Sentence Markers

“Wa” Subject Marker

A wa B desu; Subject (A) is _____ (B)
A wa B ja/dewa arimasen; Subject (A) is not ____ (B)
“Ka” Question Marker, if at end of sentence
A wa B desu ka; Is the Subject (A) a/an ____(B)
Hai / Sou desu (Yes) and Iie / Chigaimasu (No)
“No” Possession Marker
Owner (A) no Object (B)
“To” And Marker
Noun (A) to Noun (B)
“Ka” Or Marker, if at the middle of nouns
Noun (A) ka Noun (B)
“Mo” Also Marker
Subject (A) mo Subject (B) desu
*If used in the question, Yes (Use mo) and No (Use wa).

Demonstratives
+ Noun (Acts as an Adjective)
Japanese English
Kono This “Noun” (Near the Speaker)
Sono That “Noun” (Near the Recipient)
Ano That “Noun” (Far from both people)

Object (Acts as a Pronoun/Noun Substitute)

Japanese English
Kore This (Near the Speaker)
Sore That (Near the Recipient)
Are That (Far from both people)
Location
Japanese English
Koko Here
Soko There (Near the Recipient)
Asoko There (Far from both people)

Direction
Japanese English
Kochira This way
Sochira That way (Near the Recipient)
Achira That way (Far from both people)
*Kochira is used when introducing someone.
Interrogatives
Japanese English Japanese English
Dono + Noun Which “Noun” Dore Which
Doko Where Dochira Which way
Donata Who (Formal) Dare Who (Informal)
Donata No Whose (Formal) Dare No Whose (Informal)
Nan What Nanno What kind of
* ”Donata” uses “Kata” and “Dare” uses “Hito” meaning person to make it
polite.

Subject/Object wa (Interrogative) desu ka?

Answer Key:
I. Bunpou Keishiki no Handan (page 13)
1) Dochira
2) No
3) Nan
4) Wa
5) To
6) Nanno

II. Bun no Kumitate (page 14)

1) Nihon no Kaisha no Shain desu ka?
2) Kim-san to Ana-san wa Nihongo no Sensei desu.
3) Mari-san wa Jon-san no Tomodachi desu.
4) Sumimasen, Daigaku no Chuushajou wa Dochira desu ka.
5) Jane-san no Otouto mo Gakusei desu.
6) Nihongo no sensei wa Tanaka-san ka Itou-san desu.

III. Bunshou no Bunpou (page 15)

1) Nihon no Kata
2) Bu
3) Firipinjin