manager.

Mr. Tanaka has money. (he is rich)

As for the car, I was the one who drove it.

Katakana
A

Marks the topic of a sentence. (non-grammatical relationship)

Contrasts one option or thing against others. (A vs. B, C, D)
Used when elaborating on things already known to the listener.

RI

Written with hiragana ha, but pronounced wa

MI

is very direct. If youre unsure, it is safer to use

When nominalized (converted to a noun) changes to before , and before

Adjective Conjugation

WA - Topic Marker

Also, ...
Therefore (so), ...
However (but), ...
However (but), ...
However (but), ...
However (but), ...

A, but B

A, but B

even though A, B

even though A, B

because of A, B

because of A, B

if A, B

if A, (unavoidably) B

: Relative time words, like (today), (tomorrow), (yesterday), (next month) etc. do not take .

: can sound patronizing; (to hand over) is a safe alternative.

: marks the grammatical subjects of potential-form verbs.

Nihonshock.com 2013, All rights reserved.